Next Big Thing? Designer routers

Routers are one of the most important bits of tech in your house, but they're also duller than a year in solitary with John Major. So TalkTalk has teamed up with renowned design hotbed Goldsmiths at the University of London to see if they could create a router that has greater aspirations than hiding behind your printer.

The pick of the bunch is probably the Route O'Clock (above, below), which shows you the signal strength at different times of the day as well as doubling as a (rather large) clock.



Winning the eco vote is the 'Energy Saver', which turns on or off depending on whether your house keys are on its hooks. Not a bad idea, though it does still look a bit like a router with key hooks.



And if you're desperate for a router that could double as the focal point of your living room, the 60s-style Hybrid or slightly terrifying Jellyfish could fit the bill. Would you buy any of Goldsmith's designs if they made it to production? Let us know in the comments section below. For more pics and the chance to vote for your favourite, check out Futurerouters.