Resources for NUS ID Level 4 studio : design works

Time: The Best Inventions Of The Year

YEN CHING-CHIUAN — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:51:00 GMT

This year, Time Magazine's Invention of the Year title goes to the iPhone, as:

1. The iPhone is pretty
2. It's touchy-feely
3. It will make other phones better
4. It's not a phone, it's a platform
5. It is but the ghost of iPhones yet to come

Below are others selected on the list:

Autonomous Automobile

The trouble with most green-concept cars is that they require regular "refueling" with hard-to-get hydrogen or ethanol. The Venturi Eclectic runs solely on wind and solar power. Solar cells blanket the rooftop, and a wind turbine provides extra juice. When that's not enough, a backup electric outlet can recharge the three-seat Eclectic in five hours.
Available: 2008
http://www.venturi.fr/

Car, Compacted

Franco Vairani / MIT

Aiming for the sweet spot between the comfort of a private vehicle and the efficiency of public transportation, the City Car from MIT's Media Lab is a stackable electric car that can be checked out like a luggage cart at the airport, then returned to any station around the city. Electric motors in each wheel eliminate the need for a mechanical drivetrain, and these 5-ft.-long (1.5 m) two-seaters zip along at 55 m.p.h. (about 90 km/h).
Available: 2011
cities.media.mit.edu

Reading Glasses

Researchers at Madrid's Carlos III University have devised a way for the hearing-impaired to stay with the program: Subtitle Glasses. The mini-display that hangs over the right lens picks up text that's transmitted to it wirelessly, timed to follow along with the movie.
Available: Prototype
cesya.es/en

Sound Tracker

Forget consumer diaries. Arbitron is shaking up the ratings industry with its Portable People Meter, a wearable gizmo that picks up identification codes embedded in the audio portion of a broadcast and automatically records what radio- or TV-station consumers are really flipping to.
Available: Now
arbitron.com

An ATM for Books

The Espresso Book Machine—meaning "fast," not coffee—can churn out a 300-page paperback on demand, complete with color cover, in just 3 min. The $50,000 machine could transform libraries into minibookstores, making hard-to-find titles as accessible as cappuccinos. At $3 a book they might be cheaper too.
Available Now
ondemandbooks.com

Without a Trace

Did you hear the joke about the paperless office? Now that we've laid that myth to rest, scientist Paul Smith at Xerox Research Centre of Canada has made a real breakthrough with Erasable Paper. The paper is embedded with a material that changes color when exposed to light and is projected onto it by an inkless printer. The text disappears in 24 hours, so you can reuse the sheet.
Available Prototype
xerox.com/innovation/exp_paper.shtml

Pretty Sweet

How's this for eco-friendly: a battery that runs on sugar. Sony's bio cell, unveiled in mid-2008, uses glucose-digesting enzymes to extract electrons from any sugary solution (as with other batteries, the electrons flow around the circuit to generate electricity). Connect four of the 50-milliwatt cells, and you've got enough juice to keep your MP3 player humming.
Available Prototype
sony.net

Good Morning, Sunshine

Most people hate their alarm clock. That's why Eoin McNally and Ian Walton created the glo Pillow. Embedded with a grid of LEDs, it uses nothing but light to wake you up. About 40 min. before reveille, the programmable foam pillow starts glowing, gradually becoming brighter, to simulate a natural sunrise. This helps set your circadian rhythm and ease you into the day.
Available Prototype
embryo.ie/glo/index.html

Hot or Not?

You know the feeling. You try on a shirt at the store and think you look pretty fly, but you need a second opinion. With Social Retailing, developed by IconNicholson and shown at Bloomingdale's in March, you can send a video to your friends' cell phones and instantly get their vote. You can also try on outfits virtually using a mirror that shows how fab they might look—or not.
Available 2008
iconnicholson.com

Bending Reality

Imagine a cell phone you could roll up like a sheet of paper, or a computer screen flexible enough to wrap around a pillar. This spring LG.Philips and Sony demonstrated flexible displays that can do just that. Both ultra-thin screens use organic leds that display 16.7 million colors. Flexible screens have been shown before, but these mark a step up in durability and quality, and bring us closer to a future when the unyieldingly rigid gadgets we now covet will be obsolete.
Available Prototypes
lgphilips-lcd.com

for completed story, please go to Times http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/completelist/0,,1677329,00.html

Philips Unveils Future Design Concepts for Easier Day-to-day Living

YEN CHING-CHIUAN — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:44:00 GMT

