Dedicated to inspiring designers, inventors & the creative spirit in all of us.

Apples are at their prime this time of year, and there are countless ways to enjoy this delicious, healthy fruit. But preparing apples for snacking and baking can be a chore if your tools and utensils are outdated. Here are a few gadgets and tools to make it easier to prepare, store and enjoy the year’s best apples, whether picked fresh at a local orchard, neighborhood farmer’s market or corner grocery store.

This apple slicer adjusts to a variety of widths to get the most wedges from each of your apples for snacking, or to cut a few thick ones for baking a recipe.

Coring your apples can be a big task when baking; you might as well do it in style with this stainless steel version. 

Thinly sliced, uniform twists make this spiral cutter unique for serving up fresh apples this Fall. 

Some picky eaters have to remove the skin before they eat, and this hand-cranked countertop contraption will do the job (it also cores the apple simultaneously). The design is very industrial, implying a perfect peel every time.

For those of you who like overkill and all-in-one machines, I think this may be the one for you. Formerly marketed as the Spirooli, this shredder, slicer, chopper claims to maim any vegetable or fruit you can stuff into it.

Why not have your apples and eat them too? The design of the dehydrator is simple, and it makes storing foods for later use so easy to do.

I will argue with anyone who disclaims the validity of culinary creations as art. Having said that, here is a great way to prepare your fresh apples after you have cored, skinned and sliced them to enjoy.

Thinking outside of the box has been used so many times to describe an approach toward design. I really do think that the designers who worked on this touchpad case were thinking outside of the box. When slipped onto the bottom of an iPhone, this tactile guide gives boundaries to your fingertips, allowing for more than just a visual line between pressing a ‘D’ and an ‘S’ on your QWERTY touch keyboard.

Dahon has debuted an ingenious gadget for bicycle riders at this year’s Eurobike Show. The Biologic FreeCharge, a kinetic powered bicycle adapter, harnesses the energy created as your wheels turn while you ride. This is a means to an end for diehard cyclists who travel great distances and want to avoid having to charge GPS, cell phone or electronics at hotels or public places after a long day’s ride. Available in 2010.

Simple ideas are the best, and this is an example of one – a reusable lid for plastic bags. Buy in bulk, or cut open a bagged package of food and then use this to snap it closed without a twist tie or chip clip. Copoc Bag Clips can be used on big bags of M & M’s, bulk grains, sugar; the possibilities are endless.

At first glance, this appears to be an illusion, perhaps an invisible table with a clear table cloth. At second look you can see it is an actual table, supported by legs created from the draping of the ‘fabric.’ A fantastic idea, cleverly executed with precision.

This design is an award winner from Japan’s Ryoji Takahashi that offers a new look and feel to shredding. The tube-like paper shredder can be held over a waste basket and is less obtrusive than the traditional rectangular electric paper shredder. Seems to be a desk-friendly redesign; now we have to wait until it comes to the States.

A shower in your pocket? A pontoon on your back? A fold away grill? Camping is a little more compact these days. These three designs make packing up your gear a little easier, and smaller, to boot.

Going back to school means a lot of people buying a whole lot of new things. Teachers, students, parents; we are all consumers. With so many designs keeping the environment in mind during planning and manufacture, it would be nice to see a few students sporting green with their back to school gear. Here are a few products to get you started.

Newton running shoes are more than just green. The shoes laces, webbing, insole top and outer sole rubber are made of recycled materials. And there is more; the package is made of the same post-consumer paper waste as egg cartons. And to get greener than green, the shoe is stuffed with a pair of new socks and a reusable bag to avoid useless tissue paper that would normally get tossed after opening.

Every new school year sees last year’s trends moved aside for the hottest new items. Well, try going green with this 100% recycled material backpack. The cost of the backpack even includes a donation to American Rainforests, so chances are you will be helping to add a tree or two for your money well spent.

Radiohead, noted to be one of the greenest bands out there has extended its line of apparel to raincoats. The nice thing about their designer coat (other than it is made for Radiohead) is that it took 15 recycled PETG bottles to create it. Look cool, feel cool and be cool with this post-consumer jacket this fall.

And speaking of rainy fall weather, if campus life has you traveling by foot from class to class, be sure to pack an umbrella. This umbrella has a canopy made of 100% recycled PETG bottles with a frame made of 70% recycled steel, aluminum and ABS plastics. 

Pack up your pencils, pens and markers into this recycled supply pouch and feel good knowing that the world has one less tire in its landfills. And while you’re at it, stuff in the ruler made of, “read it together class: three plastic cups.”

Who goes to school without a notebook. If you are going to have to take notes, you might as well write onto something worth writing on. This recycled material notebook will have you daydreaming and doodling in no time, thanks to recycled juice cartons and plastic boxes.

Highlighters are a must for most note-takers and young scholars. Why not go green when you go yellow by using these Zebra-Eco highlighters made from 74% post-consumer waste. Go ahead, stuff it in that pouch you just read about.

Packing your lunch is a must for some students, by choice or necessity. Do it in style with this second-life juice pouch bag. This ECOutlet bag is made from materials once known as trash, but now known as green.

I would have to say the biggest complaint about going green, is all the green you spend in doing so. Although it can be costly to buy environmentally responsible products, sometimes I think it is worth it to do so, as with this computer. With an 80% smaller size, using 70% less energy and 75% less printed paperwork to go with it, this Dell desktop computer is definitely getting greener. You can even recycle 95% of the product after it becomes obsolete.

Did you change out old bulbs with CLF’s or go digital with your photos? Making a camera planter or light bulb pot is a great way to find a second life for some old objects around the house.

What about those old books, ruined books, or doubles you may have stored around the house, in the garage or attic?

And those old vinyl records you can’t listen to anymore?

And, of course, there is always the option of trying to reuse the old phone booth lying around!

I saw this collapsing door design a while back, but thought it was still worth sharing. Pay attention to the final seconds of the video, as the narrator talks about driving into the 21st Century with these hide-away doors. Every time I see this design I wonder why it never made it to a major automobile market.