Author Archives: Ida Torres

Tea maker lets you smell your tea while steeping and relaxing

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Making and drinking tea is highly relaxing for a lot of people, even more than making coffee (at least, for some people). When you need to relax or destress, people tell you to drink tea rather than another kind of drink like caffeine and alcohol. Another way to destress is to light up your diffuser or scented candles. If you could combine the two plus add some other relaxing techniques, then you can come up with a pretty great nighttime relaxing routine.

Designers: 빈 허 (Heo Been), Jaewoo Jang, 이 지호 (Jiho Lee), 최 예은 (Choi Yea eun)

U Soo is a concept for a tea maker that can help you “relax and chill”. The difference with this compared to other tea makers is that you can also smell the tea as it steeps so you also get an aroma diffuser with the machine. The machine itself looks like a coffee maker or something that belongs in a laboratory. You see the whole process from the boiling of the water to the steeping of the tea to when it pours out to your cup. The transparency actually adds to the therapeutic feels of the machine.

The tea to be used in U Soo are dried leaves that are compressed into balls. They will “unfurl” once in the machine being steeped into the water. There is a cylinder like part in the machine with a tube inside where you put the water in and then it goes to the other side where the tea ball is dropped, unfurled, and steeped. The water then goes back onto the other side through a small tube and then dispensed to the cup that is in the middle.

There are of course controls on the machine to help you through all those processes. On paper, it’s a pretty interesting product. And for someone who is incorporating tea drinking into her routine, this is something that can definitely help me with that.

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Helinox Tactical Cot Tent lets you not sleep directly on the ground when camping

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Camping or sleeping outdoors is one of the things that you probably cannot make me do (unless it’s a really comfortable or glamorous glamping kind of thing). But if I am forced to do so, I’d prefer to have something that will not let me sleep directly on the ground and also something that means I won’t share it with other people. Of course there are sleeping bags out there but again, I’d prefer not to have contact with the ground. So a cot that I can sleep in by myself would be the ideal thing (if you’re forcing me to sleep outdoors, that is).

Designer Name: Jake Lah

The Helinox cots are pretty innovative accessories that you can bring with you when staying outdoors. The designer is now making it even more comfortable if you want to sleep outdoors using the compatible cots by giving you the Tactical Cot Tent. Made from your choice of mesh or fabric, the tent attachment will turn your cot into a fully enclosed sleeping space for one person that is off the ground. This means when folded, it can also be easily carried on your vehicle and then assembled when needed since it’s 22.5” x 8” x 8” ultralight ripstop cinch bag and weighs just 3.5 lbs when packed.

The tent uses shock-corded poles to lock the frame into place while the pole clips make it easy to install. There are also reinforced corners, ties, and corner sleeves so you get a more secure sleeping space. To anchor it to the ground, it uses four J-stakes, one for each corner. Inside your tent, you have four interior mesh pockets, two on the ceiling and two on the sides, to store your valuables. You can also hang your gear on the four interior loops found inside the tent. The 40D polyester hexagon mesh is breathable for the mesh version while the durable 70D nylon ripstop can withstand the elements for the fabric version. Both have water-repellent PU-coated 70D nylon taffeta floors.

If you know that you might get some rain, there’s also the Tactical Cot Tent Solo Fly that you can attach to put on top of the tent to protect you from the elements. It uses velcro tabs to attach to the cot tent while four J-stakes secure it to the ground. You get two front doors skewed towards the side with a single back door and rear ventilation window for better air flow and reduce condensation inside as well.

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Memoraphy is an aromatherapy device that can produce perfume to alleviate mood issues

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Among all the senses, smell is probably the one that I don’t really pay attention to (or may be the least popular for ordinary folks). But it is actually the one that is most associated with memory. We associate specific smells with memories of our childhood or with certain episodes in our lives. It is also something that can help you manage your emotions as evidenced by the popularity of aromatherapy. This concept for one such product is pretty interesting especially if your nose is sensitive to smells and moods.

Designer Name: Kanglee Lee, Jiwon Lee, Jeongmin Ham

Memoraphy, a combination of the words memory and therapy, is a concept for a device that can “prescribe” a scent for you depending on your mood and need. It looks like one of those laboratory devices with different pods or a coffee machine but instead of dispensing liquids or caffeine, you get different fragrances that can help you uplift your mood, relax, or whatever your emotional need is that can be helped by smelling something. You can choose to use it as a diffuser or to produce a perfume or a plaster air freshener.

