Tag Archives: Digital

Loog x Duolingo portable piano teaches you the language of music, the fun way

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Learning a new language is never easy, whether it’s human language, programming language, or harmonic language. It takes time, effort, and more importantly, drive to go through the process, but it doesn’t have to a be painful and dreadful experience all the time. Of the many strategies that make learning languages both fun and effective, Duolingo is perhaps the best-known service. What few people realize, however, is that the green owl has been teaching music for over a year now, applying the same principles it uses in teaching Spanish or Mandarin to do-re-mi’s. Unlike smartphones and spoken languages, however, music has to be played to really be learned, which is why Duolingo has come out with a small digital piano so that you can do that anywhere you are.

Designer: Loog x Duolingo

A piano isn’t the only instrument you can use to learn music, but it’s one of the most convenient and can be designed into an electric and portable form that doesn’t require minding strings that could break. You don’t even need a full-sized piano to get started, but you do need one that’s small enough to be carried around yet has a decent size and a decent sound as well. Rather than relying on a smartphone piano app that doesn’t give the same tactile experience, Duolingo teamed up with Loog, a popular brand of musical instruments for kids and beginners, to make one.

That’s what the Loog x Duolingo Piano brings to the table, figuratively and literally. It’s basically a special version of the Loog piano themed with Duolingo’s iconic green hue. It’s still the same piano made with solid wood panels that enhance the acoustics, making it sound almost like a real classical piano. It also has the same velocity-sensitive keys that implement proper dynamics, meaning that you can hit the keys harder to make the note sound louder, just like a real piano.

It’s not just a Duolingo-branded Loog piano, though, as this particular kit is designed with the easy-to-use and fun learning service in mind. There’s a wooden phone stand that matches the aesthetics of the piano, perfect for holding up the phone while you learn and play. And for a more offline learning experience, the package includes Piano Flashcards as well.

The Loog x Duolingo Piano is more than just a simple digital piano. It can be used as a MIDI controller when connected to an instrument via its USB-C port, and there are also ports not just for headphones but also for pedals and octave shifters. It might look like a kid’s toy, but this piano definitely has the guts to stand proudly as a proper musical instrument so that its use doesn’t stop after you’ve already mastered everything Duolingo has to teach.

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This modular smart ruler removes the headaches of measuring with different units and scales

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You’ve probably heard of the advice to measure twice and cut once, which is both metaphorical and literal. It’s not easy to get a measure right the first time, especially if you’re using an analog tool. Things get even more complicated when you have to juggle different units, scales, and other factors that make a plain, old ruler clearly inadequate. There is a new breed of digital measuring devices that try to remedy the situation, but these are mostly useless when you need to measure something that’s already on paper or on your desk. For these tasks, a flat and long ruler is still the best tool for the job, but this innovative smart ruler takes that age-old tool to the next level, providing precision, convenience, and customization right at your fingertips.

Designer: Tiancheng Liang

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $129 ($40 off). Less than 72 hours left! Raised over $500,000.

The typical long, rectangular ruler serves two primary purposes. One is to measure something in a straight line, and the other is to draw one, sometimes with an exact length. Common rulers might be enough for most people, but professionals need more than just seeing things in metric and inches. NeoRuler turns the idea of what a ruler can do on its head, giving designers, architects, engineers, and everyone in between a tool that adapts to their needs rather than forcing users to adapt to the tool’s limitations.

Switch between Metric and Imperial in one swipe without multiple calculations.

Get 90 Built-in scales for maximum versatilities.

Equal divide space quickly in any length without any calculation.

A typical ruler would have marks for inches and centimeters or millimeters, but those aren’t the only units you need to consider when measuring or drawing lines. Sometimes you have to measure things in both feet and inches, or you might need only fractional figures. The NeoRuler can show all these variations on a single tool and can change the ticks to the appropriate unit. The bright 1.14-inch LCD display clearly shows not only the unit you’re using but also 90 built-in scales. No more guessing or calculating by hand how you’ll make the house floor plan fit on paper!