Care for Guests
'Daylight' is a hotel scenario for the future. The hotel industry is dominated by large chains that provide consistent service, but often lack a personal touch. Luckily, the rise of private, theme-oriented hotels is ushering in a new age of hospitality, one in which guests control virtually every aspect of their stay. New applications of technology will empower customers and provide them with better, more comfortable surroundings in which to relax and re-energize after a long journey. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen)

Care for Family
'Celebrating Pregnancy' is a pregnancy scenario for the future. From conception to childbirth and beyond, bringing a child into the world is both a joy and a challenge. While medical advances have made the experience safer than ever, hospital environments have hardly changed. Mothers (and fathers) are often treated like patients with an illness, rather than parents-to-be. Wouldn't it be wonderful if prenatal care and, in particular, fetal ultrasounds were as comfortable as they are exciting? And what if the entire experience was one that could be shared with the entire family, including the experience of that first view of the baby? If a picture is worth a thousand words, a 4D virtual image with audio is priceless. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen)

Wardrobe Care
Breathe new life into your clothes. A unique combination of an iron, a steamer and a garment refresher that keeps your family's clothes in beautiful shape and saves you time and money. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen).

CitizenM
Build and assemble prefabricated hotel rooms onsite with the Philips One Star is Born concept. Partners are able to create and bring to market innovative applications of the concept such as the Citizen M hotel - a hotel for mobile citizens of the world. © PHILIPS

Ambisound
Philips offers full multi-channel surround sound without the hassle of cables or speakers with its I-piece, integrated home theatre system.© PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen).

Care for Patient
'Ambient Healing Space' is a hospital scenario for the future.Wouldn't it be amazing if, while in hospital, patients could relax, feel comfortable and focus on participating in their own care? Imagine providing patients with multi-purpose spaces where they can rest and feel comfortable - talking to their families, fellow patients and medical staff. Imagine customizable healing spaces, even in hospital rooms with more than one patient, where patients can choose privacy or sociability, and where medical information flows seamlessly from doctor to patient. Imagine a hospital room that feels more like a hotel suite than a medical ward, and where the focus is on comfort and service. Imagine placing patients in entertaining, non-confrontational environments that are tailored to their personal needs, and which put them in control of everything from lighting to audio. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen)

For more information, please refere to Philips website: http://www.newscenter.philips.com/about/news/press/20071023_simplicity_concept_collection.page

Winners of James Dyson Award 2007

YEN CHING-CHIUAN — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 04:55:00 GMT

The James Dyson Award is an annual design competition which recognises young designers and engineers who demonstrate Dyson’s design philosophy - the ability to think differently, persist in the face of set-backs and create functional, innovative products that improve the way we live.

The winner is selected from the shortlist of national winners from Dyson’s Design Award programme, currently held in 13 countries. The winner was announced in May.

The Award is an exciting opportunity for aspiring design engineers to compete on an international platform for a total prize fund of £10,000, plus a rare opportunity to interact with the Dyson RDD team.

Below are winners' works of 2007:

Winner 2007

Name	Senjo
Winner	Maxi Pantel
Graduated	Muthesius Kunsthochschule, Industrie Design
Country	Germany

Problem:
Communication between deaf people and non-deaf people is difficult without the use of sign-language and lip reading.

Solution:
Senjo is an innovative sign-language translator. This wearable computer system offers mobility and spontaneity in the user’s daily life. Senjo uses digital interfacing in both the visual interpretation of the spoken word as well as the audio translation of hand movements. Using cameras and sensors, Senjo uses speech recognition to translate the spoken word into signs. The signs are projected through a specialised head-mounted display; the chest-piece has built in speakers which interpret the users’ motions into spoken words.

Commended

Name	N-One
Winner	Matt Backler
Graduated	Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand
Country	New Zealand

Conventional intravenous systems and infusion pumps in hospitals are not suitable for dynamic patient movement, or if so, in very limited amounts. N-One has been designed to aid patients to recover from hospital procedures in the comfort of their own home, by replacing the cumbersome hospital drip with a tubeless intravenous pump worn on the patient's arm.

Other entries

Name	Ventra
Winner	Pieter De Smul
Graduated	Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen
Country	Belgium

Too much water is wasted in our households, especially in the bathroom. The Ventra is a system for recycling shower water that also acts as an eco-tap, automatically closing off the valve once the shower is complete.

Name	Ex Aequo
Winner	Sophie Hedde
Graduated	Strate Collge
Country	France

People who suffer from disabilities, such as paraplegics, don't always have the same chances to excel in sport. Ex Aequo is a boat which helps to break down the physical barriers faced by paraplegic children, by incorporating a sliding floor and a simple rope system reinforced into the design.

Name	Ergonomic Violin
Winner	Tricia Ho
Graduated	University of New South Wales, Australia
Country	Australia

Many professional and amateur classical violin players experience problems gripping a traditional violin and can suffer physical pain from musculoskeletal disorders. The Ergonomic Violin was designed to allow the player to customise the violin to suit their individual style.

