Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2013 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Visualized: What the new Samsung Series 9 could have looked like]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/samsung-series-9-prototype/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/samsung-series-9-prototype/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/samsung-series-9-prototype/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Image

In case you haven't noticed, we've gotten multiple opportunities to talk shop with Samsung executives over the past couple days. After we finished grilling the R&D team on higher-res displays, we sat down with the designers behind the latest Series 9 Ultrabooks, and they surprised us by whipping out a late-stage prototype -- aka, a glimpse at what these laptops might have been, were it not for a little extra hemming and hawing and at least one executive veto. You know what they say: a picture tells a thousand words, and we've got quite a few embedded below for your viewing pleasure. If you're obsessed with minutiae like the keyboard backlighting color, however, follow past the break for more on all those rejected design ideas, and feel free to let us know in the comments which ones you would've preferred.

Gallery: 2012 Samsung Series 9 prototype hands-on

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]]> designhands-onIndustrial DesignIndustrialDesignlaptoplaptopsnotebooknotebooksprototypeprototypesSamsungSamsung Series 9Samsung Series 9 2012SamsungSeries9SamsungSeries92012Series 9Series 9 2012Series9Series92012UltrabookUltrabooks Thu, 17 May 2012 11:32:00 -0400 21|20240008 <![CDATA[HP on laptop design similarities with Apple's: it's a struggle as we drive to simplicity]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/09/hp-apple-laptop-design-similarity/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/09/hp-apple-laptop-design-similarity/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/09/hp-apple-laptop-design-similarity/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments HP on laptop design similarities with Apple's: it's a struggle as we drive to simplicity

HP's spent the afternoon here in Shanghai to share some details about its latest products and strategy, and to our delight, there was one session dedicated to "Style Meets Function," during which Vice President of Industrial Design Stacy Wolff talked about his design philosophy and design goals for the current market. Most notably, we learned that some of HP's latest laptop designs were based on the work of its research centers from 11 different cities, and the company isn't afraid of admitting that it used consultants for an outside perspective as well.

Despite Stacy's upbeat presentation and interesting stats (apparently these days men have a boring color preference, from first to fourth favorite: black, gray, blue and white), the inevitable question popped up: One lady expressed her concern that the brand-spanking-new Envy Spectre XT reminded her of the MacBook Air a lot, so she wondered if HP's ever worried that Apple might sue.

Stacy kept his initial reply pretty brief:

"I would go back to the TC1000 [Tablet PC] from about 10 years, and that's a tablet. I think if you look at the new Spectre XT, there are similarities in a way, not due to Apple but due to the way technologies developed. Apple may like to think that they own silver, but they don't. In no way did HP try to mimic Apple. In life there are a lot of similarities."

As always, we wanted more from the horse's mouth, so we grabbed hold of Stacy right after the session and had a little chat over this topic -- you can see the full and surprisingly candid interview after the break.

Gallery: HP on laptop design similarities with Apple's: it's a struggle as we drive to simplicity

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]]> appledesignenvyenvy spectreEnvy Spectre XTEnvySpectreEnvySpectreXtfeaturedfeaturesGlobal Influencer SummitGlobal Influencer Summit 2012GlobalInfluencerSummitGlobalInfluencerSummit2012hpindustrial designIndustrialDesigninterviewlaptopmacbookmacbook airMacbookAirshanghaispectrespectre xtSpectreXtstacy wolffStacyWolffultrabookvice presidentVicePresident Wed, 09 May 2012 09:57:00 -0400 21|20234371 <![CDATA[Apple's Sir Jonathan Ive: our competitors have 'completely the wrong goals']]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/apples-sir-jonathan-ive-our-competitors-have-completely-the-w/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/apples-sir-jonathan-ive-our-competitors-have-completely-the-w/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/apples-sir-jonathan-ive-our-competitors-have-completely-the-w/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
London's favorite only remaining evening free-sheet has snagged an interview with Apple design maven Sir Jonathan Ive. In the piece he talks about being thrilled and humbled by his recent Knighthood, the importance of his London upbringing and why Apple's competitors can't win. Pointing to a desire not to make "genuinely better" products, Cupertino's unnamed rivals instead are "interested in doing something different, or want to appear new," which he says is the wrong goal. The difference is that he and his team aren't tied to a price, a schedule or a marketing scheme -- which he believes "have scant regard for people who use the product." There's also a barbed reference to consumers being able to sense "great care in the design and when there is cynicism and greed" in products on the market. Head on down to the source link to read more, including his frustration with designers who "wag their tails in his face" -- who knew designers had tails, eh?

