New Tech Reviews Just another NEW TECH NEWS

Conventional clothing racks and hooks all have the same problem. They’re not visually appealing and almost always leave annoying marks and indentations on clothing. The TRUform clothing rack distributes load evenly while supporting clothing leaving knits, jackets, and t-shirts completely unmarred. I like the modern simplicity of the design.

It’s constructed from a bamboo backboard available in two colors; dark cherry and natural, which is accented with brushed/polished aluminum hangar units, each with detachable rubber hooks available in five colors; white, yellow, green, blue, and rose. Additional colors can be purchased separately allowing for complete interchangeability whenever desired.

Designer: Vishaal Verma for Novo Design

Source:yankodesign.com

Noise cancellation earphones eliminate ambient noises so that you can listen to music clearly or sleep peacefully in the drone. But how about the time that you want to filter out the electronic noises of machines etc. in your environment, and hold a conversation with your co-worker? The Kill Noise earplug suits this purpose and realizes noise reduction by electronic filtering, which can make people communicate easily in the noisy environments. The bright-orange polyester buds have an adjustment knob to set the filters and a built-in battery that lasts long.

Designer: Xiao-bin

Source:yankodesign.com

Listen we’re family right? Can I share something with you? They’re called the P5 Headphones from Bowers & Wilkins. You’re probably familiar with their goods. I’ve reviewed themhere and here and only had good things to say. The P5 is no different. It’s ultra-lux, sounds good, and has a built-in mic/volume control for the iPhone! I’m not even gonna make you wait til’ after the jump. I’ll tell you now the P5 is awesome. There, I said it. Ambivalent? Hit the jump.

I’m going to keep this review short and sweet. There’s only so much you can say about headphones. No matter what a manufacture does, there are a few pre-reqs that separate a good pair from an excellent one.

Does the company have a history in audio? Yes, B&W are known the world over for their audio equipment. Up until recently, they mostly catered to the audiophiles but the good thing is consumers like us reap the rewards – rich audio for a fraction of the cost.

Feel good? Oh yes! It’s padded and covered in supple leather. The build quality is excellent and everything moves with just the right amount of tension – a hallmark of superior craftsmanship. It’s luxurious without being tacky or forced – simply effortless and even from afar, the design stands out among a sea of brand names.

Sound good? Put a check mark next to that box too. The sound is vibrant and you can really hear the difference with lossless audio. B&W calls it “natural sound.” The range is superb. Highs, lows, mids – all sound clear and intelligible. I especially love the way the ear pads are designed. They kinda cocoon your ears to provide noise isolation. No software based wizardry here, just really good industrial design.

Can you seal the deal for me? I sure can! The iPhone and iPod compatible built-in mic/volume control is a boon. The design is pretty much a clone of what comes packed with the Apple branded earbuds but worlds apart in terms of audio reproduction. You can even hear the difference when making phone calls.

B&W always nails it when it comes to providing a luxury audio experience without having to sell a kidney to pay for it. At $299, the P5’s are comparable with other higher end headphones in the market but small features like New Zealand leather and full iPhone/iPod compatibility make it a smart buy anyone looking to experience hi-fi audio on the go. Hear sound the way it was meant to be and look chic while doing it too.

What we loved:

• Beautifully designed by Native
• Superb craftsmanship
• Compact and comes with case
• iPhone/iPod compatibility
• Ultra-luxurious with leather and metal accents
• Cord is just the right length
• Priced to move at $299

What could be improved:

• Perhaps a white one?

Designer: Bowers & Wilkins and Native Designs (Buy it here)

Source:yankodesign.com

So what is your cleaning routine for dishcloths and kitchen cutting boards? Mine is this: for the cutting board, I scrub it clean with an ordinary dish-soap and every now and then I boil the dishcloth in soap + disinfectant water. I follow this routine for the lack of sterilizing aids in India, plus we are the lazy sortswe have house helps to do most of this stuff. But on this global forum, Im becoming more aware of the hazards of not having a good sanitizing routine. If I were to pick one, Id use this convenient Pure System that sanitizes the cloth and board; in one go.

Although not specified by the designer, I am assuming it uses a UV system and maybe some washing techniques as well. I like its wall mount orientation, can have it hanging next to the water filter system that I have.

