An ecologically friendly getaway - an escape from the reality of our
busy days - 'isolée' is a small dwelling which combines smart technology
with attention to detail, offering one a quaint retreat which
has little impact on the environment. conceived by frank tjepkema of
tjep, the intelligent house ensures minimal fuel reliance.
from its
exterior, a solar tree of circular photovoltaic panels extends from the
rooftop, each following the movement of the sun
throughout the course of the day to maximize absorption. the massive shutters which span the length of the building,
are fastened to the main body of the structure via hinges equipped with
electrical motors. the solar energy generated from the cabin
is used to operate this computer controlled network, angling the louvered panels to the inhabitants liking,
automatically closing when a storm approaches. a wood burning stove is
built into a cavity in the side of the house, and can be accessed from
both the exterior and interior -
with wood storage located on the outside, easily reached from the living room. a heating system - also electrically powered
through the collected solar energy - is integrated into the structure, warming the interior using the heat which is emitted
from the stove. all of the LED lighting within runs on rechargeable batteries, with water being the only external supply
required by the house, drawn from a well. Composed of three levels, a
stairwell cuts diagonally across the height of the home, connecting each
floor. at the first floor entry,
one is welcomed by the living
room; the second floor houses the kitchen and dining area; the third and
last floor functioning as a bedroom,
with a bathroom and walkout
terrace. employing a minimal product design ethos, the entire structure
is secured to the ground at only four points,
much like a piece of furniture.
Although the iPhone 5 only launched five months ago, designers are
already imagining how Apple's next line of smartphones will look.
Peter Zigich, a Toronto-based 3D designer, posted concept images of the iPhone 6, the iPhone mini and a phablet on his website.
For Apple's next flagship phone, Zigich proposes moving the home button
to the side, leaving room for more screen room and another row of
icons. The change, he adds, would maintain the same physical dimensions
as the iPhone 5. Zigich also mulls over the possibility of two home
buttons — one on each side of the phone.
For the iPhone mini,
he imagines it as a cheaper, smaller version of the flagship — as some
reports suggest — that would compete in developing markets, alongside
some Android phones. But contrary to online rumors that claim the iPhone
mini would be made from plastic and have a 4-inch screen, Zigich's
version would be made from the "same premium materials" as the regular
iPhone, but have the iPhone 4's 3.5-inch screen.
While Apple
has made no indication that it is developing a phablet — the extra-large
phone and tablet combination that's been a hit with consumers — Zigich
also provides a concept design for the device. His version would have a
larger screen, and allow for one extra row and one extra column of
icons.
For more detailed specs, check out the video, above. What do you think of Zigich's designs? Tell us in the comments.
Image courtesy of iPack3d.com
Android and Chrome OS: Google’s split attention between two overlapping
platforms has long come in for criticism, but rumors of a merge in time
for the Chromebook Pixel failed to pan
out. Then again, is the world ready for a 992.59€ Chromebook, no matter
whether it runs Android or Chrome OS? Perhaps not, Google’s director of
Android user experience, Matias Duarte, says, but there’s more in
Pixel’s prescience of the touchscreen future, he argues. Pixel’s appeal
on a purely hardware basis is undeniable: it’s a beautifully designed
notebook, with an incredibly high resolution touchscreen and the same
crisp lines that we liked from Google’s first Cr-48 Chromebook. However,
its huge price puts Chrome OS up against full notebooks from Apple,
Sony, and others, despite the relative limitations of the cloud-centric
platform, a completely different market from earlier, highly affordable
Chromebooks. For Duarte, however, Pixel’s success won’t solely be
measured by pure sales. “I think that Pixel is really exciting, because I
think that Pixel shows the way that the boundaries between the
different types of computing are blurring” he explained to us. “I think
it’s great that the Chrome team is doing that, I think it’s great that
the Chrome team is allowing Google to get into people’s lives with
touchscreens on a desktop form-factor.”
That’s not a point of
view shared by everybody in the industry, and in fact it puts Duarte and
Google in the same camp as Microsoft and its hardware partners, rather
than with Apple. Steve Jobs memorably decried the usability of touch
notebooks, and Tim Cook has since made similar arguments, that reaching
across a keyboard to tap at a display simply isn’t ergonomically
satisfying.
