Modular

Inside the Engineering Challenges of Google’s Modular Ara Phone

Google’s taking its Ara modular smartphone platform increasingly seriously, and in this video it lays bare some of the challenges it’s been facing—and how it’s overcoming them. The overall concept of Ara is to produce a modular smartphone—with a basic version costing just $50—that users can tweak and upgrade themselves. It’s a neat idea, but…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Apr 4

Google Wants Its Modular Ara Phone to Cost $50

Google is taking its Ara modular smartphone platform increasingly seriously, and now in interviews with Time it has revealed that it aims to sell a simple version of the phone for as little as $50. https://gizmodo.com/motorola-wants-to-make-your-phone-modular-1453915970 Time has taken a deep dive into Google’s modular smartphone, revealing some interesting details along the way. Work on…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 27

These Cabinets Hide an Incredible Stealth Kitchen

When you live in a closet-sized city apartment, it’s no fun to cook in a teeny, tiny cramped kitchen. But a kitchen completely hidden behind lovely wood cabinets when not in use? That’s kind of ingenious. Stealth Kitchen is the latest creation of Resource Furniture, the same folks behind many of the designs in the…

Tech News Sarah Zhang Feb 25

An Ecuadorian Home Made From 900 Lego-Like Blocks

Modular construction is as old as settled civilization and as ubiquitous as Lego, but it’s less than common to see an architect literally reinventing the brick, as Jose María Sáez and David Barragán have. The pair of Ecuadorian architects are the subject of a recent profile in Dwell, where they discuss how they built a…

Tech News Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Apr 18

New Lego Palace Cinema Is Gizmodo’s Desired Lego Set of the Month

Watch Astrid—Lego designer by day and awesome dancer and fencer by night—show and explain the newest set in the awesome Lego Creator Modular Building series: the 10232 Palace Cinema. Why? Because 1) it’s our desired Lego set of the month, 2) she’s one of its authors, and 3) she has an awesome Danish accent. The…

Tech News Jesus Diaz Jan 25

Modular iMobot Will Search, Rescue and—Damn It All—Dance

If it’s ever deployed as a rescuer, as designed, the iMobot will undoubtedly save lives and be everyone’s favorite evening news robo hero. But I think the iMobot’s moonlighting career as a breakdancer is where it will truly shine. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but at the :20 mark in this video I started imagining…

Tech News Jack Loftus Mar 27

Can a PC Be Upgraded Forever?

This little aluminum computer has one big goal: To be the last PC you will ever need. That’s what the manufacturer claims—”The Xi3 Modular’s three boards will allow you to upgrade it forever.” Maybe. I just like the color. The tiny Xi3 Modular has one board with two AMD Athlon 64 processors and the RAM,…

Tech News Jesus Diaz Nov 11

The Modi Is Like a Million Sofas In One

The Modi sofa is one of the more interesting stabs at modular furniture design I’ve seen in recent years. By altering the cushion configuration, you can basically create any type of seating you desire. Plus, you have even more options when you add on additional units. The possibilities are nearly endless. The only snag is…

Tech News Sean Fallon Aug 24

What Is This?

Doc Brown’s flux capacitor? A blinged-out religious relic from the future? A Tron 2.0 prop? Nope, though that last one was close. What you’re looking at is the Illuminato X Machina, a modular motherboard prototype. Each square cell has its own storage, processor, and memory, allowing them to operating independently or as part of a…

Tech News Danny Allen Aug 20

Rumor: Modu To “Soft Launch” This Wednesday

The zany modular phone platform known as Modu is allegedly set for a Wednesday launch with a price tag starting around $130. Unfortunately, Modu founder Dov Moran appears to be backtracking mightily from remarks he made when we first learned about Modu more than a year ago. https://gizmodo.com/modu-cellphone-changes-function-with-jackets-353637 If you’ll remember, Modu was once billed…

Tech News Jack Loftus Jul 19

Rumor: Modu Phone and Its Many Jackets Finally Headed to Production

Modu, the modular cellphone jacket system we fondled in 2008 and whose release date we heard about briefly in February, is apparently ready for production. https://gizmodo.com/modu-transforming-cellphone-system-first-video-hands-on-355348 Word came to us today via a tipster, via Israel, via Google Translate, so proceed with much skepticism. That said, we do have an article citing Modu CEO Dov…

Tech News Jack Loftus Jul 12

NASA’s Next-Gen Space Duds: The Constellation Space Suit System

The Constellation Space Suit System (CSSS) is NASA’s first major redesign to the iconic space suit in 40 years, and it looks like it’s designed to be able to handle the next 40. The CSSS is helmed by Oceaneering International, and has a focus on versatility above all else. It’s a modular design, with one…

