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Design
The multimedia Athena sofa
By Jude Garvey
17:19 September 20, 2009 PDT
Call me crazy, but isn’t a sofa meant to be a place of relaxation? Apparently, it’s not any more. Swiss-based Artanova has created a modern, upholstered sofa that incorporates multimedia into its design. Featuring creamy upholstery and stainless steel feet, this is one stylish-looking piece of furniture on its own, but it also boasts a computer, wireless MP3 player and iPod/iPhone dock, as well as subwoofer and loudspeakers. Read More
The world's first floating, rotating (floatating?) hotel building
By Loz Blain
05:47 September 18, 2009 PDT
Antalya is a city of around 800,000 people on the Southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Like most cities in that region, it has played host to a revolving cast of empires over the centuries, from the Romans, to the Byzantines to the Ottomans and Turks. Nestled between a stunning coastline and majestic mountain ranges, it's known as one of the most beautiful cities in Turkey, and it's also the site of one of the world's most unusual hotels. The Hotel Marmara Antalya features the only fully rotating hotel building in the world - and the way they've done it is fascinating. Read More
2009 BraunPrize shines a light on young design talent
By Gizmag Team
09:52 September 17, 2009 PDT
Young German designer Johanna Schoemaker was last night awarded the prestigious International BraunPrize during a ceremony at the company's headquarters in Kronberg. Schoemaker's elegant Clam OLED Lamp was among four worthy designs shortlisted by the jury from a field of more than 1000 entries from 54 countries. Read More
The slim-line, funked-up Bullitt cargo-bike
By Paul Ridden
09:47 September 17, 2009 PDT
Danish duo Larry vs Harry have taken the obviously functional but visually uninspiring cargo-bike and given it a funky makeover. Notable for a streamlined design that's not much wider than your average bicycle and weighing as little as 22kg, the Bullitt range sports jumbo-sized hardened aluminum tubing, top quality gears, hydraulic braking and puncture-proof tires with an added dash of iconic branding. Cue the 1970s soundtrack! Read More
An interesting take on the PWC – but will the idea float?
By Mick Webb
06:46 September 17, 2009 PDT
With personal watercraft design evolving at what some may say is “a rate of knots”, a rather interesting concept has come to our attention. The brainchild of Spanish designer Miguel Angel, this cross between a Jet Ski and a body board is designed with speed and maneuverability in mind – but does the idea have what it takes when the going gets tough and the water gets rough? Read More
Bloom’s Fresco Fiamma – Ferrari red, funky and fabulous
By Jude Garvey
06:32 September 17, 2009 PDT
The design team that brought us the Alma crib has taken their Fresco baby chair to the furniture equivalent of an auto-mechanic shop, lacquering it in new-car-quality high-gloss red and adding an extra design function. The limited edition Fresco Fiamma was rolled out by the four designer dads behind Bloom to celebrate the company’s third birthday. The global production has been limited to 1,100 units that come individually inscribed with a unique model number. Read More
Native Instruments announces Komplete 6 bundle for music creation
By Paul Ridden
16:06 September 13, 2009 PDT
Native Instruments has just announced a recession-busting update to its impressive arsenal of digital musical instruments and effects - Komplete 6. The bundle not only comes with improved versions of amp and effects simulator Guitar Rig, the powerful sound manipulator Absynth and over 44Gb of sampling joy in the form of Kontakt, but it's also being offered at a significantly reduced price too. Read More
Graphite could revolutionize mass data storage AND circuit design
11:25 September 10, 2009 PDT
Graphite has long been known to have unique electrical properties and has therefore been put forward by many as a possible substitute for silicon for use in integrated circuitry. Now, in a major step towards making graphene-based electronics, researchers from Rice University have published the results of work on graphite-based mass data storage and reprogrammable gate arrays. Read More
Quirky ideas: Scratch-n-scroll mouse-pad allows you to write with your finger
By Paul Lester
15:37 September 8, 2009 PDT
