Squirt!

Say goodbye to batteries and power cords with the latest idea from Los Angeles designer Mark Bedol. Created to look like a chubby round droplet, this water-powered alarm clock houses two metallic plates that allow ions in simple H2O to be converted into electric current. Our test model in the office kept good time, didn’t spill, and shouldn’t need to be refilled for six months or more – though the alarm, a gentle peeping, doesn’t seem loud enough to wake a heavy sleeper. Available in blueberry, kiwi, grape, tangerine, and smoke for $26 at Phillips Hardware in Oak Bluffs and www.bedolwhatsnext.com.

Whimsical wood ticks

While most people view our Island’s rampant tick population as scary creepy crawlies, Boston architect Keith Moskow sees them as a source of inspiration. While his firm, Moskow Linn Architects, was working on an addition to a barn in Chilmark, Keith wondered how he could make it a little bit different and memorable. For a barn door, he designed wood-tick hinges that are laser-cut stainless steel welded onto piano hinges. Keith says, “I thought it would be cool to elevate the ticks.”