High-Tech 360

Liberty Project

2012-01-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

The Liberty Project is an innovative approach towards modular kitchen and space management. The setup integrates and aligns a refrigerator, cooking area, prep area, microwave, washing area, washing machine, water recycling system, air conditioning and exhaust.

The best part about the concept is that the working platform height can be adjusted for wheelchair bound folks. Moreover the platform configuration can be changed to suit individual needs. I really like the concept and the video is pretty neat too!

Designers: Helder Filipov & Advanced Design Team, Whirlpool Latin America

Hello Tomorrow Phone concept

2012-01-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

As my landline telephone gathers dust each day, I wonder if the classy ‘Hello Tomorrow’ concept will tempt me to use it more often! The thing is that snazzy smartphones and competitive cellphone rates lure us to use them more than the desk phones.

But with features like a touchscreen, intuitive functions and customization options like home or office; this iteration looks at reviving the grandeur of the good ‘ole desk phone.

Designer: FORM & DRANG

Fresh CO2

2012-01-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

Fresh CO2 uses the carbon dioxide in the air to prolong the life of refrigerated food from 7 days upto a month! It basically controls the oxidization process and wilting of vegetables in a very controlled manner.

Methinks it’s a pseudo plant mimicking the photosynthesis process and respiration functions. What do you think?

Designers: Feng Cheng-Tsung, Wang Bo-Jin & Lin Yao-Chieh

Ferrari Millenio super-car concept

2012-01-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Ferrari Millenio, as the name might allude, is a futuristic super-car concept that features a complex combination of materials and technologies that we can hope will become a serious reality before the end of the next millenium.

The two-seater includes a buckypaper reinforced body that is stronger than steel and lighter than carbon fiber as well as dual electric engines that can be recharged via solar panels or through an inductive power transfer system.

Designer: Marko Petrovic

"Eclipse" Home Phone

2012-01-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Eclipse DECT Wireless Home Phone consists of a base unit and handset embedded together in a single and continuous ellipsoidal form factor. With no visible signs of a display or keypad, the Eclipse conforms to the minimalist school of thought in design.

It features a crystal clear display and High Quality Duplex speakerphone, amongst other standard stuff. I like it!

Designer: Sebastien Sauvage

iPhone 5 Concept

2011-12-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

Considering the fact that iPhone 5 isn’t out as yet, the iPhone 6 rumors just make me smirk at our Apple obsession! In case you haven’t heard, 6 is rumored to have inductive charging, sleek compact body and 3.7” screen, amongst other things.

So tell me Antoine Brieux, do you think your vision of the 5, sans LED Panel, stereo jack moved to the top of the phone, single aluminum anodized body with several color options, hold a candle to these rumors? Get back to the drawing board my man, and let’s see what iPhone 6 looks to you!

BTW, your version for iPhone 5 is just perfect!

Designer: Antoine Brieux of NAK Studio

ABC Keyboard

2011-12-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

As you can see that the Keyboard “ABC” has a pretty glossy finish and looks like a total glam-doll! Let’s just dive into the USP; it sports a complete touch surface and can be configured to any language with customized keys.

What’s really cool is that you can change the keyboard color at whim and it works well for the left-handers too. It seems to be an LCD screen for the keyboard, with built-in memory for storing files. Now that is a good feature to have. My only two grouse: saving the board from fingerprints and if it can have the Apple keyboard-esque tilt.

Designer: Iaroslav Neliubov

Plantbook" notebook New concept

2011-12-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

The Plantbook is a notebook concept that takes a leaf out of the life of a bamboo plant. What I mean is that the battery charging system is inspired by the water-soaking abilities of the bamboo!

The designers explain, “The system uses an external water tank, hence the Plantbook continuously absorbs water when soaking it in water and generates electrolysis using power stored in a solar heat plate installed on the top. In this process, it is operated using hydrogen as energy source and discharges oxygen. If you put it into a water bottle while you don’t use the laptop, it automatically charges a battery and discharges oxygen. A leaf-shaped strap hanging on the top is made with silicon. It plays a role of a hand ring and a green LED indicates when the battery is charged. Using this LED, users can check how much spare capacity the batter has.”

