Yanko Design » Technology

A Very Social Phone

Radhika Seth — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:58:54 +0000

It was about time that someone came up with the concept of a phone that was dedicated to social networking. YD’s resident designer Shane Crozier is on top things and has his finger on the pulse. 31337 (Elite) Phone connects to Facebook and Twitter and hooks up to the contacts to fill up the address book. Usual suspects like camera, speakerphone, music, video and internet functionality have been removed for the sake of functional transparency and ease of use. This minimal phone is good for inbound and outbound calls!

Details:

All functions are controlled by the minimal 2 button, 2 dial interface, with a scrolling interface providing feedback.
Height: 85.0mm
Diameter: 15mm

Designer: Shane Crozier

The New Clarity

Chris Burns — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:36:19 +0000

The Mac. He is back. He’s clear again. He is so clear this time, you’ll just want to get out the windex just to see if the glass is actually there. Two concepts. One is a phone, the other is a desktop computer. Made with the real intention of creating something straight out of a sci fi for the greater good of your eyeballs and future humanity.

Mac is one of those fellows who, for two main reasons (amongst quite a few others,) continues to hit hard on the online publishing circuit with his amazing designs. ONE: because his designs are so innovative, they’re on the verge of “you are a crazy person.” TWO: because not only does Mac do nice design, he does a LOT of it. This guy is a workaholic.

What have we got from Mac today? A phone and a desktop computer.

First, the computer. You’ll notice the clarity instantly, I’m sure. This computer is called “Zafiro” – it’s made of glass and has a round rim. It’s made to work as a home version of the giant Precrime computer seen in the film “Minority Report.” You’ll remember the glass I.D. cards slipped in the side of the monitor. In addition, the keys on the keyboard are made of “deformable metal” which flattens out when not in use.

And the phone. Look at that thing! It’s called the “Cobalto” and it’s also made with deformable metal. It has the option of forming keys or working flat like modern “smartphone” screens already do. This phone has the same ability to project 3D holograms from a 2D surface that at least one Mac design has had in the past.

NOTE: Cool beans! The phone, Mac informs us, is going to be on a Russian TV show that happened upon his designs through his website. I hope we can feature that feature right freaking here soon!

Designer: Mac Funamizu

Future Mobile Phone Concept from mac_fun on Vimeo.

Tweet to Win The $1,800 HP Envy 15 Notebook

Takashi Yamada — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:15 +0000

Twitter-tweet-retweet! Words that can get you the world’s thinnest, lightest quad-core notebook PC FREE!

Step 1: Follow Yanko Design on Twitter and Tweet: Just entered to win a HP Envy 15. Just follow @yankodesign and retweet http://bit.ly/2j7spn
Step 2: Come back to YD and tell us how the The $1,800 HP Envy 15 Notebook will make a difference in your life.

This HP Envy 15 Notebook Can Be Yours….

It’s got immense power and offers maximum speed and mobility with the upcoming Intel® Core™ i7 Processor and up to 16GB of DDR3 1066 MHz system memory with four SODIMM memory slots.
The versatile storage options include the ability to add two solid-state drives in a RAID-0 configuration to improve the overall speed of the ENVY 15 while providing ultimate disk performance.
A choice of two 15.6” HP Brightview high-resolution LED backlit displays, including the Full High Definition LED HP Ultra BrightView Widescreen Display with up to 300 nit, provides the best display experience for a notebook in this class.
The ENVY 15 has an optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery, giving users up to seven hours of battery life.

Follow Yanko Design on Twitter and tweet this post on your Twitter and you could be the one taking home this HP Envy 15 Notebook!

Contest Ends: November 23, 12:00am PST

Embedded In Bed

Radhika Seth — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:57:43 +0000

Satin sheets symbolizing luxury are getting geeky by the day! Imagine integrating a radio alarm clock within the Sheet! That’s the Melted Clock for you: a haptic, touch sensitive alarm with speakers and controls all embedded within your sheet. The three control icons are embroidered on the sheet and relevant to the operating elements on the outside edge of the bed sheet. Use the two in combo to set your radio frequency, alarm time etc. Essentially, you just feel your way through this system; IN YOUR FACE!

The clock segments are thin and hidden underneath the fabric. They consist of silicone and give the emboss feel via a slat of EPS (electroactive polymer, used for artificial muscles). When activated by electricity, the slat expands and lifts up the silicon segment; giving us the embossed numbers of the clock.

