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If Framework Designed A Drone: Meet the Modular Drone Concept with Fully Upgradable Components

Par : Sarang Sheth
7 février 2025 à 21:30

Here’s my hot take for 2025, technology that cannot be upgraded is genuinely consumer-unfriendly. Framework proved it was possible by designing a sleek laptop that featured totally upgradable components – most gaming PCs are entirely upgradable too – so why not phones? Why not tablets? And why not drones?

Drones are devices that you probably buy once or twice in your lifetime. Nobody buys a new drone every 2 years – they use the one they have for as long as possible before upgrading (that’s only if they need to upgrade)… which really means you’re stuck with backward tech for a fairly long time. To combat this, Ethan White designed the ARK – a modular drone with an architecture that features removable and upgradable components. Need a new battery? Swap it out. Want a better camera lens? Substitute the older one for a newer model.

Designer: Ethan White

“Traditional drones require complete hardware changes or airframe redesigns to perform different roles. The ARK, however, offers an integrated solution with the simple act of swapping module pack,” says Ethan. Although the drone references Noah’s Ark, it quite literally represents the metaphor of the ‘Ship of Theseus’ – a thought experiment revolving around a ship that remains constant, with its parts gradually replaced over time.

The way the ARK is designed balances purposeful bulkiness with aerodynamics. Sure, laptops can be sleek for cosmetic reasons – but drones need to shed every single ounce they can for efficiency – a heavy or bulky drone can’t fly as well as a lithe, aerodynamic one – so making a drone that’s easy to disassemble, modular, and upgradable presents a unique challenge.

Components can’t be interwoven with each other inside a single outer body. The battery needs to exist independent of the PCB. The motors, sensors, cameras, every element has to be positioned very thoughtfully, so that they can be individually removed and replaced.

To that end, the ARK has a remarkable design, featuring components that interlock together when in use, and separate when you need to perform a swap. All this while still making sure you’ve got a drone that’s portable, foldable, and aerodynamic. The modularity also means you can purpose-build your drone based on your needs. Want something for entertainment, choose a basic package. Want a multimedia beast, upgrade your camera. Want to record at night, swap the daytime camera for a module that supports night vision. Want better range, add better antennas on top. You can build your drone with precise intent, just like you would your PC.

The drone features upgradable PCBs, cameras, propellers/motors, battery packs, and even other components like anti-collision sensors. Although conceptual, Ethan is working on a proof-of-concept and states that he’s aiming for IP43 water and dust resistance, along with a 30-minute flight-time. That might sound dull on paper, but I’d choose 30 minutes of flight with an absolutely incredible camera lens and sensor over 50-60 minutes with a fairly basic lens array. Plus, things will only get better with time – and as a consumer, you directly benefit from it.

The post If Framework Designed A Drone: Meet the Modular Drone Concept with Fully Upgradable Components first appeared on Yanko Design.

Modular laptops and mini PCs might be around the corner thanks to Intel

Par : JC Torres
27 janvier 2025 à 11:07

Despite laptops overtaking their towering cousins in market share, these portable computers still lack one vital trait that has kept stationary desktops still relevant today. Desktop computers are, to a very large extent, modular by design, making it easier to upgrade and replace components as needs and technologies change. Sure, some laptops have upgradable RAM and storage, but that’s pretty much all there is to them given certain limitations in design.

Those limitations include the design of the motherboard itself, an all-in-one all-or-nothing object that is pretty much the soul of a computer. Intel, however, is proposing a rather ground-breaking change that will help make these components more repairable and less wasteful. If followed by its partners, it won’t just kick off a new age of modular laptops, it could even give Intel and AMD a huge edge over their Arm-based rivals such as Qualcomm and, of now, Apple.

Designer: Intel

The difference in motherboards between desktops and laptops is like night and day. Desktops follow an industry convention that has been shaped over decades, allowing components from rival companies to be mixed and matched as the consumer desires. Laptop motherboards, on the other hand, are often designed based on brand needs and whims. More importantly, they come as a whole package, with many parts soldered onto the board, including the ones that get worn out faster than others.

