X-AR is an augmented reality headset that combines computer vision and wireless perception to help wearers find hidden objects. Workers trying to locate specific products to fulfill e-commerce orders, for instance, could better locate objects tucked away in boxes or crates with the help of X-AR. Developed by researchers at MIT, the headset can see through cardboard, wooden dividers, plastic containers and other common materials by utilizing radio frequency signals and a lightweight antenna. The antennae picks up the measurements of the room through synthetic aperture radar. This builds a map of the environment which will search for objects with a radio frequency identification tag. When the right one is located, the headset then guides its wearer to the item, displayed as a transparent sphere on the set’s interface. Learn more about the technology at MIT News.
Prima Queen—the indie-rock project from Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden—introduces their debut EP, Not The Baby (out 3 May), sharing its first single, “Back Row.” Conveying the conflicting feelings of breaking someone’s heart, the song is immediately moving, from its guitar-driven production and floating harmonies to its soaring horns and tender lyrics. The accompanying music video portrays the song’s tangled feelings with a series of braids, fish, and interlocking ties.
In a sea of ski-goggle-shaped AR headsets, OPPO’s 2nd-gen Air Glass is slim enough to be mistaken for an actual pair of glasses. Look carefully, however, and you’ll notice the cleverly concealed reflective display in the eyepieces. To the wearer, however, the display impressively overlays virtual elements right on top of real life, helping you see the time, weather, notifications, etc.
Designer: OPPO
The Air Glass 2 was announced last year at OPPO’s INNO Day event, with a broader reveal at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It seems leaps and bounds ahead of the first Air Glass that debuted in 2021, with a mildly clunky, Google Glass-esque design. In its second iteration, the Air Glass 2 looks exactly like a regular pair of glasses, albeit with loads of impressive tech underneath its surface.
The Air Glass 2 is an ‘assisted reality’ wearable that now has two displays, one in each eyepiece. The way these displays work is using a MicroLED built into the frame, which projects images onto a resin SRG-diffractive optical waveguide lens, developed as a joint partnership between OPPO and meta-bounds. These new lenses are lighter, more drop-resistant, and safer, in line with consumers’ daily habits of using glasses, making them perfect for the Air Glass 2.
The eyepieces get their visuals from 0.13″ green microLED displays built into the sides of the eyewear, capable of outputting an impressive 1,000 nits per eye. You’ve also got an environmental light sensor, a touchpad for registering input, microphones, and speakers built into the Air Glass 2’s temple stems, completing the entire wearable experience. The glasses are powered by a Snapdragon 4100 processor, and the entire wearable runs on a built-in 200mAh battery that has a 3-hour lifespan and can be charged via a pogo-pin charger that connects to the end of the spectacles’ temple stems.
The entire hardware comes with a magnesium-lithium alloy outer construction and weighs a paltry 38 grams, making it about 8 grams heavier than its predecessor, but with double the tech. This lightweight design also means that the Air Glass 2 can’t be used as a standalone wearable. It needs to be wirelessly connected to a smartphone, which can then beam data to the eyepieces, allowing you to view navigation data, live translations, calendar alerts, weather updates, fitness tracking data, and other datasets. The microphone and speakers help wearers take calls, give voice commands, or even listen to music.
The OPPO Air Glass 2 app lets you control what you see in the eyepieces
Ultimately, the Air Glass 2 is perhaps the biggest flex from any company in the AR space (note: the Air Glass 2 is an ‘assisted reality’ wearable). The Air Glass 2 is surprisingly small and light, while looking just about as fashionable as any regular pair of acetate frames. The MicroLED display and diffractive optical waveguide lens system are light-years ahead of the competition, although the elements on the screen have their own limitations – they’re green, exist in only a small part of your FoV, and don’t do much as of now. That being said, the Air Glass 2 is still leaps and bounds ahead of other wearables, even though Google teased a similar pair of glasses last year in a concept video but didn’t show any actual hardware.
A close-up of the pogo-pin charger for the OPPO Air Glass 2
The OPPO Air Glass 2 was unveiled in both black and white frame variants, although pricing and release date details haven’t been made public. If this is anything like the 2021 Air Glass, OPPO will probably sell a limited number of units to enthusiasts in China before considering a global rollout.
A team of architects and designers has mixed retail with a skateboard facility for clothing brand Supreme‘s Los Angeles flagship store, sited in the building that was once home to the iconic record store Tower Records.
