Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Yanko Design - Latest Posts

Yanko Design - Latest Posts

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Tripod: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Posted: 29 Oct 2008 09:26 AM CDT

On Monday I introduced our future robot masters’ future robot dogs, but today we get a glimpse of their autonomous tripods that will take embarrassing party pics of robots doing keg stands. But until such time as they attain sentience, the non-human-killing Biopod from Morteza Faghihi uses a unique positioning and stabilization structure to adapt to uneven surfaces and ease height adjustment. At first glance it might seem overwrought, but I’m assuming there is a lot of utility that manifests only with use.

Availability: none found

Designer: Morteza Faghihi

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Rest Your Bum Here, Perfect Perch Review

Posted: 29 Oct 2008 06:19 AM CDT

Great ideas often are simple executions. The Perfect Perch by James Chu is one of those ideas. Originally conceived as affordable seating for college students, the Perfect Perch has grown to become so much more. After the initial reaction of realizing “it’s just cardboard,” it’s become quite useful in the most unexpected situations.

Made entirely of thick pre-scored and creased recycled cardboard, the Perfect Perch comes in 2 design variations; gold paisley and the other is an abstract grey pattern. There isn’t much to the design in terms of using it. There are instructions on how to pop it open printed right on the side. Surprisingly it’s quite sturdy. I’m 165lb and I had everyone from a 125lb girl to a 190lb guy sit on it. It seems the more weight you put on it, the sturdier it becomes. We weren’t able to do anything to collapse it which is important because of the public marketing potential. Nobody wants to fall on their ass in public.

Since it’s just recycled paper, you could easily print any design you wanted to accompany an event. Imagine all those times standing in line waiting for tickets. The launch of a new video game or better yet - the notorious Apple lines during store openings or product launches. I could easily see Apple printing up loads of them with their logo and distributing it to their “rabbid” fans. It’s cheap and a nice souvenir alternative to t-shirts.

There’s also possible use in humanitarian aid - seating for impoverished areas. The paper is finished to be waterproof and there’s even a bed version. I’d love to see how that works. The design is totally environmentally sound being it can be constantly recycled and upcycled into other products. If you stick with soy based inks and biodegradable finishing - you basically have a product that fits within the cradle-to-cradle ethos.

What we liked:

  • Lightweight, transports easily when folded
  • Extremely strong, waterproof
  • Potential for marketing and collaborations with artists for custom designs
  • Nice little arch in the rear to support your bum
  • Cheap and easily manufactured
  • Environmentally friendly

What could be improved:

  • £12 is a bit steep but passable for custom prints like the gold paisley
  • Hook up with services like Flickr to allow people to custom print their own photos

Designer: James Chu [ Buy it here ]

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Beefing Up Your Old Mobile Phone

Posted: 29 Oct 2008 05:53 AM CDT

Most of us still use ho-hum mobile phones. I don’t say that to be condescending but to create a distinction between most of the mobile concepts we feature - touchscreen pizazz, cameras with crazy megapixel counts, and form factors as thin as crisps. For the rest of us, we still use phones that came free with our carrier plans. Smaller screens, standard numeric keypads, and no fancy software for email and web browsing. Screen2 may just be for you.

Screen2 is a mobile phone dock essentially doubling to tripling your screen real estate. It extends your phone’s standard feature set to include email, web browsing, photo viewing, video watching, document browsing, speaker phoning, and AIM/MSN chatting all via touchscreen. Technically it COULD be used with smartphones like the iPhone or Blackberry but I see a much bigger boon with older mobile phones.

Designer: Lu Le

Modern Additions in not so Modern Homes

Posted: 29 Oct 2008 05:40 AM CDT

The Grafton Crescent project replaced an existing dilapidated small lean-to rear extension with a new glass extension at ground floor level and new timber and glass pod addition accessed off the existing stair's half-landing. The lower level accommodates a new kitchen/ dining area to relocate the tiny original kitchen that was set within the ground floor living room. The room above could be used as an additional bedroom or communal living space.

The main reason why Grafton Crescent was of interest to me is the use of new modern architecture to expand from a much older cookie-cutter like house. Most people in metropolitan areas live in homes just light this - built to meet the demands of city growth and expansion. If one were to stay true to that architecture for unit expansion - you’d just get more “boring brick work.” I love the juxtaposition; this huge square box jutting out from the rear with giant glass windows. Imagine how it would look lit up at night - almost like a lightbox. I’m absolutely in LOVE with the full size folding glass doors that open the lower level kitchen to the garden creating a unified space. What a beautiful way to bring the outside in.

Designer: Crawford Partnership

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9-light Candelabra

Posted: 29 Oct 2008 02:42 AM CDT

David Mellor, the eponymous founder of this illustrious British company, was one of the most important designers of the 20th century. Now, as creative director, his son Corin promises to exalt his name still further with distinctive designs of his own like this exceptional 9-light stainless steel candelabra. Based on the famous Advent wreath candelabra he was commissioned to create for Sheffield cathedral in 2007, the piece is a constructional tour de force. Consisting of 32 slim vertical bars in stainless steel, the eight candleholders radiate out from the central stem encircling a ninth candleholder set at a higher level. The striking decorative detail is the mass of coloured rings in anodized aluminium, offset by plain white candles. In all there are 380 separate handmade components in the work. The polished metal structure of the candelabrum rises from a solid matt black granite base which bears the engraving O LUX BEATISSIMA ('O most blessed light') lettered in Eric Gill's beautiful Perpetua font. Made and hand-assembled by their skilled craftsmen in David Mellor's famous 'Round Building' HQ in Derbyshire's Peak District, this piece has been created by Corin exclusively for 20ltd.com and is available in only 6 editions of each size.

Designer: David Mellor

Mah Bug Zapper Dun got Upgraded!

Posted: 29 Oct 2008 02:13 AM CDT

Shoot, I been looking for a nice bug destroyer all my life. Here’s one that works quite simply with no more than the components you can see from this preview picture, and looks sleek and unobtrusive to boot. In fact, given the general “cabin,” “summer camp,” or “hillbilly” feel that products like this usually embody, the ambiguousness of this zapper is the most important feature.

What’s that zapping noise?

Martin Žampach with CuldeSac have designed the electronic “Slim” mosquito trap that allows any home, restaurant, or place of business to destroy flying buggles with only a few easy steps!

1. Install the “Slim.”

2. Forget that it’s in the room.

3. When you remember that it’s in the room, have someone else change the fly paper (because fly paper is really gross when its covered with flies and other creepy crawlies.

4. Enjoy buglessness!

Designer: Martin Žampach with CuldeSac

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