Just yesterday the internets were buzzing with the latest design from Art Lebedev: the
Rozetkus 3D; a standard outlet that pops out of the wall with a simple push to support multiple connections. Lebedev, you'll recall, made quite a name for himself by taking the
Optimus Maximus programmable OLED keyboard from art to part, so to speak. Since posting about the Rozetkus 3D we've been informed of another very similar design concept called the Letout Outlet. So similar, in fact, that it would appear that we've got a copycat on our hands. Unfortunately for our friends at Lebedev, designer Damjan Stankovic created his Letout Outlet concept in January of 2009 and was recognized with a prestigious reddot design award in the "domestic aid" category back in August. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and good artists copy while great artists steal, well, then congratulations to one and all. Unfortunately, only Damjan Stankovic will be on stage during the formal reddot awards ceremony on November 24th in Singapore.
Update: Artemy Lebedev has responded to our inquiry calling this a "funny (and unpleasant) coincidence." Art tells us that his design shop's Rozetkus 3D was first published in Lebedev's internal idea-collecting intranet dubbed,
The Brain, back in November 2006. He assures us that his art is prior, had no knowledge of Damjan's work, and that no wrongdoing should be assumed by either party.
Read -- Letout Outlet
Read -- reddot list of winning concepts 2009 [Warning: Excel]
posted Nov 10th 2009 7:01AM
The art lebedev version looks much more stylish if this is all about modern design
Art Lebedev = Apple, Damjan Stankovic = PC industry, so the analogy goes
@3rdsun I have to disagree with your analogy. Notice the sticker and blue glowy ring on the Lebedev version.
I like the Art Lebedev one better because it looks more like an Aperture Science design.
if the have same functionality and Quality ,then the better the cheaper
Rozetkus is quite a nice name: the word sounds similiar to the german "Rosettenkuss" which means something similiar to rimjob... well....
you have a very.... interesting... fantasy!
braucht schon kreativität um auf sowas zu kommen... =)
thumbs up
Pretty sure we've had something similar in the UK for like 20 years. Or am I missing something?
Nope. My thoughts exactly.
FFS, people, read the links. These things are not just extensions, they _come out of the wall_.
See: http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles/56129/projects/344045/561291257785578.jpg
Actually you ARE missing something. This goes inside the wall and pops out if you need more plugs.
Back to topic, the only thing I see wrong with these models is that the one on the left only has ground pins on the front one and none in the other 4, and the one on the right has no ground pins at all!
Firstly, if we read every ****ing link that every blogger/poster/'news' reporter put up on the web we'd never ever...ever stop.
Secondly...great, it's an extension that goes into the wall...required more work than just plugging an extension into the wall. Most internal walls couldn't handle those things, nor the pressure required to push them in and out regularly...the mounting would steadily start to sink slightly after a while...and if you need something more permanent, you may as well just slot in an extension in the first place - at least that way you can remove it later.
I suppose this is ok for a new build with planning for these things in the first place, but I wouldn't rush to go replace the ones in your house.
chiffster, you clearly have no clue about how outlets are made/mounted inside walls. Please stop talking.
alright alright, I'll tell him.
chiffster, outlet boxes are mounted to studs in the wall. They are not held in by the wallboard. While it is possible to do so, it's not how outlets are installed when a house is first built.
@Chiffster ""Firstly, if we read every ****ing link that every blogger/poster/'news' reporter put up on the web we'd never ever...ever stop."- Fine, whatever, don't read the link. But don't get pissed off when people point out he's totally missed the f'n point of the product too.
"I suppose this is ok for a new build with planning for these things in the first place, but I wouldn't rush to go replace the ones in your house." I wouldn't rush to replace the ones in your house either, go buy your own f'n outlets and install them. ;)
Now I know I'm missing something, but can someone please just tell me what the big deal is with these things? They're just power extensions, aren't they? We've been using them for years...well, with the proper 3pin configuration we have in the UK... :p
It's not an extension, it's the socket, it pops out of the wall when you need more than one plug.
Srsly. I didn't even have to read the article to see what they were doing. LOOK then THINK first!
concept's the same, the design is clearly different.
i'd assume letout is entire button, you push and it springs out, lebdev's effort looks like it uses a button at the top
KIRF?
