Hasta La Gadget!

It’s hard to have a decent meal when you’re traveling or are spending extended periods of time outdoors, where you might not have access to tableware and basic utensils like a spoon and a fork.

The designer behind Pop-up Tableware aims to change that with this relatively simple but ingenious concept. In its unfolded version, the Pop-up Tableware looks just like an A4-sized folder.

Once it is opened, a hexagonal bowl pops up. A spoon and fork can be removed from the folder, which also serves as a place mat. With a few quick folds, the spoon and fork are transformed into three-dimensional utensils.

Pop-up Tableware is a 2013 Red Dot Design Award winner. It was designed by See Yew Siang.

[via Red Dot]

What makes traveling costly aside from airplane tickets and transport is the price you have to pay in order to get decent accommodations. One possible solution lies in the Fold Inn.

As its name suggests, it’s a bedroom that you can set up wherever you might need accommodations, so you can unfold it and get ready for bed when you’re ready to turn in for the night.

When it’s fully expanded, the Fold Inn is about the size of an average elevator. Packed inside is a bed and cushy bedding so you rest easy and snooze comfortably. Additionally, the walls are made from sturdy wood so your privacy is assured.

While it’s not something you’d probably carry around with you, it’s an innovative idea for reconfiguring spaces into sleeping quarters on an as-needed basis – such as when companies are bringing in workers from remote locations.

The Fold Inn was designed by Lieke Jildou de Jong and Alei Verspoor. It was on display this past October at the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

[via Pop Up City]

A couple of years ago we featured the HandyNES, the portable NES console by Sharon Smith aka lovablechevy. Earlier this year she got her first commission, and it was for another HandyNES. But her client had a great idea: to make the handheld look like the NES controller. Behold!

This unit is very similar to the original HandyNES. It’s also based on an actual NES motherboard, has a top-loading cartridge slot, a 3.5″ LCD screen, a 1500mAh battery that should last about 3 hours and is one of the smallest portable NES mods around. This time though the buttons and d-pad are from a NES controller, and it doesn’t have a USB port for a second NES controller.

Sharon shows off the new HandyNES in the video below, demonstrating features such as its A/V-out and low battery indicator.

If you’re interested in asking Sharon to make you a HandyNES, just contact her on her YouTube channel or on her Facebook page. She says she charges $550 (USD) for the basic unit. Check out Sharon’s thread on the Made by Bacteria forum for more on her mod.

Over the years, I’ve seen some pretty impressive custom-built handhelds, and here’s another that’s definitely worth checking out. This Nintendo 64 portable system features a beautiful aluminum case, and even aluminum buttons.

It was built by Travis Breen and looks as good as any DIY handheld I’ve seen. He created this beautiful portable system from two big hunks of aluminum, then used a milling machine and lathe to cut out the pieces. He took some inspiration from the design and construction of the MacBook Pro, but says that the console has a “more inviting” textured finish. The finished handheld measures in a fairly hefty 5.65″ wide x 11″ wide x 1.225″ thick, and weighs 2.73 pounds.

I’m not sure on the screen size, but the LCD looks like it’s about a 7-incher. Those five black dots along the bottom of the screen aren’t just decorative either – they’re the power on/off, reset, start, and volume up/down buttons. Each of the buttons and D-Pad are constructed from aluminum and anodized in black.

Under the hood are components from an original N64, along with an EverDrive 64 so he can load up true Nintendo 64 ROM images from an SD card and play them all on the original N64 hardware – a much better solution than using an emulator. And yes, this thing is truly portable. It runs on a pair of 5000 mAH batteries, so it can play for up to 3 hours on a charge. Not bad for a console which you used to have to plug into a wall outlet.

Be sure to check out Travis’ beautiful N64 handheld in the video below:

While the system isn’t for sale, Travis does admit that he might part with it if someone throws enough money at him.

While there are tons of Bluetooth speakers for your smartphone, there are two big disadvantages to this kind of technology: 1) sometimes the audio cuts out, especially if you walk too far away from the speaker with your phone in your pocket, and 2) Bluetooth burns extra battery on both your phone and the speaker. So if you’re looking for a mobile speaker that does away with both of these concerns, check out the GoalZero RockOut2.

This portable speaker connects to your mobile phone or media player the old fashioned way – using a 3.5mm stereo plug. This ensures a high quality audio signal without interruption, and you can leave Bluetooth turned off on your phone too. The RockOut2 acts as both a speaker and a carrying case for your phone, with a hidden interior compartment for you to keep your phone in.

The case of the RockOut2 is made from the same sort of durable nylon you’d find on a rugged backpack. This material does a fine job keeping your phone safe from occasional splashes or even a bit of rain. Keep in mind that the case is specified as “water resistant”, so you probably don’t want to bring it in the swimming pool. Measuring in at 7″ wide x 3.75″ high x 2.5″ deep, it’s portable enough to keep in your backpack or suitcase for easy travel. It’s also got a hookable elastic cord on the back that makes it easy to lash it to the outside of a bag or other objects.

Inside the zippered case, you’ll find a 3.5mm plug for connecting your phone and a USB port for recharging the RockOut2′s internal battery pack. There’s also a jack for chaining multiple speakers together to a single input device. Just plug your phone in, slip it into the netting and zip it back up. The phone compartment is big enough to hold most phones with screens up to about 5 inches. My iPhone 5 and HTC One fit just fine, but I tried to fit my Optimus G Pro 5.5″ phablet inside and it was just a little too big with the audio connector attached.

On the face of the speaker, you’ll find controls for skipping back or forth between tracks, pause/play and volume. This comes in handy of course, because your phone’s screen will be hidden inside of the RockOut2′s case most of the time.

The RockOut2 features stereo full-range drivers, each kicking out up to 3 watts of sound. Frequency response is 100Hz to 20KHz, but I found that bass response was plentiful for a device of its size. In my experience with the RockOut2, I found the sound quality to be quite pleasant, without any noticeable distortion through the highest volume levels. It’s not going to fill a large room, but it’s clean and plenty for listening with a couple of friends sitting on the beach or around the campfire.

Battery life is exceptional – providing up to 20 hours of playback on a 3 hour charge. I actually left mine sitting on a shelf for about two weeks without any use and it worked just fine without any noticeable loss of power. GoalZero claims that you can juice it up in just two hours using their Nomad 7 solar panel, assuming you have enough sun, but I wasn’t able to test this claim.

Overall, I’m impressed with this little speaker. It offers rugged styling, above average sound quality, good portability, and excellent battery life. If you’re looking for an alternative to battery-draining wireless devices, then you’ll definitely want to consider the RockOut2. GoalZero sells the RockOut2 for $59.99(USD) and it’s available now in a variety of colors.