Designer: Chang Shin Gwak

Source:yankodesign.com

So you’ve got a fish in your ear, right? You’re in trouble! Unless, of course, that fish is the same one they introduce in “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,” in which case that fish, the Babel fish, feeds on communication fed into the ear, pooping it all out in a stream of information that your head can understand. It’s mutually beneficial. So what is this post about? It’s about the “BabelFisk,” a device that works in a very similar manner to the Babel fish, but instead spoken words being fed directly into your brain, they’re turned to text in front of your eyes.

BabelFisk is essentially speech recognition software tied in with hearing aid algorithms that help recognize speech in the midst of white noise. Once words are heard, they’re converted to text on the fly. Embedded controllers turn this heavy task into an easily manageable one, while 2 microphones work together to show which direction the sound is coming from.

And if you’d like to get creative, you could use this lovely device for your schoolwork or office work. BabelFisk can be used to take dictation at meetings and lectures, saving the sound info on flash memory in both audio and text format. Super fabulous and awesome for both the hearing impaired and those students covering for their lazy roommates!

Designer: Mads Hindhede

Source:yankodesign.com

The following post is about a set of utensils designed for you to have an excellent time completely destroying and consuming a lobster. Have you ever eaten lobster? It’s weird. It’s awesome because it tastes so good, but there’s always the possibility that you’ll be sitting there realizing you’re eating something that was alive not 1 hour before you put it in your stomach. So what should be done? A set of utensils should be made to make this process as pleasing as possible, because we have all these shellfish and someone’s gotta eat em.

This set of ‘ware is made to make the experience of the diner even more awesome than it would normally be, considering the fact that if you’re eating a lobster, generally you’re having a pretty good day. Generally a lobster is served already cracked open. But like when you’re served crab legs, it’s way more enjoyable cracking it open yourself. Crack the shell open, have a good time, eat up that mean that’s inside of the crab! Crabs are full of delicious meat!

Each piece here is made of folded stainless steel, giving it a look and feel that’s unique. Generally you get a set of silverware that’s cast or pressed, this way you’re going to have a wholly unique meal.

And then they can charge you even MORE for a shellfish! Yay!

Also I want these to eat everything else with too. I’m tired of all that regular silverware in the drawer. It’d go well with all my modern new-world furniture and lamps!

Designer: Svetlana Yorchenko

Source:yankodesign.com

Where do you have all of your lamps? Above? To the side? All around? How about you get some lamps that sit on the ground and some other lamps that sit above your head? How about a collection of lamps that works in basically any position? Take a look at this “7/7 Lights” lamp collection by Albertine van Iterson. Each lamp is made out of its own materials, has its own identity, and require slightly different treatments. Yet at the same time, they’re all part of the same family.

How you interact with this set of lamps is entirely up to you. Get a bunch of the wood ones and let them all fly above your head. Get a few metal lamps and lie them around your lovely wood-floored no-cat apartment. Or get them all, all the different sorts of lamps in the 7/7 Lights series, place them all around your huge house!

It’s a lamp family.

Designer: Albertine van Iterson

Source:yankodesign.com

Ive been a witness to many squabbles between designers & engineers who cant seem to look beyond form or function. While engineers are right in their place to comment on the practicality of a project, designers are equally correct in dreaming futuristic scenarios. To cultivate both the workability & alluring aspects of design, the James Dyson Awards encourages students from the world over to design something that solves a problem. In an attempt to please both the faculties and to prove my point, lets look at this years Top 20 entries that are shortlisted for the grand prize!

20) e.quinox Battery Box by Christopher Hopper

The e.quinox Battery Box works as a centralized charging kiosk and distributes power via portable Battery Boxes. It can provide up to 30 hours of lighting using LED lights and power small electrical appliances like radios and mobile phone chargers.

19) Electrostatic Noticeboard by Jonathan Jordan

Imagine using a notice board that requires no tack-pins or staples to tack notices; just plain old electrostatic charge! The idea is to stick paper or any other object to the board without using office accessories. Give it a couple of good rubs on the board surface to charge the paper, and youre good to go.

