GadgetsGlore

Introducing - iWish

2009-06-08T09:25:00.005+05:30

PSP + iPhone + Sidekick = iWish Concept — Millions people love iPhone, and the other millions people like PSP. Imagine if Sony Ericsson were to partner with Apple for their next portable, all-in-one gaming device, then it might look something like the iWish. This concept phone dubbed as “iWish” since the creator wish Sony would get their act together and improve the PSP. So many people are doing such amazing and innovative things these days, and yet the only innovative thing to happen to the PSP since 2005 was that it got a little slimmer.

Going further, you’ll notice that the PSP Phone display can slide upwards to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, not unlike the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide. That’s not to say that the user interface is provided by Danger, however, because it looks like it has taken on a distinctly Apple iPhone-like flavor. Curiously, you’ll notice that one of the buttons at the bottom of the touchsceen is Windows… so it has Windows Mobile too?

This has got to be one of the strangest mash-ups I’ve seen on a cell phone, because it seems to borrow elements from nearly every handheld known to man.

Dubbed the iWish, this cell phone concept has a basic form factor that is reminiscent of the Sony PSP, complete with the PlayStation branding on the left side, along with directional pad and set of four face buttons. I do appreciate the inclusion of dual analog sticks, however, a feature that you won’t find on the real PSP.

I’m not entirely positive if this is supposed to be just a gaming machine, a multimedia player, a bulky text-minded cell phone, or all of the above. Whatever it is, the iWish is little more than a confused fanboy’s wet dream.

Musical Tea Cup

2008-11-02T10:51:00.003+05:30

The Musical Teacup - Brew & Music in a Single Gadget -

What could be better than taking a sip from your favorite brew of coffee in the coziness of your comforting home and listening to your fav music on a Sunday morning? Well, there are some things people could indicate as better than this particular one, but for now let's stick to brewing (coffee or tea) and music. It seems like designer Jongmin Kim stopped here as well... but unlike us, he has come up with a stunning prototype gadget that is truly nifty: the Musical Teacup.

The whole concept behind it is solving the problem of having your cup and your music in one single place, together as one, as they say. And since an MP3 cup was a bit too much, Jongmin Kim went outside the box and came with this one.

Tea and coffee are served in cups coming on a small plate. Well, it's that very plate Mr. Kim thought of changing first, and changes it has suffered. The plate grew thicker so that it could house the inner mechanism of a CD player, a DiscMan-like one. Of course, some of the things inside the CD player had to be modified in order to achieve the desired level of functionality: intuitive and handy controls have been designed for a pleasant musical experience.

The cup itself comes in a special shape, pretty much looking like a medieval beer mug, with its conic aspect. As you place the cup on its special-design support and rotate it to the left or to the right, the volume will vary accordingly; even more, as the handle has a red line painted on it, and the supporting structure has a small scale, you'll also have a very visual representation of the volume level.

Built-in speakers will fill the room with the sound of your favorite CD and the world will seem a better place: now, be careful with the amounts of coffee you plan to drink. First of all, you don't want to get sick; on the other hand, too much coffee could make your hands shake like hell and you'll spill the brew on the Musical Teacup and wreck it. Now, this nifty drinking gadget is still in its prototype phase so there's no serious danger lurking around. Great idea, Mr. Kim!

Sony PSP 2 with Flexible OLED Display

2008-10-19T10:48:00.002+05:30

Dreamy Design Sony PSP 2 with flexible OLED Display Concept -- Designer Tai Chiem mixed the potential of flexible OLED displays with the Sony PSP gaming console. The result is a stunning design of a roll-up Sony PSP 2. Roll-up displays are nothing new for gadgets though. Polymere Vision developed the Readius pocket eReader that is also supposed to be available as a mobile phone. Roll-up or folding displays are going to be the next big thing for portable devices in the years to come. At some point in the future we will hopefully get to the point that we do not have to kill trees anymore for newspapers and magazines. For that to happen ePaper gadgets need to become as convinient to use as paper magazines are today.

Butterfly Inspired Car - The Nissan Teana Birdwing Concept

2008-10-12T10:04:00.002+05:30

Butterfly Inspired Car - The Nissan Teana Birdwing Concept -
This Nissan Teana concept is freakishly cool. Everything about the car is supposed to remind you of a butterfly. Why the butterfly was used to model a car, I have no idea, but I can’t argue with the results.

Everything from the exterior sheet metal to the heavily overworked interior is supposed to invoke one of nature’s most beautiful insects. The sensibility isn’t for everyone but there’s something original about all the detailing. It’s ornate but in a modern way. Get past the design quirks and you’ll find a car full of tech wizardry like a heads up HUD display and auto-driver mode. So how about it, would you drive one?

Audi-O - Concept Car

2008-08-17T09:04:00.003+05:30

Audi-O - Concept Car -

The 2008 Audi O concept was designed by Ondrej Jirec, a design student from the Czech Republic who is beginning studies at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California in 2008.

The Audi O concept was designed to fuse a powerful and innovative audio system with a stylish and sporty four-seat hatchback. The exterior design uses several Audi trademark styling themes, especially at the front where the square grille sits neatly between the LED headlights. The doors feature glass windows running along the bottom edge which provide an interesting shape to the profile of the car. At the rear of the car the pullout door echoes the design of the squared off Audi grille.

The styling of the Audi O was influenced by a variety of sources including the Audi Shooting Brake concept from 2005, the Apple iPod and music.

The interior of the Audi O concept is bright and airy thanks to a full length panoramic roof which floods the cabin with light. Inside, the passenger compartment has been separated from the engine compartment by a double firewall to help keep out external noise which might interfere with the powerful sound system.

The Audi O concept features a unique audio system which has internet connectivity for downloading music onto the built-in 650 GB hard drive. When parked up a Bluetooth system can connect two or more Audi O cars to play audio over a wider area. In this situation, a host Audi O is set to be the source of sound and the other vehicles act as speakers.

The Audi O also features a pullout rear door fitted with a DJ set with mixing decks. The decks can also be removed and used anywhere outside the car.

Powering the Audi O concept is fuel efficient diesel/electric hybrid drivetrain.

Highly Durable Projector Phone

2008-08-10T11:00:00.002+05:30

Highly Durable Projector Phone -

Here’s another mobile projector phone concept but this one is a bit more thought out, tho not without its problems. It offers portability and the communications functions of a mobile phone with a projector to support a new lifestyle.

As you’ve probably guessed, anything on screen can be projected onto a wall. There’s support for real time conferencing tho the camera faces the ceiling when in projector mode so I guess you’ll look like some floating head from the viewer’s perspective.

Perhaps the only reasonable utility is the ability to watch stored movies on a large screen, possibly HD since storage capacities have ramped up exponentially. Users can enjoy an array of multimedia this way, everything from videos, maybe video games, and TV.

Now to the obvious problems. Projectors produce a lot of light to get sharp saturated images. Surely a phone’s battery would run dry within minutes if tasked with such a job. Not so according to the designer. The projection system is part of a newer generation of miniaturized video components. That combined with advancements in battery technologies provide for an acceptable viewing experience.

Made of polycarbonate that is highly durable, insulating and energy saving with a graphite sheet to increase heat conductivity to dissipate heat. The edge is made of aluminum to enhance heat radiation away from the projector module and function keys. In another words, this thing would get hot! Designer: Min-Sun Kim

Bamboo Chassis Handset

2008-07-29T10:34:00.003+05:30

Bamboo Chassis & Stainless Steel S-series Mobile Phone by Simon Enever -

With a bamboo chassis wrapped in black acrylic and stainless steel detailing, the S-series handset tries to stand out from the current crowd of feature rich bland mobile phones. The S-series however steps back from this approach and sets off in a radically different design direction by combining sleek, sophisticated styling with top quality materials all put together in a compact package, to make the whole experience of looking at and owning the phone just as pleasurable as using it. Containing all of the features expected as standard on phones of today but wrapping them in a simple, sleek aesthetic and luxury materials to give a touch of class and nautical feel. The key features, from using the camera to making and receiving calls, is easily operated without the need to flip out the keypad and waste time.

