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We are living in times when the futuristic, techno-perfect environment seen in sci-fi movies is, step by step, becoming a reality. Robots become smarter, devices are getting more ingenious, tons of gizmos intended to make diverse life spheres easier appear every day. However, few upcoming product technologies and gadgets get credit from people. Quoting graphic designer Frank Chimero, people ignore design that ignores people. At the same time, pure utility without an attractive and handy interface has less chance to provoke the end-user to say "Gimme that gadget!" Obviously, the ability to combine helpful capacity and nifty design is a perfect mix that makes a winning product in the user's eyes.
Below you can find a collection of smart gadgets and gizmos that are available to enhance your user-experience today. We are also showcasing some exquisite innovative product concepts that may obsess all the geeks and technology lovers before long.
Top-notch gadgets and devices
CableDrop
These small neat clips can help you rein in the chaos of all those power and peripheral cords. Forget about stumbling over all those cables and crawling for the necessary one just to plug in a device. Holders come in stylish color schemes, either bright or muted, so they can even become a part of your décor. Price: $9.95 for a package of 6 items.
Qlocktwo
This beautiful (and unique!) handmade LED clock from Germany's Biergert & Funk is a godsend for people who suffer from numerofobia (fear of numbers): it tells time in words, displayed as text in five minute intervals. There's even a brightness sensor to automatically adjusted the letters' luminosity. However, this readability doesn't come cheap - expect to drop €885 (about $1,270) for one. Right now, there are a few background color options -- maybe the next step is a typography-change option? (We thing that would be all kinds of awesome, how about you?)
E-supply Japan USB Microscope
This digital USB microscope may be not good enough for a serious scientific research -- or even the gun-toting lab rats of the CSI franchise -- but its 2Mpix censor and 5x to 150x zoom will be great to capture higher-resolution images, get your kid busy with some backyard exploration, or help aid your home crimescene investigations of "who stole my sandwich?." The arm has a mirror which can be brought close to any area for a closer look, for example, your teeth and ears. Sadly, this gadget is Japan internal -- which means that, even if you want it badly enough to fork over its MSRP of US$130, you'll have to import it.
iPhone Horn
Forward, into the past! Designer Matt Richmond managed to join past and future technologies via his vintage iPhone Horn - a wooden iPhone dock connected by a channel with an old-fashioned Magnavox gramophone. This construction acoustically amplifies the iPhone's tiny speaker and provides a nostalgic mono sound. Watch the video to see how it works. This accessory probably won't be mass-produced (due to the general rarity of gramophones), but once you get one, it'll add a uniquely retro flavor to your room decor. Price: $160-200. (via dwell.com)
Terminator: Salvation T-600 USB Skull
Repeat after me, in your best Ah-nuld the Barbarian voice: "I'll be back...ing up my data." Get your sci-fi geek on with this officially licensed USB drive designed to mimic the T-600 skull from the film Terminator: Salvation. It holds 2GB of storage, weighs 42g and supports Windows XP/Vista and MacOS 10.2 and up. The eyes of the T600 are genuine Swarowski rhinestones -- which might be why the price of this gizmo is $150. Currently available in Japan only -- but really, is that a barrier for a true Terminator fan? (via crunchgear)
Grassy Lawn Charging Station
Artificial grass on the top of this container will hide all the cables and adapters while your gadgets are charging. This power station is quite refreshing, both for devices and your decor, and the price is quite "green" as well: only $24.99.
JVC GD-32X1
Back in June, JVC introduced a new ultra slim LCD TV for business use. The GD-32X1 is 6.4 mm in its thinnest place (the TV's hardware and ports are located in the rear brick), beating the 8.9 mm Samsung OLED TV. The unit also boasts 4,000:1 contrast and full 1920x1080 HD viewing. According to JVC USA, the GD-32X1 is scheduled to hit US sales channels in November '09 -- with a not-so-slim MSRP of around US$3,000.
LiveScribe Pulse Smart Pen
LiveScribe Pulse Smart Pen can be a godsend for regular hand-writers, such as students and journalists. It records and links audio to what you write. These functions are connected, so you can use the pen to tap the notes and then quickly access the audio. Recorded data is uploaded to your computer and archived by the Livescribe Desktop software, making your notes fully searchable. These and other neat functions can be had for $199.95 (2 Gb memory model).
Jigsaw Cookie Cutter
An edible jigsaw puzzle can bring tons of fun to a home party, as well as being an easy and pleasant way to brighten up the daily life routine. £3.40 for the item, but this jigsaw piece becomes an unsolvable puzzle for those who live out of United Kingdom, as delivery cost increases up to threefold.