Intel’s proposed guidelines try to split the laptop motherboard into three distinct parts, two of which would hold the I/O or input out components such as USB and HDMI ports. The third would be where the core silicon is located, specifically the CPU and the GPU, among others. The modularity would allow different affected parts to be replaced if broken or, if desired, even upgraded, without throwing away the rest of the motherboard.

Those guidelines also have something for mini PCs, which are like the middle child between desktops and laptops. In this matter, the CPU and motherboard are separated from the graphics card and other components, making it easier to swap out GPUs or CPUs in the future. The growing popularity of mini PCs, partially thanks to the Mac mini and Mac studio, could be the driving force behind this initiative. Ironically, Intel itself has given up on the form factor, licensing its “NUC” brand to ASUS.

Designer: Framework

These guidelines might be ideal for reducing e-waste and promoting the right to repair, but it still all depends on whether other players are willing to play ball. Laptop manufacturers might be hesitant to do the work redesigning their laptops, and Intel’s rival AMD might not be keen to cooperate either. It’s still a distant dream, but one can already have a foretaste of the future today with the Framework laptops, proving that it can indeed be done with the right design.

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Modular wireless earbuds concept has a case that makes removing earbuds easy

Par : JC Torres
16 janvier 2025 à 16:20

Thanks to Apple, popping earbuds in and out of their charging cases almost feels natural these days. That doesn’t mean they’re convenient or easy, especially when you have to actually open the case first to get the earbuds out. It shouldn’t be that hard, but convention isn’t always on the side of common sense, especially when sticking to the norm is more cost-effective.

This concept design for a pair of modular wireless earbuds tries to challenge the status quo on many levels. It tries to create an ecosystem that goes beyond just playing audio in your ears, resulting in a few features that are, admittedly, a bit peculiar. Curiously, one of the most interesting parts of its design isn’t actually the modules but is instead its equally unconventional charging case.

Designer: Dongkyun Kim

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Yes, the charging case, which is actually a lot larger than your typical design, still has a cover that you open up to reveal its contents. In fact, it might even be weirder than most charging cases because the cover opens down like a drawbridge. That doesn’t matter much, though, because you don’t even need to open it to access the earbuds. There are openings on each side that allow you to take them out and put them back in without opening the case at all.

It’s becoming more common for TWS earbud cases to have screens of their own to display important stats, and the Orbit concept is no different. Where it differs is that the screen is so small to avoid being distracting, though it also raises the question of whether it will be readable at all. It’s just a minor convenience anyway, something to add some flavor to the already intriguing design.

Created using Luxion Technology (luxion.com)

Created using Luxion Technology (luxion.com)

Of course, the real meat of the Orbit design concept is its modularity and the modules it comes with out of the box, or rather out of the charging case. There’s a cog-shaped wheel, for example, that magnetically latches onto one of the earbuds to add some tactile feedback for more precise and satisfying controls. Presuming there will be other products in the Orbit ecosystem, this wheel could also be a controller for those.

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The camera modules are a bit of an odd feature. They’re supposed to improve motion tracking and spatial awareness, though that could also raise privacy concerns. It could be used to take photos or record videos that are sent to a paired smartphone in a way that looks almost natural because of their proximity to your eyes. Given their size, however, they might not be that capable of recording important memories.

The wireless earbuds themselves have a rather unusual design. In addition to adopting an open-ear technology, the buds are meant to clip to the sides of the ear, which could be uncomfortable and unstable. Indeed, the concept has quite a few interesting ideas that go beyond the actual purpose of the earbuds, but it’s really the case that could be considered to be its selling point.

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Mini gaming laptop has a removable keyboard to easily switch between work and play

Par : JC Torres
20 décembre 2024 à 16:20

Handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion GO, and ASUS ROG Ally have proven to be popular designs in a somewhat niche market. Despite their small sizes, at least relative to laptops, these computers are quite capable of driving even graphics-heavy triple-A games, at least with reasonable settings. And as with any gaming-worthy computer, these handheld PCs are also capable of doing just about anything, including office productivity or even content creation.

