New Tech Reviews Just another NEW TECH NEWS

Have you ever paced up and down a rack of bicycles trying to remember where you locked yours up at? The Acousto Optical Lock is a steel ripe style cable lock that sends out an audio signal and lights up when you press a key fob. Great idea!

Designer: Liu Yu

Source:yankodesign.com

This is a bicycle project whose aim is to create a cycle with a retro style mixed with a slightly more contemporary cafe racer model. Influenced by new and vintage fashions, this bike rides extremely low, and the material used to create it is chosen for its aesthetic beauty as well as its structural virtues. One of these materials is copper, which makes this a total steampunk bike without any of the steam shooting out of it. Perhaps you’d like some propulsion?

The rest of the materials other than the copper are modern – lots of carbon fiber is chosen and bright colors will come into the project this bike into the future and deep into the past. With the best of both worlds working for you in this masterfully designed two-wheeler, you’ll be blasting down hills in streaks of chrome, copper, and gold in no time. Flashy!

Designer: Carlos Pereira

Source:yankodesign.com

There can never ever be too large an amount of inventions to work with the greatest of these – the bicycle. Today’s design is a very simple case that attaches to the pole underneath your seat. This design is called BelowFour and can contain any number of different things, coming in a variety of colors, too! Perfect for you hipsters and hipsters at heart, as well as the rest of the working world.

Not only is it stylish and perfect to carry in your hand as well as on your bike, it’s refrigerated too! That black bit you see wrapping around the middle is a strap holding the box together, and the bit you hold in your hand can be clipped and unclipped with ease so you don’t have to take your seat off each time you want to transfer the case. Lovely!

Designer: Ilya Fridman

Source:yankodesign.com

I think the I-Green concept is brills. Designer Fandi Meng already has an iF and Good Design award for previous work so I’d expect nothing less. The I-Green is a small bike peripheral that turns kinetic energy into electrical to charge nearly any portable device. I like to ride my bike with my phone to track my progress but the GPS sensor kills the battery. This seems like an awesome idea to keep my phone juiced up. I’ll take one but please but, maybe in another color?

Designer: Fandi Meng

Source:yankodesign.com

My alter ego lives in the spotlight. He absolutely craves it. In fact if he had his own place, he’d probably buy something like the TOP SPOT designed by Cristiano of Note Design Studio for RYDENS Lighting. It’s clean, ultra modern and each light pivots to put the shine just in the right place. My alter ego is an aesthetic statement so my lights need to illuminate that lifestyle.

Designer: Note Design Studio for RYDENS

Source:yankodesign.com

This is a fast bike. It’s called “The Beast” and it’s designed and executed by M55 Bikes and it goes 40 miles per hour. One charge on this electric bike and you’ll go as far as 75 miles even off-road. That’s impressive, yes? It’s made of custom parts created by M55’s seasoned engineers, using technology and materials used in Formula One cars and supersportscars alike. Titanium, carbon fiber, CNC machining, and a brushless motor mechanism, plus more!

Each of the non-custom parts on this magical machine are of the finest quality, chosen by the M55 crew to meet golden standards. It’s got a hybrid drive, making it an addition to your high-falootin human powers. Each time the sensor feels you need some extra torque, it packs a punch and blasts you forward, multiplying your power like one of those Japanese exosuits from the comic books. Such a monster.

M55 Beast
Hybrid drive “pedelec” system
Max speed 40 mph
Up to 75 miles potential range with one charge
Utilizing the finest materials and components available
Performance and luxury – no compromise

Features:
Frame: Monocoque 7075 CNC Aluminum & carbon fiber plates
Battery: Tenergy Polimer Li-Ion cells (20mAh)
Motor: EB-PC motor with 5.2 Nm torque

Designer: M55 Bikes

Source:yankodesign.com

This amazing machine goes by the name “Catapult” and is created by designer Tom Robbins, who, in an effort to improve the state of bikes made for the handicapped, went for the lever drive route. The inspiration for this bike came from seeing a particular person in the park attempting to operate one of those upside-down bicycles where the wheel-turning mechanism is turned by hand rather than by foot. In a moment of sheer brilliance, Tim Robbins turned to what ends up being a lot easier to operate: the lever drive.

The version of the bike you see before you is not quite operable by those without the use of their legs, but that’s very possibly on the drawing board next. In fact, Robbins is already at work on a steering mechanism that can be installed that makes it so the handles can rotate back and forth and steer the vehicle using the person’s hands and arms rather than their feet. Sounds rather neato!

This first version aims to be fun to ride and to provide the rider with a great upper body workout. In this model, either both or one lever can be used at a time to propel the vehicle. Both the upward and the downward movement of the bar propel the vehicle, while the chain gearing on the wheel utilizes 7 gears. The left lever adjusts the gear with a rotating grip, while the right lever has the brakes, the one lever working both back wheels to stop.

MOMENT OF INTEREST: Tom Robbins is a designer who generally focuses on plumbing and hardware. In a moment of inspiration, he took on this project, and totally nailed it brilliantly. Never limit yourself to the trade you’re focused in – if you’re feeling wild, go wild!

