Archive for Concepts

Plug and Play Wireless Speaker System

Posted in Concepts, Speakers by Chetz on June 21st, 2007

Plug and play wireless speaker system conceptThe wireless revolution isn’t fully here just yet. When the day finally arrives that you don’t need to hook up your stereo, DVD player, TV and computer in a Monster Cable circuit the government should immortalize the moment by making it a national holiday.

One design firm that sees that day coming is Per Brickstad, makers of the Plug & Play wireless speaker system. The design borrows from minimalist movement and features a transparent speaker system so you can show off the color of your wall underneath the item. The cooler feature is that you can plug in any audio device, be it your mobile phone, MP3 player or computer via one of the connectors and the stream music wirelessly to the speaker. There is also a LCD display in the speaker unit which can show song info just in case you …

No More Needles

Posted in Concepts, Health by Chetz on June 18th, 2007

Lima blood sugar analyzer conceptAsk anyone that is a diabetic how much fun it is to test their blood throughout the day, poking their self, drawing blood and then placing it on a sensor to see whether you need to boost or lower their blood sugar level. No kidding, it’s no one’s idea of fun. So why isn’t the Lima, a concept design for a outdoor blood sugar analyzer created by Damian Mackiewicz, already a reality and not just a sketch?

According to Mackiewicz’s notes the Lima works by sensing the blood sugar level just by resting your hand on the surface of the unit. The Lima can then detect what the level is in your blood through infrared radiation. There is no irritating pinprick and you don’t need to draw blood. With over six million people alone suffering from diabetes in Germany (which we guess is …

Melt Umbrella

Posted in Concepts by Nino Marchetti on June 4th, 2007

Melt Umbrella conceptThis next item definitely falls into the “not ready for the light of day” category. Be ready to be under impressed by Melt, a sustainable umbrella.

Tired of your Wal-Mart umbrella going sideways in a light gale force wind? Melt designer Chelsea McLemore has designed Melt with what she calls an “intuitive tension system. Each arm consists of semi-cylinder pieces strung together. When the handle is extended the loose pieces are forced to create a rigid arm.” I suppose this makes it more durable?

What is really interesting (and bizarre) about this though is the sustainability of the umbrella. It’s made from biodegradable garden film and bamboo, with seeds stored in the handle. It’s all supposed to add up to the ability to someday “melt” your umbrella into the foundations for a small garden.

Uhh, ok. How about a weed garden?

Heartbeat Indicator Mouse

Posted in Concepts, Health, Mouse by Nino Marchetti on May 25th, 2007

Heartbeat-indicator-mouseHours of coding or playing EverQuest and lack of exercise commonly go hand in hand to promote growth of the waistline of sedentary computer users (like myself). This can usually lead to bad health problems down the road with various parts of your body such as your ticker. Designer Kawok Lau thinks the answer to salvation might lie in your mouse.

That’s right - your computer mouse. Lau has cooked up what is being called the Heartbeat Indicator Mouse. This regular, wireless mouse activates when a person goes to use it by calling upon built-in sensors below the thumb and palm to take one’s heartbeat. The results of your pulse are displayed on a USB device with a LCD screen which you can position on your desktop so you see exactly how often someone’s annoying email spikes your heart rate. This same display will tell you how …

Wardriving. Literally.

Posted in Concepts, Notebooks by Chetz on April 6th, 2007

Cario Notebook conceptThis is one of the oddest yet appealing tech concepts seen yet: a laptop designed specifically for the needs of today’s on-the-go desk jockey. The Cario Notebook was designed for the mobile worker, someone who could use a laptop while on call but in the confines of their mobile office (meaning their automobile.)

The notebook is envisioned so that it can hook up to the car’s controls so the user can turn on the A/C or adjust the temperature all through the laptop instead of, you know, reaching over 5 inches and fiddling with the dials on the center console. According to the designers the Cario would only be allowed to operate in heads up display mode when the vehicle was in motion, eliminating the temptation to play a quick round of “Half-Life 2″ while stuck in traffic.

The thin design certainly has visual appeal …

Dandella GPS Wands Point Where To Go

Posted in Concepts, GPS by Darrin Olson on February 18th, 2007

Dandella GPS points in the direction to goThis GPS concept locating device is a concept from Singapore designers Yong-kai Tan and Priscilla Lui which won the top prize at a recent International Design Competition. The device is called Dandella and could be used for finding your way home or to another person holding a Dandella.

The concept GPS wand, when activated, lights up and physically points in the direction to its home, or too another Dandella wand depending on what it was programmed to do. The idea is that the GPS device would connect in a wireless charging unit that looks like a pen holder cup, and could be programmed with its home location or what other wand it should try to find. It would be programmed with the appropriate settings from a computer through a wireless Bluetooth connection. An embedded GPS chip would be aware …

The Remember Ring Burns into Memory Your Big Day

Posted in Concepts, Rings by Darrin Olson on October 15th, 2006

Remember RingTell the makers of the Remember Ring the date of your anniversary, and they will build it into the electronics of this finger gadget to remind you of the big day, each year.

Every year thereafter at 24 hours before the anniversary this ring will heat up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for just 10 seconds. The 120 degrees is enough to get your attention but is not supposed to be hot enough to actually cause a burn. It gives you this reminder every hour on the hour for the 24 hours prior to the date set to help assure you will never forget the big date.

The Remember Ring charges it’s battery through the heat from your hand throughout the year, so the battery should not go dead, comes in seven different styles, is completely waterproof and has lifetime warranty.

Remember Ring [Alaska Jewelry]





Other blogs from the Topic Soup Network that you might like:

PopTherapy.com - A therapeutic guide to popular culture

WeathyReader.com - Where reading pays off.

HealthyReader.com web site

Botropolis.com web site