Dimple

Dimple is a very basic and unique idea in that it adds functionality to the modern world with older technology everyone knows.

Dimples are peel-and-stick buttons for your smartphone. They are NFC enabled so they need no batteries and actually communicate wirelessly with your smartphone. Their purpose is to add mechanical buttons to touch devices.

On a basic level the Dimples are pretty. They don't make a smartphone look gross, unless you plaster them all over it. They are also very simple. They're just 1 or 2 buttons that you assign to particular apps or windows. They're elegant in that respect

But their function is what makes them worthwhile. Dimples can be programmed to open apps, take a picture, or do any number of other things. This is great because in a world that is focused on limiting taps and effort it still takes a click of a home button and then the selecting of the app to take a picture. A Dimple could reduce that to one press. Dimples actually function as a physical shortcut button.

The folks that make Dimples realize that in the touch screen world, the device is a throwback. But that is kind of nice. While the use of a finger on a touchscreen may be more natural to learn, but the experience is offset by having a piece of glass between you and the "button/icon" you are pressing. Its like the difference in experience between an e-reader and book. Dimples help to make the digital world physically interactive, it adds texture and physical feedback to device use while at the same time reducing the effort of getting to certain apps.

Dimples also add a bit of customizability to a smartphone. Now people can tailor the hardware of their device a little, which has never been possible. This concept of physical add-ons that improve the device can be expanded in many different directions other than Dimples.

Overall, Dimples are a great idea that improves our modern glassy world by letting us add our own buttons where we want them.

Rechner Calculator App

Rechner is a a beautiful calculator app. But not only is it a calculator, it also really sets a precedent of how touch screen devices should operate.

Rechner is a predominantly gesture based app. Meaning that in order to add or subtract, instead of having another button to tap, Rechner uses a swipe. This type of interface, is incredibly clean and fluid.

But, Rechner is not perfect. It isn't completely intuitive so there is a small learning curve. And, more complex operations actually require the extra motions of swiping and then tapping.

This app is a great example of replacing buttons with gestures and creating something that is elegant for simple things. But one should be careful, in design, to ensure they are balancing aesthetics and function and always have a clear goal of what they wish to accomplish. Rechner is a great casual calculator for adding something offhand and that is what it was intended to do.

SR-71 BlackBird

The SR-71 Blackbird is the fastest manned airplane in the world, and it is retired.

A project of Lockheed's Skunk Works, in the 1960's, the SR-71 was designed to be used as a reconnaissance aircraft. It had to be able to fly over enemy territory and not be detected or shot down. The Blackbird did this better than any other plane since, that is declassified.

The Blackbird set altitude and speed records that still stand. Made to go Mach 3 at an altitude of over 80,000 feet the planes was untouchable by any aerial vehicle of its time. It even outran Russian missiles.

The Blackbird used technologies that are, even today, not widely implemented or even completely developed. Its two engines were a combination of ramjet and turbojet. This allowed it to take off like a normal airplane but then remain efficient at high Mach speeds, almost like a rocket.

Its shell was made entirely of titanium, which was obtained from Russia by the CIA. The shell was unique for a number of reasons. One, it was incredibly difficult to manufacture parts from titanium at the time. And, it was designed to expand with the heat that built up in it from air friction. SR-71's were know to be leaking fuel at takeoff but would stop once everything warmed up and closed the gaps. It was literally a plane that needed to be in the air.

Another very unique aspect of the Blackbird are the chines that run along its nose to the wings. This wasn't original. It was added after several prototypes. Chines were really multi-functional. They reduced the radar cross section, they improved lift, and they improved mobility. But not all of those benefits were know until the chines were added to the plane.

The SR-71 also had stealth technology implemented which was still highly experimental. Things such as radar absorbing materials and appropriate geometries. But it was realized that that wasn't even sufficient to keep the Blackbird hidden, making its speed absolutely necessary.

