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March 30, 2006
Twist It up
Despite the fact that these mini speakers all fit in your open hand they are said to sound real impressive. At full blast they output 13 watts, which is pretty good considering there size, 48mm x 62mm. The tubular design allows the speakers to be adjusted 180 degrees so that you can easily output sound to which ever direction you desire. Pretty clever is the control unit that features a touch pad similar to an ipod. The sphere glows in different colors as you tap it to access its different functions, such as volume, bass, treble etc.
Funky and stylish they are, and for traveling they definitely seem perfect, but for home it wont do, not unless they release a matching subwoofer to complete the set.
Buy Stripy Speakers at Firebox
Posted by diverseawareness at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
March 27, 2006
Pascal Bardel
I like Bardel's work. He's one talented industrial designer and two items in particular peeked my interest from his 2005 portfolio.
One, the Gellule which is a radio alarm clock that looks like a gelcap. It has a simple LCD display and you twist it to change volume, stations, and to set the alarm. If I get a bunch of them, am I waking up to a "cocktail"?
Second, I like his design for a simple combo LCD-DVD player called the Combo. It looks elegant both sitting and mounted. Shorten the bezel around the screen, remove all buttons on the front and make the whole unit aluminum and you've got yourself an Apple design.
Posted by tranism at 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Jacknife Bike For Realz
Remember my post about a bike powered by hydraulics instead of the ole' chain and gear setup? Well here's a photo of one in real life.
Go ahead, get your drool on.
Posted by tranism at 1:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 20, 2006
Crosslink Dot Kite
Since I'm in the middle of moving, it gives me the opportunity to throw almost everything out and start anew. I'm not one to hang on to things and I'm definitely not a pack-rat. And so I scoured the net for some of the most unique industrial design studios for inspiration and came across a quirky group based out of Rome, Italy calling themselves Dot Kite.
Their current collection called Crosslink offers clean flowing lines, repetitive, and technical while remaining organic. I love furniture that not only is but also feels technical and these two pieces; Iride and Maia are definitely technical in their execution. Simple in it's design yet probably strong since all the slats rest on their edge.
Posted by tranism at 1:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
March 16, 2006
I'm a Total Gummi Bear Nut
Ask my friends and they'll tell you I often go thru Gummi Bear eating binges. I especially love the Jolly Rancher flavored ones but it's not really the taste I'm after; it's the kind of candy that I eat out of pure enjoyment and experience.
How many of you used to rip off the heads and limbs and re-attach them to a different colored bear? How many of you licked them first just to enjoy that luminous glow they get when wet? How many of you tried to smush them together in hopes of forming some myriad of Gummi Bear color craziness? I know I did!
Just like the candy, now there's something else to further enhance my Gummi Bear experience; GummiLights. Yes, they are giant sized Gummi Bears with embedded LEDs. They're battery powered and at a $125 each, I can't really afford them. Soooo, can one of you buy it for me?
Spanx Much :)
Posted by tranism at 3:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
March 15, 2006
Grass Armchair
It's a simple, rather odd, and utterly unique idea - grow your own brilliant new style of garden furniture with the Terra Grass Armchair
All you do is assemble a simple cardboard framework, fill it with soil, seed it with grass, then stand back and watch as a fully formed and functional armchair appears in your lawn. Perfect for a relaxing moment in your garden.
$115 dollars for the cardboard frame and some grass seeds is a little exorbitant though, I'd say do it all yourself if you want one. Go crazy, build a whole furniture set with tables and what-not; have your friends over for some tomato juice.
more pictures after the jump
Posted by diverseawareness at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
March 12, 2006
au Design Project NEON
It just hit me, the new Nintendo DSlite colors reminded me of something. Ah yes, it was the NEON mobile phone by Naoto Fukasawa for au Design Project. Digging thru my files, I found what I wrote about the NEON but couldn't write much at the time because everything was in Japanese. Well a quick check at the current site and YAY! They have an english site up, and OOOOH the tidbits are GOOD.