Name	Specialized recreational SCUBA Diving RIB
Winner	Shane Murphy
Graduated	NCAD, Ireland
Country	Ireland

Scuba diving is almost exclusively enjoyed by the young and fit. The sport can seem intimidating to older and heavier divers as the task of getting back on board is a significant one. The SCUBA uses Waterjet technology to raise up on a platform to help get divers and equipment back aboard.

Name	Adwok1
Winner	Elisa Sbrogiò, Claudia Benetazzo, Angela Bettega
Graduated	IUAV of Venice, Italy
Country	Italy

Conventional cooking hobs do not use energy efficiently. Adwok1 is an induction hob. It is made up of a plate and an electrical circuit which drive and feed a coil. Adwok1 recognizes the dimensions of the pan or pot and distributes the heat in a more effective way.

Name	Hanging scale
Winner	Feilang Tseng
Graduated	Academy Of Art University, San Francisco
Country	Japan

Japanese homes have little room for storage - and conventional scales can take up too much room. Hanging scale is a handy, lightweight, foldable bathroom scale which hangs on the door knob.

Name	Crop Coffee
Winner	Wouter Haarsma
Graduated	Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Country	Netherlands

The majority of coffee farmers live in poverty. The aim of this project was to benefit the coffee farmers by decreasing the amount of channels the coffee goes through before getting to the end consumer, thus increasing profits for the farmer.

Name	Handbug
Winner	Almudena Mampasa Cerrillos
Graduated	Polithecnic University of Madrid
Country	Spain

Carrying shopping is a tiresome and often painful task. The thin handles of conventional plastic bags dig into hands and wrists, cutting off the blood supply. Handbug aims to distribute the weight of the shopping over a wider surface area than the narrow straps of conventional plastic straps to prevent unnecessary pressure.

Name	Easywax
Winner	Christian Kohler
Graduated	Eidgen ssische Technische Hochschule
Country	Switzerland

Seasoned skiers and snowboarders know that conventional hot-waxing procedures are fussy and laborious. There is also the added chore of scraping up all the wax that has dripped onto the floor in the process. The Easywax is in stick form, releasing the wax only when heated and in contact with the ski or snowboard surface.

Name	SiMPLE
Winner	Susie Clarke
Graduated	Royal College of Art
Country	UK

Conventional hobs waste energy and time. Over a third of the energy used in hob cooking is lost during the process of heat transfer from the heat source to the pan, resulting in increased cooking times. The SiMPLE hob is made up of conductive silicone, interwoven with wire to evenly distribute heat.

Name	Excubo
Winner	Matthew Gale
Graduated	California College of the Arts (CCA)
Country	USA

Sleeping while riding on public transportation is an uncomfortable activity. The Excubo jacket is for everyday use and makes a warm, stable sleeping cocoon.

For more detailed information, please refer to the competition website: http://www.english.dysoncanada.ca/jda/default.asp

Samsung Armani phone is revealed

YEN CHING-CHIUAN — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:07:00 GMT

Samsung officially confirmed its collaboration with Armani to produce a new cellphone that reflects the fashion designer's sense of style. Simply called the Armani-Samsung luxury mobile phone but known internally as the P520, the device is a direct challenge to both the iPhone and LG's Prada phone with the same emphasis on a touch-driven interface.

for more information, please refer to http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/09/24/armani.samsung.phone/

Microsoft Surface: Behind-the-Scenes First Look

YEN CHING-CHIUAN — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:03:00 GMT

First commercially available surface computer from Microsoft breaks down barriers and provides effortless interaction with information using touch, natural gestures and physical objects. Below are some images:

Microsoft Surface

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Front view of Microsoft Surface

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Microsoft Surface responds to touch, gestures and objects placed on the surface

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With Microsoft Surface, you can plan a day of sightseeing without leaving your hotel lobby.

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With Microsoft Surface, you can share digital photos with your friends as you would in the physical world, sliding them across the table with a flick of the finger.

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Microsoft Surface allows users to interact with digital content through touch and natural gestures — they can stretch, share, and drag and drop digital images

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With Microsoft Surface, order a beverage during your meal with just the tap of a finger.

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Microsoft Surface puts restaurants, hotels, shopping and theaters at your fingertips.

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Use Microsoft Surface to quickly browse through music, dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist.

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View, sort, stack and organize photos with your hands on Microsoft Surface.

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Instantly compare items while shopping with Microsoft Surface.

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For detailed information, please visit the webiste: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html

or microsoft website

http://www.microsoft.com/surface/