The SR-71 is a testament to being able to accomplish something that should be impossible. The techniques and technology that the Skunk Works used to create it were decades ahead of their time. But the SR-71 is also an example of very careful and imaginative problem solving. The engineers, like Kelly Johnson,  who created it, weighed risk and reward perfectly and were able to create a superplane that has not been matched in performance, and some technology, since. (at least as far as the public knows)

Legos

What toy has theme parks and a movie based on it? Legos! The plastic blocks that people have used to create sculptures ranging in complexity from a kids Lego house, to an exact replica of a Star Wars X-Wing.

Originally designed in 1939 and first manufactured in 1949, Lego Automatic Binding Bricks were one of the first plastic toy sets to ever be accepted on a large scale

Legos have now become one of the toys that just about everyone has played with in their life. The colorful blocks' ability to reform into almost anything you can think of has made them a staple for young kids and adults to let the imagination flow.

In a world where customization had become the norm its amazing to think that Legos were really one of the first products to ever allow for completely personal customization. The ability to put dragon wings on a car had and has a draw that each of us can recognize. They are really like the app store of toys.

Another way to look at the design of Legos, that separates them from the other building sets, like Erector or Tinker Toys, it that Legos were almost 3-D printing before 3-D printing. You are able to make solid structures and sculptures of just about anything using just the simple blocks. And, while it does take some skill to create complex things, it is no more difficult than learning to use a CAD program.

Lego's also have a unique characteristic from a business perspective. With just a few simple components the Lego Kit designers were able to continually create new kits for those that don't enjoy the creating new things. The blocks basically created a foundation that the company has been able to build off of (word play) since the toys were created. The company never has to create completely new components, though they do, they just have to have new instruction books printed with a set of the blocks.

But with all of those advantages the true secret sauce of the toys is their ability to adapt with the user. An adult can get just as much joy and challenge from a set of the bricks as a preschooler can. The bricks can create as simple or as complex of creations as you want. Legos are a toy that is timeless, because their inherent modularity lets them morph and grow with the user as no other toy or kit has been able to do.

The Subwing

The Subwing is a concept that is a little different, but still pretty neat. It's a bit like water boarding, under the water.

What happens is the Subwing is tied to the back of a boat and the user grabs on. Then, as the boat moves forward the user can tilt the two paddles of the Subwing, just like the ailerons of an airplane, to pull themselves underwater. From there they can perform all kinds of acrobatics or just enjoy the view.

The Subwing has the potential to create a new kind of water sport. It is something that is easier to learn and do than water-skiing. And it offers an underwater experience that few people can ever enjoy.

The design of the Subwing is very sleek. With just a single joint, it is very simple and reliable, mechanically. It is made to be buoyant enough to act as a flotation device if it disconnects or the boat stops. But what is important to note is the way that the Subwing offers immediate, physical responses,  to what the user does. In this way the Subwing can become an extension of the user's body. The smallest push of your hand can send you spinning or rushing down or up. Many machines have a disconnect between what the user inputs and what the machine does. The Subwing does not have that disconnect which just adds to the experience and the connection to the machine.

The Subwing is relatively inexpensive, with the cheapest model costing $295. It is certainly worth it, to be able to "Fly under the water."

The Zippo Lighter

The Zippo lighter is an icon. But how did it become that? Simply because it has so many characteristics that separate it from the normal lighter. A perfect combination of form and function. Whether you smoke or not, the Zippo is a design to respect.

Let's start with the experience. When you use a Zippo you hold the smooth, metal rectangle in you hand. It shines and feels rugged and sturdy. When you flip the cap you get the signature "Clink" sound that is unique to Zippo lighters. Then when you light it, the flame comes from the silvered chimney and can't be blown out by the wind. You light your cigarette and then, "Clink" it's closed and you slip the sleek box back into your pocket.