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]]> AppleCompetitionCupertinoDesignDesignerDesignersEngineeringiMacIndustrial DesignIndustrialDesignInterviewiPadiPhoneiPodJony IveJonyIveMacBookSir Jonathan IveSirJonathanIve Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:52:00 -0400 21|20191868 <![CDATA[The Engadget Interview: Nokia VP of Industrial Design Stefan Pannenbecker at MWC 2012 (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/27/the-engadget-interview-nokia-vp-of-industrial-design-stefan-pan/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/27/the-engadget-interview-nokia-vp-of-industrial-design-stefan-pan/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/27/the-engadget-interview-nokia-vp-of-industrial-design-stefan-pan/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Today at Mobile World Congress we spent a few minutes talking with Stefan Pannenbecker, VP of Industrial Design at Nokia about Espoo's past, present and future handsets -- including the just announced 808 PureView, Lumia 610 and Asha 302 / 203 / 202, as well as the Lumia 900 we played with at CES. He shared his insights on Nokia's design language and philosophy and some interesting details such as the clearcoat finish used on the Lumia 800 / 900 and N9. Enjoy the video.

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]]> 808808 PureView808PureviewAsha 302Asha302designIndustrial DesignIndustrialDesigninterviewLumiaLumia 610Lumia 800Lumia 900Lumia610Lumia800Lumia900mobilepostcrossmwcmwc 2012Mwc2012N9NokiaNokia 808Nokia 808 PureViewNokia N9Nokia808Nokia808PureviewNokiaN9PureViewStefan PannenbeckerStefanPannenbeckervideoVP Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:09:00 -0500 21|20180778 <![CDATA[Cryoscope gadget simulates tomorrow's weather today (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/cryoscope-gadget-simulates-tomorrows-weather-today-video/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/cryoscope-gadget-simulates-tomorrows-weather-today-video/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/cryoscope-gadget-simulates-tomorrows-weather-today-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments This multi-layered device can't shower you with hail or tan your outdoor-deprived complexion, regrettably. What it can do though, is deliver a direct haptic sensation of how warm or cold it'll be tomorrow, just in case you decide to venture out of your bedroom. An Arduino controller pulls in forecast data from the web and uses it to adjust a Peltier element and a cooling fan, which are housed along with a heat sink inside a neat and tactile aluminum box. The Cryoscope is the handiwork of industrial design student Robb Godshaw, and it's the reason he already knew he'd be wearing a skinny t-shirt and stripey socks in the video after the break.

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]]> arduinodesignforecasthapticheat sinkHeatSinkindustrial designIndustrialDesignpeltier elementPeltierElementRobb GodshawRobbGodshawrochester institute of technologyRochesterInstituteOfTechnologysensationtemperaturetouchvideoweatherweather forecastWeatherForecast Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:28:00 -0500 21|20164925 <![CDATA[Apple lead designer Jonathan Ive knighted for the New Year, how's your 2012 looking?]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/31/apple-lead-designer-jonathan-ive-knighted/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/31/apple-lead-designer-jonathan-ive-knighted/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/31/apple-lead-designer-jonathan-ive-knighted/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Apple Senior VP Jonathan (or Jony) Ive has been credited with fueling the company's resurgence alongside Steve Jobs with products like the iMac, iPhone and iPad, and for these successes has been made a Knight Commander of the British Empire as a part of the New Year's Honour's List. Aside from having a much better NYE celebration than yours, he'll be tapped on the shoulders by the Queen's sword and that will forever be Sir Jony to you, commoner (we'll see if he can make it through the ceremony without suggesting some tweaks for better balance and usability -- you can see his passion above as he eats an invisible sandwich pontificates about new iMacs). It's a bump up from his previous title of Commander of the British Empire and keeps the cycle going, as he released a statement appreciating the benefit of a "wonderful tradition in the UK of designing and making".

