Author Archives: Ida Torres

Coperni x Disney tie-up unveils water-printed Ariel Swipe Bag

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As someone who always carries a lot of stuff wherever I go, I am not that much a fan of small bags. But if ever there will come a day when I’ll be comfortable just bringing a phone, small wallet, and a lipstick with me, the Coperni Swipe bag is on my shortlist of bags I’d like to have. Their latest version was unveiled at the Spring/Summer 2025 show held at Disneyland Paris, and it is a watery creation.

Designer: Coperni

The Ariel Swipe bag is inspired by The Little Mermaid and the “stunt” here is that it was created underwater. Through gravity-free 3D printing by Rapid Liquid Print, the bag is created from platinum-cured, recyclable silicone and is printed inside a water-based gel. The process differs from other traditional 3D printing methods as they “draw” the objects that are suspended in the gel so these soft, stretchable designs are not weighed down by gravity.

A video shows the printing process with a thin and sharp needle pushing through the gel and starting to create the shape of the bag that is of course, colored blue. When it reaches the top, the two loose ends are joined together to create the handle. A hand then reaches out to pull the bag from the gel and thus, the Ariel Swipe bag is born an supposedly ready to use. They say there’s no extensive post-processing needed so it saves materials and time.

There is no news yet when the bag will be available in its brand store and retail stores. But it’s sure to be another Coperni x Disney best-seller, just like the Mickey Mouse swipe bag that they previously released. It will probbly be around that price as well which is of course pretty expensive.

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Pangolin-inspired robot can dig and “poop” out seeds to plant trees

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Not all robots have to look, well, robotic. There is a growing number of robots that are inspired by real life creatures (sometimes, even humans, but that’s a whole other discussion) or so called bio-inspired bots. The latest winner of the Natural Robotics Contest is inspired by a pretty unlikely animal: the insect-eating mammal called the Pangolin.

Designer: Dorothy and Dr. Robert Siddall

A high school student from California named Dorothy designed a robot whose main goal is to dig and plant seeds. Since pangolins are naturally digging animals, why not use it to create a robot that can help populate areas with more trees? The winning concept was turned into an actual prototype called the Plantolin by the partner research institute. More than just looking like a pangolin, it uses features from the mammal and incorporate it into the functions of the robot.

The Plantolin roves around on two wheels and just like the pangolin, it balances on its long, movable tail. Each of the wheels has an electric quadcopter drone motor. The digging is done by these two front legs with the tail tilting down once it starts to provide leverage. Once there’s a hole already, the robot drives over it and poops out a yew tree seed bomb nugget (containing both seeds and soil).

It’s a pretty interesting way to re-populate a space with more trees. It will probably be faster and will need minimal human intervention when it’s programmed right, so no need to train actual pangolins to do the job.

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Roland’s V-Drums Quiet Design keeps minimal noise for people living with the drummer

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For parents, probably the last instrument that they would want their kids to take up are the drums since they know they’ll be in for months or even years of ear-splitting noise. But over the years and with the advent of electric drums, there have been quieter options for people who want to practice their craft and not disturb the people they live with.

Designer: Roland

The V-Drums Quiet Design from Roland claims it is “the lowest playing noise in the history of electronic drum kits.” Of course it is not completely silent but it is able to reduce the playing noise levels by 75% compared to their previous V-Drums. Users have the option to play the set with the existing TD-07 control module or to choose another V-Drums module. There are several features that makes this electronic drums kit less noisy.

For one, the system snare and tom pads have a honeycomb rubber insert that is noise-absorbing and on top of it, there is a mesh head and strategically placed vents under the playing surface. The rim of the snare is actually triggered independently from the head and has soft rubber so your rim shots are not jarring for the people around you or near you. The set also has three cymbal pads that have the same materials mentioned above, with the crash and ride ones having independent bow and edge triggering while the hi-hat has a foot pedal to give it ultra-quiet operation. The kick drum has a triple-later cushion with a double-ply mesh in a floating frame set so the vibration and noise transfer is less.

All the features basically confines the sound to the headphones that you’ll wear while playing. The entire kit even has a noise-dampening stand with isolating rubber feet which keeps the sound levels “similar to an average conversation”. This is a gift for both the drummer and the people living with them.

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Luxury superyacht has an underwater observation lounge

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I’ve seen enough true crime shows and thriller mystery movies that are set in a cruise ship or a luxury yacht for me to have any dream of going aboard one. But when I look at the designs of luxury ships and imagine spending time there (without a killer on the loose), I can definitely understand the appeal. This new gigayacht from Dutch studio Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design has one particular feature that might make me reconsider about going on board given the chance.

