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.

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.