The Design blog

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• Bulavkas flash drive offers 4GB of data storage and doubles up as a safety pin too
• Parami Fitness Room Divider screens your daily workout from Peeping Toms
• MyWay Compact: Foldable electric scooter is cute as well as functional
• Camalien watch can sport different colors just like the reptile it's named after
• Fahrradi Farfall FFX bicycle looks as good as a supercar
• DECO presents a green take on conventional caskets
• R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition coffee maker made using scavenged parts
• Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper prevents pesky neighbors from stealing your internet
• Cocorobo vacuum cleaner robot adds fun to the boring cleaning task
• Everyday tasks for Alzeihmer’s patients become easy with Peblink

Bulavkas flash drive offers 4GB of data storage and doubles up as a safety pin too Posted: 10 May 2012 05:47 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Cloud computing may be the ‘in-thing’ this tech season, but the good old flash drive still tops the list when it comes to the most preferred mode of data storage around the globe. However, carrying one around safely is often one of the hardest jobs as they tend to get lost in bags, laptop cases and pockets.Tying them to a string and carrying them around your neck is just too uncool; which is why this Bulavkas flash drive-cum-safety pin is such a great invention. 4GB Of Flash Storage And A Safety Pin Created by Art. Lebedev Studios, the Bulavkas flash drive comes with 4GB of storage with a safety pin at the other end that allows it to be pinned to clothes, bags or even documents and paper folders. The Bulavkas flash drive could also be used as a brooch by folks who love to show off their tech-inspired fashion accessories though it wouldn't be very handy when used in spy missions since it's got "4GB" printed in big, bold words all over its business end! 4GB Of Flash Storage And A Safety Pin Art. Lebedev Studios have not yet announced a price for the Bulavkas flash drive or when we can expect to see it in the market, but we're sure we'll be seeing other data storage brands and Chinese manufacturer's use the basic principles employed in design to create similar flash drives soon. Via: Tech Crunch

Parami Fitness Room Divider screens your daily workout from Peeping Toms Posted: 10 May 2012 05:45 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Whether you're a high profile celebrity evading paparazzi or just a regular person with perverted neighbors, trying to get a workout done at home always comes with the risk of someone peeping in through the windows and catching you in an awkward/ unfortunate position. The only other option to prevent such mishaps to is to workout at night with the lights out which isn't really sane or safe; hence a device like the Parami Fitness Room Divider could really come in handy. Parami, multipurpose fitness furniture Developed by designer Felipe (Parra) Rello in collaboration with Joanne Gaumont, Kelly Champenois and Claire Cousseau, the multipurpose fitness furniture allows users to delineate and modulate a given space and turn it into a home gym personalized for your fitness needs. From bar-bell lifting to exercises that require an elastic band, dumb-bell exercises and step aerobics can be performed using parts featured in Parami’s cylindrical components that are called "carrizos." Parami, multipurpose fitness furniture The stable and robust wooden structure of the wave base is complimented by the technical performance of the rotational molded plastic carrizos that can be combined in as many numbers as needed to provide as much or as little privacy and comfort to the user. The Parami Fitness Room Divider is offered in two sizes measuring 70 cm and 140 cm long and is inspired by the form of growing plants which makes it a wonderful addition to homes, backyards as well as fitness studios. Source: Rello Design

MyWay Compact: Foldable electric scooter is cute as well as functional Posted: 10 May 2012 05:43 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: This cute looking vehicle is the MyWay Compact electric scooter that one can use to commute between short distances. What's special about the design is the fact that it is the smallest foldable scooter available. The roadster stands at a height of 114 cms and occupies a span of 107 cms. It's just 35 cms in width. Don't go looking for a storage space of this size around the house as these are the dimensions of the scooter when it rolls down the road. After being folded, the scooter will measure just 65, 26 and 23 cms along the sides. myway compact fold up electric scooter Crafted by the noteworthy industrial designer Nimrod Sapir, this scooter is just the right thing for fleeting commutes around the block. Hitting the supermarket or visiting your neighbor becomes so much easier with this scooter You don't have to worry about finding a cab anymore and will be able to fetch supplies in a jiffy when you're short of stock. And just because you're tired and cannot walk doesn't mean that you can't grab a beer and pizza from the deli close by. Also, the compact scooter weighing just 29.76 lbs is a good choice for closed in urban homes. Sadly, however, MyWay Compact has not hit the production belt yet. But if you like the concept and find it useful, then you can buy the MyWay Quick, which a model designed on the same style. This one is also a $2133 tagged foldable bike weighing 27.12 lbs. Sapir has financed MyWay Quick himself and is currently looking for partners who can fund the manufacturing of his next design, MyWay Compact. The designer would like to associate with partners who can bring some marketing expertise to the collaboration. Via: Gizmag

