Barton Smith, a talented industrial designer, has come up with an operating system of his own called Locus OS. Besides the OS being visually stunning and welcoming, its menu system and user interface are highly intuitive and are ahead of its time. Smith describes his concept OS with the following points: “Location-based operating system; multiple widget desktops designed around a location or activity (ie. kitchen, office, car);automatically switches between desktops with GPS and wi-fi mapping; and simplified collections menu allows browsing via function rather than application.” Simply put, it’s an OS that prominentlyfeatures Mac OS X-like “spaces” or panels that distinguish and organize work and play on a PC. The menu system is very reminiscent of Zune HD and Windows Media Center. Smith conceptualized Locus OS back in 2008, well before the design of iPhone 3.0, WebOS, and Android fully surfaced, he notes. Why the Microsoft branding? “It was originally going to be for the Microsoft next Gen computer comp from 2008.” In other words, it remains a concept to this day. Can we get a wealthy venture capitalist on this, STAT?!
Category Archives: Design
Our future, augmented reality’d
Designer Keiichi Matsudafor, who is about to receive his Masters in Architecture, shares his vision of a future that includes virtual overlays that may one day help us with everyday tasks.
The latter half of the 20th century saw the built environment merged with media space, and architecture taking on new roles related to branding, image and consumerism. Augmented reality may recontextualise the functions of consumerism and architecture, and change in the way in which we operate within it.
Scary, is it not?
Touchy Remix brings style to the multitouch surface
We’ve seen multitouch surface tables before, but never have we seen them quite as stylish and visually attractive as the Touchy Remix from Intactlab. Being heralded as “the marriage of precision engineering and quality design” the Touchy Remix was designed to support and enhance collaboration with surface computing. Its minimalistic and curvy shape attracts people to sit around it, unlike the boxy Microsoft Surface-esque tables that come off as uninviting. It’s made from a fiberglass shell built around an aluminum chassis. Though its design is most prominent, I’ll share some internal notes with you: it features a 40″ WXGA (720p HD) internal projection screen and runs custom software from Intactlab that comes preloaded onto an integrated Mac mini; there’s four USB ports and a dock for an iPod. See additional pictures below and a demo video of it in use after the break.
Continue reading Touchy Remix brings style to the multitouch surface
Turbine Light illuminates roadways with wind-power
From TAK Studio comes the latest innovation in green roadways–the attractive Turbine Light. Here’s how it works: These wind-powered lights line up highways and streets and illuminate when cars pass by them. If enough energy is generated by the passing cars, the lights will shine the path to your destination. Problem is, the keyword here is IF. Would such implementation promote faster driving? It would make sense for something like this to be installed in windy cities that already generate enough energy for illumination. For all the rest, what about solar powered lights, hm?
Ferrari F1 lounge chair
Molded by Hungarian designer Alexander Christoff, this lounge chair is inspired by the Ferrari Formula 1 racecar. It’s made out of fiberglass and features chrome legs and an adjustable headrest. Me likey. Check out additional images (and a shot of it next to its inspiration) in the gallery below.
Heinz unveils new ketchup packet for the masses, begs the question: squeeze or dunk?
For years Heinz has been experimenting new methods to give their customers a way to consume ketchup on the go, and they think they’ve finally done it with the ‘Dip & Squeeze’. H.J. Heinz Co. unveiled a brand new ketchup packet that features a top that can be peeled back for dipping and an end that can be torn off for squeezing. By keeping the squeeze method onboard, Heinz has made sure not to neglect ketchup traditionalists but at the same time they are breathing new life into the long established ketchup packet found at fast-food restaurants all around the world. In fact, the new packet/container holds three times as much ketchup as the regular tear-and-squeeze packet. Heinz is pushing out the new ketchup packets to fast-food restaurants nationwide. They will continue manufacturing the traditional packets until the new ones prove to be a success. If I were given the option to squeeze or dunk, I would always take the latter. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to have both!
[Via ABCNews]
Solar-powered ‘mobile lounge’ rocks my world
The MercuryHouseOne, designed by Architecture and Vision, is built from Carrara marble and the rooftop is fitted with solar panels to power the interior space. This bubble home can be occupied as “a portable pavilion, an outdoors office, a room, or even an off-grid natural retreat.” I can totally see myself using it as a “blogger’s pad,” a place to retreat when times get busy. The roundess and space-age theme add to the modern touches that I have become accostomed to. Well done, A & V, well done. Additional images below.
Kinetic sculpture reacts to its environment with light and sound
Particle, designed by artist Alex Posada, is a kinetic sculpture that “responds to its environment translating movements into color and sound.” The sculpture is composed of a stand that’s mounted with several rings sprinkled in LED lights. The lights rotate around a central axis when it senses nearby motion. What’s so interesting is that “its movements cannot be predetermined” since its rotations occur randomly depending upon a passersby’s influence upon it. A surround sound system is synchronized with the flashing LED lights. Strange and bizzare, but I like it. Additional images below and a video of it in action after the break.
[Via DesignBoom; Gizmodo]
Continue reading Kinetic sculpture reacts to its environment with light and sound
MIT discovers a way to “print” your meals
MIT students Marcelo Coelho and Amit Zoran have devised a way to prepare meals with an advanced 3D printer machine. The “Cornucopia” printer and its included canisters promise “control over the origin, quality, and nutritional value of every meal, with no packaging or excess food waste.” Read on to learn about how the process works:
Cornucopias’ printing process begins with an array of food canisters filled with the “cook’s” foods of choice. After a meal selection has been made using the device’s multi-touch translucent screen, users are able to see their meal being assembled while simultaneously manipulating real-time parameters, such as calories or carbohydrate content. Each ingredient is then piped into a mixer and then very precisely extruded, allowing for very exact and elaborate combinations of food.
Once each ingredient has been dropped, the food is then heated or cooled by Cornucopia’s chamber or via the heating and cooling tubes located on the printing head. In fact, the ability to hyper-localize heating and create rapid temperature changes also allows for the creation of meals with flavors and textures that would be impossible to replicate with present-day cooking methods.
So, is this the future of food preparation? It’s highly customizable, simpe to use, and it reduces waste. As long as the end result is in fact “edible” and tasty it passes my standards. Though I have a feeling the Cornucopia will remain a concept for some time.
The all-in-one toilet
So I’m sure you’ve heard of the all-in-one PC, but I bet you’ve never seen an all-in-one toilet! The “Home Core Integrated Toilet” designed by Dang Jingwei combines a toilet bowl, sink, mirror, and vanity table into one. The “main theme” of this one of a kind toilet is its eco-friendliness. When you use the sink to wash your hands you have the option of choosing to use this “gray water” to flush the toilet. In other words, the water you wash your hands with becomes the water that resides in the toilet bowl that eventually flushes away your bodily fluids and excrement. Nothing like an all-in-one, highly efficient and design-savvy toilet, eh? Oh, it also features four different water pressure levels.
[Via YankoDesign; Gizmodo]
The Love Handles chair is sensitive to the touch
The Love Handles chair from Nunoerin features “an interactive finish” that changes color as a response to change in body temperature when you sit on it. You can call it thermo-sensitive if you like. Neat-o.
[Via DesignBoom; Gizmodo]
A man named Wilkinson calls this ultimate tree house home
This giant tree house dubbed “The Wilkinson Residence” is located in Portland, Oregon. It is made entirely of natural wood and contains modern archetectural designs such as curved edges and round windows. Take a peek into the gallery below for some detailed exterior and interior shots of the home. Just imagine living in this thing!
[Via Gizmodo]