Steampunk Skull Mouse
This steampunk-styled mouse looks creepy and classy at the same time; definitely NOT a choice of peripheral if you're nervous -- or work for PETA, as it's made from a real sheep skull. (Creator Ivan Mavrov claims the sheep died a natural death.) Although this device does not really follow strict ergonomics guidelines, it is definitely a piece of art. Check out more Mavrov's steampunk gadgets and accessories here.
Belkin Cushtop Laptop Desk
This comfy laptop cushion, done in a modern minimalist style, can be quite handy when using your laptop on your couch, bed or floor. You can keep mouse and cables in a convenient storage sleeve and simply flip over the cushion, if needed, to put on a larger laptop. Price: $35
Twitter Dunks
And now the latest geek fashion rage - Twitter Dunks. This is an exclusive pair made by Daniel Reese at the request of some passionate tweeter. This is the only Twitter-related sneaker design made by Daniel so far -- which still gives you have a chance to order your own unique design, for example, sneakers depicting the new Twitter home page design.
Makerbot
Makerbot is a 3D printer that takes blobs of plastic and shapes them into almost any object you desire. Using this device, you can create toys, plastic miniatures, iPhone docks or any other handicrafts you can imagine. Although it's not a completely unique innovation, Makerbot is one of the first open-source desktop prototyping devices that are fairly inexpensive and supported by a vigorous community that is happy to share designs, tips and mods. Hobbyists call it "having China on your desktop". The basic Makerbot kit costs $750. (via wired.com)
Gorillatorch
The Gorillatorch Flashlight absolutely justifies its $30 price by combining the convenience of a tripod and the flexibility of a snake. Flexible tripods, magnetized feet, even the way it is packed into the box make it look lively, like some kind of small, fidgety bot. Water-resistant and collapsible, it works up to 20 hours at maximum brightness on three AAA batteries. Surely a must-have for your household.
Always Innovating Touch Book
Touch Book from Always Innovating is a compromise for those who dream about an Apple Tablet, but don't have the patience to wait for it. This extremely multi-functional touchscreen netbook is available now for $299 (an optional detachable keyboard increases the price another hundred bucks). It can be a laptop or an e-book reader, or even a kitchen computer (thanks to the special magnet system included by design). Notice that Touch Book is based on all open-source software, and is probably a choice-not for those who regularly use Adobe Photoshop or some other Windows or Mac-based software.
iPhone 3G/3Gs Solar Recharger
Multi-gadget solar charging stations are not a rarity today, but this compact recharger for iPhone has a neat snap-on panel which completely matches the iPhone design. Besides, no extra cables or wires are required for use. There are two color options: black, or white. Of course, while a solar recharger can't be used as primary source of power for your iPhone, it's still a nice thing to keep in the bag. Price: approximately US$22. (via technabob)
USB Hidden Flash Drive Watch
Good morning, Mr. Phelps: here's a gadget from the spy arsenal. It has a diminutive 8Gb memory flash drive slipped neatly into the watch case. The watch itself features Japanese quartz movement and luminescent hands. $50, and you're ready to conduct your own secret missions.
Rock Radio
This cool radio was created by Guus Oosterbaan, and is literally a ROCK radio. Initially it was supposed to have a brick shape, but a thick layer of cement prevented the radio from working. The failure inspired Guus for the new idea - he took a hammer and gave the radio a pure natural stone look. Read on the details of the creation process in Oosterbaan's blog.
Most awaited upcoming products
Nokia Booklet 3G
With its recent Booklet 3G announcement, Nokia introduced anything but an ordinary netbook. Along with its typical-for-netbooks Atom processor and 10.1-inch display, Booklet features some really unique characteristics, like an HD screen, integrated 3G wireless and a hot-swappable SIM card. It looks to be running Windows 7, which isn't particularly netbook-y -- and typical of Nokia in general. This tiny, sophisticated laptop should make most Nokia fans really happy. The price was recently announced as US$299 -- with a two-year, $60/month data plan from AT&T. Don't wanna owe your soul to the Death Star's company store? An unsubsidized Booklet'll set you back US$600.
Android Desktop Phone PHOTO
Cloud Telecomputers has announced their 'Glass Platform' Android desktop Phone, which features the 8″ touch screen, tap to dial, Email via Outlook integration, Bluetooth, voice dialing, voice notes, HD Speakerphone, and of course, Android OS for open development . Cloud Telecomputers also expects lots of third party Android apps to be built especially for the business phone platform. The Glass Platform Android Desktop Phone will go on sale in 2010, with an expected price between $600 and $700.
