The irony of a fitness tracker is that it can’t, because of battery limitations, track your fitness infinitely. Every few days, the tracker needs to be taken off, charged, and then be worn again. By that logic, is the wearable truly tracking your health and fitness? Or just 99% of your health and fitness?
The California Institute of Technology is working on an electronic skin, a sensor-filled sticker, that can turn human sweat into energy enough to power basic devices like heart-rate sensors, glucose-level trackers, or even a low-energy Bluetooth radio. These stickers work by harvesting ‘lactate’ from the sweat we produce. The lactate is absorbed by the electronic skin’s fuel cells – which are made from carbon nanotubes that host a platinum/cobalt catalyst and an enzyme that uses oxygen in the air to break down the lactate into water and a substance called pyruvate. CalTech’s researchers say these stickers can generate a continuous stream of energy (as much as “several milliwatts per square centimeter”), making it enough to offset the need for a battery, which the technology hopes to eventually replace.
While the technology isn’t completely ready to replace the battery on your Apple Watch, it’s promising to see that scientists are looking at ways of harvesting bio-energy to power health wearables. It is, in many ways, an extension of the innovation built into automatic watches that use the wearer’s movement to keep the timepiece running, or more specifically, something like the PowerWatch 2, which runs almost entirely on body-heat generated by the wearer.
A renovated home in San Francisco features a pared-down colour scheme with places to eat, mingle and relax, designed by Los Angeles studio JDP Interiors.
Located in the neighbourhood of Russian Hill, the home’s interiors were redesigned by JDP Interiors for a couple in their thirties who were looking for a modern aesthetic that was fun and youthful.
“The clients were interested in a modern Scandinavian vibe but loved a previous project I did and the high contrast it allowed for,” studio founder Joyce Downing Pickens told Dezeen.
“They requested a serene colour scheme while keeping it young, infusing hip and funky furniture items, and aimed at providing plenty of seating for entertaining.”
Pickens opted for a light and bright aesthetic that works off the existing home’s wrap-around windows and expansive ocean views. A Deck Chair by BDDW in the living room set the tone for the entire scheme.
Called Green Street, the home includes five bedrooms and encompasses 3,278 square feet (304 square metres).
White walls and pale wood floors serve as the backdrop for wood furniture in dark and light tones, and pieces in contrasting cream and black hues.
When reconfiguring the interiors, Pickens also based the layout on the windows and views San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island and Golden Gate Bridge.
Despite the ample sunlight and ocean views the windows provided, they posed a challenge. The team opted for low seating and a combination of airy and heavier items for a feeling of being open but anchored.
“The windows and the view just beyond them are what was so incredible about this space but was also what made this project tricky,” Pickens said.
“Every main wall was a window, so we were stuck with the dilemma of trying to configure a furniture plan without blocking the view.”
The colours seen from Alcatraz Island were also a reference point for Pickens, particularly the shades of green, brown and creams. The designer infused these elements with dark pieces for a strong effect.
An open-plan kitchen and living room is anchored by a central dining table, also custom made for the project with Bananas and Hammocks. It is surrounded by dark woven chairs by Thomas Hayes Furniture, while pale wood Mater barstools front a dark kitchen island.
“We were working within the confines of the existing structure so this also played a part in the wood tones we chose as we weren’t changing anything major,” the designer added.
Rounding out the interior design are metallic accents and plush fabrics to help to warm up the pared-down interiors. Several lights are by Workstead and Lawson Fenning, and a Hans Wegner L-shaped sofa is upholstered in an Alpaca Boucle fabric by Rogers and Goffigon.
La série photographique de Lukas Furlan nous emmène au coeur des Alpes et de sa neige immaculée.
Entre calme et sérénité, nous suivons l’oeil du photographe dans les hauteurs non loin des sommets, au sein d’un environnement qui semble intacte, à l’écart de toute présence humaine.
