Macro Trade - Actions speak louder than words

Wednesday 31 August 2011

The Friendly IV-System

Pal is a new take on the iv system for non-ICU patients. It takes ergonomics and the psychological needs of the patient into consideration. Current machines look like mechanical ligaments you have to carry around. Pal promotes the feelings of comfort and happiness with its approachable look. There’s are also an interface and setup improvements nurses.

Designer: Andrew Seunghyun Kim

Yes, Sit And P

Using the standard urinal by a wheelchair bound male can be quite a challenge. To make the experience more dignified, hygienic and comfortable, designer Fuming Wu has come up with the Movable Urinal. It is a detachable attachment that un-hinges and comes down to the seated position. Waste disposal and rinsing can be done easily, thanks to its clever plumbing design. I am sure many will agree!

The Movable Urinal is a 2011 IDEA Awards entry.
Designer: Fuming Wu

Calls in Three Dimensions

3 D phones are the new thing in cellphones, but price point and compatibility issues make them less desirable at the moment. Catering to this genre is the Cobble 3-D concept; it features a 4-inch 3D 16:9 HD screen giving the device more depth sans the awkward 3D glasses. The adaptive camera tracker follows your finger and anticipates your move on the screen, making the touchscreen experience smooth as silk.

The Cobble takes stunning pictures thanks to the motion scroll, which adjusts the zoom and takes realistic snaps. Love the multiple color-back options and finished proposed.
Designer: Niels van Hoof

Build Your Social Network!

I want this NOW! The Tomodachi (Japanese for “friends”) Block is a modular system of playful blocks that each connect wirelessly to the internet to stream live video and audio of your friends from around the world. Each individual block is dedicated to a single friend who’s picture and voice are broadcast through a single speaker and iPod nano-sized screen built into each block. An internal sensor detects when blocks have been combined so the user can pile them up to group chat!
Designer: Aya Shimada

A Bluetooth I’d Wear

It’s about time the Bluetooth headset shed the nerd-factor! This design by Erjon Hatillari was inspired by the simplicity of the Sony Vaio’s On/Off button and is almost as small. Using the same unique color scheme as the Vaio, the rechargeable earpiece’s chrome detail glows green during a call and orange when charging. In the form of a single earbud with one large button control, this design combines easy-to-use functionality with basic ergonomics into one sharp looking earpiece.
Designer: Erjon Hatillari

Collecting Water in the Sky

Skydrops is a helium inflated balloon designed to collect water by harnessing Mother Nature’s own energy. Spinning in the wind creates energy used to cool metallic sheets with peltier cells within the balloon. As the air passes through the cooled surface, water begins to condensate, and becomes a liquid before falling through a cable to a reservoir at the ground. Designed to fly uninterrupted for up to 2 months, the Skydrop will be able to create up to  50 liters every day.
Designer: Guilherme Rodrigues & Murilo Gomes

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Replaceable Earphones

DIY is a set of earphones that is very smart. Each and every wire in this set is detachable and hooks up to a central module. This means the left earbud, right earbud, central module and line out are all independent and replaceable when busted. The central module works as a remote control for the player and features basic functions like volume, play and stop. This module is proposed to come in two modes: basic and Bluetooth. Obviously the Bluetooth one connects to the player wirelessly!

The story doesn’t stop here; the earbuds are such that you can hook up two separate sets to the central module so that two people can hear the show!
How awesome!
Designer: Choi Hyong-Suk

Teapot Wants to be an Ostrich

A quick glance at the Avestruz Tea Set and it may not be apparent it’s inspired by an ostrich with its head in the ground. A novel idea that serves no intrinsic value but the aesthetic is kind of charming don’t you think. My only question is if the handle is the neck, then the spout is the…?
Designer: Daniel Marcelo Salvatore

What if Dyson Made Bikes?

Inspired by Dyson’s Air Multipliers, the Dyke bike (I’m serious) works on the same principles. Air flows through the bronze hollow cylinder creating an entrainment. The air is pulled, amplified by 1000000X, to pushed the bike upwards (stability) and forward (speed), all powered by electricity. The design is styled with an “air”odynamic in mind – sexy with a provocative elegance and unique ergonomics.

Designer: Imran Othman

One Album Band Aid

The Skinny Player kinda reminds me of the O+ Music Campaign where the promotional kit offers one song in various mediums. The concept here with the Skinny Player is to offer one album space on a portable – Band Aid-esque device. The self-sticking player houses a play/stop button and flexible speakers. Although I am not so sure about the sound quality for the output, but the idea is worth exploring. The user-scenario is for exercise or such places where you want to keep your hands free, but still carry your music with you.

