Author Archives: Ida Torres

SMEG baby monitor concept shows off a cute, retro aesthetic

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Whenever I pass by the appliance sections of department stores, I am always drawn to the SMEG display, even though I know I will probably not be able to afford any of their stuff. I like the retro aesthetics of the brand that they are able to bring to all their kitchen appliances. I also have no need (and never will) for a baby monitor but this project that imagines what a SMEG baby monitor would look like is still pretty interesting.

Designer: Priyanshu Maiti

The designer studied the design aesthetics and applied it to this project that asked them to create a concept for a baby monitor. The target market is Western and European parents and caretakers belonging to the upper middle class, which is basically SMEG’s market for their kitchen appliances. In keeping with the retro theme, what he came up would fit right in with the other products in their line since his inspiration was their other appliances anyway like the mixer and coffee maker.

The final render shows a baby monitor with a sophisticated but simple and playful look. The design looks like a toy rocket with pastel colors which will make it attractive to kids even though they’re not the target audience for this. When it comes to the features, it has the usual ones that you would need from a baby monitor like the camera, charging port, SD card slot, control buttons. They didn’t really expound much on the features since this is more for the design and aesthetics of the product.

As I said, I really don’t need a baby monitor. But this would be useful for those who need something aesthetic and at the same time something that would help keep their mind at ease when it comes to their children’s safety. Well, at least, we have an idea of what it will look like if ever SMEG does venture into products outside of their kitchen appliances.

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Concept CD player for Bang & Olufsen brings quality design and idea

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In case you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that CDs have made a comeback the past years, thanks in part to the Japanese and Korean music industry. A lot of fans have been buying CDs (sometimes multiple copies) of their favorite artists and Gen Z in particular has a particular fondness for something they actually weren’t alive yet when it was popular. The older generations buy it for the nostalgia. Both are benefitting from the audio quality of uncompressed music. However, the quality of CD players are not on par with what we were used to back in the day.

Designer: Anthony Chupp

Most of the big name audio brands have not been producing CD players but what if someone like Bang & Olufsen comes up with one? A designer came up with a concept for the Beosound Compact after studying the design and quality principles of the brand. What he came up with is a sleek and minimalist portable CD player that seems worthy of the brand that he created this concept for. It also brings back nostalgia feels for those who brought their Sony Walkman CD player around, although this is much more classy and shiny.

To reduce the need for an LED display, the player uses turntable styles for its volume controls and actual touchable buttons for its play controls. It is also textured to highlight the touchpoints that you need to access various controls. But the player can also be connected to the Bang & Olufsen app on your smart device in case you’re away from the CD player. There is Bluetooth connection as well to your headphones or wireless earbuds of choice as well as analog and optical output.

As someone who owns several CDs but still don’t have a CD player, I wouldn’t mind having something like this if Bang & Olufsen eventually decides to produce one. Having a quality CD player is just as important as having quality music from these CDs. Hopefully brands will catch on to this “trend” as it may be here to stay, for at least a few more years.

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Space elevator concept will make travel to the stars more accessible

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If you’ve watched a lot of science-fiction or future-based movies and TV series, then you’ve seen a lot of products and inventions that may seem impossible and fantastical now. But over the past decades, we’ve seen a lot of advancement in technology that some of these, especially those that were released in the 80s, have actually come true. And those that seem improbable now can actually become reality in the near and far future.

Designer: Jordan William Hughes

This conceptual design for a space elevator seems right out of a movie but it is actually based on data from existing research by physicists and engineers. If this eventually becomes a reality, space travel would become much easier and maybe even affordable. It will be a more viable alternative to the existing space travel that is currently possible with rockets. It will also save a ton of fuel that is currently being utilized.

The concept is for an asteroid in geostationary orbit to serve as the counterweight for this spaceport. The elevator will be connected to the ocean through a robust tether that will transport it from the asteroid to Earth. Drones will be able to go up and down the tether and be able to transport both cargo and people. The idea is for the space station to be more than 26,000 kilometers above Earth and then the spaceport here on our planet to be at sea-level.

The spaceport will also be a movable vessel so it can also not be limited by possible bad weather conditions. The concept art still seems to be pretty fantastical and right out of a sci-fi fantasy movie. But in the next few years, we can see if this is actually something possible.

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Hybrid yacht concept is a futuristic-looking water transport

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One of my still unfulfilled dreams is to one day be able to view the seas from the deck of a luxurious yacht. I don’t have to actually own one but it would be nice to experience this if a rich friend or acquaintance would invite me to go on board and experience the “high seas”. It would also be a bonus if said yacht can actually let us sail at high speed if we want to. This concept for a hybrid yacht seems to be a good option for this dream.

