Gizmodo: Concept

Flowlight: Like a Blackboard With Lasers

Sean Fallon — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Precisely how the Flowlight would work is a little unclear, but the design page notes that a base station would focus a laser beam 100 times a second into a point in the space, creating small plasma points that glow in mid air. Users could then use the pen to draw and write, making doodles look like some sort of fantastic light show. It's kind of like a cross between and blackboard and a laser pointer—which would be extremely cool if the product actually existed.

[d-Vision via DVICE]

Cutting Edge Algorithmic Architecture

Sean Fallon — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:50:00 EDT

Architecture has always been a mixture of art and engineering, but as we press on through the 21st century, the role of computers in the design process is becoming more and more integral. Algorithmic architecture is on the cutting edge of this movement, and the complex, rhythmic designs can be truly breathtaking. With that in mind, OObject has collected a list of 15 schemes that portray this emerging field at its best. [OObject]

Mouse Uses "Alien Technology" to Relieve Stress and RSI

Sean Fallon — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:20:00 EDT

Whenever a gadget is focused on ergonomics, buckle up for some seriously weird looking design. A prime example of this phenomenon can be seen in this "Alien Mouse" concept from designer Mizanur Rehman. The idea was to create a mouse that would strictly adhere to the principles of ergonomics and provide maximum comfort by molding itself to the user's hand with a body constructed of soft gel and cellulose. It even features a pulsating central core that reverberates throughout the frame to help relieve stress.

As for the controls—all functionality is handled by the sphere-shaped section at the top. A central joystick is flanked by fairly standard right and left click buttons, but the layout of the controls means that the mouse never needs to be physically moved. As mentioned, the Alien Mouse is only in the concept stage at this point, so I doubt that we will be seeing it on store shelves anytime soon. Hell, we may not even be using a computer mouse in 5 years time (if "experts" are to be believed). [Project Page via The Design Blog]

The "Hang On" Outlet Reminds You To Unplug Your Gadgets

Sean Fallon — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:40:00 EDT

Saving a little extra money on your next power bill is as easy as unplugging your power cables now and then. After all, those greedy gadgets keep sucking power from the grid even when not in use. Designer Paulo Oh has come up with an extremely simple solution to this problem with an outlet that includes hangers for your plugs. Naturally, this little feature means that you don't have to deal with cords lying all willy-nilly on the floor. It is only a concept at this point, but with this whole power conservation thing catching on, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar available in the near future. [Yanko via Ubergizmo]

USB Watch is Deconstructed Electronic Geekiness In Action

Kit Eaton — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:09:00 EDT

This concept USB watch, dubbed "Timeless" is either a fabulously ironic piece of deconstructivist electronic art, or a geeky overload. Whichever way you look at it, it's kinda neat: basically it's a simple digital watch, with an internal battery that's charged when you plug it into a USB socket. And then the same USB socket plugs back into the watch face, secured with PCB mount-style latches, with the ribbon cable as a strap. It's a concept... but I could rattle off a pretty long list of people I know who'd probably love to own one. [DesignBrothers via CoolestGadgets]

Pillo Lamp: A Light Source That Doubles As a Man-Fort

Sean Fallon — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:20:00 EDT

According to the designer, Pillo is a "modern way of living" that can be described as "furniture or micro architecture." Essentially, it is a series of carbon fiber rods covered in fabric that can be easily unfolded or collapsed for easy transport. Throw a little light source in there and you have yourself one cozy, blinding little fort for adults that can also function as a unique focal point and lighting source in a room. Obviously, this thing has the word "concept" written all over it, so I wouldn't expect to see it being sold to the public anytime soon.

[Project Page via The Design Blog]

Rind Disposable Earplugs Are the Perfect Wallet-Sized Ear Protection

Jack Loftus — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Next time you're headed to a rave and want some additional protection when things start to heat up, consider throwing a pair of these Rind disposable earplugs alongside that other well-known wallet-based protection. And because these plugs lie flat like a credit card when not in use, there will be no embarrassing ring-shaped mark pushing its way through the leather when it comes time to pay for drinks at the bar. When you're done, the plugs collapse and store back in the card, and remain effective for "several months" (instructions below). Try doing that with used latex!