Designers: Seunggi Baek & Hyerim Kim

OnAir Camcorder

2011-11-29T10:23:00.000-08:00

With the OnAir Camcorder you can record and/or live stream your videos in real time to share with friends and family using social accounts or plain old video channels. Not only do you get to record what’s in front of the camera, you get to record yourself (the camcorder user) simultaneously.

Yep, the user’s face pops up as a blurb on the screen and this is all thanks to the dual lenses. Wi-Fi and 3G technologies support, hook up the camcorder to the Internet for live broadcasting. I love it for its clean design and simple aesthetics.
OnAir Camcorder is IDEA 2011 Finalist Entry from SADI

Designer: Jung Hoon Lee

Dentistry Gone Mobile

2011-11-29T10:21:00.001-08:00

The Dentris mobile dental treatment system ensures that bed-ridden patients & others unable to visit the clinic are able to receive the dental treatment they need by providing a way for dentists to bring care to their patients’ homes.

The complete dentist station is packed into a lightweight, robust case that includes all the necessary tools for cleanings, fillings, & other operations. Not just for immobile patients, Dentris also offers a solution to those who have a phobia of the dentist’s office. Sign me up!

Designer: Clemens Auer

Mercedes Benz branded Nimbus

2011-07-18T03:15:00.000-07:00

It’s not often we get cars designed around here designed specifically to be a taxi cab. That’s what’s going on here in this Mercedes Benz branded Nimbus, designed by Slavche Tanevski. What makes this particular design special is that it’s sort of an official project, having been completed during an internship in Slavche Mercedes Exterior Design Studio, with the support of the exterior designer Michael Fry (Michael Frei) and chief designer of the exterior of Robert Forester (Robert Lesnik).

Made for the year 2025, this Nimbus is electric, having four electric motors mounted in the hubs using lithium ion batteries under the floor. Because of this placement (rather than the motor being up front), there’s enough room to push the driver forward to make room for another row of seats. The element you see above the driver seat acts as both as what the designer calls an aerodynamic and protective function as well as being a visual separator between the driver and the people he or she is driving around the town.

In the passenger seats, there’s room for up to 5 adults or 3 adults with all their luggage. Large glass windows afford the passengers and the driver lots of room to see, and the trunk (or the boot, depending on where you’re reading this), is low to the ground and between the rear wheels, designed as more of a drawer than a traditional trunk.

This vehicle is designed as a tribute to the world’s first motorized taxi cab, the Victoria, built by Daimler in 1897. Take a peek at that and tell us if you can see the giant similarities. Love it!

Designer: Slavche Tanevski

Triple Flip Concept Cell Phone

2011-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Triple Flip is an attempt to make smartphones more useful than they already are. Claiming to be the first of its design ever to feature Windows Phone 7 OS, the phone has much more to offer than just that.

Solar recharging, flip-out & sliding keyboards and other refinements make this a cool concept. What’s left to be seen is its acceptance by the general public. Hit the jump for the video.

Musical soundtrack for the video was provided by British techno genius Lusky.

Designer: Dave Schultze for SchultzeWORKS designstudio

IronBag By PHILIPS

2011-02-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Irons are either streamline and sleek or compact and portable. A handful are retro but the Ironbag goes one further and borrows from a woman’s handbag.

It’s not the latest Balenciaga but the curious bag-like shape ingeniously tucks everything into one fashionable unit. It’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s sexist. Irons, women’s handbags? Hmm…

Designer: Damjan Jovancic

"Astrum Meera" Fabulous Concept

2011-01-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is one fabulous looking concept car, that I must say. Every once in a while a concept comes along that is not only fabulous in its plan, but fabulous in its rendering as well. Take a look at the realism in these digital illustrations and tell me you aren’t impressed by their excellence. Then lemme tell you about this car. It’s called the Astrum Meera, and it features several elements which play a role in safety, sustainability, and what the creators call “practical design.”

Practical design! Fa! Who could need such a thing! There are some people (people with lots of money in their pockets) who love practical design, that is, design that isn’t that far away from the real world, who are just ready and raring to go toss money around – practical designers, take a peek.

