Movie: in the first of a series of exclusive video interviews, Alessi president Alberto Alessi explains why Richard Sapper's iconic 1978 coffee maker for the Italian brand is so important to him. More
Activity trackers are becoming more personal – instead of fitting around the wrist, this grenade-shaped product inserts into the vagina to help strengthen pelvic floor muscles and vibrates to give workout feedback. More
Royal College of Art graduate Yu-Chang Chou has developed a "return and reuse" packaging system to help online retailers reduce waste (+ movie). More
Lego Minifigures can be hacked to create holders for iPhone charging cables, Sugru users have discovered. More
Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of Studio Swine have revisited the process they developed to make optical frames from human hair to create a new range of accessories (+ movie). More
This kettle by Kingston University graduate Anna Czaniecka is shaped like two mugs so the user can precisely measure how much water to boil for cups of tea. More
This inflatable bag by Royal College of Art graduate Peng You is designed to keep electronic devices safe from knocks and bumps. More
Royal College of Art graduate Ayca Dundar has redesigned the umbrella, paring it back to a pop-up canopy with six parts so it can recover from being blown inside out (+ movie). More
Prolific Japanese design studio Nendo seems set on proving it can design anything, adding to its portfolio a boat shoe for luxury brand Tod's and a glass chess set for crystal house Baccarat. More
Royal College of Art student Yen Chen Chang has used conductive yarns and threads to create tactile interfaces for electronic products that work by stroking, stretching or squeezing knitted objects (+ movie). More
Los Angeles based furniture designer David Okum has reimagined the extension cable to create a flexible row of wooden spheres and cubes containing multiple sockets that also prevent the cable from tangling. More
Design graduate Mireia Gordi i Vila presents a flexible and reusable packaging system for valuable goods at the Royal College of Art (RCA) show in London, which opened today (+ slideshow). More
News: US technology firm Honeywell has released a minimal smart thermostat that learns household routines, a rival to Nest's similar connected home product. More
Icelandic studio Hlutagerðin has designed this leather and lambskin armour to keep teapots warm and protect tablets from coffee table scrapes (+ slideshow). More
First the connected home; now the connected garden: designer Yves Behar and entrepreneur Jason Aramburu have created products that monitor soil conditions and automatically water plants when they get thirsty (+ movie). More
New York 2014: California design brand Sabi has collaborated with London-based MAP Project Office to create a collection of wall storage products for the bathroom. More
This prototype clock by Boaz Cohen and Sayaka Yamamoto tells the time in a straight line by replacing the hands with a pivoting shell-like structure. More
Dezeen promotion: Creative program producers Cut&Paste have teamed up with Intel and HP to run a new product design contest called LaunchBox, with over £14,000 in prizes to be won for potential crowdfunding projects. More
News: every electrical device in the home will be linked to the internet within a decade, according to the CEO of connected home products brand Nest (+ interview). More
Design graduate Bettina Madita Böhm has created a cylindrical concrete beehive for urban beekeepers to use on the roofs of city buildings. More