[Yanko Design via TechEBlog]

Cryptex Phone Concept Makes Calls a Puzzling Experience

Elaine Chow — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EDT

Sometimes I pick up my phone and say to myself “Gee, this communication device just isn't cryptic enough. It's too user friendly and not enough like a puzzle out of the Da Vinci Code.” Apparently designer Marc Schömann was listening in, because he's now created a baton style mobile that forces you to twist sections of it to make calls.

The phone has no display and no buttons, and uses haptic feedback—though it's not really clear for what. Line up the number you're trying to dial on twelve numbered sections and then twist the top until an LED turns green to make the call. Par for the course with its cryptic design, the phone is unnamed. I can't wait to show this to my buddies at the Secret Society of Utterly Useless Gadgets. [Yanko Design]

Orlens Glider Concept is Green, Recyclable Air Transport of the Future

Kit Eaton — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:16:00 EDT

This concept glider, dubbed Orlens, is attention-grabbing through its rather beautiful shape alone. But when you look into how it would work, you can see that designer Roland Cernat has put a lot of thought into its greenness. It would be made of entirely recycled materials, and be recyclable itself, would have photovoltaic cells atop the wings for energy for eco-friendly propulsion and have an aerodynamically-efficient body. The body too would be made from a flax-based bio-compound that would be CO2 neutral. It's pretty much what green personal air-transport of the future should look like, which is why it's just won Roland the Lucky Strike Junior Designer Competition. Impressive, and I'd love to take it up and give it a spin, were it not just a concept. [Inhabitat]

'Airknife' UAV Concept: A $2 Million Knife With Wings

Sean Fallon — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:05:00 EDT

We have seen a lot of UAV news come down the pipeline in recent years, mostly because the military realizes that they can be a safe, effective and cost efficient way to kill, spy, and kill some more. But is the US military ready to shell out around $2 million for a flying knife that can stab the enemy from great distances?

Well, given the fact that the Airknife design is actually a parody of a UAV dubbed the AirSniper, I think not. That drone was discovered by a Wired editor in an ad placed in a recent issue of Unmanned Systems magazine. Apparently, the AirSniper is an unmanned quadcopter that doubles as an assault rifle—and it is being developed by a suspiciously mysterious company named AUS International.

It may be a joke, but I get the feeling that a gigantic flying bowie knife would be even more intimidating than a UAV loaded with missiles or guns. Talk about a surgical strike! [Danger Room]

SenseSurface: Stick Real Control Knobs On a Flat-Panel Virtual Display

Sean Fallon — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:40:00 EDT

Touchscreens are great, but for many of us nothing beats old fashioned tactile controls. That seems to be one of the reasons why Lyndsay Williams of Girton Labs is in the process of developing SenseSurface—a system that allows users to stick working knobs to on-screen virtual controls. Apparently, the magnetic knobs can be placed anywhere on an LCD because the movement is picked up by a "unique sensing surface" attached behind the screen. It seems fairly unnecessary, but I'm sure that there are practical applications for this for music and graphics fields—or anyone who is tired of smudging up a touchscreen. Must be seen in video:

[Guardian via Music Thing via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Flee Throwable Camera Captures Your Girlish Tosses For Posterity

Sean Fallon — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT

It seems that there is interest amongst the design community to develop a tossable camera, which is why the Flee Digital camera is not the first of its kind. Is it the novelty value of seeing images from a unique perspective? Is it for reconnaissance missions over your neighbor's yard? I'm not quite sure, to be honest. Still, the Flee concept is out there, and it is designed to take photos at regular intervals when thrown, then beam them back to your cellphone using Bluetooth. So, when you consider the range of Bluetooth devices, this is one situation where having a girl arm could be beneficial. Either way, it probably won't become a real- world product anytime soon. [Design Page via LikeCool via Ubergizmo via OhGizmo]