There are six types of main fragrances available: bergamot (for depression, anxiety, and apparently, UTI), rose (to give a positive mood), orange (to relieve stress and enhance taste bud), sandalwood (relieves nervous tension and anxiety), chamomile (helps relax the mind, counter insomnia), claysage (mood stabilisation). You start off the process by inputting into the machine your current mood and drawing or writing to get a “diagnosis” for the right scent. Then you choose the output type and the machine will then create the product for you.

This is a pretty interesting product to have, at least on paper. There may be some feasibility questions if it gets turned into an actual product since there are different outputs for it but that’s a problem for another day. If you’re a believer in aromatherapy, you’d probably want something like this in your home to help lighten your mood, help you fall asleep, and even combat other mental health issues.

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Modular and multi-functional shelf and mirror is an aesthetic addition to your space

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Normally, the shelves that I look for or I actually get have one purpose only: to hold and store my books. And I have a lot, and I mean a lot, of books. But there are times when I want to be able to get something that is also decorative or can be a conversation piece (although that still hasn’t happened yet since I still need for it to just be functional). A lot of designers now are creating ideas, concepts, and sometimes actual products, that can be multi-functional and modular and shelves are no exceptions.

Designer: João Teixeira

Wave is a conceptual design for a shelf that also doubles as a mirror. Even better, it is modular so you can arrange it into different layouts, depending on your need, your preference, or your mood. Just don’t expect a full mirror of course since the shelf part and the shape of the entire thing can be a bit obtrusive. But if you’re just looking for a surface that can hold your books, decorations, and other knick knacks that happens to have a mirror attached to it, then this is something you will be interested in.

Since the concept is named Wave, the shape of the mirror and the shelves is wavy and reminiscient of the letter S. It is modular yes but no matter where you place the different parts, you’ll still get the wave. The renders show that there are around 4-5 parts that you can assemble and play around with, depending on where you want to place the shelves part or if you want it to be horizontal or vertical in orientation.

If what you really want is to look fully in a mirror, you may be annoyed with the way this is designed. But if this gets made into an actual product, those who will buy it will probably just see the mirror as part of the whole design of the multi-functional shelf. You can also probably only just place a few objects on it (most likely not part of my book collection) but again, this is more for the added aesthetics rather than a fully functional piece of furniture.

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Disc-like smart device uses light, vibration to provide alerts for the hearing impaired

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Smartphones and smart speakers are pretty useful devices for times when emergencies and disasters are upon us and you need to be alerted to the dangers. But for those who are hearing-impaired, they may not be able to get fast access to information, especially if they’re not looking at their screens. Light flashes and vibrations are the fastest way to catch the attention of these individuals so devices that utilize these features can be helpful to both the hearing-impaired and regular hearing people.

Designers: Kim Myeonjin, Noh Gaeun

Lamptok is a concept for a lighting solution that can be attached to a smartphone or any surface in order to give information to the hearing impaired about a dangerous or important happening. It’s basically a notification medium that uses lighting and vibrations to alert the user to any disaster or emergency. Think of it as a griptok for your phone except its main purpose is not for you to hold your phone properly but to give lighting and vibrating cues for times when it is needed.

The round device can also be adjusted from something that can fit onto your finger to something that can be securely attached to any surface. It can be charged wirelessly, is MagSafe compatible, and has a USB-C port for wired charging. During times of disaster, it can be integrated with alert systems and also has built-in pictograms to help the user quickly understand what’s going on. It also has stronger vibrations than the smartphone so it can also be used as a sort of alarm clock. It is able to detect abnormal sounds as well and will alert the user to it. And it can also alert you to notifications on your phone.

Lamptok can be connected to your smartphone through Bluetooth so you are able to better control and customize it. The renders show the device in different colors like olive green, black, white, and orange. It is probably also designed to be water proof since there’s a render of it attached to the bathroom tiles for when you’re taking a bath and still need to be aware of what’s happening. This should be useful for hearing impaired people so hopefully this gets turned into an actual product.

