Posted on

The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/friday-labs-smart-lock/friday_product/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Friday_Product-810x608.jpg" alt="The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock" /></a>
                                How many door locks can claim they were designed by an architectural firm, let alone the one behind Google’s new headquarters and also Hyperloop One? That’s the design pedigree delivered with the <a href="http://www.fridaylabs.net/views/home-page.html" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Friday Lock</a>, “the world’s smallest retrofit lock”, the design work of the Danish architects of <a href="https://www.big.dk/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bjarke Ingels Group</a>.
Smart door locks come in two flavors: complete replacement and retrofit. The Friday Lock goes the way of retrofit, installed using a Universal Baseplate mount that allows the Friday Lock to fit right over most previous lock’s footprint, eliminating the expertise (and costs) of hiring a locksmith for installation. Just as importantly, subjectively speaking, we consider the Friday Lock is the most attractive retrofit smart door lock design available.
Despite being designed by BIG, the acronym representing Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group, the resulting work produced is refreshingly small – a 2.7″ diameter footprint with an elegantly tapered and ribbed turn handle that
Continue reading "The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock"
Posted on

The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/friday-labs-smart-lock/friday_product/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Friday_Product-810x608.jpg" alt="The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock" /></a>
                                How many door locks can claim they were designed by an architectural firm, let alone the one behind Google’s new headquarters and also Hyperloop One? That’s the design pedigree delivered with the <a href="http://www.fridaylabs.net/views/home-page.html" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Friday Lock</a>, “the world’s smallest retrofit lock”, the design work of the Danish architects of <a href="https://www.big.dk/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bjarke Ingels Group</a>.
Smart door locks come in two flavors: complete replacement and retrofit. The Friday Lock goes the way of retrofit, installed using a Universal Baseplate mount that allows the Friday Lock to fit right over most previous lock’s footprint, eliminating the expertise (and costs) of hiring a locksmith for installation. Just as importantly, subjectively speaking, we consider the Friday Lock is the most attractive retrofit smart door lock design available.
Despite being designed by BIG, the acronym representing Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group, the resulting work produced is refreshingly small – a 2.7″ diameter footprint with an elegantly tapered and ribbed turn handle that
Continue reading "The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock"
Posted on

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Mom Who Loves Tech

                                <p class="p1">My dear mom ranks as the most difficult person to purchase gifts for by a wide margin. The silk scarf I brought back from Paris: relegated somewhere back into her closet to never be seen again. The multitude of shoes purchased according to her explicit preferences? “Not my style any more!” Instead, my 70-something mom professes love for two gifts I’ve given: her Apple iPhone and the Amazon Echo – each beloved probably because they answer her beck and call without hesitation. I’m sure this isn’t rare nor the exception these days, septuagenarian or otherwise.</p>
So in the spirit of my own mom, here’s a follow-up to our recent gift guide for Mother’s Day, one catering to the moms with an affinity for the latest devices, apps, streaming, and staying connected: Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Mom Who Loves Tech 1. Baseus Aurora Gradient iPhone Case $20 2. MUJI Aroma Diffuser $70 3. Hay Pion LED Lamp $245 4. Plumen 003 LED Light Bulb $200 5. 
Continue reading "Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Mom Who Loves Tech"
Posted on

The Amazon Echo Look Wants to Be Your Voice Activated Personal Stylist

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/amazon-echo-look-personal-stylist/amazon-echo-look-5/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Amazon-echo-look-5-810x418.jpeg" alt="The Amazon Echo Look Wants to Be Your Voice Activated Personal Stylist" /></a>
                                Have you ever snapped a photo of your outfit at home or from a store changing room in hopes of getting a second opinion from a friend? Amazon hopes to take on that role of that “friend” with the keen eye for fashion with the release of the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0186JAEWK/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Echo Look</a>, an Alexa-powered, voice-activated digital assistant that snaps photos or videos at the user’s whims for the sole purpose of piecing together flattering outfits.
The Echo Look joins Amazon’s existing lineup of hands-free digital assistants, sporting the same technologies and features as its less fashion-oriented Echo family siblings. That means users can vocally ask the Look about news, trivia, weather, and traffic, while also voice-activating connected smart home devices, playback audiobooks or music, and set alarms – just like the other two Echo devices. Where Amazon’s newest Echo device stands out is with the integration of a digital camera outfitted with an array of built-in LED lighting, all
Continue reading "The Amazon Echo Look Wants to Be Your Voice Activated Personal Stylist"
Posted on

