While the wide array of apps showcased on the show floor of Google I/O's Developer's Sandbox was expected, a car in the middle of the floor was not. The shiny new luxury coupe wasn't there just for show, but for hands-on demonstrations illustrating an innovative new integration with Google Maps and other social apps...

It was about a year ago to this day we first previewed the Leap, a small USB peripheral we described as a "Microsoft Kinect for your computer monitor". Funny we said that, as now with the wide availability of Microsoft's Windows 8, the possibilities of using motion tracking gestures with Windows tile-based UI seem like a perfect fit...

Building your own desk can range from super easy ("buy 4 IKEA legs and pick out a table top") to more advanced DIY projects requiring woodworking skills and proper tools. In either case and everything inbetween, half the work is done when you've got all your resources planned out...

Hey, did you know we've been collecting and archiving some of our best and most inspiring home technology posts throughout the year over at Pinterest? We have! And you can browse through hundreds of our highlights, from product reviews, to home office inspirations, to how-to projects, and much more!

Illustrator Jing Zhang does an imaginative job revealing the inner workings of common objects with his set of "semi-made-up infographics" (many available as art prints), including this digital camera factory and few more below...

Braun global radio controlled alarm clock radio
• $100.00
• Horne 

Introduced last year under the direction of Makus Orthey, senior designer at Braun, and winner of the Red dot award for product design, the rounded corners digital table clock offers an easy to read LCD screen illuminated with blue LED backlighting, alongside alarm/snooze functions and an AM/FM/ radio. And no need to change the time while traveling, local time is automatically set utilizing global radio frequencies specific to regions, making this clock equally suited for the bedside table or in the travel bag for global excursions.

Extension cords are, well, pretty universally ugly. Making them more attractive is also a tough job, because of the electricity involved, which could lead to a fire hazard. Enter rope...specifically, firesafe rope.

Yesterday, at launches in Seattle and London, Microsoft just may have staked its claim to space in your future living room. Hoping to take on the laptop as your home-based center of connectivity to the world, they introduced their new console, the Xbox One. Below, some details on the system that aims to be an indispensable part of homelife...

What looks good in a showroom or catalog doesn't always live up to expectations once you've put the Allen wrench down. So you might want to fire up the iPhone, Android phone, or iPad before even setting foot inside a store, and try using an augmented reality app to "try on" furniture before buying...

Whether home owners really want or need apps connecting their fridge to the internet is still yet to be seen. But there's no need to purchase a whole new fridge to tap into online services and apps designed to better manage the biggest plugged-in device in your home and its contents...