Jaambaaro Vehicle Puts the Rickshaw in Ambulance

Kit Eaton — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:15:00 EDT

All joking aside, there are plenty of places in the world where getting speedy medical attention is difficult. And that's where the Jaambaaro concept from designer Benoît Angibaud comes in. It's a two-person pedal-powered ambulance, designed to get the sick and wounded to hospital in areas where motor vehicles are rare. It would have solar panels to help generate some energy, and be made of locally-salvaged materials. Great idea, though I have to admit the first thing that came to mind when seeing the stretcher's blister canopy was a short dude in glasses, shouting "Choppers!"... [Yanko Design]

The Backpack Bicycle For Ultra-Portable, Potentially Dangerous Transportation

Sean Fallon — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EDT

The idea of a compact, folding bicycle is nothing new, but designer Chang Ting Jen is hoping to take the concept even further with his Backpack bike. According to the specs, a production version would weigh around 12 pounds and fold into a backpack that measured just under 2 feet in length. Naturally, that means that you could pick up and carry your bike around just about anywhere.

A bicycle as compact as this version promises to be would definitely be appealing—especially when gas prices are as high as they are right now. However, the plans call for plastics to be used in the frame instead of metal to keep the weight down. With all of the technology going into bike frames these days, you would think that a more advanced material could be used in the frame to add strength and drop weight. By the looks of things, this bike could be deadly to someone weighing over 150 pounds. [The Design Blog via Tech Digest]

LED Bath Tiles: Either a Very Good Or Very Bad Idea

Matt Hickey — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:03:43 EDT

The idea of LED illuminated tiles is a good one in theory, but I'm afraid it'll end up like fiber optic lighting and Bluetooth headsets in that people with no taste will take it over, ruining it for the rest of us. The waterproof tiles snap together Lego style and have a repeating connectivity scheme, much like model train tracks, except these light up and illuminate your kitchen or bathroom. And the layouts aren't static, they can be changed at a whim. I'm hoping that some people exercise restraint if these ever come to market. [Dvice]

The Nahamer T450 Toaster Eliminates Toast Popping For Toast Dropping

Sean Fallon — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EDT

The Nahamer T450 toaster concept from Rob Penny gets a big thumbs-up in the design department with its good looks and viewing window. Plus, instead of popping up, the toast slides gracefully onto your plate—simplifying the mechanics in standard toasters.

[Yanko Design]

LG Projector Phone Is Like a Media-Throwing Web Shooter

Sean Fallon — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EDT

The winner of LG's next phone design challenge has been announced—and by the looks of things, it appears that Spider-Man's web shooter was a major source of inspiration. The device is actually a pen-shaped cellphone/mobile projector that can throw images, video and other information on the back of the user's hand when mounted on a wrist strap. I'm not sure if LG still plans on manufacturing the winning concept phone, but slinging a mini or pico projector image around like a web shooter has definite geek appeal. UPDATE: This phone concept is actually a runner up. Hopefully we will know more about the winning entry from designer Dave Schultze soon.

[TelecomsKorea via Unwired View via AboutProjectors]

Seascout Lifeguard Robot Is a Far Cry From Baywatch

Sean Fallon — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Designer Andre Harley's Seascout robot concept aims to save lives in dangerous waters by taking the lifeguard out of the equation. The device can be programmed to locate a swimmer, deployed manually or autonomously guided via a GPS tracker integrated into a watch or clothing. It even features internal lighting and a two-way radio system to help a victim communicate with rescuers on land. If the Seascout ever makes its way onto our beaches, it is easy to see how it could help save lives—but where is the fun in drowning if you are not going to be saved by buxom, bikini-clad blondes? [Andre Harley via Coroflot via DVICE]

E-Ball: the Power-Brick-Friendly Power Strip, From Space

Kit Eaton — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:45:00 EDT

Who'd have thought that the humble power strip would warrant so much creative design attention? Not me. But I like this e-Ball power strip design from Mashallah design: it's kind of like the UFO one, designed to deconflict many chunky power bricks, but taken into an extra dimension. In fact, the first thing it reminded me of was the space stations in the amazing old game Elite. But that might be just me. It's a concept, but begging for someone to make it real. [Interior Design Room]