The unique angle to the player is that hopes to use your body heat for powering the device. Now if this is possible or utopian , is left to be seen.
Designers: Chih-Wei Wang & Shou-Hsi Fu

Waxy Printing

The Wax-on is a solid ink printer that simplifies the process of printing. It removes the need of producing plastic waste and annoyance of using ink jet cartridges. The minimal design ensures less use of desk-space and it’s vertical orientation works perfect with the printing disposition. The concept challenges the future of printing and takes advantage of new advancements in wax ink printing and sustainability.

Designer: Faris Elmasu

Book Reading Made Haptic And Easy For The Blind

The Haptic Braille is a mouse-like device that’s capable of translating ordinary text into braille on its surface. This means that the blind can read virtually anything the sighted can. The technology uses optical character recognition. Simply skim it over any text and wait for the haptic feedback. I like how you can pocket and carry it over to the library. Just imagine how many books literally become available at your fingertips. Splendid!

The Haptic Braille is a 2010 Red Dot Concept Design winning entry by Samsung Art & Design Institute student.
Designer: Baek Kil Hyun

Music In My Head

Here’s a wild idea that takes creating music to another level! Imagine having a DAP that instinctively registers the beats of your finger-drumming, or translates your air-guitar antics to pleasurable music? Frostie, a concept by none other than Mac Funamizu, could be a revolutionary tool in making melodies from your hands. Listen to music or fashion your own remixes from your favorite artists and bands. Björk, Kanye, where y’all at!

Designer: Mac Funamizu

It’s Time for a Braille Smartphone

Voim (seeing in Korean) is a smartphone concept for the blind that includes functions to make communication easier. It features route navigation, word recognition and object identification, which are displayed as braille on a silicon screen or transmitted as audio cues via the detachable bluetooth headset. Although smartphone applications & braille cell phones do exists, a full-fledged concept like this is a ways away.

Designers: Youngseong Kim & Eunsol Yeom

Take Picture, Share Picture

Say Cheese! You’re posing for three pictures at one go. It’s no trick photography but a UCIM Camera hosting three USB ports for three memory sticks. The idea behind this concept is to instantly share the same set of photos with 2 other people using their personal USB sticks. I reckon if this were refined to enable custom photo selects and include video recording, then we’d have a winner. What do you think?

Designer: Jung Eun Park

My Bike Keeps Me Juiced Up

I think the I-Green concept is brills. Designer Fandi Meng already has an iF and Good Design award for previous work so I’d expect nothing less. The I-Green is a small bike peripheral that turns kinetic energy into electrical to charge nearly any portable device. I like to ride my bike with my phone to track my progress but the GPS sensor kills the battery. This seems like an awesome idea to keep my phone juiced up. I’ll take one but please but, maybe in another color?

Designer: Fandi Meng

Harddrive with a Trackpad FTW

So you’ve seen your fair share of harddrives, right? You’ve got the kind that sit inside your computer (lame!) then there’s the kind that you can carry with you and access on multiple computers (getting warmer), now there’s on that you can basically just connect to a monitor and use as a trackpad (whoa, what the?) That’s right, this utterly simple block hunk of technology is a trackpad that doubles as a harddrive that doubles as an all-access machine.
There’s an HDD version and an SSD version, the top is made with carbon fiber and the base is made of glass. The top is sensitive to touch, and the whole project is green as it can be. This is one of those projects where you really wish there were just a few more details that’d made it turn into a real live product. Inspiring!
Designer: André Duarte Silva

Phone Loves to Tan

The first thing you notice about the Double phone are the solar cells across its facade. The second thing you notice is the 360º hinge.  Pretty cool looking concept with the added benefit of never running out of power as long as the sun is up. Spec wise, the 3.2 inch LCD screen, touch interface and transparent panel for notifications is more than enough to keep up with the big boys in the market.

The Double is a Red Dot Concept Design winning entry.
Designer: ZTE Corporation

Want to Share a Pinhole Picture?

Flutter In Pinhole is a zero-fuss cardboard pinhole camera. It works like a Polaroid camera e.g. instant pictures. The idea behind the project is radically different from its kitsch appeal. It’s aimed at the traveler who’d like to stay in touch via postcards. The photographs are captured into a pre-drawn frame, which you can then add a message to and post.