Designer: Pierpaolo Lazzarini

The Palladio is a concept for a hybrid yacht that is ultra-light and can speed up to 55 knots maximum. It also looks like something out of a sci-fi movie set in water as it uses a futuristic, mouth-shaped, avant-garde design that makes it look like a pod cruising through the waters. It is made from carbon fiber and is propelled by twin Castoldi jets and driven by two FTP engines.

The 20-meter yacht is able to house 26 passengers, with 22 seated in the main cabin and four at the front section which includes the captain. The pod-looking vehicle can also have toilets or dinettes in the corners to make the passengers more comfortable. The back section can also accommodate some of the crew and also store the passengers’ luggage and belongings.

Even though the Palladio is mostly a closed vehicle, there are filtered air intakes on each side so that the passengers can still have a comfortable breathing space in this environment. I’ll definitely add this kind of hybrid yacht to my dream water transport, although this is still in the concept stage so we don’t know if it will eventually become a reality.

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Humanoid robot can make you coffee and eventually more

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It’s no secret that I’m still afraid that in the far future, robots will rise up against humans when they gain their own intelligence and realize that we’ve been treating them unfairly all these years. That probably comes from watching too much science fiction movies and series where robot overlords rule over the earth. But for now, we’re seeing amazing (sometimes scary) advancements when it comes to robotics and how they will eventually be able to work alongside humans.

Designer: Brett Adcock

The Figure-01 Humanoid Robot has been designed to help you handle some of the simple daily chores, powered by artificial intelligence. Aside from being able to do automated tasks, it is trained to be able to think, learn, and interact within human environments. It is also able to improve on its capabilities by learning from the previous tasks it is able to perform.

The humanoid robot uses some pretty powerful graphic processing units (GPU) to drive the AI learning and system, letting it process some of the complex algorithms needed to train them. The idea is for these robots to eventually fill in the gap in the labor market when it comes to things like warehouses, transportation, and retail. Of course the aim is not to replace humans but to be able to work alongside people and work within an environment with both other robots and humans.

They were able to demonstrate the current capabilities of the Figure-01 Humanoid Robot by showing how it was able to make coffee after 10 hours of training using end-to-end neural networks. I wouldn’t mind having someone else get my coffee ready in the morning by the time I wake up although I’d probably have nightmares of this humanoid robot eventually taking over my life.

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Samsung Music Frame turns your speaker into a work of art

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When you have a speaker in your house or in your office, it’s easy to see that you have a speaker. Most are designed to be aesthetically pleasing but still you know that they are speakers. But then there are also speakers that can masquerade as something else, in case you wanted something that would blend in with the look of your room. Samsung announced at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show 2024 that they will be launching their newest “incognito” device, The Music Frame, which may soon be the latest addition to your wall.

Designer: Samsung

The Samsung Music Frame is a music speaker that can also camouflage as a picture frame for aesthetic purposes. It comes with a physical frame where you can place your photo or painting to hang on your wall and you can just surprise people that audio will be playing out of the frame. Unlike some of the similar products in the market, there is no digital part in the flame so the print that you’ll display is fully analog and can be changed whenever you want to since the notches that secure the print are easy to remove and attach.

The frame itself measures 12.9 x 12.9 inches but the space for the print is 8 x 8 inches. It is able to hide six speakers inside of its frame, including two woofers, two tweeters, and two midrange drivers. There are also waveguides included so the sound can be spread out in a bigger room. These speakers use intelligent audio processing so you get “premium audio experience”. If you pair it with Samsung TVs and soundbars, the Q-symphony technology will be able to give you surround sound. There is of course a thin power cable to connect it to an outlet but otherwise, there are no other wires needed as you connect it to your source device through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

This isn’t the first time that Samsung has brought a device that can double as decoration. They previously released the Frame TV which has customizable bezels, a matte screen, and artwork that can appear on the screen when you want to use it as a display. There are no other details released yet like release date or price range but already there is a lot of interest generated after the announcement and demo at CES 2024.

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Herman Miller’s OE1 furniture adapts to the hybrid working lifestyle

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Because of the pandemic, working conditions for most companies have changed. If before we were “forced” to have 5-day 8-hour work weeks, people and companies realized that there are some jobs that can actually be done remotely or you can have a hybrid kind of arrangement. This means also that work furniture will eventually evolve because of these options. The OE1 line which was initially launched in 2021 now has some new additions that have adapted to this new working lifestyle.

Designer: Herman Miller and Industrial Facility

One of the new pieces of furniture added to the OE1 line is a working table that you can use whether you’re sitting or standing. The height can be adjusted with a pedal so you don’t go through the hassle of manually adjusting it if you decide to switch environments while working. The sit-stand table is actually also pretty light so you can move it around your working space. This is one thing common with the new additions. They’re portable, aesthetically pleasing, but also doesn’t demand attention as it is simple and minimalist in design.

