When approached by Moore and Giles to create a camera bag, photographer Rick Lew didn’t deliberate. “I had a tote from Moore and Giles for about a year before I got involved in this project. I really loved its functionality and the way it was wearing,” Lew explains. “Their…
Continue Reading…
One of the brilliant advantages about all-in-one desktop computing is the lack of cordage—unfortunately, those of us who prefer to work off of a notebook and attached display are left with a mess of wires. Previously, we posted about Henge Docks and have been working off of it happily…
Continue Reading…
High-end DSLRs and portable microphones may get low-budget photo and video shoots a good way towards a professional look, but a full lighting setup remains hard to fake. Enter Ice Light, a portable, handheld lighting system that delivers a daylight-balanced LED glow for illuminating subjects on the go. The…
Continue Reading…
CH tested, Keepit Clean from Tech Link is a handy all-in-one system for cleaning Macs and Macbooks . Among the mountain of Apple-centric accessories on the market today, Keepit Clean distinguishes itself for being incredibly compact and useful. Until now, we had been using the same microfiber cloths and…
Continue Reading…
The first Bluetooth pressure sensitive stylus
by Leen Al-Bassam Building on the already impressive Jot, which brought us the market’s most accurate stylus with a precision disc and ballpoint mechanism, Adonit has upped the ante with the Jot Touch. The newest addition to the Jot family marks the first Bluetooth pressure sensitive stylus, and the first…
Continue Reading…
Give your iPad’s sound an eight-decible boost with a simple clip-on
The iPad’s rear-facing speakers are considered by many as the device’s only real design misstep, doing little to enhance the overall listening experience. Created as a simple solution for the iPad 2 and new iPad, The Boast mimics the act of cupping one’s hand while holding the tablet to…
Continue Reading…
Bluetooth audio enabled with a simple accessory
Aiming to free you up from pesky cordage, EarTop Flow is an after-market bluetooth gizmo that attaches to headphones for wireless streaming. The device, currently fitted for Bose and Beats by Dre headphones, utilizes advanced Bluetooth 2.1, EDR and APTX technologies for high fidelity feeds with a 30-foot range. A practical design allows plug-and-play via a 3.5mm jack while the lightweight body floats externally.
A touch control system allows you to manually manage your music as well as interrupt playback to take calls through the headphones, and a full charge will deliver 12 hours of uninterrupted, studio-quality sound. The concept was developed by CEO Ketan Rahangdale, a former deejay who was looking for a low-cost option for bluetooth streaming. EarTop Flow technology also has potential applications in cars, home stereos and anywhere 3.5mm jacks are used—which is practically everywhere.
For now, EarTop Flow can be pre-ordered for $50 as part of the company’s Kickstarter campaign.
Gorgeous weather with Hollr’s new iPhone app
Mobile development house
Hollr follows up last year’s
GO HD, a GPS-based app that lets users explore a new dimension of their neighborhood in real time by posting pictures and videos of their daily activities while neighbors do the same. This month the company distinguishes itself yet again with Solar, a simple and visually appealing weather app that turns checking the forecast into a surprisingly enjoyable experience. In the onslaught of recent apps designed to reveal the climate’s intentions for the day, Solar outranks its competitors by shying away from complex interfaces and confusing vector polygons and instead chooses to make high design a priority by sticking to the basics.
The rain-or-shine experience begins by selecting a city of origin, and Solar lets you view the weather for up to four destinations simultaneously with an intuitive double tap or pinch—a winning feature for travelers. The true genius behind the app’s design reveals itself once you hone in on a single location, with a home screen that displays on the time, date, weather condition (rainy, sunny, partly cloudy) and temperature in the upper lefthand corner while a beautiful, hyper-sensorial colorscape fills the background in gradient hues that reflect the time of day. When applicable, an understated animation will fill the display with soft raindrops, dewy fog or snowflakes, but Hollr’s take on this now-standard weather app feature doesn’t go over the top.