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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]]> appledesignerhonorindustrial designIndustrialDesignjonathan iveJonathanIvejony iveJonyIveknightknightedknighthoodlead designerLeadDesignerqueensenior vpSeniorVpuk Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:06:00 -0500 21|20138120 <![CDATA[The Engadget Interview: Nokia's Peter Skillman talks design (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/26/the-engadget-interview-peter-skillman-talks-design/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/26/the-engadget-interview-peter-skillman-talks-design/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/26/the-engadget-interview-peter-skillman-talks-design/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Peter Skillman knows a thing or two about making beautiful devices. He's Palm's former VP of design, and he's the man behind Nokia's glorious N9 -- its look, feel and user experience. We bumped into him at Nokia World here today and asked him what went into the N9's -- and by association the Lumia 800's -- design. He shared quite a few interesting details with us, including tidbits about the "curvature continuous form" of MeeGo's icons, Nokia's Pure font and the nuances of the N9's sinuous taper. We even discussed the Play 360 Bluetooth / NFC speaker, which follows the same aesthetic principles. Take a look at our exclusive video interview after the break.

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]]> designexclusiveindustrial designIndustrialDesigninterviewLumia 800Lumia800mobilepostcrossN9NokiaNokia 800Nokia Lumia 800Nokia N9Nokia Play 360nokia pureNokia WorldNokia World 2011Nokia800NokiaLumia800NokiaN9NokiaPlay360NokiaPureNokiaWorldNokiaWorld2011Peter SkillmanPeterSkillmanPlay 360Play360pureuser experienceUserExperienceUXvideo Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:33:00 -0400 21|20091081 <![CDATA[Plick hitches an elastic ride on the DIY robotics train (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/16/plick-hitches-an-elastic-ride-on-the-diy-robotics-train-video/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/16/plick-hitches-an-elastic-ride-on-the-diy-robotics-train-video/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/16/plick-hitches-an-elastic-ride-on-the-diy-robotics-train-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Man, we hope Gumby's collecting some royalty checks for this one. One part incredible-stretching toy, and one part DIY robotics kit, the Plick project takes the traditional hobbyist approach to brick-building your own bot and slaps a little rubber all around it. The industrial design prototype from Brazilian engineer Gabriel Paciornik combines programmable robotic parts with an elastic wired connection suitable for strapping your mad scientist creations to everyday objects. So, what can you make? The kit packs a variety of sensor-based circles that react to distance and sound, giving your mod-jobs the power of movement and light. It's safe to say this not-for-market toy veers far from LEGO Mindstorms NXT territory -- and that's exactly the point. Far out video demo and its 60s beach music soundtrack after the break.