Electric City Car

2008-07-22T10:15:00.001+05:30

Electric City Nice MyCar: Styled by Italdesign Debuts in London -

The MyCar is a funky looking plug-in electric city car from Nice that will make its global premiere at this week’s British Motor Show in London (July 23 – Aug 3). Designed by Giugiaro of Italdesign and made in Hong Kong, the two-seater EV (Electric-Vehicle) will go on sale in the U.K. this Autumn with prices starting from £8,995 -$18,000 or €11,350.

While Nice hasn’t given out all the technical details, the company says that the zero emissions city car has a range of around 40 miles or 64 km in normal city driving. The MyCar has a top speed is 40 mph (64 km/h) with re-charge time between 6 and 8 hours. Nice supports that the EV’s running costs are very low, roughly one fifteenth compared to a conventional petrol or diesel model. Depending on electricity tariff used to charge the vehicle, owners are said to pay around 2p per mile. Furthermore, no CO2 emissions means no road tax and no congestion charges in the UK. -Continued

MyCar will be available in seven colour options while standard equipment will include electric windows and mirrors, Radio/MP3 player, 14” Alloy wheels, remote central locking, Hi/lo and boost button and LCD multifunction display. It also has storage space under the bonnet, in the boot and in the glove compartment. Options include a glass roof or removable fiberglass version, 15” Alloy wheels, leather interior, cooled and heated seats and a boot rack.

Moreover, buyers can opt for the work ‘n’ play and drive ‘n’ play options. The first incorporates a forward-folding passenger seat complete with laptop dock, the latter includes bluetooth, sat-nav and upgraded audio.

X-Box 360 Portable

2008-07-02T10:33:00.000+05:30

X-Box 360 could be going portable -

X-Box 360 handheld console on the way? Fancy rocking some GTA IV on-the-go, if T3 get our way Microsoft's Zune MP3 player could be going gaming. Check out our artist's impressions.

A Microsoft Zune / X-Box 360 / mobile phone hybrid? Could this potentially be the greatest handheld gadget in the history of the world?

It's by no means a reality, but it's been over a year since Big M big-wigs hinted at this awesome combo. While nothing remains concrete, we at T3 couldn't wait any longer.

Our artist's impressions from the future tech feature in this month's T3 Magazine show the three gadgets brought together in revolutionary harmony.

Our vision features the familiar X logo and coloured buttons of the X-Box with the slim and sleek Zune music player, with a 64GB flash drive and a mobile phone built in for good measure.

Yesterday we revealed our vision for a mind-controlled Nintendo Wii. Check back tomorrow for an all-new artist's impression of our most-wanted future tech.

USB Tape

2008-06-16T09:20:00.000+05:30

Remember in the days before digital music and MP3 players?
If you do, then you probably made compilations of all your favourite music, to share with your friends and loved ones, on good old fashioned blank cassette tapes.
If you miss making mix tapes this product will inspire you again!

Create your own unique mix tape
1. ADD YOUR OWN SOUNDS TO THE USB STICK.
2. PLACE THE STICK INSIDE THE TAPE STYLE GIFT PACK.
3. WRITE YOUR OWN MESSAGE AND PLAYLIST.
4. GIVE IT TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE.

64MB USB MEMORY STICK
Store your own mix on the USB stick by plugging into your PC or Mac, then add MP3 or any other files to the USB stick.

C60 MIX TAPE
Stores up to 1 hour of high quality digital music - the same amount as you get on a C60 cassette tape. Perfect for creating your own unique compilation or mix ‘tape’. When you have 60 minutes you have to think carefully about what you are going to put on there! Write your own title, messages and play list all over the retro gift pack.

FOR MAC AND PC
6 different designs to collect

Home taping never killed music!
Design by $uck UK

No-Key Keyboard

2008-06-16T09:14:00.001+05:30

Glass surface inputting is the new hotness for almost every gadget maker today. From from the iPhone to Microsoft’s Surface technology, flat is where it’s at. Introducing the flattest full size QWERTY keyboard to date, “No-key Keyboard” by Kong Fanwen. Consisting of just a glass surface, camera and lighting, this alternative keyboard concept will use the latest motion capture technology to watch your fingers nervously select just the perfect smiley for your online bantering.

Oled touch screen

2008-05-31T10:06:00.000+05:30

Oled Touch Screen -
The Cobalt is a response to the discerning public need for the next convergence device to blend elegance with simplicity and portability. The Cobalt’s round OLED touch screen allows easy access to all its features with a simple flick of the thumb left, right, up or down. The default screen shows time, date, temperature, and updates on voicemail, email and text. Completely customizable on every level, the default screen’s settings can be changed to suit your needs - from minimal analog hands to a full on digital display.

The Cobalt is designed with the style conscious in mind - when Bluetooth technology can be seamlessly integrated with earrings and other accessories for all-day wearability. Along with state-of-the-art voice recognition software, there’s a hidden spot on the back for house keys. All I need is this, a monocle, top hat, and a walking stick.

Mimique Cell Phone

2008-05-21T09:57:00.000+05:30

Mimique Concept -
The Mimique is a response to feature-heavy cell phones that look more like PDAs than phones. Playful and engaging, the Mimique's design marries the heritage of old-school cell phones with next-generation style and touch-screen technology. The Mimique will use the new open-source cell phone software which will allow users to download features and "skins." With downloadable upgrades, users won't need to buy a new phone to get new features.

And the "skins" will allow users to change the graphic interface to match their mood or preferences. Designed for users who don't take themselves or their phones too seriously, the eye-catching Mimique concept phone is poised to play a whole new game. [source]

Life Index

2008-05-15T10:06:00.000+05:30

Life Index Will Tell You How Long You Have Left to Live -

In the year 2154, biometrics might be so advanced that they will be able to tell us how long we have left to live based on data retrieved from our bodies. Or at least that’s the type of technological advancement that the creator of the Life Index is hoping for in the future.

Envisioned by One & Co for the Timex 2154 competition, the Life Index is worn like a nicotine patch that acquires biometric feedback from the skin, including fitness level, stress, nutrition level and the environment. It then uses this information to make an educated guess on how long you have left to live.

I guess the real question is whether you’d want a gadget that could put a number on your life or a guesstimate from one of those stupid online surveys. And more importantly, would the ever decreasing number convince you to quit $moking, dr!nking and having unprotected $ex while simultaneously shooting intravenous drugs with dirty needles? [gearfuse]

Rival Cable Satellite

2008-05-03T10:41:00.000+05:30

Pay TV? Says who? Sezmi aims to rival cable, satellite -

NEW YORK — A start-up is betting that people are tired enough of their cable and satellite bills to take a look at an alternative pay TV system that combines a number of different technologies to deliver programming.
Silicon Valley-based Sezmi is revealing a system Thursday that amounts to a way for phone companies and local TV broadcasters to team up for an end run around satellite and cable. Technical trials are starting shortly, with full-blown commercial trials in some markets, yet unnamed, later this year.

The carrot for consumers: monthly fees that are about half those of cable or satellite, according to Sezmi founder Buno Pati.

Sezmi's system takes some explaining. At its heart is a TV set-top box that receives video content in three different ways. Two are available through other means: digital over-the-air local broadcasts, the kind that are available to anyone with a digital TV and a rabbit-ear antenna; and Internet downloads through the home's broadband connection.

The third delivery method would be unique to Sezmi. It plans to have local TV stations use vacant portions of their airwaves to transmit basic cable channels like Nickelodeon and Discovery. Given the limited spectrum available, the stations won't be able to transmit a full lineup, and only some of it will be in high definition. Sezmi plans to mitigate that by having stations send out the most-watched shows and have the set-top boxes save them on their hard drives, making them available for viewing on demand.

None of these features are completely original. The set-top box combines the feature of a digital TV tuner, a TV-style digital video recorder and an Internet video box like the Apple TV. The additional over-the-air cable content is reminiscent of a service called MovieBeam, which was started by The Walt Disney Co. When it shut down in December after a four-year run, it had 1,800 subscribers. [source : usatoday]

Panoramic Digital Cam

2008-04-29T10:09:00.000+05:30

Panoramic Digital Camera That Can Be Thrown -

Finalist for BraunPrize 2007, Triops is a robust digital camera which allows the user to experience new perspectives and perceptions and takes the potential of digital photography to a new level. The camera is equipped with three protected fisheye lenses and allows for an active, spontaneous and playful photography experience.