Solar’s most winning element comes in the form of its 24-hour forecast: scrolling up prompts the appearance of a simple clock in the screen’s upper righthand corner, its hands advancing through the day as your finger moves northward. The time, date and weather update in corresponding real time as the hours flash by and the aurora-like background undergoes a series of dazzling changes in color combinations. The effect is pleasantly subtle, giving you a more artistic vision of what the day has in store. In the other direction, swiping down brings a three-day forecast into view at the top of the screen, while swiping left-to-right allows you to sift between chosen cities.
Hollr’s newest creation wins out with its minimalist design and unwillingness to burden users with unnecessary information. Though the app doesn’t delve into the technical information required by a sailor or mountain climber, it emerges as the perfect digital addition to any city dweller’s cadre of innovative, simplified applications.
Solar is available for 99¢ in the
iTunes App Store.
A creative Kickstarter project designed to easily boost the audio on your iPad
Nonlinear Studio‘s Amplifiear is a clever clip-on device designed to enhance your iPad’s sound. Stunning in its simple design and basic, low-tech construction—no batteries or wires, nor electric currents of any kind required—the Amplifiear magnifies volume by reflecting and redirecting sound forward from the iPad’s back speaker.
Nonlinear’s head designer Evan Clabots conceived the lightweight, recyclable ABS plastic ear to correct what many might see as a design flaw in Apple’s tablet: a back-facing speaker, which offers less-than-optimal sound without the reliance on other stereo devices. The intelligible Amplifiear comes outfitted with a tension clip for fitting both the newest iPad model and the iPad2, and slips onto the tablet’s top corner. Like a mini amphitheater, it draws its sound-increasing power from basic physical acoustics.
Easy to transport and instantly functional, Amplifiear is an impressive example of simplified design. The Amplifiear project will remain on Kickstarter through 12 May 2012 for funding, and once successful will be produced stateside in Minnesota.
Four sustainable, lightweight and refined tech items
Beloved by progressive designers and earth-conscious consumers, bamboo grows free from pesticides and fertilizers in low water conditions. Add to that construction-grade strength and a naturally gorgeous grain, and bamboo emerges as a top pick for sustainability and good design. Recently, the material has been making waves in the tech world, used to build everything from smartphones to keyboards. Below you’ll find four creative new applications of the fibrous grass.
Determined to bring bamboo to smartphones, U.K. student Kieron-Scott Woodhouse designed a concept for a more sustainable Android device. His rendering was picked up by an entrepreneur, and they’re now hoping the ADzero Bamboo Phone will reach the market by the close of 2012. Besides the gorgeous look and grippy texture, the ADzero contains the first-ever rear-facing ring flash camera, a setup favored by portrait photographers for a diffused glow. Check in with ADzero’s Google+ page for updates on production.
The recently launched iZen Bamboo Keyboard is a wireless device composed of 92% bamboo. While Impecca has been creating bamboo keyboards for some time, iZen’s model has the distinction of being the first bluetooth-enabled wireless bamboo keyboard, which makes it compatible with devices and desktops alike.
The keyboard is built to the same dimensions as an Apple keyboard, with a texture that feels great for typing. iZen also makes bamboo tablet stands, useful when typing out tablet correspondences on the keyboard. Head over to the Kickstarter page to pledge to iZen’s next round of production, where $85 will secure an iZen keyboard.
While computer soft cases remain the standard, nothing beats the look and feel of an old-fashioned hard case. Lined with wool felt, Silva’s Macbook case is hand-sanded and finished with oil and polyurethane for a glass-like finish, with a thick leather handle practical for the lightweight case. Silva also makes two cases for iPad and are working on new models to accommodate the MacBook Air and 17″ MacBook Pro.
Fit for the new iPad, this case from Grove is molded to accommodate the tablet’s subtle curves. A range of covers are equipped with magnets to both wake and put the tablet to sleep, and the fabric lies flat against the back of the case when open. Wrapping slightly around the back, the covers lend an an ergonomic element for carrying as well. Overall, the case stands out for crisp, clean lines, especially when paired with the texture of Grove’s recently debuted wool cover.
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.
