Hasta La Ideas

E-Ink readers like the Amazon Kindle started out as trivial devices to take the place of hundreds of paper books. There earliest ones didn’t even have great screens because they only needed to display text, thanks to the rarity of images in these documents. The market focused on simplicity, portability, and dirt-cheap prices, almost selling the devices at a loss and focusing on e-book sales or subscriptions instead. That market, however, has changed significantly in the past years, and e-Paper devices have become more diverse and more powerful, giving birth to devices that are less e-Readers and more tablets with E-Ink screens. The new Onyx BOOX Tab X is one of the largest and perhaps most powerful of this new generation, and we take it for a test drive to see if it’s a device that makes sense in the first place.

Designer: Onyx

Aesthetics

The earliest e-Book readers were uninspiring plastic devices that could almost fit inside a handbag, at least for bigger bag sizes. More recent models have stepped up their design game but have still stuck to the very basics. Some have played around with different materials or colors, while others have even dabbled in mixing up some elements a bit. At the end of the day, though, these modern e-Readers and E-Ink tablets still retain their predominantly minimalist look that probably won’t win any design awards yet.

The BOOX Tab X is no different, and it even supersizes all those aesthetic traits. It does use a magnesium alloy chassis that makes it lightweight yet durable while also giving it a more premium feel compared to plastic enclosures. There are barely any markings on the front and back of the device, save for the lone BOOX label on the “chin” of the tablet. The device definitely doesn’t look cheap, but it’s not something visually memorable either. It gets the job done and makes the unnecessary parts disappear into the background.

The device ships with Onyx’s latest stylus, which looks just as minimalist as the tablet. The shaft has a subtle hexagonal shape that prevents it from just rolling off flat surfaces and also provides a more ergonomic grip. The eraser at the top looks like a knob but has no other function than being an eraser. While the pen’s weight feels solid and comfortable, its build doesn’t exactly inspire that much confidence in quality and durability.

Ergonomics

There are e-Readers today that would be considered very large compared to regular Kindles and Nooks, but the Onyx BOOX Tab X definitely takes the cake as one of the extremely few giants standing at 13.3 inches. That immediately translates to a larger screen for reading books or writing notes, of course, but that doesn’t come without a price. That price comes not just in terms of financial cost but also in user comfort.

Although definitely lighter than an equivalent 13.3-inch Android tablet or iPad Pro, the BOOX Tab X is still a heavyweight compared to regular e-Book readers. It isn’t something that you’ll be holding up a lot to read documents, whether for work or for leisure, without supporting it with something like a stand or even your legs. It’s definitely doable for short periods of time, but any prolonged use could lead to strain or even injury. Of course, as a tablet, the BOOX Tab X is designed for a rather narrow range of use cases, most of which involve using it on a desk or table.

E-Ink panels have been the screens of choice for e-Book readers because they put less strain on the eyes compared to typical LCD and OLED displays. That remains true for the BOOX Tab X, which even increases the comfort level by letting the user choose how bright, warm, or cold they want the screen to be. LED lighting embedded in a gel layer that’s actually part of the display assembly makes sure that the lighting is diffused evenly across the screen, giving it a more comfortable glow. Your hands might get tired easily from holding up this large tablet, but your eyes will definitely continue enjoying the content on its screen.

Performance

The Onyx BOOX Tab X is really a large tablet first and an e-Reader second, and its specs make that fact clear. The device is powered by a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm processor, similar to what you’d find in Android tablets, and has 6GB of RAM with 128GB of internal storage. That’s definitely more than your average Kindle, but all of that power is actually just sufficient for all the apps that it can run.

Like many of Onyx’s devices these days, this tablet runs on Android, specifically an older Android 11 version. It does come, however, with Google Play Store already ready for use rather than bending over backward to install Google apps. This means that you’ll have access to almost all the Android apps you’re familiar with, including some games, and you’re limit is really just the screen at this point.

Of course, that screen is a gem among E-Ink’s panels, with a large 13.3-inch size and a high resolution of 2200×1650 for a sharp 207dpi pixel density. That means that not only text but also images come out crisp and clear, making it a joy to use regardless of the content on-screen. Although there are color E-Ink panels already available, the BOOX Tab X is more traditional in using a black-and-white screen only. There are four different refresh speeds for the screen, from the slowest one with the best quality to an ultra-fast mode with the poorest quality. The latter makes watching videos and playing games possible on the device, though it won’t exactly be an enjoyable activity.