Duarte disagrees, saying that despite what the
MacBook makers think, users themselves are asking for a touchscreen
approach. “I think that’s a real trend, that touch on laptops and on
desktop form-factors is the way that people want to interact with
computers” he says. “I think every screen should be a touchscreen in the
future, regardless if it has a keyboard or not.”
Despite the
overlap, then, between Android – which has touch at its heart – and
Chrome OS – designed for more traditional form-factors – the two
platforms still have a future as independent projects. According to
Duarte, that will be the case for as long as it makes functional sense:
the two OSes converging, perhaps, on a commonality of features as Google
develops them.
“Google is excellent at diversifying, and
experimenting” he told us. “And I think what Chrome OS does well –
they’re getting better at, and it’s being reflected in what Android does
well in succession – Chrome on Android is the best browser we’ve ever
had, and we would not be at that level without the Chrome team doing the
work that they do, without the Chrome OS team learning the things that
they do, and learning to understand, for example, how to work on
touchscreens.” Meanwhile, what was originally a smartphone, and then a
tablet, OS has been gaining more functionality to bring it in line with a
desktop platform, though Duarte says that it’s still not quite there
year. “Of course Android has also been evolving, and I think it’s
terrific the way that we are gaining capabilities on a day-by-day basis”
he said. “For example in Jelly Bean we announced multi-user support,
and that opens up a range of use-cases, but ultimately, still, the two
platforms meet different needs.”
That also means Android
playing more readily with accessories and other devices, as it continues
its trend toward being the one “OS for humanity” as Duarte himself
described it. “One of the things that was great that we did in
Honeycomb, was we included much better support for peripherals” the
designer said. “So if you go hook up your Nexus 10 to a Bluetooth
keyboard, or even a Bluetooth trackpad, you’ll find you have a much
better experience with that.”
Despite the convergence that has
already happened, Duarte points out however, neither Android nor Chrome
OS are at the point where they satisfy the overall needs of all users.
“Until we have one solution for Google that can really capture
everything, it makes sense for us to continue to develop two platforms”
he explained. Exactly how long that development will take is unclear,
but it may take some time before Chrome OS – or a flavor of it –
achieves the same market dominance as Android enjoys.
Sending up a satellite into space is one thing, but should something go
wrong with it, then fixing it is going to be a whole lot trickier than
expected. After all, it is not as though
you can just drive up to space and check things out, can you? Sending
another human up there is going to be a costly endeavor, so why not get a
robot to do the job instead? A robot will not complain about low wages,
and neither will it tire out, and this is where the cool looking
SpaceJustin the Space Robot comes in handy.
SpaceJustin is
still a work in progress, but it is said to be revolutionary in a sense
where you can feel with your own hands what the robotic hand is
touching, and see from SpaceJustin’s eyes. Not only can the SpaceJustin
robot be operated remotely, it can also send feedback to the user,
making SpaceJustin the ideal candidate down the road to repair
satellites, operate switches or exchange modules, especially in hostile
environments to humans like space.
The SoloReader is an
advanced way of using LED light technology for reading. The Solo Reader
holds the pages of an open book firmly in place while comfortably
reading with one “SOLO” hand. It’s highly portable and lightweight
to use, and does not disburse light outside the range of a book page,
which makes it an ideal gadget for night time reading. Simply place it
on a book, and read without bothering others.
Source: http://www.soloreader.com/
Your home is your most valuable asset, and now with DoorBot, you’re
more connected to it than ever. DoorBot is a simple, yet powerful
wireless doorbell that streams live video and audio of
your front door directly to your smartphone or tablet. Simply install
DoorBot, download the free app and you’re ready to go. Now, anytime you
have a visitor you’ll not only be able to see them, but you’ll be able
to talk with them as well. DoorBot is the perfect device because of the
peace of mind you get while away from home, and the convenience you get
while in it. DoorBot brings your front door to you – wherever you may
be. buy here: https://secure.christiestreet.com/products/doorbot