NeoRuler’s impressive feat is made possible by a tiny computer embedded in its durable aluminum alloy frame. There is also a dynamic array of 300 LED lights lined up on the edge of the ruler, changing ticks and marks in a snap. Need to only measure a small segment? Simply slide the Neo Pointer and watch the ticks light up its trail. You no longer have to juggle numbers in your head just to divide a line into equal parts. Simply decide how many sections you need, and NeoRuler will show exactly where you need to draw the line.

Neo Pointer – Excel measuring detail.

Neo PenHolder – Empower drawing precisions.

Neo Magnifier – Magnify reading accuracy.

Neo Caliper – Enhance object measurement.

Even with these core functions, the NeoRuler is already a major evolution of the ruler, but it doesn’t stop there. This creative invention embraces a modular design that extends its capabilities without making the device more complicated. Don’t trust your shaky hand to draw a straight line even with a ruler? The Neo PenHolder allows you to just glide across the paper without worry. Can’t see the super fine details of a blueprint? The Neo Magnifier helps you make more accurate readings and better assessments. Need to measure something that’s not on paper or a flat surface? The Neo Caliper removes the need for yet another tool to clutter your desk.

Many of the analog tools we already have today work well enough, but that doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement. When flexibility and accuracy are critical to success, a simple ruler just won’t cut it. For only $89, the NeoRuler brings not only a precise measuring tool but also a multifunctional device that makes sure you will be able to measure and draw with complete confidence, even if you only measure once.

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $129 ($40 off). Less than 72 hours left! Raised over $500,000.

The post This modular smart ruler removes the headaches of measuring with different units and scales first appeared on Yanko Design.

This nap timer concept marries simple analog controls with a digital display

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Most of us probably like taking naps during the day. Some people might even find it necessary to get through a tiring workday. There are studies suggesting that even a 20 to 30-minute “power nap” can be beneficial to productivity, though the problem is getting that amount of time right without undercutting or overspending. We have alarm clocks for that, of course, including the ones that can be found on our smartphones. Despite the proliferation of these general-purpose utilities, there’s still something to be said for a specialized tool dedicated solely to counting down the minutes until you wake up. Especially when said tool is a beautiful throwback to the past with some modern conveniences thrown in as well.

Designer: Andrea Senatori

We have plenty of timers and clocks around our house or, at the very least, in our pockets. Most probably use their smartphones for anything that needs counting down or up, while some might have a separate alarm clock beside their bed, set to ring on one or a few specific times in a day. A dedicated nap timer, however, offers simplicity and ease of use. There are no other functions to worry about or other timers you might get confused with. Simply set the timer when you want to take a nap, and that’s it.

It doesn’t get simpler than what the Spot 2 concept brings. It has one purpose and one purpose only, to ring an alarm after a specified period of time. Its controls are dead simple, too. There’s one large dial to set how long the timer goes and a smaller one for controlling the volume. These are presented as analog controls, so there’s absolutely no ambiguity in how they work.

This mix of analog with digital has both aesthetic and psychological aspects. The latter brings back familiar physical controls, putting the power back under our fingertips. At the same time, the nap timer looks interesting and attractive, especially with the ongoing trend to create retro-looking products. It isn’t all old-school, of course, with a monochrome display that prominently shows the timer as well as other details like the date, time, and even the temperature.

The Spot 2 nap timer concept is simple yet effective in conveying its purpose in an interesting yet easy-to-use manner. The dials leave little to the imagination in how to control the device, while the digital display distills information down to only the most essential parts. After all, when you’re body’s craving a short nap, the last thing you want to do is fiddle with your phone or alarm clock and have your brain too distracted or too engaged to sleep.

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This mountain-shaped household appliance is designed to visualize the journey of a seven-day workweek

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Mt. Week is a household clock appliance that takes the shape of a mountain to visualize the journey of a seven-day workweek.

There are few things more universally exciting than reaching the weekend after a long, arduous work week. It’s like reaching a mountain’s summit after spending the morning and afternoon traversing its trails and footpaths. There’s nothing like that first gulp of water, overlooking the valleys and tree canopies below, or that first cup of coffee on a slow Sunday morning. Taking the mountain motif to its ultimate end, a team of designers conceptualized Mt. Week, a cone-shaped clock appliance that denotes the motions of a week’s journey.

