Pininfarina & Napkin Collaborate To Create A Pen That Never Needs Ink. Ever.

Italian design and engineering firm, Pininfarina, combines their seductive styling with Napkin's technology to introduce the 4.EVER Pininfarina Cambiano, a revolutionary writing instrument. The pen was made in conjunction with Napkin, who created the first stylus made of aluminum with a tip made of Ethergraf®, a particular metal alloy patented by Chic Trading. With this special metal alloy, the pen can write indefinitely with no ink and no refill.



The body of the 4.EVER Pininfarina Cambiano combines aluminum and wood, design cues taken from Pinafarina's Cambiano Concept Car. Add to that the technology developed by Napkin for their own 4.Ever stylus which comes in four colors (blue avio, black, titanium and aluminium) and you have the latest innovative writing object to come out of Italy.



The 4.EVER Pininfarina Cambiano will be matched with a notebook realized in stone paper, a paper manufactured from the stone powder, stronger than the traditional one and water resistant, an eco-friendly material with a minimal environmental impact. The notebook is enriched by the original sketches of the Cambiano concept car.


above: sketches of Pininfarina's Cambiano

In the meantime, if you want an inkless pen, you can purchase on of Napkin's 4.Ever stylus here

Grain Audio. Solid Walnut Wood Meets Technology For Sound Design.

Two ex-Altec Lansing guys, an architect/furniture designer and a liquor industry operational expert combined their tastes and talents to launch Grain Audio. A company that creates beautifully executed audio products, each with has an integral wooden component to it. Solid, not veneered, the design has a positive impact on sound quality and unique grain structure, turning each piece of equipment into a one-of-a-kind design object.



With four different products in their collection thus far, they have successfully created substantial products that look as good as they sound.

The Packable Wireless System (PWS):


The Packable Wireless System from Grain Audio sets itself apart from the competition in both sound and design. The FSC certified walnut enclosure, combined with Waves MaxxAudio suite ensures studio quality sound out of a super portable speaker. Eight hours of battery life allows you to rock without having to worry about charging.



Technical Specs:
• WxDxH- 7" x 2 3/8" x 3 1/8" (180mm x 60mm x 80mm)
• AAC Support
• BT 3.0+A2DP with APT-X technology
• Grammy Award Winning MAXXAUDIO sound processing
• 2 x 2” proprietary loudspeakers
• Proprietary passive radiator
• Rechargeable LioN battery with 8 hours playtime
• Patent pending thru-bolted, braced panel construction
• 1 5V AC adapter (included)
• 1 36” USB cable (included)
• 1 60” 3.5MM cable (included)
• 1 carry pouch (included)

Price: $249 USD

The Over Ear Headphones:


Each pair of OEHP's feature grain matched, FSC certified solid walnut enclosures that is paired with their proprietary driver which features a Neodymium magnet and a CCAW voice coil. This means no fake bass boost, no weird mid-range, just pure, natural sound.

The OEHP was designed to highlight the natural beauty of its solid wood earcups. The inline mic is streamlined and intuitive to use. There are no unnecessary flourishes or extraneous details.



Technical features:
• Ear cups made of FSC Certified Walnut with hand-applied oil finish
• 2x40mm proprietary loudspeakers featuring Neodymium magnets and a CCAW voice coil
• Inline mic and remote
• TPE jacketed cable
• 3.5mm jack and ¼” adapter

Price: $199 USD

In Ear Headphones:


Each pair of IEHP's feature solid wood, grain matched enclosures that are fitted with their proprietary driver that features a Neodymium magnet and a CCAW voice coil. The silicone strain relief protects the wood housing and is comfortable on the ear and to the touch. The inline mic is simple and intuitive to use. There are no unnecessary flourishes or extraneous details.



Technical Features:
• Housings constructed of FSC Certified Walnut with hand-applied oil finish
• 2x8mm proprietary loudspeakers featuring Neodymium magnets and a CCAW voice coil
• Inline mic and remote
• TPE jacketed cable
• 3.5mm jack

Price: $99 USD

Passive Bookshelf System (PBS):


From the sound board to the speaker, this Bluetooth (TM) wireless speaker leverages the Grammy Winning Waves MaxxAudio® suite found in many famous mixing boards in the PWS to deliver the music as it was intended to sound. No games or artificial enhancements, just the sweet sounds as they were meant to be heard. We also include both Apt-X and AAC to ensure the highest quality audio standards.



Technical Features:
• Set of 2 Speakers included in package
• WxDxH - 12" x 8 1/8" x 7 1/2" (305mm x 205mm x 190 mm)
• 100watts RMS power handling
• 5.25” midbass woofer featuring Neodymium magnets and CCAW voice coils
• Bass reflex enclosure
• Rubber feet for table top mounting
• Mounting holes for wall mount

Price: $649 USD

Video:


They strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible, using recycled and sustainable materials wherever they can while offsetting where they cannot. They will also contribute a percentage of each sale to music and community related charities to help ensure future generations carry on our passion for music.