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Narc robot concept helps detect contraband in public spaces

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One of my family’s favorite things to see at places like malls and airports are the drug sniffing dogs. We always joke about wanting to pet them, although of course we’re not supposed to. But there are times when I pity them since they have to work hard and it can even be dangerous for them. There are of course other technologies and devices that can be developed so the load of detecting contraband does not fall solely on them or on the staff that are monitoring the security check machines in the terminals.

Designer: Junwoo Lim

This concept for a robot that can serve as a contraband detection tool can serve both cargo terminals and passenger terminals. Narc will be able to help machines, dogs, and humans detect contraband like explosives, drugs, and other dangerous materials that are not supposed to be in public places like airports and terminals. You probably didn’t like being called a narc (if ever you were called one) during your school days but this device, which looks like a robot with four legs, gets the job done.

For the cargo terminals, Narc can serve as the detector for small packages in the conveyer belt so the first pass will not need human intervention. It has a small x-ray button at the bottom and 90 degree rotatable legs and a movable body that can go up to 500m up and down. It can scan the small cargo by moving around the cargo rails so humans can just focus on monitoring larger cargo. For passenger terminals, the Narc can move around, like those robots going around malls asking if you need help. But this time, they really act as a “narc”, scanning random people and if they detect contraband, they will alert security staff.

Once they spot someone “suspicious”, the staff can use the portable ion scanner to detect if the person really is carrying contraband. A sample can even be placed in the middle of the suction port if it needs further checking. There may be some privacy issues involved here but that’s probably a problem that can be resolved or fixed by the airport or terminal if ever this concept gets made into an actual product.

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Portable AI device uses camera, projectors, sensors to make you more productive

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For better or for worse, depending on where you stand on the debate, artificial intelligence has changed and will continue changing how we create and communicate. Services like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Gemini, and Copilot are pretty popular with those who are adventurous enough to experiment with AI. We can expect that over the next few years, we’ll see more services, gadgets, and devices that can help us use the technology and integrate it into our workflow and every day lives.

Designers: Mingwan Bae, Sohyun An, Junyoung Min, Youngsuh Yoo

Lay is a concept for a portable AI device that is equipped with a wide-angle camera, a projector, and a sensing module. The 48MP wide-angle camera has a 13mm focal length and is able to recognize objects and space as well as have text recognition and upscale objects it can scan. The 4K UHD projector can project up to 30 inches screen with auto keystone and has under 10cm ultra-short throw distance and high brightness and contrast. The sensing module, which includes LiDAR, ambient light, and proximity sensors, is able to sense its surroundings in real time.

The device basically scans your surroundings and then leverage AI to make suggestions and give assistance on tasks that you can do to as you’re working, drawing, reading, scribbling, building, creating, or just leisurely browsing. It looks like a small spherical robot with a round head that moves around and that you can carry around and place on your desk or space as it helps you make your workflow smoother. It projects onto a surface which will serve as your screen as you do your different tasks. It can recognize and select text, drawings, photos, sketches and then all the content and information are updated in your real-time cloud.

The device still seems to be mostly theoretical and specific tasks you can do or that it can suggest are still a bit vague. But it’s an interesting concept for an AI-powered device that you can carry around with you especially if you’re a digital nomad. And with the speed at which some digital natives and early adapters are using and exploring AI, this can actually be a real device soon.

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Multi-purpose furniture collection is both kid and pet-friendly

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If you have both kids and pets at home, it can sometimes be a challenge to have furniture that can friendly for both of them. You have to get separate kid-friendly and pet-friendly items if you want to have them feel comfortable and at home in your space. So it would be nice if there are multipurpose furniture that they can both use and enjoy. And of course, we all love items that serve more than just one purpose of course to save space and money.

Designers: Wei Jingye, Song Kexin, Zheng Xiaolei and Zhou Haoyuan

Wowo Multipurpose Furniture is a collection of items that can serve that purpose for parents that need stuff for their human kids and their fur-babies. The pieces in the collection have round and playful forms and colorful hues which makes it attractive for those that will use the seats and tables. The shapes are inspired by the mouth shape that children make when they say the cute word “wowo”. The hollow structure combined with the “saturation color and mellow shape” adds to the comfort that both kids and pets will get when they use the furniture.

