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Blocks of wood? Nope – an ultra-minimal clock and set of connected kitchen scales

See, even nondescript slabs of dead tree can be smart

Esat Dedezade

 

You’re excited about wood now? What are you, a beaver?Not to our knowledge. We do have a soft spot for dams though. But we digress. We’re not looking at a boring block of wood here. We’re looking at two striking examples of minimalist design, blended with smart functionality.

Italian startup Thingk has created a kitchen scale and a clock – the Gkilo and Glock – both of which are cleverly disguised as unassuming pieces of wood.

How the hell do you pronounce those names?
Kilo and clock. And before you ask how they work, we should point out they’re not filled with sawdust and pixie magic.

The Arduino-powered guts of both devices are encase in plexiglass. An LED matrix is then laid on top, finished off by a wood-like adhesive material, which allows the LEDs to shine through when activated.

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About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.