Laundry Concept Hides Washing Machine In Lounge Chair

Elaine Chow — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Someone I know once had the awesome idea of turning a laundromat (popular here in my neck of the woods) into a singles bar. With this concept washer and dryer from Indian designer Harsha Vardhan, we could up our prospective plans a notch and instead turn laundromats into singles lounges. The make believe washing machine doubles as a large seat whether it's in active or passive mode. The inner chamber of the chaise acts as a pressure washer and cleans clothes with ionized air instead of water.

While the Alternative Clothes Cleaner unfortunately still remains in the realm of fantasy, I'd like to believe that someday an appliance like this will finally exist. Then we can all place bets on how many cosmopolitans I'd need to chug before I can pull out my unmentionables in front of the cutie two sofa-washers down. [DVICE]

Cool Concept: Handheld Electric Pneumatic Gun

Brian Lam — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:59:59 EDT

Here's a great idea that DeWalt should get their asses on: A handheld 18-volt air gun that can be used to dust, airbrush, or fill up basketballs or bike tires. I'd get one if it meant less time on the bike pump, and it could start a new genre of krylon-free, duel-wielding graf artists. Found this cool gem of a fantasy gadget over at the newly designed and even sexier Core77 website. [Core77]

Concept Jewelry Celebrates Birth With Plasticized Human Milk

Kit Eaton — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:54:00 EDT

Did you know that science has made it possible to turn milk into a plastic by solidifying the casein it contains? Well, you do now. But I bet you'd never think of using the technique to turn human breast milk into a "jewel" of sorts, and then use that to make a necklace. But that's exactly what French design team Duende are suggesting. Titled "Perle de Lait" their jewelry range is part of a bigger upcoming art exhibit that celebrates birth and explores "sharing of food between mother and child." It's a pretty amazing idea, though I'm not sure I know many people who'd wear it. Also to be exhibited is a set of "placenta coffins." Weird. There's a detailed preview over at Dezeen if you've got the nerve. [Dezeen]

Cargo Scooter Concept is Moped With a Hole

Kit Eaton — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:24:00 EDT

"Oh!" you may say, thinking the Cargo scooter/moped concept by designer Elliot Ortiz is craziness exemplified. But listen: mopeds are a good solution in many places across the world, taking up less road space than cars and being cheap to run. One thing they lack is load-bearing abilities, and that's what Elliot's design is supposed to fix. Taking a few design cues from the classic Vespa, it's got that huge hole in the chassis which allows you to sling narrow loads inside. There's even a DHL scooter concept in the gallery. I can't help but wonder about stability of the thing, but it's a neat bit of lateral thinking. Should it remain a concept? What do you think, guys? [Tuvie via Techeblog]

Alice Chess Set Features Pieces That Are Magically Transparent

Sean Fallon — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:20:00 EDT

Inspired by the Lewis Carroll's novel ‘Alice through the Looking Glass,' designer Yasmin Sethi developed a chess set that features pieces that "magically turn transparent" when they touch the board. In other words, when removed from the playing surface, a pawn would be opaque—nearly indistinguishable from any other piece on the board. However, when in contact with the board, the piece reveals its true identity. This effect serves to remind the player that the pieces have no value unless they are in play.

The effect works thanks to a board made out of a glass material with embedded LEDs (LightPoints) and chess pieces made from clear glass with the negative shape of a traditional, delicate Staunton chess piece enclosed within it. Placing the chess piece on the board completes a circuit that illuminates the negative shapes, making them visible. There is even a clever nod to a passage in the book where the White Knight talks about being able to think better when he is upside down. In the Alice chess set, all of the white knights on the board will not illuminate unless placed in the upside down position. All-in-all, the 'Alice' concept is interesting new twist on the traditional game. With any luck, a real world product will come down the line sometime in the future. [Project Page via Pan-Dan via DVICE]

