Although not everybody is a fan of electric cars and motorcycles, it’s hard to deny that some of the most exciting transportation design concepts in recent memory have been coming from those that are further exploring this new frontier – a frontier that allows designers to strip away many of the components that are necessary for ‘archaic’ gas-powered vehicles. Among others, French industrial designer Martin Hulin recently designed an electric motorcycle concept that takes its influence from both traditional café racers and sustainable materials. The ‘e-raw’. which was born out of Hulin’s desire to “cultivate the values of authenticity, readability, usability and sustainability in substance and in form,” was designed…
Considered by many to be the original all-conditions “action watch”, Casio’s G-Shock (Gravitational Shock) watches are known for their ability to resist shocks – including hard knocks and strong vibrations – and are designed primarily for sports, military and outdoor-related activities. Although the stopwatch, timer, light and water resistance features may appear simple in an age of touchscreen multi-sensor smartwatches, the design and construction behind a watch designed specifically for resisting gravitational shock is anything but. Designed by Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe in the early 1980s, the very first Casio G-Shock was designed around a “triple 10” concept: a watch that features a 10-year battery life, is water resistant to…
Time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved mobile device, be it iPhone, Android or Windows! The Weekly App Smack is the best of design and productivity apps (and maybe a couple of fun ones, too) for the busy design or engineering professional and this week we have a list sure to make you more efficient. This week we have an entirely new way of tracking your various adventures and excursions, a new way of easily visualizing weather on-the-go, an update to the popular OfficeSuite app, the release of Fallout Shelter on Android and more… Do you have an app suggestion that has made your…
In what is sure to be a first for the company, Intel announced at an Intel Developer Forum event in San Francisco this morning that they have teamed up with legendary TV producer Mark Burnett – creator of TV heavyweights including Survivor, The Apprentice, The Voice and Shark Tank – to find “America’s Greatest Makers” through a recorded TV show challenge to create the “best wearable computing device”. Burnett, who is also the chief executive of United Artists Media Group, announced the new TV show – which is scheduled to debut in the first half of 2016 – alongside Intel CEO Brian Krzanich today during the keynote speech at the…
After Amazon introduced their $5 Dash Buttons on March 31st, 2015, the public didn’t really know whether to think this was a logical step in advancing human-computer interactions or if it was mocking consumerism as an April Fool’s Day joke – which just so happened to be the very next day. As it turned out, the Dash Button is very much a real thing and has already received glowing reviews for its ability to eliminate unnecessary computer interactions. The Dash Button, which is connected to a user’s own WiFi network, can be placed near a number of commonly-used items such as baby diapers, garbage bags, snack items and more. When…
When it comes to making paper models for prototyping or form inspiration purposes, rarely ever do we expect the final results to ever function as the final object – especially if it’s as complicated as an engine. Yet, YouTube user Al Zh has defied the odds and has created what is likely one of the most impressive paper models you’ve ever seen – because the dang thing works! Made entirely from paper – except for the scotch tape-reinforced pistons – Al Zh’s scale V6 engine model runs entirely on compressed air supplied by a balloon that’s been hooked up to a modified attachment. To think how many people have difficulty…