Older Gizmag readers may remember the Etch A Sketch, a child’s doodling utensil that used aluminium powder and a glass screen to draw horizontal and vertical lines and the Magna Doodle, a similar product that used a magnetic drawing board. A cheap and cheerful version of the latter, often called the ‘magic slate’, consisted of a pad and stylus that allowed scribbles to be erased by lifting off and replacing a film of plastic. This concept has now been rather cleverly turned into a Mouse Pad called the Scratch-n-Scroll. Read More
Dicota's award winning BacPac Control with built in ipod controller
By Mick Webb
15:13 September 8, 2009 PDT
With increasingly convenient technology comes ever-inventive ways to take it from one place to the next. Dicota has unveiled the BacPac Control, featuring room for a notebook up to 15” with the added bonus of an iPod controller integrated into the bag’s shoulder strap. Read More
Wow-Pen Joy: the cheap, five-button ergonomic mouse
19:36 September 1, 2009 PDT
Forty years after the first computer mouse saw the light of day, the IT industry still tries its best to reinvent this peripheral. At Gizmag, we've seen our good share of esoteric mice, but what's interesting about the Wow-Pen Joy is how functional its design promises to be, for a price well below the average for ergonomic devices. Read More
Visions of the future with Electrolux Design Lab
By Paul Ridden
18:49 September 1, 2009 PDT
Every year home appliance giant Electrolux throws down a design gauntlet to students from all over the world and challenges them come up with some novel ideas for household gadgets of the future. The company has just announced this year's eight Design Lab finalists and extended an invitation to the public to get involved to choose a favorite. What sort of gadgetry do young designers think will be available to us over the next 90 years? Read More
Acer keep 'em coming with the Veriton All-in-One Desktop PC
By Mick Webb
14:52 August 30, 2009 PDT
Acer certainly isn’t resting on its laurels. Following on from a recent flurry of new product releases comes the All-In-One Veriton Z280G desktop PC. With an emphasis on energy and space saving qualities, Acer is taking aim firmly at the commercial computing market. Read More
Look, no hands: the Qlocktwo from Biegert & Funk
By Paul Ridden
17:16 August 26, 2009 PDT
What's so great about numbers anyway? And why is it that the circular form seems so sought after? After all, the Qlocktwo from proves beyond reasonable doubt that it's cool to be square and words are what matter most. The familiar rounded clock face is abandoned in favor of a stylish and elegant, cornered design where illuminated letters spell out the time at set intervals. It's time-signal receiver ensures this quartz-driven timepiece is always accurate and its interchangeable faces offer numerous color coordination options. Read More
Concept bracelet phone leaves electricity behind
By Jeff Salton
20:53 August 25, 2009 PDT
For fashionable folk who enjoy the simple life but still need to be in contact with the rest of the world, comes the Leaf wearable bracelet phone concept. Great if you’ve run out of pockets or don’t want to carry a handbag, the Leaf is a wearable bracelet phone that incorporates solar cells for power on its front panel. Inspired by photosynthesis, the Leaf is pretty basic - good for making calls and texting only. However, designers Seungkyun Woo and Junyi Heo say it’s main objective is to “remind people that they can contribute to energy efficiency.” Read More
Arty sunflowers look good and provide power, too
By Paul Ridden
17:38 August 24, 2009 PDT
A boring and unattractive loading area at the rear of a retail development in Austin, Texas is now hidden from view by a collection of 15 huge blue sunflowers, the petals of which collect energy from the sun to power the artwork's LED lighting and generate funds to help towards costs. Whether driving past or walking through the Electric Garden, onlookers will be treated to an awe-inspiring panorama where art meets functionality. Read More
Transforming Fotel armchair rocks
21:46 August 18, 2009 PDT
Nothing is more relaxing than the gentle action of a rocking chair, but what is exciting about this one is not just its contemporary look, but that it will convert to a comfortable armchair in about 20 seconds. Perfect for meditating on the veranda just like grandma, or catching a quick snooze in the office. Read More
Cabasse La Sphere: US$176,000 speaker system is a giant feat of audio engineering
By Loz Blain
21:45 August 17, 2009 PDT
