News about design:
Apple shows Nokia’s N97 Mini can be force choked, too (video)
Nokia claims it always prioritizes antenna performance over physical design, and we’ll take them at their word, but that apparently didn’t exempt one Espoo handset from Apple’s grip of doom. Here’s the Nokia N97 Mini going down for the count, from a full seven bars to two. Of course, Apple doesn’t mention whether calls or data drop when the handset’s held this way. Video after the break.
Watermelon cooler push cart: perfect for those sultry North Carolina summers
Crazily enough, the device you’re staring at above — jaw solidly on the floor, we’re sure — is real. As in, you can purchase one for you and yours. So far as we can tell, this here watermelon cart (priced at ¥19,950, or a whopping $231) serves to keep your voluptuous fruit cool when being transported from market to mouth, but everything beyond that is lost in translation. What’s curious, however, is that this seems like a device created and sold exclusively in Japan. If we had to bet, though, we’d say it was originally dreamed up by a farmer in eastern North Carolina — you know, the home of watermelon Cook-Out milkshakes, an official watermelon license plate and roads where chop-top school buses are frequently used as watermelon hauling machines. Read the rest of this entry »
Nokia Kinetic concept offers some ideas Nokia might want to heed
HTC fires back at Apple antenna demo with percentage pew-pew
Apple’s Friday press conference may have left a bad taste in some rival handset manufacturer’s mouths, but not all of them are taking Cupertino’s derision of their devices seriously — HTC’s Droid Eris was arguably the most effected by the grip of doom, its bars dropping to zilch when held, but the Taiwanese company keeping any controversial opinions to itself for now. Instead, it’s sharing a simple percentage to help clear the air. Whereas Apple claimed over 0.55 percent of customers called AppleCare with reception-related complaints, HTC’s Eric Lin told Pocket-lint the Droid Eris technical support rate was 0.016 percent, nearly thirty-four times lower — though even with a seven-month head start, we have to wonder if the Eris sold close to three million by the time Verizon brought the axe down. Read the rest of this entry »
Nokia: ‘we prioritize antenna performance over physical design if they are ever in conflict’
Nokia’s looking to ride the mojo of any negative fallout from today’s Apple press conference, slipping out a rather fascinating statement this afternoon. The gist of it is that Espoo’s keen on letting everyone know how much blood, sweat, and tears they’ve poured into perfecting their antenna design strategy over the years, going so far as to say that they “prioritize” it over the physical design of the phone if they need to in order to optimize its call performance — an opinion moderately different from the “we want to have our cake and eat it too” philosophy espoused by Jobs today. In closing, Nokia acknowledges that a “tight grip” can mess with the performance, though they say they’ve done a bunch of research on the ways their phones are typically held so that the antennas are placed optimally. Interestingly, there was a stink not long ago about the severe signal degradation some E71 users were seeing when they placed their hands on the lower rear of the phone — but you can’t win ‘em all, we suppose. Follow the break for the full statement. Read the rest of this entry »
Pinel & Pinel’s 80′s arcade cabinet fits squarely into the future
Pinel & Pinel — it’s been awhile, hasn’t it? The design boutique has just kicked things back into high gear with an all-new creation inspired by the era of wooden TVs, Bono’s mullet and the original Engadget BBS. The 80′s Trunk, a swank new arcade cabinet, is easily one of the most astounding creations we’ve ever seen, and there’s no question that your basement is yearning for one as we speak. Unlike conventional cabinets, this one’s equipped with an emulation system that houses 60 unforgettable titles (Pac-Man, Space Invaders and 1924, just to name a few), and there’s also a plethora of color options to choose from. You’re also looking at a 1080p LCD, enough amplification to wake the neighbors with bleeps and bloops and an iPod / iPhone docking station if you prefer your own background noise. Mum’s the word on a price, but it’ll probably come down to choosing between this and your first born’s college education. You know what to do. Read the rest of this entry »
Yves Behar-designed GE WattStation electric vehicle charger spruces streets, juices cars
We’ve dug deep within the mind of Yves Béhar, and when that man designs something, we take notice. Particularly when the object of reference is an all-new electric vehicle charger that looks good enough for the sparkling streets of Minneapolis. Introduced today, the GE WattStation is a beautifully engineered EV charger designed to “accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles,” and furthermore, allow “utility companies to manage the impact of electric vehicles on the local and regional grids.” We’re also told that it’s capable of handling Level 2 (240V) charging, and if all goes to plan, it’ll be available globally next year. Oh, and if you’re considering a move to the inner city just to be near one, hold your horses — a specialized home version will be available later in 2010. Hop on past the break for a little showboating from Yves himself. Read the rest of this entry »
Treehotel is the perfect hunting blind for Predators
I would imagine if the Predator that stalked Arnie needed a hunting stand to chill out in for a while, the Treehotel would be it. The surface of the Treehotel is mirrored making it blend in with the surrounding environment.
