Berlin-based duo strongboi (composed of longtime friends Ziv and Alice) have released the playful single “fool around,” the first off their forthcoming debut album, out this spring. strongboi recorded the chill but buoyant bop at a studio they built together in East Berlin. It’s a pleasant taste of what’s to come from the emerging act.
Hives is a collection of hexagonal, terracotta bricks that can be laid together to form endless configurations for interior furnishings and architectural structures.
Mutina is a collaborative ceramics company devoted to bringing top designers to the world of ceramics to bring their visions to life. Inspired by the endless range of textures and colors accessible to ceramicists, Mutina’s catalog of terracotta ceramics is constantly pushing the envelope for exciting and innovative new designs.
Designer: Mutina x Konstantin Grcic
Recently, the Italian brand commissioned Konstantin Grcic to develop a new line of terracotta bricks that challenges the fixed nature of brick-building. Inspired by the complex structure of beehives, Grcic’s line of terracotta bricks, aptly called Hives, can create seemingly endless configurations.
Described as a hexagonal brick, each brick that comprises the Hives collection could also be described as two hexagonal bricks merged together, giving the brick its three-dimensional appeal. Through this dynamic shaping, Grcic managed to design a brick that could build geometric partitions just as well as cylindrical columns.
If laid vertically, the bricks form a semi-open structure with open cavities formed by the bricks’ harsh angles. When laid flat, the bricks can either be placed in a staggered or flush formation, producing more lively, undulating facades for structures like columns and table counters.
Available in the size 13×22, 5x7cm, the Hives brick is fully functional and versatile to build walls, architectural structures, and interior furnishings. Realized in terracotta, each Hives brick maintains impressive thermal and acoustics capacities, as well as durable tactile properties that are warmed by the brick’s soothing, orange glow. Produced using an artisanal technique called extrusion, each Hives brick is unique and organic in structure.
The post This collection of hexagonal bricks inspired by beehives is shaped for infinite expandability first appeared on Yanko Design.
When Apple tucked their powerful M1 chip into the classic design of the Mac Mini, it became many’s new favorite daily driver. Unfortunately, you can’t enjoy the power of M1 on the go without buying a new MacBook, along with all the problems, hassle, and cost of getting a second computer just for the sake of portability.
From New Orleans-based Tank And The Bangas comes “Stolen Fruit,” a soulful single that honors Black History Month. Vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball explains in a statement, “‘Stolen Fruit’ is basically about the slave trade. There’s ‘Strange Fruit,’ and I call this one ‘Stolen Fruit,’ because not only were the fruit strange, but they were also stolen. They weren’t from here.” The powerful track—which will appear on Tank and the Bangas’ forthcoming third studio album, Red Balloon, out 13 May—debuts with an exquisite music video, directed by Sontenish Myers, which couples kinetic cinematography by Bron Moyi with dynamic choreography by Maya Taylor.
Public bathhouses have long been a tradition in several cultures. Not many people who haven’t gone inside may understand its purpose but for those who know its significance, they may be thinking of ways on how to improve things around.
In modern times, there are public facilities and bathrooms found in gyms or swimming pools. People share a common bath area to clean and freshen up after working out or swimming. One of the more common problems is drying their bodies. While towels are created for such purposes, they may not be enough. Hairdryers may help but they also won’t be enough.
Designers: Designer Dot, Hayeong Lee
That is why body dryers are needed. Every part of the human body must be dry before wearing clean clothes and going out. This lessens moisture from the body to prevent any growth or reproduction of any germs or bacteria that may still be present in the body. As the skin is our first line of defense, it is important that it is kept clean and healthy. It can be done if the body is dry. Well, not the kind of dry that is bad to the skin—just dry after bathing. As you know, the skin still needs to be properly moisturized as it helps maintain radiant skin.
The problem of body drying can be solved with this concept dryer by South Korean Hayeong Lee. The ‘At the Same Time Body Dryer’ is an attempt to make public bath facilities more convenient, efficient, and fast. Speedy bathing and drying are possible with this concept body dryer as more can dry off at the same time.
The name alone tells us its unique selling point. The round square shape of the dryer allows four persons to stand and be dried off. The four parts are separated by an opaque transition that offers privacy. They may be facing each other but private parts are still covered.
The footrest in whole features concentric circles that provide a softer surface for the feet. The footrest is divided into four equal parts and each part can be removed for cleaning. The water doesn’t stay on the footrest as it drips.
Air volume can be set in three stages: 1,2, and 3. The wind temperature can be cool wind or warm wind. Depending on the strength of the air volume, the color indicator will change. To dry the entire body quickly, there are 16 fine holes where the air will come out, targetting different parts of the body including the armpits and lower body.
The dryer features air inlets. Each part has an air inlet to suck in air. The wind is then blown out through the air hole to finally dry the body. The At the Same Time Body Dryer also comes with four transparent screens. In the middle are a supporting pillar and a pillar cap. The screens’ opacity is created by a vertical pattern so you can’t be seen by the other people standing on the dryer.
The post At The Same Time concept body dryer hastens drying time in public bathrooms first appeared on Yanko Design.
New and exclusive to P448.com, these Dean Aquamarine sneakers are drenched in ’80s inspiration from their silhouette to neon colors. The fluorescent tube-style laces add to the overall retro look, as well. Available in men’s size eight to 12.5, these sneakers incorporate a mesh and suede upper, Terry lining and Vibram soles, making them durable and comfortable.