This product can take images while being thrown, suspended or just being placed in an unusual location. It captures the moment by responding to sound or movement, or by reacting to the manually operated release. Sequentially taken photographs are possible as well as 360 degree panorama images. All working parts are integrated in the robust casing and can be operated easily and intuitively. Pictures can be wirelessly transmitted to a separate display unit for display. This unit functions as a processing and storage device and the camera‘s charging station. [franziskafaoro]

The Future of Books

2008-04-22T09:37:00.000+05:30

The Future of Books -

With everything turning towards technology, we have adapted the out with the old, in with the new mentality. Designer Kyle Bean has created a design that illustrates the issues with “technology and the Internet, and the effect it is having on the way we source information”. We are becoming a society that is more virtual. We download music rather than purchase CD’s, we research on the net, rather than going to the library and reading books. According to Kyle, “Books also have personality - they have textures and smells which the internet can’t offer”. Kyle wanted to illustrate this issue by using a book turned into a laptop. The object is made from a book purchased at a discount bookstore for only £1.50, as well as a few electrical components to illuminate the screen.

The book/laptop, has a CD-Rom drive complete with CD, a keyboard that can be removed so as to access the battery, and a switch that turns off the screen light once the book is closed. The book when closed, looks just like a regular book until opened. The words, “The Future of Books” is inscribed on the spine. I think Kyle did a wonderful job expressing the changes the world is facing regarding technology. [kylebean]

Extreme Extension Cord

2008-04-19T10:02:00.000+05:30

Extreme Extension Cord -

Instead of just having power outputs on one end of an extension cord, designer Wilson Song placed them all along the cord itself. We’re not electrical engineers here at Yanko Design but we have our doubts. If a device is plugged into one output, doesn’t that prevent power from reaching the other outputs? On paper it sounds like a great idea. The cord itself can act as a flexible power strip. [via: mail]

Smallest Battery Charger

2008-04-12T09:43:00.000+05:30

The Smallest, Lightest Battery Charger in the World -

Main Features

Recharge batteries via any USB port
Smallest and lightest battery charger in the world
Recharges all NiMH and NiCd AA and AAA batteries
LED charging and battery power indicators
Tough, rubberised casing
Recharges batteries in 3-4 hours via USB
Team up with the Freeloader Solar Battery and charge batteries in 1-2 hours (cable provided)

The Smallest, Lightest Battery Charger in the World -
Fed up with using up and throwing away more batteries than an Anne Summers convention? Battery chargers may be no new thing, but then none claim to be the smallest and the lightest AA and AAA charger in the world, and charge conveniently via USB – credentials that catapult the Freeloader Battery Charger sky high above its larger, more cumbersome competitors. At last!

Say goodbye to bulky monstrosities, the featherweight Freeloader portable charger weighs in at just 54g – and that's including batteries – and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Two complimentary rechargeable AA batteries come with your pack, but this handy battery charger will also happily charge AAA NiMH and NiCd rechargeable batteries too, both via its USB connection.

Pop up to two batteries into the fast battery charger at any one time and charge via the USB port on your PC – it takes three to four hours to reach 75% full charge. Clear LED indicators show the charging status of the USB battery charger, as well as your battery power levels, while tough, rubberised casing stays protected and looks good in the process.

If you hadn't already guessed from the name, the Freeloader Battery Charger is a close relation to another Gizoo favourite, the Freeloader Solar Battery (not included), and conveniently if you have both, you can use the pair together. In short, for all those times you're away from your PC and a USB port you can use the Freeloader cable provided and charge your batteries from this handy unit instead in just one to two hours – ideal for all those days you and your laptop aren't joined at the hip.

Specifications -

Charge AA or AAA batteries either from Freeloader or from your PC's USB port.
Includes 2 rechargable AA batteries
The average time to charge the supplied batereies via USB is 3 to 4 hours
Product dimensions (H)20cm x (L)13cm x (D)5cm
Box dimensions (H)8.5 x (L)4m x (D)2cm
Package weight 109g
Power requirements USB or freeloader

[via : gizoo ]

Bamboo Notebook

2008-04-03T10:08:00.000+05:30

Asus Eco Book – The Notebook Made Out of Bamboo

Long time ago, the Apple I computer was built in a wooden box. Since then, things quickly evolved and we have been facing the plastic and metal invasion: the notebooks we know today. Asustek is trying to revive the good old days and promises to deliver an eco-friendly notebook, made out of laminated bamboo stripes.

Bamboo is flexible and resistive, and harvesting it in worth-mentioning quantities is highly unlikely to damage the ecosystem, since it grows at an accelerated pace. The industrial processing of the bamboo wood involves using some glues and laminates that contain toxins, yet, the Earth is spared from forest wood harvesting.

Asustek have a history with designing notebooks from alternative materials. High-end users can enjoy the Asustek notebooks that are calf leather-bound or the more recent faux alligator-skin models. "Originally we came out with a leather model style-book", said Cher Chronis, director of marketing communication for Asus Computer International, the Taipei-based company's US unit. "It was very popular. After that, it was kind of natural for us to experiment with other types of materials, so we decided to go green", she continued.

The bamboo model is still on the prototype workbench and the company engineers have to ensure that such approach is possible, since bamboo wood will be subject to serious resistive abuse and at the same time, it will have to allow the heat transfer from microprocessors and monitors.

The notebook comes in a time when every major hardware manufacturer wants to ensure everybody that their products love and care about the environment. There are energy-saving components, lead and mercury-free memory modules and even peripherals entirely made of recycled materials, but Asustek is the only one to offer a bamboo-cased notebook. [source: softpedia]

PC Inside Keyboard

2008-03-29T10:13:00.000+05:30

All-in-One PC: Inside a Keyboard -

Product Overview:

This new generation All-in-One PC in a keyboard not only takes up far less desktop space, but also puts an Intel® Core™ 2 Quad CPU with all its features and performance at your fingertips. The new ZPC-GX31™ is a true innovation packing so much power, performance and compatibility inside a normal size keyboard. With features such as Dual Display capabilities, 4GB of DDR2/667MHz RAM, 1Gb LAN and DVI interface you now have a complete personal computer that takes up no more space than a typical keyboard. Simply place it on your desktop, plug in a monitor and you are done. [via- cybernetman]

Amazing - Robot Solves Cube

2008-03-25T10:39:00.000+05:30

A Lego Mindstorms robot that solves Rubik’s cube -

Tilted Twister solves Rubik’s cube fully automatically.
Just place the scrambled cube on Tilted Twister’s turntable. An ultrasonic sensor detects its presence and starts to read the colors of the cube faces using a light sensor. The robot turns and tilts the cube in order to read all the faces of the cube. It then calculates a solution and executes the moves by turning, tilting and twisting the cube.

The challenge was to build the robot using only the Lego Mindstorms NXT Retail-kit. And to make it completely independent, without need of being connected to a PC. The Lego Mindstorms NXT Retail-kit contains three servo motors and four sensors (touch, light, ultrasonic and sound).

How should I build the robot using only theese items?
After a lot of experimenting I came up with a solution - If I tilted the whole robot, it would be possible for it to tilt the cube using only one motor, leaving the other two motors for turning the cube and for positioning the lightsensor. Thus Tilted Twister.

Color recognition

While rotating the cube, the top face colors are scanned using the lightsensor. It is actually possible to see difference between colors using only the lightsensor. But some of the colors on the standard Rubik’s cube were hard to distinguish from one another. The blue and the green colors of the cube were very close to each other. Likewise were the red and the orange ones. To avoid confusion I replaced some of the colors on the cube. (Cubesmith.com has replacement stickers in all sorts of colors.) After that, it reads the colors of the cube perfectly. Only if you have a strong lightsource right above the robot it might fail.