Okay, this muthaf*cka is BIG so if you're some RAZR fanboy, this is not the phone for you. HOWEVER, if you are a fan of compact technology that does EVERYTHING, then come right on in. The NEON is for you. I am one of the latter people. Super skinny is nice but I LOVE being able to do everything in one place. Call it convergence technology if you will but the NEON phone takes the place of so many things in your home, its more like a personal assistant - if only it could speak.
First off its design, a slick rectangle with slightly rounded corners. The top half and bottom half are equally thick. When open, the keypad takes up the entire bottom half making the buttons and directional keypad big and easy to press (THANK GOD). The top half is dominated by a brilliant 320 x 240 16 million color TFT screen. The interface is completely redesigned and uses simple small icons and lists to navigate as opposed to the large graphic icons used on most phones today. On the bottom of the phone is a 2 megapixel camera and stereo speaker. Specs wise, it has everything most high end phones today have - bluetooth, 3G, video, digital imaging, etc. But all that mentioned above isn't even the cool stuff.
Lets revisit the phone when closed. It just looks like a block, but no. The whole surface is embedded with an LED interface! Time, call, music player, and visual feedback for sending and receiving messages all appear on the surface like magic. You would never know because it looks so smooth and shiny.
Usually at night, our phones are plugged in and asleep just as much as we are. The NEON takes it to the next level by turning your phone into an alarm clock and stereo. Just plug it into its dock, set your alarm and lull yourself to sleep with the stereophonic sounds pumping from the included speaker cube.
Unfortunately this is another one of those Japan only phones. You could get something similar from Sony Ericsson but this thing looks like a page right out of Apple's playbook. When are we ever gonna see phones like this here?
more pictures after the jump
Posted by tranism at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Sake Junkies Look Here
Sake is a delicate drink and when traditionally served, has a lot of pomp and circumstance up until the point of taking that first sip. It's small and almost soft but packs quite a punch. It hits you when you least expect it. What better way to play up that dichotomy by getting sake on a pillow?
Morgan Levine has a beautiful ceramic sake set that looks like two cups resting on a fluffy pillow. When serving, the pillow actually contains the sake - with an upturned corner, the fluid pours gracefully into each cup. I love it.
Posted by tranism at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
PS3 Shoulda Been
You know, it's funny how absolutely PSYCHED up I get about "new" things. I sit, research, read, notate, only to compare to older collective pieces of information I gathered all in the hopes of unlocking the "secrets" before the end product is unveiled. Unfortunately I am almost always disappointed when the real thing shows up.
This is how I felt when the PS3 made its official debut at the 2005 E3. More than anything, I am interested in how form has followed function, or in case of a mistake - function has followed form. Looking at the PS3, I couldn't decide which way the company went. The industrial designers at Sony are AWESOME, make no mistake about it. These people know how to make incredible products inside and out. But the design of the PS3 stuck me in a negative way. It took me a minute to get over the beautiful super hi-gloss exterior, but once I did, I had A LOT of questions.
What's up with the crazy proportions? Why is the disc drive indented so far into the machine, only to be followed but this rise in bulbous proportions that I can only hope is to allow for better air circulation. Doesn't the round-esque shape feel disrupted when it's bluntly cut off on the edges? Why all the seams? It looks as if its made of layers. Worst offense of all is the logo across the machine. Are they planning to tie it in with the next release of Spiderman? I SWEAR that's the same font.
I much prefer the design concept by industrial designer Jaren Goh. His iteration of the PS3 is slick, seems balanced, and takes that age old design philosophy that less is always more. The actual acronymic Playstation logo highlighted by version number, to me is more powerful and memorable than writing it across the machine. In a way, its iconic because we see that logo everywhere and yet Sony decided to go and change it. Right now, its just three characters and the number "3" allows for both perfect symmetry and/or asymmetry depending on where it's placed. I also like how Goh's design in the disc drive keep the exterior lines of the unit clean. It also has height, and seems to tower when placed vertically, and that smooth curve from body to foot stand is just beautiful (assuming it can do something else when the unit is placed horizontally). The mesh grill that all of the next generation game consoles have has a chrome plate on it, making it a part of the design as opposed to an afterthought. I'm sort of yes/no on that one, but nonetheless, Goh's design is far superior than the real PS3.
