concepts

Pininfarina automotive designer Leonardo Fioravanti's Hidra concept car uses windshields that repel water and dirt, doing away with the need for wipers. The nanotechnology-based windshield has four layers, with the titanium oxide top layer designed to quickly repel water. A second layer pushes dirt off to its sides, keeping the windshield clean. A third layer works as a sensor, while the fourth layer is charged with electricity to run the whole apparatus. An article describing the technology and concept car appeared in the Italian publication, la Repubblica, and can be read in English here, thanks to the magic of … Read more

Nokia and the University of Cambridge are showing off a new stretchable and flexible mobile device of the future called Morph.

The new concept phone is part of an online display presented in conjunction with the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition underway through May 12 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The device, which is made using nanotechnology, is intended to demonstrate how cell phones in the future could be stretched and bent into different shapes, allowing users to "morph" their devices into whatever shape they want. Think Stretch Armstrong for … Read more

We're dubious about the authenticity of this purported concept, but it may out of an overwhelming sense of denial. It's just too depressing--and disturbing--to think that someone would actually come up with this idea, let alone find a market for it.

The "KissPhone" is a device that supposedly does its best to duplicate the buss of an acquaintance with an "artificial mouth," according to its inventor, who happens to be based in Paris. (No comment.) "This KissPhone detects percussion speed, pressure, temperature, and sucking force of the lips, when you kiss it," … Read more

Remember the Bang & Olufsen Serene that looks like a modern art museum piece? Designer Ricardo Baiao's Atlas Kinetic concept cell phone takes that bizarre look to a whole new level, with a power source that's just as unusual. It's like one of those Seiko Kinetic watches that make use of oscillating weight to power a mainspring, except that this one provides basic phone features and allows you to make calls and send text messages. There's no danger of self-destructing lithium cells, so perhaps Nokia may want to snap up one of these as part of … Read more

Rinspeed, a boutique automotive design company, plans on blowing away the upcoming Geneva auto show with its sQuba concept, a car that swims underwater, drives autonomously on land, and is emission-free. The car, based on a Lotus Elise, uses an electric motor to drive the wheels on land, plus two other motors to drive propellers underwater. According to Rinspeed, it uses a laser system to detect obstacles ahead so that it can drive itself. Rinspeed released video of the sQuba, showing that it really can swim underwater.

Sound familiar? James Bond's Lotus swam underwater in the 1977 movie, The … Read more

GMC takes a major step in reimagining the SUV with the Denali XT concept unveiled at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. Although this concept uses a pickup truck style body, all of its tech innovation can be applied to an SUV, a class of vehicle that includes the current production GMC Yukon Denali. Unlike traditional SUVs, which consist of a body bolted onto a frame, the Denali XT is built on a unibody architecture, similar to how today's cars are built. Unibody vehicles are considered to have better handling, and a more comfortable ride. However, they are not considered … Read more

Right next to the Blow-Up Mouse, this one gets our vote for going where no printer has gone before--over the edge, literally. Korean designers Jin Hee Kim, Hyung Il Kim, and Woo Seok Park have conceptualized the "Hanging Printer." While the name may not be terribly inspired, the idea of hiding the bulk of the inkbox under the desk is: In this design,k only the paper feed and printer head are visible on the table. Which makes this one less thing to clutter on our already-overcrowded desktop.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Here's one that promises to unleash you from your crappy phone that goes on strike once you are out of your country. Designed by Vadim Kibardin, the conceptual "Freedom Phone" is a small pre-paid handset that theoretically allows you to chat for 60, 100, or 200 minutes. There's no room for a SIM card so you'd be spared roaming charges.

According to Yanko Design, the Freedom Phone would charge in just 10 minutes. Not bad for a concept, but it should just stay as that. It's probably a better idea to buy a local … Read more

Now why didn't we think of this? While the lonely at heart have their inflatable dolls, here's a blow-up mouse for the dateless geek. You can not only snuggle up to it, but you can actually put it to use. Not that kind of use.

Designers Bongkun Shin, Heungkyo Seo, Jiwoong Hwang & Wooteik Lim did intend for this to be a working mouse and packed electronic circuity on a small flexible board within the Jelly Click. So all you need to do to use this is blow it up, attach the USB cable, and click. It's … Read more