Fred Yauner has made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the highest popping toast in the world.

Yauner's current 'Because We Can' project aims to produce extreme or superlative products, 'the biggest, the best, the fastest', as a critique of the current state of design and consumerism. We want to associate ourselves with objects that pretend to make us better or fulfil our dreams, always offering us more. We are, consciously or unconsciously, allowing ourselves to be told what we need and what will complete our sense of self as we see it in image form, and are content in 'hyperreal' space. Self-deception is so easily accepted, that it is almost a necessity. -- Freddie Yauner's site



You may have heard about the Highest Popping toaster in the world and the intention to get it into the record books.

We were at the RCA yesterday when the devices creator, Freddie Yauner, 26, launched himself (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) into the Guinness Book of Records with his bonkers over-powered toaster.

The official from the Guinness Book of Records (on right) recorded the height of toast at 2.6 metres (8.5ft). We were pretty sure that we saw it go much higher than that - as you can see from the video.

It's a CO2 gas-powered monster that is of very little practical use what so ever, unless you're looking to create a service where people on balconies have toast delivered fresh to them. That aside, it's a great fun idea and certainly one that got young Yauner some attention.

When receiving the Guinness Book of Records certificate, Freddie told us "This is the proudest moment of my life. I don't know what's better, getting my MA from the RCA or the world record."