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]]> BrazilianDIYelasticengineerGabriel PaciornikGabrielPaciornikGumbyhobbyIndustrial DesignIndustrialDesignlego mindstorms nxtLegoMindstormsNxtmodPlickprototyperoboticsrobotssensorsensorsvideo Sat, 16 Jul 2011 05:14:00 -0400 21|19992571 <![CDATA[IDEO constructs RFID turntable, hearkens back to mixtapes of yore (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/12/ideo-constructs-rfid-turntable-hearkens-back-to-mixtaps-of-yore/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/12/ideo-constructs-rfid-turntable-hearkens-back-to-mixtaps-of-yore/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/12/ideo-constructs-rfid-turntable-hearkens-back-to-mixtaps-of-yore/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Once upon a time, you could touch your music -- or at least caress a 7- or 12-inch vinyl disc -- but these days the cool kids stream MP3s (and OGGs, and APEs) off the internet. However, design studio IDEO recently decided to see if they could get back in touch with their audio roots, and -- taking a page right out of the industrial design treatise I Miss My Pencil -- they built the above machine. To put it simply, what you're looking at is a box filled with specially-angled Arduino Pro Mini boards constantly searching for RFID tags on top, and a set of cards each with two RFID tags, with each tag representing one song. When you drop one on the turntable, it begins playing within a second, thanks to the clever array of Arduinos underneath, and you and your High Fidelity soulmate can leave multiple cards on the table to create an impromptu mixtape, or, presumably, flip one of the "cassettes" to play Side B. It's a good thing IDEO isn't selling the device and packs of cards, because we're afraid we'd be compelled to collect them all, and our poor wallet doesn't need any more heartbreak. Don't miss the video below!

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]]> arduinoarduino pro miniArduinoProMiniartc60c60 reduxC60Reduxdesigni miss my pencilIDEOIMissMyPencilindustrial designIndustrialDesignmixtaperetrorfidrfid readerrfid tagRFID tagsRfidReaderRfidTagRfidTagsvideo Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:10:00 -0500 21|19757431 <![CDATA[Visualized: a treasure trove of modern design in one amazing Flickr photo stream]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/20/visualized-a-treasure-trove-of-modern-design-in-one-amazing-fli/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/20/visualized-a-treasure-trove-of-modern-design-in-one-amazing-fli/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/20/visualized-a-treasure-trove-of-modern-design-in-one-amazing-fli/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Looking for a crash course in modern industrial design? Then you could do a lot worse than the Flickr account of one known only as "afghtiga," who has compiled an amazing photo stream (and seemingly an amazing collection) of some key design touchstones of the past fifty years or so. As you might be able to discern from some of the curves and colors in the image above, there's a particular emphasis on products from the 1960s and 70s, but he does also include a few more recent gadgets, and we won't even begin to mention the number of watches on display. Head on past the break for another taste of what's in store, and hit up the source link below to dive in.

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]]> afghtigadesignflickrindustrial designIndustrialDesignmodernmodern designModernDesignphoto streamPhotoStreamvisualized Sat, 20 Nov 2010 05:45:00 -0500 21|19726788 <![CDATA[Nokia's Peter Skillman talks design priorities, gives us hope for a sunny MeeGo future]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/nokias-peter-skillman-talks-design-priorities-gives-us-hope-fo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/nokias-peter-skillman-talks-design-priorities-gives-us-hope-fo/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/nokias-peter-skillman-talks-design-priorities-gives-us-hope-fo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments A day before jetting off to London to commence his role as MeeGo's head of User Experience and Services, Peter Skillman was kind enough to sit down with the design junkies at ZURB and dish out his thoughts on what makes for good mobile design and where it is that most companies trip up. Lest you forget, this is the dude that was in charge of putting the Palm Pre together, so he's not exactly without credence in these circles. Which is a good thing, because he doesn't bother with pulling any punches. Peter namedrops Motorola's Motoblur as an unnecessary layer on top of Android, criticizes the failure of different groups within companies to communicate effectively, and finishes off his treatise with a list of priorities for successful design: consistency, emotional content, and a paranoid fear of mediocrity. Inspiring stuff, we're sure you'll agree. Other tidbits of import include the fact that Pete had to withstand nine days of interviews before getting the Nokia job, and also this memorable quote on the topic of smartphones: "if you're not succeeding at the high end, then you're absolutely doomed to failure." We've been saying the same thing for ages and it's encouraging to know that Nokia now has an exec with his finger on the market's pulse. Now let's see him deliver on those words. You'll find the full interview at the source link below.