Space & Spaceflight Dan Nosowitz May 7

Modu’s Modular Cellphone Jacket System Coming In Q2

Last year, Modu teased us with their plans for a cellphone that could be inserted into other gadgets (“jackets”) in order to change and personalize its function. Today those plans have been fully unveiled. https://gizmodo.com/modu-cellphone-changes-function-with-jackets-353637 At the heart of the modu ecosystem is a tiny, modular and sleek mobile phone. In addition to complete mobile…

Tech News Sean Fallon Feb 11

RED Unloads Modular Cameras, a DSLR, 3D and 28k

Rumors of a RED DSLR had been confirmed a long time ago, but what of the Scarlet and EPIC übercamcorders? On the REDUser forums, RED CEO Jim Jannard has explained it all: Scarlet and EPIC are the DSLR — all cameras are “part of the same DSMC system”, so each and every camera will be…

Tech News John Herrman Nov 13

JVC’s Sound Garden Concept Is Modular, Bonsai’d-Up Concealed Speaker System

Check out JVC’s Sound Garden concept: it’s come leaping forth like a delighted lamb from the creative spring that is Tokyo’s Design Week, and just like a newborn lamb finding its legs, it sure looks funny. An attempt at blending eco-friendliness with interesting design, it’s a full hi-fi speaker system with bass-reflex ports and the…

Tech News Kit Eaton Oct 31

Modular Workspace is an Obsessive Compulsive Organizer’s Dream

The “Out of Sight Out of Mind” (OSOM) table concept has everything a neat freak could possibly want in a workspace—plenty of space, tons of modular storage units and ergonomic design touches like an writing/typing space that can be angled for comfort. You can even customize the layout to suit your needs. Again, it is…

Tech News Sean Fallon Oct 28

Microsoft Puzzle Piece Patent Combines GPS, Camera and Phone

We love the modular equipment from Bug Labs, but this patent from Microsoft takes the enthusiasm of interchangeable tech and cranks up the practicality. In a long, somewhat convoluted patent application, Microsoft pitches a modular GPS system. But through their explanation, the device becomes increasingly complicated, including “two-way cellular communications” across a “voice network” and…

Tech News Mark Wilson Sep 18

14 Build-Them-Yourself Modular Gadgets

Modular gadgets are great because they are part toy and part serious technology. In other words, when we reconfigure a device, it reminds us of how much fun we had (and still have) with Legos and other building toys. The folks at OObject have put together a list of 14 modular gadgets and concepts—like Bug…

Gadgets Sean Fallon Sep 3

Modular DNA PC Concept Lets You Build it Like LEGO

This modular DNA PC concept looks quite similar to the Bookshelf Microsoft ISDA design concept from a few years ago, but it’s slightly different in that it’s almost entirely made out of cubes. The core idea is the same: you’ve got a base “PC” that you add features and peripherals onto by attaching them together.…

Tech News Jason Chen Mar 12

Bloxes: Lego-Like Cardboard Tech For the Office

Legos are awesome as we all know, but trying to build an entire set of office furniture out of them could pose a bit of a challenge. That’s where Bloxes come in. These cardboard modular building blocks can be assembled into furniture like desks, chairs, cubicles, and dividers for the office—and their interlocking design makes…

Tech News Sean Fallon Mar 7

Inside the Engineering Challenges of Google’s Modular Ara Phone

Google Wants Its Modular Ara Phone to Cost $50

These Cabinets Hide an Incredible Stealth Kitchen

An Ecuadorian Home Made From 900 Lego-Like Blocks

New Lego Palace Cinema Is Gizmodo’s Desired Lego Set of the Month

Modular iMobot Will Search, Rescue and—Damn It All—Dance

Can a PC Be Upgraded Forever?

The Modi Is Like a Million Sofas In One

What Is This?

Rumor: Modu To “Soft Launch” This Wednesday

Rumor: Modu Phone and Its Many Jackets Finally Headed to Production

NASA’s Next-Gen Space Duds: The Constellation Space Suit System

Modu’s Modular Cellphone Jacket System Coming In Q2

RED Unloads Modular Cameras, a DSLR, 3D and 28k

JVC’s Sound Garden Concept Is Modular, Bonsai’d-Up Concealed Speaker System

Modular Workspace is an Obsessive Compulsive Organizer’s Dream

Microsoft Puzzle Piece Patent Combines GPS, Camera and Phone

14 Build-Them-Yourself Modular Gadgets

Modular DNA PC Concept Lets You Build it Like LEGO

Bloxes: Lego-Like Cardboard Tech For the Office

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