Hasta La Ideas

I want to say this quirky task lamp could be sold today:

That’s the KILA, designed by Harry Allen for Ikea in 2001. Reportedly inspired by Allen’s love of rollerskating, the KILA sits on three rollerblade wheels, positioned to easily rotate the lamp in place (as opposed to moving it laterally).

If an Ikea rep is reading this, I hope they take note: The KILA is going for $500 on vintage sites like Incollect and 1st Dibs. I’m betting an LED-equipped re-release would sell like hotcakes.

For years, if you wanted to acquire a new vehicle you had two choices: Buy or lease. Some people will only ever buy, if for example their priority is to build equity with each payment. Some will only ever lease, if for example they want a new vehicle every three years or so. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but are similar in that each month you’re making a car payment (unless you belong to the minority who’s capable of buying outright with cash).

So in a sense, whether you buy or lease, you are “subscribing” to a vehicle. All of the rest of it—whether you “own” your car, or the financing company owns it—is really just perception.

Startup Atlis Motor Vehicles is hoping that that’s how you already view it, and are thus offering subscriptions to their forthcoming electric truck. (Which in my opinion is ugly as all get-out; it looks like it was designed in Minecraft, but that’s not what this post is about.) For $700 a month—as a starting price, anyway—you get the Atlis XT in your driveway, with insurance included.

The company boasts that this subscription includes the vehicle registration—big whoop, that’s like what, $50 a year?—routine maintenance, and free charging at Atlis charging stations. None of these sound like powerful incentives; routine maintenance is already offered with many new car purchases/leases, and how many Atlis charging stations will there be, within comfortable range of your home?

One benefit of their proposed subscription model is their insistence that it will be negotiation-free, a boon for those of us who don’t enjoy being Glengarry Glen Ross‘d by an oily car salesman. A second benefit is that, unlike with a lease, you can quit your subscription at any time with no penalty. Whether these are strong enough to overcome the “subscription fatigue” many of us are feeling, remains to be seen.

What say you? Assuming the monthly charge was within your reach ($700/month is way out of my range), would you subscribe to a car or truck?

Am also curious, for those of you in new vehicles: Are you a buy or lease person, and why?

Sony is still one of the most trusted brands for consumer electronics. It may be overshadowed by several other companies in different industries, but many audiophiles can agree that Sony audio products are the best.

After the launch of the Sony Xperia 1 IV, the latest from the company is this pair of wireless headphones: the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones. The pair can be the next industry-leading noise-canceling headphones. The latest pair is available in either Black or Silver. It offers a true distraction-free and immersive audio listening experience to every user. Like the previous model, this one brings the already industry-leading audio quality and noise canceling. In addition, Sony updated the system with a new design for added comfort and newer technology.

Designer: Sony

The new pair from Sony uses two processors: an Integrated Processor V1 and a 30mm driver unit. The first one uses the HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1 to enhance bass production and sound clarity. The 30mm driver unit is for the noise canceling. With these improvements, the headphones offer incomparable noise cancelation. You can switch off the world around you with this thing.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones’ two processors control eight microphones. The latter reduces the frequency and optimizes noise cancelation. High-quality audio can be expected from the headphones as Sony thought of everything to improve on this model. For example, the pair uses carbon fiber composite material that allows high-frequency sensitivity. This also results in a more natural sound.

Other features of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are High-Resolution Audio, whether wired or wireless and DSEE Extreme 4 for real-time enhancement of digital music files. There’s also a 360 Reality Audio support for a more immersive audio listening experience. The brand’s Voice Pickup technology makes use of our beamforming microphones. In addition, an AI-based noise reduction structure helps them. To minimize noise, there’s also a new wind-noise reduction structure.

The pair boasts a sleek design and a lightweight structure. It uses synthetic leather for the primary headphones, fitting around the head snuggly but with comfort. The design allows external noise to be entirely blocked out but still offers the user comfort even after hours of use.

The new Sony headphones offer Adaptive Sound Control. This means the pair can adjust to a specific environment or location. The pair knows where you are, so it can set the sound. Management is easy with the Sony Headphones Connect app. It can tell you if the audio volume or listening levels are high or are going beyond the average level. The pair allows you to talk to Alexa or Google with its numerous intelligent features.

The post Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones off exceptional noise cancelling, effortless control first appeared on Yanko Design.