The BOOX Tab X is more than just an e-Reader, though. With the included Pen 2 Pro stylus and the built-in note-taking app, you can easily jot down notes or even draw a few sketches or diagrams with ease. With a nearly limitless pool of Android apps, you can also browse the Web, tap out emails, or type documents using a Bluetooth keyboard, turning the device into a more general-purpose productivity tablet than just a giant e-Reader.

Sustainability

This large Onyx tablet makes use of a metal chassis, which is a marked improvement in both quality and sustainability compared to plastic devices. Other than that, however, there isn’t much going for the BOOX Tab X in terms of sustainability or even repairability. Packaging is still on the more traditional combination of cardboard and plastic, though Onyx definitely deserves kudos for an aesthetic design in that aspect.

Onyx is no longer a fledgling company, and it puts out new devices almost every quarter. This means that their overall carbon footprint is also rising every year, and sustainability can no longer be something it can put off for much longer. Hopefully, the company has become more aware of this growing trend in the industry and will have a clearer program for reducing its carbon emissions in the very near future.

Value

There is no denying that the Onyx BOOX Tab X is a powerful device that takes e-Readers and tablets to a whole new ballpark. The large screen makes reading all kinds of documents more comfortable, while the powerful specs and access to Google Play Store transform it into a multi-purpose portable computer. Whether it is going over work reports, reading magazines, taking lecture notes, or even playing games, the device is more than capable of handling whatever you throw at it that doesn’t require more than a few shades of gray.

The question, however, is whether there’s a place for such a device in the market. While everyone will probably appreciate a larger screen, that size also makes it a bit more tedious and inconvenient to carry around. Then there’s the steep $880 price tag attached to it that will most likely make anyone do a double-take. There might be a very niche use case for such a large e-Reader, but it’s still hard to justify the expense when the $600 BOOX Tab Ultra is almost just as powerful, comes with a more manageable 10.3-inch screen, and even has a camera on its back.

Verdict

There is really no turning back to the e-Readers of old. Even Amazon has started adopting more modern technologies, such as a stylus on the Kindle Scribe. While there will always be a market for smaller, simpler, and cheaper e-Book readers, the growing trend points to devices that are growing not only in power but also in size.

The Onyx BOOX Tab X perhaps represents the extreme of that trend, with a spacious 13.3-inch E-Ink Mobius Carta screen, powerful hardware, and Google Play compatibility right out of the box. To say that it’s a large Android tablet with an E-Ink screen wouldn’t be far off the mark, which, unfortunately, also makes the device a bit less appealing. There will probably be very few people who would absolutely need an E-Ink screen as large as these, and even fewer that could afford its cost. For those that do have a use for it and can afford it, the BOOX Tab X is definitely at the top of its class, but most people might find themselves gravitating toward smaller and more accessible models instead.

The post Onyx BOOX Tab X E-Ink Tablet Review: Bigger isn’t Always Better first appeared on Yanko Design.

Dezeen Showroom: Italian tile brand Casalgrande Padana has listed a range of tiles from its Stile collection on Dezeen Showroom, including finishes that mimic natural stone.

Casalgrande Padana’s Stile collection tiles in French Grey provide a warm neutral base for inside and outside spaces alike.

The tiles and are flecked with off-white specks reminiscent of naturally occurring stone that has been quarried from underground.

Like other tiles in the collection, they come in multiple sizes that the brand intends to be used both in isolation and by mixing and matching formats, allowing the configuration of bespoke interior finishes.

Black Stile collection tiles have a cool blue-black hue and speckled inclusions that helps give a solid, grounding effect to interior and exterior spaces, similar to the impression given by natural rock.

The tiles come in a series of textural finishes – including mottled and striped surface detailing – and size formats to be applied to a range of different applications.

Stile’s Pale/Beige colourways mark the central point in the Stile collection’s spectrum and present two warm neutral tones to make interiors feel relaxing.

The tiles have the same materiality as the other tiles in the range and are made from fully recyclable natural materials.

White Smoke presents one of the brighter shades in the collection that helps to bounce natural light around indoor and outdoor areas.

It can be laid in sections of large slabs or in clusters of smaller tiles for visual variation that can help zone spaces.

The collection also contains a finish called Pearl, a pale dove grey colour that calms and brightens rooms.

Pearl, like the rest of the tiles in the Stile collection, can be treated with antibacterial or self-cleaning finishes and are compatible with underfloor heating systems.

Casalgrande Padana is an Italian brand specialising in ceramic and stoneware tiles that it produces from its six factories.

The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Casalgrande, Northern Italy.

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

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The post Tiles by Casalgrande Padana feature on Dezeen Showroom appeared first on Dezeen.