The overall design of the he 8,500-square-foot (790-square-metre) store was carried out through a collaboration of London interiors studios Brinkworth and The Wilson Brothers – and New York architect Neil Logan.
The Supreme store features its first fully floating skate bowl
Supreme, a Manhattan streetwear brand catering to skaters, collaborated with Steve Badgett of SIMPARCH, a New Mexico to outfit, for a fully floating skate bowl.
SIMPARCH previously constructed four skate bowls for Supreme, including a small peanut-shaped skate bowl in the previous Los Angeles store in 2004.
Inside, light bounces off the polished concrete walls
“We had a much bigger area to work with at this location, so the design process with Supreme’s circle of experienced pool skaters took more time to nail down the final form,” Badgett told Dezeen.
The clover-leafed sculpted wooden skate bowl has three depths and a pale surface bordered by a darker rim.
“The previous four bowls we built for Supreme were all considerable challenges but this one was a whole different animal with its greater size and structural complexity,” Badgett said.
The white box store sports a red logo on the renovated billboard fascia
“Our engineer, Paul Endres, figured out how to eliminate columns anywhere near the bowl so it hung from the deck structure.He was able to do that without compromising the lean, fluid, aesthetic we wanted, and it allows the bowl’s organic form to be seen unimpeded,” he continued.
Located in the site of the former Tower Record’s West Coast store, the one-storey white box store sports a blocky red logo on the renovated billboard fascia.
“It was such an honour to take loving care of the historic Tower Records structure while literally raising the roof to accommodate the huge levitating skate bowl,” said Brinkworth founder Adam Brinkworth.
“The site has gone from the world’s largest record store to the world’s largest Supreme.”
SIMPARCH created the wooden skate bowl
Storefront windows between triangular columns wrap the street corner, turning the sales floor into a display case.
Inside, steel trusses raise the original roof and open the space with skylights for an illuminated interior. Light bounces off the elevated, wooden bottom of the skate bowl, which hovers on the far side of the store.
A metal wall was installed around the bowl to produce blurry reflection of the skaters. The wall also features a jagged black-hole art piece by Nate Lowman.
On the main floor, clothing racks and product displays wrap around two walls. Sandstone benches were placed on the polished concrete flooring to reference a LA skatespot called the Santa Monica Sand Gaps.
A Mark Gonzales go-kart is parked in the centre of the room
The reserved white and grey material palette defers to art installations for colour and texture. A full-size F1 car by Mark Gonzales was parked in the centre of the room, and a colourful grim reaper mural by Josh Smith is splayed across a wall.
Architecture: Brinkworth, The Wilson Brothers, Neil Logan Design: Steve Badgett of SIMPARCH Engineering: Paul Endres Fabrication: Steve Badget, Chris Vorhees, Clay Mahn Computer modelling: Peter Eng
The boat-shaped Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium in Japan by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Kenzo Tange is set to be demolished. Designed by the late architect in the 1950s, the landmark has been under threat of demolition since 2014 because of a roof leak.
As the decision was made without consultation from the local community, a petition has been launched to save the building.
Local architect Noriyuki Kawanishi told Dezeen that the announcement has made people “very sad and angry”.
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Motorola has shared their rollable phone concept, an out-of-the-box and clever idea that features a touchscreen that rolls down to wrap around the bottom and back of the device. This allows the phone to essentially change in size, as when it wraps around the back the display is smaller and when it unwraps, the phone elongates vertically. The proof-of-concept can roll by manually double-pressing the side button, or it does so automatically when using certain apps. Watching a YouTube video and turning the phone horizontally, for instance, will trigger the phone to roll upward. In addition, the display at the back of the phone, when the screen is rolled down, enables different types of use. While taking photos with the back camera, it acts as a handy viewfinder. Learn more at CNET.
The Nothing Phone (1) didn’t live up to its hype as expected (maybe the expectations were sky-high) and better is likely to come in its successor. That said a knock-off version of Carl Pei’s smartphone got spotted at the ongoing Mobile World Congress 2023. Carl was even seen holding the device alongside his own Phone (1) and the similarity is undeniable.
The mobile device in question is Luna designed by Shanghai-based Chinese firm Unihertz. On the back, there’s a transparent shell with LED light strips that glow up in different hues as compared to the milky white Glyph interface on the Nothing (1).
The 6.81-inch display smartphone has a comparatively rough design detail, and on the inside, the hardware is also mediocre. Hence, one cannot praise it on any performance metrics much. If you thought the Nothing Phone (1) fell short of fan expectations with the Snapdragon 778G+ 5G SoC, then the Unihertz Luna doesn’t overshadow the phone by any stretch of the imagination. It gets a below-average MediaTek Helio G99 processor.