There are some third-world sentiments woven into the description saga, but I’m steering clear of it. Only for the love of this concept and how unique it is! Totally going to buy a dozen and send it to all my friends!
Designers: Yoo Geun-hyuk & Yoon Bo-jung

Come Share My Music

The very special Hexound is a headset that detaches to become portable speakers. The cool-quotient is brought in by the solar panel fixed in the headband. Specs include Bluetooth connectivity and intuitive controls. I simply love the versatility of becoming a crowd-friendly device from a personal thang.

Designer: Lie Zhong-Fa

Multiple OS’s on a Smartphone

The Smartphone market is definitely going to be more competitive in 2011 with five platforms competing for the crown, but designers Michal Bonikowski and Rafal Pilat feel there’s no need to choose just one so they’ve come up with three concepts sure to appease most of you. Project one is an HTC model that can run multiple operating system (not gonna happen) but an intriguing idea nonetheless. I’d actually go for a phone like that. Projects 2 and 3 are more standard fare. Hit the jump
Designers: Michal Bonikowski & Rafal Pilat – Mindsailors

Dock Cut from Aluminum Block

Although I appreciate Apple’s strict minimalist design with the MacBook Pro, having all the ports on the sides always irritated me. You can’t really hide them so I’m quite keen on this docking solution by Bostjian Majcen. It repeats all the ports but towards the back and now you have a nice large flat surface to do whatever you want with – but that isn’t very minimalist is it?

Designer: Bostjan Majcen

Honey I Left It On The Toast

Nothing gets your morning going like a cup of joe and a piece of toast slathered in your favorite spread. Of course, it can also be the time of day when things are hectic to start. Kids running around, people in and out, everyone trying to remind everyone else about the super important soccer meet after school. Next time, put it on toast.
This toaster by Sasha Tseng incorporates a little message board where one can read quick notes. The message also gets “toasted” into the toast itself so it gives new meaning to “read while you eat”.
Of course if I had it my way, I’d use it as a scathing reminder to friends suffering from hangovers. Yes, this piece of toast will help settle your stomach buy not without first reading my warnings about binge drinking.
Designer: Sasha Tseng

Alarm Clocks Are So Redundant….

It’s time to move on and discard phone alarms and clocks! This is the new age people; we need cooler and hipper gear like this Alarm Pillow! It gently vibrates at the given hour, to wake you up with a buzz. And if you don’t get out of the bed, your head-weight acts as the snooze trigger. How awesome is that! The label-trigger is clever and fitting, I so need this for my sleepyhead daughter!

Designer: Seung Jun Jeong

The Enchanted Ceiling

I should have paid more attention to astronomy when it was being taught in school; it’s a shame that I learnt the constellations off the Internet. I am determined to make sure my children learn to marvel the treasures in the sky. One way to do this is with the Stella, a concept camera plus projector combo. On a starry night you simply capture the mesmerizing skies and the project it to your bedroom ceiling. Awesome way to learn about the starts!

Designers: Seung-Kwon Kim, Seung-Ju Kim & Zhong-fa Lie

Super Sing-a-long!

The Microphone Wizard is for the KTV (Karaoke) maniacs who enjoy singing a song or two. The microphone comes with a sleek navigation bracelet clip, cutting out unnecessary peripherals to the minimum. Agreed professional microphones come with all the glam and tech support, but home KTV is still cheesy as ever. This design for mic makes bathroom singers look like sexy rockstars!

Designer: Zhang Qiang

Envy the Envy 4G

There was a time when ID “imagineers” would concoct fabulous concepts using new fangled tech that hadn’t been invented yet and I miss those days. Heaven forbid you do that now, you’d get your a** handed to you. I’m fond of the Envy 4G with its SUPER AMOLED screen and MasterMobile OS. So what if it looks like Windows Phone 7 and iOS 4 had a baby? It’s got a Carbon chip! That’s a CPU and GPU on one silicon. It’s the future people, have fun with it.

Designer: Vitor Gomes

Parcel Tracking Made Easy

Losing packages suck and if commercial couriers aren’t going to do anything about it, we as consumers should be able to do something to prevent it. The G.P. Stamp is a small stamp-sized electronic chip with a built-in battery that keeps tabs on your shipment. All critical information is sent wirelessly in real time to keep you in the loop.

The stamp uses advanced printed electronics to stay slim and on one side is a layer of flexible 0.2-millimetre-thick GPS circuit board. The other side features a flexible 0.4-millimetre-thick battery cell. You can get larger stamps with more battery life for longer shipment transits.
Too bad it’s only a concept. I’d so use this for my next parcel shipment.
Designer: Ho-Tzu Cheng

Don’t Dial My Number

Remembering phone numbers is hard and although we have contact lists to assist, it can become quite cumbersome navigating huge lists. The Depict Phone lets you associate an image with a contact. Just draw a name or pictogram of who you want to call. Useful? meh. Fun? Yes!

