Author Archives: Gaurav Sood

This Bluetooth speaker with rotating bar in the center assures three-dimensional experience

Posted on by

Wireless speakers are ubiquitous thanks to multiple reasons playing in their favor: size, portability, and looks. Despite their size, portable Bluetooth speakers are now capable of reproducing sound that’s as accurate as those bulky and space-consuming ones in the past. These speakers are narrower, smaller, and slimmer, and many companies/designers are making them more versatile by toiling with their utility.

A case in point is the WhirlWave, a Bluetooth speaker designed to let the user control produced sound direction by rotating the speaker bar in the center. Made for those who crave a truly immersive experience not possible with the speakers configured to produce sound one-way, the WhirlWave can allow the user(s) to enjoy an acoustically complete three-dimensional experience.

Designer: Semin Park

Like most of the other speakers designed for one-way sound, Park thought of working on a speaker that would not limit the delivery of sound because of the design. The WhirlWave born from this ideology allows the user to have full control over the direction of the sound. The rotating speaker arm in the center can swivel like the hands of a clock from a cross orientation to 12 o’clock position.

When the speaker system is aligned as a cross, the three speakers – two on each end of the horizontal bar, and one at the bottom of the vertical support bar – spread the sound around for an immersive surround sound experience. As soon as you align the speaker’s horizontal bar vertically to the already existing support bar, you get the three speakers firing in a straight line for a more personalized sound experience.

The WhirlWave speaker features Bluetooth and power buttons on the back. Just below lies the USB-C Type charging slot, which allows juicing up the speaker using fast charging. What you can play with this Bluetooth speaker is not limited to what you play on a connected mobile device. Interestingly, the speaker is integrated with support for Apple Music, Spotify and other streaming apps. The top panel display of the speaker displays the streaming service currently playing. The display can also double as a digital clock for the bedside.

The post This Bluetooth speaker with rotating bar in the center assures three-dimensional experience first appeared on Yanko Design.

Off-road-ready lightweight and ultra-durable Next Adventure Trailer toy hauler rides behind any size car

Posted on by

Toy haulers have an interesting feature; you can haul just about anything – that can fit in their height, weight, and load-bearing capacity – inside of them. They are designed to be robust, but often have a heavy dead weight, which makes them less appropriate for off-roading expeditions. The Next Adventure Trailer – a lightweight, ultra-durable toy hauler – has been designed for off-roading trips in a manner that it can be towed behind any size capable 4×4.

Want to go out with your mountain bike, dirt bike, or go climbing; you can just tow the $14,500 (starting price) Next Adventure Trailer to the back of your vehicle, load it with your choice of gear, and you’re good to go. When you’re at the campsite, pull down the aluminum ladder from above the lightweight and durable rig, to open the onboard tent that can comfortably sleep a couple with the gear safely stored in the box below.

Designer: Next Adventure Trailer

Like most other camping trailers, that are born from personal experiences and the absence of rigs ideal for required functionalities, the Next Adventure Trailer is also built on the same lines in Arizona with American craftsmanship and quality parameters. The toy hauler is thus meant for anyone who wants some extra, versatile space while traveling. A garage per se to haul their bikes, go-carts, fishing gear, kayaks and more.

A capable trailer that can go virtually anywhere your towing vehicle can; the Next Adventure Trailer combines the comfort of a camper with the robustness required for off-road adventure. The former is made possible with a pop-out rooftop tent comfortably loaded with lighting, heating, cooling and a sleeping mattress for two. For the latter, the 300 square feet toy hauler is made from 3M VHB bonding technology that provides the lightweight body with a watertight and durable aluminum skin. This construction technique makes the trailer strong and reduces its flex, making it an ideal off-road companion with the ability to clip up fuel cans, water tanks, shovels and more on its exterior.

The compact and lightweight footprint of the Next Adventure Trailer allows it to double up as extra storage at home, or be used as a small office, guest room, or garden shed in the backyard. When it’s ready for the road, it’s a highly customizable rig, which you can outfit with a storage cabinet, pull-out kitchen, HVAC system, folding bedding and more. The easy arrangement means, the toy hauler can be a comfy living space simultaneously or when you don’t have gear to haul.

