Jake Dyson’s CSYS Lamp Extends the Life of Its LEDs by a Whopping 37 Years!

Jake Dyson’s CSYS Lamp Extends the Life of Its LEDs by a Whopping 37 Years!:
green lighting, leds, led lighting, jake dyson, csys, desk lamps, icff, new york design week
It’s getting to be common knowledge that LEDs are among the most energy-efficient lighting options out there, but they still maintain some problems: ugly light color, for one; and shortened life due to their own heat damaging themselves, for another. But now Jake Dyson (yes, his dad is the vacuum god) has devised a new lamp that addresses both those problems. His CSYS desk lamp, which debuted during New York Design Week, has a built-in heat pipe running inside its arm that carries the heat generated by the LEDs away from them. The arm itself acts as a heat sink, releasing the heat into the air. The result is that the attached LEDs will last a whopping 37 years longer!

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A Watched Pot Never Boils, But This One Stirs Itself

A Watched Pot Never Boils, But This One Stirs Itself:
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Here's a great example of re-thinking an everyday object and using a little science to improve the user experience:

The shape of your basic cooking pot hasn't changed much since its invention, though nowadays we use metal drawing rather than hand-hammering. But an unnamed Japanese inventor has been prototyping pots with Bundt-pan-like fluting in the sides, angled in the manner of a helical gear. The reason? When heated up, convection causes the liquids within to move (hot water rises to the top), and the vortex shape channels that movement into a fixed direction. The result is a pot that essentially stirs itself!



A Japanese company called Watanabe Co. Ltd is currently seeking a manufacturer for the device, called the Kuru-Kuru Nabe ("Round and round pot.")
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Coffee Machine by Coffee Lovers for Coffee Lovers

Coffee Machine by Coffee Lovers for Coffee Lovers:
When coffee professionals meet over a cuppa brew, to discuss and design a machine that gives its users complete control in their brewing, the result is bound to be astounding. Nordic electrical appliance giant Wilfa, the team from Designit and award winning Barista, Tim Wendelboe, came up with this radically new idea called the Wilfa SVART Manuell.
Svart Manuell is a manual ‘pour over’ machine, very similar to a drip coffee machine; the only difference is that you pour the water over the grounds yourself.
The team explains, “The funnel has a special flow adjustment that allows you to pre-infuse the coffee or increase the extraction time This allows you to make a perfect cup of coffee, just the way you like it. The kettle has a temperature control, so the water can be boiled for coffee brewing or heated to a lower temperature for other purposes.”
So coffee addicts, what do you say? Are you ready for some Scandinavian smartness?
Designer: Designit





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Yanko Design

Maker Carnival, ideas worth realising

Maker Carnival, ideas worth realising:
We had the immense pleasure of attending Maker Carnival last month, what looks like the first edition of China’s answer to western maker-scene festivals. The event was impressive, with an amazing assortment of foreign and local projects from all sorts of backgrounds.


Justin Wang of the Beijing Maker Space tries out SketchChair Alpha on their huge DIY multi-touch table.



Piccolos tirelessly humming about during the first few days of the exhibition
We’d like to congratulate the Beijing Makerspace, the CMoDA Museum of Digital Arts and everyone else involved in putting together the impressive event, as well as a big thank you for hosting us. We look forward to attending the next Maker Carnival!
http://www.modachina.org/en

http://makercarnival.com/MakerCarnival.html

Braille Electric Plug Tags Help Visuall Impaired People to Identify Each Plug Easier

Braille Electric Plug Tags Help Visuall Impaired People to Identify Each Plug Easier:
For visually impaired people, it’s pretty frustrating when they have to deal with so many plugs for so many electric devices. Braille Electric Plug Tags have been designed to solve this issue especially when our collections of electrical devices are usually growing which results in using more plugs. It would be very easy to identify which plug for which device with these tags, in this way, people with visual impairment don’t have to rely solely on their memory to recognize each plug which in a multi-socket power board.
Braille Electric Plug Tags are made from thick and stiff fabric attached with Velcro. It provides information of the device type through various indicators such as Braille, an English abbreviation or a raised icon. One side shows Braille system and the other side displays icon and abbreviation.
Designer : Chen Shuwen
Braille Electric Plug Tags by Chen Shuwen
Braille Electric Plug Tags by Chen Shuwen
Braille Electric Plug Tags Help Visuall Impaired People to Identify Each Plug Easier is a post from: Future Technology