Other specifications are good with the phone; sporting 8GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, a 5,000mAh battery and 18W fast charging which should be good enough for most users. On paper, the rear-facing triple camera setup dominated by the 108MP camera and a 20MP Night Vision Camera seems like the USP of the device along with the colorful glyph interface. Not to forget mentioning, the device also has a 3.5mm jack, so audiophiles need to take note. On the front the device has a 32MP camera loaded with the Samsung S5KGD1 sensor, so it should be able to click good selfies.
The LED lights on the back can be toggled to any color which is a kind of cool feature. On the Nothing Phone (1) it is the glyph interface, but I’m sure Unihertz is going to have some fancy name for their version. For now, they are touting it as a simplified, geometric interface with minimalistic lines inspired by the ancient oriental philosophy of the round sky. As they very rhetorically put it, “The moon moves eternally in circles around the earth, and circular objects in the physical world are active, just like the round moon.”
Unihertz smartphone did turn heads at MWC this year, and according to company representatives, the mobile device should cost around $300. For that kind of price, the odd one or two compromises should not hurt a budget buyer. Especially the geometric interface with a customizable array of LED lights for app notifications and calls. The phone is slated for March 2023 release and should be interesting to see how it’s positioned in the global market.
US studio Klopf Architecture has completed the Sonoma Hilltop New Residence, a horizontal house in wine country that takes cues from mid-century modern architecture and has dangling chains that collect rainwater.
The Sonoma Hilltop New Residence is located in Sonoma, a city in the heart of northern California’s wine-growing region.
The Sonoma Hilltop New Residence is a low-lying house on a boulder-studded hill
The family residence is perched on a boulder-studded hill, where it is afforded sweeping views of the valley.
Rectangular in plan, the 4,068-square-foot (378-square-metre) house has a flat roof and low profile. Brown-painted beams create a rhythmic look both inside and out.
Rectangular in plan, the dwelling includes a flat roof
The design was influenced by a mid-century modern home owned by the client, said San Francisco’s Klopf Architecture.
“This new residence represents a much larger, 21st-century version built into the gently sloping hillside to take advantage of the sprawling views,” the studio said.
A swimming pool and patio provide views of the surrounding landscape
On the front elevation, limited windows offer privacy from the street. The main entrance is found near the centre of the home and features an oversized glazed door.
Retractable glass openings provide immersive views
The house opens up in the rear, where retractable glass openings provide immersive views and seamless access to a covered patio and swimming pool.
Throughout the dwelling, the architects prioritised a connection to the outdoors.
Throughout the dwelling, Klopf Architecture prioritised a connection to the outdoors
“The linear design and the open, flowing living spaces provide almost every room with outdoor access to the expansive patio, protected from the Sonoma heat by deep overhangs,” the team said.
In the case of rain, water is channeled to “rain chains,” which stretch between the roof’s underside and the ground, taking the place of downspouts. The water travels down the chains via ends up in drains below.
The western wing holds the sleeping area
Within the home, the layout is divided into public and private zones, with a foyer and courtyard located between them.
The western wing holds the sleeping area, which includes three bedroom suites, each with its own private sitting area.
Klopf Architecture also incorporated an open-concept kitchen, dining area and living room into the design
The eastern half of the home contains an office, gym; and an open-concept kitchen, dining area and living room.
“Rounding the corner into the great room, one is immediately hit by the breathtaking view that extends outward beyond the infinity pool and deck through a continuous wall of glass,” the firm said.
The interior is fitted with neutral tones and earthy materials. White oak was used for flooring, kitchen cabinets and curtain walls. Calacatta marble is found in the bathrooms.
Clean lines and a post-and-beam ceiling design are meant to create a homey feeling and “evoke the essence of modern California living”, the team said.
The interior is fitted with neutral tones and earthy materials
With a kitsch design that features a glamorous portrait of Dolly Parton, this 100% cotton, relaxed-fit T-shirt is made for fans of the beloved star. Available in sizes small to 3XL, it features a twill-taped neck and shoulders and a top-stitched collar.
At first “lo siento” by Princess Nokia might not be what fans expect from the Harlem-based artist, but what begins as a soft, piano-led ballad soon incorporates a drum machine, metallic elements and more. The gentle, bilingual lament about the end of a toxic relationship will appear on Princess Nokia’s upcoming EP, i love you but this is goodbye.
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