Black Badger coasters made from milled titanium and carbon fiber
I am a big fan of carbon fiber in some uses. I like the way the material looks, as long as you don’t go overboard with it on a car. The good thing about carbon fiber is that it is very strong and lightweight.
Velcro made from metal holds 35 tons per square meter
Velcro is widely used today for all manner of things. Velcro can hold pictured on the wall, keep your shoes tied, or keep tools at your side and easy to reach. The downside is that the material isn’t good for industrial use since it can’t stand up to chemicals or heat.
Nintendo unlikely to significantly alter 3DS design before release
In an interview from this year’s E3 that’s only just been published, Nintendo 3DS platform producer Hideo Konno says that the upcoming handheld is in its “final shape.” Reggie Fils-Aime, the company’s leading North American voice, has more recently told us that, au contraire, the E3 consoles are not the final design, though parsing the two into one coherent message would suggest that Nintendo’s just leaving itself room to make small changes if the need arises. Konno’s chat with Wired also touches on the 3DS’ screen size, with him suggesting the glasses-free stereoscopic effect could be taken all the way to the size of a TV but requires the user to be in a very precise position, which is what makes it unfeasible. Teased about potentially making a 3DS XL, the veteran game guru says Nintendo’s sticking with the current form factor for portability’s sake, but he clearly isn’t closing the door on the idea if and when 3DS sales begin to wane. There’s a lot more here, including discussion of the new handheld’s analog nub and MotionPlus-like gyro and accelerator combo, so why not show the source link some love? Read the rest of this entry »
Concept ‘HTC 1′ is the phone we wish HTC would make
Designer Andrew Kim has cooked up a concept smartphone for HTC dubbed the “1″ that makes the company’s current offerings look, well… last generation. The device, built from a brass housing (coated in silver) eschews the phone-maker’s recent crop of fairly standard looking mobile devices for something decidedly more sophisticated — and cans the familiar Sense interface in the process. Not only is the shell of the phone rethought, the new UI (Sense mono) takes a cleaner, more thoughtful, high-end approach as well, joining Synergy like functions (combined messaging) with a Helvetica heavy interface that looks streamlined and mature. Some notable features of the hardware include stereo speakers (located at the top and bottom of the phone), a kickstand which is actually the bottom portion of the casing, and the lofty concept of a built-in UV light which kills germs on the surface of the phone while you charge up. As far as concepts go, this is one of the finest we’ve seen, so hit the source link below and take a look at the full spread. Read the rest of this entry »
Furniture designed using heavy cardboard tubes
I remember all the tubes my teacher had in her closet when I was in first grade. The heavy duty tubes look like what you find inside wrapping paper, but they are made from a much stronger cardboard that is as hard as wood.
Bendable bicycle wraps itself around a pole – by design
Parking your two-wheeler in a shady neighborhood, but left your secondary lock at home? No problem — to protect your wheels, just bend your bike around a nearby post and thread your U-lock through the whole kit at once. That’s the idea behind UK designer Kevin Scott’s folding bicycle, which is rigid enough to freely ride, but releases its flexible ratcheting mechanism when you push a lever on the side. The design won the 21-year-old student £500 at the New Designers exhibition in London this week. He’s presently looking for partners to help commercialize the concept, which looks more practical than some, so we expect it’ll be only a few years before you’ll see his creation zipping down the street. One question, though — why not go the whole nine yards and give it a built-in lock, too? Read the rest of this entry »
Ribbon Ceiling Fan wins award for efficient design
James Dyson isn’t the only one who can do unusual things with fan blades; Australian design student Benjamin McMahon has just won an award for his Ribbon Ceiling Fan, which not only looks far more impressive than a regular fan but is far more efficient. The helical loop moves air faster than standard blades, as well as spreading it out across the room rather than pushing it directly down.
Treadway Wearable mobility motorized shoes debut
Most of us are familiar with James Dyson, the guy behind the vacuum cleaners that seem to be on every other commercial and those cool new bladeless fans. Dyson also runs a design award contest called the James Dyson Award.