Now just as I can be disappointed by the first public viewing of a new product, my opinion can completely change when I get the actual product in my hands. Sometimes touch, feel, and experience can allow one to understand the intent behind the design. As it stands I feel the PS3's purported power is hindered by its design and I only wish the designers at Sony would have taken a much more cleaner approach, similar to Jaren Goh. At the end of the day, yes it is about the games but today's consoles aren't like yesterdays. These things are meant to be displayed alongside all our other HD goodies and I expect that it look just as good as it plays.
more pictures of Goh's PS3 after the jump
Posted by tranism at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Nyokki Pets
Similar to the Egglings that proved so popular but OH so hard to keep alive (trust me, I bought one for plankton and that thing was the neediest plant EVER), Nyokki offers something easier to grow in cuter packaging.
The word Nyokki in Japanese means "to grow" and thats exactly what the rye grass does. In about two weeks, you're Nyokki pet will have a full head of grass; cut it and style it any way you want and watch it grow back.
Nyokki comes in sets of two so choose from a monkey, chicken, frog, panda, and a pig. So cute, so cute.
Buy us one please.
Posted by tranism at 1:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Park It On The Balcony
Those crazy German architects are at it again. This time they are proposing something called Loft Car. The idea? An apartment building with a lift system allowing you to park your vehicle right on your balcony.
Sounds scary but only because its unconventional. The idea of a 1 ton object parked outside your window, potentially 3, 4, or 5 stories up can be a bit unsettling. But imagine this; the major advantages are safety - you park right in front of your home and when you leave, you head straight to your car. Nevermind circling looking for street parking or getting up early before the street cleaners come. Just think how nice it would be and SO MUCH EASIER to unload groceries and other large items. In fact, with a lift system right outside your window - moving things in and out WILL BE A WHOLE LOT EASIER. It's also easy to imagine your car is much more secure being that it's parked right outside your window and the only way to operate the lift is by remote on your keys or a switch in your home.
I think the idea is great. Currently just a concept but I would love to see a building to realize its full potential.
via Land+Living
another picture after the jump
Posted by tranism at 12:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
March 10, 2006
Housing Project - Mitaka, Tokyo Japan
This 9 unit apartment building is the work of New York based designer Arakawa. When looking for a new home, most people look for comfort in a symetric and logical layout. Arakawa strongly disagrees as he believes people, particularly older people shouldn't just sit back and relax offering no stimulation to their bodies and minds. He insists they should be in a environment that stimulates their senses and invigorates their lives.
Some of features include: bright colors, concave floors, patio doors that require you to crawl (resembles indoor playgrounds), electric switches in unexpected places that force you to feel around for the right one.
"You'll learn to figure it out" Arakawa says when asked how to live in his apartments. Ten minutes of stumbling around is enough to send even the healthiest young person over the edge. He says that's precisely the point. The apartment will make you alert and awaken instincts, so you'll live better, longer and even forever," says Arakawa.
Just as much as I'm opposed to sticking old people into these "fast-food-counter-looking" plastic barracks. I'm amazed by the absurd idea and I can't help thinking about having my grandparents move in a for few months and study their behavior.
Posted by diverseawareness at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
March 6, 2006
Citizen Bot
To counter the freakiness of BigDog, I present to you Eco-Be. A tiny (only 2.5 cm tall) Zippo shaped robot that runs off a watch battery. It can move forwards, backwards, turn, and shuffle side to side.
Apparently the robot can run for a very LONG LONG time on just a single watch battery, but why would a watch company be interested in robots? The answer could be Citizen is attempting to find "systems" that can give you low power consumption with lots of activity; either that or they are secretly building an armada of these things for some future Hello Kitty ruled world takeover.
Just imagine a bunch of these things climbing up BigDog tearing it apart limb by limb. Awesome huh?
via Hokkaido Shimbum
Posted by tranism at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sphere House
Designed by Marcin Panpuch, the spherical house is a relocatable structure that can either float on water or be fixed to towers on land. Its shape minimizes the surface area of the house giving your more volume and better insulation.