En jouant avec les couleurs qu’offre la lumière du jour et celles de la tombée de la nuit, de clichés rosés ou aux tons froids bleutés, on s’immerge totalement dans l’atmosphère et la pureté du lieu. Un retour dans les montagnes ou une première impression, on s’y croirait presque.
Une série qui prouve la force de la nature à pénétrer nos émotions. Une série qui fait du bien et qui nous embarque pour nous évader.
Lukas Furlan, féru de photographies de paysages, vit à Vienne et réalise des séries plus belles les unes que les autres. Vous pouvez les découvrir ici.
“It’s a love letter to our country France,” dance-pop duo Yelle (Julie Budet and Jean-François Perrier) explain of their new single, “Je T’aime Encore,” the first release from their fourth studio album, expected in September. The love letter, of course, is a complicated one—writhing atop danceable but classical French pop chords and a syncopated beat. The intimate, transfixing music video (directed by fashion documentary filmmaker Loïc Prigent) finds Budet in a chair being styled Charlie Le Mindu and requires viewer attention to the very last second.
Donaghu, who is vice president of innovation at Nike lead a small group to create the personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline medical workers. While different to the sports brand’s typical focus, he said there were enough similarities to make the project straightforward.
“It was a really easy switch to say these are frontline athletes who are going to need equipment, we’re going to go solve the problem for them,” Donaghu told Dezeen.
“We focused on an athlete need, we came up with a design solution.”
Nike developed face shields from the brand’s supply chain
The main aim was to create face shields quickly, said Donaghu, so the Nike team chose to focus on using only materials already available in their supply chain.
“We constrained ourselves to a supply chain of materials that we thought we could uniquely pull out of Nike’s footwear and apparel-making supply chain,” he said. “So we had what we thought was a scalable approach.”
“Within a couple hours, we’d produced about 2025 prototypes”
The Nike team gathered at the company’s headquarters in Beaverton, just days after they were officially told to work from home, to swiftly develop the PPE for doctors, nurses and other frontline medical workers.
“Within a couple hours, we’d produced about 2025 prototypes,” Donaghu said.
After testing the prototypes with medical staff from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), a public university with two hospitals in Portland that was Nike’s partner on the project, 25 designs were developed further.
The shortlist was taken to the hospital where they were tested by more frontline workers, who created a ranking order of preference.
Project focused on ease of taking PPE on and off
“Twenty-four hours into the project, we already had a really strong signal from our athlete that we could design and make a solution that they would be really happy with,” Donaghu added.
While a face shield can be a simple curved veil, Donaghu said Nike decided to focus on ways to refine the design. In particular, its iterations played with the ease of taking the face shields on and off.
The brand has dispatched over 100,000 units of PPE to US hospitals
“When they showed up to review the prototypes, they were very much drawn to the designs that we had designed that could be tightened and loosened really easily,” he explained.
“We used a very simple adjustable elastic cording mechanism.”
Face shield includes foam piece “borrowed from footwear”
Nike’s face shield is modelled on a design that OSHU was already using, and features a foam-like band that is repurposed collar padding and clothing cords to tighten the mask.
“Then there’s a foam piece that we borrowed from our footwear collar linings, the cushy stuff that goes around your ankle. We layered up versions of that,” Donaghu explained.
He said the medical workers found that the foam was “really fuzzy, soft, comfortable”, providing a welcome change to the traditional material.
“They thought that was phenomenal,” he added. “All the face shields they’d ever used were just raw, kind of scratchy, open-cell foam.”
Guard derived from Nike Air soles
One of the main challenges was to create the shield from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), the rubbery plastic used for the airbag in the sole of its Air shoes.
More recent iterations of the sole have been translucent, so Donaghu said they had to “use a recipe that we maybe hadn’t used in a while”. The team also used the TPU to creates lenses for a powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR), which are used to safeguard medical workers in contaminated areas.
As reported last week, Nike has now shipped over 130,000 units of its face shields and PAPR lenses to more than 20 hospitals across Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee.