The new coronavirus that struck the world two years ago has changed a lot of things and processes in the medical and health care fields. Although they have been around long before that, digital thermometers, especially those with no-contact features, have surged in popularity and sales during that period. Many of these thermometers have moved away from the traditional and iconic mercury-based thermometers, but THERM°C tries to bring a familiar design to the modern world in a much safer way.
Designer: Manantsoa Razafimandimby
Although some are still in use these days, thermometers that use mercury have long been deemed risky and unsafe for the environment. Their small sizes made them more favorable compared to digital thermometers, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for safer methods to get a temperature reading has pushed these analog tools out of the picture. Since then, different designs for digital thermometers have come up, and this one tries to give a nod to its predecessor.
Digital thermometers naturally have more freedom when it comes to design precisely because they’re no longer limited by the material properties of mercury or even alcohol. We’ve even recently seen one that didn’t require batteries, powered only by kinetic energy and built from sustainable materials. This concept isn’t as ambitious, but it is nostalgic.
THERM°C is designed like almost all digital thermometers, held upright with the IR light and sensors at the top to take the measurement. What makes it unique, however, is the graduated ticks on the back of the device, mimicking the same method of measuring temperatures with analog tools, just without the liquid component. Instead of rising mercury or alcohol, LEDs light up that meter.
As with most digital thermometers, the design of the THERM°C is meant to be simple to use and doesn’t require a manual. Curiously, there is a switch to change from Celsius to Fahrenheit readings, though it isn’t clear in the concept how these figures will change accordingly. There are also buttons for “Set” and “Lock,” though their exact function isn’t explained.
The digital thermometer charges over USB-C, so this concept won’t be scoring points for sustainability. Then again, this design was envisioned to be nostalgic rather than practical. It might actually take a second or two longer to read off the actual temperature, but the familiar feeling of having a certain margin of error might actually be a bit more appealing and humanizing than typical digital displays.
The post THERM C digital thermometer concept pays homage to the classic tool sans the poison first appeared on Yanko Design.
What if a major producer of plastic waste, like Pepsi Co. or Coca-Cola, was responsible for recovering every single piece of plastic they produced? It would go a long way towards slowing the crush of plastic that threatens to drown our planet. Yet gigantic companies like these–and their shareholders–have little appetite for addressing such a task; it’s more convenient for them to distract us with flashy band-aid solutions (“Look, we cleaned up this one beach!”).
Image: rePurpose Global
However, smaller companies like Defunkify, an Oregon-based producer of cleaning solutions and detergents, can be brave enough to attempt net-zero solutions. Defunkify recently released documentation of their 2021 Plastic Footprint, which reveals that they have met their goal of removing 41,751 pounds of plastic pollution from the environment. “This amount of plastic pollution that we removed,” the company claims, “is equivalent to the amount we used in our packaging.”
Making such a calculation required “measuring every bottle, every cap, every spray nozzle, every bag, even all the tape used across our entire product portfolio,” the company writes. Accomplishment aside, they realize they have more to do. If you’ve ever seen a palette being loaded onto or taken off of a truck, you’ve noticed they’re all wrapped in plastic film:
Image: Heb, CC BY-SA 3.0
Defunkify’s 2021 report makes no mention of this plastic film in their calculations. But they do note that “While measuring and offsetting our plastic footprint is important, our ultimate goal is to eliminate all plastic trash from our products. A goal we aim to achieve this year.”
On the one hand, the company must be lauded for their mentality and efforts. On the other hand, we must remember that 41,751 pounds of plastic is a mere speck within the 300 million tons of plastic waste produced each year. Unless larger companies are pressured by consumers into following suit, the overall effect on the planet and our bodies will not change.
Image: rePurpose Global
To achieve their plastic goals, Defunkify works with rePurpose Global, a plastic action platform and solutions provider. You can learn more about them here.
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Being an active individual means you appreciate accessories high on comfort and flexibility of use. Well, this cool Apple Watch strap is made for such lifestyle craving people. A band that’s so lightweight and comfy, it elevates your Apple Watch’s utility a few notches higher.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is high in style, features and function. The wearable does impress in its aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium skin. While Apple lovers can choose from among the braided loop, solo loop of the sports loop style bands – none of them practically speaking is breathable enough for sweat-inducing physical activities. Even the aftermarket options for the Apple Watch strap don’t solve much of the flexibility of use and breathability requirements.
Designer: JinLong Tu
This is where the Baseus Let’’s go Watch Band comes in to fill the gap. The Apple Watch strap has a smart design that reduces the contact area with the skin to not hinder in any way with athletic activities while still being able to do all the health and fitness tracking to perfection. The design of the strap is such that it lets the wearer adjust the length to millimeter detail – something that every wearable strap can sometimes disappoint with. Especially for users who are very finicky about their wearables. Most of all, the watch band maintains a very high level of comfort and convenience, even with long hours of wearing.
Sadly this Apple Watch accessory is still in the concept stage, and has immense potential to make it to the consumer market. Obviously, the material and finish of the real product need to be on point to ward off any traces of sweat from sticking underneath the band’s surface, while maintaining a very lightweight aesthetic. In fact, it should be so light, the wearer should not even notice it. Not only Apple’s smartwatch, but this cool solution for active individuals could see hyper demand given it is produced in cool color options to go with the trendy wearables of the current era!
The post Lightweight and breathable Apple Watch band for mixing comfort with convenience first appeared on Yanko Design.
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