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]]> designdesignerindustrial designIndustrialDesigninterviewmeegonokiapalmpeter skillmanPeterSkillmanuiusabilityuser experienceuser interfaceUserExperienceUserInterfaceuxvice presidentVicePresidentvpweboszurbzurb soapboxZurbSoapbox Sat, 18 Sep 2010 16:26:00 -0400 21|19639255 <![CDATA[Guust Hilte's tactile texting device solves the 'every pixel feels the same' problem (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/25/l-a-hiltes-tactile-texting-device-solves-the-every-pixel-feel/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/25/l-a-hiltes-tactile-texting-device-solves-the-every-pixel-feel/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/25/l-a-hiltes-tactile-texting-device-solves-the-every-pixel-feel/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Guust Hilte tactile texting device solves the 'every pixel feels the same' problem (video)
Moving away from buttons on phones has lead to a higher level of design purity, but has also made life a lot more difficult for the blind or seeing impaired -- or anyone who doesn't want to look at their phone while texting. We've seen how solutions like the Brailliant-32 can let users interact with mobile devices, but that's hardly portable. Guust Hilte's device is. Looking like a cross between an egg and a rubber stamp, or perhaps the abdomen of a Cyclocosmia spider, it features a series of what Hilte calls gullies on the top that users can trace over with their thumb to enter letters, shown after the break (complete with chill Röyksopp soundtrack). However, that's just a prototype, a Masters project at the Eindhoven University of Technology, with the ultimate goal to integrate the thing into the back of phones. Hilte's vision is users flipping over their celly, entering their message, and then sending away without looking. We think the same could be done without flipping, instead using your index finger, and finally making use of all that wasted space 'round back.

Gallery: Guust Hilte's tactile texting device


[Thanks, Fabian Hemmert]

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]]> eindhoveneindhoven university of technologyEindhovenUniversityOfTechnologyguust hilteGuustHiltehilteindustrial designIndustrialDesignl.a. hilteL.a.HilteprototypeTUevideo Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:31:00 -0400 21|19607271 <![CDATA[Life after death: Phantom game console remembered in design mockups]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/life-after-death-phantom-game-console-remembered-in-design-mock/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/life-after-death-phantom-game-console-remembered-in-design-mock/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/life-after-death-phantom-game-console-remembered-in-design-mock/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Man, talk about a blast from the past. The Phantom game console aimed to change the video game landscape as we knew it back in the wild days of 2004, but for one reason or another, the box never actually materialized. Of course, just because you never saw one on a Walmart shelf doesn't mean that no mockups ever existed, and core77 managed to dig up the industrial design firm who was responsible for engineering the admittedly handsome box. Robrady won't ever get the credit it deserves for piecing together a shell that never went anywhere, but you can visit the links below to hand over your own tribute.

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]]> consoledesigngame consoleGameConsolegaminggaming consoleGamingConsoleindustrial designIndustrialDesignInfnium LabsInfniumLabslapboardPhantomvaporware Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:19:00 -0400 21|19568967 <![CDATA[Concept 'HTC 1' is the phone we wish HTC would make]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/12/concept-htc-1-is-the-phone-we-wish-htc-would-make/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/12/concept-htc-1-is-the-phone-we-wish-htc-would-make/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/12/concept-htc-1-is-the-phone-we-wish-htc-would-make/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Designer Andrew Kim has cooked up a concept smartphone for HTC dubbed the "1" that makes the company's current offerings look, well... last generation. The device, built from a brass housing (coated in silver) eschews the phone-maker's recent crop of fairly standard looking mobile devices for something decidedly more sophisticated -- and cans the familiar Sense interface in the process. Not only is the shell of the phone rethought, the new UI (Sense mono) takes a cleaner, more thoughtful, high-end approach as well, joining Synergy like functions (combined messaging) with a Helvetica heavy interface that looks streamlined and mature. Some notable features of the hardware include stereo speakers (located at the top and bottom of the phone), a kickstand which is actually the bottom portion of the casing, and the lofty concept of a built-in UV light which kills germs on the surface of the phone while you charge up. As far as concepts go, this is one of the finest we've seen, so hit the source link below and take a look at the full spread.