That said, their designs are hardly conducive to use cases outside of gaming, especially for tasks that require at least a keyboard. There are alternative designs from the likes of AYANEO and GPD that do add a tiny keyboard, but those are meant more for chatting than actual work. This upcoming newcomer, however, wants you to have your cake and eat it too, and it’s using a rather ingenious design that supports both games and productivity without compromising too much.

Designer: ONE-NETBOOK

We’ve seen handheld gaming PCs that look like laptops, but these usually compress the keyboard in order to make room for gaming controls like joysticks and buttons. This creates a usable but not ideal experience, where typing is doable but uncomfortable and gaming is bearable but not always enjoyable. And that’s not even considering issues with ergonomics for both sides of the coin. Short of having a shape-shifting computer or a modular design (that has actually been done before as well), there’s really no easy way to bridge these two together, at least until now.

Unlike its predecessor that attempted to create a hybrid between a Nintendo Switch handheld and a Microsoft Surface tablet, the ONEXPLAYER G1 embraces the form factor of a small 8.8-inch laptop. Opening it up reveals what looks like a regular physical keyboard, complete with a tiny touchpad, so you might not even consider it as a gaming computer until you remove that keyboard. Yes, that keyboard is actually wireless and connected to the computer using magnets only, and lifting it up reveals the handheld’s gaming chops.

Underneath this removable keyboard are analog joysticks, a D-Pad, and face buttons, the essential parts of a game controller. Because there isn’t a critical need to have a keyboard, the design is able to accommodate a more comfortable arrangement of buttons similar to an Xbox-compatible controller. Of course, there are also triggers and shoulder buttons at the back of the laptop, as well as a number of extra buttons.

What’s interesting about this design is that even this gaming “mode” still has a split keyboard below the controls. It’s not immediately clear whether these are capacitive keys on a glass surface or if they’re just very low-travel keys for basic chat needs. Either way, it’s definitely an interesting twist on the handheld gaming PC design, though the price for such a multi-functional beast will probably cost as much as a laptop as well.

The post Mini gaming laptop has a removable keyboard to easily switch between work and play first appeared on Yanko Design.

Modular office chair concept lets you define your own sense of comfort

Par : JC Torres
9 décembre 2024 à 11:07

Given how many hours a day and how many days a week people work in front of their desks, the need for comfortable and ergonomic chairs is more important today than ever. Although work-from-home arrangements have made it possible to pick your own chair, that isn’t true for offices that buy generic chairs in bulk to keep costs down. While almost all manufacturers promise comfort, not everyone defines that word the same way.

A chair with an ergonomic yet cost-effective design would be great, but it would be even better if people could customize it to their own comfort without breaking the bank. That’s the kind of office chair heaven that this concept tries to envision, and unsurprisingly, it uses a modular design to solve that kind of problem.

Designer: Byeongjun Kang

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To some extent, the typical computer chair with four to five wheels and height-adjustable backrests already has the foundations of modularity. They’re often flat-packed and require some assembly, so it’s just one step away from adjusting that design to accommodate other parts. You just need the right connections to use.

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FP, or “First-Party,” Chair concept design uses a rail system to make that not only possible but also easy. The seat and the backrest are the main modular parts that can be removed and replaced by any compatible design. It starts out with completely flat designs, but these can be swapped out for ones with cushions, curves, and armrests. Anything that can fit that rail system will do as long as it keeps the chair balanced.

The base is also replaceable, though the options are probably fewer. You have the typical caster for movability or a flat platform for stability. The latter can probably be screwed down as well, which might be necessary for some mass installation. There isn’t much wiggle room for differentiation here, especially since the need for stability is even greater.

The FP Chair doesn’t differ from those mass-produced office chairs in terms of packaging convenience or assembling complexity. There are also still some limits to what modular designs can be used, such as the balance of the chair and its stability. As with any modular system, it will also depend on just how many third-party designs take advantage of this feature, though given the need for personalization and customization, one can easily imagine how big that market could be.