 

 

 

The post Off-road-ready lightweight and ultra-durable Next Adventure Trailer toy hauler rides behind any size car first appeared on Yanko Design.

Limited Edition Post Malone Backbone One Controller in translucent green

Posted on by

If Post Malone’s music sets the tone for your day, then you need to know that he is a passionate gamer too. Yes, the acclaimed songwriter and rapper has many chart-breaking performances under his belt, and he’s stopping at nothing. During his busy schedule, the star finds it difficult to game on a PC setup but makes up for that with his mobile games.

Backbone One is his favored controller choice for whenever he can find time and the team at Backbone acknowledges this fact. That’s the reason they’ve released Limited Edition Post Malone Controller. The accessory for mobile gamers will satisfy your gaming needs while having a deep connection with your favorite singer. Only 500 gamepads will be sold for $199, launching June 25 exclusively on their website, so you better mark the date.

Designer: Backbone

Post is mostly touring in his tight schedule and he found this collaboration request to be what his heart desired. He can bring his gaming to the road while traveling and the exclusive gaming controller based on the Backbone One is developed with inputs from him. The design bears a direct influence sporting his favorite color – 90s green done in a semi-transparent theme that looks stunning. The D-pad and the face buttons also get a facelift in an aluminum finish with the icons laser etched. When you’ll be gaming in the dark, the glow-in-the-dark Post Malone logo makes this one even a sweeter deal.

According to Backbone CEO Maneet Khaira, “The fusion of Post Malone’s renowned brand and his genuine passion for gaming with the category-defining Backbone platform felt like a perfect match.” The normal Backbone One controller for Android, iPhone and PlayStation costs $99 and this version is $100 more. Would you want to spend that amount, depends solely on your affinity towards Post Malone and this cool color theme.

The post Limited Edition Post Malone Backbone One Controller in translucent green first appeared on Yanko Design.

With integrated ChatGPT, Play T 1 foldable phone is effortless to use via voice commands

Posted on by

When the mobile phone industry is swaying toward convenience and ergonomics, here’s one phone concept deviating from the norm but putting ChatGPT in your pocket. Well, if you’ve not been living under a rock, AI phones are already making waves, allowing enhanced photography and more applications for user convenience. With the integration of ChatGPT in its innards, the Play T 1 becomes a foldable mobile phone easy to use with voice commands.

With ChatGPT from OpenAI integrated into the phone, it would be helpful for users, limiting them from having to toggle between tools. A simple voice request would get photos and documents altered, emails perfected, and of course, webpages or lectures summarized for you.

Designer: Yeongkyu YOO

This is the right time for a product concept like the Play T 1 to energy. Only a few days back Apple announced the integration of a layer of AI into its new operating systems for iPhone, Mac, and iPads. The newly integrated artificial intelligence features would bring a striking change to Apple’s stream of gadgets courtesy of revamped Siri support, the ability to compose emails, or even create personalized emojis among other things, without the user having to use multiple applications for a task.

The Play T 1 with embedded generative AI at the core of its functionality will offer unimaginable capabilities to the handheld. The device is not a basic handset; it has been designed to be modular, such that different thickish modules can add up for functionality. The foldable smartphone and its accessories – the detachable 5000 mAh battery – are made from compostable plant-based materials, which make the phone essentially eco-friendly.

The detachable battery clips to the bottom of the Play T 1 mobile phone using magnets and can instantly charge the phone. By magnetically fastening it to a speaker base, the phone can effortlessly become a high-performance ChatGPT speaker you can command at will.

As the pictures depict, this folding ChatGPT phone is in itself pretty thick for modern smartphone users and when the magnetic battery pack merges with the main body, it does form a nice unified unit, but at the cost of additional weight and thickness. If the design is slimmed and the folding creases evened out, who knows the GenAI-based Play T 1 can have a future.

The post With integrated ChatGPT, Play T 1 foldable phone is effortless to use via voice commands first appeared on Yanko Design.

