Archive for the ‘ Design ’ Category
You might recall the very impressive “Blinput” concept by Scotland-based design student Erik Hals from earlier this month. Well now it seems that the visually impaired could be spoiled for choice with student design projects, as University of Washington design students Erik Hedberg and Zack Bennet offer up another, potential revolutionary, smartphone application for the blind. Continue reading
The trend
With majority of cellphone users looking for multiple functions in mobile handsets, the focus of smartphone designers has been shifting toward touch-sensitive phones that can meet communication as well as multimedia needs through a single device. The popularity of touch-sensitive handsets can well be measured with the fact that over 20 different touchscreen-enabled phones, though with diverse form and functions, have been released in past two years. Taking the mobile phone technology, evolving day after day, to a new level, designer Julius Tarng has come up with an innovative cellphone called the “Modai” that seems to forge emotional bonds between the user and electronic devices by persuading human behaviors and pushing the limits of mobile technology.
Video after the break. Continue reading
Voim (seeing in Korean) is a smartphone concept for the blind that includes functions to make communication easier. It features route navigation, word recognition and object identification, which are displayed as braille on a silicon screen or transmitted as audio cues via the detachable bluetooth headset. Although smartphone applications & braille cell phones do exists, a full-fledged concept like this is a ways away.
Designers: Youngseong Kim & Eunsol Yeom
Nokia Wallet X70 is actually a mobile phone in your wallet. You can call him, write SMS messages, take pictures, use it as GPS navigation, music player, or to insert your credit card.
The concept is designed with two cameras. One is for video and one that has a 5MP resolution, for photographing rare moments. There is also, of course, his dual LED flash. The system can use either a capacitive touch screen or a full QWERTY keyboard. Lacking in full-fledged life free navigation, speakers for music playback and even Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Built-in memory is 8 GB, but the SD card does not count. The operating system I chose an older S60 5th Edition.
Dimensions correspond to the classic purse. Wallet, so easily fits in any pocket. Weight in turn corresponds to your wallet full of money.
KDDI launched a wave of new phones this morning, but this is the one we really want to hold — it’s called the X-RAY, and it’s one of two new products in the company’s iida designer brand. Crafted by Tokujin Yoshioka, it’s a high-end Japanese clamshell with a 1-Seg TV tuner, NFC payments, and an 8 megapixel camera — you know, the usual — but with a translucent case (also available in blue and black) that leaves nothing to the imagination. There’s a QSD8650 CDMA-ready Snapdragon in there, a GSM radio as well, a 7 x 102 pixel LED scrolling sub-display to display alerts and notifications, plus all the requisite chips and wires beautifully laid out. It’ll be on display in Harajuku this Tuesday, but there’s no word on availability or price quite yet. However, given that the prime accessory for the X-RAY is a solid crystal stand that makes the phone look like it’s floating on air, we probably don’t want to know. Video after the break.
This mobile phone concept by London designer Patrick Hyland can be charged by the heat in your pocket.
An integrated thermogenerator converts heat from any source into electrical energy to charge the phone, whether while being carried in your pocket or placed on top of a radiator.
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Parents tired of telling their children that their iPod or iPhone is “not a toy” (when even the toddler knows the truth) should take a look at this $20 plushy accessory. Part protective case, part interactive children’s toy, the Woogie is a sort of “Tickle Me iPhone” that converts devices into virtually indestructible playmates.
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Since Mozilla Labs launched the Concept Series with an open call for participation we’ve had thousands of people join in, share ideas and develop concepts around Firefox, the Mozilla projects and the Open Web as a whole.
In response to our open call Billy May, in early 2009, produced a throw-away concept for an “Open Web Concept Phone”. Working directly off of that community feedback, Billy has since finished the exploration with his concept “Seabird”.
Designed for Samsung, the “AQUA” by South Korean designer Bon Seop Ku is a cellphone concept, inspired by drawing on the table with water, which features a progressive design to attract next-gen customers. Presenting a transparent body together with graphical user interface (GUI), the futuristic mobile handset comes with AMOLED display to enhance the experience of the user. The source of the interface is a water-based touchscreen. Users can delete the icons of the interface by simply rubbing the display with their hands. The cellphone runs on liquid type battery that apart from being eco-friendly supports the transparency of the screen as well.
The working mechanics of tech gadgets in futuristic movies can really stump me at times, so for my sake, I’m going to try and keep this as simple as I can. The Smart Plus is a combination of a laptop case, projector keyboard and a Smartphone. There is no screen or a dedicated hardrive involved in the setup; the Smartphone itself is the “brains” in this combo. The inside of the case doubles up as a screen and the projector beams images to it or any other surface you desire. All of it together can be used as a laptop, gaming console or a phone.
The phone splits up into two where the bottom half is gaming controls and top touchscreen half, docks with the projector board. The idea for this new system is to do away with unnecessary electronic clutter and use the bare minimum. If nothing else, you can save up on individual internet options for your various devices and use only one for the Smart Plus.
T-Mobile Dose 