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]]> andrew kimAndrewKimconceptconcept designconcept phoneConceptDesignConceptPhonedesignhtchtc 1Htc1industrial designIndustrial design conceptIndustrialDesignIndustrialDesignConcept Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:38:00 -0400 21|19550332 <![CDATA[Objet 3D printing put to the test in Iron Man 2 (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/17/objet-3d-printing-put-to-the-test-in-iron-man-2-video/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/17/objet-3d-printing-put-to-the-test-in-iron-man-2-video/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/17/objet-3d-printing-put-to-the-test-in-iron-man-2-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
We got a pretty good look at some of the tech of Iron Man 2 recently, and it looks like the flick's gadgety goodness extends behind the camera as well. It appears that all that bad ass armor is actually produced on the fly by the film's production company, Legacy Effects, using an Objet Eden 3D printer. The company describes the process as "print-to-wear" - pieces come out of the printer, get applied with paint, and make their way to the actors. And since the designs begin with an actual scan of the actor's body, they are much more comfortable. Believe us, there is nothing that a director wants to see less than a cranky Robert Downey, Jr. on their set. For more info on how the device is being used throughout the creative process, check out the video after the break.

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]]> 3d printer3dPrinterAlaris 30Alaris30cadindustrial designIndustrialDesigniron maniron man 2IronManIronMan2objetobjet edenObjetEdenpolyjetrobert downey jr.RobertDowneyJr.three dimensional printerThreeDimensionalPrintervideo Mon, 17 May 2010 13:07:00 -0400 21|19480062 <![CDATA[HMK 561 electric bike concept seats you on the battery, makes you significantly more attractive]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/11/hmk-561-electric-bike-concept-seats-you-on-the-battery-makes-yo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/11/hmk-561-electric-bike-concept-seats-you-on-the-battery-makes-yo/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/11/hmk-561-electric-bike-concept-seats-you-on-the-battery-makes-yo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Most electric bikes are fairly sordid affairs, little more than an ordinary bicycle with a motorized hub, a strap-on battery pack and regenerative braking capabilities (if you're lucky). Not this HMK 561 electric bicycle concept, which took home an iF Design Award for some seriously forward thinking. It's not just the stylish forward rake of this juiced cruiser that's innovative, it's the frame -- composed completely of a conductive carbon fiber weave that allows the bike's body to not just pass electricity to the motors, but actually store it like a giant capacitor. Factor in integrated lights and a pinch of that aforesaid regenerative braking at each axle, and you've just about got the bicycle of our dreams. Oh, and did we mention a prototype has already been built? Yeah.

Gallery: HMK 561 Electric Bicycle Concept

HMK 561 Electric Bicycle ConceptHMK 561 Electric Bicycle Concept

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]]> bicyclebikecarbon fibercarbon fibreCarbonFiberCarbonFibreelectric bicycleelectric bicycleselectric bikeelectric bikesElectricBicycleElectricBicyclesElectricBikeElectricBikesif design awardif design awardsIfDesignAwardIfDesignAwardsindustrial designIndustrialDesignRegenerativeBraking Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:04:00 -0500 21|19395130 <![CDATA[Dell Froot desktop is a concept design that's less tasty than it sounds]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/18/dell-froot-desktop-is-a-concept-design-thats-less-tasty-than-it/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/18/dell-froot-desktop-is-a-concept-design-thats-less-tasty-than-it/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/18/dell-froot-desktop-is-a-concept-design-thats-less-tasty-than-it/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Imagine the day when all-in-one desktops really mean it -- no keyboard, no mouse, and not even a screen panel. This is precisely Pauline Carlos' idea with her Froot concept -- supposedly an entry for a Dell sustainable design contest. Sure, the color options are rather odd if not unappetizing, but if it only takes a virtual keyboard, a projector (maybe an efficient pico), a biodegradable chassis and Windows XP to save the planet, then we're happy to oblige. Hey, there's even a slot-loading optical drive, but bamboo discs are hard to come by these days. Now add some touchscreen Light Touch magic and we might be tempted to buy it, otherwise that cursor isn't going to work without a mouse. One more pic after the break.