The Zippo is a sensory experience. The look and the feel make it seem valuable to the user and the "Clink" sound makes it have a personality apart from the average lighter. In fact, it was that "Clink" that helped to build the brand of the Zippo back when it was created in 1933. A Zippo was a piece of fashion that drew attention to itself.

But the Zippo is also incredibly practical. Because of its means of creating a flame and protecting it, (i.e. a wick and the special chimney) it is the best option available. The function is as good as the form.

The Zippo is one of those few designs that is so complete that it is difficult to find fault with any of it. It is a piece of style as well as an effective tool. If Apple where to make a lighter they would make the Zippo.

Gigs 2 Go

Microchips have the unique ability to grow in power while at the same time decreasing in cost. For years futurists have discussed the idea of disposable computers. Gigs 2 Go is the first attempt at creating that reality.

Gigs 2 Go is a disposable flash drive with a recyclable cardboard shell. They come in packs of four that are about the size of a business card. Each flash drive can be torn from the pack, used a couple of times and then disposed of.

The concept is great. We all work to keep from losing our precious flash drives. That is because they can be expensive and we often keep huge amounts of relatively valuable data on them. But what if they changed from being a one time purchase to just a temporary project file. The loss of a Gig  2 Go may affect a project, but not your life. The concept also has credence in that, since cloud storage is becoming a norm, few people need a dedicated flash drive.

As far as the design goes, durability may be put into question but since they are designed to be disposable, limited use, naturally, is inherent to the concept.  The look of Gigs 2 Go is not amazing but compared to some other cardboard-based products it's not bad.

It's great to see us moving into the realm of disposable computing, while at the same time keeping it sustainable. Gigs 2 Go is a very clever step in that direction.

The Tile

The Tile is a new way to find things. It is a a small Bluetooth tag that can be connected to things like keys, laptops, and wallets so that you never forget or lose those items again. Tile which completed a crowdfunding campaign in 2013 will be shipping in the summer of 2014.

The Tile is pretty slick. That is is the way to describe it. It almost looks like a product that would be launched by Apple. It is a sealed tag that does not have battery replacements, (when it dies you buy new ones) and a is a sleek white. A very unobtrusive design, compared to old style keyfinders.

The app itself is nifty. When looking for something users simply pull out their smartphone and use the app to be directed to where the tile is, based on distance from the tile. As you get closer you can have the Tile beep to give its final location. If you forgot an item somewhere, the app records the last GPS location of that item so you can always go back and find it.

But where the Tile app really comes into its own is when something is stolen or completely lost. When this happens the user can mark the item as lost then every other Tile user can basically search for it with their phone. So you essentially create a networked radar to find the lost item. If someone's phone detects the item then you are sent a message as to its last known location.

There is one possibility of Tile that, if it doesn't exist already, (Tile didn't present it in any of their material) should be added. Instead of just helping the user find an item, Tile should stop them from ever being lost. This could be done through a passive mode of when the users phone gets more than some distance away an alert is sent telling them that they are forgetting something. This kind of functionality could keep a lot of flashdrives from being left in computers and keys on tables.

Overall, the Tile is an nifty piece of hardware, and while the software has neat features it needs expanding.

EmoPulse Smile Smartwatch

The Emopulse Smile Smartwatch is one of the few wearables being created that will be able to claim aesthetics as well as functionality.

While not really a watch, but more of a wristband or bracelet, the Smile is not something that someone has to be a geek to wear. Though it may be a bit bulky, its curves and OLED display make it decently fashionable.

Being basically just a smartphone on your wrist the Smile has much of the same hardware, camera, USB, Micro SD, etc. These will help to make the Smile a device that can appeal to a larger range of people since it will be able to take on any number of different tasks and even replace the smartphone. As opposed to most smartwatches, like the Galaxy Gear, which are just smartphone interfaces.

The fact that the Smile simply slips onto your wrist without a snap or band is also a large plus. Easy on and off makes the Smile more of a typical mobile device than just a wearable. This aspect makes the watch and its functions easier to utilize and create a better user experience.