18 ) Tablet Seed by Seiichiro Iwata

The Tablet Seed is a pretty cute water-soluble manure-coated seed, in the shape of the vegetable that it will grow up to be. The visual appeal of the seed packing along with the eco-factor encourages you to indulge in a home-garden. It comes bottled in indicative seasons best for sowing so that you dont goof up!

17) Wanderest Seat by Nichola Trudgen

Wanderest Seat is a portable strap-on seat that attaches to existing circular or octagonal lamp posts in the vicinity. Its aimed at the silver generation, who find it difficult to walk for too long and need a resting spot every few meters.

16) Saguaro Rain Collectors by Samuel Melamed

The Saguaro Rain Collector fits into an easy nook in your garden and does the good job of collecting rainwater for future use. The system stores water and uses a pump to create enough pressure to drive the water through a hose allowing you to water plants without difficulty.

15) UVSP – Ultraviolet Sports Pack by Rahim Bhimani

The UVSP is a chic looking portable athletic bag that holds the key to eliminating odor from your shoes. Its got this UV system incorporated to the bag that triggers on, only when you pull the zippers up and complete their contact. So simply place your shoes into the bag, activate the system and let the UV kill the bacteria and odors.

14) Red Blue CNC by Nicanor Santillan

Heres a look at an automated computer controlled machine tool that quickly adapts to perform different tasks for mass production of the same item or component. Ideal for amateur hobbyists and experts, the user can bypass complex knowledge on how CNC machines work in order for them to create their own parts.

13) Flo2w by James DArcy

Flo2w is an adjustable headgear that fits a patients head comfortable, and delivers oxygen to his nostrils in a very unobtrusive way. Its more convenient than a mask and lesser intimidating.

12) Reanimation Automat REAX by Marc Binder

Reanimation Automat REAX is a resuscitation vest that helps in CPR. Basically it keeps pumping the chest at regular intervals to aid blood circulation and ensures that oxygen is supplied to the brain. The device is based on the theory of Thoraxpumpmechanismus.

11) Mantis by Leah Kenttamaa-Squires

Mantis is a portable dental chair that collapses into a trolley so it can be used to transport heavy equipment. Talk about being two-in-one!

10) Air Free Intravenous Infusions by Ian Guy

Air Free Intravenous Infusions features a ‘drip chamber’ which prevents air entrainments in intravenous drip lines, reducing the chance of fatal air embolisms. Air Free gives a visual warning when an infusion has stopped in a bid to reduce the amount of time patients are not receiving their prescribed drug supply.

9) Butterfly – Micro Scooter by Martin Ruegg

The beauty in the Butterfly Scooter is its ability to metamorphose into a sleek shell when closed. This micro scooter folds to fit into a bag and even the conceals dirty wheels!

8 ) The Copenhagen Wheel by Christine Outram

The Copenhagen Wheel is a striking red wheel-hub that fits the rear wheel of a cycle. It contains a motor, batteries and an internal gear system that allows cyclists to overcome hilly terrains and long distances. The stored pedal power is used up by the hybrid electric motor and is manipulated via a smart phone docked on the handlebars. Cyclists can use data to plan bike routes and see traffic and pollution levels ahead.

7) Move-it by David Graham

We discussed the Move-it and concluded that the project uses an innovative approach to being a make-shift trolley for your shopping. The USP is that its recyclable and can be altered to be used in a variety of sizes. And as Graham points out The product is actually reusable, in fact I have used the same handles and wheels many times for demonstrations and clocked up over ten miles on a single set of wheels. Each time the parts are peeled off the box, they become less sticky, but they can be reused, and when after many uses the adhesive fails altogether, further adhesive can be added, to extend the products life until it wears out.

6) Biquattro by Valentin Vodev

Biquattro, the pedal-assisted electric bike turns into a tricycle when you need to carry a heavy load. Essentially, it goes from being a cycle to a transport cart, should the need arise. It has a specially built suspension and a special mechanism that allows the bike to the left and right without tilting further and carries around 40 kgs with ease.

5) Seakettle by Kimberly Hoffman

Seakettle is a life raft that provides shelter and fresh drinking water in the event of a shipwreck. The raft has a system that pumps sea water up to a Gortex covered reservoir, where the water evaporates, hits the top canopy and condenses, filling the four pockets around the raft with fresh drinking water.