The folks behind Grain Audio:

Mitch Wenger, Marketing
Mitch has worked for a number of years in the audio industry as well as high-level engagements with major global brands for both digital marketing and ecommerce. More importantly, he spent most of his youth in concert halls and at music festivals around the country and now dances with his wife and kids whenever he can.

David Burke, Acoustics
An Audio Engineer with over 10 years of experience and ears of gold. When not tuning systems and creating audio nirvana, he's brewing something in the shop to keep us on our toes.

Chris Weir, Design
You name it, Chris has designed it. Trained in architecture and furniture design Chris brings a unique eye to the speaker world and enables us to do something unlike that which has ever been seen. Plus, he loves Iron Maiden, so there's that.

Kevin, Operations
Secret weapon. Kevin worked for several wine, beer and spirits companies in a major operational capacity. So if you're wondering why he's the secret weapon, you should come visit our offices, happy hour starts early.

Eric Wenger, Business Operations and IT
EWang as he's affectionately known is the glue that keeps it all together here at Grain. In addition to handling our business operations, he's also a top-notch web and IT guy. Plus, if you need a recommendation on a Widespread Panic show to listen to, or bar to go to in New Orleans, he's your man.



grainaudio.com

The Timbre Speaker by Casey Lin

21 year old Casey Lin is working on her Bachelor of Design Innovation at the Victoria University of Wellington. With a Bachelor of Architectural Studies already under her belt, the New Zealand based Chinese designer is primarily focused on product design, with a special interest in furniture, jewellery, lighting and household electronics. One of her most recent projects is the Timbre Speaker, an unusual design I wanted to share with you.




Timbre Speaker trims the essence of a speaker down to the very bare minimum, allowing the inherent qualities of the materials to become the centerpiece of the design. All superfluous detail is stripped away, leaving only the necessary audio and power ports at the rear, and combined power and volume dial.



Wood and glass were selected for their favourable acoustic qualities which enhances the audio experience of the user. The Black American Walnut wood adds a warmth to the tone, while the addition of the glass vessels bring a more reverberant characteristic to the music.




Surface transducers are mounted on the interior of the wooden box, vibrating the surface and turning the box into a speaker. The glass vessels act as physical equalizers, where the vibrations transfer through the wood into the glass and changes the timbre of the sound. The wooden box can act as a standalone speaker, or alternatively, vessels of other material, size or shape can be placed on the speaker to change the sound according to the users taste.



Timbre Speaker has an elegant, yet playful feel to it, users are encouraged to experiment with different objects and placements to find the timbre they enjoy the most.


above: Designer Casey Lin
all images, video and description courtesy of Casey Lin.

designby-cl.com

Looking For Great Tech Product Design and Packaging? Go Full TYLT.

above composite image by if it's hip, it's here

Every once in awhile a new brand comes along that has it all going on. Impressive product design, packaging, branding, even a well designed website with functioning e-commerce, good photographs and plenty of useful information. That's the case with TYLT, a California wireless accessory design and development company that has combined innovation with style. Their current product offerings include power products, audio products and protective cases.



above: examples of the package design for TYLT by NewDealDesign

Established in 2011, TYLT focuses on the world of mobile devices, providing you with about 20 convenient products for your mobile phones and tablets. Like many of you, I'd never heard of TYLT until they sent me three of their hip products to review with the understanding that if I did not deem them worthy, they would not be featured on this blog. No money was paid to me in exchange for a review, and believe me, none was necessary. A big thank you to TYLT for the three awesome products reviewed later in this post.


above: TYLT's home page

When the POWERPLANT portable battery pack, the YCHARGE, a dual USB Car Charger and TUNZ, a rechargeable bluetooth speaker arrived at my doorstep - one look and I knew they were gonna be blog-worthy. Once I got past the beautiful packaging created by NewDealDesign LLC, and tried out the products, my enthusiasm only increased.

I'm not alone, TYLT already boasts 3 CES Innovations Award winners at CES 2013 including: the Y-CHARGE Car Charger, the BAND Car Charger and the BAND Travel Charger. And reputable tech blogs such as Engadget, Slash Gear, CNET Asia and Tech Crunch have all lauded various products from TYLT.

The POWERPLANT:


Small (smaller than my iPhone), portable, lightweight (just over 5 ounces) and stylish, this is a 5,200 mAh battery back-up charger that has the capacity to fully charge your smartphone twice.



And with multiple ports (Universal USB and either Apple Lightning, Apple 30-Pin, and Micro USB versions available) it can charge more than one device simultaneously.



It packs the power it claims to and works with all Apple mobile products and Android mobile products. The appearance and functionality of the TYLT Powerplant do not disappoint.

Tylt Powerplant video:

Prices $69.99- $89.99, buy it here

The Y-CHARGE (2.1 AMP):


This little lightweight device is intelligently designed to charge two smartphones at once (or one tablet) in your car. The split Y-shape places the USB ports on each side so that the driver and passenger can each easily plug in their mobile phones and charge them simultaneously.



The silicone covered device weighs less than an ounce and comes in the four colors (bright apple green, bright red, bright blue or black) that appear on several of TYLT's products. The Y-CHARGE is also available in a 4.2 version and with a two foot Syncable.



