Archive for Concepts

Numlock Handle makes your home a giant safe

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on June 1st, 2009

Numlock Handle makes your home a giant safe Regular old door locks are so last century. What we really need is something that makes entering our homes feel more like entering a vault. That’s what this design concept for a mechanical lock is all about. It could solve the whole keyless lock thing once and for all.

Numlock Handle is pretty self-explanatory from the pic. The door is unlocked when you configure its four tumblers to the correct numbers. Then when you are inside, it automatically scrambles the tumblers once again to lock the door behind you.

Pocket Projector turns your mobile into a remote

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on May 21st, 2009

Pocket Projector turns your mobile into a remoteAlong comes this interesting new concept to shake things up in the mobile projector industry. The Nokia Pulse Projector combines an LED-projector and a NXT-speaker with Dolby sound processing into a single device. It works with your cell using Pulse software and Bluetooth, basically turning your handset into an interactive remote which will control the multimedia player.

Some specs of this amazing concept include a native resolution of 1,280 x 768, a contrast ratio of 1,500:1, LED light technology, 1,000 lumens brightness and it will throw images from 15″ to 60″ at 7.87 feet.

Q-Sound Solar Bluetooth headphones are from the future

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on May 21st, 2009

Q-Sound Solar Bluetooth headphones are from the futureThis pair of headphones is clearly from the future. No doubt sent here to protect young John Connor’s ears and keep him listening to his tunes in style, so that he can one day be a kick-ass leader. At least, that’s what I’m guessing judging by how awesome they look. This is the Q-Sound headphone concept from Shepeleff Stephen and the design is simply amazing.

It looks great and also uses solar technology. That’s a solar panel running across the headband, where it will always catch the sun. The Q-Sound, being a concept, would also take calls or plug into a 3.5mm jack if you need it to.

MotoMap GPS device for bikes

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on May 12th, 2009

MotoMap GPS device for bikesStephen Dettman loves bikes. That’s why he designed the MotoMap GPS Device for Bikes concept. The concept uses two new technologies. Powerfilm flexible solar panels and e-ink flexible displays. First where do you put it? It tackles the hardware mounting issue by wrapping around the fuel tank with magnets in the adjustable straps. It should stay in place even in an accident.

When not in use, flip it around so that the solar panel can work, storing up juice. We won’t be seeing it anytime soon, but it’s an interesting idea. Even if it does somewhat resemble a saddle for your bike.

Radio Valerie has sleek curves, smokes an antenna

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on May 4th, 2009

Radio Valerie has sleek curves, smokes an an antennaRadio Valerie, designed by Valentin Vodev, is a radio concept that is at the same time sultry and silly. Sultry thanks to it’s curves, silly because I swear it looks like this thing is smoking an antenna or has an antenna thermometer.

You can fully control the radio without having using buttons or switches, since the antenna acts as your control stick to find stations, and a speaker up top can be turned to control the volume. I don’t know, it looks like a dancing cigarette butt.

Breathing Bud analyzes air quality, looks like rabbit ears

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 30th, 2009

Breathing Bud analyzes air quality, looks like rabbit earsThe Breathing Bud is exactly that, a buddy that will help with your breathing. It’s a concept that gives you a visual look at the air quality in your home using pretty colors. It was designed to look like a plant bud, even though it more closely resembles rabbit ears.

Vents at the base suck in the air for analysis. A blue bud means good quality air, while pink means not so good. Or as Aerosmith might say, the rabbit done died. The Breathing Bud is connected via USB to your computer, where it will transfer it’s data.

Digital Scarecrows aren’t very scary

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 28th, 2009

Digital Scarecrows aren't very scaryThe scarecrows of yesterday were designed to be scary. As the name implies, they were there to guard crops and keep crows away. It could do with an update however. These days crows and other animals are smarter.

This conceptual scarecrow is armed with an infrared sensor eye that can detect animals within a 16,000 square meter range. When an animal is near, it will go into in an Ultrasonic Wave Generation mode. The device would be equipped with solar panel wings, making them completely self-sufficient. Any varmint that gets too close will suffer a small jolt to scare them away.