Tilting, turning and twisting the cube
The tilter arm pushes the side of the cube until it tilts over and slides back. The construction of the tilter arm along with the sloping turntable enables this in one moment. The cube is turned by the motor connected to the turntable. Lego Mindstorm’s servo motor is very accurate, and the built in tacho counter makes shure it doesn’t ”hesitate”. There is no need for other easurements to align the turntable after turning it. To twist the bottom face, the tilter arm holds stil the upper and middle layers of the cube while the turntable rotates the bottom face.

Calculating a solution
I wanted the robot to be completely independent, without the need to connect to a PC. This puts some demands on the program. Of the size of the program and memory usage. And not least of performance. The performance of NXT’s processor is quite sufficient for typical robot-tasks. But when it comes to heavy calculations it is significantly slower than an ordinary PC. This rules out heuristic-algorithms (which generates sub 30-moves solutions). Instead I tried to find a method to solve the cube, whith limited number of algorithms but that still would generate a solution with not to many moves. First I implemented a quite simple layer-by-layer-algorithm. This gave a solution with an average of almost 100 moves. I have now implemented a corners-first method which generates a significantly shorter solution. The average is just below 60 faceturns (which I think is pretty good for a general solution).

Performance

Scanning the cube: 1 minute
Calculating a solution: 20 - 40 seconds
Executing the moves: 1 - 5 minutes. Average 4.5 minutes (60 faceturns)
Average total time: 6 minutes

[via - tiltedtwister]

Enjoy the Amazing Video Below -

Amazing Text Scanner

2008-03-20T11:06:00.000+05:30

Dixau Text Scanner Wikifies and Googlizes Your Reading -

Reading is such hard work without the internet at your disposal to cross reference anything that you don’t immediately understand. Until now, people had to read books while at the computer if they wanted to look stuff up, manually typing it in to Wikipedia or Google. It’s horrible, I know. The Dixau text scanner from Korean company Unichal makes is so that you only have to be next to the computer. It contains a little camera that is able to take pictures of text, recognize the characters, and then provide on-screen explanations via search engines.

The Dixau may seem totally superfluous (especially for $90), but what I think it’s designed for are Korean students who want to be able to translate words from English scientific texts on the fly. And with that in mind, it really could be useful even for native English speakers trying to decipher English scientific texts. I mean, I majored in geology, which is perhaps not the most technical of disciplines, and I still swear that half of those words were made up just to confuse people.

Dixau from Unichal is a device available on the Korean market designed to help you understand what you are reading and while you are reading.

If you are in the middle of a study related to medicine or you encounter specific terms that you are not familiar with, Dixau’s built-in camera captures the image with the sentence at the push of a button and searches through Wikipedia, Google or a dictionary you provided it previously.

It then finds the detailed explanations in your PC with the help of text recognition technology, and reveals them on the monitor. Such a device costs around $90 and if you understand Korean you might want to check all the details about it on the official product page. (dixau) [via - techpin ]

Rechargeable USB Cell

2008-03-12T09:36:00.000+05:30

USBCELL AA Batteries Can be Charged through USB -

If you thought rechargeable batteries were a good green idea, the USBCELL rechargeable battery will blow your mind- it plugs into any computer’s USB port to recharge. It’s a standard AA battery which will fit into all your every day uses. We’re not the only ones amped up about USBCELL- today at CEBIT, the green battery was awarded a Gold award at the IF Product Design ceremony. Produced by Moixa Energy, has a flip cap top that houses the USB port, and can be used like any regular AA battery. Not to mention, it cuts back on the nearly 15 billion Alkaline batteries made and thrown away each year.

The little power cells can also can be charged in approved NiMH chargers. USBCELL won a New Energy Entrepreneur of the Year award last Wednesday, too. We’re glad such a deserving product is getting the attention it deserves. [usbcell]

Touchscreen Phone

2008-03-07T08:19:00.000+05:30

Another Touchscreen Phone - Mooon+ Concept phone comes with integrated Bluetooth Headset, but wait, this one has a surprise!

Do you have a hard time keeping track of all your gadgets? Wouldn't it be nice if you were able to connect your Bluetooth headset directly to your phone? This way, you're much less likely to lose the handsfree side of the equation.

That seems to the be thinking behind the Mooon+ (the extra "o" is not a typo) cell phone concept. The top section of the phone detaches to reveal a fully functional Bluetooth headset. The rest of the phone seems to borrow some styling cues from the BlackBerry Pearl, but the interface is completely through the touchscreen display.

Seems like it could be a neat idea, but I'd imagine that the premium of the "free" Bluetooth headset will be integrated into the price of the phone as a whole. [mobilemag]

Edge Fashion Phone

2008-03-04T09:51:00.000+05:30

Edge Fashion Phone : Trendy People Need This Phone -

The Edge phone is designed for the style conscious fashionistas. The name has nothing to do with data speed. In fact we don’t even know what this phone is capable of because as with all fashion phones, looks rein supreme and the Edge phone makes sure you notice with its glowing glass keyboard.

To answer an incoming call, slide the glass keyboard out. An embedded LED illuminates the etched numerics via refraction creating a glowing effect. The only visible lines is the microphone wiring which designer Chris Owens has cleverly disguised as a keyboard border. [design]

Balance Mobile

2008-02-23T09:37:00.000+05:30

Balance Mobile Cconcept -
Balance is an authentic luxury-smartphone. Up to now, these two categories (luxury and smart) have diverged, and few well-executed alternatives exist. The choice of material (titanium and stainless steel) and its mechanism (a shell-slide solution) impart exclusivity to the phone, while its features satisfy the most exigent business and multimedia requirements.

The 45 x 73.5 x 10.25 mm concept combines the advantages of shell- and slider phones; when placed inside a pocket, the phones two inner touch-sensitive screens are protected, its storage therefore requiring no special attention. Flipped over, however, the advantages of the slider can be fully made use of, while in desk stand mode, the phone can be used as a clock or a digital photo frame, without the aid of a separate stand.

The phone can be operated in multiple ways, either via the touchscreen displays (main - 2.8 inch , 400 x 240 pixel, 262K TFT), or with the help of the buttons located around them. Furthermore, the MindPad - first introduced on account of the BYB MulTicket allows the user to draw characters and symbols using simply his/her finger, which are then interpreted by the device, thus allowing for rapid and simple input.

The backside touts a 5.1 megapixel camera equipped with auto focus, 2x optical zoom, QuadLED assist light, concealed by an active optical safer. The phone is GSM/3G/HSDPA compatible, with WiFi, BT 2.0 and GPS connectivity. Furthermore, it is equipped with a 3.5 mm and a MiniUSB port, and its 512 MB internal memory can be expanded with the help of a MicroSD card. [bogarak]

Phonograph CD Player

2008-02-16T10:31:00.000+05:30

Phonograph CD Player -
By: Yong Jieyu & Ama Xue Hong Bin

A 2 day workshop with Joris Laarman. The aim is to analyse a product in its history and function and redesign it.

A CD player was disassembled and the components rearranged to suit the layout of a phonograph. The speakers are put below the trumpet loudspeaker for amplification. The wooden box is made slightly more spacious then the electrical PCB board needed to achieve bass resonance. The laser pointer is shifted to the top allowing the spin of the CD to be clearly shown.

By bringing back a familiar nostalgic form of a phonograph, the design seeks transport the user back to the golden age of phonographs in early 1900s where sound broadcasting had a magical feel। (jieyu-design)

Strida Foldable Bike

2008-02-13T09:22:00.000+05:30

The sleek form and clever functionality of British designer Mark Sanders’ foldable bikes have been earning accolades in Europe for over a decade. The latest, the Strida 5.0, is now available in the US bringing with it a new hybrid commute sensibility that is rolling in praise. More than just a utilitarian part of greener transport, this bike is an exercise in cool.

What sets the Strida 5.0 apart from other collapsables is its tripod-like frame which folds easily into parallel tubes. Unfolded, the tubes form a triangle – handlebars and wheels occupy the three points and the adjustable seat slides along one side. The unique, patented frame streamlines the design and makes fold-up quick and easy - Strida boasts a six second shift from expanded bike to folded traffic-averting accessory.

With the commuter user in mind, the 5.0 rolls with a silent, clean Kevlar belt – no greasy pant legs – and the folded design manages the sidewalk stretch with parallel tires that make it an agreeable sidekick while strolling. Although still in the single gear folder category, the bike has evolved from the earlier 3.2 version with tougher, lighter components that don’t need much attention - just tires and disc brakes need maintenance.

Inside a triangular frame of lightweight aluminum, power is transferred to the rear heels via a silent clean Kevlar belt. Handlebars are mounted horizontally, so the rider can sit comfortably upright wih an excellent view of the road. The genius of the triangular frame is that it can fold. In six seconds, you have alight, compact form that you can easily wheel before you, stow in a closet, load in your car or take on the train. (strida)

SMS Pen

2008-02-12T08:00:00.000+05:30

SMS & Email Pen -

D:Scribe is a digital fountain pen that allows users to send SMS and email messages from paper. Just write out the message and circle the person’s name to send. This does away with a keypad and allows you to focus on communicating in a more personal way from anywhere as long as you have a bluetooth enabled phone and a surface to write on. The pen also records everything you write which can be accessed on a computer. Of course for the creative peeps, if writing doesn’t suit your fancy, the D:Scribe also works with genius and not so genius drawings of brilliance.

The design is loosely based on a quill and inkwell where by the quill is the writing apparatus and the inkwell is an electromagnetic induction charger.

Once a message is sent, the status is displayed on the built-in OLED screen. The designers have also expanded its capabilities beyond that of messaging. Should your home electronics and appliances be bluetooth enabled, you could potentially program the pen to input commands by writing in the air. A little abstract but lets pretend this idea is more a patent for possibilities. (source: via mail)

Coffee with Pc

2008-02-09T08:53:00.001+05:30

Yuno Concept Pc -

The Yuno PC is a new personal computer concept designed to help you get the most out of your morning without holding you back or constraining you to a desktop PC. Everyone has their own routine, what they read, watch, listen to, and of course drink. The Yuno PC mug incorporates all the important morning alerts such as weather, time, traffic, stocks, and more on its touchscreen display. You can also display your own images as a screensaver if you just want to relax. It lets you enjoy the morning the way you deserve to, stress free and highly caffenaited. (jasonfarsai)

Jelly Click Mouse

2008-02-02T09:42:00.000+05:30

Jelly Click Mouse for Laptop -

Portablity is very important for a laptop mouse. Emphasis on portablity results in decrease of the usability and vice versa. 'Jelly click' is a flat type portable mouse that can be used by being inflated satisfying both portability and usability of a laptop mouse. When deflated the user can fold it up for a convenient portability and when inflated and in use a feeling as if you were tou-ching a soft jelly or even a balloon can be felt. (designodoubt)

Responsible Designers : Bongkun Shin, Heungkyo Seo, Jiwoong Hwang

Rubberized Mobile

2008-01-29T08:46:00.000+05:30

Rubberized Mobile Phone -

Fresh and bliss, SaY mobile phone expresses an open-minded attitude. It comes in three cheerful colors. The rubberized body is contrasted with a slightly angled glossy keypad that fit perfectly in the talking position. On the back a 4-mega pixels camera and a pair of stereo speakers are arranged in a graphical and eye-catching manner. The design is elegantly minimal, fun and strikingly modern. (bluemapdesign)

P-Per Mobile Phone

2008-01-26T08:50:00.000+05:30

P-Per Mobile Phone Could Challenge iPhone -

Those sweet lads over at the Chocolate Agency have come up with yet another delectable concept dubbed P-Per; a concept mobile phone that would satisfy both environmentalists and tech nerds. The design consists of just 4 layers, a printed circuit board, extruded polycarbonate, recycled titanium, and a wrap around flexible haptic LED touchscreen. By minimizing materials, the design is highly sustainable.

The wrap around screen allows for endless user interface possibilities not to mention bezeless picture/movie taking and watching. If that weren’t enough to challenge the iPhone, how about a 7mm wafer thin form factor, 3 megapixel camera, and a 2 minute recharge time. (source: via mail)

Ultrathin - Apple MacBook Air

2008-01-17T09:42:00.000+05:30

Ultrathin Apple MacBook Air -

Amazingly thin. Amazingly full-size. The thinness of MacBook Air is stirring. But perhaps more impressive, there’s a full-size notebook encased in the 0.16 to 0.76 inch of sleek, sturdy anodized aluminum. And at just 3.0 pounds,1 MacBook Air is more than portable — it’s with you everywhere you go.

A no-compromise display.The glossy 13.3-inch, widescreen LED backlit MacBook Air display is the same viewable size as the screen on MacBook. The 1280-by-800 resolution gives you vibrant images and rich colors at full brightness the moment you open MacBook Air. So you get full-screen performance with all the benefits of a slim design.

Full-size, full-feature keyboard.The keyboard is full-size with crisp keys just like the ones on MacBook. But MacBook Air goes further by adding backlit key illumination, making it easy to work in low-light settings such as airplanes and conference halls. A built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts keyboard and display brightness for optimal visibility. And with the oversize multi-touch trackpad, it just keeps getting better for fingers. (apple)

Roly-Poly Pot

2008-01-11T10:15:00.000+05:30

Plants Fall Over When Thirsty -

Just like people, plants fall over when they begin to die from thirst but unlike people, plants can’t verbally communicate when they need watering. That’s where the Roly-Poly Pot comes in. Using water a a counterweight, the pot slowly tips over when water levels are low. The cool thing is each pot can be adjusted to work with any plant’s watering needs. Neat idea but still a concept for now. (yanko)

Touch Keyboard

2008-01-06T09:10:00.000+05:30

Optimus Tactus Touch Keyboard -

While we love touch surfaces, as people who type hundreds of thousands a word each week we know that there is a limit to them: keyboards. Like this Optimus Tactus, an extruded shape/touch surface/keyboard concept by Art.Lebedev. We really like the soon-to-be-released Optimus keyboard Art but, seriously, how often do you type on your computer?

I can imagine that artists, musicians and video editors would like something like this... however, there are solid LCD tablet displays and Tablet PCs on the market already. Experience shows that, for the time being, it's a limited market. Further limiting it to a keyboard replacement could be economically impractical at best, never mind how practical this could be. The issue of the price is the other key here: by the time a touch surface keyboard could be a commercial reality coming from China via Moscow, touch computing from Apple and Microsoft would be so ubiquitous that it won't make sense anymore.
(source : gizmodo)

Dual Music Player

2008-01-01T22:12:00.000+05:30

Dual Music Player That Plays Your MP3 Collection & Your CDs -
Designer: Yong-Seong Kim

You want to enjoy your audio CDs while traveling but you also have a huge MP3 collection at home that you want to take with you. The ideal solution? DMP, a portable music player that supports CD and MP3 files. Use the MP3 player as you normally would, hang it around your neck, clip it on your jeans or place it in your pocket. Otherwise open both sides and insert your favorite CD and you got yourself a CD player my friend. Now that’s music to my ears.

(yankodesign)

Transplastic Furniture

2007-12-29T11:02:00.000+05:30

Transplastic Furniture by Campana Brothers -
Exhibition of recent work by the Campana Brothers Albion Gallery, London

The transplastic series tells a fictional story: in a world made of plastic and synthetic matter, a fertile ground is laid for transgenic creations. natural fibres recover the plastic as in an immunological response: nature grows from the plastic and overpowers it. This collection encapsulates many concepts explored throughout the campana’s rajectory; revisiting material clashes with a more mature approach. it refers back to the premise, used in 2000 with the ‘shark chair’, to challenge contrasts: of nature and plastic, cold and warm, textured and smooth surfaces.

Regular chairs, multiple-seating chairs, lamps, illuminated meteors, clouds and islands have been created by taking advantage of the elasticity of natural fibre. taking as a starting point plastic chairs, water containers and rudimentary wood stools, natural fibre extensions were added, altering the original form. the pieces subsequently took on a geographic dimension through organic shapes, adding value and comfort to the original base material.