The post Modular office chair concept lets you define your own sense of comfort first appeared on Yanko Design.

Modular numpad concept adds some Teenage Engineering industrial aesthetic to your workflow

Par : JC Torres
4 décembre 2024 à 16:20

With today’s more sophisticated users and complex software, the need for tools that can adapt to creators’ needs is growing higher as well. Full keyboards don’t have enough space for individual shortcuts, even those with a numeric keypad attached. It’s also quite tedious to memorize all those unrelated key combos, which is why gadgets like the Stream Deck have become quite popular with their programmable buttons.

These devices, however, don’t offer the same tactile experience as actual physical controls, and that’s the unique selling point of this concept design for a modular numeric keypad. On its own, it functions normally for fast access to numbers, but with the right parts, it can turn into a sound mixer, brush size dial, and more, adapting to whatever you need to get the job done.

Designer: Benjamin Fryc x Work Louder

For some desktop users, the numeric keypad or numpad has become an optional and almost useless part of the keyboard. They prefer to use more compact wireless keyboards to save space or offer more flexibility in where you want to move it on your desk. That is until they realize they need even more keys to keep up with all the keyboard shortcuts for the apps they use.

The KNOB numpad is a design concept that not only brings that numeric keypad, which you can use for those keyboard shortcuts but also adds more control options for an even better user experience. Mashing a single key repeatedly to increase or decrease Photoshop’s brush size isn’t as satisfying as turning a knob, and scrubbing through a video timeline feels more intuitive with a dial. A slider is also a better interface for raising or lowering levels than, you guessed it, a keyboard shortcut.

Best of all, the concept doesn’t force you to commit to having these interfaces on your desk all the time. Just like a wireless numpad that you can stash in a drawer when no longer needed, the magnetic modules can be attached and removed as needed, depending on what you’re working on. Even better, the wireless and modular design lets you place the device on either side of the keyboard, allowing for ambidextrous use.

The KNOB numpad comes with an aesthetic similar to the designs you see from Teenage Engineering or Work Louder. The silver brushed metal surface gives it that industrial appearance, while the orange accents add some points of visual interest to the design. It’s definitely a concept we’d like to see on store shelves, especially with more modular numeric keypad ideas sprouting recently.

The post Modular numpad concept adds some Teenage Engineering industrial aesthetic to your workflow first appeared on Yanko Design.

Modular In-car Coat Hanger Concept Doubles as a Tablet Holder and Stand

Par : JC Torres
30 septembre 2024 à 13:20

Vehicles like cars and vans have a variety of storage solutions for almost everything you might want to bring with you except for coats, dress shirts, and dresses. It’s not uncommon for people to bring certain clothes they need to hang, but even after decades, the majority of cars don’t have a proper solution to that problem. At the same time, it might be a waste of precious space to have a permanent fixture just for hanging clothes you might bring occasionally, so this accessory concept utilizes a modular design that adds a hanger in your car when you need it or any other thing you need to hang from the back of a car seat, like a tablet, for example.

Designer: BKID co

Theoretically, you could always hang clothes from the car’s grab handles or assist grips, but they’re obviously not designed for that purpose. It doesn’t align the hanger with the car’s cabin, making it awkward, cumbersome, and space-consuming. This Hyundai Multi Hanger, in contrast, uses the space right behind the driver or front passenger seats, using a hanger design that doesn’t get in the way when you don’t need it or can even be used for some other purpose.

The secret to this multi-functional feat is the modular design of the hanger. The hanger itself has “wings” that can fold inside its body, conserving space even while it’s still attached to the seat. The base of the hanger clamps onto the rods of the seat’s headrest, which means you will need to raise that headrest a bit, which could be uncomfortable for the person sitting in front. Alternatively, the hanger itself can be hooked somewhere else, presuming there’s a bar thin enough to fit inside the very small hook.

If you do remove the hanger from the holder, you can attach other parts instead. One of these is a clamp for holding tablets, which transforms the hanger into an entertainment panel, which kids might enjoy. That clamp can also be used standalone, with the connector at the back acting as a stand for the tablet.

