Monthly Archives: July 2021

Kitchen Appliances to help dessert-loving home cooks achieve their pastry chef dreams!

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My favorite part of a meal is…dessert! I have a massive sweet tooth, and if you give me a piece of cake, I’ll be sitting in contentment for hours. As much as I love devouring desserts, I’m not the best at making them. Although that would help reduce some of the stress on my wallet! For all those dessert lovers who love gobbling up anything sweet in sight, but unfortunately struggle at preparing them – this collection of kitchen appliances has been curated specially for you. From a Star Wars-inspired waffle maker to a robotic icing assistant to help you decorate your cakes – these kitchen appliances have been designed for all those home cooks with a huge sweet tooth! These kitchen gadgets are dessert-friendly and YD-approved. Enjoy!

 

Imagine how good an ice-cream scooping spoon would have to be to win a Global Innovation Award. With a special heat-retaining liquid inside its handle and a thermally-conductive alloy structure internal structure that guides the heat to the scoop’s rim, the ScoopTHAT II can quite naturally carve through that solid block of ice cream with zero fuss. Relying on just the physical transfer of heat, ScoopTHAT II slices through frozen cream like a hot knife through butter, but without any electricity or batteries… just good old science.

The Bruno comes as a clamshell appliance with a lid that hinges back when you open it. With heating coils on the base as well as the lid, you can use the Bruno just like an oven (except this opens differently) by even choosing which heating plate you want to activate. A grill plate sits at the middle, holding your meats or vegetables on it as you grill them just like you would on a barbecue grill. Open the lid, fire the lower coil, and you’ve got yourself an impromptu grill that works well with all sorts of food. Close the lid and activate both heating coils and you’ve got a toaster that toasts breads kept horizontally!

Producing probably the best waffles in the galaxy, Pangea’s Deluxe Millennial Falcon Waffle Maker creates iconic starship-shaped waffles, with even browning on both sides thanks to its weighted lid and in-built thermostat. It even packs two LEDs that tell you when to pour batter, and when the waffles are perfectly golden and ready absolutely devour.

Modeled on the shape and design of a toucan bird (remember Rafael from the movie Rio?), Toco actually helps core and spiralize an apple, turning it from a fruit into a fun spiral you can eat! Made from plastic (so it’s relatively safe around kids), Toco’s beak comes with a circular element at its tip that pierces into the fruit’s core, while the beak itself has a sharp-ish edge that cuts through the fruit’s flesh. Toco’s eye-hole serves as a finger-rest too, giving you the leverage you need to easily cut through the fruit.

Designed to mount onto your existing 3D printer, the Cakewalk 3D is a handy food extruder that lets you decorate cakes, make meringues, adorn your pizza with ornate cheese patterns, or write your name in guacamole on a burrito. If there’s any food that can be extruded, the Cakewalk 3D can pretty much extrude it, thanks to a stainless-steel food tube, a helix that pushes the food out like an Archimedes screw, and a NEMA 17 motor that runs the extrusions while the entire setup (which gets mounted on the X-Y axis arm of your printer) moves back and forth to create complex patterns that you feed into your printer program.

Designed in the bundt-cake format, the T&T’s mold is almost like a work of design and architecture (and highly reminiscent of Dinara Kasko‘s work), using geometric shapes and patterns to make each of the cake’s 8 ‘pillars’ look absolutely unique and exquisite. The cake’s silicone mold is perfect for casting intricate textures and allows you to eject the confectionery post-baking with incredible detail. The cakes look rather awe-striking on their own, but coat them with some mirror glaze and they should look absolutely ready for Instagram!

Not only do ice pops act as a tasty refreshment on a summer’s day, but they can also be used to quickly cool us down in the sweltering heat. However, the ice pop-making process is anything but quick, which can lead to frustratingly long waits as our impatience levels increase. This is certainly not the case for THE SEAL, which reduces the processing time down to a mere 10 minutes! You may be asking how this has been achieved? It takes full advantage of the working principle of an ice-cream maker but reduces the volume significantly. This, paired with the metal molds that reduce the freezing time even further, allows for ice-lollies to be made in just a matter of minutes… so you can enjoy the refreshing treat on a whim!