Since the Smile is just now nearing production production we can't comment on function as far as apps and software go. But its ergonomic and aesthetic design thus far seems well thought out and a great addition to the wearable electronics sector.

The Golf Ball

With an evolution stretching over 600 years the golf ball is one of the oldest sports spheres in existence.

Golf balls themselves are naturally attractive. They have a shiny exterior and come in any number of colors. They remind one of jewels or Easter eggs. But the balls are also very technical. The dimples on the surface serve to decrease aerodynamic drag and were first introduced in 1905 when the inventor noticed that golfers were intentionally roughening their balls to gain distance. The rubber interior of the ball is also a very sensitive bit of design. Each manufacturer has their own mixture that is meant to create the ideal amount of weight and rebound from a club strike.

No matter how one feels about the game itself, the ball used is one of the most fascinating in sports. Not only is it a jewel to behold but a golf ball also contains some engineering that is on par (pun intended) with complex machines such as aircraft and cars.

The Jeep

The Jeep. The icon of WWII. This tough little vehicle defined troop transport at the time. Designed and prototyped in just a few months, the Jeep was a masterful piece of engineering. It was made to be tough and bare-bones in a war where both were needed in order to serve the troops and be manufactured quickly.

The car was a vehicle the exceeded expectations in many areas. It carried more payload than was expected. It could get through more terrains than expected. The jeep became the vehicle of choice for officers and many soldiers because it was capable of doing almost whatever they needed it to do. Few machines ever hit that level of performance. Many designs meet the need that was requested. Few designers and engineers ever blown the need out of the water and go far above and beyond in function as the jeep did. But really, when you think about it the jeeps was just too simple to not perform well. It was a few seats with a solid engine and four wheels under it wrapped up in a well thought out package. That was all that was needed to be a high performer.

The Dirigible

The dirigible is one of the coolest aircraft that has ever been created. Think about it. With little to no effort or energy expended they can lift thousands of pounds into the air and hover, admittedly on a calm day. They are really the closest thing, that exists, to antigravity. And amazingly, Lighter-than-Air craft were the first things to ever carry man into the sky

True, dirigibles are rarely used anymore because they are just large bubbles that are subject to any number of limitations. They can be blown around in a storm. They are kind of delicate. And they have a very small payload for their size. But when one realizes that they also have many advantages, their possibilities appear again. They are relatively cheap and easy to maintain and operate as opposed to helicopters or planes. As aircraft go, they are pretty safe. And they are very comfortable to ride in, much like an aerial cruise.

The dirigible has been forgotten because of its limitations. But its abilities make it a very viable transporter for developing nations without roads or landing strips. And it could again become a cruise liner, as they were in their heyday, for those that aren't in a hurry.

Project Ara: A Modular Smartphone

Project Ara is a modular phone concept that was started by Motorola and is now being continued as a Google project. The Ara, which is predicted to be selling in a watered down version next year, uses tiles that perform individual functions to create a smartphone that is exactly what the user wants. Want more memory. There's a module for that. Need a better camera? There's a module for that.

The concept is brilliant. Instead of having to upgrade an entire device you can simply swap out individual components. And of course you are able to change the phone to your changing interests.This phone also leaves itself open to hackers, makers, and small companies to create modules for it. This will create a new generation of hardware "apps" that can be used with this phone. It really brings development back from software and more toward the hardware. It can become a hobby to create a module for your phone just as it is to create an app now.

Overall, the design of the Ara is decent. It remains slim like other phones, and its modules are aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. The only issue right off is that the design of the endoskeleton frame limits layout of modules to certain sizes in certain places. This decreases the modularity somewhat, but helps to maintain the the overall aesthetic of the phone. (people can't make ugly phones)

The Ara also adds one more touch of customizability to the phone by planning to let customers 3-D print panels to cover the modules with. These panels can be multicolored and have various textures to suit the user.