Asus Eee Keyboard
A fully functional PC in a keyboard? Yes, Asus is going to rock the world with this innovative gadget. The Eee Keyboard includes WiFi (and Ethernet), speaker, microphone, and 5-inch interactive display and touch screen. It weighs less than 2 pounds and connects to existing displays. There are still no details on the release date or pricing, but the keyboard is near a final prototype and will definitely going into production. (release was scheduled for October 2009, still not available)
Innovative concepts
Touch Color
Touch Color is a device that allows a blind person to paint colorful pictures with their fingers on the panel. The set consists of two gears - Thermal digital tablet and a Rainbow Color picking ring. The 24 colors on the ring are differentiated by Braille dots and varied temperature generated by the embedded LED bulbs. Hopefully, this concept will find sponsors and go into production, because it's hard to find a more worthy idea to be realized.
CRISTAL
Universal remotes have become popular in the last few years, but there is still much ground in this field available for the research. A remote control can be super powerful and multifunctional, but until it can be accessible for several people simultaneously, it's not perfect. CRISTAL is a multi-touch coffee table that allows users to control multimedia devices and home automation systems. The tabletop itself is a screen displaying a streaming video view of the room and all devices in it, including lamps and digital photo frames. The video image of the device is the interface, so a sliding gesture on the image can turn up the volume of the TV, for instance. The project in the development stage, but the managers are confident the idea has all chances to go into consumer production in a few years, especially if it can be blended with Microsoft's Surface product.
FieldCREW
The Field Contextual Research Workstation (FieldCREW) tablet concept by the Bressler Group's Rob Tannen is geared to the needs of user researchers gathering product design feedback. This nifty device features remotely controlled tracking cameras via wireless that will observe user interaction, wireless taggers and microphones that record voice memos of scientists - tagging is synched to a common timeline on the tablet. Plus, subvocalization sensor allows the researcher to silently dictate notes that are automatically transcribed to text and stored on the tablet. The concept is the finalist of the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2009.
Last Drop
The Last Drop is a genuine and extremely useful package concept which is especially urgent in times of world economy recession. The bottom of the Last Drop container is designed the way that the finishing liquids flow down into a cone where the dispenser can easily reach and lets the user have even the last drop of liquid. It enables to avoid product wastage and is a great solution in terms of recycling and anti-water pollution. All these useful functions and the elegant design make the Last Drop to be an amazing product concept.
Window Phone
This is probably the most unbelievable gadget in our collection. Window Phone is a concept mobile phone that reflects the weather conditions actually like a window - it remains clear if the day is sunny, turns frosty when the weather is cold, and during a rainy day it gets covered with tiny droplets. You can also blow your breath on the interactive screen and write messages or draw pictures on the misty window. Doubtless it will take quite much time before we see this phone for real, but the concept is indeed extraordinary and intriguing.
Smile Generating Devices
Twittering Devices
Want to stay informed about what your household gadgets do when you are out? Well, you can make your gadgets tweet you all their latest news. You will need simple hardware platforms called microcontrollers. These small computers that can be put into different device modules and programmed to send an alert whenever something specific changes. There is even a Wired How-To Wiki that contains instructions on using microcontrollers and Twitter. So now you can receive tweets from toaster when the toast is ready, from washing machine when the laundry is clean and from the toilet, each time it flushes... And yes, if your gadgets are doing well, don't forget to recommend them on FollowFriday. Gosh!
i.Saw
The world's first USB chainsaw is an indispensible thing in various life situations. It can help settle some controversial issues in the office, or come in handy in case you are a geek with a woodsman inside -- after all, you can always boast to your friends you have the deadliest USB-powered gadget ever. The shipping for the i.Saw starts this fall. Pre-order price: $59.95
Bumblebee Transformer Costume
This awesome Bumblebee costume was used at car dealerships as some sort of promotion. Interesting if that guy is still wearing it. We doubt it -- because now that the video is popular on the web, some extremely desperate Transformers fans might have already conducted a confiscation mission.
Buddah Phone
Advertised as being the phone for Buddhists, it comes with a 2.0 inch display screen, 1.3-megapixel camera, FM radio, dual SIM support, audio and video player, microSD slot, even a Buddhistic music box. This fancy gadget hardly fits the central concept of Buddhism, which is Suffering. Then again, maybe it is the influence of the time we live in - even religion dogmas should adapt to the technology era to stay afloat. However, if not taken too serious, the Buddah phone can be a nice gift for those who love Eastern culture elements in design. Price: $123
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