Starting 29 May, YouTube will host a 10-day digital film festival, in partnership with Tribeca Enterprises (the organization behind NYC’s Tribeca Film Festival), that will feature programming by 20 of the world’s most influential festivals—Berlin, Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Venice, New York, BFI London and the Annecy International Animated Film Festival included. Although these at-home screenings will be free, organizers hope that viewers will donate to their intended charity, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. This news comes as the Tribeca Film Festival moves its annual awards ceremony to Instagram on 29 April. And, the industry news that the Academy will consider streaming-only films for Oscars 2021. Read more about We Are One’s partners at Tech Crunch.
Pandemic Multitools may just be the new EDC category that’s here to stay and between you and me, I’m not sure if I’m enthused or worried.
This isn’t the first tool we’ve covered that promotes a non-contact way of life, but what sets the Stay Safe Carabiner apart is the fact that it even packs a few regular tools into its design for good measure, allowing you to carry it around and use it even after this pandemic blows over. (God, I really hope this pandemic blows over)
The Stay Safe Carabiner’s design resembles a grappling hook, intended for tapping, pressing, grabbing, pulling, and turning. Designed to be small enough to fit around your finger, the multitool lets you do everything from open doors to type in your PIN number at an ATM, all without touching a single foreign surface. Its copper construction is naturally anti-microbial, neutralizing germs automatically in just under an hour or two, so germs that DO get on your multitool don’t really stand much of a chance. The copper construction works wonderfully when it comes to capacitive touchscreens too, letting you tap, type, and sign on touchscreens without using your finger. Whether you’re at the ATM, a Starbucks, or the subway, the Stay Safe Carabiner gives you the ability to navigate through physical as well as digital living. Besides, that hook is perfect for hanging multiple shopping bags from, or grabbing onto a handle on the subway or bus without worrying about germ-contact. Pretty nifty, no?
What sets the Stay Safe apart is that it also comes with a few basic tools. Built right into its design is a flat edge that works as a box-cutter, as well as a flat-head screwdriver. The design even integrates a 6mm hex driver into its body, and features, as its name suggests, a carabiner clip, so you can suspend the Stay Safe Carabiner from your belt loop, or attach it to your keychain. The carabiner begins shipping as soon as May 2020, and should last you a lifetime, and get us through these tough times. Either way, we all would love for you to stay safe!
Stay Safe Carabiner – EDC Stylus, Door Hook & Box Opener
The Stay Safe Carabiner is a multifunctional EDC tool made from anti-microbial copper that will enable you to do everyday tasks in a safe and easy way. It can be used as a door opener, stylus, key carabiner, quick fixer and a box opener.
Functions
Carabiner. The carabiner gives you quick access to all the functions. Clip it on your pants, bags or purse. These days nobody wants to touch the door handle with a hook or a hand and then put it in the pocket.
Door Hook. The door hook gap is 2inch (5cm), which will definitely work perfectly with all the standard door handles.
Stylus. On the carabiner there are 2 points that can be used as a stylus.
Box Opener. Since we are all trying to avoid going to the shops, online shopping is working in full capacity. They added the function of a box opener in the design.
Hex Driver. To help you quickly fix anything!
How is the Stay Safe Carabiner Made?
Stay Safe carabiner is made out of 99% copper, which is fully recyclable. Copper is a natural antimicrobial material, therefore is a perfect material for this product. The carabiner spring is made out of stainless steel. The carabiner is cut with a Water-jet machine. After cutting the basic shapes, the team continues with manual work like sanding, sharping the edge for a box opener, assembling, packaging.
A hill-like green roof with a skylight helps to blend this public library by Toronto architecture firm RDHA into its grassy surrounds.
Springdale Public Library and the surrounding Komagata Maru Park are located in Brampton, Canada, a suburb outside of Toronto.
The library comprises three volumes around a central patio, featuring aluminium and glazed walls with a ceramic frit pattern reminiscent of book pages. The green mound emerges to form a domed ceiling over the library inside.
RDH Architects Inc (RDHA) oriented the triangular building to suit the site’s inclined topography and maximise its views of the ravine at its rear.