In theory, plenty of other things can be attached to this modular system, like a pocket or basket for small items or maybe even a holder for food and drinks. It’s a simple yet effective solution that takes advantage of an often overlooked area of cars, made possible thanks to the creative use of foldable mechanisms.

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Folding Travel Toothbrush Concept Keeps Your Teeth and the Planet Clean

Par : JC Torres
30 septembre 2024 à 10:07

Dental hygiene is already quite the tiresome chore at home, so you can probably imagine how some people use travel as an excuse to conveniently “forget” brushing their teeth. Of course, you can always bring your own toothbrush, or hope your hotel provides one, but not all travel toothbrushes seem to be designed for travel. Conventional toothbrushes take up plenty of space with their long bodies while folding designs feel flimsy, unreliable, and always disposable. For those who really want to keep their teeth healthy even when far from home, they’ll need this kind of toothbrush that can keep them company for years to come, thanks to a modular design that also ensures that the planet’s health isn’t sacrificed for the sake of yours.

Designer: Uladzislau Patapchyk

The vast majority of toothbrushes, whether those for the home or for travel, are made from plastic. Given how people are advised to replace their toothbrushes regularly, the accumulated waste from all these dental hygiene tools is staggering. In reality, what you really need to replace is just the bristles of the brush, something that this concept design takes into heart.

More than just its compact foldable form, the IO travel toothbrush concept embraces a modular design that lets you swap out those bristles as needed. It helps reduce the amount of waste from toothbrushes that are thrown out as a whole object when you really need to only replace the head. It also makes the toothbrush more hygienic and convenient, since you can replace the bristles anytime, especially after an accidental drop or brush (no pun intended) with unsanitary surfaces.

The body of the toothbrush itself is also designed to last and is made using surgical steel or other durable metals. The smooth, edge-free design prevents that metal from cutting into your mouth or skin. It has an elegant minimalist design that not only makes it aesthetically pleasing but also reduces the space it takes up in your bag or kit. Like the bristles, it actually also has a modular design that lets you separate the two parts, in case you need to replace one or the other.

This IO toothbrush concept is designed for sustainability from every angle. Even the packaging is supposed to be biodegradable and can even be dissolved in water. You can easily just dissolve the packaging rather than throw it away, ensuring that you won’t be leaving any trash behind. With some outside-the-box thinking, this toothbrush concept proves that human health and convenience don’t have to come at the expense of the planet.

The post Folding Travel Toothbrush Concept Keeps Your Teeth and the Planet Clean first appeared on Yanko Design.

Modular camera concept keeps you focused on the magic of the moment

Par : JC Torres
24 septembre 2024 à 19:15

Smartphones have become very powerful and convenient tools for recording precious memories and sharing them with loved ones, but they can also be sources of stress, distractions, and dissatisfaction. The Instagram generation has many people snapping up photos or short video clips and then losing themselves in a sea of notifications and social media posts just as they try to quickly share those moments. It is quite ironic that these devices that connect us with others also disconnect us from the world around us and, more importantly, from ourselves because of those incessant distractions. A dedicated digital camera, even one with Wi-Fi, is a solution but an inconvenient one at that because of its bulk and complicated features. A better answer might be the evolution of the point-and-shoot camera, but one with a flexible design that can scale to people’s ever-changing needs and situations.

Designers: Mason Fetter, Alejandra Giron, Grant Huntsman, Cooper Phelps, Summer Glenn

Point-and-shoot digital cameras were the first to be obsoleted by the rise of smartphones, unable to keep up with the growing number of connectivity features and fun filters that these mobile devices offered. At the same time, however, it is exactly those lack of features that now gives the design its appeal, as people using Polaroid-style instant cameras have discovered. Their simplicity allowed people to simply have fun and enjoy the moment, without having to worry about instantly applying filters or even immediately uploading photos and videos.

Keepsake is a concept design that embraces that simplicity but with an added twist. Unlike those very basic cameras, it can actually expand to add features needed by users. Best of all, it can also go back to that basic functionality once those extra tasks are done. In other words, it has a modular system that keeps it agile and flexible in ways that even a smartphone might have problems keeping up with.