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]]> aioconcept designConceptDesigncontestdelldell frootDellFrootdesktopfrootindustrial designIndustrial design conceptIndustrialDesignIndustrialDesignConceptPauline CarlosPaulineCarlosprojector desktopProjectorDesktopvirtual keyboardVirtualKeyboard Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:24:00 -0500 21|19320445 <![CDATA[Z Corp's 3D printers available to Hawaiian school students, the wealthy]]> http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/04/z-corps-3d-printers-available-to-hawaiian-school-students-the/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/04/z-corps-3d-printers-available-to-hawaiian-school-students-the/ http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/04/z-corps-3d-printers-available-to-hawaiian-school-students-the/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
We're eagerly awaiting the day when 3D printers achieve the same sort of ubiquity as their two dimensional brethren -- we can only imagine the sweet office pranks that will become available once we can conjure tiny objects from our imaginations (via AutoCAD). It looks like the fine folks over at Hawaii's State Department of Education have more civic-minded uses for the machine, however. As high school students from throughout the islands complete their 3D design projects they send the files to the education office in Honolulu, which manufactures physical models with a Z Corporation 3D printer and ships them back to the students, who can then review the model and refine their design. A machine like Z Corp's ZPrinter 310 Plus (seen above) will run you a cool $19,900 before shipping, sales tax, and so forth, so it looks like all of you amateur CADsters out there might want to find a pen-pal in the Pineapple State if you want to make your ID dreams a reality. Either that or do it yourself. And make sure you send us the YouTube link when you do.

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]]> 3d printer3dPrintercaddepartment of educationDepartmentOfEducationhawaiiindustrial designIndustrialDesignz corpz corporationZCorpZCorporationzprinter 310 plusZprinter310Plus Mon, 04 May 2009 14:31:00 -0400 21|1535989 <![CDATA[Industrial design student builds Capella, the portable, unobtainable electric bike]]> http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/03/industrial-design-student-builds-capella-the-portable-unobtain/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/03/industrial-design-student-builds-capella-the-portable-unobtain/ http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/03/industrial-design-student-builds-capella-the-portable-unobtain/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments

Where most students only go so far as to render their designs, Truong Minh Nhat -- working on his senior project at the Ho Chi Minh City School of Architecture -- made a functional prototype, sourcing the parts from local manufacturers. Dubbed Capella, the lightweight vehicle folds down to a neat "backpack sized" package (well, maybe a large backpack), travels over 30 miles an hour, has a range of about 7.5 miles (on a two hour charge), and in its final, mass produced form it should weigh about 22 pounds. If you're looking for a wilder ride than most electric bike designs offer, and you happen to be reading this in Ho Chi Minh City, keep your eyes peeled.

[Via Core 77]

Update: This bike has a top speed of 30 km (roughly 18.6 miles) an hour.

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]]> bicyclebikecapellaelectric bicycleelectric bikeElectricBicycleelectricbikeho chi minh cityHo Chi Minh City School of ArchitectureHoChiMinhCityHoChiMinhCitySchoolOfArchitectureidindustrial designIndustrialDesignsaigonTruong Minh NhatTruongMinhNhat Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:01:00 -0500 21|1417286 <![CDATA[Objet announces the Alaris 30 Desktop 3D Printer]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/17/objet-announces-the-alaris-30-desktop-3d-printer/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/17/objet-announces-the-alaris-30-desktop-3d-printer/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/17/objet-announces-the-alaris-30-desktop-3d-printer/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
It looks like the slow crawl towards a consumer 3D printer continues with Objet's newest outing, the Alaris 30. The relatively compact peripheral uses something called PolyJet Photopolymer Jetting to produce 600 x 600 dpi objects up to 11.5 x 7.7 x 5.9 inches in size (not too shabby when compared to the 5-inch cube of last year's Desktop Factory offering). Equally impressive is the printer's ability to manufacture small moving elements and elements as thin as 0.0011 inches. A generous build tray means that many small parts can be printed simultaneously, and the company promises up to 36 hours unattended printing from your 3D CAD files. Finished models leave the printer fully cured and hardened by UV light. There is no pricing or availability yet, but if you hit the read link below there are plenty more juicy details.