The roof feature also picks up on the grassy patches interspersed with pools and benches that form part of the landscaping around the library.
A series of reflective steel columns attach to an overhanging roof to cover a small patio and picnic area that overlooks the reflecting pools situated on the west face of the building.
Playground equipment, a shading pavilion and an interactive sculpture that spells the word “imagine” are situated on the park property behind the library.
Measuring 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-metres), the building also houses a children’s library, several group meeting rooms and lounges and a Makerspace lab.
RDHA designed it to meet a high LEED certification, which rates buildings according to its green credentials. To achieve this, the Canadian firm implemented a number of more sustainable strategies, including the green roof that bolsters insulation and solar resistant windows.
“Expressing inclusivity, innovation, dedication to learning, collaboration, curiosity, courage and accountability the new building reflects the vision of the institution,” RDHA said.
“Seamlessly integrating universal design principles, and targeting a LEED Gold rating, the building demonstrates the highest levels of achievement in both dignity and sustainable design.”
Other details include the pattern of the floor-to-ceiling windows – attached to the aluminium curtain wall – that helps to reduce solar heat gain and glare.
Inside, the studio covered the domed ceiling over the reading room with drywall to help tone down the noise.
The circular skylight floods natural light into the white interiors, while globular pendant lights hang from its centre to provide additional illumination.
Another, smaller light is installed on the ceiling in the quiet reading area. An inverted skylight also brightens the children’s reading area, which is carpeted with a mossy green surface that nods to the feature roof.
The decor includes colourful plastic stools that match armchairs and tables in the reading rooms and lounges located in other parts of the library.
Other features of the design are digital screens in the lobby that display nature scenes. A panel of glass walls that runs alongside the rows of white bookshelves to conceal the classrooms, and technology and audio recording labs, that patrons are free to use.
RDHA, which stands for Rounthwaite Dick and Hadley Architects, was founded in 1919. It has completed a number of libraries in Canada including another building that features a sloping green roof and the renovation of a post office into “Canada’s first bookless library”.
Architecture and interiors: RDH Architects Inc Design principal: Tyler Sharp Managing principal: Bob Goyeche Project manager: Sanjoy Pal Staff: Shelley Vanderwal, Carlos Tavares, Juan Caballero, Soo-Jin Rim, Gladys Cheung, Lisa Sato, Simon Routh, Anton Freundorfer Structural engineer: WSP Canada, Andrew Dionne Mechanical engineer: Jain Sustainability Consultants, Ezzat Mitri & Mohammed Khan Electrical engineer: Jain Sustainability Consultants, Raed Hindi LEED consultant: Jain Sustainability Consultants, Brad Hollebrandse Civil engineer: Valdor Engineering, David Giugovaz Landscape architect: NAK Design Strategies, Robert Ng Water features consultant: Resicom, Rob Brogee
A previously unused track from the recording sessions for Big Thief’s Two Hands, “Love In Mine” lulls listeners with hushed vocals and a whimsical, folk-inspired instrumental. Delicate and intricate, Adrianne Lenker’s lyrics read like poetry, and twangy acoustic guitars and straightforward drums prove just as sweet: “Whatever comes / When it comes / Whatever leaves / What we leave behind / Bare exsiccated shells / Will be hollowed / And eaten by the hands.” A handful of demos just like “Love In Mine” are available now, packaged in an EP titled Demos Vol. 1 – Topanga Canyon, CA – Feb 2018, and 100% of the funds will go directly to the band’s tour crew who would have been working with the band throughout Australia, New Zealand and Japan this month.
To support his laser cutter, industrial designer Eric Strebel needed a sturdy rolling table. But after looking at commercially available options…
…he couldn’t find anything with the unusual dimensions required. Then he struck upon the idea of using black pipe and pipe fittings, and designed his own:
Here he puts it together, along with a larger table, showing you some do’s and don’t’s along the way:
For a list of links to the materials used, click here.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
