With a penchant for creating innovative, yet controlled concepts, the France based Elium Studio has some amazing consumer electronics that clearly bridge the worlds of art and product design.

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Lately, Ford’s focus has been on technology. The Ford SYNC™ is a fully integrated, voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system that works with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital media players. They also just introduced the innovative MyFord Touch driver connect technology, which has received a Popular Mechanics’ Editor’s Choice award and CNET’s “Best of CES” at the 2010 International CES. Everywhere I look, I hear about what Ford is doing. And, to be honest, they are one of the friendliest brands out there when it comes to bloggers. Very refreshing.

Moray Callum (left) and Scott Monty (right) talking design online.

Moray Callum is Executive Director, Ford Americas Design. And I’m sure you’re wondering why I am chatting with him. Well, we don’t talk much about cars here and I thought it would be a good way to bring some more diversity into our technology category. Plus, I’m always interested to know a) where car designers get their inspiration, b) where cars are headed in terms of design and function, and c) when do we get our hovercrafts? OK, I didn’t ask that last one. But I did get on the phone with Mr. Callum to talk design. This guy’s a big fish: he has overall responsibility for the design of all cars and trucks designed in Ford’s North and South America studios, and he also will guide the design of Lincoln and Mercury products. Callum joined Ford in 1995 from Mazda, and he’s also worked with Chrysler Corp. UK, Peugeot-Citroen PSA, and Ghia Spa (he’s from the UK).

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Why do our wall sockets have to be hard-to-reach eye sores? That’s the question Dutch design firm Neffa asked when they undertook the emerging work of I WANT contact wall sockets. Created to complement the decor, these socket covers remain both visible and functional.

The Jet Lag Alarm Clock by I.D.E.A shows you both the current time and the alarm time. It also comes in black and orange.

Petal Drops from Quirky is an elegant solution for re-purposing rain water. The flower-shaped funnel is made out of 100% recycled high-density polyethylene and it allows you to capture rain water and re-use it for a variety of purposes.

Korea’s Design Hara has taken sustainable computing the the next level. Their desktop consumes a third of the energy of other desktops, and is fitted for easy dis-assembly, making it simple and safe to recycle.

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Matt Richmond takes a music icon and updates it with 21st century technology. Dock your iPod or iPhone, and turn the Victrola into speakers for your favorite rock album.

[Via Stilsucht]

Yes, it is finally here, the Apple tablet, named the iPad. I think it’s an unfortunate name, clearly not coined by a woman, but it’s quite lovely to look at. I hope it lives up to the hype. For now, I’ll stick with my iPhone/Macbook/Kindle trifecta until I read some reviews.

Exclusively available in Korea, this LG Series 1 Retro Classic TV runs at around $216 and has a body that comes in either orange or brown. Its 14-inch screen can transition from full-color to black-and-white to sepia at the switch of a button.

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LaCie’s simple and functional flash drives will keep key-chains from getting clunky, and offer from 4GB to 32GB of storage.