When it comes to safety equipment, designers always seem to drop the ball when they get around to considering aesthetic values. Think about it, when was the last time you saw a plaid airbag, or a fire sprinkler that wasn't hideously ugly? Have you ever owned a fire extinguisher that you haven't chosen to hide under the sink? It doesn't have to be that way, because a designer in Oslo has reinvented the fire extinguisher for our modern, aesthetically-obsessed lifestyles.

What a concept, right? A fire extinguisher that you might actually store in a place where it could be useful in the event of a real life emergency. Instead of having to rummage through the closet, this baby is attractive enough to leave -- gasp -- in plain sight.

It works just like a normal extinguisher: there's a hose, a red pin to pull when it's go-time, etc. The main differences are that it's not ugly, and it doesn't come with an unhelpful gauge that you don't know how to read anyway. Instead, it uses light-up icons to let you know when it needs service. Oh yeah, and it can also hook up to a wireless fire alarm system.

Designed by a Norwegian design school grad student (big surprise), we're not sure when the Act extinguisher will actually hit the market -- but we're hoping that it's soon. For safety's sake, of course ... not because we want more aesthetically pleasing toys in our home. OK, maybe that's part of the reason.

[via GearCrave]