[Via TFTS]

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]]> 3d printer3dPrinterAlaris 30Alaris30cadindustrial designIndustrialDesignobjetthree dimensional printerThreeDimensionalPrinter Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:32:00 -0400 21|1344553 <![CDATA[Desktop Factory's cheapo 3D printer is coming]]> http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/14/desktop-factorys-cheapo-3d-printer-is-coming/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/14/desktop-factorys-cheapo-3d-printer-is-coming/ http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/14/desktop-factorys-cheapo-3d-printer-is-coming/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Tinkerers, schemers, makers and DIY-buffs: grab your ball-peen hammer and heaviest piggy bank, because you're about to need a loan. A company called Desktop Factory is going to make your 3D-printing dreams a serious reality with the introduction of its 125ci 3D printer, a $4,995 hunk of concept-plastic magic which could possibly represent a paradigmatic shift for the state of three-dimensional printing for the masses. The DF crew calls the pricing "disruptively lower than the nearest competitive offering," and we're inclined to agree, as most 3D printers crest easily over the $10,000 mark. The printer takes up a paltry 25 x 20 x 20-inch space, and weighs about 90-pounds, while the maximum size of printed objects is 5 x 5 x 5-inches, and Desktop Factory says per-cubic-inch printing costs will hover somewhere around $1. One of these beautiful babies could be all yours, just put down your $495 reserve fee, and then go to work on that string of robberies you've been planning.

[Via TG Daily]

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]]> 125ci3d printer3dPrintercaddesktop factoryDesktopFactoryindustrial designIndustrialDesignprototypingthree dimensional printerThreeDimensionalPrinter Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:01:00 -0400 21|989750 <![CDATA[Nokia phone plus industrial design lecturer begets frankenhandset]]> http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/15/nokia-phone-plus-industrial-design-lecturer-begets-frankenhandse/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/15/nokia-phone-plus-industrial-design-lecturer-begets-frankenhandse/ http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/15/nokia-phone-plus-industrial-design-lecturer-begets-frankenhandse/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Turkish industrial design lecturer Mehmet Erkök has taken a few Nokia handsets and morphed them into works of art by adding and removing bits of the original housing and keys to create new (and arguably better) handsets in the process. While we may not quite get the new aesthetic, we can appreciate the need to get under the hood of gadgets to see what makes them tick and then reassemble them with leftover beads, bits of colored plastic, and larger earpieces. If you can pick out what models these handsets may have once been, drop us a line; a before/after comparison would be fun to do.

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]]> Culturehackidindustrial designIndustrialDesignmobilemodnokia Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:23:00 -0400 21|918704 <![CDATA[Fujitsu shows off concept phones in Milan]]> http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/05/fujitsu-shows-off-concept-phones-in-milan/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/05/fujitsu-shows-off-concept-phones-in-milan/ http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/05/fujitsu-shows-off-concept-phones-in-milan/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
We thought all of the hot new cellphone action would be at CTIA in Las Vegas this week, but it looks like we were wrong. Fujitsu turned up at the Milan Triennale to show off some concept phones, including the large-screen-and-QWERTY slider and clamshell-like "multi-slider" pictured above.  We doubt either will ever make it to the market anytime soon, which might explain why Fujitsu chose to show them at a design show instead of at CTIA. Then, again, maybe they just wanted a really good cup of coffee.

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]]> ctiaCultureexcellent italian coffeefujitsuindustrial designmilanmobileprototypes Wed, 05 Apr 2006 14:48:00 -0400 21|605945