I believe it's just an unfortunate coincidence. Just browse the art lebedev site - it's clear that they/he don't/doesn't need to copy anything.
Art Lebedev didn't invent the keyboard either, he just added some cool bells and whistles...
Will either of them ever exist? And if Lebedev does produce his, will it cost more than a small car? I don't get what the point of this is. So he stole a design of a product that doesn't exist to design another product that will probably never exist?
oh come on... its just an extension plug.
This conversation only matters if the first designer applied for the appropriate design or utility patents.
Competition is good people - hopefully whoever was late to the table will go back and redesign it, and hopefully something better will come out out it.
this kind of adapter is common in the UK! I don't see what the fuss is about.
Lebedev made a name for himself by charging $1500 for a lame keyboard that missed it's production dates over and over and was adorred by lame blog sites around the world...
I think Art Lebdev has friends at engadget. Otherwise, why all the free press for overpriced gimmicky hardware?
The broad idea is already invented in 1945 by Mr Aguilar (see US Patent 2,443,367) and probably re-invented again and again by the likes..
Do not underestimate the power of the independent American inventor! especially during the recessions...
They're both purdy.
I really don't get all the praise for this outlet? I have seen such multipliers 5 years ago. They were not exactly cubic but they had a source on all 5 sides.
This is not new. This is at least 5 years old. Get a life people.
How many of these comments are we going to get from people who can't seem to RTFA? I downvote your comment, sir!
RTFA
damn double post. and damn 3rd post apologizing for the double post
what the hell is that pignose thing, that doesnt look like an outlet to me...
Well whoever penned this design first (i doubt either of them is the first to sketch one of these do-dads up)...one things clear. Lebedev's studio has cast off the shackles of drab boring and uninspired eastern block design while Damjan Stankovic's design would look right at home in a Soviet era Yugoslavian apartment block.
Well the way i see it, art lebedev is an industry, and a very good one, and they have time and resources to work on their projects. Version done by Damjan Stankovic is not a statment of how design should be based on Yugoslavian apartment block, but just a concept to express the idea. So i would not put these two on the same level since one is products and the other is just a concept.
Well i see your point, Lebedev certainly has more resources to pursue their artistic designs. However Stankovic's Linkedin page touts the fact he has a BA in graphic design from the Academy of Fine Arts, and he has penned other designs that are rather creative and aesthetic (see the USBee below). This one just seems bland and lacking, and it's more then a quick concept sketch for visualization, it's a product drawing as he intended it to be. The Lebedev design just blows it away on aesthetics. The proportions of the frame, the way the frame bevel extends onto the face of the pop out, the rounded flowing corners, the trim details around the outlets on the face and sides etc. all make for a very appealing design.
http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/03/13/this-thumb-drive-has-real-buzz/
Actually its not. :) and i know because we talked about that, its just a quick model-render to show the concept since the time was short. Shouldn't the fact that usbee looks so good speak to you just opposite of what you concluded? Do you really think he would make a socket without those edges, bigger holes and grounding? It was just a quick concept, since it was the reddot concept competition, and it needed to go out public very fast as-is, to at least get some credits.
As about the usbee, it was a colab, Damjan invented the thing, designed it and did graphics and concept, while his friend did the modeling for that Marko Radosavljevic, he is an extremely good 3d modeler-animator, and very famous in Serbia. www.relogik.com will be out soon and you will see new work from Damjan.
Well heck you should have mentioned that before. :) I figured if he entered it in a design competition he would have tried to put his best work forward, ya know? It'll be interesting to see what his final design ends up looking like. He's obviously got some talent.
Why isn't Art Lebedev in charge of design for the entire planet? Those square traffic lights he showed off a while ago were HOT!
No ground + commie outlet = fail
Looks like that another had the idea before lebedev:
http://designeast.eu/2009/11/09/letout-outlet/
wooow you didn't get the poin of all this story.....as a got it Damjan made this long before ArtLebedev...they just maybe made more interesting 3d what does NOT give them rights to sign a project as their one.....idea is important here and a rights to it....not what render do you like more..or a ring that glows...so my wote goes obviously to Damjan Stankovic
http://relogik.com/letout-outlet