AMK is Lego-Like Digital Instrument For Your Kids, Ear-Ache For You

Kit Eaton — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

The AMK (that's Alle Meine Klänge) looks something like the bastard offspring of Lego and a Guitar-Hero controller, with a few extra digital sprinklings thrown in. The idea is that its different modules can be plugged together in many ways to produce music: some have sound effects, others record incoming sounds and replay them and another unit is the amp/loudspeaker. Then the whole thing is played with simple twist controls and buttons. Confused? Watch the video of the concept toy in action at designers PKNTS Studio's website, and you'll have perfect comprehension: if this toy is made real and your kids get one, you'll never get a lie-in again. [PKNTS via Yanko Design]

Tyrant Alarm Clock Says “Good Morning” by Hijacking Your Phone to Make Random Calls

Sean Fallon — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:05:00 EDT

The “Tyrant” concept by designer Alice Wang is the latest in a growing line of alarm clocks designed to torture their owners into facing the day. Instead of loud alarms, helicopter attachments and early-morning feats of hand-eye coordination, the Tyrant doles out punishment by hijacking your cellphone contact list and making random calls every three minutes until you get up to turn it off.

Again, this device is just a concept, but I think that Alice is on to something here. The only thing that it needs to be truly effective is message playback. Something like automated drunk dialing—only more devastating. For example, record: “Hey sexy, it's me. Listen, I had to call because I had another dream about you last night. I can't get you out of my mind.” The horrifying thought of that message being delivered to your father at 6:00 in the morning is enough to get anyone out of bed. [Alice Wang via Josh Spear]

Ozone Concept Car is Wheely Eco-Friendly

Kit Eaton — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Part giant Segway, part car, part Tron light-cycle, part whirling glass-walled deathtrap...think of it as you will, the Ozone is actually a pretty interesting concept vehicle designed by Ozkan Koral. Accessed by rotating doors within the wheels, the passenger cabin is actually inside the wheelbase. It's powered by fuel cells driving twin electric motors and steered by joystick. So it's pretty eco-friendly, though I'm not sure how travel over rough terrain would feel when you're inside. Plus, World War II gadget afficionados may remember the Great Panjandrum when they see this, and shudder. Just a concept. [OzkanKoral via Ecofriend]

Modular Ping Pong Table Allows For Crazy 12 Player Games

Sean Fallon — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EDT

If you have ever watched a professional table tennis tournament (or Forrest Gump at least) you know that a two-person game can get completely insane. Now, imagine the mayhem that would ensue with up to 12 people battling it out at once. Thanks to designer Guenter Arndt and his modular table tennis system, this ridiculousness is a reality.

Simply put, users can arrange the tables in any configuration that they desire. You can even retro fit a traditional table to add wild new elements to your game. Currently, Arndt's table is up for a Next Big Thing Award for 2008, and a book is in the works that outlines configurations and rules for serious multi-player games. If it ever does go up for sale, all you would need is a really long Foosball table and some 3-player chess to complete the ultimate game room. [Project Page and Next Big Thing via Crunchgear]

Portable XBox 360/Zune Phone Fantasy is Exactly What Microsoft Should Make

Kit Eaton — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:19:00 EDT

From the same T3 concept design stable that brought us the 2010 Wiimote yesterday comes this piece of pure gadget fantasy. Ramming a XBox 360 and a Zune phone into a slender, shiny little package is always going to be a great idea... and would undoubtedly sell like hotcakes. But considering there's no real Zune phone, and you can now buy bigger cases for the '360 rather than smaller, this is going to stay in fantasy land for a long while. [T3 via Yanko]

Badkamer: Save Bathroom Space With Fixtures That Slide on Rails

Sean Fallon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:50:00 EDT

In a dwelling where space saving is of the utmost importance, the Badkamer concept could make a tremendous difference in a small bathroom. Essentially, the design would allow users to slide their fixtures out of the way on an abacus-like rail system that doubles as plumbing. Only the toilet would have to remain stationary because of its need for larger pipes—the shower, sink, mirror and cabinets could all be re-configured on a whim. Apparently, the design is so efficent that it can turn a 6 1/2 sq ft space into a fully functioning bathroom. A truly ingenious design that will undoubtedly find its way into some cramped urban homes in the near future.

