The Design blog |
- Checkpoint Watch presents a unique yet easy to read display
- YouTube user builds a replica of the phaser gun from Star Trek that can pop a balloon
- Wise Clock 3 alarm clock brings retro tech back in some style
- Smart uniform for US Navy can detect if a soldier has been injured in a nuke attack
- Braun Apex showerhead concept to help conserve clean water
- Energy efficient street light to evacuate space on roads
- Griffin’s SmartTalk Solar speakerphone lets you take calls while driving
- Talk to your friends while you wrap around the cuddly Hugvie cushion
- Seter Wu's iRecycle is the new skin of the iPhone
- Feng Shui Swimming pool offers defined lounging areas
| Checkpoint Watch presents a unique yet easy to read display Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:49 AM PDT Sahil Khurana: A watch, over the years, has become one accessory that not only tells time but has become a symbol of luxury and style. There are many designs available in the market, which challenges watch designers every day to come up with something different and exciting. Lloyd has come up with a brilliantly deigned watch concept named Checkpoint, which will make you fall in love with it at first sight.
 Checkpoint Watch Design The watch comes smothered with a modern industrial appeal and comprises of circular LED lights. The name Checkpoint was chosen as the user will have to carefully check the points or spots to read the time and date from the dial. These LED lights bear a striking resemblance to that of a usual analog watch, which is a favorite till amongst many till date. The hours and minutes are represented by different number of LED lights when the time mode is switched on. The watch has been encircled by 12 LED lights, which represent the seconds and work at an interval of five seconds. Checkpoint can be easily recharged with the help of a USB cable. The battery life can be increased by switching off the time display when not needed. In case you want to have some fun, then switch on all the lights and see the watch glow like shimmering stars in the sky. It has been fashioned out of metal, while the strap has been made from animal friendly material. One can easily choose from straps and LED lights in various colors, making the design all the more lively and fun. Via: Tokyo Flash
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| YouTube user builds a replica of the phaser gun from Star Trek that can pop a balloon Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:45 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: Captain Kirk and his crew from the massively popular TV series Star Trek used the phaser gun to annihilate evil aliens and save the species. The gun may have been just a prop used on the set but it has inspired a cult following and now someone has created a homemade replica of the same gun which may not help you kill, capture or stun aliens but it still allows you to shoot out a gorgeous blue laser that is powerful enough to destroy a balloon somewhere.
 REAL Star Trek beam gun
We don't really have the details of how the laser gun was assembled but the experts from geek.com speculate that a Blu-ray drive from a PlayStation 3 may have been used in the construction of the gun. No other details have been provided by the folks who created the gun and uploaded a video of it in action (again, simply annihilating a balloon and not doing anything productive or useful by any stretch of the imagination BTW) on YouTube for the benefit of the legions of fans that feed on intricate analysis of anything even remotely associated to the hit sci-fi series from way back when. Even though no bids have been made on the replica so far, we completely expect the item to pop on eBay soon. Via: Daily Mail
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| Wise Clock 3 alarm clock brings retro tech back in some style Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:41 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: If you simply hate the interface of your regular alarm clock and find it too modern and boring, perhaps this geeky Arduino-compatible alarm clock called the Wise Clock 3 might suit your liking much better. A standalone alarm clock at its heart, the Wise Clock 3 can be used to display the time, current temperature, day of the week and the date in Pacman mode or Pong mode.
 Wise Clock 3
Picture Gallery  Wise Clock 3 - Arduino-compatible alarm clock, assembled and ready to enjoy Though the features of the clock are rather limited in comparison to most digital alarm clocks and other similar time pieces out there, the Wise Clock 3 offers a simple hackable interface that can display a personalized message or quotations selected by you via an SD card. The only available alarm sound on the clock is a retro buzzer sound which fits in perfectly with the retro/obsolete theme of the gadget. The Wise Clock 3 is built using open source hardware and software and an ATmega644P microcontroller and comes with a 32×16 red, green, orange LED display. The clock can be programmed using the Arduino IDE and a 6-pin FTDI cable which allows users to customize the clock according to their own personal tastes and requirements. The Wise Clock 3 retails for $159 via the seller's Etsy store.
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| Smart uniform for US Navy can detect if a soldier has been injured in a nuke attack Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:39 AM PDT Asmita Prasad: The Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center is always trying to make fatigues used combat more intuitive and cutting edge to allow a greater level of safety to the men and women who risk their life and limb to keep arms dealerships in profit. After a series of failed initiatives, the center is all set to test a new kind of smart fatigue that will not only record and relay a wounded soldier's vital stats, his GPS location and stats about the extent of his injury to medics and rescue personnel but will also check his blood, urine, sweat and saliva for signs of exposure to explosives, chemicals and nuclear radiation.