AI-based LEGO printer turns any subject into replicated pixel art

Posted on by

Just when everyone is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI), why should avid LEGO fans not dig a share in the pie? Dutch creator, YouTuber, and master brick builder Sten, thought of the obvious and set out to harness the power of AI and built a printing machine entirely from LEGOs that can print any subject into identical pixel art.
The entire building process, along with a demo pixel art made from LEGO pieces, has been documented by Sten on his YouTube channel, Creative Mindstorms. The Pixelbot 3000, as the LEGO printer is called, Sten informs, is ‘capable of creating pixel art of anything using AI.’

Designer: Creative Mindstorms

The Pixelbot 3000 is programmed in Python using help from DALL-E from OpenAI. Sten has managed to program, and create software-hardware integration, in such a manner that you simply ‘type a subject line, hit start’ and the printer takes on from there.

Sten informs, in the video, that he started with inspiration from LEGO printers such as Briccasso, but over time had to improvise a great deal – both with the code customization and the machine functionality – to achieve what he set out to build. He initially used 16 x 16 base plates to print the developed pixel art, but it was later changed to a 32 x 32 grid for better result output.

The basic operation of Sten’s LEGO machine is similar to that of a pick-and-place machine, which has been precisely programmed and created to place large-size LEGO pieces with surprising accuracy on the 32 x 32 grid base plate. Moreover, the machine is designed to pick colors – according to the picture’s demand – and place brick-by-brick to achieve the identical pixel art of an AI image generated. Since LEGO brick colors are limited, Creative Mindstorms reduced its machine’s color palette to 15 base colors including a white background.

The machine does not at any point rely on designing the art or scanning it. It instead uses AI to generate pixel art (using LEGOs) of the image generated in the software. The user can preview the generated image, crop and color grade it, before saving it for printing. When commanded for print, the image is divided into 32 x 32 grid, color and center of each pixel on the base plate is sampled, and the pixel art is then built piece by piece. In the testing, Sten asked AI to create a ‘quirky robot holding a sunflower,’ you can check out how it came out in the video above.

The post AI-based LEGO printer turns any subject into replicated pixel art first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Mad Max-esque Porsche 928 had a very important role in achieving 911’s current status quo

Posted on by

While the Porsche 911 has evolved into an iconic roadster, the Porsche 928 has played second fiddle in shaping the acoustics for the sports car all these years. You probably might never have heard about the Porsche 928 but the famed grand tourer initially created to replace the 911, faded away into the mid-90s.

One lucky Porsche 928 served as a testbed for three decades to test the noise to help the German manufacturer stay within the permissible limits of the law while also having a sweet sound signature compared to the competition. The Grand Tourer was the perfect fit as opposed to the 924 which had a lower engine speed, the 911 which was too loud, or the 944 which had a lot of gearbox rattle at low speeds. Porsche test engineer Harald Mann called it the dinosaur for obvious reasons.

Designer: Porsche

The prized vehicle saw a host of additions for the purpose of acoustic testing, like adding scoops to the engine compartment or bonnet. Porsche had a routine of testing the car to achieve the sweet 63 dB low noise level by accelerating to 30 mph and smoothly moving up to 37 mph on a 20-meter stretch rigged with microphones. This one-off gem also comes with a 5.4 liter V8 engine refined from the early 90s tests. The vehicle’s interiors are kept to a minimum, making it a unique proposition. No doubt it adorns the Porsche Museum now for automotive enthusiasts to revel in the live history of Porsche’s innovation.

What we are interested in about the rare 928 is its Mad Max-esque looks that have a hint of Back to The Future element. The engineers had to wrap the car in cotton wool for noise dampening, and it was mounted on the radiator giving it a very intimidating persona. On the rear, the enormous exhaust silencer strapped to the window gives off the same vibe. Imagine this rare Porsche driving on the streets for Instagrammable reels and pictures.

The post This Mad Max-esque Porsche 928 had a very important role in achieving 911’s current status quo first appeared on Yanko Design.