Designer: Jang Jaeho

A Laptop so Minimal, it Hides

If you thought Apple couldn’t possible simplify the aesthetics of the MacBook Pro line any further, take a look at the HIDE laptop. The ultra minimalist design hides all ports when closed. Aside from the small hinge and indentation to help lift the cover, it just looks like a solid aluminum block. It’s naive and utilitarian. I really like it.

Designer: Youri Hong

Chemically Powered to Charge

The Eco Power Strip is an alternate energy production source that bypasses traditional oil and the new-age hydrogen alternatives. Electricity is produced by electrolysis – the combination of oxygen with hydrogen in bio-ethanol (DEFC: Direct-ethanol fuel cells); using energy without carbonic acid gas. The tech is viable but will we ever see this in practical applications?

Designers: Jun Hyuck Choi, Jooyeon Kim & Sungi Kim

From Motorcycles to Sound

In cooperation with Triumph Motorcycle, Omni-Bang was designed for motorcycle enthusiasts. Music is a major element for people who like to march to their own beat. Omni-Bang is a high performance speaker with digital dock. the down-shot speaker design creates 36oº of sound. It’s a little retro and a whole-lotta rebel, totally fetch.
All products and show information by Beverley Neilsen.
Designer: Chang Sung-Ching

The New Flip Phone

Here’s a flip phone that could put the “cool” back into clamshells. When you receive an incoming call, the corner dog-ears up and if need be, opens up (book-style) using actuators like artificial muscles in its elastomeric cover. Awesome! Motorola StarTAC 2.o maybe?

Designers: Miyazawa Tetsu & Ichimura Shigenori

The Water Vapor Project

This year’s IIDA has some pretty interesting entries. For example the Water Vapor Project is an attempt to hydrate the parched desert landscape of Africa. It proposes to build an environment where greenery thrives thanks to the basic principles of water vapor.  Hat tip Designboom!
Designers: Sangwook Park, Sinjeong Lee, Hoyoung Lee & Hyeonju Jo

3D Glasses That Don’t Look It

It’s clear from this year’s CES how important 3D will be and that means 3D glasses. For the most part, they’re still quite “techie” looking and definitely not for the discerning fashionista. The Del Rey & Co. 3D classes draw upon the classic lexington shape, properly disguised as high-fashion specs.

Designer: Del Rey & Co.

inimalist 3D Camera is All Smiles

If I came away with one one conclusion from this year’s CES, it’s 3D. For years companies have been talking about it but it seems 2011 is when it all comes to fruition and leading the initial wave are 3D cameras. The STEREOO concept gave us deja vu but this form factor and effervescent aesthetic is exactly what’ll get the general public excited about 3D. I love the minimalism and the humor of seeing a camera smiling back at you. The large display is capable of displaying 3D images and doubles as a touch interface. I want one now.

Designer: Designer: Michal Bonikowski from MINDSAILORS

Phone with an Extra Squishy Surprise

My generation (I’m 30′ish if you must know) will not understand the need to have a cool looking phone that allows you to browse the internet intuitively, but the millennial generation do and I suspect they would love the Trypoxy Phone. Looks like a smooth pebble but for the ultimate web browsing experience, the rear has a soft-gel-like grab extension that can pulled out. It fits snuggly in one hand and has built-in controls to pinch and squeeze your way through the internet with simulated buttons for scrolling and moving back/forth thru pages.

Designers: Miyazawa Tetsu & Ichimura Shigenori

Tit for Tat and Tweet

When you need answers to specific questions, Google may be of some use but a dynamic collaborative environment demands instant answers from people with shared interests and valuable skill sets. Twitnictable is an wood table that reads any tweet with the hashtag #IDtable via LEDs embedded on the surface. The table becomes an interactive pool of knowledge where tweeted questions engage students in an interactive discussion.
Designers: Jeroen Coelen, Laurens Prins & Parizad Saremi

A Cellphone for Women and Men with Manbags

I agree with designer Paz Brouk that women who tend to keep their cellphones in their purse find it a nightmare to retrieve before a call goes to voicemail. To overcome this little problem, she’s designed the Gabler, a folding phone that can be hung over the edge of a purse. The phone folds in a diagonal line in the middle thanks to the flexible screen and flexible outer shell and includes all standard features found in modern-day phones. My only problem with having it all exposed is the invitation for would be kleptos.

