I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

  • Bangorian

    Cool – though it looks like there are about 700 opportunities to pinch your fingers off when you open this thing.

    • Antinous / Moderator

      Ever owned a drop-leaf table?  They’ve been around since the 16th Century.  Twenty pounds of gravity-assisted mahogany is a lot more hazardous than this.

  • SamSam

    It looks similar to this style of wooden expandable table: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv7HulVsen0

    Bunch of similar examples in the related content of that video.

    • Don

       Gorgeous.  And you know what they say about the price, if you have to ask…

      • bcsizemo

        ..there’s a better chance it is built well and will last a lifetime?

  • EggyToast

    I love things like this. Why limit yourself to one size when you can easily have two?

    If I was more cynical, I’d say that this has already been done via drop-leaves and other table leaf technology, but the fact that this table dramatically increases its surface area easily and without any awkward flaps (as anyone who gets stuck sitting at a drop-leaf can attest) is sweet.

  • Don

    I’m impressed, but I don’t see myself putting a dinner plate on that uneven surface.  Or allowing my grandkids in the room.  This cool mechanism needs an application other than a table.  (Hang it on a wall, paint a picture on it while closed, spin it and paint a new picture that uses the fragments of the old picture?)

    • oasisob1

      Why would the surface be uneven? The wooden table above looks perfectly smooth in both configurations. I would have to agree with you on the grandkids point, but would amend to say not for operation by minors or anyone who’s been drinking. I hope the clear table with squares above is clear only for demonstration purposes. I’m not a fan of ‘hey, look at the mechanical stuff inside’ at the dinner table. Give it a nice 50′s diner top and style, and I’m sold.

      • Don

         I was watching the clear table with the squares.  It appears the surface that’s exposed when the table is small, is ABOVE the surface that becomes exposed when the table expands, at least as far above as the clear material is thick.  It’s probably only millimeters, but that’s enough to tip over a glass if I put it on the seam.

        • oasisob1

          The center pieces ought to rise up to make a flush surface, but at 0:36 it’s difficult to say for sure whether it does or not. hunting around for more info didn’t turn up anything useful about this table. If the end result isn’t a smooth surface, I can’t imagine it would sell.

        • ocker3

          And tables often have uneven legs that make a bit of pressure spill drinks…

          Just don’t put your glass on one of the joins, they’re not a huge proportion of the table’s surface area

  • TheMudshark

    The Music as well as the design of the table made me almost expect some hard boiled 80s cop to show up. Possibly Cobra -style Stallone.

  • anansi133

    That is very sexy.  I’d say I want one, but clearly this one’s way outta my league.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Amorette-Allison/1163340223 Amorette Allison

    I hope it has a lock or I would have it all set, bump into it, and it would spin close.  Plus worrying about catching body parts or clothes in the mechanism underneath.

  • Simon Champion

    Why not just buy two different sized tables?

    • Antinous / Moderator

      Are you paying the rent for the extra room?

  • Promethean Sky

    I’ve seen this style of expanding table before, but getting a look at the mechanism was wonderful.

  • Melted Crayons

    Could someone please ID this music?  The usual apps aren’t getting it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=648343069 David Folmar

    We all know it would be covered with unread books and stuff that we need to do in a week and never get closed again…

  • http://www.flutterby.com/ danlyke

    Yeah, it’s a Jupe table, looks like the same mechanism that the DB Fletcher “Capstan Table” uses to store the leaves internally. Neat to see the mechanism exposed, but it’s been done. It will be interesting to see the IP fight, as I think Fletcher was claiming patent on the particulars of that mechanism.