NanoBrick’s E-Skin Anycolor is a low-energy color display set to revolutionize electronic paper

Posted on by

Why do e-ink displays have to look the same old boring in grayscale hues? Can’t they come in other monochrome color options? NanoBrick has taken this challenge up and designed the E-Skin Anycolor which is based on their EDP technology. This innovation lets the user have the flexibility to get an E-Paper in any hue with the option of having a customizable size or form factor.

If the thought of a rollable or bendable display came up in your mind, you’re not alone. The next revolutionary piece of display technology destined to end up as a common man’s perk in a few years, could very well have a more budget-friendly option. That’s where the E-Skin Anycolor comes into play, especially in times when people are willing to take up the option of a minimalist phone. This peppy E-Ink display has a very low power consumption and can even work with NFC signals which is a big advantage for power-hungry gadgets.

Designer: NanoBrick

Going minimalistic with your digital world makes sense but if you get frustrated with the grayscale colors of the device it’ll only end up in more anxiety. That’s where the innovative tech comes into play thanks to its flexibility. It is much easier to mass manufacture than e-ink displays with a more complex production process. You can create them for large-scale displays, small gadgets, or high-efficiency minimalistic watches. Maintaining a good brightness level with less glare, even on the sunniest of days is also an advantage.

Nanobrick doesn’t want to stick to contemporary applications and wants the E-Skin Anycolor to turn any surface into a personalized canvas for display. For example, a personalized laptop cover, low-energy signboard, or office walls with live frames. The dynamic color transformation is achieved courtesy of the single nano-particles in the color dyes that are manipulated by applying small currents. The company wants to expand the usage of this new-age electronic paper to other applications as well with the IP-protected ingress.

There’s no word on the first expected consumer electronic or business application that’ll have the E-Skin Anycolor at its helm, but it surely will make similar display technologies obsolete.

The post NanoBrick’s E-Skin Anycolor is a low-energy color display set to revolutionize electronic paper first appeared on Yanko Design.

Genius Two-Part Saddle moves as you bicycle to let you go long distances without soreness

Posted on by

The excitement of learning to ride a bicycle came with the realization that the more time you rode the more pain was inflicted on the butts. Yes, those days of early riding were all about non-stop riding the bike as speeds increased with every confidence boost, and the consequent sore rear by the end of the day.

To keep any bicycle true to the basics and long-lasting, the saddle has to be firm and contoured for maximum comfort. That however is counterintuitive as the seat can be uncomfortable during long rides. The solution is to prevent the body part from being pushed against a stationary support surface. How do you do that? With a movable saddle mechanism that doesn’t strain your butts. Thank god!

Designer: ataraxyBSC

The story of this unique bike saddle’s development started with the idea of a compliant bicycle seat in 2016 by Australian engineer Robin Macan. Sometime after that, he met with industrial designer Philippe Guichard to take things further and create a two-part bicycle saddle that makes it ultra-comfortable for riders no matter the length of time they paddle. This ultimately led to the partnership with Melbourne-based Whistle Design Group to take the vision further and develop an actual product.

Macan finally created his startup ataraxyBSC to solve the problem of a pain-inducing bicycle saddle that’s been left in the shadow for decades. The solution is the vabsRider bicycle saddle with a split seat design. This simple yet clever saddle moves with the movement of legs, rotating around the hip joints to eliminate any pressure-inducing surface contact. Both the sides move independently with the leg movement, transferring pressure from the sit bones to the femurs, This creates a balanced load distribution, and gone are the sore muscles when bicycling for long hours at a stretch.

The user can further adjust the fore/aft and height, or toggle the angle or width of the saddle. The latter I’ve always wondered why no one thought about before. There’s no word about the pricing or availability of the vabsRider bicycle saddle, but you can express your willingness as an early adopter by emailing ataraxyBSC.

The post Genius Two-Part Saddle moves as you bicycle to let you go long distances without soreness first appeared on Yanko Design.