The Easy Lamp

The Easy Lamp:
Base, arm, light… these are the essentials of any desk lamp and this design has stuck to the basics to form one simple, easily transportable and charmingly minimal light source. The Easy Lamp’s elements are combined by simply fitting one into the other. Made of wood and a marble powder/resin compound the design is also as eco-friendly as it is easy to assemble and operate.
Designer: Bonaguro Giorgio






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Yanko Design

RinserBrush

RinserBrush:
Here’s a toothbrush that allows you to rinse without the aid of a glass- it has a small channel for water to flow up and outwards to provide you with a fountain of water. And, the bristles may be popped out and replaced so that you can use the toothbrush longer and minimize waste. See video below.



From Handbag to Handlebar Bag (and Back Again)

From Handbag to Handlebar Bag (and Back Again):
Freitag-F60-bikefront.jpg

The upcycled-truck-tarp aesthetic doesn't match the rustic ye-olde charm of F&Y handlebars as well as, say, the "Victoria" saddle bag, but Freitag's new F60 "Joan" bag certainly won't look bad when strapped to 'em. Which is to say that the handbag is a rather more practical cycling accessory, not unlike the recently-seen InCOG multitool (it's probably not a coincidence that they're both mounted on/in the handlebars).

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Freitag-F60-bagfront.jpg

Not only is the F60 convertible, it's also expandable, and fellow cyclists will certainly appreciate details like the exterior straps for oversize cargo—the water resistant materials and sturdy construction go without saying.


As you might have guessed, Freitag is marketing the F60 (and a new tote, the F61) towards women, but—as the promo video, after the jump, shows—it's a unisex bag... at least when it's on a bike.
Not to be taken seriously is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. Now imagine that this has been the burden of over half of the worlds female population. For ages. Which is why we give you a small nudge to start a new wave of feminism: Introducing a series of women's bags with F60 JOAN and F61 BETTY....

Freitag-F60-strap.jpg
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shigeru ban architects: crescent house

shigeru ban architects: crescent house:
sealed with sliding glass doors, this dwelling's deep curved cross-section forms the floor, wall and ceiling planes and supports the cantilevered roof's longest span with a central fireplace and chimney.

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Bindings Just Got Better

Bindings Just Got Better:
The Flow Caiman snowboard binding may be a more minimal approach than other designs on the market, but don’t be fooled, it packs greater functionality into a light design that aims to keep riders from constantly making pit stops to make adjustments. Every component has been redesigned to help the rider get in and out quickly and adjust the bindings without screwdrivers. See how it works!
Key Features:
Suspension system built into the base that provides cushioning
Highback and baseplate within the same structure so they don’t need to be adjusted indpendently
Collapsible binding that becomes nearly flat, allowing more boards to be stacked within a small space
Preset settings for stance and angle
Designer: Josh Cantor







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Yanko Design

Almost One-Third Of British Front Gardens Are Now Parking Spaces

Almost One-Third Of British Front Gardens Are Now Parking Spaces:
RAC foundation, Spaced Out: Perspectives on Parking policy, parking, front garden, garden conversion, natural wildlife, flooding issues, parking spaces, front garden, UK homeownersBritish Street Scene Photos from Shutterstock
A report published by the RAC Foundation (an independent motoring organization) states that almost a third of the front gardens at 20.8 million UK homes have have been turned into driveways. This means that almost 7 million homes have had the conversion, which means an area equivalent to around 100 Hyde Parks has been concreted over. This growing trend has led to increased flooding issues, and poses a threat to British wildlife.

