Audi
Tags: Design, General, Technology,
Apple
Tags: Design, Technology,
Apple granted patent for “flexible iPhone” with foldable display
In a move reminiscent of the Motorola Razor glory days, Apple has been granted a patent for a flexible iPhone with a foldable display. Issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the document describes a phone that can be “opened and closed like a book”.
As well as the folding screen, the patent also highlights how screens using an OLED display could bend to face each other or fit back-to-back. While Apple is renowned for filing patents that never see the light of day, it often provides a small glimpse into the company’s future plans.
Following complaints of a fault that meant the iPhone 6 and 6S bent when in peoples’ pockets – an event that became known as “Bendgate” – Apple could potentially be looking for a way to improve the durability of its hardware.
McDonalds
Tags: Art, Design, General, Technology,
To celebrate the 22nd birthday of the Mcflurry, McDonalds Canada has partnered with the University of Waterloo’s Audio Research Group and industrial designers Stacklab to develop the McDonalds Boombox. The portable speaker was available for one day at an event in Toronto and turned drinks trays into a portable, disposable speaker compatible with smartphones.
The 100% recyclable boombox can reach a decibel level of 70.4 dB using double-cone polygon speakers. The ten-sided cones are foil lined, reflecting the materiality and performance of brass instruments.
“When we changed the shape of the cones of the McBoombox, the difference in sound levels was 50 percent,” says Janelle Resch, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo who developed the project. “When we used the reflective material, you increase the sound level by 43 percent. Inserting your phone increases the sound level by 101 percent.”
The launch of the McDonald’s Boombox coincided with KFC India announcing that it had developed a bluetooth enabled games controller combined with its famous chicken box.
Rechargeable Electric Wheels
Tags: Design, General, Technology,
An Argentinian team has created a quickly folding electric bike with full-size wheels—one that pretty much knocks out every excuse you’ve had for not biking to work. The weatherproof rechargeable bike is made from lightweight aircraft grade aluminum (weighing a total of 17 kg) and offers 40 miles of electric assistance on a single charge, meaning you can effortlessly pedal straight to that afterparty atop a hill, without breaking a sweat. Additional features include a pedal-powered smartphone charger, lights that automatically turn on when your phone detects darkness plus integrated rear lights.
Apple Automotive
Tags: Design, General, Technology,
Apple has several hundred employees secretly working on creating an electric vehicle, reported the Wall Street Journal on Friday, citing people familiar with the company’s plans. Code-named Titan, the project currently sports the design of a minivan.
According to the Journal, Apple CEO Tim Cook approved the project about a year ago, putting product design Vice President Steve Zadesky in charge. A former Ford engineer, Zadesky has been a long time Apple employee who helped create the iPod and later the iPhone.
Zadesky is said to have created a team strong of 1,000 people, which tends to prove that Apple is serious about the project, rather than considering this electric car a hobby.
But of course, until we get an official confirmation from Apple, project Titan remains just this: a project that may or may not see the light of day. Besides, the technology developed for the project could very well be used for other products (think batteries, a technology in real need of a breakthrough). Either way, if Apple decided to go ahead with Project Titan, it would probably take years for an actual car to go into production.
This report comes a few hours after the Financial Times published a similar story earlier today, claiming that Apple had hired former President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Johann Jungwirth, a report that has now been corroborated by the Wall Street Journal.
The rumors of Apple working on a car project started last week when mysterious vans equipped with cameras spotted around the country had Apple’s name attached to them. Two days later, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in an interview Apple was trying really hard to hire employees away from his company. It’s now easier to connect the dots.
Note the image attached is a concept and doesn’t reflect Apple’s design, if the company is indeed working on such a project.
LandRover DC100
Tags: Design
Land Rover unveiled the DC100 Sport Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 13, 2011. The concept captures the flexibility, adaptability and configurability that have always been key attributes of Land Rover and continue in today’s Defender.
Audi
Tags: Design
Audi, the company that brought you hybrid-diesel racecars, has an intriguing two-wheel concept vehicle: an ultra-light carbon fiber electric bicycle that has WiFi built in, can hit 50 mph, and even has a Segway-like mode that lets it run on just its back wheel (apparently clever computers and gyroscopes will keep you balanced).