Custom Lexus GX bakes oven fresh pizzas in the boot, comes with luxe appliances and exclusive Monogram interiors

Posted on by

2024 Lexus GX as a 7-seater off-road SUV has hit the right notes with the most critical reviewers after the official launch. The car carries forward the Japanese automaker’s promise of luxury with performance. To bring something unique to the world of a kitchen on wheels, Lexus has teamed up with GE’s Monogram (luxury appliance division) to fit a Smart Flush Heart Oven in the rear of the bossy car.

The luxury culinary experience on board this off-road SUV seems like an odd combination when we talk of practicality since the vehicle will tread inhospitable dirt tracks bouncing around. That though fades away quickly as soon as one lays eyes on the exquisite vehicle, inside out. The interiors are embellished with a stainless-steel, black, and brass color scheme, with gold badges, gold accents. That’s a good start for the adventure-oriented GX, but there’s a lot more, so read on.

Designer: Lexus and GE Monogam

The idea here is to convert the capable off-roader into a bespoke culinary experience on wheels” right from the moment you enter the vehicle, drive it and then take a break to eat some delicacies. Monogram doesn’t just stop at the rear, the whole interiors are done in the matching theme with dual-tone camel leather seats and door panel trims, complemented by the brass and titanium metal along with the Dekton slate stone accents. The interior has numerous luxury appliances and accessories to elevate the whole experience. According to Lexus, the one-off GX comes fitted with a rare heated ice press (between the rear seats) that makes spherical ice cubes.

What makes it a lip-smacking proposition is the boot having a Smart Flush Hearth Oven with a 30-inch display. The electric oven is custom-made to mimic the performance of a wood-fired brick oven to bake pizzas and other eatables. Of course, you’ll need something to drink along, so there are pressured fitted cutouts on the side panels to store wine, bourbon, glasses and bottle openers. To complement this, Monogram has fitted a bar complete with a bar kit, glassware, bitters and a folding cutting board. Other essentials like cutlery and trash bin are houses inside the truck for quick retrieval. Everything is finely trimmed with quilted leather and carpeting, with the addition of a Dekton slate stone countertop-like plating station.

The post Custom Lexus GX bakes oven fresh pizzas in the boot, comes with luxe appliances and exclusive Monogram interiors first appeared on Yanko Design.

Industrial era inspired café racer and e-scooter show the meaning of less is more

Posted on by

Electric motorcycles and scooters are the way to go in an effort to control emissions. The market is ever expanding with versatile options for end users and the Belin Design Office’s duo of two-wheelers show us what an out-of-the-box design can result in. That’s without any compromise in functionality or aesthetics. Meet the Ekka M-1 Performance and CS-1 City Scooter having a modular design, wrapped in a unibody aluminum frame that is bended to achieve the boxy form of these two-wheelers.

The base frame is kept totally exposed without any plastic body panels to maintain the industrial look. There’s another benefit to this as the company doesn’t have to go through the manufacturing process of hot-forming for panels, hence, reducing the carbon footprint in the production. Shredding the extra weight means the electric two-wheelers have extended range as compared to other e-bikes.

Designer: Belin Design Office

The raw appeal of the two-wheelers is quite new to electric vehicles, still, the futuristic DNA is preserved to appeal to Gen-Z. The two electric rides have in-wheel motors, meaning there’s no need for a transmission, chains, clutch or belt. This means fewer parts to worry about maintenance, reduces the overall weight of the bikes, and makes them appear more refined. CS-1 City Scooter benefits the most from this as there’s increased space to carry belongings, or add modules for specific small cargo needs. The battery is placed under the rider’s feet, so there’s even more available space on the front.

Ekka M-1 Performance motorcycle is a beefier version of the two, prioritizing a café racer aesthetic. This bike is derived from Jean-Marie Floch’s Ludic’ valorization, with the fun element in the appearance and front-leaning rider position reiterating the fact. The aggressive positioning and the big chunky tires complement the raw persona of this racer. Thankfully the saddle on this café racer looks comfortable for long stints of driving, unlike other café racers that compromise on seating space as a more powerful drivetrain and engine take up the space.

The post Industrial era inspired café racer and e-scooter show the meaning of less is more first appeared on Yanko Design.