TYLT Y-CHARGE video:

Price $24.99 Buy it here

The TUNZ Rechargeable Bluetooth Speaker:


A nice looking compact wireless Bluetooth speaker equipped with two x 3-watt drivers and a passive radiator for exceptional bass, TUNZ has a built in noise cancelling microphone making it perfect for phone calls as well as music. The 2800 mAh battery takes about 6-7 hours to charge and can chat or play music (with the volume at 50%) for 20 hours -that's 10 hours more than the Jawbone Jambox. The design allows you to seamlessly switch from music to hands-free calling and the touch-free controls for Volume, Play, Pause, Answer & End Calls are very convenient. The speaker comes with three different colored (black, blue and red) vibration-cancelling silicone bands that also function as an attractive stand. And with a 1Amp output Universal USB charging port you can use it to charge other external devices.



The sound is impressive, delivering volumes up to 80dB. It's also NFC Enabled - includes Tagstand NFC launcher App for Android. TUNZ is priced less than the MSRP for the comparable Jawbone Jambox, a $180 speaker that helped create the portable category the new Beats by Dre Pill, a $200 model from the popular headphone brand, making it even more desirable.

Tylt Tunz video:


Price $149.99, buy it here.

All in all, TYLT products are well-designed small, lightweight and portable, but feel substantially made. Both the packaging and the product design are visually appealing, and the products feature the latest in technological innovations and compatibility. Priced neither outrageously nor dirt-cheap, they receive consistently favorable reviews from tech gurus. You can find several video reviews on youtube, almost every single one of them favorable. Therefore, my advice is to go full TYLT.

Here's a peek at a few other beautifully designed and packaged products from TYLT (shown in green for consistency):



TYLT is dedicated to shifting consumer expectations through best-in-quality accessories which innovate briskly to stay a step ahead of the fast-paced smart product launches. They have several more products including the impressive Energi Backpack.



See more and shop for these fine products at  TYLT.

Invisible Hieroglyphics. Turning Touchscreen Residue Into Art.

Invisible Hieroglyphics is an experimental collaboration Between Andre Woolery (whose wonderful thumbtack art I shared with you here) and Victor AbiJaoudi II.

The two artists studied how people interact with technology while using some of the most popular apps on the iPad (e.g. Angry Birds, e-mail, Facebook, Temple Run, Twitter, Camera and Fruit Ninja). They preserved the fingerprints and strokes left behind by the grease from use by photographing them and turning them into actual artworks.



Andre and Victor describe the project as follows:
"As the world becomes more digital, we pull further away from an analog, handcrafted world. However, the one remaining human component of the digital experience is touch. Our hands have become the communication conduit through devices with a series of taps, swipes, and pushes. Left behind, on our electronic devices like smart phones and tablets, are the oil-stained remains of finger smudges on a screen. We have extracted these marks and transformed them into vibrant, acrylic prints."



Examples of prints from popular apps are shown below.

Fruit Ninja:


Angry Birds:


Temple Run:


Camera:


E-mail:


Twitter:


Paper Toss:


WHY THE TITLE?


Hieroglyphics is a system of writing that serves as a form of communication. They represent an imprint of the world as it was told in the past for the future to decipher and understand. These writings are a window into another world. Today, the touchscreen interface is our window into another world and the writings are smudged onto the screen instead of carved into stone. Its subtle, but if you strip away the hardware and software, what’s left is a finger painting that illustrates the story of how we communicate.




THE ARTWORK
The colors are vibrantly portrayed on satin paper that is placed between a white backing and 1/4” acrylic glass. The acrylic glass gives each piece an incredible luminosity and optical depth that mimics an actual screen.



Also note that the limited edition B/W artwork offers a unique, 3D appearance as the white paint is on top of the acrylic:



THE ARTISTS


Andre Woolery:
“Its very much a representation of who I am. I work in digital media during the day and make art at night. So it is a manifestation of that collision of digital+analog, screen+hands, day+night, … Increasingly there seems to be a divide between the two and this is an interesting way to unify them in a natural way.“

Victor Abijaoudi:
“For me, it's about paying attention. By paying attention, you realize that art is everywhere. And by recognizing art, we recognize humanity. With all that is distracting in today's world, we could all use a little reminder of what matters most - being human. Everyone is creative and everyone creates. Even if just with your fingers as you check your email. ”

THE APPS


They collected a series of apps ranging from daily productivity to social networking and gaming. What they uncovered is a really interesting set of blueprints for interaction. A shout out to all the user experience designers that worked on all these apps… this artwork is as much theirs as it is a showcase of human intuitive pathways.

If you have an app not included that you would like to request a commission, contact them here.

GIVING BACK


As with every new project, there has to be a way to give back to the area of inspiration. In this case, digital technology has done so much for Andre and Victor's lives in various ways that they want to ensure its also inspires the youth. As the world progresses, the ability to understand technology is absolutely critical. Andre and Victor want kids to be able to code, design, prototype because that is at the core of the future's infrastructure. Therefore 10% of proceeds of this project will go to CODE NOW…

Purchase Invisible Hieroglyphics Prints here

Andre Woolery