The house consists of three levels - living area on top, work/sleep area in the middle, and storage at the bottom. Stairs, kitchen, bathroom are located down the center truck of the sphere not only for space saving reasons but to give the core strength. The same core also hides conduits and cables for a clean design.
For the eco-minded, the sphere is also pretty much self-sufficient since it's shell is made up of photovoltaic cells. The batteries are kept at the base adding stability.
The house is a nice (if not repetitive) design study on redefining the relationship between home and location - in an attempt to create a symbiotic relationship. It would seem there are designs like this all over the world. Can somebody just please build a community of them already??? That'll be the real test.
via one digital life
Posted by tranism at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
March 1, 2006
Microsoft Does DDR
Dance Dance Revolution for the uninitiated - is a video game that requires you to follow patterns on the screen by stomping on corresponding shapes on a pad.
Microsoft has created a similar pad to surf email messages and navigate files. The company says it's just a concept with no real world applications, but who knows! The company spends millions if not billions of R&D money exploiting the latest technologies so they may find a way to trickle down to the masses somewhere, somehow.
I will outright say this is totally LAME. Instead of feat stomping to navigate files, why not research something more intuitive such has hand gestures. So far, only Universities and small start ups are looking into that area and I'm sure a huge company like Microsoft could find a way to leverage their software into good user interface design . . . well MAYBE and thats a HUGE maybe.
Posted by tranism at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Mactendo mini
A little peeved about the uninspired update to the Mac mini yesterday? Rejoice because now you can take your cute little G4 Mac mini and force a horrible but OH so right union with an original NES.
Yes, somebody has gutted and modded an old Nintendo Entertainment System with a Mac mini. Can we call it a Mactendo mini then?
This person is quite the genius since all the Mac mini ports are still there and has even managed to get the reset button to eject the disc tray. GENUIS I tells ya! I bet this person could make a killing selling modded Mac minis and with the added space inside the NES, maybe a more powerful graphics card can replace the OEM one making it a potential REAL gaming machine. To complete the setup, why not include an NES emulator with hundreds of game ROMS?!?!
more pictures after the jump
Posted by tranism at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Inka Essenhigh
The beautiful paintings of Inka Essenhigh. You've got to check them out.
Posted by tranism at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Venetian Blinds Not Tacky Anymore
When I think of venetian blinds, I usually think of the hideous white plastic strips hanging above each and every window in my apartment. Why are they so popular? Well, they are cheap and do what horizontal blinds do without getting tangled.
But who says venetian blinds have to be ugly? These blinds are made of Europly, a completely sustainable wood. Random perforations are rendered into the wood allowing small inlets of light to pierce thru. The mood is dark but very sophisticated. You no longer have to be embarrassed about your window treatment and if you're like me (anti-drapery), then something like this is the perfect solution.
Very very pretty.
via yanko design
Posted by tranism at 2:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Doggy Of The Colossus
Avid video gamers would probably be the only ones to look at the image above and laugh. Some sick (genius) bastard took a cute picture of a puppy and made it into one of the giant colossi in the Playstation 2 game, Shadow of the Colossus.
If I remember correctly, to beat this boss you had to distract him to jump on his body, climb to the top of his head, and stab him where it hurts most bringing the big pup down. Awwwwwwwww.
via are you there god? it's me, margaret
Posted by tranism at 2:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
The Cormorant
It floats, it flies, and it eliminates enemy targets, but its called a Cormorant - a sea dwelling bird.
This new class of aircraft designed by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. military is a design experiment on a stealthy jet powered autonomous aircraft outfitted either with short range weapons or surveillance equipment. The craft's wings are shaped like gulls that hinge around the body allowing for high and low altitude gliding. Sounding like something out of Star Trek, the Cormorant is made entirely of titanium making it super light and resistant to sea corrosion.
Usually I wouldn't blog about something designed to assist in destruction but the Cormorant poses interesting design questions. It's form and shape further solidifies the fact that nature has pretty much evolved the proper shapes that best allow operation in the environment; in this case flight. If proven successful, the Cormorant could be a precursor to future aircraft design, borrowing the schematics straight out of nature's handbook.
via popular science
Posted by tranism at 1:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)