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At the heart of the Keepsake design is the screenless digital camera itself and four basic modules which include a mic recording and flash that stick to the front of the camera, as well as a MagSafe clip and a wide charging hub that connects to the back. With this kit, shutterbugs have most of what they need to have an enjoyable disconnected experience that simply focuses on the world around them. At the same time, it keeps the doors open to even more possibilities with future add-ons.

Of course, Keepsake also connects and syncs with a mobile app so you can still share your photos when you want to. It gives users the freedom and control to put their phones away and just immerse themselves in the moment but still gives them the power to enjoy the conveniences of the Internet afterward. And with the modular design, they can take only what they need with them and hold a compact device, unlike a powerful yet bulky and heavy camera.

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HMD Fusion revives the modular phone dream with Smart Outfits back covers

Par : JC Torres
6 septembre 2024 à 00:30

Implementing a truly modular phone might be next to impossible at this point in time, but that doesn’t mean that the idea has no merits. It also doesn’t mean we can’t have some of the flexibility and customization that the concept promises, at least in some way that is practical and, more importantly, accessible to people today. That’s the vision behind the HMD Fusion, now formally a real thing rather than just a proof of concept, giving owners the choice of how they want to live their mobile phone life and, perhaps more significantly, the tools and opportunity to make their own “Smart Outfits” to customize their experience.

Designer: HMD

You might have heard of this style of smartphone modularity before, particularly if you’ve been following Nothing’s recent escapades. The CMF Phone 1 opened the doors to customized back covers, and it didn’t take long before creative people really took that offer and ran with it to a rather amusing degree. Now the HMD Fusion is daring to dream a bit bigger with an even more open ecosystem as well as a more affordable smartphone base.

The highlight of the HMD Fusion is the Smart Outfits, which you can place on its back as a rear cover. These can range from anything like a rugged protective cover to a wireless charging coil. Because of the special pogo pins on the back of the HMD Fusion, you can actually have more interactive functionality and no longer have to worry about needing a separate power source. The Flashy Outfit, for example, offers a ring light for taking selfies, whether with the 108MP rear camera or the 50MP front cam. You can also have something like a detachable game controller that won’t have the instability and latency of Bluetooth.

HMD, however, isn’t stopping there. It’s actually providing an open source software and hardware toolkit for more seasoned veterans to make their own Smart Outfits. It could potentially open the floodgates of creative designs, though do expect some to be over-the-top and impractical but also fun and novel. There is definitely unlimited potential, only hampered by the phone’s own hardware.

Inside, the HMD Fusion is pretty much an entry-level phone, with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 process, 6GB of RAM, and an HD+ resolution screen only. The aforementioned cameras squarely aim at the GenZ market, though, who could use the Smart Outfit system to literally dress up their phones. Fortunately, the HMD Fusion also carries a very GenZ-friendly price tag of £199/249€ (roughly $279), which means almost anyone can have access to this appetizer of a modular phone, presuming it becomes available in their region.

The post HMD Fusion revives the modular phone dream with Smart Outfits back covers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Could A.I. Make the Modular Phone A Reality? This Concept Revives the ‘PhoneBloks’ Dream with a Twist

Par : Sarang Sheth
16 juillet 2024 à 20:45

Rather than attaching components to your phone, the PAIR Node allows you to attach sensor modules that help your phone capture different data points around you and your life. Called ‘Nodes’, these modules assist users in forming a lifestyle and AI-driven experience that suits their needs. Rather than buying a phone for its capabilities, you build your phone around the capabilities you need, from having a great camera to being a great health-tracking gadget. As you grow older, the phone grows with you, changing with time and your needs but never being replaced. It’s a clever way to help solve the planned obsolescence problem with tech, by bringing AI-based assistance into the mix.