4) Longreach by Samuel Adeloju

Longreach is like this gun that shoots out an emergency buoyancy aid and has the range of 150 meters. The buoyancy aid is made of hydrophobic foam which rapidly expands once it hits the water. It includes Para-Flares for night-time illumination and can be used help victims stranded at sea.

3) Minotaur Fire Nozzle System by Steven Wyeth

Instead of holding a fire hose, the Minotaur Dire Nozzle is strapped onto firefighters via harness. This counteracts the opposing water pressure and makes it easier to control.

2) Water Donut & Ultra Pipe by Verena Brueckner

A delightful water purification project by Verena Brueckner, it features a pipe that purifies contaminated water with UV radiation. It consists of two units, the Water and the Donut UltraPIPE, use them both to complete the system. During sunless periods, the Ultra Pipe can filter the water through a pressure driven membrane.

1) Pure: UV Sterilization Water Bottle by Timothy Whitehead

Pure is a system that filters and sterilizes the water from a lake or a stream within 2 minutes. It filters particles as tiny as 4 microns and the de-sediment water goes through a 90 seconds sterilization process via UV. Once complete the water is safe to drink.

Source:yankodesign.com

You’ve got your headphones on, and you hear the greatest song of all time. What do you do? You just chill with it, if that’s the way it affects you. But sometimes a song slides through your headphones that explodes upon you in a way that demands you share it with everyone. What do you wish you had instead, at that point? Speakers. If you’ve got “Dubnium,” speakers are exactly what you’ve got. Dubnium is a pair of headphones until you flip them to position two: high quality multi-person speakers for the whole world to hear what you’d love for them to hear.

What this project, Dubnium, reminds me of is the time I first heard that the iPod Touch would feature a built-in speaker. I remember being really excited that I’d be able to unplug the headphones and play the music directly from the pod itself. I bought one, I used it, and I found out the truth: the speaker is alright, but it’s definitely not party-room loud. Designer Adrian Jankowiak presents here not a modification to the music player, but to the amp. – Make it party-room loud, Jankowiak, party-room loud!

Designer: Adrian Jankowiak

Dubnium headphone speakers from adrian jankowiak on Vimeo.

Source:yankodesign.com

So you’ve got a situation where you’ve got little or no running water. You’ve got a no-toilet sort of place, and that place is also in a community that’s either poor or completely broke. What do you do? You look for a way to get rid that waste, but not only that, a way to turn that waste into energy. What Noa Lerner’s got here is a way to do that, by rolling a barrel full of poop down the road, trading it in for boombox time!

First, watch the video in this post to see what I mean by boombox time. It’s super awesome, made with stop-motion, showing the simple process the person whose pooped needs to go through in order to trade their toilet waste into energy. Very simple, very well made, very easy to understand.

A bit more in detail: Each of these toilet barrels is sealed and nano-coated in a way that allows them to be used for a week at a time without emptying or cleaning. Once it’s time to empty, the barrel is brought by an individual or a multi-barrel servce to the local Biogas Plant. Once there, waste is traded for energy in the form of cooking gas, warm water for showers, or electricity. All of these forms of energy are generated by processing the human waste at the Biogas Plant.

You know what this reminds me of? The science fiction post-apocalyptic movie “Mad Max : Beyond Thunderdome”, a movie which features a town run on methane, a gas that comes from pig waste. It’s made to seem absurd but totally possible in that movie. Welcome to the future of energy!

This project is being specifically developed for the Indian Subcontinent, where basic amenities like a toilet in a house are missing…even in urban, developed areas.

Designer: Noa Lerner of Morph Design

Source:yankodesign.com

This post is about a wheelchair project which allows the user to stand up easily. “The Leeding E.D.G.E” also features easy drive handles with different gearing options to promote accessibility and combat shoulder injury generally caused by traditional wheeling techniques. Designer Time Leeding proposes this wheelchair alleviates pressure sores and makes moves toward closing social boundaries which “inhibit the lives of the disabled day to day.”