Another addition is the Powerbox which lets you charge multiple devices. Basically it’s a portable trolley that can house four batteries that can hold around 1,000 watt-hours and is made from post-consumer plastic. The collection also has a freestanding curtain which can be used as a divider in case you need a physical division between your work space and your living space. There’s a more sturdy version called the curved screen. If you need something more portable, there’s the laptop hoodie which you can bring around with you so you get privacy when working in a public area.

The OE1 line now also has a work box where you can put your office supplies like pens and even keyboards and bring them around with you to wherever you are working. There is also a bigger version of the easel which was previously released. All of these will be useful for people who are working with a hybrid lifestyle now.

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“Smart” feng shui devices will release positive qi for this new year

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Feng shui has become popular in the Western world during the 20th century and beyond. Sometimes though, just like with a lot of things in our world, it has been commodified too much to the point that people are just buying things as an easier way to practice this ancient system. A new project is a satirical criticism of this commodification, although it has actually created products that will bring feng shui objects into your home and bring a “smart” aspect to it.

Designer: Yoojin Chung

Capturing Qi is a project that brings three feng-shui objects into the digital age by making them smart devices that you can control through an app to bring energy into your home. You get a crystal ball, a wind chime, and a water fountain were designed to look like scientific equipment and was inspired by the 18th century vacuum chambers. The crystal ball and water fountain have castor stands while the wind chime is a hanging piece.

All three have Arduino circuit boards that turns them into smart devices. You connect them to the smartphone app through Bluetooth and you use the ap to “activate” and release the qi into yuor home. So while the project is a commentary on the commercialism of feng shui, it can still be used to release the energy that you want especially now that it’s a new year.

Any of these three items would also be good conversation starters if you have them in your home. You either look like a mad scientist or someone with cool art pieces at home. Either way, if you believe in feng shui, you can have these smart versions in your home for all the good juju you need.

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Nature-inspired pendant lamps add a minimalist and intricate aesthetic to your space

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One of the things that can make your space look more elegant, stylish, and beautiful is to have lamps that will complement and enhance the room. There are a lot of well-designed lamps, light fixtures, and chandeliers out there that you can choose from and there’s always room for more. If you’re looking for something a bit more minimalist but still will stand out when you place it in your room, here are a couple of pendant lamps from Claymango.

Designer: Gamini Rawal for Claymango

The Lily Pendant Lamp is of course inspired by the Lily flower and is designed to represent “love, devotion, and purity”. It streamlines the six petals into just three, achieving a minimalist and simple aesthetic. It also has an eco-friendly finish as it uses rattan as its main material. It can stand alone as just one pendant lamp or you can group it together with other lily lamps if you need something bigger. It can be used for both task and area lighting.

The Spiral Pendant Lamp meanwhile is inspired by the rhythmic movements that the fishes make when they’re looking for food in the ocean. Therefore you get some swirls and twisty forms but still with a minimalist aesthetic, using its bamboo weave design to blend with neutral and boho feels. The fixtures that are designed as a pair can serve both as pendant lamps and chandeliers with the light suspended through the cylindrical diffuser.

These pendant lamps are minimalist but also somehow slightly intricate in design. If you have an aesthetic that fits the lily concept or the spiral concept, these would be a pretty nice addition to the room (if ever they will come out of the concept stage) as they are both functional and decorative.

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Ambient lamp can be controlled by touch or smartphone connection

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I don’t really think much about the aesthetics of lighting in my house. As long as I get the light that I need at different times of the day, I’m okay. But for those that like mood lighting, lamps are the best way to add more ambience to your room or space. Most of these lamps are well-designed but aren’t really built for a tactile experience. So if you’re looking for both, this concept for a “softer” lamp may be something to look forward to.

Designers: Pinar Aydogdu, Deniz Ozsuslu, Naren Yildirim

The Pofu Lamp is a concept for a lighting device that also doubles as a charging hub for your devices. But that in itself isn’t what makes it different from other lamps and chargers in one. Its selling point is that you can interact with it by squeezing and touching the lamp which is made from silicone material instead of plastic, giving it a softer and warmer touch. It also uses ABS plastic construction so you get a glossy finish and is able to support magnetic charging stations. You have the option to control it through touch or through your Bluetooth-connected smartphone.

Squeezing the lamp once will turn it on or off while a long squeeze will start the Bluetooth connection. When you do a double spin, you can remove the top and then turn the charging base into a charging hub. The lamp also gives two different modes depending on what you need the light for and maybe your mood as well. You get the usual warm yellow light which you can use at any time of the day and then you get the well-being mode which will adapt the color tones depending on the time of the day like with morning, noon, and evening.

The lamp itself has a triangular dome-like appearance and looks a bit softer compared to other lamps, at least from the product renders we’re seeing. The fact that it has a more tactile approach to controlling it while also having the option to still have a smartphone to control things like power, mode, and device connections. No word yet if this concept will eventually see the light of day.

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