Tag Archives: Alex Casabò

This sci-fi transparent PC case is a hypnotic symphony of beastly performance and killer looks

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The visual intrigue of this sci-fi PC case is such that it promotes long hours of productive sitting at the desk sans any distractions. That’s how cool this futuristic machine looks and feels.

A desktop PC case is akin to a spoilt geek’s obsession that needs to look and function like the absolute best on the planet. Isn’t that what all we content creators long for? A computing machine that houses a monster performer on the inside and on the outside, looks absolutely badass to the core. Designer Alex Casabo gives me more than one reason to crave a PC case for my desktop setup that’s as geeky as his creation.

He calls it the Crystal PC Case Concept, and I wish it could adorn my desk one day. The USP with Alex’s design is the sublime combination of computing power with futuristic aesthetics that will escalate any workspace into a productive den. Such is the magnetic ambiance of the concept. All the internal components like the motherboard, RAM, GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, SSD, etc. are immaculately arranged in a distinct pattern for a clean look. The four heat-dissipating fans – two on top and two on the rear – designed to operate with minimal noise without compromise in active airflow give the innards depth perception.

Keeping with the sci-fi theme of the PC, the designer includes a built-in display on the CPU to keep a check on temperature and clock speed. The Crystal PC Case in part attributes its namesake thanks to the crystal clear case covering with cut-out vents for airflow on the top and rear – in line with the fans. The matte back and gray color scheme is contrasted by the uber-cool blue, green, orange and red LED lights adorning the telemetry display, component indicators, and fan lighting. Just imagine how cool it will look with a blue and green bias light setup for the accompanying monitor in conjunction with color-changing LED lighting for the home office setup!

Designer: Alex Casabo

Modified Yamaha XS 650 concept ditches the Cafe Racer’s classic appeal for a modern, punkish design

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If your first reaction was “That looks nothing like a Yamaha cafe racer”, believe me, you’re not alone. Alex Casabo’s reinterpretation of the classic mid-size Yamaha XS 650 motorcycle is far from conventional. Bordering into an edgy, almost KTM territory, Casabo’s Concept 13 R looks less like the seasoned, mature, classic Yamaha cafe racer and more like its aggressive late-teenage son… and I personally can’t get enough of it!

The Concept 13 R’s f***boi vibe is deliberate and difficult to ignore. Look past its edgy, armor-like design and you’ll notice that tramp-stamp on its tires that reads “Love You, Fvck You”, sending mixed signals that make you even more curious about the bike. The modified concept ditches Yamaha’s iconic fuel-tank design for a low-poly fairing that is complemented by the unusual windshield plate on the front within which sits the bike’s tiny, yet powerful projector headlight. The Concept 13 R has two additional headlights too, in the form of LED strips mounted on the front spring forks. The taillight sits on the back of the seat, with the same thin LED-strip design.

Designer Alex Casabo uses panel-work to bring the bike’s design to life, resulting in edgy forms with little volume. Even the seat itself has little mass, and is just about an inch thick. The seat, however, sits on rather visible shock absorbers, providing some cushioning as you drive down on bumpy terrain. The nude, zinc-coated galvanized steel finish on the fuel tank further reinforces the bike’s raw attitude, making it look unusual, to say the least.

What makes the Concept 13 R so interesting is that it isn’t like the other mass-produced bikes from Yamaha’s factory. It has its own complex, wolf-like personality that helps it stand out against the sheep. Perhaps the only Yamaha symbol can be seen on the bike’s clutch cover. That itself gets undercut by the smiling emoji beside it and the blue-burnt steel exhausts.

The bike’s tire treats have smileys and X’s on them too, almost like tattoos on a bike-loving gear-head. If, however, the Concept 13 R’s bad-boy attitude is a little too much for you, Alex Casabo’s even made a slightly more mature and respectable-looking white and black variant… although if you personally ask me, where’s the fun in that??

Designer: Alex Casabo

These lightning-fast SSDs were inspired by the sandy dunes of Jakku for the sci-fi fan in all of us!

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The first time I saw Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the year was 2005 and I was in fourth grade. Since then, the world of tech design has shifted, but Star Wars and other sci-fi realms have maintained the gaze of the tech world, inspiring some of the quirkiest and most clever tech accessories known today. While getting inspired by science-fiction is no rare encounter, it’s so prevalent because, if executed well, science-fiction is one of the few aesthetic categories that manage to reel people into entirely different and unfamiliar worlds.

Sourcing his inspiration from sci-fi movies like Star Wars, Alex Casabò conceptualized in 3D, his own interpretation of what he calls, a “really fast sci-fi SSD,” bringing a traditional SSD and taking it to new heights, perhaps even new galaxies, with a distinct, rugged exterior and lightning-fast drive. Casabò’s SSD concept looks lived-in like it’s headed straight for Crait. SSDs, which rely on flash memory to keep things moving and storage processed, are known for their low read-access time and fast throughputs. Conversely, other storage devices like hard disks store a computer’s memory on mechanical hard drives and generally move a lot slower.

Opting for a more futuristic, cyberpunk aesthetic for his digital SSD conceptualization makes sense since faster speeds indicate technological advancements and go hand in hand with a future world that might look eerily familiar to sci-fi films we grew up watching. His SSD concepts come in three forms, 16 TB, 32 TB, or 64 TB, and come in orange, green, or blue. The translucent, rough-and-tough exterior for his SSD concepts resemble the technological hardware used by the dissidents who form the Rebel Alliance. The SSD’s interior components, the flash controller and flash memory chips, are also visible from the outside, which gives Casabò’s design a distinct look that only brings us closer to the sands of Jakku.

Designer: Alex Casabò