(Credit:
Electrolux)
I am confused by the concept behind this new Electrolux vacuum cleaner.
The company has developed the technology for what it's calling the "quietest vacuum cleaner ever." But then it breaks the silence by incorporating an iPod dock and speakers into the thing. Yes, this quiet vacuum plays music.
It's just a concept at this point based on a study Electrolux did (PDF) on the effects of music on doing housework. But I could easily envision these quiet-but-loud machines hitting stores in the next year if the demand is strong enough. I see these as the world's first hipster vacuums.
I suppose I like the idea of making housework fun, but the elimination of noise to create more enjoyable noise is like gentrification of the soundwaves. I can't help but think about how it mirrors what's happening in cities around the globe as people are pushed out of their neighborhoods to make way for newer, hipper, higher-end housing.
Or maybe I've been reading too many social-theory books before bed.
(Credit:
Franziska Dierschke)
This campy camera gun is, quite literally, that. The Aimat is a squirt-gun-looking digital camera that you, well, point and shoot. Conceived by designer Franziska Dierschke, it's a concept device and not for sale--and for good reason. We can't imagine packing this piece through airport customs or even any sensitive area for that matter.
One can also expect the picture quality to be pretty Lomo-esque. Still, despite its "for laughs" intentions, this "firearm" could be aiming to be a shortlived novelty, given its notable lack of a viewfinder, zoom function, memory expansion options, and all the other niceties we expect in our cameras today.
(Credit:
Franziska Dierschke)
(Source: Crave Asia via Tomel)
(Credit:
Coroflot/Tryi Yeh)
(Credit:
Coroflot/Tryi Yeh)
Here's a concept phone based on the Google Android OS. Designed by Tryi Yeh from Taiwan, the Google-G0 is a touch-screen phone with a slider.
There doesn't appear to be a keyboard under it, but sliding it does reveal a camera at the back and large buttons in front. These buttons appear to be little OLED screens that change symbols according to what you are doing on the phone at any point in time, not unlike the expensive Optimus Maximus keyboard from Art Lebedev. There's even a docking station with a huge screen for use at home.
It's a beautiful concept and has features unlikely to appear in a real mobile phone for years to come. But we sure hope a manufacturer will pick up some ideas from this.
(Source: Crave Asia via Dvice)
(Credit:
Yanko Design)
Though writer Radhika Seth had asked her designer pal, Jan Rytir, to come up with an ultimate mobile phone, he got a little carried away and instead turned up with a Mobile Internet Device (MID) design to die for.
The sliding keyboard allows for a physical keypad without compromising on the size of the OLED display. Though not exactly pocketable at 180 mm by 80 mm by 20mm, the slight tilt of the screen is reminiscent of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.
This Atom-based concept model, spotted on Yanko Design, comes with an impressive list of features including two USB ports, SD card reader, stereo speakers, dock connector and audio jacks. A built-in trackball takes the place of a trackpad or optical mouse for cursor navigation.
Granted, this design is unlikely to hit the streets anytime soon, but we can still hope that at least one vendor will pick this up and actually create a desirable and usable MID. More pictures after the jump.
... Read more
(Credit:
Modo forum)
The Moonlight laptop isn't just any boring convertible tablet PC. Though the concept model looks a little thick for our taste, the curvy body and dual LCD screens are enough to cause oodles of drool.
Both displays are touch screen, with the smaller LCD serving as a mouse. The secondary panel can even be used to run a separate operating system or as an extension to the main one. In recognition that a curved body is hardly a stable surface, a pair of flip legs prop up the machine for a more ergonomic position.
This concept was designed by Modo forum member minibraun, a student in Croatia, for a "Laptop of the future" contest (which minibraun didn't win). Nonetheless, it's a sexy machine that at least deserves the light of day, even if it never hits retail shelves. More pictures after the jump.
