Posts tagged as:

flat

You know the simple things are generally the best.

This redesign of the good ol’ British three-pin plug trounced the competition that included a twin-seat electric aircraft to the late Alexander McQueen’s last fashion collection!

Min-Kyu Choi’s rethinking of the safe yet bulky, fuse packing, plug has won the 2010 Brit Insurance Design of the Year award. He seems to have ‘fused’ (sorry) the UK plug with the UK’s ‘love’ of flat-packs ;)

Let’s face it – the plug attached to your swanky hi-tech actually dates back to around 1946.

Choi, 29, designed the product during his Masters at London’s Royal College of Art after buying a MacBook Air and decided that the plug looked a bit chunky next to the sleek lines of the MBA.

By having the vision to rotate the bottom two pins 90 degrees so that they lie parallel with the static top pin he managed to crash-diet Britain’s 45mm thick plug to a lithe form measuring under 10mm.

Not content with his size 0 plug Choi has also designed an adaptor (see gallery below) that allows three of his plugs, or a USB plug, to fit into one power point, making our sockets and bags even more clutter-free. This guy needs to be Prime Minister and should become very rich if there’s any justice!

The winning design and all other short-listed entries are on display at the Design Museum, London, until 31 October.

Now – I challenge Marvell to squeeze a computer into that plug!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

{ 0 comments }

LaCie Funky Flat Cables

by Jay Garrett on December 8, 2009

LaCie FlatsRegular readers here will have seen LaCie team up with a range of designers; Neil Poulton and Phillipe Starck spring instantly to mind.

Well, the design lead LaCie has given another makeover to something you take for granted – your puter cables.

Now they’re flat and colourful so now you can unplug without having to trace the spaghetti of wires to their source before crossing your fingers and yarking out the cable.

The LaCie cables are more than just a collection of lookers.

That flat design makes them easier to coil and less likely to get tangled – although with my other flat cables (SCART, etc) threading them around corners and such does create a minor issue.

You can get this funky cables in several USB configurations, Firewire and eSATA.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

{ 0 comments }

AQ Amigo Flatpack Portable Stero Speaker Bar Balances on Laptop Screen

November 11, 2009 Click to read more →
Thumbnail image for AQ Amigo Flatpack Portable Stero Speaker Bar Balances on Laptop Screen

I’ve yet to find a laptop that actually has great speakers that give decent depth and clarity.
At home I have my laptop go through my little Denon mini system that chucks the noise out through some Q Audio monitor speakers – all well and good til I hit the road with said lappy.
I’ve tried various [...]

Gramo – Fold Away Solar Powered Party Speakers

April 30, 2009 Click to read more →
Thumbnail image for Gramo – Fold Away Solar Powered Party Speakers

Finnish designer, Pekka Salokannel, has come up with Gramo.
Gramo is a totally cool concept for some flat-pack, solar powered, portable speakers.
Inside the speaker there’s a volume control and they seem ideal for that beach party life-style.
I’d buy one of these if they become a reality.
Would you?
In the designer’s own words:
Gramo speakers are made for digital [...]

UK Flat Flexible Loudspeakers (FFL) To Bring Clarity to Train Announcements

April 6, 2009 Click to read more →
Thumbnail image for UK Flat Flexible Loudspeakers (FFL) To Bring Clarity to Train Announcements

Nope – I’m not about to start rambling on about a new development in oven-ready meals that utilises a funky tin foil interface.
That bit of foil is the future of public address speakers.
Soon, hopefully, announcements on train platforms and other public places will become crystal clear instead of that mumbling annoyance that we currently have [...]

Flatshare Fridge – Keep Your Food To Yourself

September 11, 2008 Click to read more →

I’ve been pretty lucky. I’ve only had to share my house or flat once with someone other than my partner at the time – and then that was with another bassplayer in a West London penthouse.
I did say I was lucky
(Big shout out to Johnny Mac!)
Others I know have not been so blessed; [...]