No one likes looking at a thermostat, so if you’re designing one, what do you do? Berlin-based industrial design consultancy Pong designed this ultra-minimal tado° thermostat to visually disappear when not in use.

“All tado° products are characteristically smooth and unobtrusive, allowing them to blend into any home,” writes Pong. “Bright colouring and simple shapes fused with an intuitive interaction makes tado° the perfect match for every household.”

“With the smart thermostat we introduced an as yet unseen display technology to the world of IOT products. By back-lighting the LED dot matrix, we made a display on demand possible, resulting in a product that looks perfect whether on or off. This sets tado° apart from all other home tech products with their noisy screens.”

The system comes in multiple configurations and can work with both boilers and radiators, wired or wireless. (Yes, sadly it’s an IoT-capable device.)

There’s also a little iMac-like stand (fitting, as it’s sold in Apple stores) if you’d rather not have it on the wall.

“tado° proves that a product development which is fundamentally design driven ensures a user-centred experience that encourages sustainable business success,” writes Pong, which has been working with tado° since 2014. 

“Over the past few years, tado° has gradually grown into the leading smart climate company in Europe while simultaneously drawing increasing attention from the internal tech scene. Their products are sold in all Apple stores across Europe and they have even been elevated to the Google partner program. [The company] is ranked as one of the rare, future, German hardware unicorns.”

UK architecture practice Heatherwick Studio has revealed the design for its first public library, a plant-covered building in Columbia, Maryland.

Designed for Howard County Libraries, the plant-covered building would be located alongside Lake Kittamaqundi in the community of Columbia near Baltimore, which was developed in the 1960s.

“Columbia has always been driven by a socially radical vision,” said Heatherwick Studio partner Stuart Wood.

“This legacy inspired us to evolve the traditional library beyond books and into a new type of community centre for broader learning and social exchange.”

The studio envisions the building acting not only as a library but also as a community centre and events space.

Its five storeys will contain the main library and workspaces, alongside a central amphitheatre-like space with views across the lake and a teaching kitchen and a cafe on the ground floor.

The library will be topped with a series of interconnected, walkable roofs that will be covered with grass and trees, described by Heatherwick Studio as “planted staircases”.

According to the studio, this was informed by the vision of Maryland’s founder James Rouse, who described cities as “gardens for the growing of people”.

“A walkable, planted building that emerges from the lakeside landscape will house an amphitheatre for events, play areas and light-filled rooms designed for working and learning anything from cooking to IT,” said Wood.

“This will be the community centre everyone in Howard County deserves.”

Construction of the library is planned to begin in 2024 with the building set to open in 2027.

Led by designer Thomas Heatherwick, Heatherwick Studio has designed numerous buildings with planting including the recently opened 1,000 Trees project in Shanghai and a skyscraper in Singapore. In a recent interview with Dezeen, Heatherwick said that “trees aren’t a novelty”.

The renders are by Devisual.

The post Heatherwick Studio designs Columbia public library as “new type of community centre” appeared first on Dezeen.

A refined approach to the expression of joy

In Geneva, Switzerland, the prestigious Watches and Wonders trade show has assembled nearly 50 brands and tens of thousands of attendees to gaze at, try on and asses the unique merits of luxury wristwatches and other time-telling devices. Though there are gemstones and precious metals aplenty, this is not a celebration of commerce (even though it may seem so from the outside) but an inspiring, impassioned immersion into heritage, craft, innovation and vision. Enthusiasm is as tangible as the timepieces, and guests within the city’s Palexpo convention center are eager to discuss the influx of stimulation.

It’s been a milestone week in the watch world at large; from the announcement of LVMH’s revival of iconic Swiss watch designer Gérald Genta‘s standalone, namesake brand (which had been folded into Bulgari) to the debut of Biver (and its astonishing Carillon Tourbillon chiming minute repeater) by the legendary horological executive Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre. But here at Watches and Wonders, cultural currents run through booths and unite brands—the most enjoyable of which is an indulgence in refined yet playful timepieces. Below, we highlight a diverse array of the imaginative pieces that we got to see.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Celebration

Undeniably the talk of the town, Rolex exceeded expectation with a roster of convention defying and covetable releases. A nod to the five hues Rolex introduced for the Oyster Perpetual in 2020, this year’s already idolized Oyster Perpetual Celebration is adorned with an array of differently sized bubbles in cotton candy pink, turquoise, marigold, coral red and hunter green. More than speckles of color, these 51 bubbles represent a time-consuming lacquer layering process. A stainless steel timepiece, released in three sizes (31, 36 and 41mm), it’s nothing short of a celebration of joy.