All the pieces are handcrafted with a very typical brazilian fibre, ‘apuí’. the extraction of this fibre helps preserve and control the biodiversity of the forests as apuí suffocates and kills the trees from which they grow. these fibres are removed manually, without any tools or processes that may harm the trees. the fibre is an analogy for this series of work; the wicker begins to grow from the plastic, suffocating and drawing nourishment from it, reinforcing the original theses of the fictional story fernando and humberto campana have chosen to tell.

The campana brothers have also been invited by the V&A (victoria and albert museum in london)to design their garden, which will run parallel to the campana’s exhibition at albion gallery. the installation at the V&A will open on the 21 july and run until 14 october 2007.
(Source : Designboom)

Compenion - Computer System

2007-12-26T10:29:00.000+05:30

Compenion - Visionary Personal Computer System -
by Felix Schmidberger

Based on a personal computer that accompanies you through your day and context-oriented docking stations at personal spaces like in the office or at home. Those stations are matching the needs of the user in their particular surrounding, like home entertainment in the living room or conferences and multi-tasking at the office.The computer itself is a OLED-touchscreen slider, with a second hidden touchscreen underneath. This way, it gives you a similar working experience as with a 2-monitor setup. It is controlled per hand or via a “senstylus pen”, that you can use like a normal pen or twist it and use it as a 3d-sensor remote, with a sensor field under the thumb for precise menu controls. (source: via mail)

Tie Spy Cam

2007-12-23T10:29:00.000+05:30

Tie Spy Camera with MP4 Player 512MB Flash, 2.5-inch LCD -

(Source : chinavasion)

The World's Smallest Color Pinhole Camera built-in the fashionable Tie. When tie this tie with your clothes lets you record exactly what you saw. No external power needed, just connect it directly with MP4 player to hidden recording so you will not miss any action. It is also great as a surveillance camera, a toy for hobby enthusiasts, as body worn solutions and so on.

Camera Specifications -

Image Device: 1/3 Inch CMOS
TV system: PAL, NTSC
Horizontal Definition: 380
Angular Field of View: 52 deg f=3.6mm
Minimum Illumination: 2.0 Lux
Synchronization System: Internal
Backlight Compensation: Auto
White Balance: Auto
S/N Ratio: >48dB
Recommended Max Range for Objects: 5 Meters
Video and Audio Recording
Power Source: Powered Directly from MP4

MP4 Player Specifications -

Memory: 512MB
External Memory: SD Card (Max 1GB)
Display: 2.5 Inch TFT OLED 260K
Video Format: ASF MP4
Conversion formats: MPEG1, 2, 4, AVI
Video Resolution: 320x240
FPS (Frames per Second): 25fps
Music Format: MP3, WMA, ADPCM, PCM
Bit rate: 32-320Kbps
Picture Format: EXIF2.1, JPEG
Built in MIC
Record Format: WAV
Earphone Jack: 3.5mm
SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio): >85dB
Output of earphones: 2x5mW(32Ohm)
Output of Speaker: 10mW(32Ohm)
Languages: English, Chinese
USB: 1.1
System: Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP
Power Source: Built in Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
Dimension: 60x90x18mm (LxWxD)
Manufacturer Ref.: SMWTPE74EX72

Other Features:

AV IN/ OUT (PAL/NTSC)
Adjustable Calendar
Connect directly to MP4 player/Recorder for hidden recording
No installation- plug and play
Manufacturer and Origin: China
Login for Wholesale discount price

Ferrari from Motorola

2007-12-21T10:36:00.000+05:30

Motorola Z8 Ferrari Limited Edition

What do you do when your are way behind your rivals in current mobile phone offerings, constantly loosing your market share, bleeding money and are late with the production of your next flagship (which still is a generation worse in some features then offerings by others) for more then 2 months? I’m talking about Motorola and it’s MOTO Z10 smartphone that was supposed to go on sale last October.

Well, you start leaking the details to the press through your branch managers, about what an awesome line-up of phones you have planned for the next year. And then start copying meaningless design/co-branding additions, your rivals did months ago, and add bundles to a year old flagship you have now.

Enter Motorola Z8 Ferrari Limited Edition -

In addition to Ferrari colors and logos, MOTO Z8 Ferrari Limited Edition comes bundled with 2 Ferrari videos, pre-registration to the official Ferrari site (www.ferrariworld.com), custom Ferrari wallpapers and ringtones, direct links to to online Magazines like Top Gear, Auto Express, GQ, Esquire and Autosport, and a bundled “The Bourne Identity” movie.

I’m sure it will appeal to some diehard Ferrari and MOTO fans, but otherwise it’s just plain old Motorola Z8 RIZR phone. And it won’t even be available for Christmas. MOTO Z8 Ferrari Limited Edition will come on sale through Ferrari Store and major Motorola retailers in Q1, 2008. (via:unwiredview)

Smart Car 2008

2007-12-16T10:10:00.000+05:30

Smart Car is Coming to the US in 2008 -

(by : smartusadotcom)

The Smart Car is coming to the United States! And sooner than you might think… The little car that could, manufactured by Daimler, is expected to join the ranks of tiny eco-cars available in the US in 2008. We are excited about this development and hope that it will convince more Americans that when transportation is concerned, bigger is most certainly not better.

Early reservations for the US Smart Car have just started and already people are lining up to purchase this tiny energy efficient vehicle. The Smart Car is a tiny subcompact vehicle, only about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide. The 3-cylinder engine has fantastic fuel consumption, 42 miles per gallon, and has a top speed of 90 mph. And while it is tiny - one feels as though you can lift it yourself - it is, in fact, surprisingly roomy for something that size. Though granted, your main concern would likely be what happens in the event of a crash. According to the company, the Smart Car gets a 4 star-crash rating, surprisingly good for a vehicle of its size. The Smart Car will cost between $11,000 to $17,000. It is available in three different models, including a gorgeous little convertible.

The Smart Car joins a select number of subcompact vehicles in the US. And while the market for them is still quite tiny, we hope its stylish looks and fuel efficiency will win over those looking at getting larger and less fuel-efficient vehicles.

US reservations for the Smart Car have just started and already people are lining up to purchase this tiny energy efficient vehicle. If you want a piece of the Smart action, reserve yours today at Smart USA.

Mp4 Watch

2007-12-11T11:05:00.000+05:30

4GB High Fashion Mens MP4 Watch - 1.5 Inch OLED Screen -

(source:chinavasiondotcom)

It's GQ meets geek chic with this brand new high fashion MP4 watch with a massive 4GB of internal memory and 1.5 inch OLED screen. This watch is a certified triple threat; it works good, it sounds good, it looks good. The firmware is stable and the menus are easy to navigate through. The sound and picture quality is just superb and you just can't beat the bling-tastic look of it. It also comes with a 2.5 ~ 3.5 earphone jack adaptor for easy connection to most mini-amplification systems or standard earphones.

Manufacturer Specification -

Memory: 4GB
Display: OLED 1.5 inch
Video Format: MTV
Conversion formats: MP4, WMV, AVI
Video Resolution: 160 x 128 OLED
FPS (Frames per Second): 25fps
Music Format: MP3, WMA, WAV
Bit rate: 32-320Kbps
Picture Format: JPEG
Built in MIC
Record Format: WAV
Earphone Jack: 2.5
SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio): 90dB
Output of earphones: 2 X 5mw (32Ohm)
Languages: Traditional, Chinese, Simple Chinese, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese
USB: 2.0
System: Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP,Vista
Power Source: Li-Battery
Dimension: 38x40x13 mm (LxWxD)
Manufacturer Ref.: D52HJD9XHYYP

Other Features:

E-Book Compatible
All Steel Design
Luxurious Buckle
24 Hour Digital Analog Time Display
Adjustable Time/Year/Month/Date/Day

Accessories:

User Manual
Earphones
USB Power Adapter
Standard Power Adapter
Mini CD with Driver and Conversion Software
2.5~3.5 Earphone Adapter
Manufacturer and Origin: China

Apple Remote

2007-12-09T10:34:00.000+05:30

Apple Remote But Not By Apple
(source: via mail)

Are you tired of losing your remotes? Tired of how they seem to clash with your very meticulously arranged IKEA furniture? Then maybe you’d want the Apple Remote, and no it’s not by who you think. Confused?