[Bart Nijssen via The Design Blog]

Doha, Qatar: A Future City as Envisioned by Syd Mead

Sean Fallon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EDT

You may know "futurist" Syd Mead from his design work on geek friendly movies like Blade Runner, Tron and Aliens—but in his most recent work he envisions a future city by the name of Doha, Qatar. Naturally, his work speaks for itself, but I must admit that it stands in stark contrast to the bleak world of Blade Runner. Maybe he has become more optimistic as the years have passed. Oh, also, Joel's interviewing Syd soon and I'm sure if you have questions, he'll ask them for you. [Syd Mead via PSFK via Treehugger via Boing Boing Gadgets]

The Camoria Camera Documents Your Memories Based on Feelings

Sean Fallon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:10:00 EDT

You know how miserable you felt when your girlfriend dumped you? Apparently the Camoria camera would—and it would snap a photo of that little life gem and file it under the "what a bitch" category. The Camoria, as designer Akbiyik Volkan envisions it, is an ear mounted digital camera that documents your memories in digital form based on how you are feeling at the time. How it manages to do that exactly is not known, but the designer's page does mention that he is currently looking for a producer to make his concept a reality. [Coroflot via DVICE]

Cellphone Concept Features Shape-Shifting Screen

Sean Fallon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:50:00 EDT

Designer Rune Larson has made a name for himself coming up with simple, but unique new takes on the cellphone. However, with this shape-shifter concept he complicates things a bit by incorporating two layers of plastic into his design—one flexible layer and one hard layer with liquid inside. The liquid would be pushed between the layers, forming different shapes on the surface.

As you can see in the renders, a variety of keyboards could be generated using this technology—a feature that could come in handy for people who like the idea of touchscreens, but prefer the tactile feedback of actual buttons. I'm sure other applications would be possible, but I'm not sure if this technology is even feasible at this point much less marketable in the foreseeable future. [Tuvie]

Conceptual "Wiimote in 2010" Mixes Fantasy with More Fantasy

Kit Eaton — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:33:00 EDT

This concept for a Wiimote of the future is showing over at T3, and yes... I know what you're thinking. I do. Honest. But my real problem with the design is that it's for just two years away, and do we really think Nintendo is going to redevelop things so radically by then? I'm sure fans would approve... but PS2 controllers haven't evolved much over the years, in comparison. And I know it's supposed to interact with that brainwave headset control, and that's groovy. But I'm sure it'd kill Wii Fit stone dead, unless you're talking mental agility. Still... with that cyberbabe to demonstrate the gizmos, I can't complain too much. [T3 via Yanko]

Microsoft's Next-Gen PC Design Competition Winners Announced

Sean Fallon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Over the last six months or so, we have been keeping up with the entries in this year's Next-Gen PC Design competition, posting here and there on some of the unique ideas that came down the pipeline. Finally, Microsoft has announced the winners and, not surprisingly, there are a few familiar designs on the list. First place went to the Napkin PC, a concept that I mocked for being way too far out there. Nonetheless, Bill Gates must have like it, because he handpicked it as the winner of the $20,000 prize.

Second place went to a concept called WITHUS. The device is intended to "help preschool children shape the right values and human relationships by driving them into playing and learning with multi-human interactions." Children are encouraged to break away from traditional computing and make genuine connections with other human beings using an interactive, collaborative display.

Third place went to The Backpacker's Diary—a PC that focuses on travelers using a "book" with "pages" that offer different functions like GPS, media recording and solar charging.