The kids can sit on the chairs with their feet hanging or knees bent, whichever is more comfortable with them. Some of the seats are hallowed so this is where the pets can stay, to give a harmonious space for the two kinds of “children”. The main part of the furniture uses 3D-printing technology and magnetic assembly structure while the supporting structure uses solid wood in primary colors, processed and formed by machine cutting and manual grinding.

The collection is made up of various chairs and tables, some with the hallowed parts and stands for the pets to rest and play with. The pastel colors also add to the feeling of warmth and comfort. And because of the shape and colors of the items, they can also serve as part of your space’s decoration when not in use (or even when in use), especially if pastel and warm colors are your aesthetic.

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Hidden hub clears your desk of cords, sockets, and port clutter

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To say that I have a messy desk is an understatement. Aside from the various books, office supplies, and knick-knacks that I have lying around, one of the things that make it pretty messy are all my cords connectors, and sockets. I work with multiple devices so I need all kinds of charging and connecting tools, therefore adding to the clutter on my desk. If ever I one day decide to have a cleaner and more minimalist desk, then I definitely need one of these docking hubs to make my work and home office life a bit more organized.

Designer: Lon

The Lon:HUB is one such docking hub that can give your desk a cleaner appearance and at the same time provide you with all the outlets and ports that you need. The ports and sockets are attached under your desk and on top of your space, you have some of the ports that you would need. Underneath, you have 5x 110V AC sockets, 2x HDMI 2 display ports, and 2x arms where you can wrap your cords around so you don’t get a spaghetti-like mess. On the edge of your desk, the hub has a 10 Gbps USB-C 100W port, 2x USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and it even has a wireless charger landing pad.

The hub also comes with a proprietary high-speed PCB with 100W PD and medical-grade power unit. It will also be available in several color options. We’re seeing orange, yellow, and a dark blue/grayish one if you prefer muted colors. If you want a more powerful unit, there will be a Pro version available which has a Thunderbolt 4 port, 2x HDMI 2.1 and 2x DisplayPort 1.4 ports,, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet card, 2x 10Gbps USB-C and 6x 10Gbps USB-A ports, a UHS-II SD-Card slot, QI2 wireless charger pad, and a 100W PD. It will also have a full aluminium casing.

The price tag hasn’t been officially revealed yet but it looks they’re planning to go for $199 which is a pretty good price tag for a dock. Design-wise the Lon:HUB is pretty minimalist and that is the point as something intricately designed may add to your desk’s clutter. I may not be leaving my maximalist style anytime soon but removing the cord and socket clutter may be the first step I’ll take and this dock would be a good start.

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Sō Labs’s Layer 2 collection boasts 217 color combinations with day/date complications

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For those of us who grew up in the age of analog watches, it’s quite unfathomable that there are kids now who have a hard time, or worse, don’t know how to actually read time. They’re so used to looking at their smartphones to tell time that reading the short hand and long hand of is pretty difficult and at times even impossible. But analog watches are still a big thing for those who want to own classic or funky timepieces on their wrists. And there are brands that keep churning out great designs for those of us who still prefer telling time the “old school” way.

Designer: Sō Labs

Sō Labs is one such brand that is creating watches that are distinct, colorful, and dynamic. They previously released their limited edition Layer 1 collection that has since then sold out so now it’s time to unveil Layer 2. The collection features the signature triangular and circular shapes from the brand but this time bringing a different twist to the design. The day and date complications are now both functional and an aesthetic feature. Each day and date corresponds to a different color so you get 217 color combinations since each wheel has a gradient pattern.

Each of the watches in the Layer 2 collection have 40mm cases and a Swiss SW220-1 automatic movement. They also have a domed sapphire crystal transparent caseback, 20mm lugs, and a 10ATM. You also have the option to switch between the suede and stainless steel strap that comes with each watch. The colors in this collection are more muted compared to Layer 1 but the dials and layers are still pretty interesting.

There are five models in the Layer 2 collection: Obsidian Frost, Iron Flamingo, Plum Punch, Charcoal Fog, and Iced Oatmeal. Each of the watches are uniquely numbered so you can also guess that the price tag is pretty hefty compared to other funky designed analog watches. If you’re a collector though, you already expect that limited edition watches are pretty expensive (but maybe worth it as well?)

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