 New Navy Uniform
Thanks to a bunch of integrated sensors built into fabric, the smart fatigues will be able to determine the extent of a soldier's injury and transmit the relevant information to the medics while they are on route to the downed soldier's exact location. This will not only enhance the chances of saving a soldier's life and save the medics a lot of work and time while they rescue and treat an injured soldier. Currently under development by an initiative called the “Intelligent Clothing for Rapid Response to Aid Wounded Soldiers”, the smart fabric may just be the future of combat uniforms since the Office of Naval Research has shown keen interest in the development of such fabrics. Via: Wired
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| Braun Apex showerhead concept to help conserve clean water Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:38 AM PDT Jaspreet Kaur Walia: Standing under the shower is quite relaxing, but showering like this can waste a lot of clean water that is definitely precious in today's world. People are coming up with various methods to conserve water and working on the same terms is the product designer Cathy Sanders, who has come up with a retrofit shower head named Braun Apex.
 Braun apex
The shower head will make people aware about the downfalls of wasting water and will inject a sense of awareness in terms of conserving water. The bathroom accessory has been specially designed for the 2012 Braun Prize. The brilliant design will bring down water overuse by the presence of a full spray and mist function. Normally, 2.5 gallons of water flows out of the shower head in just a minute. But, the brilliantly designed water conserving Braun Apex will save 18 gallons of water in just 12 minutes, which is worth applauding. Braun Apex has been fashioned out of sustainable materials and comes embedded with blue colored LED lights. These energy saving lights will clearly indicate the amount of water used in gallons while showering, in turn creating the much needed awareness. Each LED lights displayed on the sides clearly represents one gallon of water, while the front LED lights represent the time chosen. The curvy concept has been blessed with good looks and will definitely find a place in many bathrooms because of its water conserving feature.
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| Energy efficient street light to evacuate space on roads Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:36 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: Energy efficient lights and clever space management are gaining prominence rapidly. With designers and architects striving towards viable solutions, a noteworthy breakthrough in this space recently is the FreeStreet lighting system from the Dutch electronics giant, Philips. The system to be inaugurated in Eindhoven during the next six months will be making a U.S. debut anytime next year. Here are some features of this light that promises to free up cramped urban areas.
 Poleless street lighting system
Instead of the conventional vertical light posts, these lights will consist of horizontal cables cast in mid air, much like the Christmas lights you decorate your house with. These wires will run parallel to the streets that need to be lit up using them. Another feature that will help to declutter streets is the copious amount of space that will be left between consecutive lights. Most of the lights today are installed at a distance of every 20 meters but these will be set up at a distance of 100 meters from each other. Besides making the sidewalks and roads roomier, these lights will also help out with energy conservation. This is because they illuminate the streets using LEDs. Clusters of LEDs have been built into this light fixture, which are roughly 40 percent more efficient than the standard sodium street lights. The intelligent idea was awarded the coveted 2011 Dutch Design Award. The light with nifty features also looks quite winsome. The LED clusters have been integrated into the piece very smoothly. They have not been randomly clasped onto the cables. The bulbs look glib and are shaped like drops of fluid. The street light is available all across Europe right now. Via: Gizmag
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| Griffin’s SmartTalk Solar speakerphone lets you take calls while driving Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:28 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: A hands free speaker that syncs with your phone easily and can be powered using sunlight will definitely come handy. And you can thank the accessory manufacturer Griffin for inventing one. The SmartTalk Solar from this company will have you all buzzed with excitement. The gizmo is currently being sold via the company's own website and is priced at $69.99. If the idea sounds useful or plain fun, then read on to know about its cool features.
 Griffin SmartTalk Solar speakerphone
Picture Gallery  Griffin SmartTalk Solar speakerphone gets its juice through solar power The clean and green Griffin SmartTalk Solar juices up when it is exposed to sunlight. The gizmo works on a really simple principle. It can be attached to the windshield of any auto via suction pumps. The solar panels attached to the piece soak in sunlight and charge it up. The speaker will stay glued to the windshield for as long as you want. And in case you want to jabber with someone on the phone, just connect the piece to your handset and chatter away for hours without taking your hands off the steering wheel or worrying about the battery running dry. Apart from the fact that it can juice up your phone for free, the gadget boasts of many handy features, which are similar to those found in other Bluetooth enabled speakerphones. You can sync it with other gizmos using Auto Connect. Also, two devices can be connected to the piece simultaneously owing to the multipoint technology it embeds. The voice command feature and a sizable multifunctional button add to its groovy appeal. Also, if you are particular about driving safely on the road, then just hook the DriveSafe App to this doodad. Via: Phonearena / Cultofmac
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| Talk to your friends while you wrap around the cuddly Hugvie cushion Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:27 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: Cozy, snuggly and comforting - cushions are liked by everyone. They perk up the look of your interiors and make the space inside appear homey. So, if you like having cushions, throw pillows and other squishy add-ons inside your house then you will definitely like this piece. Also, you will be absolutely amused when you lay your eyes on it. It will make all possible geometric shapes, no matter how innovative they are, appear passe. Thinking how so, it is because this snuggly pillow has a humanoid shape. The cutesy shape looks warmhearted and very huggable. Moreover, this is not just another adorable and snuggly cushion. The piece slots in a lot of handy conveniences.