Van Cleef & Arpels Ludo Secret Watch

It is thanks to enchanting vision and meticulous craftsmanship of Van Cleef & Arpels that the word “wonders” stands alongside “watches” in the trade show’s title—from their mesmerizing, magical automaton (one of which is featured as the hero image for this article) to the transportive decoration of their on site booth, which was dressed in thousands of Murano glass leaves. Some of their releases, like the Ludo Secret Watch, manage to be both. Two rose gold circles, adorned with pink sapphires, are the key to revealing the watch face on this fine jewelry masterpiece. When pushed toward one another, two panels on the bracelet lift above the guilloché white mother-of-pearl dial.

Hermès Celestial Arceau Petite Lune

A sparkling cosmic scene composed of aventurine, diamonds, mother-of-pearl, aragonite and opal graces the face of the new Celestial Arceau Petite Lune by Hermès. The shimmering dial is as much an artisan achievement as it is a stirring artwork. Inside the white gold case (in the Arceau shape originally designed Henri d’Origny in 1978), there’s the Manufacture Hermès H1837 self-winding movement and the Petite Lune module—a demonstration of the distinguished brand’s commitment to fine watchmaking.

Chopard Happy Sport 33

A swirl of gradient purple perfection atop iridescent mother-of-pearl, peppered with five free floating “dancing diamonds,” Chopard imbues their new Happy Sport 33 automatic with elegant exuberance. Crafted with Chopard’s exclusive Lucent Steel (composed of 80% recycled metal) and ethical rose gold, the 33mm case encloses the brand’s own automatic 09.01-C movement.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Blacklight Spin-Stone Monobalancier

As if the surprising, spindly design and luscious gradient components were not enough, the groundbreaking watch manufacture Roger Dubuis thoroughly coated the Excalibur Blacklight Spin-Stone Monobalancier with enough SuperLumiNova to yield transformative luminescence. Under normal conditions, the lab-grown sapphires reflect and reflect radiance; in darkness, they emanate it. The skeletonized 18K “EON” gold alloy timepiece beats thanks to the pioneering brand’s in-house RDDBEX0950 automatic movement (which adheres to the highest stands of the Poinçon de Genève).

Hautlence Vagabonde X Black Badger

Also different by day and night, the Vagabonde X Black Badger finds Swiss watch innovator Hautlence partnering with inventive industrial designer Black Badger (aka James Thompson). The latter utilized proprietary future-forward luminescent materials to accent the ’80s video game architecture of the watch and yield a striking three-dimensional glow. Inside the steel case (which is in a 16×9 rectangle format and features three different finishing styles), is the brand’s B30 in-house automatic movement.

Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition

Oris not only features Kermit the Frog onto the dial of their new ProPilot X Kermit Edition (by way of a small picture window at six o’clock), but also looked to the much-loved Muppet’s vibrant green color for its dynamic dial (that, depending on light, oscillates between a bright yellow-green to a rich forest green). It’s a downright joyful collaboration—the first between the brand and Disney—and it adheres to Oris’ mission to bring a smile to wearers. Inside the 39mm titanium watch, Oris included their in-house developed calibre 400 automatic movement.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Precious Colours

An Art Deco masterpiece from Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s in-house Métiers Rares atelier, the Reverso One Precious Colours pairs miniature-painted grand feu enamel with diamond-set accents. It’s a playfully elegant expression of the brand’s artistry and technical capabilities, enveloped by the iconic Reverso case shape crafted from white gold. Within the wristwatch beats the hand-wound Calibre 846 (developed and produced entirely by Jaeger-LeCoultre).

Cartier Santos-Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor

Set within the exquisite new 9629 MC automatic skeleton movement of Cartier‘s updated Santos-Dumont wristwatch is an oscillating micro-rotor that features an enchanting miniature replica of the Demoiselle, the airplane designed by pilot and inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont for whom the beloved timepiece line is named. As it spins (and lends power to the wristwatch), it appears to fly over the globe. It’s a beautifully designed technical feature (which took two years to develop at the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds) that contributes to narrative of an icon in the Cartier catalog.

Piaget Limelight High Jewelry Watch

Though the playful swimming-pool blue color of the turquoise dial might be the first attribute to catch the eye, it’s the texture of the 18K rose gold bracelet on Piaget’s stunning new Limelight High Jewelry watch that is the most sensorial. To the touch, the gold cuff feels very much like fabric thanks to an ornate goldsmith engraving technique (where each line is done by hand) that masks the links and lends an organic, velvety flow.

Hero image of the Planétarium Automaton courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels