The Design blog

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• Oakley GPS eyewear helps cyclists maximize their performance in real time
• Preserve your iPhone’s display with the portable iDrum Drumpad
• PACMAN from AND-RÉ makes recycling easier
• stoo(L)amp is a fabulous, multifunctional accessory for smart homes
• iHOME iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower takes you back to the disco era
• Little Slide Dress, a modern rendition of the classic LBD
• SEAT stages six autos at GTI Treffen in Austria
• Navitron Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial relives the romance of Victorian era
• V-Strike to immobilize law breaking vehicles
• Sip coffee and rent a bike for a quick ride at the Bicycle Club

Oakley GPS eyewear helps cyclists maximize their performance in real time Posted: 18 May 2012 05:21 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Athletes are always on the lookout for ways to enhance their performance. For cyclists, pushing their endurance limits needs to be matched with the best available technology to translate their best physical efforts with equal results on the track. During training and competing, compare personal bests and visually tracking lap times can be of tremendous help with a device like the one the Oakley GPS designed by Cleave. The next gen of Oakley eye-wear already popular with cyclists, the design allows for both pro road and track cyclists to keep an eye on their performance via an OLED Micro-Display Lens technology-fitted pair of eye-wear that are mated to performance and position tracking tech as well as real-time GPS. Oakley GPS The yellow tinted lens of the Oakley GPS eye-wear performs better than other colored lenses by removing more glare and UV rays and providing clarity. The eyewear is crafted out of a clear polycarbonate frame that is strong and durable as well as lightweight and flexible since it is made with injection-molded plastic. To combat sweating and slippage, the eye-wear is designed to tighten the grip as the cyclists' body temperature rises, thanks to Oakley Unobtanium Ear Sleeves and Oakley Unobtanium Nose Piece that increase grip with the rise in moisture level. The aerodynamic single solid lens shape keeps the wearer sun protected with its anti-glare, anti-fog and scratch-proof construction, making it ideal for all weather conditions. To provide optimum clarity at all times, the Oakley GPS eyewear repels sweat, water and skin oils, thanks to a weather resistant Oakley Hydrophilic Lense Coating. The Oakley GPS eyewear is fitted with an OLED micro-display chip and a GPS position-tracking chip to help cyclists keep track of their positions along circuits and routes. The OLED micro-display can project an image onto the retina via a transparent lens display to make images appear as if they were a meter in front of the wearer. This helps cyclists keep track of their own positions during a live race, track competitors’ distances, compare personal bests during training, and visually track lap times. To prevent cyclist distraction, all this information only appears at certain checkpoints. The Oakley GPS eyewear is also configured to connect to cyclist’s account profile wirelessly and automatically uploads logged GPS data. A winner of the 2012 D&AD Awards Competition, the eyewear is also geared to charge itself wirelessly which means that cyclists never have to worry about running out of batteries on longer routes. Via: Joncleave

Preserve your iPhone’s display with the portable iDrum Drumpad Posted: 18 May 2012 05:20 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: As revolutionary as iPhone and iPad apps are advertised to be, they often end up damaging the phone's display, especially apps that are aimed at music lovers. For anyone who likes to use their touchscreen iDevice for quick drumming jams, scratches screens and scrambled hardware is a usual experience. However, the compact iDrum kit from the experiment-friendly iPhone lovers over at Dream Cheeky could be just the thing that can preserve your iPhone or iPad without leaving you starved for a little touchscreen drumming action. iDrum The iDrum is designed to connect to your iOS devices via Bluetooth and measures no bigger than the wireless keyboard manufactured by Apple. The accessory offers the functionality of a seven-piece drum kit into a rechargeable drum pad that its makers claim can actually be quite helpful for anyone learning to play the drums. Pre-programmed songs allow you to learn how to drum along to famous numbers, and you can even play back and record your drum sessions in your favorite music styles using the iDrum Sound System app, that is free to download. iDrum The Dream Cheeky Arcade lets you even download and play free iDrum games, which means that even if you are a total failure at playing the drums, the device will not be a total waste of your money. Running on a rechargeable lithium battery, the iDrum is compatible with most Apple devices including the iPod Touch, iPhone and the iPad. The iDrum from Dream Cheeky starts shipping from May 31 onwards at a price of just $70. Via: Dream Cheeky/ Gizmodo

PACMAN from AND-RÉ makes recycling easier Posted: 18 May 2012 05:16 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: The clever design of these bins will surely change the way people look at recycling. Their round shape will bring a smile to your face. Moreover, the colorful diagonal cut out right in the middle is also quite cute. They have a stainless steel frame; you can see the metal legs on which they are standing if you glance towards the base. On top of the steel structure is a composite skin. ACMAN Recycling Containers All the bins are white in color but their mouths have been daubed in different hues. These stark colors help you distinguish one bin from another. Therefore, you will dump the right type of trash in each bin. The mouths have four different colors of green, blue, yellow, and black. A knob right at the center of their mouth bears a label telling you what type of garbage have to be thrown inside. The design comes from a Portuguese firm AND-RÉ and it has been dubbed as PACMAN. The design has been implemented in Vilamoura, Portugal. The smashing concept even bagged the Iberian Urban Equipment Prize in the category of Urban Furniture. The firm is quite creative and has been credited with similar honors in the past. It bagged an award in the lighting segment also during 2011 for their in house design Verso. This award tries to honor the best concepts and designs in the category of urban infrastructure. The awards are recognized by eminent groups like the Journal Architectures, which has collaborated with Larus-Urban Design to grant the prizes. Bodies like DIMAD (Designers Association of Madrid) and Portuguese Design Centre also support these awards. Via: Bustler