Rounding out the list in the finalist category we find a number of familiar gadgets like the Alphagrip HC (which I thought was too ergonomic for its own good), Siafu (a computer for the blind that is made from a material that does not exist) and the Illusion PC (cool but not really next-gen). Hit the following link for the complete list. [Next-Gen PC via CNET]

Unicycle Transport Vehicle: Like a Segway, Only Lamer and Sweatier

Sean Fallon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EDT

This unicycle transport vehicle by designer Regimantas Vegele is tailor made for an unique breed of individual—the kind of person that cares about looking good, but does not care about looking foolish. Essentially, the device would take the concept of an elliptical trainer and turn it into an actual moving vehicle. So traveling would involve pedaling and moving your arms—sort of a hybrid between cycling and cross country skiing. It's not a bad concept from an exercise standpoint, but I have a hard time believing that there would be any sort of market for something like this.

[Yanko]

CPR Pad Makes Resuscitation as Easy as ABC

Kit Eaton — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:11:00 EDT

This concept is a gizmo which you'd have in a first aid kit to help you if someone collapses and needs CPR. You'd whack it on the chest of the ill person, line it up and follow its instructions. It flashes to give you proper timing, and clicks to let you know you're using the right chest-compression pressure (it's harder than you think). It looks pretty simple, and is exactly the sort of thing that might help save a few lives in an emergency. Best of all, it's a classic case of nominative determinism in action: its designer is Ryan Helps. [Yanko Design]

Speed Racing Motorcycle Inspired By Aliens

Sean Fallon — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT

After one look at the Indian-branded "Speed Racer" motorcycle concept bike by Dan Bailey, it is easy to see how he incorporated the main characters in the Aliens movie franchise into the aesthetics. Using the specs on the Kawasaki Ninja as his framework, Bailey sought to design a bike that was rugged but maintained a sleek look—a mission he has certainly accomplished. I don't know if the Speed Racer will ever go into production, but for a design with the balls to take elements from three iconic franchises (maybe four if you count TRON), the bike holds up well. But how do you sit on it? [Daniel Bailey via Tuvie]

Retromodo: Microsoft Takes a Few Steps Back With "The Veda" Computing System

Sean Fallon — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EDT

While The Veda concept is a fairly new idea out of Microsoft's R&D labs, the design itself looks as though it was picked out of a time capsule sealed in the mid '90's. Apparently, the Veda can be used as a phone when the screen is closed, as a multimedia player when the screen is open, and as a normal portable PC by opening the screen and extracting the keyboard. It also looks about the same size as a library dictionary.

The question here is: Why the hell would anyone want to build such a device? Microsoft's justification for the project is that PCs can often do the same things that dedicated devices can do (like cellphones), but there is a learning curve involved :

User studies carried out on a number of users have shown that entertainment, communication and information retrieval are the three main motivating factors for people to use devices like a personal computer. However since a personal computer is a general purpose device, some amount of learning is associated with achieving the same task as compared to achieving the same task using a special purpose device like a telephone, a music player, or the like.

For example making a telephone call using a computer involves knowing what application is used on a computer to make a call, starting the application and figuring out how to use it using input devices attached to the computer like keyboard and mouse. Instead if the device had a hardware keypad that is normally used in a telephone, along with appropriate software then dialing a call would just involve pressing “Dial” button, followed by the numbers to be dialed on hardware keypad and the required software will come up and complete the call for the user. In this way the interaction of the user with the device would be the same as the interaction with a special purpose device for making a telephone call.

So, instead of focusing on user friendly smartphones and portable PC software, they have basically duct-taped a cellphone to a laptop. The future is here...today! [WIPO via Unwired View]

Bloom Bicycle Attachment Seeds the World With Pedal Power, Bubbles

Jack Loftus — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EDT

No, this is not an exhaust pipe for your bike (that'd be silly). It's Bloom, the pedal-powered, environmentally friendly attachment that produces seed-filled bubbles meant to transform concrete jungles into lush forests. Using nothing but the wind, a seed pellet, and a little vegetable based soapy water, the Bloom disperses bubbles into the cracks and crevices of our congested cityscape. Then nature takes over and the seedlings mature into vegetation, which is promptly exterminated by the department of public works. Just kidding. This is actually a pretty ingenious idea when you see how it works, and is one of many from Design 21's "Power to the Pedal" design competition.

[Design 21]