In a world with increasing demand for products to adapt to the needs of the user, especially in software, it is great to see that someone is working to add that personalization to the tangible world.

The video below was a promotion to get an earlier modular phone concept off the ground, Phoneblocs

Chess

Chess. The Game of Kings. The game that has more combinations than there are atoms in the universe.

Chess is a game that has more personality to it than any other game. The pieces can be created as any kind of figures to match the preferences of the player. Robots, dragons, nuts and bolts. The players also literally put themselves into the game as the play. When a game of chess is going on, one can literally see what kind of people the players are based on how they command their troops on the board.

But the variety in chess is its truly defining value. No game is exactly the same or ever will be. The abilities of the pieces and the layout of the board allow for this. Not many games are able to have nearly infinite variation as chess does. Given that the game was developed in the 15th Century and uses no computers to help change it up, this is very impressive.

But the classical chess board has also become a piece of decoration due to its appearance. The glossy wood of the pieces sitting on the checkered board is a beautiful addition to many rooms. This certainly isn't inherently true of Monopoly or cards.

One drawback that Chess has is its difficulty to learn. Nuances in the game can confuse a beginner even before they start to compete. Chess could be improved if its pieces were simplified somewhat, but not to the extent of checkers. But of course this simplification would take away from the complex beauty of the board and its many pieces.

But overall, Chess is one of those few nearly perfect games. It is beautiful to look at. Challenging every time. (with appropriate opponents) Always good for the brain. And is never the same game twice. It is a game that can be as complex as the minds that play it.

Square-Drive Screws

How many stripped screws have people endured. Or how many times have we tried to keep the driver in the center of the slot. Many of us have, for years, resorted to using the screw as a nail for the last 1/2 inch when it has been stripped out. This is one of those "why don't we use it more" ideas. The square-drive and screws also known as the Robertson Screw.

The square drive doesn't let the drive slip off the head of the screw and since it is a simple square hole it doesn't strip very easily if ever. It is a simple, solid design with only one problem, it is so strong that it can be screwed too tight. 

The square drive was actually invented in 1908, nearly thirty years before the Philips head, and was an American standard at the time. (the model T used these screws) 

Like many great designs. the square drive is no longer the standard due to poor business practices by the original inventor that allowed the Philips and other options to gain traction. But this screw is still used heavily in construction and woodwork for its tough, reliable characteristics.

The Robertson screw is really a testament to the idea of making something that lasts. The screw is tough. It gives off this idea from the shape on its head. It isn't a smooth, curving, beautiful thing. It was meant to get stuff done where nothing else worked.

The Paperclip

The paperclip is always used as an example of great design. The paperclip is such an icon because since the creation of the standard paperclip the design has never changed. Why has it never changed? Because there hasn't been anything better created to temporarily hold a few sheets of paper together. Very few products can boast of that. To never have been changed for more than fifty years.

The paperclip has a elegance in its design that makes it transcend its simple purpose. Again, curves, the simple silver finish, no moving parts. Just a wire formed that very easily clasps the paper it is meant to hold. In this way the paperclip is almost romantic in its simplicity and elegance.

iRobot Roomba

The Roomba, created by iRobot, is one of the first true robots to be commercially successful on a large scale. It is also one of the first home robots to have a use beyond education or entertainment. Basically, it is the first successful, useful personal robot and, at this point, it is the closest thing to Rosy the Robot that we have available.

The Roomba is a robotic vacuum cleaner that is able to automatically clean a room on a schedule and then return to its docking station to charge for the next time. Fundamentally it is very simple. Bounce off the walls while vacuuming the floor. This simplicity made the Roomba a robot that could be produced cheaply.

One of the major design aspects of the Roomba is its single purpose functionality. It can only vacuum floors. While un-incredible, this design is what made it possible for the robot to exist because it was a function that was well within the state of the art.

