Think Philips, and you probably think of LCD televisions and DVD players. Maybe Milk of Magnesia (that’s Phillips with two L’s). What you’ll probably never think of is a colony of bees in your kitchen, doing what bees do best: providing you with a natural source of fresh honey.
That’s the premise of the Urban Beehive concept, one of the fascinating and eco-friendly elements of the recently-unveiled Philips Microbial Home collection. BTW, some of the others include the “filtering squatting toilet”, the “plastic waste up-cycler”, and, best of all, the outstandingly B-movie-sounding “bio-digester island”. Code name Krakoa, maybe?
The Urban Beehive isn’t necessarily urban, but it is literally a beehive in your kitchen. According to the official description, there’s an “entry passage and flower pot outside, and glass vessel containing an array of honeycomb frames, inside.”
Why is any of this something that any sane home owner would want? I’ll give you seven EXTREMELY good reasons:
1. Honey is yummy. Obvious, I know, but it’s worth singling out. Sugar is just sweet, but honey has real flavor -- a variety of flavors, actually, depending on what the bees have got into, how the honey is prepared, and even how it’s stored.
2. Kick up your eco-consciousness a notch. “The city benefits from the pollination...as global bee colonies are in decline; this design contributes to the preservation of the species and encourages the return of the urban bee.” Sure, you’ve been stung before, but a world without bees is really not worth considering.
3. Honey is yummy AND expensive. Even those little plastic bears don’t come cheap, and if you have a taste for the real stuff, it starts at around $1 per ounce and goes up quickly. Plus, a little honey goes a MUCH longer way than sugar.
4. The fish tank factor. Philips touts “the therapeutic value of observing these fascinating creatures in action.” I myself have never attained nirvana by gazing at the insides of a beehive, but I can certainly see where it could be a relaxing and renewing experience.
5. Honey is yummy and healthy. Just how healthy it is can be debated, but even cautious estimates praise honey’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. Honey has been used to treat everything from sore throats and coughs to diabetic conditions, and its ability to more quickly heal wounds has been known for centuries.
6. Grow your own. The self-sustaining sweet tooth is more or less out of luck; cane sugar and corn syrup are infamously tricky to farm on a personal level, and sugar beets aren’t an ideal alternative for sweetening your coffee, to say the least.
7. The ant farm factor. I don’t want to exaggerate the educational potential, but there’s no doubt that kids (and adults) may be interested and enlightened by “observing these fascinating creatures in action”. And talk about an educational incentive -- I mean, fish and ants are great and all, but they don’t poop candy.
Is the Urban Beehive something you want in your home? Let me know in the comments below or via Twitter.
Tagg writes on behalf of CableTV.com. He typically writes about technology and finance. When he’s not writing or tinkering on the latest gadget, he’s an avid golfer. You can follow him on Twitter @CableTV.
That’s the premise of the Urban Beehive concept, one of the fascinating and eco-friendly elements of the recently-unveiled Philips Microbial Home collection. BTW, some of the others include the “filtering squatting toilet”, the “plastic waste up-cycler”, and, best of all, the outstandingly B-movie-sounding “bio-digester island”. Code name Krakoa, maybe?
The Urban Beehive isn’t necessarily urban, but it is literally a beehive in your kitchen. According to the official description, there’s an “entry passage and flower pot outside, and glass vessel containing an array of honeycomb frames, inside.”
Why is any of this something that any sane home owner would want? I’ll give you seven EXTREMELY good reasons:
1. Honey is yummy. Obvious, I know, but it’s worth singling out. Sugar is just sweet, but honey has real flavor -- a variety of flavors, actually, depending on what the bees have got into, how the honey is prepared, and even how it’s stored.
2. Kick up your eco-consciousness a notch. “The city benefits from the pollination...as global bee colonies are in decline; this design contributes to the preservation of the species and encourages the return of the urban bee.” Sure, you’ve been stung before, but a world without bees is really not worth considering.
3. Honey is yummy AND expensive. Even those little plastic bears don’t come cheap, and if you have a taste for the real stuff, it starts at around $1 per ounce and goes up quickly. Plus, a little honey goes a MUCH longer way than sugar.
4. The fish tank factor. Philips touts “the therapeutic value of observing these fascinating creatures in action.” I myself have never attained nirvana by gazing at the insides of a beehive, but I can certainly see where it could be a relaxing and renewing experience.
5. Honey is yummy and healthy. Just how healthy it is can be debated, but even cautious estimates praise honey’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. Honey has been used to treat everything from sore throats and coughs to diabetic conditions, and its ability to more quickly heal wounds has been known for centuries.
6. Grow your own. The self-sustaining sweet tooth is more or less out of luck; cane sugar and corn syrup are infamously tricky to farm on a personal level, and sugar beets aren’t an ideal alternative for sweetening your coffee, to say the least.
7. The ant farm factor. I don’t want to exaggerate the educational potential, but there’s no doubt that kids (and adults) may be interested and enlightened by “observing these fascinating creatures in action”. And talk about an educational incentive -- I mean, fish and ants are great and all, but they don’t poop candy.
Is the Urban Beehive something you want in your home? Let me know in the comments below or via Twitter.
Tagg writes on behalf of CableTV.com. He typically writes about technology and finance. When he’s not writing or tinkering on the latest gadget, he’s an avid golfer. You can follow him on Twitter @CableTV.
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