Imagine, every member of the household having their own Apple. Each is a slightly different shade of green so you’ll know who’s who. You can program your own functions to best suit your TV watching needs and should you need to go beyond that, the remote responds to motion gestures. Rotating it left lowers the volume, rotating it right raises it.

Best part is they add to your tablescape. The bowl they reside in actually recharges the Apples, err I mean remotes. Just remember to tell guests to lay off.

1cm Thick LCD TV

2007-12-05T10:19:00.000+05:30

Samsung’s New LCD TV goes on a diet - just 1cm thick -
Samsung has taken the wraps off an anorexic 40in LCD TV with a 1cm thin waistline at this week’s FPD International show Japan.

Just weeks after Sony kicked launched its first skinny OLED-based TV – just 3mm thin - Samsung is out to prove that existing LCD technology can be placed on an extreme diet too. This 10mm panel uses an LED backlight to provide what Samsung claims is 92% of the NTSC standard for colour saturation - almost as good as a CRT TV – but with a low power consumption of under 90W.

Unlike the Sony OLED panel, which is restricted to just 11in and is not HD-ready, Samsung’s super model is a HDTV, capable of displaying Full HD (1080p) video. When we will actually see them in shops is anyone's guess.
(source: gadgettasticdotcom)

Pepper Salt Switch

2007-12-02T11:10:00.000+05:30

Switch Me Some Salt n’ Pepper -
Switch Me is a humble salt and pepper shaker concept which allows one to switch between salt and pepper at the press of a button. The body has two chambers to avoid mixing and definitely has a different look to it, for all the salt and pepper shaker collectors out there.

Switch Glasses

2007-11-23T10:00:00.000+05:30

Prescription lenses are expensive so it’s not often we can afford more than a single pair. Unfortunately that means being tethered to one frame style. Switch Glasses gives you at least two options to fit your mood and lifestyle. The design adds pivots and hinges to the arms and lens of a pair of glasses. By flipping them around, you can take advantage of two different frame colors. Maybe one for work and a funkier one for a night out. (source : via mail)

Mobile with Thumb Drives

2007-11-18T10:16:00.000+05:30

Sony Ericsson Plays Nice With Thumb Drives -

(source : via mail)

You know, industrial designers seem to love conceptualizing what future Sony Ericsson mobiles will look like. Designer Vincent Palicki is just one of many but his design actually looks like it could be made today and fit right in with the SE family.

It’s a slim candy bar style phone complete with a big screen, standard SE key layout but touched up with stainless steel buttons. Yes it’ll do music, movies, text, email, blah blah and blah so where’s the innovation here? It would be the full size USB port, perfect for any thumb drive. Of course it’s not meant to have a “sore thumb” sticking out at all times, but it’s a way to transfer files like music, videos, and pictures to and from without the need of a computer.

Stairs Stretcher

2007-11-15T08:55:00.000+05:30

Caterpillar Stretcher Scoffs At Stairs
by: Morten Wagener

Caterpillar stretcher unit provides ergonomic and time saving transportation. 80% of patients being moved to the hospital by ambulance are not acute cases. They are conscious and aware of what is happening. However carrying a stretcher downstairs, with a 100-kilo person is not a pleasant experience for a patient or the paramedics. The patients feel insecure, and often in panic reacting by grabbing the stair railing which can result in a fall for all three involved, especially as they are often carried downstairs in a backwards position. Because it takes two paramedics to carry out this task, they must make extra trips up and down to fetch equipment and the patient’s belongings. With the Caterpillar Scoop it’s possible for one paramedic to move a patient downstairs, the second paramedic can carry the equipment.

Ultra Eraser

2007-11-11T09:40:00.000+05:30

Its Not Just An Eraser, It’s Ultraser -
By : Jaehyung Hong

Dry erase boards are fun and I’m not just talking about sniffing markers. I’m talking about writing anything you want without getting your hands all chalky and erasing it whenever you want. Problem is those rectangular dry erasers aren’t exactly ergonomic, especially when you have a huge board to clean. That’s where the Ultraser steps in.

Truth be told, it’s just a plastic disc with a nice big handle. You slip the dry eraser underneath and have at it. I’m not sure how this design makes an eraser “ultra” but hey, if it keeps my hands from getting hurt, I’ll try one.

Laptop Into a Desktop

2007-11-08T09:37:00.000+05:30

Making That Notebook Into A Desktop
By: Yong-Seong Kim

(Source : via mail)

The whole idea of notebook docks was interesting 10+ years ago when we had to be frugal with our I/O ports and live with subpar LCD screens. Now that notebooks have pretty much caught up with desktops, do we really need another docking solution? According to designer Yong-Seong Kim, we do.

His go-anywhere desktop docking solution calls for a large slot behind the LCD display. This is where you slide your notebook in, allowing you to access all its information from a desktop form factor. The notebook’s screen also becomes your second display, in portrait mode of course. It’s an interesting concept but somehow, this makes as much sense as the Palm Folio.

Magnolia Stadium

2007-11-08T09:29:00.000+05:30

Mitsuru’s Magnolia Stadium

For the Master Tennis Cup this year in Shanghai, the plan is to make it the most spectacular event ever in its history. Architect Mitsuru Senda vowed to work for three consecutive years on this marvelous construction for the 2007 Master Cup.

The awesome construction was designed with a moveable Magnolia top – known as the typical flower of Shanghai. The structure is 40 meters high, and with an area of 30.649m2. With the capacity to hold close to 15,000 people, it is sure to please the eyes of all the participants inside the stadium.

Although the stadium is quite massive in and of itself, the most impressive feature of the construction is the floral design that contains the 8 “petals” of the Magnolia top which open and close within an 8 minute time span.

Folding Bicycle

2007-11-06T10:53:00.000+05:30

‘One’ - Folding Bicycle -

By: Thomas Owen

‘One’ provides a real solution to the problems involved with urban transport. With congestion rapidly clogging up the roads the need for products that can free individuals from their car are in real demand. When open, ‘One’ is a comfortable stylish bicycle that not only offers all the benefits of cycling (like cheap travel and exercise) but with its revolutionary power assist system the user can cruise around with ease. When folded, ‘One’ turns into a smooth, light and compact case free of all dirty and protruding parts. ‘One’ can be easily carried, stowed and stored. ‘One’ is truly a bike for eco and money minded individuals alike. Its stylish design strips it from the folding bike stigma and makes it a bike for the 21st century.

Mp3 Pocket Player

2007-11-04T10:09:00.000+05:30

Trouser Pocket Mp3 Player -

Pocket MP3 Player
by Matthias Lange

Matthias Lange created the Mp3 Pocket Player, designed to be comfortably used while worn in the trouser pocket. Due to the curved shape all relevant controls and the display are visible, no matter if the user is sitting or walking.

True Mountain Bike

2007-11-02T11:33:00.000+05:30

Transform Your Mountain Bike Into An All-Terrain Terror With Ktrak Kit -

True mountain bikers usually do not want to change their bikes for a more genteel attack on the slopes- enter a new rear-track system mod from Ktrak that might give them a rad new option.

Released about a month ago after being in the works for five years, and just in time for the 07/08 Winter Season, the Ktrak rear-track provides about 25 times the traction and flotation of the average mountain bike wheel. Ktrak also gives you the option to attach a ski to the front of a bike for last-minute cross-country trips through the snow.

According to Ktrak, it’s supposed to be super easy to add the kit to any bike if you have a quick release on the ankle. If you don’t, a simple wrench action will be enough, or you can take it to the nearest shop for the tire removal. The only other requirements: a rear wheel and a seat post in your bike (duh).

It comes with a six-bolt pattern that matches 6” or 8” disk brakes, and the current 26” version is now available for $419, with 20” and 24” models due in the next year. The 20” will be priced for the kid’s market. The separate front ski kit costs $119. Overall, the price is steep when you think about the fact that you're only paying for the kit (you provide the bike). The rig price should come down not long after its release; if not, it might risk staying as a plaything for rich dudes, and since there are plenty of those, it might not matter.