It is a world that I do not pretend for a moment to understand, that being the world that a person that must be in a wheelchair lives in. I believe that each person lives a different life, and that each person deals differently with a situation that they might not find ideal, for example becoming confined to a wheelchair partway through life. Does allowing a person with no use of legs the ability to stand up temporarily work toward a better life for that person?

That question asked, this wheelchair seems to me to be quite the fabulous looking bit of engineering. “The Leeding E.D.G.E” features “dynamic drive” handles that work with a rowing sort of motion. More energy efficient and less strenuous than traditional techniques. The chair features geared hubs featuring 2:1 drive, 1:1 drive, neutral and revers gears, and of course, that excellent standing mode.

Designer: Tim Leeding

Source:yankodesign.com

Oh!Why? is a set of interactive devices meant for children. The aim is to let them record their world around them and then sit down as a family to answer questions based on their videos and satisfy the biggest question Why? The set includes a camera and a digital book and both sync with each other. The book can be used by parents to leave IMs and it even doubles up as a nightlight. Interesting to see technology being used by tots at an early age, even if it is for parental communication.better than have no lines open at all!

Designers: Yi-Her Hsu, Kuan-Ju Pan & Yu-Chun Chou

Source:yankodesign.com

Im not a man so I really dont know how comfortable you guys are going to be with this thoughtpeeing and washing hands in the same urinal stand! What Designer Yeongwoo Kim has done is incorporated the wash basin just above the spot you take aim to pee. The reason cited is that youll save a water flush cycle, coz when you rinse your hand after the job (I hope you guys do that!), the same gray water can be used to cleanse the urinal basin. Tell me, how many of you guys will be comfortable with this? For once, my opinion doesnt count, but I do find it funny!

Eco Urinal is an iF Concept Design 2010 winning entry!

Designer: Yeongwoo Kim

Source:yankodesign.com

Let me tell you how much Memory Foam this particular chair (part of a chair and table set) employs. Three layers. You could sit on this chair so much that one layer was wrecked and you’d still have 2 left! And it’s super cute and comes in either pink or pink and green. It’s called the “Origine Du Monde, Maybe!” Which in English means “Origin of the World, Maybe!” A totally wild title for a totally wild set of furniture by designer Italo Rota.

I simply must share with you the description of these items as provided to us by Rota. It acts as sort of a manifesto for what would otherwise just be a vibrant seat and table set.

Rota writes:

A positive and/or negative seating, uterine and sensual, the last room before seeing the world in which well live in, first and only form which will accompany us in life.

Three layers of Memory Foam remind us the maternal projection, to rest, to remember, to imagine the future: at the end, imagining future is no more than think about the time thats left us to live.

A modest small table, masculine, more and more not necessary but for now indissociable, to let one of us sit on this chair.

A couple of objects for adults.

Stellar! It’s always refreshing to see someone put so much thought into the meaning behind or inside the objects they create. These objects are made up of the following things: Seat – holding base in thermoplastic rigid material in painted finishing, padded in flexible polyurethane, base made of polished aluminum. The table is glossy lacquered wood with the lamp rod made of polished stainless steel and LED lighting.

Designer: Italo Rota

Source:yankodesign.com

Inside this post you will see five watches. Of these five watches, there are four designs, one with two colorways: black and white. These watches are made by designer Denis Guidone, who says, “I don’t like to design watches, what I really like is to design time” That’s a pretty bold thing to say, yes? But Guidone’s got some pretty fabulous watches here. Let’s take a look.

The four watches are called thusly: Ora Unica, Ora Lattea, Tempo Libero, and Ora. Each of these is simple, essential, lovely. I’m tellin ya.

1. ORA UNICA – It’s black with a white swirl. It aims to be provocative through lack of discipline. Without time, without hours one sees the time but does not think of it. Strange? Yes! There are actually hour and minute hands, they’re there, and if you figure out a way to tell the time I commend you! A very strange watch indeed. Available in black, two sizes: 36 mm or 42 mm diameter.

2. TEMPO LIBERO – It’s a white hand and a red hand. It’s a decentralization of the minute hand, creating a whole new situation of transformations every hour of the day. Available in black, 2 sizes : 36 mm or 42 mm diameter.