Since its foundation in 1976, Apple has been always been at the peak of modern innovation! And let’s take a moment to appreciate all the awesome products and inspiration Apple has provided us with. The groundbreaking tech giant never fails to surprise us, we always find ourselves biting our nails and squirming with curiosity, whenever Apple announces a new product launch! Their ingenious and mesmerizing designs and design philosophy have inspired and influenced designers all over the world, resulting in some pretty unique Apple-inspired designs! From an Apple game console concept to a 2022 MacBook Air render – these mind-blowing designs are the best of the lot and a dream for every Apple lover. Although we’re pretty satisfied with Apple’s latest launches, we can’t help but just hope that Apple converts these into a reality soon as well!

1. 2022 MacBook Air Concept

If you have been following Apple leaks, you would be aware that the MacBook Air is expected in multiple colors, which is more than the gold, silver, and space grays we are used to. The new MacBook Air could roll out in a multitude of hues that would match the iMac colors. Taking leverage to show off the new MacBook Air renders in multiple colors, the YouTuber has created a design of the device to match that of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the rounded body. This is done to unify the entire MacBook lineup to look the same, which would be Apple’s idea too, as it has followed a unified design approach for the entire MacBook Air lineup in the past.

2. Apple game console concept

Built for peak gaming performance along with tactically placed joystick, buttons, and shoulder triggers; the Apple handheld console comes with complimentary photography and video shooting capabilities. It’s loaded with a rear camera sensor and a front camera as well. The latter will come in handy for live game streaming on the fly. The front-facing speakers are positioned on the top left and right corners for surround sound effects while identifying the muffled enemy’s footsteps.

3. AirPods Pro 2022 model

In line with the leaks and speculations about Apple’s upcoming flagship earbuds, designer Konstantin Milenin has created this concept AirPods Pro 2022 model to give our imagination a tangible form. The stemless design of the audio accessories looks minimal and compact. The charging case also gets a flatter design to accommodate these little earbuds. Unlike the current version, these lay flat on their belly like a clamshell design, and don’t have an upright stance. This will mean, a lot less space needed to stash them in your pocket or keep them in the bag pack.

4. iPhone Air

Before Apple perfects the iPhone that flips probably like the Motorola Razr, Antonio shows “iPhone Air”, a premium iPhone Flip with an iPhone 13 Pro-like, triple camera module. Next to the flagship-level camera array is the secondary display to show notifications when the iPhone is flipped close. When flipped open, the iPhone has a large, lively display with a punch-hole camera alongside a longer cutout for sensors. The display looks as large as the rumored 8-inches with 144Hz screen refresh rates. This is indicative of Apple’s intention to offer iPhone Flip with a screen that’s larger than on the regular iPhone Pro Max variants. We love the conceptual interpretation of floating rumors in this iPhone Flip design, but the peculiar hinge distinction on the back is a put-off for me.

5. Macintosh Pocket

This Macintosh Pocket isn’t a simple rehash of that failed concept, though. Instead, it takes its DNA from two unlikely sources. On one side, you have a QWERTY keyboard in a cramped space that has become synonymous with BlackBerry. On another side, you have the two-step chassis of a Game Boy Pocket of that generation, hence the “Pocket” in the concept’s name. At the same time, you still have the telltale design language of Apple from the late 80s to early 90s, like that off-white color scheme and Macintosh keycaps.

6. Apple Arcade Pro

The Apple Arcade app/service may seem like a half-baked effort on Apple’s part to enter the gaming industry. One could argue that Apple doesn’t even care about gamers or gaming beyond the odd Monument Valley or AR-based game that they’ve showcased at their keynotes. However, the Apple Arcade Pro changes ALL of that. Designed as a hardware concept that rivals the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or any of the Android-based gaming phones, the Apple Arcade Pro is a handheld console modeled on the iPhone, however with not one but TWO notches that allow the console to have its own button layouts.

7. Mac Mini Concept

An interesting concept design by Qocept Graphics gives us a purview of the Mac mini design for this year with very subtle modifications on the outside and some major improvements on the inside. The size on this one reduces the footprint a tad with dimensions of 13.5cm in width and length, and a 3cm thickness – making it the thinnest Mac thus far. To provide extra protection to the aluminum body, and a premium overall feel, the Mac mini concept gets a 2cm thin acrylic enclosure. This also raises the machine slightly above the work surface for active dissipation of heat.