 Hugvie
A pocket has been provided into which you can slide your mobile phone. You can make voice calls and talk to friends or family with the cushion. Also, while you are talking over the piece, a heartbeat like throbbing sound is generated. The great thing about this heart pulsation is that it syncs with the intonation of the voice you are conversing with. As the voice gets stronger or faster, so will the pulse. This happens because of the vibrator and microcontroller fitted into the cushion, which make the communication process utterly mind boggling. The super cool shape is inspired from the Telenoid robot, which is a creation of Professor Ishiguro from Osaka University. One really innovative feature of this design is that the body of the robot is very soft as against other designs that are usually hard and made from metals. Dubbed as Hugvie, you can also purchase this piece from Vstone for US$60. Actually, the Akihabara based Vstone Robot Center is also holding the H. Ishiguro Design Show that exhibits robots and other creations from Professor Ishiguro. Via: Diginfo
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| Seter Wu's iRecycle is the new skin of the iPhone Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:13 AM PDT Sahil Khurana: Apple has a huge potential towards innovating their existing products. As the trend goes, everyday new products take the markets by storm, leaving everyone in need of new technology. Given this fact, the most common gadgets being revolutionized are the iProducts, especially, the iPhone series.
 irecycle As Apple devises newer technology to gear up for the ensuing competition, they come up with strategies to ensure they are the clear cut winners in every stratum. When the iPhone 4 and 4S models were released, a lot of new variety covers were also released online as well as in the local markets, each boasting of a standard design and extra protection for iPhones. However, all these phone covers may surely be decorating your phone with the oomph factor but they are made of materials which are extremely dangerous to the environment.
 irecycle With this said, designer Seter Wu has come up with a brilliant idea to kill two birds with one stone. He has created a very fancy designer back cover for the iPhone. This will not only add a glittering sparkle to the device, but also be made out of materials which are extremely user as well as environment friendly. Christening his creation as iRecycle, he has made an iPhone cover out of recycled paper and other materials. The cover not only provides extra security to the phone, but also ensures to provide a delicate balance between all the forces of nature. Your phone shall get an extra protective layer of covering, protecting it from damages, while at the same time, you can enjoy the envy of people as they ogle at your phone with surreptious stares. Via: SeterWu
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| Feng Shui Swimming pool offers defined lounging areas Posted: 28 Apr 2012 05:11 AM PDT Radhicka S Saxena: This 4000 square meter pool based at Issy les Moulineaux in France looks fab and is truly an architectural marvel. Planned by the Paris based Mikou Design Studio, this place known as Swimming Pool Feng Shui, is a masterpiece that has bagged a noteworthy spot at a competition. The competition required entrants to redesign the Dunkirk Theater and Mikou's plan was one of the best layouts proposed.
 Swimming Pool
The building has a very catchy exterior. It has a simple clean-cut form that bears curvy striations. The idea of uniting a planar structure with curvilinear details is truly unique. It grabs attention instantly. The curvy lines actually represent the natural flow of water. They also pay tribute to centrepetal flux and energy circulation. This attractive facade is constructed from golden timer that implants an undulating form on the outside. Despite the strong lines incorporated on the exterior, the structure doesn't look very gaudy. It is easy on your eyes. Enough work has gone into softening the look of the building. The skin of the structure has been molded and sculpted meticulously. The linear effect has been toned down considerably to transform the structure into a visual delight. The turf inside is not continuous and free flowing. It is made up of separate blocks of spaces and each area has its unique identity. Lights pour inside easily due to the porosity of the building and you get a good view of the outside space due to sizable glass panes fitted in. The place looks well lit and breezy. Plants added inside give it an invigorating vibe. Recliners have been stationed for you to laze around. This design, without a doubt, deserves applause. Via: Bustler
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