3. ORA LATTEA – White with the dots. It’s like the solar system. A place that’s vast, empty, and totally easy to lose yourself in. Big dot hours, small dot minutes, center dot fixed. Available in white, 2 sizes 36 mm or 42 mm diameter.

4. ORA – Oh man look at the loop you just got thrown through. It’s not a circle. It’s got cuts in it! It’s imperfect, but even this cannot stop the time. Available in white and black, size 42 mm diameter.

Designer: Denis Guidone of NAVA Design

Source:yankodesign.com

I’ve become quite fond of the world of laser-cut everything over the past few years, especially when it comes to designed artwork. I say designed artwork because this piece of display is certainly made by Sam Drury because he enjoys it, because he feels the need and has the skill to express himself by creating an image for people to look at, but there’s something else. This “Chairs” posterlike object becomes designed artwork, designwork when it’s made with its audience directly in mind. Drury knew exactly who he wanted to see this when it first popped into his mind.

As you can see, this is a laser-cut poster made of heavyweight black paper, made for YOU by designer Sam Drury. It’s quite nice, yes? Super well made, extremely finely cut!

What would YOU classify this object as?

Design?

Artwork?

Or some third thing?

Designer: Sam Drury

Source:yankodesign.com

The new-age prams are a step-up from the old-gen and transform to become strollers but beyond that I dont think any designer has come up with ingenious ideas to extend their useful life. Babyoom is what Id like to call useful thinking, with all probabilities of becoming a cherished family heirloom passed down generations! From ages 0 to 3 it serves as a faithful baby buggy and car seat; from ages 3 to 6 it transforms to a childrens cycle; and beyond that it can be used as a shopping cart for all your shopping sprees.

The lightweight body and easy steps to assemble make this concept a winner. The beauty is that one frame is used for all the 3 setups. If this was around when I had my kids, I know I would have bought it for them.

Designer: Hadong Jung

Source:yankodesign.com

As an able bodied person its hard to comprehend how simple things like opening a milk bottle and pouring from it can be a challenge for some people. This Milk Bottle Re-design takes into consideration, the use by people who are suffering from dexterity problems; however it doesnt ignore normal usage either. The solution is one where less or even no clamping force / grip force will have to be applied in order to lift and pour the milk out of the bottle. And thus this new design.

Designer: Konstantinos Ladas

Source:yankodesign.com

The Weight of Light is a simple structure lamp featuring a unique way to operate the light. Mimicking the style of an industrial scale, the intensity of the lamp is controlled by shifting the weight up and down the scale. I adore its refreshing approach, the cute way it tips the scale and minimal look.

Designer: Liao Chan Guan Jing

Source:yankodesign.com

If you had a living room full of furniture that was made of all porcelain, how long do you figure it would last? How about if your bicycle were made of porcelain? Your computer case? Well, what do you know, porcelain is breakable, isn’t it?! Yes is it. So why do we made anything out of it? Because it looks and feels amazing. The human eye and the human hand, oh how they love it. Designer Isabell Fringer knows this, that’s why she mad a collection of tableware that’s both porcelain AND super easy to handle.

Opting to form the porcelain rather than adding some sort of gripping apparatus, Fringer’s created an elegant and beautiful set of dishes right here. Made specifically so you can be rocking with the gripping.

The Porzellan mit Griff – Porcelain to Handle is an entry for the James Dyson Awards.
The James Dyson Award is an international design award that celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers.

Designers: Isabell Fringer

Source:yankodesign.com

Have you ever ever ever in your long long life heard of “De Tomaso” car manufacturing company? They’ve done well, almost went into liquidation a few years ago, and are now back in business. And you know who wants to be on their team? Designer Frederik Tjellsesen. And he’s done one heck of a job creating a concept to catch their eye. Tjellsesen’s created a four-door sports car by the name of “Ghepardo,” accenting the fabulously modern gray with a smooth, sensual purple.

This entire auto is inspired not only by the De Tomaso past line of cars, but by a fine taylor-made Italian suit as well. De Tomaso cars Pantera and Mangusta are used as inspiration for surface treatments and more.