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The Royal Family Stools by Ellen Heilmann

The Royal Family Stools by Ellen Heilmann:



This family of stools by German designer Ellen Heilmann can be used as tables or seats. (more…)

Knock Knock! Who’s There? The Pianobell

Knock Knock! Who’s There? The Pianobell:
This is the Pianobell. It replaces your doorbell with a couple of those ticklish ivories or whatever so visitors can play you a ditty when they arrive. Orrrr make Ding Dong Ditch all the more [...]

Visit IncredibleThings.com for the full post.

Take Charge: Piergil Fourquié’s Big Boss Desk

Take Charge: Piergil Fourquié’s Big Boss Desk:
One of the things I love about designer Piergil Fourquié’s Big Boss desk is that it possesses a kind of dual identity. This isn’t apparent from a first glance at its marquee side (a curvaceous and glossy exterior of iridescent charcoal that reminds me of a Porsche 911), but take a gander over to the inside and you’ll see what users see—the plush environs of a fine automobile.
Big Boss. Designed by Piergil Fourquié.

Situate Yourself Front and Center with Piergil Fourquié’s Big Boss Desk

Big Boss Desk. Designed by Piergil Fourquié.
If my words could speak, that last sentence would have taken on the smooth and silky tones of Samuel H. Jackson, as he describes a locale sacred to many men (and women). With Big Boss, Fourquié has perceived the importance of this space and re-contextualized it, thus conveying all the safety, security, and satisfaction of being behind the wheel.
Big Boss Desk. Designed by Piergil Fourquié.
Granted, the notion may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Fourquié has that eventuality covered too, since Big Boss is a highly functional and aesthetically innovative piece with broad appeal.
Big Boss Desk. Designed by Piergil Fourquié.
The design of Big Boss depends upon the cantilever principal familiar to architects, builders, and engineers: simply put, the finish surface extends beyond the underlying structure, which is carefully constructed so as to offer support, thus creating the illusion of a surface suspended in mid-air.
Big Boss Desk. Designed by Piergil Fourquié.
With Big Boss, this manifests as a lovely, light, and airy worktop in pale oak, jutting out and away from the formidable strength of the desk’s large, grounded, and very earthy cylindrical pedestal: “the lacquered metal skirt gives a solid volume on which the entire desk depends. This support contrasts with the light oak suspended top which juts out over an empty space.”
Big Boss Desk. Designed by Piergil Fourquié.
The contrast between the two elements, as well as between the exterior and interior, is at the heart of Big Boss: inside and out, earth and sky, the airiness of the surface and the solidity of the base—these dichotomies deed Fourquié’s innovative piece a singular character and unprecedented charm that will captivate all comers.
Via MocoLoco.
About the Designer: Graduate of the Birmingham Institute of Art, protégé to Arik Levy, and dyed-in-the-wool Parisian, designer Piergil Fourquié creates furniture with an edge. This is true in the literal as well as metaphorical sense, as much of his work involves a prominent cantilevered feature. Have a look at the Big Boss Desk, the Hip Table, and the Partition Storage System to see it action—and to get a sense of Fourquié’s compelling avant garde aesthetic.

A Flip Cup for Those of Us Who've Outgrown Flip Cup

A Flip Cup for Those of Us Who've Outgrown Flip Cup:
BeerShot-1.jpg

By GearHungry

We've long held the notion that mixing beer and liquor isn't all too wise. Whether or not the order has anything to do with it is a hotly debated topic, though with Highwave's Beer/Shot glass your options are wide open. The Beer/Shot holds its own against your standard tall glass with its 16 ounce capacity, good for a pint's worth of brew. Flip it over, however, to use it as a shot glass instead (yes, we're well aware that you probably saw this coming—if the pics didn't give it away, surely the name did).

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The glasses are mouth blown out of borosilicate glass and, surprisingly, are both stackable and dishwasher safe (lucky, since they were going to end up in there either way). After you're done knocking back a few, Highwave suggests flipping the glass shot side up and dropping in a votive candle (or, presumably, a tealight) for some ambiance over supper.

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robert bronwasser: spring watering can

robert bronwasser: spring watering can:
the cheerful and colourful blowmoulded watering can has a wide spout for filling the can and a narrow spout for watering plants.
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