stoo(L)amp is a fabulous, multifunctional accessory for smart homes Posted: 18 May 2012 04:15 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: Multipurpose products are getting really hot these days and small scale designers and routine products used around the house are also gaining dual functionality. San Francisco based architect and interior designer, Kristen Smith, has foreseen the market for such products. She has come out with an ingenious design - the stoo(L)amp. The name of the product suggests its use quite clearly. This lamp can also be used as a stool. stoo(L)amp Wow! Look how brilliantly the seat illuminates. Frankly, it does look quite marvelous. The ethereal quality makes the piece a fitting choice for your finely done up abode. It is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The clean cut lines and smooth silhouette are so suave. But, your hesitation to sit on a lit up stool is implicit. Though the idea sounds awkward, you must consider the many benefits of owning the piece. Firstly, the product looks nice standing as a light piece inside your house. And you can easily use it as a seat when you have hordes of guests over, which by the way, is a brilliant solution for compact homes. Visualize how nice it will look resting in a balcony, patio or even a garden. So, no matter which rented apartment you move it in, fitting this stoo(L)amp inside will not be a bother. Moreover, its design is very thoughtful and usable. The flat plane of the lamp can be rested against a wall thus providing a back rest when you sit on it. The piece has been cut out such that it will not come in way of your legs when you sit or move around. The portable unit has notches on the top so that you can carry it around easily. Also, you can suspend it via the notch and it transforms into a wall fixture as one of the sides is flat. Via: Dsgn-prjkt

iHOME iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower takes you back to the disco era Posted: 18 May 2012 02:23 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: When we first saw the iPhone ad, we all thought we'd never ever have to buy another product to enjoy our music. Boy! What an illusion that turned out to be! Just like almost every other product created by the big evil corporations who only want to make money by selling people products that require them to buy even more products from the same line to enjoy the first purchase, the iPhone too turned out to one such supposedly all-encompassing device that sadly fails to satisfy us just by itself. iHOME iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower Not only are there a gazillion other products/ apps that claim to make listening to music on the iPhone a better experience than the included headphones/ in-built speaker can give you, the iHOME iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower too is one such creation that claims that it can enhance your iPhone/ some other smartphones/ music player's functionality in a way that your expensive home theater unit cannot. The iHOME iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower is basically a three feet tall speaker running a quartet of Reson8 high performance speakers that supposedly sound better than the surround unit you already have. Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, you can connect your music playing tower with almost any other player on your iPhone, smartphone, laptop, audio system and what have you. Integrated component video outputs make the tower compatible with your TV as well while its 16 multi-color LED clusters give you a modern take on the shiny disco ball effect right within the comfort of your home. The pulsing and sensational iHOME iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower is set to make a debut in July this year at $199.99. Via: CNet/ Uber Gizmo

Little Slide Dress, a modern rendition of the classic LBD Posted: 18 May 2012 02:16 AM PDT Jaspreet Kaur Walia: The little black dress or LBD, as it is fondly called, has been ruling the hearts of fashion conscious souls from decades at a stretch. What was made to exist as a versatile, sexy and elegant clothing item has gained immense popularity, making it the most coveted and essential piece of clothing one must own. Combining the essence of modern technology and the magic of films with the little black dress is designer Emily Steel, who has come up with the stunning Little Slide Dress. Little Slide Dress The very modern dress has fetched heavy inspiration from classic movies, which resulted in a hip and happening rendition. It makes wearable technology a reality yet again and is nothing less than a piece of fine art. The sexy dress has been fashioned out of slide film images, which gives it the much required flavor of film images. But, the real magic unfolds when the lights are put out. The dress comes embedded with LEDs, which make it shimmer like a star and will definitely manage to make onlookers whiff wows. Little Slide Dress The LEDs in the dress are not always on. Their functioning is decided by an Arduino Lilypad, which has been connected to the light sensor. This will control the intensity of light that will be produced by the LEDs as the sensor carefully assesses the presence of ambient light at a particular place. In full light, the dress will look like a black glossy creation. But, all the images on the dress surface, when the sensor determines the low brightness, makes the Little Slide Dress whimsical. Whether you feel like dressing up or dressing down, the Little Slide Dress will make you look like a superstar as you glow in the dark. [Cheers Emily]