Designer: LFD Official

Phones are nothing but vessels for the apps they carry – but AI is a little different. Everyone uses AI differently based on exactly what the needs of their life are. That prompted PAIR Node’s creators to revisit phone modularity in the AI age. The PAIR Node is a phone you build based on your requirements, but also on the ability to build an AI-powered device that grows with you and trains as you go. The framework of how this works remains extremely similar to the PhoneBloks concept from years back (which was acquired by Google and Motorola and turned into the now-shelved Project Ara), albeit with a few different modules based on how tech has advanced in the past few years.

The logic behind the phone fundamentally remains the same too – but it’s executed differently. You start by choosing the nodes you need to make ‘your’ smartphone. You pick how advanced you need your camera to be, you choose your battery size, SSD size, speakers, a mini-display, and a few other sensors. Similarly, there’s a separate node called the ‘Remember’ node that captures personal information so that it learns your needs, preferences, and details. Another node is dedicated to just AI, determining how powerful and capable your phone’s assistant is. Together, the Remember and AI nodes work to turn your phone into an extension of yourself in a uniquely meaningful way. The Remember node is the database, and the AI node is the bot that trains on this database.

The AI node trains on other stuff too, like how you use your phone, what you enjoy about your phone (whether you prefer music or photography), etc. It locally fine-tunes its abilities based on your behaviors and patterns – something the PhoneBloks concept didn’t even factor in.

The different nodes come in a variety of configurations. Nodes follow a grid-based design, expanding or contracting in size based on capability. A smaller SSD provides less storage, a larger SSD gives you more storage. Similarly, camera modules increase in size based on capability. Battery, Speaker, Remember, and AI nodes behave the same way. At the end, you pick and choose what you need and reject what you don’t. There’s ultimately a bit of compromise because the phone only has a limited amount of real estate for modules. If music matters more than storage, you’d be better off choosing a larger speaker than a larger SSD. If battery life is a higher priority than camera, then that’s a choice you have to make. Similarly with the AI node, which one can only assume offers newer, faster, powerful hardware for on-device computation.

In the end, the PAIR Node does something rather brilliant – it revives something dead in a way that feels meaningful, very similar to how Apple revived the metaverse last year and how it revived the conversation around AI this year. The modular phone was completely dead as a tech concept (with every smartphone company pivoting rapidly to foldables), but the PAIR Node shows that the phone isn’t dead, it just needs to be made more future-proof. The way you do that isn’t by launching new, better phones every year… it’s by giving your phone a chance to grow with you, understand you, and be a better aide to your daily needs.

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This Modular Seating Solution Is Made From Recycled Cork Salvaged From Wine Stoppers

28 mai 2024 à 15:20

Designed by Paul Crofts, this modular seating system is called Tejo. Crofts designed the Tejo seating collection for the furniture brand Isomi. It is intended to be a “reconfigurable, recyclable, and renewable” modular seating collection that serves as a bench, a single sofa, or even a double back-to-back sofa.

Designer: Paul Crofts for Isomi

The Tejo seat includes curving components that have been filled with natural latex instead of foam. The furniture design is upholstered with natural wool, hemp, or flax instead of synthetic fabrics. It is equipped with a base made from recycled cork which has been salvaged from the production process of wine stoppers. This unique base was created instead of a traditional plywood frame.

“Grown in responsibly managed forests in the Portuguese region of Alentejo – which gives the sofa its name – cork is ideal for use in seating as it is not only soft, tactile, and visually beautiful, but it also regenerates naturally,” said Isomi.

The cork utilized for the Tejo seating solution is sustainably grown, and also a sustainable material option in itself. It ventures into the utilization of cork as a material of choice, while creating a furniture design that has a complementing and soft aesthetic value to it. The Tejo modular furniture design is available in a wide range of colors, and it has been created to work well in different commercial spaces – ranging from retail settings to workplaces and even restaurants.

The Tejo seat can be integrated with different additional elements such as screen dividers, table units, planets, power outlets, and charging ports to create a personalized and customized furniture design. You can add the components that work well for you and your lifestyle, in turn creating a seating system that meets your multiple needs – whether they’re home-oriented or for work. The elegant and refined aesthetics of the seating design allow it to artfully merge with most spaces, giving it a much-appreciated versatility.

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