When you’re obsessed with finding the most awesome gadgets and devices, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than the word “concept.” Not only does it mean you’re not going to find a given device in stores—it usually means you’re never going to find it anywhere. More »
I have to admit I love concept phones simply because of all the rather creative features that can be put into it – some of them might not be feasible with today’s technology, and some are, but it’s nice to imagine what a phone could have been like anyway. Well if you’re wondering what the future might hold for the iPhone, at least as far as a fan’s imagination can take it, Frank_Snk has imagined an iPhone 5S concept in which the phone will incorporate four pico projects – two of which will be used to project a full-sized keyboard on a flat surface, and the other two to project a display in which a full unadulterated version of OS X will be running. The top and bottom portion of the iPhone 5S can be pulled out to activate the projectors, with an app running the whole show. We have to wonder what sized battery it has to use if it hopes to perform all of that, but then again that’s pretty much the beauty of concept phones – it doesn’t always have to make sense.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: This iOS notifications concept looks like a good idea, iPhone 5 Smart Cover concept looks pretty good,
Microsoft’s latest research project is focused on the creation of a cloud-powered GPS chip that can save the battery life of mobile devices. As you already know, activating GPS on your smartphone or tablet brings out the power hog inside the device. Microsoft researchers believe that by reducing the power consumption of GPS chips, it will not only lengthen the battery life of mobile devices but it will also make room for more GPS functionalities, such as remote sensors that are low-powered and many others. (more…)
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For generations, Santa has been cruising around Christmas Eve in his red sleigh pulled by his flying reindeer. Scientists at GE think it’s time for Santa Claus to update his ride with some new high-tech materials. So scientists have come up with a greener and smarter sleigh to help Santa get around the world tonight delivering gifts.
The concept sleigh would use 3-D printed parts, including a more aerodynamic blade design that improves energy efficiency. It’s also sprayed with nanotech Icephobic coatings to repel ice and water. The sleigh is constructed using Ceramic Matrix Composites in the frame, enabling it to travel into space and return to Earth without burning up on re-entry. Considering this thing is an open top sleigh, Santa will need a spacesuit.
The sleigh is also equipped with an electric traction motor that has MEMS switching technology to take over the powertrain when the reindeer to rest. In addition, it’s connected to the Internet, allowing Santa to navigate efficiently around air traffic and keep an eye on the last minute naughty or nice list updates. Check out more details about Santa’s shiny new ride in the Flash widget below:
The dream of sticking solar strips into our mobile devices to recharge its batteries could one day be here. Researchers from Stanford University were able to create the world’s first peel-and-stick thin-film solar cells. The original concept was to develop decal-like solar panels that can be peeled off like band-aids and stuck to virtually any surface. (more…)
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If you’re a fan of BMW cars, you might be interested to learn that BMW has recently taken the wraps off the 4 Series Coupe. Before you rush out and start taking out loans from the bank to get your hands on this bad boy, it should be noted that the 4 Series Coupe is merely a concept vehicle at this point in time. However assuming that BMW follows the same path they took with the Gran Coupe concept which resulted in the 6 Series, perhaps sometime down the future we might expect to see the 4 Series Coupe made a reality! As you can see in the image above, the 4 Series Coupe features some pretty smooth curves, a long bonnet and a short rear deck, although unlike the 6 Series, this concept seems to have retained the stylings of a sedan similar to that of the 3 Series with a connected grille and headlights design. According to BMW’s specifications, the 4 Series Coupe measures 4641mm long, 1826mm wide and 1362mm tall, although the engine of the vehicle remains unknown. BMW has yet to announce when they will be showing off a production version of this concept, but some have speculated that this should take place at next year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
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One of the gripes I have about the iOS lockscreen is the fact that apart from being able to launch the camera app directly from it and some media controls, there’s not a lot I can do with it. It’s a different story with Android due to its customizability, with some lockscreens allowing user to launch a variety of apps directly from the lockscreen itself, or having the lockscreen display information like the weather which saves time from having to launch the Weather app AFTER unlocking our phone. While the future of iOS remains unknown, one concept cooked up by The Apple Core forum member, brentcas, is hoping to add more functionality to the iOS lockscreen.
Dubbed lockscreen cards, this is basically a concept where the time portion of the lockscreen is replaced by “cards”. These cards can potentially be anything, such as the default one that displays the time and date, and users can swipe in between these cards to access other information, like the weather, media controls and etc. According to brentcas, double-clicking the home button while viewing a particular card will bring up extra controls or information that is relevant to the card. For example when display the weather, double clicking could bring up the weekly forecast, or while navigating music controls, double clicking could launch the playlist and so on. Sounds promising – what do you guys think?
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The three pointed star is one of the emblems of success, telling the rest of the world that you have arrived, and high society beckons you. After all, Mercedes-Benz has been churning out vehicles of luxury for many years now, and the prestige that comes with the badge continues to remain elusive to many. Well, no company is able to last this long without being creative and innovative in their thinking, which is why the futuristic tank-like car known as the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G Force Concept Car is certain to capture anyone’s attention.
At first glance, it reminds me of the M Class of four wheel drives, but the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G Force Concept Car is far more than just that, sporting its fair share of high-tech features along the way. For starters, it will have rooftop-integrated emergency lights, 20-inch wheels, and LED headlamps which make up the letter ‘G’. Apart from that, you will also find a pull-out toolbox and a topography scanner on the roof so that you are able to adjust the vehicle’s suspension as and when necessary. According to KickingTires, the Ener-G Force will rely on a hydro-tech converter to transform water stored in tanks on car’s roof into hydrogen so that it can power the fuel cells within.
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Designers Je Sung Park and Woo Jung Kwon must have gotten sick and tired of using an umbrella that gets blown apart in extremely strong winds, and are unable to make you look cool. After all, umbrella designs have remained largely unchanged over the years, but perhaps there is a reason to that – you simply do not fix what is not broken. Well, the two enterprising designers from South Korea have come up with a rather unique idea for a modern day umbrella that features nothing but a handle. Calling it the Air Umbrella, this is but a simple electronic device which will take in air from the bottom of the controller, sending jets of air out at the top in order to create an air curtain which repels raindrops.
It does sound like a, er, sound idea, and you can even manually adjust the power of the air which is pushed through the holes depending on the rain you’re getting, but won’t such a device require a tremendous amount of power to get going, and will the engine that creates this air motion be extremely loud and noisy?
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The Good Design Award is a Japanese “comprehensive design evaluation and commendation system” that is based on the philosophy that “good design is essential and indispensable to everyday life.” This year, the Japan Institute of Design Promotion or JDP, is giving its prestigious Good Design Gold Award to two of Samsung’s products, namely, the Eco-friendly reusable packaging solution and the OLED ES9500 3D TV, respectively.
JDP is also awarding its Good Design Award to 27 of Samsung’s innovative products. The list includes the Galaxy S3, the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Beam, the Chromebook Mini Desktop, the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, and 20 more Samsung products. You can check out the gallery to view the rest. Do note that the list also includes applications such as the Smart TV app and Samsung’s Smart Phone Application for Android. Even Samsung’s Motion UX for smartphones and its 2012 Smart Hub television interface were chosen. Kudos to Samsung for the huge win.
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