Design posts

Man, it’s hard to believe the 50’s was 60 years ago. That’s the better half of a century. Time flies, no? Ever want to revisit that decade? Listen to some rock n’ roll? Drink some soda-pop? I was born in the 80’s, so I don’t. But maybe you do!

 Designer Gary Katz has a way. Katz has made a really cool replica of a classic drive-in theatre, complete with moody sunset, ugly metal speakers, and dashboard view. There’s an absurd attention to detail, here; Katz has gone out of his way to research and capture the 50’s aesthetic. Hats off, Gary. Why the hell is this on Techi, you ask? Because…

I could make jokes about this all day, so before I do, please bear in mind that this is actually a pretty good idea: Australian company Simativa has developed underwear that texts when you poop. I can explain, I swear. The SIMsystem, as it’s officially known, is actually targeted at the elderly (SIM is Smart Incontinence Management) and lets caregivers know via SMS message when it’s time to get their hands dirty. It can even broadcast the ‘event’ over a facility’s entire paging system. Classy. The diagram below shows you how it works, though I suppose it’s pretty self-explanitory….

Bet you thought the stiff-assed pencil pushers at NASA were all business, didn’t you? Yeah, don’t sweat, so did I. But very few things make me literally LOL in my chair, and today, NASA has done it. Turns out for every mission since STS-96, NASA’s been creating mock movie posters for their Space Flight Awareness program. I won’t bother pointing out the mission particulars or which poster is a parody of which blockbuster – just keep a smile on your face knowing that the folks pictured are all megageek astronauts, much less movie stars. [Via CNet]…

You thought the way the Solar Pebble slapped the sun around was pretty cool, right? Right? Here’s another great way we mancreatures are bringing the sun to its knees as a sustainable energy source. That is, sustainable until the sun explodes in like 5 billion years. But that’s irrelevant. Until then, we have the Sundolier! ‘Bah! I’ve seen this before,’ you say. You would. And, granted, from these photos, the Sundolier would appear at first to be a fairly typical skylight. But let’s not get our lines crossed here – first of all, this thing’s a freaking robot that sits on your roof. …Yeah,…

I seem to focus on concept vehicles a lot, both produced and still on paper – but who can blame me? There’s no shortage of mondo rides being designed, and each one is generally even cooler than the last. Besides, I think some sort of new phone or something is being released tomorrow; someone’s gotta post something fresh, and bring balance to the frenzy. May as well be me. …Pun intended. Antonio Sunjerga is a designer who clearly has seen Star Wars: A New Hope a few too many times. Looking an awful lot like Luke Skywalker’s land speeder, the gyroscopic ‘TAA’ concept makes you ponder exactly…

Remember the iCade, ThinkGeek’s April Fool’s joke? Techi’s own James Mowery brought it to our attention yesterday. James expressed sadness upon revealing it didn’t exist. But James may not have to be sad forever! The buzz around the iCade is beginning to grow. Quite frankly, the iCade is a very necessary call to attention to a very untapped market. Currently, there does exist a gaming peripheral for the iPhone – well, sort of. A group of hackers in the UK developed the iControlPad in 2008 to work with jailbroken iPhones. But that’s a little less than legit. However it proves, if anything,…

With the impending US launch of Apple’s iPad, analysis and chatter has reached – well, fevered picth doesn’t even begin to cover it. Every technology-focused outlet I know of is talking about the device, and even the mainstream media is obsessed with it too. It was on Letterman for crying out loud. It is everywhere and tomorrow across America, people will be standing in line for one. Still it seems that, like with any major product launch, opinion is sharply divided between those who are clamoring for one and those who just don’t get it. And those who just don’t want one are making a pretty strong point….

Though you may be tiring of the iPad hype machine, this video of a forthcoming Popular Science may reignite – or create – some excitement for the device everyone can’t stop talking about. The clip is from Bonnier and Berg, who have already produced a great concept video about tablet magazines, and in it, they demonstrate not only how a magazine can look on the iPad but also how it needs its own sort of user interface. Rather than using the animated page-turn that seems to have become popular, users swipe left and right to move through pages and, when they come upon something they find interesting, swipe…

Given the number of people who use wheelchairs and the importance of them in their lives, it’s a shame that we have seen little in the way of innovation in the field, whether in design, comfort or features. This futuristic concept, however, looks to change that. First, by using a rear ball, it greatly increases maneuverability. The use of shocks and hubless wheels also adds to the comfort, which unbeknown to many is a serious problem with contemporary wheelchairs. It also uses a teardrop design on the seat to make it more ergonomic and comfortable. The geek coup-de-grace though? The chair can be…

That iPhone, it’s a beast. A tiger within a kraken wrapped in a minotaur made of exploding gargoyles. Sometimes you wish you had a means of caging this unruly powerhouse. Tie it down. Chain it up out in the back yard, that sort of thing. Kee Utility has got a device for you. Coming straight outta the Retro Revival which began with videogames a few years ago and has since spread to all product sectors, this has got to be one of the sexier designs I’ve seen. I don’t think I need to explain it, but I will add it’s not only a corded phone/charging dock combo, but also can sync with iTunes via a built-in USB…