News: British industrial design firm Dyson has launched a tiny vacuum cleaner for British homes, which are the smallest in western Europe and often lack space to store a full-size cleaner. More about Dyson launches vacuum cleaner the size of an A4 sheet of paper
News: police in Germany plan to 3D print a gun to test whether the weapon can pass through security checks undetected. More about German police test 3D-printed gun
This Kevlar rucksack with a built-in protective hood by Israeli designer Hila Raam is perfect for anyone who wants to go backpacking in a war zone. More about Rhino Skin - Second Chance Gear by Hila Raam
Product news: these chandeliers by American lighting designers Rich Brilliant Willing feature glowing blobs of glass that dangle from aluminium rods. More about Gala chandelier by Rich Brilliant Willing
News: a camera that allows users to focus photographs after they've been taken has launched in the UK. More about UK launch of camera you focus after shooting
Kingston University graduate Aaron Dunkerton has designed an enclosed cavity brick fitting that allows endangered birds to nest in new buildings and garden walls. More about Bird Nesting Bricks by Aaron Dunkerton
The latest version of the affordable XO tablet, designed by Yves Behar for the One Laptop Per Child Association, goes on sale this week (+ movie). More about XO tablet by Yves Behar for One Laptop Per Child
This plastic maternity vest by design graduate Alice Kim allows people to carry young plants like babies (+ movie). More about Plant Pregnancy by Alice Kim
Korean designer Boyeon Oh has designed a set of paper memos to look like a fresh packet of salad. More about Salad Memos by Boyeon Oh
Industrial designers Adrienne McNicholas and Michelle Ivankovic have launched a range of silicone caps designed to preserve leftover fruit and vegetables (+ slideshow). More about Food Huggers by Adrienne McNicholas and Michelle Ivankovic
News: a range of products inspired by a young designer's dyslexia has won the New Designer of the Year Award (+ slideshow). More about Dyslexic Objects win New Designer of the Year Award 2013
Japanese studio Nendo has designed packaging for coffee-flavoured beer by adding little bean-shaped stickers to the brewer's existing bottles. More about Coffee Beer bottle by Nendo
Product news: South Korean designer Jungmo Yang has created these simple wooden chairs with bird-shaped armrests. More about Bird chair by Jungmo Yang
Royal College of Art graduate Jeongwon Ji has made her own bioplastic from crab shells. More about BioElectric by Jeongwon Ji
Product news: French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has created a glass with a stem that holds exactly one measure of alcohol for liqueur brand Ricard. More about Carafe and glass by Mathieu Lehanneur for Ricard
This tricycle designed for children by Vietnamese firm a21studio has been crafted from bamboo and finished with ropes. More about Bamboo tricycle by a21studio
3D-printed casts for fractured bones could replace the usual bulky, itchy and smelly plaster or fibreglass ones in this conceptual project by Victoria University of Wellington graduate Jake Evill. More about Cortex 3D-printed cast by Jake Evill
Designer Yves Behar of San Francisco studio Fuseproject has launched his OUYA open-source game console. More about OUYA by Fuseproject
French designer Claire Lavabre has made a mirror that only works when it's placed in front of a dark shape painted on the wall. More about Reflet by Claire Lavabre
Designers Jack Beveridge and Lizzie Reid have adapted the flocking process to make a hairbrush that's coated in human hair. More about Hairbrush by Jack Beveridge and Lizzie Reid