Designer: Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design

Inspire is a massive 454-foot gigayacht with bold, architectural lines, a reverse bow and a lot of glass on board. This gives you the feeling of luxury, a lot of natural light, and a great view of the sea outside. The glue-green hue finish of the hull makes it seemingly part of the sky and the sea. The yacht has six decks and can accomodate 22 guests and 52 crew members, with the top deck alone spanning 3,000 square feet of living space.

All six decks are filled with different beautiful spaces. You have a primary suite, a glass-enclosed lounge with a winter garden, an outdoor terrace, eight guest cabins, two VIP suites with fold-out balconies, a circular restaurant, an exterior desk for alfresco dining, an indoor-outdoor lounge with a fireplace. At the lower levels you get a beach deck with a wellness center, a swim platform, and a blue-hole swimming pool with a glass bottom.

But one of the major attractions of this superyacht is the Nemo lounge which is around 16 feet below the water’s edge. You will be able to see all the surrounding wonders of marine life without having to actually dive below. As someone who doesn’t dive but wants to see all the fishes and corals, this is definitely something I’d want to try out given the chance.

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Bibliochaise lets you have your books at arm’s length

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At one point or another, a bookworm has probably experienced this: you’ve just finished reading a very engrossing book and you want to start on another one but you’re too comfortable (or lazy) to get up from your chair. You wished another book was just within your arm’s reach. While you could always just have several books placed near where you are, you still wish you had a bookshelf near your favorite reading chair.

Designer: Alisée Matta and Giovanni Gennari

The Bibliochaise is one such piece of furniture that is a bookworm’s haven. It is a chair and a bookshelf in one as there are spaces around it that is designed specifically to hold your books. This way, you can spend hours just reading book after book without having to move an inch. It can also add to the visual styling of your living room and bedroom, further proof that you cannot live without your books.

The chair is able to hold around five linear meters of books if you fill in all the spaces in the arms and underneath your seat cushion. It comes in three different finishes to fit your aesthetic: glossy lacquered for the Glossy model, oak veneer and stained for the Plus variant, and open pore lacquered for the Home option. There’s also a Special Edition in open-pore oak essence that contains 24 or 18 carat gold leaf.

For the structure itself, you can choose from different colors. You can also match or contrast the color of your cushion which is available in superior quality full-grain leather. As a certified bookworm, it’s my dream to have a chair like this in my room, although that probably means less social life for me.

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Smart shower system stores hot water to stop wastage

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Taking showers with heaters is always a hit and miss for me, sometimes learning my lesson the hard way. There have been several times that a cold blast hit me so I’ve learned to not go under yet and wait for the water to turn hot. However, that also means that we’re wasting a lot of water if that happens every day. Apparently, an average person wastes 4000 liters and 110 kilowatt-hours of energy every year, according to startup Heau.

Designer: Heau

The patented Heau system says they’re the world’s first shower with instant hot water. This way it helps you save on the water that’s wasted as you wait for it to heat up while still enjoying the comfort of hot water instantly as soon as you turn on the shower. Most people wait for around 1 minute after they turn on the shower since that’s when the water becomes comfortably hot. What they came up with is a two-compartment system that is able to store the heat from your previous shower so it’s already hot when you turn on your current shower.

The hot water from the end of a shower is stored in a vacuum chamber and keeps it hot up to three days because of a special insulation. When you take your next shower, the system detects the cold water and sends it to the left compartment which then applies pressure through a flexible membrane. It is sent to the mixing valve so you get your instant hot water. When the water in the pipes is already hot, the system is able to shut off the hot water inlet and can recharge it since it sends the water to the right hand compartment.

The installation of the system is similar to the water storage for hanging toilets and it can work with any type of shower. Heau is still currently in the startup stage but they’re targeting the shower system to be available by 2025.

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LEGO® releases The Crafting Table building set to celebrate Minecraft®’s 15th anniversary

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Minecraft® is still one of the most popular games right now, both for adults and kids (sometimes they even play together!). And it’s been pretty popular for a while now as we’re already celebrating the video game’s 15th anniversary. If you’re a fan of the sandbox game and you also collect LEGO® sets, then you’ll be happy with this latest building set that celebrates the best of both worlds.

Designer: LEGO®

LEGO® Minecraft® The Crafting Table is a building set that’s specifically built for adult fans of the game that brings several elements into the “real world” so you can literally build your favorite Minecraft-ian things. It recreates the iconic crafting table that players know very well. You get biomes, mobs, and even hidden Easter eggs in the building set as well as video components through the app.