Much better than any cookie-cutter you’ll ever use, OXO’s Cookie Press doesn’t cut cookies, it pumps or extrudes them. The Cookie Press is a hand-operated cookie-pumping machine that relies on a stainless-steel die to push out intricately formed cookies with speed and consistency. Just load the die-disc of your choice into the Cookie Press’s base and fill the cylinder with cookie dough (your dough needs to be neither too wet nor too dry) and attach the pumping handle on top and you’re ready to go.

Imagine standing in front of an induction cooker with your pancake batter, and the cooker’s interface tells you exactly when to pour the batter into the heated pan for perfectly cooked pancakes. They say you always mess up the first pancake because more often than not, your pan isn’t at the right temperature… but when we made pancakes at Electrolux‘s office in Stockholm, every single one of them turned out absolutely flawless. Designed to make amateurs feel like experts, and to give experts a helping hand, Electrolux’s Intuit kitchen range uses a combination of remarkable design and cutting-edge technology, sprinkled with a secret sauce that is the AI.

There are three things that can destroy friendships. Monopoly, the Draw Four card in Uno, and an unequal slice of cake, pie, or pizza. Now I don’t know about the first two, but there’s a rather nifty way of avoiding the third scenario. Klipy’s Cake Divider. This handy little gadget allows you to set the angle for cutting the cake/pie/pizza based on the number of slices you need. It comes with a base that fits right into the center of the food item you want to divide, and the two arms of the Klipy act as guides for the knife, allowing you to cut perfectly even slices for yourself and your friends… because no one likes a greedy hog!

I hope you’ll forgive me for this terrible pun, but OTOTO‘s products are truly ‘deer’ to me! The company, which has established a reputation for making some of the most heartwarming products, does a remarkable job of combining elements of playfulness along with a strong storytelling aspect to create products that are just clever! Take for instance the Sweet Deer – a rocking-horse-inspired cookie cutter. Designed to clearly get children to help with food prep, the cutter comes in the shape of a reindeer on a rocking base. The rocking base comes with tapered edges that help it cut into the dough, allowing kids to cut out cookies while playing with their forest friends!

The Sonic Seasoning by graduation project of RCA student Mengtian Zhang is a unique creation centered on the satisfying sensory experience of listening to ASMR (Autonomous sensory meridian response) sounds even before we take a bite. This project culminated from Mengtian’s pandemic-induced lockdown experience when she took to watching ASMR cooking videos to remain stress-free. “I can feel the texture and flavor of food such as crunchiness and freshness behind the phone screen.” There Mengtian was struck with the idea of using sound and visual effects to elevate the buildup expectations of taste before the first bite hits the mouth. This resulted in the set of plates and cutlery connected to sensors for detecting touch which then triggers the appropriate notes to go with the whole eating experience.

This prefab holiday home in Netherlands has transforming rooms that go from day to night instantly!

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Yes, you read that right – it has a flexible layout which means no need to build separate rooms for different purposes that are divided by walls like a traditional home.

For the last 15 months, all of us have been planning our post-pandemic vacations and this holiday home is now on top of my wishlist because of its gorgeous design! The luxury cabin-style structure is located on the Dutch island of Texel in the Netherlands and is just a short walk to the North Sea. Designed by Rotterdam-based Orange Architects, the modern villa saves space thanks to its prefabricated construction and flexible layout.

Yes, you read that right – it has a flexible layout which means instead of building separate rooms for different purposes that are divided by walls like a traditional home, the designers optimized the floor plan with prefab, multifunctional spaces that can be transformed or divided temporarily to create separate zones for different functions.

Since it is a holiday home, the villa has to serve more purposes than a regular house because people will tend to spend more time together in communal areas by day and only use private spaces at night. The team of architects designed rooms in a way that they served at least two functions to keep a compact volume while still maximizing space. Each room is a fluid open space during the day and can be turned into a private one by night.

During the day, the villa serves as one continual space during the day, and at night residents can separate different sections by either closing the wooden panels in the hall or turning them 90 degrees. There is also a hidden shower and sink to create an en suite bathroom! The walls and roof were prefabricated at the contractor’s workshop before being transported to the island to save construction costs. The villa has a black wooden shell which is beautifully complemented by warm wood interior tones.

