Portable

German architectural studio Slawik has created a portable home that fits into the size of a standard shipping container. Dubbed HomeBox, the multi-purpose home has been designed so it can be easily transported to various locations for temporary or permanent use. Due to its compact size and transportability the home can also double as emergency housing.  Read More

The often free audio recording apps that come pre-loaded on many smartphones are great for grabbing an impromptu interview, capturing all your innermost thoughts while out and about, or making sure you don't lose that killer riff whenever and wherever inspiration may strike. What isn't great is the quality of the audio. Add to that a distinct lack of features and you might be tempted to look in the direction of dedicated portable devices for all your sound recording needs. Having spent a week or so in the company of the Olympus LS-100 Multi-Track Linear PCM recorder, I can confirm that you really do get what you pay for.  Read More

We’ve already featured a folding rowboat and a folding canoe, so why not a folding kayak? Well, that’s what the Oru is ... and unlike existing folding kayaks that incorporate frames and skins that have to be assembled, it consists almost entirely of one piece of folded corrugated plastic.  Read More

From suitcases to doughnuts and from vests to shoulder harnesses, it seems speaker design knows no bounds. London-based audio product manufacturer DBEST has provided yet another twist to the saga with its aptly named Transformative Bluetooth Hi-Fi System that can go from a circle to an elongated snake form factor with a twist and turn of its speakers.  Read More

The InSync travel case has been designed to securely transport and charge up to 16 iPads and a 13-inch laptop, simultaneously. While you may not have 16 iPads lying around for your next trip, the travel case could be a practical idea for businesses or school groups.  Read More

SunVolt is a portable solar power station able to harness the Sun's rays in order to charge low-power mobile electronic devices, such as digital cameras, e-book readers, cell-phones and tablets. While you'd be forgiven for feeling underwhelmed on hearing news of yet another solar charger in the works, the crucial difference between SunVolt and existing solar chargers like the Solarmonkey and EnerPlex, is that SunVolt’s creator Don Cayelli claims his product can, on a clear day, charge multiple devices just as quickly as if they were plugged into the wall.  Read More

It took Deep Thought (the supercomputer from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) seven and a half million years to calculate that the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything was 42. South Dakota's Peppermint Energy is hoping that it won't take quite that long to bring its personal, portable solar energy device named The Forty2 into production. The company has turned to crowd-funding portal Kickstarter to help it take the all-in-one power unit from working prototype to its first limited production run and beyond.  Read More

There are plenty of different 3D printers to choose from these days, from the popular Makerbot Thing-O-Matic to the budget-priced Solidoodle. These all have one drawback however in that they aren't exactly portable. Most need to be disassembled to be moved and even the fully-assembled Cubify printer isn't really built for travel. But now, two MIT students have developed the PopFab, a machine that does 3D printing and more, all while fitting inside a small suitcase.  Read More

Hypercubus is a modern prefabricated unit that is adaptable to various environments and offers simple accommodation for up to two guests. Designed by Austrian architectural studio WG3, the cubic module was created to provide holiday lodgings that can adapt easily to the fertile Austrian landscape.  Read More