Wake up to a Shrieking Ball

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 23rd, 2009

Wake up to a Shrieking BallAre you one of those people who can’t seem to wake up on time no matter what you do? You should probably get more sleep, but failing that you want an alarm clock like this concept. The Shrieking Ball concept alarm clock, if it ever sees production, should come with a lifetime guarantee that it will wake you pretty damn quick.

That’s because it will sound off until you lift the main orb from the base. As it shrieks, you’ll have to place it down just so in its cradle in order to stop the little hellspawn. I think this is a sure way to get somebody awake in the morning.

Emotional Statistics: Website traffic stats bowl

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 22nd, 2009

Emotional Statistics: Website traffic stats bowlObviously people that own Internet gadget stores and websites want to know which parts of their site visitors are hitting the hardest. But some like to peruse their stats while enjoying a bowl of cereal in the morning. Or so this concept suggests.

The Emotional Statistics bowl is a whole new way of displaying traffic stats, it uses flashing diodes to represent how deeply into a website a visitor has ventured, if the center lights up it means that they have bought something. Score!

Apple Mac Folder

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 21st, 2009

Apple Mac FolderIt’s like a Mac and a folder in one. The Mac Folder. Not all that different from any other laptop really, but you probably want Apple to make one very soon. The UI has been redesigned to work like the interfaces seen on the iPod Touch and iPhone.

You’ll also get a multi-touch screen and it’s uber thin. But what’s with those huge keyboard keys? They look big enough for grandma to use. After she calls you and asks you how that is.

Braille e-book concept

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 19th, 2009

Braille e-book conceptTypically, translating any book into braille more than doubles its thickness. But with e-books that doesn’t have to happen. Designer Seon-Keun Park, Byung-Min Woo, Sun-Hye Woo and Jin-Sun Park want more blind people to be able to enjoy books, so they created this Braille e-book concept.

The idea is that this is a braille Kindle. Using EAP technology, it can change the surface pattern via an electromagnetic signal that will simulate braille text. It’s an elegant and simple solution that would enrich the lives of blind readers quite a bit.

Kyocera EOS phone is sexy, with a flexible OLED screen

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 16th, 2009

Kyocera EOS phone is sexy, with a flexible OLED screenKyocera is gazing into the future of cell phones with this EOS phone. We like what we see. A whole lot. Even if this is but a dream. The flexible OLED display lets you fold it up like a wallet, which is pretty convenient. The shape-memory buttons will pop out from their flush position when you need them, like magic.

The most interesting aspect is its kinetic energy power. It works like a self-winding watch, so you always have juice, or so it would appear. The Kyocera EOS was created by industrial designer Susan McKinney, who likes to take long walks in the future, then show us what she saw.

IMO Coffee Maker looks like a robot arm

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 15th, 2009

IMO Coffee Maker looks like a robot armDesigner Alisson Wilson Ströher’s IMO coffee maker is all about being compact and practical for your home. But it looks like a robot arm. Everytime I had coffee I would be sad that I don’t have the rest of the robot. I might search online and see if I can order his other parts, which would make me sadder. Because you can’t.

Would you keep a robot arm in your kitchen? This coffee maker can adjust its height so you can fill cups of any size. You can also brew three packets of coffee without changing the water inside. It’s only a concept, but if it existed, it would cost just $130.

Glassy Glassy cell phone concept

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 14th, 2009

Glassy Glassy cell phone conceptTokyo-based designer Mac Funamizu is at it again. This time he has come up with a concept design for a phone that Wonder Woman would love to have in her invisible jet. The Glassy Glassy cell phone concept.

The entire phone is transparent until you turn it on. That’s when the screen and keypad light up so you can press the buttons accordingly. It’s sure to get lost easier and blend into its surroundings. Where the battery is, I have no idea. Hopefully, its stronger than glass.

Troika Social Security Card concept

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on April 10th, 2009

Troika Social Security Card conceptThis concept turns your SS card into a gadget. The Troika Social Security card concept comes with a built-in thumbprint reader, buttons that can change the display from your Social Security info to your Driver’s License or passport.

That way, you can carry just one card on your person and have everything. It features an aluminum body, so it would be tough. The drawback is that if you lose it, you lose everything. And if a identity theif gets it, they get everything, because no matter how good that thumbprint reader is, it can be hacked.