Designer: Tom Robbins Design

Source:yankodesign.com

Designer Andrei Avarvarii has a vision for a smooth, voluptuous Lamborghini, the very opposite of the very sharp, origami-style of the Lamborghini Reventon. The challenge in creating this new Lamborghini “Minotauro” lies in not only staying within the strong identity system of the Lambo line, but also in making the vehicle electric! The challenge of course isn’t creating an electric car. We’ve had electric cars for years now. Nay! The challenge lies in convincing the consumer that not only is it cool to drive an electric car, it’s doubly cool to drive an electric supercar!

Equipped with four asynchronous motors that divide the power 70% to the rear and 30% to the front axle. The car’s electricity is supplied by a Li-Tec flatcell battery pack located in the rear, doubled by a KERS system in the front. In the back, where the gigantic engine would normally be, there’s a third seat for the person who goes along for the ride, yelling and screaming because you’re going so extremely fast. Access to this back seat is provided by the extra-long “Lambo door” on the passenger side.

Triangular shaped air extakes in the back serve as cooling for the battery. As an added bonus, they also channel the sound of the electric motors behind them, blasting it like subwoofers.

Then there’s something completely out of left field. Something so wild, I’ve got to let Avarvarii explain it in his own words:

In 2020, with the acquisition of the new Minotauro, the Lamborghini owner will also get involved in a brand new experience called REAL LIFE ONLINE GAMING. In this scenario the Lamborghini driver can race his car on a real racetrack (like the Nurburgring). The GPS data of his racing lap is uploaded into the Playstation game network as a ghost. PS players from all over the world can race in virtual reality against the Lamborghini owner and try to beat his best lap. This is the car enthusiasts social networking for the next decade.

Wild

Designer: Andrei Avarvarii

Source:yankodesign.com

Oh yes! A lovely new bike. ASI Kestrel hired Anvil Studios to design a fabulous new carbon filter Time Trial bike. Collaborating with design consultant Sean Horita they’ve made this “4000LTD.” It’s a really nice lookin bike, I gotta say. It’s high-end, integrates molded-composite features with “cutting-edge aesthetic identity”, and both empowers and expands the identity of the Kestrel brand.

Kestrel’s legacy is that of a “brutal expression of forward motion.” That’s pretty hardcore. This bike is so hardcore in that capsule of energy that it was code-named “Ginsu.” The top tube connecting the seat and the head is “ruthlessly horizontal.” Bike design is serious business!

Each of several of the tube profiles taper to knife-sharp trailing edges letting the user know they’re rolling on a bike with high technicality and craftsmanship. The final name for codename Ginsu is “4000LTD.” Rough!

Designer: Anvil Studios for ASI | Kestrel

Source:yankodesign.com

Designer Faris ELmasu is about to change the entire world of bike baskets. Up until now, the bike basket has been entirely lame. Made for the littlest kids and those who wish to steal puppies and turn into witches.* Now, all of that is changed. Yes, this is the “Bent Wood Basket.” Made specifically for the neo-hippy aka Hipster culture, this basket is beyond trendy. It’s downright cute and useful.

*Wicked Witch of the West, look it up.

Made with light carmel wood and black nylon straps. Simple and fabulous.

Designer: Faris ELmasu

Source:yankodesign.com

TwoQuater is a power-assisted electric bicycle that folds up when necessary. It sources the power from a lithium battery, which housed at the back of the bike in a black case. The power-assist comes into play when riding uphill and during the downhill course it recharges the battery. For a subway ride or up the elevator, the bike folds into half, but if you need to stash it in your cars trunk or stow it away, it can fold up further to become a quarter of its size.

Usually when we try to fold a traditional folding cycle, we have to fold its handle bar and saddle separately. But with the TwoQuarter, we can fold the both these parts at the same time. Besides, the single front fork and rear fork make it much thinner and smaller after folded.

I almost forgot, you can remove the battery from the black housing and plug it up like regular ones, for recharging.

Designers: Yan-ting Jiang, Wen-ling Huang & Yu-ting Wang

Source:yankodesign.com

This doesn’t happen every day. A Tbilisi based aircraft manufacturing company contacts you and asks for a proposal on a bike that utilizes aluminum square tubes. It has to look modern, out of the ordinary, aerodynamic and turn heads. The result is the Spider. The main frame is made by welding aluminum tubes and the chain stays are cold stamped together. The spokes are purposely kinked to look like our arachnid friends. Hmm…

Designer: Zviad Tsikolia for Tsikolia Design R&D Ltd.

Source:yankodesign.com

This bike mimics the height at which you sit when you’re in a mid-sized car. That right there is amazing an innovation enough for me to do a post on it, but check it out, there’s more. The seat is also the same back angle and puts you in a place that allows your hands and feet to be in the same position as they’d be in your auto as well. Why? So you’re at eye-level with the rest of the traffic that’s flying around you. And it’s electric, if you want.

It’s the AutoVelo and before you read any further, I must tell you that this sassy little thing is an “Excellence Award Winner” from the 14th annual international Bicycle Design Competition at the 2010 Taipei Cycle Show. Hooray for winning awards for bikes!

It’s a motorbike, one that’s got the petals for if you feel like getting some exercise in addition to the lovely amounts of fresh air. It’s got a low-stepover frame, making it easy to get in and out of, and a low enough setting so it’s no trouble placing your feet upon the ground.

It’s a great platform for electric cycling with its rear wheel drive and battery mounted away under the frame.

And it has a backpack holder!

Designer: Eric Stoddard of SpeedStudio Design

Source:yankodesign.com