My favorite part is the south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows which extend the main living room area onto a covered terrace and adjacent garden. Several skylights on the upper floor bring in more natural light and the villa is also fitted with sloping rooftop solar panels as well as a rainwater drainage system for irrigation. I could move here permanently as long as they have a good wifi connection!

Designer: Orange Architects

 

 

 

 

Over 100 warship locations have been faked in one year

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Abuses of location technology might just result in hot political disputes. According to Wired, SkyWatch and Global Fishing Watch have conducted studies showing that over 100 warship locations have been faked since August 2020, including the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth and the US destroyer Roosevelt. In some cases, the false data showed the vessels entering disputed waters or nearing other countries' naval bases — movements that could spark international incidents.

The research team found the fakes by comparing uses of the automatic identification system (AIS, a GPS-based system to help prevent collisions) with verifiable position data by using an identifying pattern. All of the false info came from shore-based AIS receivers while satellites showed the real positions, for instance. Global Fishing Watch had been investigating fake AIS positions for years, but this was the first time it had seen falsified data for real ships.

It's not certain who's faking locations and why. However, analysts said the data was characteristic of a common perpetrator that might be Russia. Almost all of the affected warships were from European countries or NATO members, and the data included bogus incursions around Kaliningrad, the Black Sea, Crimea and other Russian interests. In theory, Russia could portray Europe and NATO as aggressors by falsely claiming those rivals sent warships into Russian seas.

Russia has historically denied hacking claims. It has a years-long history of using fake accounts and misinformation to stoke political tensions that further its own ends, though. And if Russia is connected, the faked warship locations might be a significant escalation of that strategy. Even though such an approach might not lead to shooting matches, it could get disconcertingly close.

Over 100 warship locations have been faked in one year

Posted on by

Abuses of location technology might just result in hot political disputes. According to Wired, SkyWatch and Global Fishing Watch have conducted studies showing that over 100 warship locations have been faked since August 2020, including the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth and the US destroyer Roosevelt. In some cases, the false data showed the vessels entering disputed waters or nearing other countries' naval bases — movements that could spark international incidents.

The research team found the fakes by comparing uses of the automatic identification system (AIS, a GPS-based system to help prevent collisions) with verifiable position data by using an identifying pattern. All of the false info came from shore-based AIS receivers while satellites showed the real positions, for instance. Global Fishing Watch had been investigating fake AIS positions for years, but this was the first time it had seen falsified data for real ships.

It's not certain who's faking locations and why. However, analysts said the data was characteristic of a common perpetrator that might be Russia. Almost all of the affected warships were from European countries or NATO members, and the data included bogus incursions around Kaliningrad, the Black Sea, Crimea and other Russian interests. In theory, Russia could portray Europe and NATO as aggressors by falsely claiming those rivals sent warships into Russian seas.

Russia has historically denied hacking claims. It has a years-long history of using fake accounts and misinformation to stoke political tensions that further its own ends, though. And if Russia is connected, the faked warship locations might be a significant escalation of that strategy. Even though such an approach might not lead to shooting matches, it could get disconcertingly close.

People first drove on the Moon 50 years ago today

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NASA just celebrated another major moment in the history of Moon exploration. The New York Timesnoted that July 31st, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Lunar Roving Vehicle's first outing — and the first time people drove on the Moon. Apollo 15 astronauts Dave Scott and Jim Irwin took the car on a stint to collect samples and explore the lunar surface more effectively than they could on foot.

Scott and Irwin would eventually drive the rover two more times (for a total of three hours) before returning to Earth. The Apollo 16 and 17 missions each had an LRV of their own. There was also a fourth rover, but it was used for spare parts after the cancellation of Apollo 18 and further missions. All three serving models remained on the Moon.

Early development was problematic, in no small part due to the lack of real-world testing conditions. They couldn't exactly conduct a real-world test drive, after all. The team eventually settled on a collapsible design with steel mesh wheels that could safely handle the Moon's low gravity, lack of atmosphere, extreme temperatures and soft soil.

The LRV was modest, with a 57-mile range, four 0.19kW motors and an official top speed of 8MPH. It was also expensive, with cost overruns bringing the price of four rovers to $38 million (about $249 million in 2021 dollars). It was key to improved scientific exploration during the later stages of the Apollo program, though, and it was also an early example of a practical electric vehicle — humans were using a battery-powered ride on the Moon decades before the technology became mainstream on Earth.

