The new Coach store in Tokyo features shelves that display wallets and purses on the interior and form a louvered facade on the exterior. More »
Does the good weather have you hankering for a swim? In that case, check out the Naturbad Riehen, an “outdoor bathing lake” in Riehen Switzerland, and although it won’t be open for another year or so, it looks utterly sublime. More »
Philippe Starck is known for designs that are as functional as they are beautiful. So it’s not surprising that when it came to designing a sofa, the results would include everything from privacy dividers, to accessible power outlets, to even a Powermat wireless induction charging pad. There’s probably a good reason it’s called the My World, because as long as your gear is charged, what else do you really need? More »
The New York Times has an awesome retrospective graphic that shows how al fresco seating has evolved all the way from 1889 to the present. Can you tell we’re excited for spring? More »
Google redesigned the interface of its app store and media hub, Google Play, today. The changes are designed to make it easier for Android device owners to discover and — more importantly — purchase new content. The redesign boasts larger …
After much anticipation, the all-new Legoland Hotel opened on Friday, April 5, 2013. Located right next to the theme park in Carlsbad, California, the three-story 250-room hotel does not disappoint, especially for those that can’t get enough of those colorful plastic bricks. We visited the hotel just two days after it opened to scope out some of the 3,500 Lego models scattered throughout the hotel. Made from more than three million Lego bricks, these sculptures were like individual artworks in and of themselves, starting with the huge dragon in the tower, guarding the hotel’s entrance. The green, smoke-breathing dragon, alone, was made out of 400,000 Lego bricks and took roughly 4,000 man hours to construct. More »
Last year, German auto giant Audi purchased Ducati Motors, through its Italian subsidiary Lamborghini. Many people have been speculating whether this could mean that Audi will start manufacturing motorcycles. A couple of designers have been trying to figure out what such a motorcycle could look like.
The Audi Motorrad was designed by Thibault and Marc Devauze, as well as modeler Clement Couvreur. It looks like it’s directly aimed at BMW’s motorcycle group. The concept bike comes packed with a Ducati-derived 850cc, L-Twin 4 valve-per-cylinder, Desmodromic 2-cylinder engine coupled with a double-clutch gearbox.
The body of this super bike would use Audi’s technology that combines carbon fiber with light alloys. I’m wouldn’t doubt that we’ll someday see motorcycles from Audi, because the R8 has definitely got some Lamborghini heritage – and Audi bought Lamborghini in 1998.
[via Yanko Design]
No matter what smartphone you have, at some point in time, even if you’ve got a 2,300 mAh battery, you’ll end up needing a juice up. While there are plenty of battery cases available, these kinds of products quickly become obsolete once the format of your smartphone changes. That’s one of the reasons why having an external battery makes a lot of sense.
The TYLT PowerPlant has a 5,200 mAh battery, which comes in a nice, rectangular cuboid shape with rounded edges. The PowerPlant comes with an integrated cable, so that you aren’t fumbling around with cables. The downside is that this cable is quite short, so you can’t operate your phone in one hand while keeping the battery in your pocket or your bag, with a cable trailing out. You’ll need to set your phone down so that it can juice up. Thankfully, the PowerPlant also comes with a microUSB and USB slots, so any cables you have will work with your devices. Charge-ups are pretty fast, too. One full charge up takes about 2 hours for the iPhone 4S. The pack has got four LEDs telling you the remaining charge, and you can easily get 3 complete charges on a typical smartphone using the battery.
The TYLT PowerPlant comes in three different versions. One for iPhone 4/4S, one for iPhone 5 and one for other smartphones. The last model has got an integrated microUSB cable. Naturally, this battery can also be used for any other mobile devices you have, like tablets. The performance of the battery is certainly good, though it remains to be seen if this will continue over time. Most of these battery packs will suffer as the batteries degrade, but overall, it’s a really interesting device that will definitely help keep you powered up when you are in a bind, and no matter if you change phones or models, you’ll be still able to use it, which isn’t the case in for battery cases.
The only negative is the rubber cover the ports. I almost ripped it out the first time I opened it. It takes a while before you realize which side can be easily opened. The PowerPlant costs between $69.99 to $89.99 (USD).
Is this some kind of robotic arm? Or a miniature skyscraper? Actually, no, it’s just a humble table lamp—but its design allows it to assume all kinds of amazing, striking forms. More »
For as long as watches have been made, most of the analog watches have had hands of some sort. Granted, there are plenty of digital watches that eschew hands altogether, but I have trouble naming any analog watches that didn’t have any hands. This one takes the ‘no hands’ concept to a whole new level.
Designed by Benoît Mintiens, the Ressence Type 3 watch goes for extreme minimalism thanks to engineering. It has a display that’s filled with fluid and gravitational gearing. The refractive properties of the liquid make it seem like the dial is sitting right near the surface of the crystal. This watch has no crown. There’s nothing to push, or twirl, or pull. The adjustments are driven by rotating the watch itself thanks to the gravitational-responsive gearing system. It’s truly a marvel of modern engineering.
If you have to ask the price, you probably can’t afford it, because the Ressence Type 3 watch will sell for for €23,000 (~$29,500 USD) when it’s released later this year.
[via Cool Hunting]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