... Read more
(Credit:
Yanko Design)
There's a moment in the movie "Shrek" that is just hilarious, when Lord Farquaad tortures the Gingerbread Man for names, and he caves in saying: "OK, I'll tell you. Do you know...the Muffin Man?" Well, do you know the...T-Man? No? Too bad, since designer Jeewon Jung's concept tea strainer just begs to be produced as a quirky addition to an eccentric lineup of dude-shaped accessories. This won't put hair on your chest, but it'll add some manly fun to the next tea party for your Ya-Ya sisterhood of friends.
(Credit:
Yanko Design)
(Credit:
Noah Balmer)
Forget space, it seems as if the kitchen is the final frontier for computing. Companies have tried for years to create a computer that offers the right mix of design, functionality, and price so that people feel comfortable incorporating it into the household hub. (See also 3Com's Audrey, or even our recent post on Pandigital's kitchen TV.) As our Webware colleagues tend to roll their eyes at "yet another social network," so we kitchen geeks often scoff at yet another kitchen computer.
But even a jaded geek like me has to admit: the Kitchen Sync concept that recently received an International Housewares Association design award looks pretty darn cool. The device combines the best of finding recipes on the Web (collaboration, annotation, and search) with the best of physical cookbooks (portability and durability around liquids). You can use it to store and instantly annotate recipes you've found online, as well as plan menus and generate shopping lists. You can take it into the kitchen with you as you cook and use it to watch cooking videos or chat with other cooks via the Web. When it's not in use, the Kitchen Sync sits in its base charger, which is stored out of the way of kitchen spills.
What I like about this idea is that it is just a waterproof wireless peripheral--there are no moving parts, and the device doesn't try to be anything more than a durable, flexible thin client. What I don't like about this idea is that it's just an idea; the pessimist in me fears that actual execution of the concept would require high-cost or bulky materials that would detract from the device's simple usability. Nevertheless, the concept acts as a clear beacon of where kitchen computing should be going.
Via The Kitchn
Koenigsegg shows off its CCX and CCXR at the 2008 Geneva auto show.
(Credit: Koenigsegg)We sent Kevin Massy and Brian Cooley to Geneva, along with our video crew, to get full coverage of the 2008 Geneva auto show. They will be posting blogs, photos, and video from the show of the latest concept and production cars. We've already seen quite a few previews of what will be on the floor, including a number of new cars from Volkswagen, a new crossover from Volvo, and some individual concepts that show off beautiful design or wacky tech, such as the submersible sQuba from Rinspeed.
Click here for our ongoing coverage of the 2008 Geneva auto show.
Nokia and the University of Cambridge are showing off a new stretchable and flexible mobile device of the future called Morph.
(Credit:
Nokia)
The new concept phone is part of an online display presented in conjunction with the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition underway through May 12 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The device, which is made using nanotechnology, is intended to demonstrate how cell phones in the future could be stretched and bent into different shapes, allowing users to "morph" their devices into whatever shape they want. Think Stretch Armstrong for cell phones. Want to wear your cell phone as a bracelet? No problem, just bend it around your wrist.
Nokia says the concept device demonstrates handset features that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering, including flexible materials, transparent electronics, and self-cleaning surfaces.
(Credit:
Nokia)
"Nokia Research Center is looking at ways to reinvent the form and function of mobile devices," Bob Iannucci, chief technology officer for Nokia, said in a statement. "The Morph concept shows what might be possible."
Even though Morph is still in early development, Nokia believes that certain elements of the device could be used in high-end Nokia devices within the next seven years. And as the technology matures, nanotechnology could eventually be incorporated into Nokia's entire line of products to help lower manufacturing costs.
(Credit:
Yanko Design)
Of all the places to escape the noise of this madcap, technology-fueled world, yoga class is pretty high up there on the list. Maybe not for long.
Designer Hui-Zong Chen has created a concept for an AV yoga mat, complete with an scrolling "electronic paper" surface that streams video. The tube the mat/screen scrolls out of would also house speakers, an MP3 player, and a memory-card reader.
Think of this mat as an added challenge. After all, you know you're fully enlightened if you can meditate while simultaneously watching Deliverance, blasting Rage Against the Machine, and tuning out all the complaining people around you.
[Via Geekologie and Yanko Design.]