SEAT stages six autos at GTI Treffen in Austria Posted: 18 May 2012 02:12 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: The GTI Treffen congregation is a haven for auto freaks, who rush to the event to get a first look at the ace speedsters unveiled by the most celebrated brands in the European auto world. Although, traditionally Volkswagen showcased its speedsters here, slowly other manufacturers have also learned to pull the strings at the gathering. SEAT Leon Super Copa This year, the Spanish automaker SEAT is planning to brandish six of its autos at the do. Vehicles like Ibiza Cupra Concept, Leon Cupra R, Mii city car and Ibiza FR along with a pair of racing autos will be flaunted by SEAT this time. The two racing models that will be showcased here are the $81,000 Leon Supercopa and the $40,500 Ibiza SC Trophy. With an utterly gorgeous racing seat, removable steering wheels and a VW group 2-liter turbocharged engine - the Leon Supercopa is a full fledged racing car. The gray hue contrasted with orange accents, which are visible on the wheels, mirrors and in the form of a few banded lines are absolutely smashing. However, you can carry off the 300 hp speedster as a very cool looking passenger car also as the chassis is wide, streamlined and classy. And if you have just started out in the world of racing and will be purchasing your first speedster, then the 180 hp Ibiza will be a good choice. It has proper racing seats, racing suspension and a digital readout system. The track tires have an 18 inch rim and you will see its protection plates just below the engine bay. The auto also boasts of upgraded brakes, locking differential, hard core suspension for racing and an improvised oil sump. Via: Autoevolution

Navitron Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial relives the romance of Victorian era Posted: 18 May 2012 02:08 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Wristwatches may have become obsolete with clocks in cellphones and other reminder services in smartphones allowing people to keep track of time. But just in case you miss the old fashioned way of telling time, the Navitron Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial is just want you need. We agree that the sundial bit is a little too archaic a way to tell time but it could be just as much as the Cuckoo Bird Clocks and other Victorian/ Georgian/ Edwardian era clocks with automation. Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial The antique-y looking, the Navitron Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial comes with all the modern amenities that you would expect in any other plastic and stainless steel timepiece. For a compact look, the Navitron Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial fold flat including the angular latitude arm and the sundial to make it less bulky while it sits on your wrist. Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial The unique timepiece comes with a brown leather strap that gives the watch a heavy-duty yet adventurous look while a compass with locking button, latitude finder and a sundial allow you to navigate through the world just like adventurers of the yore did. Sure it won't give you a step by step audio feedback when you're trying to get to a particular location in a city like New York, but the antique brass construction of the Navitron Steampunk Wrist Compass and Sundial will surely help you score a lot of pretty blonds in pubs around the world when you tell them that you're a time traveler and have made it the jump from the late 1800s into the new millennium and don't know your way around the future earth! Via: Think Geek

V-Strike to immobilize law breaking vehicles Posted: 18 May 2012 12:29 AM PDT Jaspreet Kaur Walia: Police chasing criminals or cars that have broken rules are not an alien thing. These speeding vehicles can lead to many accidents if not taken care of in a proper way. Giving police all the power to have a complete control on different rides will be V-Strike, which has been designed by Sebastian Fraser. V-Strike Like a stun gun, with the electric shocks it produces, is used to incapacitate a person, similarly the V-Strike aka Vehicle Strike will immobilize a law-breaking vehicle. The concept has been specially designed for the year 2020 when the police force will get some rights to control public vehicles in case they break laws and don't stop when the police signal. It will slowly disable the vehicle and bring it to stop with the help of WLAN or wireless communication. This happens as the gadget will send across a wireless signal or code to the vehicle, which will further cut 90 percent of the vehicle's engine function resulting in a smooth as well as safe stop. Every vehicle will have a built-in ECU along with an algorithm that no one but the police can access. This will be further pre programmed into the product or device used. It makes good use of modern display technologies that will put forward crisp and clear visuals. A target circle will make it easy to aim at the maniacal vehicle and after locking it on the signal will be sent to the ECU, giving police complete control. V-Strike will take care of road rage, which is definitely a serious concern. [Cheers Sebastian]

Sip coffee and rent a bike for a quick ride at the Bicycle Club Posted: 18 May 2012 12:27 AM PDT Jaspreet Kaur Walia: NL Architects, based in Amsterdam, has come up with an incredible design that will answer all the needs felt by cycling enthusiasts in a city space. Christened the Bicycle Club, it will be situated in Hainan, China, and is a multipurpose bike pavilion. Bike Pavilion The place will be dedicated to all the bicycling fanatics, which will further accelerate the love for this great sport. The pavilion will help bring people together and let them sweat out together in a cool way. The bike pavilion will also comprise of a cafe (placed in the center) and is being built as a part of the resort development that the Dutch firm has undertaken in China. Keeping the tropical temperatures in mind, the company thought of giving the project a roof that will provide shade but won't look like any other regular construction. This is how they decided to give the roof a curvy and fenced off velodrome. The rooftop cycling area will have a breezy cafe at the ground level, which will be enclosed by glass. The curvilinear roof looks somewhat like a pagoda. Safety issues won't rise as the presence of a fence lining inside the curve makes sure no cyclist comes crashing down as people sip coffee downstairs. If you feel like going for a ride when you are done chilling out, then hire a bicycle and paddle your way to good health and some fun. Bicycle Club is pretty impressive and is bound to inject some doses of adventure in to everyone visiting the place as they feel the itch to hire a bike. Via: Bustler

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