Apparently you can even wash the sheet; the silicon segment and the EPS slat are fixed in a small case. The small cases are arranged on a platen. When you want to wash the sheet, you just remove the platen with the clock components.

Did I mention that you need to be a pro at bed-making.

Designer: Florian Schärfer

Pilotless Airplane Control Station

Chris Burns — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:22 +0000

Someone must design everything. Everything I tell you! One of my favorite stickers of all time is one I saw at my alma mater design school: this sticker said “Someone Designed This.” T’was stuck on everything! T’would be stuck on this if it were appropriate – but it’s not! Know why? It’s a UAV control station for the government. Or rogue groups with UAV’s on their hands.

UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. There’s no man in there and there’s no woman in there either. It’s robots. And this is the control station you control it with. You’d better watch the video to see the animation which makes this design at least 5x more awesome.

Nice plugs, too.

Designer: Amichai Rosolio

This Pen Has A Lamp

Chris Burns — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:10:25 +0000

Let the record first show that this pen has a lamp on it. Potentially. The most important thing about this pen might not be the lamp (yeah right!) but I’m gonna go ahead and say that I know it is. This pen is crazy. First of all (wait are we still on first?) I gotta tell you that the name of this pen is “Pendragon” and it’s a construct-your-own pen. It’s name is Pendragon. What else you do you need to know!? Pendragon.

The pen has four parts. It’s got the Nib, the Central Unit, the End Part, and the Expandable Units.

The Nib is the writing part. it can be changed to a ballpoint, pen, fountian-pen, mechanical pencil, or digital pen. The Central Unit has, get this, the LED light – important!, a music player, charger input, memory card, and battery. The End Part has a bluetooth connection to whatever headphones you choose to use in collaboration with the mp3s youve put in the Central Unit. Expandable Units! Camera, microphone, laser pointer, chop, corrector, usb connetion, WLAN reciever to connect to computer, internet.

BONUS: pen-dock to connect to computer, charge, and work with the mic.

Designer: Peter Vardai

How Flexi Can A Radio Get

Radhika Seth — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:53 +0000

Specs-wise, it’s really up to a designer’s imagination; that’s the advantages of concepts. Realistically speaking, playing around with the materials used in an innovative way is kind of restrictive. Radio FM follows the norm of an object by appearing to be this rigid ceramic piece, but in reality the body is an enigmatic fluid PVC sail and is flexible. The controls are cleverly hidden underneath the device and simple; a button to switch it on and a dial to tune in the frequency. Can anything get simpler than that!

Quick Facts:

FM frequencies reach from 87,5 till 108 MHz.
The radio is portable because it operates on 3 penlight batteries. (included)
Limited series of 50 pieces @ € 150 each.

Designer: Jasper de Leeuw for Leeuw & Vormgeving

Feel The Music

Long Tran — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:46:08 +0000

A common misconception about the hearing impaired is their inability to experience the joy of music. They may not hear and process sound audibly but they certainly can feel it. In fact, studies have shown the sense of touch is heightened allowing them to perceive music in a totally different way. SOUNZZZ is a visual, audio, tactile MP3 player designed for the hearing impaired but universal enough for all to enjoy.

Sound is translated into a series of vibrations. One hugs the device to feel the music and it even plays an equalized light show along with the sound. A very unique device I would love to see on store shelves.

Designer: Sungwoo Park

Map Hole Points The Way

Long Tran — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:35:17 +0000

Map Hole is a new road guidance tool designed to direct pedestrians and travelers to their final destination using existing elements in the urban landscape. It locates the pedestrian with a starting point and provides information on the exact distance or average walk time to the listed landmarks. It sounds intriguing but I feel like I need a cartography degree to understand it. If this were real, you might just enter a city full of confused people looking down at the ground.

Designer: Jiae Kwon

Three Little Pigs

Long Tran — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:30:26 +0000

They’re not pigs at all. They’re a mobile, wireless projector and speaker set called Polpettek. Say that 10x fast. The anthropomorphic flavor is supposed to be more inviting and blend in better as objects of design rather than electronic equipment. The little speakers have magnetized feet so if you wanted to stack them into one large multichannel speaker – you can. There’s no info regarding specs but the designer’s last name is Alessi (no relation). Uncanny tho. It would fit right in their product line.

Designer: Eduardo Alessi