We wouldn't count on humans driving on the Moon any time soon, although that reflects the progress made in the 50 years since. NASA and other space agencies are now focused on robotic rovers that can explore the Moon without worries about crew safety. Those humans that do go on rides will likely use autonomous vehicles. Think of this anniversary as celebrating a first step toward the technology you see today.

People first drove on the Moon 50 years ago today

Posted on by

NASA just celebrated another major moment in the history of Moon exploration. The New York Timesnoted that July 31st, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Lunar Roving Vehicle's first outing — and the first time people drove on the Moon. Apollo 15 astronauts Dave Scott and Jim Irwin took the car on a stint to collect samples and explore the lunar surface more effectively than they could on foot.

Scott and Irwin would eventually drive the rover two more times (for a total of three hours) before returning to Earth. The Apollo 16 and 17 missions each had an LRV of their own. There was also a fourth rover, but it was used for spare parts after the cancellation of Apollo 18 and further missions. All three serving models remained on the Moon.

Early development was problematic, in no small part due to the lack of real-world testing conditions. They couldn't exactly conduct a real-world test drive, after all. The team eventually settled on a collapsible design with steel mesh wheels that could safely handle the Moon's low gravity, lack of atmosphere, extreme temperatures and soft soil.

The LRV was modest, with a 57-mile range, four 0.19kW motors and an official top speed of 8MPH. It was also expensive, with cost overruns bringing the price of four rovers to $38 million (about $249 million in 2021 dollars). It was key to improved scientific exploration during the later stages of the Apollo program, though, and it was also an early example of a practical electric vehicle — humans were using a battery-powered ride on the Moon decades before the technology became mainstream on Earth.

We wouldn't count on humans driving on the Moon any time soon, although that reflects the progress made in the 50 years since. NASA and other space agencies are now focused on robotic rovers that can explore the Moon without worries about crew safety. Those humans that do go on rides will likely use autonomous vehicles. Think of this anniversary as celebrating a first step toward the technology you see today.

This detailed rattan room divider fuses traditional crafts with modern furniture design

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This double-sided rattan room divider is the designer’s interpretation of unity – between the harmonious lines and the color palette ranging from warm to cool tones.

Rattan is a locally sourced material – one in fact we have seen our grandparents use in their day-to-day life with ease, and we have disregarded it in our modern adaptation of plastics. Truly, I often feel, sustainable design has roots in our past; if only we can find the discipline to research, revise and adapt these practices on an everyday basis. Rattan is the material derived from dried vines that is weaved into a usable pattern we call wicker – next time you lounge on those IKEA outdoor wicker chairs, be the one to identify these differences!

The divider here, named Bilid, uses 2 contrasting lines designs – straight and wavy to depict 2 opposite reactions. The straight lines create a harmonious texture to evoke peace, whereas the wavy lines reflect the conflict one might see over the contrasting/undulating waveform. Each divider is held in place with an undyed beige rattan design, allowing the colors to do the talking.

Speaking of the lines, the designer explains, “the vertical line implies orderly and strong structure, strength, higher, rigid while conveying a lack of movement. I used it to refer to an ideal orderly place, peace, decency, and harmony.” On the other hand, the wavy lines depict,” the serpentine Line implies energy, sense of movement and dynamism from social conflict, conflict movement and inequality that inspired from domestic society.”

Using rattan, a locally sourced material, the designer emphasizes the story of different perspectives, portraying how the dissimilarities could co-exist through the materials, colors, and two opposite variances. Different rattan patterns express meaning through the material and colors to create a colorful emotion and represent a new mood of rattan furniture with tinted/pastel color combinations—the two blends to provide a contrast of “warm & cool” tones.

The overall theme of Unity is inspired and represented with these 2 different patterns of rattan.  The rattan pattern on one side is smooth conveys calm and peaceful in the same way to create a calming emotion for space. In contrast, the other side uses wavy weave rattan to reflect on the conflict to create a movement emotion to the home space.

Each line of this divider is designed with care, giving you a sense of focus and calm, the same way the designer must have invested himself while designing this metaphorical representation of life as we know it – full of ups and downs, warm and cools but presenting a harmonious front when we look back from the perspective provided by the passage of time.

