Design posts

Cycling: good for you, good for the environment – and good for making your butt look toned and hot. Right? Yes – until it rains. Or gets cold. Or gets windy. Then it can suck. Turn to cars, then? Sure. But they’re expensive to buy and run, often not great for the planet and let’s be honest – your butt needs the exercise. So what if someone combined the best of both modes of transportation ? Well, that’s what TrikE is about (though, no, we don’t know what the funny capitalization is for). TrikE is what’s known as an electric-assist HPV – no, not the virus, but a Human Powered Vehicle – and aims to provide the all-weather…

The funny thing about tech geeks is that, while most of the time we’re all about the latest and greatest, we also occasionally love us some retro nostalgia. Whether pixelated images of Sonic the Hedgehog or the bleeps of an Apple II, we like to look back on the technology and style of the past. And when it comes to the retro-tastic, it’s hard not to respect this ghetto blaster necklace watch from Caliroots. Not only does it recall a time when people would walk down the street blasting Grandmaster Flash on their boomboxes, it also reminds us of the trend for wearing big, fat chains. On top of it all, the clocks…

Meet the OM Mouse, a new mouse designed to relieve the strain produced by long term mouse use. The trendy, futuristic looking accessory is the product of studies that show the strain on your hands comes from the fingertips, so the mouse was designed to force users to spread their hand while using it. The mouse is wireless, of course, but it’s only major feature is it’s ergonomic advantage. For a long time I favoured the Microsoft standard mouse, so the Apple Magic Mouse I now use feels pretty flat. It’s got nothing on the Om mouse though. Like many design showcases, this is more of a proof-of-concept…

Design stalwart Autodesk has launched a free, easy-to-use 2D and 3D home design web application. Homestyler is designed with ease of use in mind, with simple drag and drop tools and simple switching between 2D and 3D display. This is clever, simple and offers potential DIY’ers a great way to envision the end results of a home renovation project. Kudos to Autodesk for creating such a great tool, and for making it free. Source: Dexigner…

For everyone using their DSLRs to shoot HD video, it just got a bit more convenient. You can now take off your glasses and stop looking at your 2.5 inch LCD screen and substitute it for a 5.6 inch HD monitor. Sitting right on the hotshoe of your camera, SmallHD has developed a product to help all aspiring cinematographers. Connecting via HDMI, this monitor comes equipped with a 1280 x 800 resoultion. I guess it would make life easier if you are recording video all the time, but if you are, why not just spend the money on a good video camera instead of having a DSLR with attachments all over the place. Source:…

While searching for the latest and greatest technology and gadgets, I rolled upon this website and was both intrigued and confused. Introducing Chariot Skates, a innovative idea from inventor Michael Jenkins from Australia. He has turned his idea of meshing skating, skiing and cycling all into one idea. He has essentially taken two large wheels and attached the skater’s foot below the axle for a more fluid ride. Although I am extremely interested in testing out these skates, I wonder if I will have the guts to strap them on and head down to the beach and actually use this product in public. It kind…

You can get famous for ANYTHING on YouTube. Anything. It’s safe to say that Maxis’ Sim City franchise is one of the most legendary in videogame history. Now, YouTube’s TheImperar has decided to forge his own legend within it. After crunching just shy of four years of meticulous calculations and planning, TheImperar has achieved what he believes to be the most mathematically perfect city possible in Sim City 3000. Seriously, the level of detail this man has gone into makes you wonder why he isn’t out there solving, like, world hunger, or overpopulation, or something. Come on, dude, share your gift….

Nike’s Free Run+ is a really, really flexible shoe, and the athletics giant has taken great pains to prove this by commissioning Japanese DJs hifana to transform the shoe into an electronic instrument. This video is the result. Enjoy. [Via DesignBoom]…

Uh oh. Move over, TV Hat. In stark contrast to the less-than-marvellous device I mentioned earlier, it seems Apple is also entering the personal viewing experience arena with a device fans are already calling the iSpecs. It would seem Apple fans are just as adept at naming products as Apple themselves. Be that as it may, looks like these are shaping up to be the first personal-theater-goggle-doodads that may stand up to a Segway level of ridicule and come out on top. And these are even 3D-capable, no less. Basically, they work like your old Viewmaster, without the reels. Each eye is given a screen,…

I know what you’re thinking. Actually, you may even be using far more colorful language than I. But this isn’t the half of it. I’m actually having a hard time typing this article through my fit of giggles. But for all my tears, the TV Hat (seriously, that’s what it’s called. Simply ‘TV Hat’.) isn’t even what it advertises itself to be. That is to say, no TV is involved. It’s a pocket for your iPhone. That you hang on your face. Watch what you want, when you want, where you want. Slide your iPod®, iPhone® or most any MP3 player into the interior pouch and the attached 2.5x magnification screen helps give…