This car has built-in sensors near the exhaust that track the levels of CO2 and alert the driver should they be exceeding normal range. It’s got wheel rims which work with magnetic levitation, making the car fantastically light and fast. The mirrors on the sides of the car move down inside the vehicle, hiding when in park, rolling back out when the car starts up (my uncle use to have a car with headlights like this – so sweet!) These same mirrors have built-in cameras that display inside the car, allowing the driver sight without turning their head – especially useful in inclement weather.

And on top of all that, this mad maniac of a car looks really radical and totally tubular. It looks spectacular, yet real. I’m sure that was the designers intent. Rippin roaring good time of an auto.

3D and Visualization: Hussain & Ali Almossawi
Designer: John Baltazar

Grape Vines Goes Green

2011-01-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

That green bandwagon is speeding down the global highway at break neck speeds and corporations are rushing to hop on. That’s the good news… the other good news is that electronics giant Siemens is looking for ways to make bold and beautiful green statements with these cordless telephone designs. Siemens Home and Office Communication division commissioned design firm Formwelt with guidance from Hans-Henning Brab?nder to dream up these ultimate green phones for the home or office.

The “Gigaset Eco Visions” “Leaf” is made of recyclable raw materials, such as eco-plastic and liquid wood. Sun-light is used as a natural energy source for handsets. An eco-index provides the “nutritional facts” regarding the environmental-friendliness of each phone. This includes the percentage of organic materials and number of components used at disassembly, the energy consumption and emissions in use and production as well as the how recyclable each product is. So much more relevant info on all the ways this design is innovative below.

Leaf has a unique natural design reminiscent of a leaf in spring. The eco plastics provide sensational haptics and substantial convenience. The invisible OLED display is embedded in a translucent lens encasement, giving the phone a futuristic touch.

Designer: Formwelt Studio

Haptic Braille

2011-01-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Haptic Braille is a mouse-like device that’s capable of translating ordinary text into braille on its surface. This means that the blind can read virtually anything the sighted can. The technology uses optical character recognition.

Simply skim it over any text and wait for the haptic feedback. I like how you can pocket and carry it over to the library. Just imagine how many books literally become available at your fingertips. Splendid!

The Haptic Braille is a 2010 Red Dot Concept Design winning entry by Samsung Art & Design Institute student.

Designer: Baek Kil Hyun

"GlideX " Green Lights Glide on Magnets

2010-12-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

These automobiles are made to speed. And on the power of magnets, they shall. But how do they work, these cars? Magnets are difficult to understand, right? No way, what are you thinking? This isn’t magic. It’s science! And it’s Chinese! Yes, this car right here is meant to play a large part in the gigantic burgeoning Chinese economy by (in 10-15 years time,) playing a role in the environmental, economic, and cultural wave-like revolution!

There will be an exponential increase in first-time car owners, and this generation is the one that’ll be demanding electric! Before we go any further, I gotta say that these words are mine speaking those of Rui Guo, the fabulous designer behind this car, the “GlideX 2020.” But not only do I agree that should be a radical wave of electricity coming down China way, I can’t wait! Especially if the cars that come with it look and work like this! And with a Chinese wave comes a world wave!

With a gigantonormous population like China comes a shock to the world economy and the culture that buys and sells automobiles. If the mindset in China is that cars like this GlideX need to be made, by gosh they will be! Upon the tracks of magnets it will run. Efficient and noiselessly it will run. Without destroying the unsustainable Earth it will run!

Hooray!

Designer: Rui Guo

ZEN Mp3 Players

2010-12-25T06:58:00.000-08:00

ZEN Grasp
“A natural form derives from pressing your thumb on a soft material within your grasp.”

We are so fixated with the “i” prefix that we rarely see anything beyond the Apple realm. Its designers like Li Qing who dares us to think beyond the “i” and open up our minds to the Zunes and Zens of the world. Featured here is not one but TWO ZEN MP3 player concepts: Grasp & Water.

We love them for their fluid minimal look and intuitive design. The nano and Shuffle are nice but there are still some wonderfully designed options out there.

ZEN Water

Designer: Li Qing

On Time Headset

2010-12-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

ON TIME Sound headset system is a project that looks into the future of trends and style. It redesigns the concept of headsets, placing it as a fashionable design object.