Instructed by Mr. Eyal Kramer and Mrs. Michal Chen
Designer: Paz Brouk

Picture Perfect Shot

REC is a delightful camera that gives the subject an equal opportunity to view his pose as the camera clicks the picture. A rotating display at the back of the camera slides out to show what’s being captured in the frame. It may sound like a silly idea but I’ve had many good shots ruined because I trusted the photography skills of complete strangers. REC, you get my thumbs up!

Designer: Dongyeon Kim

USB Drive Has Another Electrifying Side

So you have a USB drive that you use quite often, so often that you keep it hooked to your computer most of the time. What added value can we give to that USB stick drive? How about doubling as a AA battery! Yes, the kind that recharges in USB mode and turns into a functional AA when the need arises; rightly calling it the AA USB.

Designer: Wonchul Hwang

Touch Cooking

Gorenje+ exclusive built-in appliances premiered at LivingKitchen 2011 featuring the unique iChef+ oven module with a large color display that makes cooking easier with a touchscreen interface. The interface lets you program exactly what it is you’re cooking. It’s designed to be simple but the brains behind the system is incredibly innovative. No cooking appliance has ever had an integrated computer this powerful. On sale in European markets this Spring.

Designer: Gorenje

Floating Watch of Time

Although all watches are watches of time, not all watches are floating watches of time. This watch is one that takes into account the first through third dimensions, plus the fourth, which designer Matej Korytar says is time itself. Ironically, this fourth dimension is displayed in the third. This display has the capability to display the time based on gravity or relative to the head of the person whose wrist the watch is around. Need to see the time? No more need to move your arm, just look down at it! So very simple.
Of course the time display is only one of several the user can download for the watch, all of the settings controlled by the two ball buttons on the sides. If only this technology could work with 3D to the degree Korytar describes it – it’d be just like the holodeck! Fabulous.
Designer: Matej Korytar

All-in-One Computer

The InOne is truly an all-in-one computer. 22″ screen, keyboard, touchpad, speakers and a digital tablet are all built into one TRONtastic package. Everything is wirelessly connected and the tablet displays what your write and draw so you don’t have to look up at the screen. Interesting design, especially the keyboard.

Designer: Jakub Záhoř

This Time it’s an HTC with a Cartridge

Antoine Brieux has an HTC fixation and I totally support his fascination. His HTC Tube concept is a killer as far design and specs go. It’s basically about splitting the phone into two segments, an outer shell and the inner cartridge. What this means is three variations (8, 16 & 64GB) are symmetric, but when it comes to the tech specs, it all depends upon the cartridge fitted. Feast on the beauty while I pray that HTC has a big enough heart to admire this concept!

Designer: Antoine Brieux

Peeling Interaction

Peel – Moving Notifier Concept is a clock with screens on 4 sides. Each of the screens can display text and imagary on both sides (face and back). Part of the screens (up to 50%) can be peeled off from the surface. It’s wirelessly connected to your computer and mobile phone – your calendar, schedule and emails are synced.
When you get a message, phone call, etc., a screen peels off with a message on the back on the reverse side. The degree of “peel” is large enough for the message to be clearly seen and is dependent on how serious/emergent the matter is.
Designer: Mac Funamizu

Earphones Strapped

The Headbanger’s unique headband and over-ear headphone combination is the perfect design for any athlete. The design holds the headphones firmly onto the users head and gives them unparalleled performance when it comes to any kind of sport. Extreme sports will benefit the most from this technology because they often put the athletes in situations that would easily cause traditional headphones to break or fly .
Designer: Benjamin Lotte

Future Photography Contained in a Really Small Lens

The Funamizu is back with another concept. Inspired by the WVIL concept camera shown at this year’s CES, Mac Funamizu envisaged a similar device in a slimmer package. The idea revolves around a lens system that is totally self contained with everything needed to take SLR quality photos. It wirelessly transmits the images to a hub device – in this case, a transparent screen.

Designer: Mac Funamizu

21:9 Smartphone

The E2 is a 21:9 device with a different approach to the slate phone. It’s symmetrical across the horizontal axis instead of vertical like traditional phones. The result is an ergonomic phone with a large screen, a relatively small size, no vertical orientation bias and no compromises in hardware.

Designer: Jason Wang

Finally A Phone That has it ALL!

The concept of slender phones with large faces was tossed out of the window thanks to iPhone and brigade. We like our phones meaty with healthy real estates and all the nuances; nothing short of a super-powerful computer in our palms. So here’s The “perfect phone,” one with a huge display, slide out keyboard, mouse-esque controls and Windows 7.

Designer: Lin Jian Feng
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