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Roombots: The Furniture of the Future

July 14, 2023 by noemi

Space is perhaps the most critical issue that urban dwellers face today. Anyone who has had the experience of searching for an apartment or condo unit in the city will know that a few square meters of living space may very well cost an arm and a leg. Depending on the location, you may have to throw in one of your kidneys as well!

Living in cramped quarters shouldn’t be all that bad – if you can find miniature sized furniture that suits your fancy. But what if technology gave you the option to only own a few pieces of furniture that changes to the specific item that you need or want? Scratch that – what if you can own tiny robots that can configure themselves to build the piece of furniture that your needs dictate?

That is what Roombots is all about. The guys at Biorobotics Laboratory are working on a concept that might provide the ultimate solution to interior design for the space-starved. Roombots are modular robots that serve as building blocks for practically any piece of furniture that one will need in the house. If this concept becomes reality, you may very well find yourself sleeping in a bed at night – a bed that can convert itself to the dining table which you will use for breakfast. What the bots will do with the bedding, I have no clue. You do get the idea, right?

Here are some photos of the concept.

I am not sure about the aesthetic value of the Roombots, but I am sure that can easily be tweaked once the technical aspects have been perfected. For the technical details and videos of the bots in action, visit Biorob.

Happy Birthday, Steve Jobs!

July 13, 2023 by noemi

Join the rest of the world in making a toast to one of the most brilliant people of our generation: Steve Jobs. Born Steve Paul Jobs in February 24, 1955, the co-founder and CEO of Apple has made himself a lot of critics – and even more devotees – over the years. Whether you admire him or you hate him, there is no doubt that Steve Jobs has made an impact in your life – one way or another.

Today, Steve Jobs celebrates his 56th birthday. We have not heard much from Mr. Jobs in the recent weeks, although rumors about his failing health have been circulating. We may not hear from him or Apple regarding this memorable day, but we can still send a greeting his way. Some Steve Jobs fans have created a web site – Happy Birthday Steve Jobs – where anyone can leave a message for the Apple CEO. Whether or not he gets to read your message, you may never know – but it’s the thought that counts!

In case you want to do something more than leave a message on that site to commemorate Steve Jobs’s birthday, check out an infographic I shared about a year ago: 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Steve Jobs. And, if you’ve got a hankering for something sweet, why don’t you make some ice cream just the way Steve Jobs likes it? You can find the recipe here.

Got any ideas on what to do on Steve Jobs’s birthday to send good vibes down his way?

The New MINI Micro Car Concept

July 13, 2023 by noemi

MINI Coopers are among the most beautiful cars there are. True – that statement is rather subjective, but in my mind, these cars are undeniably eye candy! While there may be people who would not want to own a MINI, you will be hard pressed to find someone who will say outright that a MINI is an ugly car.

Yesterday, MINI released photos of its new concept car – the MINI Rocketman. The concept car is based on the idea that the future of living is in cities. While this may be arguable, there is no doubt that people continue to flock to urban areas and that space is a prime commodity in cities. Bearing this in mind, the guys at MINI have designed the urban car of the future.

To give you an idea how small this car is, it measures in at only a little over 3 meters. While the Rocketman has tons of distinctive features, it does not totally diverge from what makes MINIs the beauties they are. Here are some features of the car:

Future-forward carbon construction
Doors that glide forward instead of having hinges. This design allows for more space when getting in and out of the car
18-inch wheels
Solid glass roof with distinctive lighting (the similarity to the Union-Jack was done on purpose)
Customizable LED lighting in the cockpit
Downward-opening tailgate for efficient storage

The Rocketman is going to be showcased at the International Geneva Motor Show from the 1st of March to the 13th of March. For those of us who won’t be able to make it there, here are some photos of this beauty. Get some tissue ready to wipe off that drool!

For more on the MINI concept car, visit PSFK and the MINI Space Blog.

OAT Shoes: Biodegradable Sneakers

July 12, 2023 by noemi

What do you do with your old sneakers? I honestly do not know what happens to mine after I either throw them away or give them way. If we are serious about wanting to make our own contributions to helping the environment, here is a great – although a bit silly – idea that we may want to consider.

At the Amsterdam International Fashion Week’s Green Fashion Competition, a new line of shoes won second place this year. Dubbed OAT shoes, the sneakers can actually be planted when you’re tired of them – or when they give out, for that matter. It can be argued that ANY pair of sneakers can be planted in the ground, but the OAT shoes are the first kind that “sprout”. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I read “sprout”, I think leaves and stems coming out of the ground. How exactly the shoes do that – I have no idea. The concept is pretty cool, though.

Here’s the whole idea in a nutshell. I don’t know about you, but I doubt that any sneakers that I have used will look this fresh, though.

Here are two variations of the OAT shoes.

Now I know I said that the shoes are cool, but there is no denying that the choice of model is anything but, is there? This is how they demoed the shoes.

These shoes will be available this spring in stores in The Netherlands and Belgium, as well as online for those who are located elsewhere.

Have You Ever Cussed at Your Computer? Be Honest!

July 11, 2023 by noemi

Yes, be honest. Have you ever gotten so frustrated at your computer that you simply had to vent by uttering a few cuss words? If you haven’t – or have made yourself believe that you haven’t – then you are actually part of the majority. According to a survey conducted by Avira, 61 per cent of computer users have not cussed or even yelled at a computing machine that is failing to cooperate. Out of 14,284 users who took the survey, only 39 per cent admitted to having “lost it” because of a malfunctioning computer.

The survey included several other questions including the following:

39% – Cursed or yelled at the computer out loud?
38% – No! I would never yell at my computer, it is too sensitive. (I friendly try to encourage it working again…)?
11% – Thought Wished for catastrophe to strike the company that makes your operating system software or computer?
9% – Hit your computer with another object (fist, baseball bat, etc.)?
3% – Actually thrown the computer to the ground or against a desk or other piece of furniture?

I am not really surprised about the low numbers for the last three items. After all, computers do cost money, and unless you’re totally in need of anger management therapy, you would not want to throw money out of the window. Either that or you have a huge wad of cash stowed away somewhere and you don’t care if you had to buy a new machine.

So now, really, be honest – have you ever done any of these things above? I know have at least uttered a word of frustration or two!

Possibly the Ugliest Bike You’ll Ever See

July 10, 2023 by noemi

There are innovations that are real works of genius that you are left speechless – in a good way. Then there are those things that are supposed to be innovations and also leave you speechless, but only because you can’t say anything else but WTF. Pardon me, but that is exactly what went in my head the moment I laid my eyes on the StreetFlyer.

The StreetFlyer is supposed to be the latest thing in recreational sports, and it will allow you to fly like a bird without taking off the ground. Why anyone would want to fly like a bird and stay grounded at the same time does not make a lick of sense to me. Do you get it? Here is the StreetFlyer in action. Maybe someone can make sense out of it.

To be fair to the creator, Dr. Carsten Mehring, he conceptualized the idea with people who may have an aversion to heights or flying in mind. Then again, I think that if you have that fear, then you might be better off spending your time playing with a simulator. Maybe I am being too harsh, so let’s take a look at several more photos of the StreetFlyer.
She looks as if she were thinking “What the heck am I doing?”
She may be smiling, but she doesn’t look comfortable. Not at all.
This position seems workable, but then you do not need a bike that will give you the illusion of being a bird (when you’re strapped onto a three-wheeled contraption), do you?

Do you want more? Visit the homepage of StreetFlyer.