The building set comes with 5 mini build modules which features 12 biomes (the Deep Dark, Lush Cave, Swamp, Plains, Forest, Cherry Grove, Desert, Taiga, Snowy Taiga, Dripstone Cave, Ice Spikes and River) and has 8 microfigures (Steve, Alex, a skeleton, witch, Creeper™, villager, cow and a pig) that you can detach and attach to whatever you’re building.

The buildable video-game LEGO® set also has some things like underground scenes, stickers with in-game phrases, and hidden Easter eggs that will excite even the most veteran of Minecraft players. There is also digital building instructions on the LEGO® Builder app if you need a little bit of virtual help. It costs around $90 which isn’t bad for a LEGO® set.

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Worknic is a portable work station if you need outdoor inspiration

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Ever since employees discovered that they didn’t always have to be in the office to still be productive, there has been an increase in people who prefer working in another space instead of their cubicle. That also means there are more product designers thinking of furniture, tools, and accessories that would cater to this segment of digital nomads.

Designers: Seokoo Yeo, Woojin Jang, and Dowan Kim

Worknic is a portable desk that was developed through the Samsung Design membership program that is sponsored by Samsung Electronics. It lets you roll out and put up your desk in any space and change your working environment in case the walls of an office or your room are not doing it for you anymore. It also comes with a power source so you don’t always need to be beside a wall socket.

It’s a pretty big contraption to carry around but it comes equipped with wheels so you can roll it to wherever you plan to work. Once you’ve chosen your space, you just park it and pull out various bells and whistles to set up your desk, including stands, a worktable, and a power source. There also seems to have a stool that you can pull out to complete your office in the wilds.

There doesn’t seem to be much information about how long the power source will last or what are the other features of the work table or how heavy or light it will be. Design-wise however, it seems to be a pretty solid option for those who want to work in the park, at the beach, or wherever brings them more inspiration.

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Beacon Bottle is a drinking and lighting solution for your long hikes

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If you’re hiking up a mountain or going on long walks and trekking, you probably need to carry as little as possible. However, you also need to have a lot of necessities with you especially if it’s an overnight hike. Three things you definitely need are a water bottle, a lamp or light source, and a compass. Usually, these are three different things that you carry. But a designer has come up with a way to have all three in just one item.

Designer: Anantvijay

The Beacon Bottle for Hikers is a product concept for something that hikers can carry that has different functionalities. The way that it’s designed is that it looks like a lamp that serves as your light source but it also looks like a water bottle for your hydration needs. And yes, it is both. Plus, there’s even a compass on the cover so that you get another bonus with this item and it lessens the items that you need to bring with you.

The body of the bottle even has a textured surface so that it’s easy to grip while you’re drinking. The light-emitting component is at the bottom of the bottle and can be attached and detached easily with a threaded mechanism. If you detach it from the bottle, you can still use it as an independent light source. The charging part has a type-c port and you can still use it even when it’s charging.

The compass is integrated into the polypropylene bottle cap while the handle is designed for easy carrying or can also be attached to the backpack or hung on a tree branch. The body of the bottle is made from polyethylene terephthalate so it shouldn’t be that heavy. If all you need is to hydrate and have something to light your way (and give you direction), then this is a handy tool to have during your long hikes.

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Beam x Crocs gives a punk rock jacket to your classic clogs

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I’ve said before that I’m not the biggest fan of Crocs, at least design-wise. But whenever they collaborate with another brand, I become more interested, especially if that other brand is something that I already admired. Japanese brand Beam has been on my radar as the fashion brand comes out with unique designs, although I probably would not wear them. This collaboration with Crocs is something I may actually wear. Well, if it gets restocked.

Designer: Beam x Crocs

The Beams x Crocs takes the Classic Clog that most people have grown to love and put on a punk rock jacket on it. So instead of the usual hole-y clogs, you get a black PU leather jacket complete with zippers, giving it a cooler and more bad-ass look. The clogs are still light of course despite its punk-y look. It is also water-friendly and buoyant, complete with ventilation ports and breathability despite not seeing the usual Crocs holes.

You have two “pockets”, a buttoned-down one and a zip-up one. The zipper is off-center and has small silver buttons so you can keep the “collar” folded over. To complete the punk rock look, you can unzip the jacket and you’ll see the silver spiked Jibbitz embedded in there. But if you want your own Jibbitz to add to it, you can still customize it.

Even though it doesn’t totally look like your usual clogs, it still has the “Iconic Crocs Comfort” and has 360-degree comfort. Unfortunately, it seems to be sold out for now, because it is that cool. Let’s see if we’ll eventually get our hands on a pair.

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