The B&O Play Beoplay P2 is Designed for Poolside Playback

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/bo-play-beoplay-p2/beoplay-p2-speaker-111/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Beoplay-P2-speaker-111-810x532.jpg" alt="The B&O Play Beoplay P2 is Designed for Poolside Playback" /></a>
                                One look at Bang & Olufsen’s recently unveiled <a href="http://design-milk.com/beosound-shape-modular-audio/"  rel="noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="internal">BeoSound Shape</a> modular wall audio system, and it was hard not to imagine the beehive configuration as a chorus of portable speakers. Alas, the hexagonal array weren’t removable to move and use as individual portable speakers as one might hope (we tried!). Instead, you’ll have to look to their more youthful imprint, <a href="https://www.beoplay.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">B&O Play</a>, for their latest portable option: the <a href="https://www.beoplay.com/products/beoplayp2#techspec" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Beoplay P2</a>.
Backpack/purse sized portability: check. Splash and dust resistant case: check. Crisp audio output: check. Bluetooth connectivity: check. 10 hour playback: check. Distinct modern Danish industrial design: check. Button and switch controls: ….ahem. The absence of controls is completely intentional, and B&O Play’s reductive design is the Beoplay P2’s most distinct feature: there’s no physical controls blemishing the profile of this perforated palm-sized pebble (say that 3x fast) besides a subtle power button on the back, lanyard loop, and perpetually agape USB-C port. Everything else one might expect adorning a portable speaker has
Continue reading "The B&O Play Beoplay P2 is Designed for Poolside Playback"
Posted on

10 Modern Gifts to Show Your Mom Some Love

                                Mother’s Day is barely 2.5 weeks away so it’s time to think about how to shower all the moms in your life with a little bit of love and appreciation. We must adorn them, self-care them, and cozy them up with something they might not buy themselves. Out of ideas? We rounded up 10 gifts we think any mother (or human) would love to receive.
                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/10-modern-gifts-to-show-your-mom-some-love/roundup-2017-mothers-day-0/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Roundup-2017-Mothers-Day-0-810x570.jpg" alt="10 Modern Gifts to Show Your Mom Some Love" /></a>
                                1. <a href="https://www.chilewich.com/store/bags/zips/grid_zips/sand_large"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Grid Zips by Chilewich</a> $40 2. <a href="https://store.leibal.com/collections/all/products/rollerball-pen"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Rollerball Pen by YSTUDIO</a> $99 3. <a href="http://www.sony.com/electronics/wireless-speakers/lspx-s1"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Glass Sound Speaker by Sony Life Space UX</a> $799 4. <a href="https://adorn-milk.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/antwerp-necklace"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Antwerp Necklace by AR.M | Anna Rosa Moschouti</a> $52 5. <a href="https://shop.goop.com/shop/products/intensive-body-cream-rosa-damascena-acai-pomegranate?taxon_id=1394"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Intensive Body Cream: Rosa, Damascena, Acai & Pomegranate by Grown Alchemist</a> $31 6. <a href="https://www.mrporter.com/en-us/mens/mondaine/evo-big-date-stainless-steel-watch/662853?ppv=2"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Evo Big Date Stainless Steel Watch by Mondaine</a> $265 7. <a href="http://store.alessi.com/usa/en-gb/catalog/detail/pulcina-espresso-coffee-maker/mdl02?ic=L3iWQQ%3D%3D"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Pulcina Espresso Coffee Maker MDL02/1B by Michele De Lucchi for Alessi</a> $80 8. <a href="https://jenniferusa.com/collections/frontpage/products/girlfriend-hoodie-teal"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">“Girlfriend” Hoodie :: Teal from JENNIFER™</a> $140 9. <a href="https://www.urbanears.com/ue_us_en/plattan-adv-wireless/#plattan-adv-wireless-bonfire-orange"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Urbanears Plattan ADV Wireless Bluetooth Headphones</a> <div class="post-limited-image"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/design-milk/~4/orNTPJQE4hE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/></div><!--more--> 10. <a href="https://portofraleigh.co/collections/living/products/tint-throw-blanket-blue"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Tint Throw Blanket by Normann Copenhagen</a> $135
            <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/design-milk/~4/orNTPJQE4hE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>
Posted on