Camalien watch can sport different colors just like the reptile it's named after Posted: 10 May 2012 05:39 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: Inspired from the much spoken about newt that changes the color of its skin, the exterior of this watch also bears a spotty mesh-like pattern, just like the one you see on reptiles. You will surely dig this design if you're fond of these creepy crawly creatures or at least their skin. Other striking features of the watch are that it can change its color, just like the lizard it is named after, and has a camera embedded inside. The watch basically looks like a thick band. Its reptilian skin is actually made of multi hued LEDs arranged in a honey comb like pattern. Camalien LED watch Funky girls and guys who have the mettle to sport flashy pieces will love the design. Moreover, the watch will go with outfits of different colors. The watch tells the time in a press of a button and that too in different formats. It can tell time in the HH/MM as well as the MM/DD mode. The LEDs light up in the shape of numbers to display the time. The time display pulsates in the same color as its background, thus imitating a chameleon. The watch is quite entertaining and is capable of animated feats when set in different modes. The assimilation mode makes the time display acquire the color of its environment while the time pulse mode makes the entire display obtain the color of its environment along with overlay of the time. In the wordstream mode, the watch can post messages, when linked to either smartphones or computers via Bluetooth or USB respectively. The composition mode can sport different geometric patterns like dots, circles or stripes. The response mode is a lot of fun and makes the watch give messages associated to the colors in its environment. The capture mode allows you to record colors from any surface by holding the watch in front of it and pressing the button for about two seconds. When in Swarm mode, the watch connects with other similar watches and all of them either throw up the same display color or any other pre-designed program. Camalien LED watchCamalien LED watch …almost ALIVE!by by Peter & Sam Via: Tokyoflash

Fahrradi Farfall FFX bicycle looks as good as a supercar Posted: 10 May 2012 05:36 AM PDT Sahil Khurana: To sell a product, one needs to market it properly. But even more important is the way you package the idea into a neatly designed and well fabricated entity. One needs to draw some inspiration from Fahrradi Farfall FFX. The exteriors are no inkling to what can be expected inside. Instead of expecting a roaring V12 engine under the hood and some really hot wheeled brakes, one can expect a pair of pedals, 11 gears and 200 ultra-bright LED lights. Yes, there is a cycle fitted inside the main body of the car, which runs solely on leg power. With a capacity to seat just two people, the bicycle is just what it takes to get a one up on everyone around you. Fahrradi Farfall FFX By the looks of it, this is a sure shot winner, ready to zoom into your lives with its 100kg lightweight plastic tubed body and steel chassis. But, this has definitely not deterred the Austrian artist Hannes Langeder from bringing forth his extremely efficient yet creative talent. The body is so light, it literally goes flapping in the wind, sometimes, almost rising above the ground. This is the true beauty of the The Fahrradi Farfall FFX. The Fahrradi Farfall FFX may have taken one whole year to become the reality it is today, but it deserves every penny of the £1.2 million's opening price. The Fahrradi Farfall FFX may definitely not be an Ferrari, but it's no less. The design has been inspired from the original model, and has the patented gulf wing doors giving it company on the sides. Enjoy a leisurely speed of 10 mph as you may not be able to zoom around, but enjoy commuting around in an eco-friendly, pollution free way. Via: DailyMail

DECO presents a green take on conventional caskets Posted: 10 May 2012 03:03 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Apart from a few individuals who took the threat of global warming seriously when the environmental movement was picking up speed back in the '70s, not many of us can truly claim to have lived an eco friendly life. However, that shouldn't stop each and every one of us from taking the green turn once we have left our earthly abode. Even though electrical crematoriums are the way to go if you're looking for the most eco friendly way, traditionalists who want to be buried too can opt for a greener option with the DECO eco friendly casket. DECO eco-friendly casket Designed for TenderRest caskets, the eco friendly caskets came into being as a collaborative project by the founder of the company Andrew Hubbard and designer Benjamin Kamp. Not only do the caskets provide a modern take on traditional wooden caskets, they also allow folks the options of being buried in an art deco-style casket that is affordable as well as environmentally friendly. The DECO casket features a sub-structure of CNC cut plywood parts with FSC certified pine plywood and recycled, dense paperboard construction which makes it lightweight yet sturdy. The outer skin of the casket is wrapped in die cut paperboard pieces which are used as internal ribbing as well by folding and fastening. Weighing just 30kgs, the DECO eco friendly casket is strong enough to withstand weights in excess of 300 kgs and comes with built-in handles to make transportation easier as well. [Cheers Benjamin]

R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition coffee maker made using scavenged parts Posted: 10 May 2012 02:04 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Hate having to wait for your morning cuppa while your regular coffee maker trickles out the brew at a painfully slow speed while its mundane, industrial looking form deteriorates whatever excitement you may have mustered for the coming day? Worry not, Star Wars fan and Instructables.com member iminthebathroom has found a way to give you two piping hot potfuls of coffee every morning with a coffee maker that is as out of the ordinary as they get. Named the R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition, the humorous coffee maker was built by the user using scavenged parts, including an industrial stainless steel float valve sourced from a local dump apart from miscellaneous steel, copper, brass, stainless steel and aluminum parts. R2-D2 Coffee Maker The designer started out with a BUNN coffee tank and built the body of the droid around it. Using a whole host of metallurgical techniques including epoxying, welding, soldering, brazing and good old polishing, the creator was able to fashion himself a very neat looking appliance that makes your kitchen look glitzy (although a little short on counter space) and very chic indeed. What makes the R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition Coffee Maker a great DIY project is the fact that you can start out by pouring in just one pot of water into the coffee maker which takes around 5 minutes to heat up and then top it up with a cold pot of water to instantly get yourself two potfuls of piping hot coffee. R2-D2 Coffee MakerR2-D2 Coffee Maker Via: Technabob

Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper prevents pesky neighbors from stealing your internet Posted: 10 May 2012 01:42 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Cracking a neighbor's Wi-Fi password is no big deal and an annoyingly large number of people abuse their knowledge of their neighbor's personal lives to hook into their Wi-Fi network for downloading stuff they'd rather not have traced back to their own connection. The only realistic option to prevent Wi-Fi theft so far has been to go back to a cabled LAN router though that would render all our other Wi-Fi connected devices useless. However, Ahlstrom, a Finnish firm has acquired the license to sell what can best be described as"Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper" that can help you contain the signal within your house. Anti-Wi-Fi wallpaper Developed by researchers at the Centre Technique du Papier and the Institut Polytechnique Grenoble INP, this new wallpaper looks and feels just like regular wallpaper but contains silver particles which allow it to filter cellphone frequencies through, but block Wi-Fi frequencies from leaking out of a wallpapered space. Set to be sold in the same price range as your average mid-range wallpapers, the Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper will be available starting next year and we hope its maker will offer it in more color and pattern options, apart from the standard silver snowflake design. However, to get this thing to actually block your signal within your walls, you'll have to paper up your walls, ceilings and floors as well as your doors and windows. But the French developers assure us that they are hard at work trying to create a transparent thin-film version that can be used on glass and doors too. Via: Dvice

Cocorobo vacuum cleaner robot adds fun to the boring cleaning task Posted: 10 May 2012 12:51 AM PDT Jaspreet Kaur Walia: Cleaning the house is quite a task and a boring at the same time. But why get bored, when you can literally communicate with your vacuum cleaner? Yes, you read it correct! Cocorobo, a robot appliance that cleverly exploits the Cocoro Engine artificial intelligence is a vacuum cleaner robot created by Sharp. Cocorobo intelligent vacuum cleaner Cocorobo will greet you and make you feel just as if you have a pet around, but the only difference being it cleans and not barks. Apart from being controlled by a remote control or buttons, it can be instructed through voice commands as well which has been made possible by the presence of a speech recognition engine. The robot vacuum cleaner also features an LED light, 1.3 megapixel camera and wireless LAN connectivity. The camera can be used to record images/ videos, which will let the user check the condition of a room (even when away from the house) with the help of various smart applications by connecting Cocorobo with a smartphone. While capturing images, the cleaning device covers 360 degrees and takes four pictures at 90 degrees interval, hence covering the whole area that is sent to the phone. Cocorobo can be set on an automatic mode or its each move can be controlled. When away, the smartphone acts as a radio controller, which will give users the power to control its movements as they watch the video. The presence of three ultrasound sensors, two at 45 degrees on both sides and one at the front, makes it possible for the device to steer clear off any obstacles that may surface. Dirt gets swept with side brushes and the rotating brushes catch it, while the turbo fan takes it in while rotating at a good 14,000 rpm. The iron phosphate lithium batteries have a life of three years or 1200 charges. The fun yet functional vacuum cleaner will come stashed with a price tag of $1,100 or 90,000 yen and $1,600 or 130,000 yen for basic version and fully featured version, respectively and is expected to be available in early June. Cocorobo intelligent vacuum cleanerCocorobo intelligent vacuum cleaner robot communicates with its owner Via: Diginfo

Everyday tasks for Alzeihmer’s patients become easy with Peblink Posted: 10 May 2012 12:39 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: Living with Alzeihmer's is not easy and the task is just as challenging for people who live around the patient. It is not possible to find time everyday to explain things and give instructions. It would be excellent to find a way to make such patients self reliant. And looks like France based industrial designer Guillaume Faure understands this need scrupulously. The designer has come out with a practical and easy to use gadget called Peblink. PEBLINK - Prospective Device This gadget will make going about routine tasks a lot easier for Alzeihmer's patients. You only have to give the instruction once and the gadget will record your session with the patient. It not only transcribes the conversation but also classifies it on basis of who quoted it. This is really accommodating as there will be help around even when others are not there to attend to the patient. Patients will be able to access the information or read through transcripts anytime desired. If they need to know or understand something, then they can ask questions to the device directly. Interacting with the device will come naturally as only intuitive moves are required to operate it. The gadget is very different from using a tape recorder as it is capable of voice recognition and will identify speakers from their tone. A lot of information can be uploaded onto the device so that patients will have access to all types of data. Patients will feel like they are looking into your own memory or sharing information with someone. The fact that a gadget for someone suffering from Alzeihmer's disease has to be really simple and straightforward was taken into consideration by the designer. Patients will find the simple dish shaped design with soft lines and neutral colors approachable as well as easy to use. [Cheers Guillaume]

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