concepts

As we were just saying, this guitar thing is getting out of hand. It's one thing for companies to go nuts trying to capitalize on the craze, but some fans are going even further on their own.

Case in point: One overly enthused gamer has come up with a conceptual combo of Guitar Hero and Nintendo's DS Lite. As SlashGear points out, the dimensions of a real guitar controller would make such a product difficult to impossible, but that's not the point. The issue is one of overload, people. When we said, "Get a grip," … Read more

Here's one that's been making the rounds recently--well, actually, anything remotely pertaining to a "flying car" seems to get a nod on every tech blog within a week. (Hmm, I wonder why?) This one, the Moller M200G, actually seems more along the lines of a personal flying saucer. Allegedly, it's actually in development and will sell for a paltry $125K. You'll be able to zip around about 10 feet off the ground at a speed of 50 miles per hour. (No, eco-geeks, I don't know what the mileage or emissions stats are.) And … Read more

The Transformers blockbuster has been a classic example of profiting from media obsession: Once a trend catches fire, there's just no stopping it. And the latest merchandizing spinoff--jewelry--just proves the point even more.

But if anything can trump the resurgence of "Optimus Prime," it's that icon of all icons, the iPhone. And in true Apple fashion, we would never expect something so cheesy as a mini-joystick pendant. GeekSugar, therefore, has come up with an elegant concept that we think would make even Steve Jobs crane his black turtleneck for a second look: Tiffany-made "… Read more

Why is it that the best designs almost always seem to be just concepts? Oh right, they don't have to work. Still, that won't stop us from admiring this lighted, cylindrical MP3 player, which looks more like a Lightsaber than a music gadget. (There's no reason, of course, it can't be both.)

Yoda references notwithstanding, the "Musipen" envisions other interesting features, such as navigation by twisting knobs on either end to display information on a wrap-around screen, according to Tech Digest. This last idea might actually be possible soon enough with new technology like … Read more

The Paulin Motor Company just launched a new concept car called the VR Concept.

Paulin is a Swedish design company founded in 2005 by Daniel Paulin, the designer who worked on the Fab 1 Thunderbird and the Focus C-MAX concepts for Ford. The company has also done work for Hyundai and Kia.

While it was sketchy on details, the VR Concept two-seater sports car is the beginning of a lineup of vehicles the company has planned, according to its announcement. The VR is "versioned for 2012." Car Body Design's comments from Daniel Paulin suggest that the designer … Read more

For those that find the Mini too, well, mini, the BMW-owned brand is launching a stretch version, spy photos of which appeared on Spanish automotive site Km77.com. We saw various Mini concepts at the 2005 auto shows based on this new stretched Mini, but the new photos show the real deal. Km77.com apparently caught Mini shooting video of its new model in preparation for its launch at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. The car will be named the Mini Clubman, taking its name from the original Mini Clubman launched in 1969.

Although previous spy shots of the new … Read more

For those of you who are sick and tired of looking at the same laptop every day, Felix Schmidberger has shown off a slick new laptop concept.

Dubbed the Compenion, the laptop is a futuristic design that Schmidberger believes could become the norm by 2015. The Compenion features a sliding touchscreen that unveils an OLED touchscreen keyboard underneath. The concept also includes a multi-touch recognition system that allows you to use both hands when maneuvering your way around the desktop or the Internet. If finger-pressing isn't for you, the Compenion also supports a "senstylus" that, as far … Read more

We never thought we'd see an item worthy of as much ridicule as the solar hat fan, but this one comes close. Well, maybe not. But it's still eminently mockable.

The "Shade Blade" (classic name) is a prototype that Gizmodo says is billed as the "ultimate pair of sunglasses," presumably because of its theoretical ability to provide solar power for a variety of electronic devices. But frankly, the only thing "ultimate" we can imagine is how effectively it would function as a date repellant.

Are you interested in what you'll be driving in the future? Do you need a phone that can get down and dirty? Are the colors on your monitor a tad bit off? If the answers are yes, then we have some photos for you. We look at concept cars, a phone that can withstand the elements, and a tour of a monitor calibration software application.

Photos: Designing the future--Concept car retrospective

Every year at car shows around the world, car makers show off new design ideas. Concept cars represent a transition between current and future models, with only certain … Read more