French company Cabasse has redefined the notion of high-end loudspeakers with the creation of a speaker system that costs almost as much as a base model 2009 Ferrari F430. But for your UK£108,000 (US$176,000), you're buying a monumental engineering achievement - the world's only four-way, point source speaker system (more about that after the jump). This audio perfectionist's dream required a spherical enclosure - which means you also have to accept the fact that two giant, ugly eyeballs on sticks will be watching you enjoy some of the best audio reproduction, sound staging and stereo imaging the world has ever experienced. Read More
Fisker Karma PHEV hits the tarmac for the first time
By Jeff Salton
19:27 August 17, 2009 PDT
The Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) recently demonstrated how quick it is in two ways – it goes from 0-60mph in six seconds and from concept to public driving debut just 19 months after the company was formed. The 403hp prototype Karma PHEV almost silently attained a top speed of 100mph (using no gasoline) as it made its way around the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Read More
AIDS-preventing gel to protect women in resource-poor areas
22:57 August 16, 2009 PDT
The statistics paint a grim picture - an estimated 2.0 million people, including 270,000 children, died of AIDS in 2007 and at that time 33 million people around the globe were living with HIV, two thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa. New advancements in microbicides may help to improve this horrific scenario with U.S. researchers undertaking trials for a specially designed ‘molecular condom’ to prevent the spread of HIV in women. Read More
NASA and Goodyear develop puncture proof tire for the 21st Century
By Paul Ridden
02:31 August 16, 2009 PDT
It looks like seventies science fiction television is (finally) going to meet reality with NASA planning to set up a real Moonbase Alpha by 2020. In order to meet the heavy load/long range transport requirements of life on the moon, NASA recently teamed up with Goodyear to review and redesign some 40-year-old technology in the shape of the airless tires first seen on the Lunar Rover Vehicles of Apollo missions. Read More
In a twirl with the Chukka Kinetic Music Player
By Paul Ridden
06:09 August 11, 2009 PDT
Listening to music became a truly personal experience when Sony first introduced the Walkman all those years ago. Technological advances since then have seen music players store more songs, become more compact and include color screens - and now they're even beginning to liberate themselves from the shackles of the battery. To achieve its battery free charge, the Chukka Kinetic Music Player combines electromagnetic induction with a unique design that positively encourages the user to twirl it around the fingers, throw it about and otherwise toy with it. The result - an eco-friendly personal media player that also gives you the recognized stress relieving benefits of tactile interaction and repetitive physical motion. Read More
The remote-controlled kitchen arrives
By Jeff Salton
17:27 August 6, 2009 PDT
Ever since home automation systems were invented, manufacturers have been looking at ways to integrate the technology into the busiest room of the house – the kitchen. But apart from the original Internet fridge (with its frightening price tag and lack of functionality) useful products have been few and far between. Not to be deterred, Anvil Motion has created a kitchen where, by choosing say, the ‘baking’ scene on a touch panel remote control, the cupboard doors slide vertically to reveal the oven, the utensils, the ingredients and the recipe books … all in unison. Read More
Studio FRST multiple aspect ratio TV concept
By Darren Quick
22:44 August 5, 2009 PDT
Whether you’re sticking it out with your trusty old 4:3 TV or shelling out for a shiny new 16:9 widescreen model, there’s no escaping the black cropping bars that come into play when viewing programs in the incorrect aspect ratio for your particular TV – I know most widescreen TVs have a zoom option to fill the screen of 4:3 content, but that runs the risk of cutting people’s head’s in half. Now a creative studio in France has come up with an interesting solution to the problem with a concept TV design that maximizes the viewable picture area and minimizes the black bars for both aspect ratios. Read More
Avrak rotating easy-access AV racks
By Jeff Salton
07:05 July 30, 2009 PDT
If you’re tired of clumsily (and dangerously) reaching over and around the back of your component rack to reconfigure your AV stack or plug in that loose cable, Avrak has a range of racks that revolve 360° to easily expose the rear of the component stack, saving your back and removing the risk of cross-wiring expensive AV equipment. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