Designer: Sarunphon Boonto

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Rivian may build its first international EV factory in the UK

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Rivian might not be focused solely on expanding its US production. Sky Newssources claim the EV designer is in talks with the British government to build a manufacturing plant near Bristol. The discussions aren't yet in late stages, but the focus is reportedly on production for the vehicles themselves rather than batteries, although there was room for an all-encompassing Tesla-style gigafactory.

Rival proposals have come from Germany and the Netherlands, Sky claimed. If the UK plant did go ahead, though, the government could supposedly invest "well over" £1 billion (about $1.39 billion). Rivian declined to comment.

There's certainly pressure to commit to international expansion. Rivian has just one factory, a former Mitsubishi plant in Illinois, and it only just unveiled plans for a second American facility that might also produce batteries. That output could limit potential sales, especially outside of North America, and might hamper Amazon's electric delivery van rollout.

This could help Rivian scale to counter rivals like Tesla and Volkswagen, both of which are rapidly growing their EV manufacturing bases. The UK intends to ban sales of combustion engine cars in 2035, and that means switching local production to EVs. A Rivian factory could help the country transition to EV manufacturing, not to mention encourage sales that would make public acceptance that much stronger.

Rivian may build its first international EV factory in the UK

Posted on by

Rivian might not be focused solely on expanding its US production. Sky Newssources claim the EV designer is in talks with the British government to build a manufacturing plant near Bristol. The discussions aren't yet in late stages, but the focus is reportedly on production for the vehicles themselves rather than batteries, although there was room for an all-encompassing Tesla-style gigafactory.

Rival proposals have come from Germany and the Netherlands, Sky claimed. If the UK plant did go ahead, though, the government could supposedly invest "well over" £1 billion (about $1.39 billion). Rivian declined to comment.

There's certainly pressure to commit to international expansion. Rivian has just one factory, a former Mitsubishi plant in Illinois, and it only just unveiled plans for a second American facility that might also produce batteries. That output could limit potential sales, especially outside of North America, and might hamper Amazon's electric delivery van rollout.

This could help Rivian scale to counter rivals like Tesla and Volkswagen, both of which are rapidly growing their EV manufacturing bases. The UK intends to ban sales of combustion engine cars in 2035, and that means switching local production to EVs. A Rivian factory could help the country transition to EV manufacturing, not to mention encourage sales that would make public acceptance that much stronger.

This ergonomic flatpack laptop stand transforming your setup into a standing desk is a 2021 must-have!

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The RLDH Alto Standing Desk is a thoughtful flat-pack accessory designed keeping in mind your multiple needs if you can’t invest in a height-adjustable desk.

Sitting all day can take a toll on the health, and over time it can create serious health hazards – the line sitting is the new smoking delivers the graveness of it. However, according to research standing for at least 30 minutes per hour has profound benefits, and that’s the reason standing and height-adjustable desks are trending these days.

Yet another perk of a standing desk is increasing focus, kickstarting the creative process, and heightened productivity. The RLDH Alto Standing Desk is a thoughtful flat-pack accessory designed keeping in mind your multiple needs if you can’t invest in a height-adjustable desk. It is simple to carry and disassemble, with the option to adjust the height of your keyboard and mouse tray, giving it the flexibility of use with your laptop. Yes, this stylish yet functional standing desk is tailored for use with your laptop – virtually transforming your table into a standing desk when the need arises. Its flat-pack and lightweight (weighing just 6.5 lbs) nature give you the freedom to tuck it away when not needed or even to take it along during travel for remote work regimes.

The accessory is made from eco-friendly materials such as Baltic birch, and the manufacturer plants a tree for every one of these stands sold. It is available in the dark Walnut or Natural Baltic birch finish. To further narrow down on the ergonomic comfort and optimal stance, Alto Standing Desk comes in five different size options, plus it has space to dock your smartphone too.

The desk fits a laptop measuring 13-inches or larger, making it a versatile accessory for anyone in your home. There’s just one thing that I wanted this ergonomic laptop stand to have – the ability to have height-adjustable function for the laptop section just like the Standsome standing desk. In the meantime, this is a great tool to switch up your sitting/standing habits and get you started on improving your lifestyle.

Designer: RLDH

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