concepts

Yes, this is only a concept, but what a concept it is. The "PC of the Swim Rings" would turn the most hapless landlubber into a water rat, creating a floating computer and media center.

Displayed at the Next-gen PC Design Competition, this aquatic marvel would include "a GPRS receiver, Bluetooth, finger-touch input, solar power-driven processor, water-cooling system, magnetic charging interface, and waterproof design." Hey, if you're going to dream, might as well go all the way.

And just to show that it isn't entirely frivolous, according to BornRich, the "amphibious PC" … Read more

It's not the most portable of first-aid kits (like the CPR flashlight), but this frisbee-looking plate has only your best interests at heart--literally.

I've a keen interest in such life-saving devices particularly since an ex-boss died of a heart attack at home right after an evening run and an acquaintance recently suffered fatal cardiac arrest. Could they have been saved? Some say it's all in the hands of fate, but with a gizmo like this, fate could just be thwarted because even someone with no cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training can administer crucial first aid on the spot. … Read more

Now here's a trend we can definitely get behind--or in front of, as the case may be: Robo-devices that follow you around. We thought the "Shadow Caddy" was a nice idea but just an isolated novelty when it surfaced last month, but maybe there's more to it after all.

The general idea has been expanded to, of all places, the library with the "Take a Seat Chair." This agreeable robo-concept would theoretically follow whomever activated it with a swipe of the library card across its sensors. It's the brainchild of Dutch designer Jelte … Read more

Over the last auto show season, Mazda demonstrated its new Nagare design direction with a whole series of concept cars, named Nagare, Ryuga, Hakaze, Taiki, and Furai. Now the company is seeing how one of these low-slung cars would look at SUV height. The new concept SUV will be shown off at the Moscow Auto Salon from August 29 to September 7. Mazda chose a compact SUV concept for this show because SUVs are popular in Russia's growing car market. Mazda only released sketches of its concept. These sketches indicate a design close to the original Nagare concept, with … Read more

If you've seen the latest Knight Rider series recently, you may have noticed that K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Three Thousand) embraces a type of nano technology that lets its outer shell change colors and temporarily morph into other car forms. How cool is that? If BMW has its way, that part of the reel world would be made real.

The carmaker's GINA Light Visionary Model, a two-seater concept car, wears a flexible, virtually seamless skin made of a textile fabric and stretched over a metal wire structure enforced with carbon fiber. This gives the owner the … Read more

Finally, a mobile phone that bucks the trend. For those sick and tired of claims like "the smallest," "the thinnest," and "the lightest" from mobile manufacturers, here comes a handset that touts itself for a different dimension--"the longest."

Exactly how long? Well, designer Tamer Koseli doesn't say, but his Super Phone certainly doesn't look pocket-friendly.

The idea behind the extra long design? There's more screen estate naturally, which means there's plenty of room for touch-screen functionality. There are, in fact, two displays: One OLED that shows basic … Read more

There was a time not long ago that home designers seemed obsessed with finding ways to showcase LCD and plasma TVs in innovative stands and other furniture. Lately, however, many efforts appear to be focused on computer desks.

Styles have crossed the entire spectrum, from minimalist designs to full gold leaf. But a common thread runs through all these models: space conservation and multiple uses for the desks. That's where the "Sync Desktop" comes in.

The desk features a hideaway display and keyboard, as well as built-in peripherals and storage compartments, according to BornRich. Just a concept … Read more

I'm probably old enough (and dating myself) to remember a time when we used those black bakelite telephones with rotary dial to make calls at home. Today these antiques are considered vintage, and some collectors even pay good money to get one. Too bad mum tossed ours when we embraced the digital age and modernized to the sterile cordless phones. So there's something nostalgic about seeing the EMC (Easy Mobile Calling) phone by designer Matthias Pinkert.

It's a groovy clamshell take on ye old telephone, but Pinkert keeps it too simple with only the bare necessities. Besides … Read more

Looks like I just lost my bragging rights for gaming on a 100-inch screen.

Someone has patented a 180-degree gaming system dubbed jDome, which delivers a one-of-a-kind wraparound visual experience. Interestingly, it works pretty much like a rear projection screen and relies on a front projector to recreate the Omnimax-like effects. One of these will easily set you back $6,000, though its inventor John Nilsson apparently spent only around $125 to $200 to patent and develop the product, according to Ubergizmo.

We're just wondering whether anyone would like to give this a go using a white brolly instead. … Read more