Instead of giant air intakes supposedly indicating power, the Ghepardo boasts ecoboost technology and methanol fuel cells. Sustainable energy sources are TRUE power. Elegant surface, stands, volume, tensioned lines, and integrated spoilers creating a 0.25 Cd drag. Bottom windows installed to “increase the rear passengers perception of speed.” With a cue from the Magusta, the rear gull wings function as boot cover and rear doors.* *First time I ever saw this feature was Back to the Future 2 on television. For real.

Ghepardo is powered either by a Ford twin-turbo ecoboost 3.5 V6 engine producing 465 bgp or by four electric in-hub fuel cells producing 85 Kw each (combined creating the equivalent of 440 bhp.) Electricity is produced by a methanol fuel cell stack located beneath the 500 liter boot. The entire vehicle measures 4820 mm in length, 1970 mm in height, and has a wheel base of 2990 mm.

AND: Since I am a resident of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, USA, I am required to ask: His Royal Purpleness, Prince, would you call this auto your ride if it were brought to fruition?

Designer: Frederik Tjellesen

Source:yankodesign.com

Do you know about the Piaggio APE 50? It’s the cutest little three wheeled vehicle you’ll ever set your eyes on. Do you love camping? How about totally on your own? How about camping totally on your own inside an APE? The project you’re about to set your eyes on is called the “Bufalino,” and it’s a one-person camper using the APE 50 as its platform. Made for absolute flexibility, the Bufalino contains all the elements needed for living. Only the engine, frame, chasis, and parts of the cab were kept perfectly APE.

The APE is a unique vehicle in that it is exempt from taxes in some countries because of its extremely economical working nature. It is also allowed in certain metropolitan areas that larger cars are not. It uses only a tiny amount of gas. It’s super cute.

Inside the Bufalino you’ll find a bed, two seatings, a cooking zone, basin, relatively lots of storage, a refrigerator, and more.

Designer: Cornelius Comanns

Source:yankodesign.com

One of the Electrolux Design 2010 Finalists is the Snail, a micro induction heating system that relies on a high density sugar crystal battery for energy. It uses the power to heat up coils to conduct the magnetic induction process and heat the food in the utensil. It features in-built sensors that detect what youre heating and adjust the settings for food type, time and temperature accordingly. What I like is that it can be stuck to any sized pot, pan or mug and moreover you can use 2 or more Snails at once, depending upon your meal and utensil-size.

This cute, portable heating and cooking device sports a touch sensitive display with a simple interface to keep a tab on your cooking.

The theme of the completion being cooking in the future, The Snail captures this essence for the simple reason that it is compact and practical. If its reheating that you are aiming for, its form is a fraction of the microwave; making it a better choice.

Designer: Peter Alwin

Source:yankodesign.com

The USB interface is quite fascinating, its got an entire peripheral industry started to cater to its existence! We have USB hubs, compatible heads for car-charging, compatible plugs for wall sockets, etc. To cut this long route of buying compatible peripherals just for the sake of charging, why not include the USB seat into a normal socket plate? Let it sit pretty next to the 3-pin socketjust as we see in this picture! So super simple that it snapped an iF Concept Award this year!

Designers: Lv Jianhua, He Dawei, Zhou Hanxiao & Xu Yao

Source:yankodesign.com

Here’s something I did not expect. This is a Shadow Cloud, a three dimensional object with seemingly random elements strewn throughout it that, with light, reveals order in the shadows it casts. This box of lines and squares casts shadows of religious symbols! It’s totally amazing! The object in this post is called “Thru Religion” and is a cubical Shadow Cloud designed in a 3D program then printed using a 3D object printer.

At the college I attended, there was a 3D printer in the form of a Rapid Prototyper, brought in for the furniture and sculpture students to test out their potential objects before they made them themselves. Of course quickly enough these students began using the printer as a tool to create things that’d simply be impossible to create in any other way.

This “Thru Religion” box seems like it wouldn’t be IMPOSSIBLE to build by hand, but it would be foolish to try. That’s why designer Drzach and Suchy designed this box and had inspire irpd, St. Gallen print it for them.

To fully appreciate this situation you’ve got to watch the video below. It features someone (probably one of the designers) rotating the cube around between a light and a white wall, showing you the function.

Love the moon!

Designers: Drzach and Suchy

Source:yankodesign.com