8.  27″ iMac Pro

This iMac concept by Khahn Design features a 27″ mini LED display with ProMotion technology. It also boasts darker yet slimmer bezels, 16GB RAM, and 512GB of storage. Other features include – an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and several USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. An Ethernet port on the power adaptor is also an added bonus. It does look a little similar to the 24″ ‌iMac‌ and the Pro Display XDR. What do you think?

9. Portable M1 Mac Mini concept

Designer Scott Yu-Jan took to YouTube with an idea of a portable M1 Mac Mini, that paired with an iPad Mini, can be a MacBook alternative for the heavy-duty workaholics who would want to enjoy the power of M1 on the go without owning a MacBook. The DIYer, designer, and creator has made the Mac Mini really portable so that it would allow you to take your M1-powered workstation anywhere and use it conveniently as long as you can plug it into a socket.

10. Fresco XL

The suffix XL in Fresco XL comes from the fact that even though the car looks like a compact minivan, it is, in fact, an 8-seater sedan, designed to perform as an all-weather, off-roader too. Is it trying to disrupt the sedan category the way the Tesla Cybertruck disrupted the pickup-truck category? Well, probably. The car looks more like an abstraction of a Daft Punk helmet than an automobile, and sports absolutely no branding on it aside from the minimal Fresco logo embossed on the front and back. In fact, the logo isn’t even visible until you see it against angled light. The purpose, one could assume, is to ensure the design of the car does the talking.

The post Top 10 Apple-inspired designs for tech lovers to drool over first appeared on Yanko Design.

Plus, it can even be your new fidget toy, too!

We often devote a lot of space and attention to desk organizers, drawers, containers, and whatnot for some of the biggest sources of clutter in our lives. We have cases for pencils and pens, trays for paper, bins for magazines, and even drawers for watches, phones, and keys. These are, of course, useful and much-needed, but sometimes the biggest problems are actually the smallest items in our possession. Paperclips, small jewelry, dice, and especially coins seem to defy our efforts to keep a clean desk despite their size. In fact, it’s exactly because they’re so small that we tend to take them for granted until they’ve amassed enough numbers to invade the pristine surfaces of our tables and shelves. Fortunately, this coin bank not only makes it too easy to drop coins and other stuff into its bin, but it also makes it fun to take them out again when you finally have use for them.

Click Here to Buy Now: $58.50 $65 (10% off). Hurry, sale ends May 15th.

There are plenty of coin banks, sometimes even in pig shapes, and most of them are designed to make it harder to take out the coins you put in. Ironically, they also seem to be designed to make it difficult to put in stuff in the first place. The thin slots that barely have room for the coin are like eye slits that leer at your feeble attempts to save money. More often than not, people just tend to leave their coins lying around as a consequence, eventually losing them completely in the long run.

The Coin Bank makes it trivial to put things inside it while also making it easy to take items out. The large hole in the middle welcomes coins and objects of many sizes, but it’s the concave shape of the lid’s surface that almost makes the activity fun. Simply drop your coins, die, jewelry, or knickknacks and watch them slide inside. You don’t need to be a basketball pro or a sharpshooter to make sure those things end up inside rather than the outside.

And when the time comes to use those hard-earned savings, simply push the lid to move it out of the way. The lid almost floats over the bin, so there’s barely any resistance when you need it to swing open. At the same time, the magnetic rotating mechanism keeps it steady and prevents it from opening at the slightest movement. The lid’s bouncing and swinging movement can be so addictive that you might find yourself using it as your new fidget toy.

This rather innovative coin bank isn’t just useful, it’s also beautiful. It combines the best of the Earth to present a minimalist wonder on your desk. The upper lid is made from beech wood, conveying a feeling of warmth both to the eyes and to the touch. The aluminum body, on the other hand, may look and feel cold but offers stability and durability to the container. Together, these elements contrast and combine in a harmonious way that almost entices you to drop things into it and play with its lid for a while.

Keeping surfaces clutter-free doesn’t have to be a chore, especially if you have tools that almost turn it into a game. With a lid that lets things slide easily inside but then smoothly swivels out of the way to reveal its contents, this minimalist coin bank removes all friction and hurdles in putting small items out of the way. It might even help you save more money because it’s so addictive to watch the coins just slide into your bank for safekeeping.

Click Here to Buy Now: $58.50 $65 (10% off). Hurry, sale ends May 15th.

The post This tiny, deceptively simple storage solution makes storing your knickknacks and coins fun! first appeared on Yanko Design.