Scaled-Down Beginners’ Guitars That Make it Easy to Learn How to Play

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/scaled-down-beginners-guitars-that-make-it-easy-to-learn-how-to-play/loog-childrens-3string-guitar-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Loog-Childrens-3string-guitar-1-810x437.jpg" alt="Scaled-Down Beginners’ Guitars That Make it Easy to Learn How to Play" /></a>
                                Remember being a kid and forced into music lessons for an instrument of your parents’ choosing? For me it was violin and all I really wanted to play was guitar, so violin lessons weren’t exactly something I looked forward to every week for years. I mean, I learned a lot and I’m glad I did (in hindsight), but I would have rather been able to learn something I wanted and that I found enjoyable. Enter NYC-based <a href="https://www.loog.nyc/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Loog Guitars</a>. They entered the scene six years ago with the goal of making it easy to learn to play guitar while at the same time being a fun experience. They began the company with a Kickstarter campaign and that’s what they’re doing now to launch two new guitar models: the <a href="https://www.loog.nyc/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Loog Pro and the Loog Mini</a>.
If you’ve ever picked up a guitar for the first time, you know how intimidating it can
Continue reading "Scaled-Down Beginners’ Guitars That Make it Easy to Learn How to Play"
Posted on

The CYLNDR Electric Shaver Waves Whiskers Away

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/cylndr-electric-shaver/cylndr-shaver-5/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/CYLNDR-shaver-5-810x524.jpg" alt="The CYLNDR Electric Shaver Waves Whiskers Away" /></a>
                                Industrial design student <a href="https://www.behance.net/masamaro" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Masamaro Fujiki’s</a> <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/51623995/C-Y-L-N-D-R-electric-shaver"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">CYLNDR</a> concept takes an interesting detour away from the normally staid and homogenous realm of electric shaver industrial design. Despite differing bells and whistles, most electric shavers share the recognizable perpendicular design of handle with head. Not the CYLNDR – an oversized cigar-shaped shaving tool that looks unlike anything currently available for whisker-wacking duty.
Based mechanically upon the existing Hitachi Rotary G-Sword – an Asian market-only electric shaver outfitted with a continuous spinning barrel of miniature blades supposedly resulting in a close shave – Fujiki’s design reimagines the facial hair grooming appliance with basically the same mechanics, but pared down to a much smaller and maneuverable device capable of mowing down hair no matter the direction (or location) of the follicle thanks to its proposed 18,000 rpm two-direction rotary system. The industrial design borrows heavily from the language of Apple, Dyson, and even a little throwback Calvin Klein unisex
Continue reading "The CYLNDR Electric Shaver Waves Whiskers Away"
Posted on

Milan Design Week 2017: Lexus Design Award

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/milan-design-week-2017-lexus-design-awards/design_milk_lexus_design_awards_07/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Design_Milk_Lexus_Design_Awards_07-810x810.jpg" alt="Milan Design Week 2017: Lexus Design Award" /></a>
                                Now in its fifth year, the <a href="https://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design-award" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Lexus Design Award</a> was first launched in 2013 to help create ideas “to build a better tomorrow”. The competition supports up-and-coming designers across the globe. 2017’s theme, which drew 1,152 entries from 63 countries, was the notion of contradiction and juxtaposition suggested by the word “yet.”
Visitors to the awards ceremony and exhibition of shortlisted entries were greeted by Ancient Yet Modern, a 3D-printed glass installation by Neri Oxman and the Mediated Matter Group. The exhibition went on to reveal the 12 finalists selected by a panel of world-renowned designers and creative mentors including New York Times design critic Alice Rawsthorn, architects Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, and British designer Max Lamb in November 2016. From those 12, four were selected to develop their ideas into prototypes, and those prototypes formed the main part of the exhibition. Structural Color - Static Yet Changing
Continue reading "Milan Design Week 2017: Lexus Design Award"
Posted on

The Audi E-Tron Sportback Is the Electric Car We’ve Always Wanted

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/audi-etron-sportback-concept/audi-e-tron-sportback-concept/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Audi-e-tron-Sportback-4-810x570.jpg" alt="The Audi E-Tron Sportback Is the Electric Car We’ve Always Wanted" /></a>
                                Watch out Tesla, the road leading to an all-electric vehicle future is about to get a little more crowded. The <a href="http://www.audi.com/en/innovation/futuredrive/etron.html"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Audi E-Tron Sportback</a> concept rolled out as the belle of the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show ball, a near-realized concept vehicle designed to represent the German automaker’s EV plans for 2018 and beyond.
The electric fastback arrives with an aggressive posture sitting upon massive 23-inch alloys wheels, with specs to match: 496bhp and 590lb ft of torque, good for 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds performance, a very respectable range of 311 miles between charges, and a future forward “Virtual Cockpit” that replaces a traditional console design with tastefully executed touchscreen surfaces and haptic feedback throughout.

The E-Tron Sportback’s three electric motors are powered by a liquid cooled 95-kWh lithium-ion battery, good for 429 horsepower and a 311 mile range.

Our Audi E-Tron will be starting out in 2018 – the first
Continue reading "The Audi E-Tron Sportback Is the Electric Car We’ve Always Wanted"