Robots are not smart. There are only a few in the world that can tell the difference between an apple and an orange and then grab one or the other, and those robots cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. For this reason single purpose function is the best way to design a useful robot. iRobot has adopted this approach with Roomba and a few of its other products. Have one robot, perform one task. So you have a swarm of robots doing the tasks that Rosy the Robot did alone. But because there are multiple robots they can be kept individually simple and cheap. Essentially the Roomba doesn't bite off more than it can chew.

The Roomba is also a good looking product. Curves are always good practice, but that shape also is useful for navigating around furniture and in tight places. The disk never gets caught on anything. The curves also make the robot appear "cute." There are people that have adopted the Roomba instead of a dog.

Overall, the Roomba is a well designed product because it had a single purpose in mind that it does very well and is able to make itself useful to the user without excessive cost.

Glowing Plant

Ethical considerations aside, the "Glowing Plant Project"  is a noble endeavor with very significant ramifications to energy use.

Using the concept of bio-luminescence the "Glowing Plant Project" is working toward creating, literally, a natural light source. They are doing this by splicing the genes that control bio-luminescence in a bacteria into the DNA of a plant.

These plants, once they are perfected, could be used to light city streets and sidewalks. They can be used as decoration in your yard. They could be a nightlight for the kids. And all the while they use no electricity and act as a carbon sink.

Light is the thing that we, as modern humans, seek as much as food. But light uses a huge amount of power and, very often, is wasted (i.e. city lights on empty roads). Creating a passive, biological system that provides light for any number of situations is an idea that can radically change the way we deal with the dark.

Baxter the Robot

Baxter is a new generation in industrial robots created by Rethink Robotics. He is a machine that can be trained by the average person to perform mundane tasks like assembly line work.

One of the reasons Baxter is so great is because he is a personal and safe kind of industrial robot. He is designed to literally work alongside his human coworkers. He has eyes that look in the direction where he is going to move to give visual queues to bystanders. He is able to feel obstructions in his path so that he doesn't plow anyone down with his arms. But most importantly, Baxter is able to be trained by the average person. In order to teach Baxter a task all anyone has to do is guide his arms in the general direction that they need to move and show him what he is grabbing. From there, Baxter perfects the motion and makes it smooth and efficient.

While that is all great, Baxter has one more benefit, cost. Baxter only costs $25,000. This is a fraction of a standard industrial robot arm without programming. Baxter literally costs less than the wages of a worker that would do the same task. This is a first. Robots are normally very expensive because their mechanics are very expensive so only large corporation could afford them because of their long-term efficiency. The folks at Rethink Robotics have made Baxter affordable to the average, small manufacturer.

And one last thing. While Baxter is cheaper than the average line worker he is not meant to replace them. He is meant to elevate them to his supervisor. So now the person doesn't have to do the repetitive monotonous work but instead makes sure that Baxter does it well.

Baxter was designed with the end user and the industry in mind. And his contribution will no doubt be a significant one.

You can see Baxter in action in the video below

The Lightning Rod

The Lightning Rod. Invented around 200 years ago by Benjamin Franklin, it is still the single defense any structure has against the wrath of Zeus. And yet, all it is is a piece of pointed metal.

The Lightning Rod was created at a time when people were very superstitious. Lightning was something that was ordained by God. It caused fires and sunk ships. But the lightning rod rendered all of that completely harmless. But it was not magical, though it appeared so.

The lightning rod is inherently very simple. It works by conducting the power of the lighting bolt to the ground, through itself and then wires along the structure. But, in order for Franklin to create it, he had to have a very clear understanding of electricity. Franklin, and many scientists before him, performed numerous experiments over years before the design of the lightning rod came about.

The lightning rod is such a great invention because it allows our skyscrapers to stand. But, at the same time, it is such a basic device one is amazed how much understanding and study went into creating it. But when you look at it you see how something very basic can come from something that is complicated, (electricity) and can literally change the fate of the world.