It works as an headset or as a clock-bracelet developing a strong interface experience with the user trough it´s aesthetic & functional values. When using the headset, the user can see the caller id on the touchscreen as well as the time clock. While not in use the locking area for the headset provides a easy and safe storage area.

The bracelet vibrates for a silent warning of calls. Both screens are interactive allowing to answer and make calls. The overall system works on bluetooth technology.

Headset as a bracelet clock

Headset plugged out / Inner touch screen showing callers ID when receiving calls / Touchscreen allows to reject and answer calls

Eggy-Blob for Television President

2010-12-13T00:40:00.000-08:00

What in the heck is this thing? Is it an egg? Is it a blob? Nay! It’s eggyblob -I mean, actually, the “Infinity Remote Control.” Designed by Damien Crossan, this remote was designed to fit a model of a possible remote 7 to 10 years from now. This remote utilized “4G” technology, lithium polymer batteries, and flexible touchscreens. And for its next trick, separation anxiety!

Whoa. Trippin out here on some futuristic fantasy. The remote receives live signal, acting as a preview for the television channels you could choose. It has channel/video/recording memory, allowing you to “take the screen with you” to different monitors around your home (or even around your world?)
And it has touchscreen technology, the blue part comes off and acts as a portable media player, etc, etc, all the normal stuff. And don’t forget, you can play Nintendo Wii with it if you want, as it takes the technology used in todays controllers and applies them…

…applies those technologies to tomorrow!

Designer: Damien Crossan

Braille E-Book

2010-12-13T00:20:00.000-08:00

Visually challenged people require braille books in order to read. However, not many books are available in braille due to cost and inefficiency. Translating a 500 page book into braille nearly doubles the thickness. EAP is a technology that can dynamically change the surface pattern by way of an electromagnetic signal - simulating braille text. Not exactly a new idea but a nice executive nonetheless.

Designers: Seon-Keun Park, Byung-Min Woo, Sun-Hye Woo & Jin-Sun Park

Hanging Printer by Jaesik Heo

2010-11-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

Printers are necessary evils, your office can’t function without them and they occupy too much of space! Maybe this is why concept designers are playing with the form…

Like we saw this L-shaped printer almost two years ago, and presently this re-defined Hanging Printer by Jaesik Heo. The refinements come in the form of printer placement and additional “bucket space” to hold the paper. Pretty neat actually, only if the manufacturers will listen to us!

Designer: Jaesik Heo

Next Generation iPhone

2010-11-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

The future iPhone is here or at least in conceptual form. Given that size, design and features need to be drastically innovated, the NOT A Phone – Next Generation iPhone, delves into the projection arena. So basically you strap the next-gen iPhone to your wrist and project the display to your palm.

You can figure out rest of the drill from the images, so my question to you today is….are we in for projection screens for phones? Is that the future of phone display, have a basic small screen and project the rest of it?

Designer: Samuel Lee Kwon

Lacie External Harddrive

2010-11-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

This external harddrive aims to break the traditional “box” shape and stack on into infinity. This is the conceptual “Lacie S2.0? by seasoned Yanko veteran Pedro Gomes. The front of this magical containment device displays in its eye the amount of free space contained within as well as the drive’s name. The back is a simple combination of plugs: two USB 3.0 and a DC, and the enclosure shape is one that stacks well and looks perfectly fabulous on its own.

Yes please. These’d look good anywhere, especially right next to my media center in my living room. I’ll be stacking em fifty high, daisy chained all the way to the max.

Designer: Pedro Gomes

Counting Ring

2010-11-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

So much cash stashed at home that fingers get tired while counting! Who wouldn’t want to live that life! The truth is that small business and maybe some households do have that kind of money, and the big counting machines currently available are inconvenient. So the solution lies in a compact Counting Ring, a simplified money counting machine.

It packs in features like LED Display & Power Switch, Sheet-Separating Veins, Battery Slot and Infrared Ray Scanning. Slip it on the thumb and you’re set. My only worry would be a bundle of soiled and crumpled notes, however overall for a majority of cash-stash, this should do.

Designers: Wei Hansen, Li Shaochen, Xu Jinrui, Qi Yibin & Zhao Ying