The kit is designed for use in soft terrain that will give way, including fresh/groomed/packed snow, sand, and even mud. Since it needs to skid the grid to turn, it could also run on other very flat, clean surfaces, like say, a basketball court, though it would likely cause damage to both the court and the kit. In addition, the weight change between an old wheel and the kit is only about 5 lbs., which isn’t substantial.

In order to buy the Ktrack kit, go their website and click on the Dealers’ section of the site. It’s currently available in Australia, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, the U.S., Canada, and Germany.

Ktrack’s kit was first introduced about a year ago, but was finally completed for the Eurobike show in Germany a couple of months ago – we’ll try to get one in to the Gadget Lab for some real world testing.

Super Skates

2007-11-02T09:07:00.000+05:30

Inline Super Skates -

Inline skating has its merits as a true competitive sport but what’s the next step? What’s the next level? Designer Tay Kian Khuan believes it’s his 720 Skates. Designed for pro competitions, they may look like any other inline skates but the wheels are set on independently rotating gears instead of an inline track. With this added feature, the skater gains the ability to spin 360º in place and skate sideways. Now you can imagine the kind of tricks one could pull off in these.

Amazing Partition System

2007-11-02T08:48:00.000+05:30

Eclipse Office Partition Stystem -

We all have it, what people call the “personal space” or “zone” - the area around us that if impeded on makes us uncomfortable. The Eclipse Office Partitioning System was developed to address the issue of privacy and lack there-of in open plan designs seen in workplaces today. Cubicles don’t exactly illicit hard work so Designer Marcus Curran wanted to create something for the not too distant future. A partitioning system that not only looks good but defines and protects our “personal space”.

The workspace includes integrated speakers, a wireless recharging mat for your electronics, and a wireless camera/projector built into the hood for teleconferencing. Another cool thing is that the hood can be lowered and optional contoured furniture can be arranged to fit against the Eclipse system. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go shave and prepare my resume in anticipation of these things.

Video Link

3D Display

2007-10-29T08:23:00.000+05:30

Philips intros 20-inch 3D display -

Don't count Philips as the first outfit to dream up a 3D display that allowed you to leave the eyewear at home, but it looks like the technology is coming ever closer to the mainstream -- for better or worse. The firm has reportedly developed a 20-inch LCD "designed to increase brand awareness and attention value of products at point-of-sale locations," and is showing off the (literally) eye-popping effects at this week's InfoComm. Of course, this rendition seems to be aimed at businesses rather than consumer applications, but we'd expect to see more where this came from as the WOWvx-equipped lineup expands.

The newest duo consists of a frame-mountable 20-3D2W01 (pictured above) and a more decorated 20-3D2W04 if you're wanting a bezel and stand. As expected, there's no word yet on pricing or availability, but feel free to peep another shot of the third-dimension after the break. (source : engadgetdotcom)

Jeweled Gadgets

2007-10-26T21:22:00.000+05:30

- Phillips & Swarovski, Jeweled Gadgets -
(source: t3dotcodotuk)

Swarovski crystals are everywhere. You can find them in an unaccountable number of products, from watches to clothes. Phillips got this trend and now you can also find them in a line of jeweled gadgets, named Active Crystals. To begin with, there are four models of thumb drives with the crystals and two models of ear phones. Heart Ware and Heart Beat are USB thumb drivers designed to be used as pendants, Lock In and Lock Out are designed to be used in key chains (or even in a bracelet), they come in 1Gb models and are user password protected. The line also has silver ear phones, both in-ear and ear-hook models.

Mp3 Player Watch

2007-10-24T10:59:00.000+05:30

Bluetooth MP3 Player Watch 2GB - Stereo Bluetooth Earphone

Supports MP3 and WMA music format. It comes bundled with multi-use Stereo Bluetooth Earphone which is compatible not only with the MP3 Wrist Watch, but also with Bluetooth enabled Mobiles and Computers. This is a Wholesale Priced MP3 sure to please with its great design and excellent accessories.

China Manufacturer Specifications

Support MP3 and WMA music format
Portable U Disk
Recording function
Repeat from A-B Model
EQ: 5Ms
Wireless stereo earphone
Stereo Bluetooth Earphone compatible with Mobile and Computer
MP3 Solution: Sigmatel 3504a
Watch Movement: Citizen 2035
Bluetooth solution of Earphone: CSR
Bluetooth Solution of Watch: CSR
Wafer Glasses made in Japan
PU Strap made by Bayer
AL Case
Water and Shock resistance

Features

Memory: built-in 2GB
Power: Build-in rechargeable 3.7V polymer lithium battery
Continuing playing time: 4 Hours each time after full charging
USB transmission Speed: USB2.0
MP3 Bit: 32Kbps-320Kbps
WMA Bit: 32Kbps-192Kbps
Recording spot-check frequency: 16KHZ
Record time: 260 Min for 128MB
Frequency range: 20-20KHZ
Operation System: Windows Me/2000/XP/Mac OS8.6 or more
Standard for Bluetooth: V1.2, Support Hs/HF, A/V Profiles
Standby time of Bluetooth Earphone: 150Hs
Time of continuing use for Bluetooth earphone: 6Hs
Transmission Distance: 10M
Charging time: 2Hs
Manufacturer Ref.: ZFLK90HBIGS6
Manufacturer and Origin: China
Login for wholesale discount prices
Please use the enquiry ticket system if you have any specific queries about this device

(source: chinavasion)

Tempo Trash

2007-10-23T23:40:00.000+05:30

Cagnina Design has recently developed a unique external hard drive for Intech called Tempo. As files are deleted, they are automatically copied to the mini-trash can-shaped device, providing an extra safety net should the user accidentally delete important files. As the 250 GB of space is used up, embedded LEDs light Tempo's exterior surface from the bottom up, as if it were physically being filled.

Designed to mimic the look of a trash can, TEMPO is a unique hard drive storage device. Intended to protect the user from accidentally deleting files, it can also be used as an external storage device. As you delete files, they are automatically copied to the TEMPO. As it fills up, led's light the "can" from the bottom up, informing you of how much space is available. Tempo is just a concept. It hasn't been technologically designed.

Details -

Client: Intech
Product Type: Storage Device
Design Team: Franco.
(source: cagninadesigndotcom)

X-ray Bag

2007-10-23T23:24:00.000+05:30

Often times, a really cool looking bag draws the attention of the unsavory - those that may want to take that which is tantalizingly hidden within. It's the fact that the contents are invisible that makes the temptation so high! You might have a big wad of cash inside, or a stack of iPhones, a felt satchel of diamonds, or maybe a large gold brick!

Then again, maybe all you've got is a pack of gum, a ball of twine, a rubber-band, and a large cal!ber hand8un. Sure, the potential risk is high on a mark like that, but the potential reward could be even higher!

We've got a solution - show the world exactly what you're carrying, even if what you're showing is only a reasonable facsimile. The X-Ray tote and shoulder bags, made of a space-age woven plastic fiber, appear to have been bombarded by X-rays, and have magically made your eyes sensitive to their reflection. It appears as though your stuff has gone through the security check at the airport (although, we highly recommend AGAINST carrying these through such a checkpoint as the NTSB, as a rule, has no sense of humor).

Show everyone your iPod, stack-o-benjamins, eye-drops, nail clippers, lollipop, sunglasses, and prescriptions as well as your pepper-spray, switchblade, brass knuckles and revolver. Maybe you've really got that stuff in your bag, but then again, maybe you don't! The indecision will make any potential thief pause in confusion long enough for you to be out of sight and long gone. Who knew personal security could be had through the power of suggestion?

Details

Tough woven plastic fiber bags
Tote bag measures 15" wide x 14.5" tall x 4.5" deep.
Shoulder bag measures 12.5" wide x 10" tall x 4" deep.
Adjustable nylon shoulder strap
Tote bag snaps shut to keep their dirty mitts out of your stuff!
(source: thinkgeekdotcom)