Designers: Minsu Kim, Yoonjeong Lee, Seunghyun Ko, Gyeongah Hwang, Hyunmin Kim

Inspired by the shape of a mountain, Mt. Week takes the form of an upside-down triangle for its time-controlled magnetic sphere to wind toward the appliance’s apex.

Separated into seven even parts, the cone represents the seven-day week and the magnetic sphere represents our timed journey through the week. Comprised of three main components, Mt. Week keeps an integrated digital clock to its side to indicate the time of day, while a magnetic sphere traverses the course of seven equal portions.

Describing the device’s time-controlled modules, the designers describe, “Mt. Week is divided into seven areas, representing a week’s journey. The sphere climbs the mountain diligently [on] weekdays and descends with ease during the weekend.

Users will find themselves excited while watching the sphere moving towards the weekend.” A built-in magnetic rail traces the cone’s surface for the magnetic sphere to latch onto and follow. As the cone rotates, the magnetic sphere signals to the user which day of the week it is while the clock displays the time of day.

The integrated magnetic rail mimics the curving nature of trailheads.

When users place the magnetic sphere at the top of Mt. Week, the magnetic rail positions it to its correct positioning. 

Operated via a wire connection, all users would need is an outlet.

Even when not in use, Mt. Week offers a touch of minimalist elegance to any office or bedroom.

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This X-shaped dystopian family residence is split into four quadrants to find privacy in the digital age

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The Broken Home is an unconventional, X-shaped home whose layout has been optimized for the digital age and the need for privacy.

As we move deeper into the tech age, some architects are eager to bring us back to the analog days. Others are embracing this digital era to harmonize our living spaces with our technological needs. Whether it’s through smart technology or essentialist floor plans, architects are integrating technology into our home spaces in unprecedented ways.

Designer: Integrated Field Co., Ltd. (IF)

The Broken Home, from Integrated Field Co., Ltd. (IF), is a contemporary home designed specifically for today’s digital age that optimizes the home space for digital interaction and working from home.

Primarily concerned with privacy, the Broken Home is envisioned with an X-shaped frame that separates private living quarters into four quadrants. As residents enter the Broken Home, a long corridor functions as a transitional passage, directing each resident to their respective living space. The architects at IF designed the Broken Home to have significantly fewer common spaces than traditional homes, reducing the common spaces to comprise only 12% of the home.

The choice to decrease the number of common spaces was a direct result of modern families spending more time in their private quarters with technology than time together in living spaces.

With the digital age defining the Broken Home’s floor plan and finished look, the IF architects integrated timely features like a specialized passage for directing online food deliveries and packages to their assigned recipient.

In addition to this, IF incorporated descending partition screens so residents can find privacy even in common spaces. For instance, instead of a chandelier, the dining area comes with overhead privacy screens that resemble the look of hair hood dryers from salons.

When residents are in their personal spaces IF made sure to include hidden features that aid residents during the workday. Each bedroom is equipped with indirect lighting to stave off the cold, harsh feeling of overhead light fixtures and wall spaces provide screening opportunities for live streaming and social media usage.

Fold-out furnishings help to make the most of the floor space and maintain the home’s minimalist appeal.

From the outside, the Broken Home appears like a refined, single-story residence. 

Inside the Broken Home, residents find the optimal conditions for living in the digital age.

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THERM C digital thermometer concept pays homage to the classic tool sans the poison

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The new coronavirus that struck the world two years ago has changed a lot of things and processes in the medical and health care fields. Although they have been around long before that, digital thermometers, especially those with no-contact features, have surged in popularity and sales during that period. Many of these thermometers have moved away from the traditional and iconic mercury-based thermometers, but THERM°C tries to bring a familiar design to the modern world in a much safer way.

Designer: Manantsoa Razafimandimby

Although some are still in use these days, thermometers that use mercury have long been deemed risky and unsafe for the environment. Their small sizes made them more favorable compared to digital thermometers, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for safer methods to get a temperature reading has pushed these analog tools out of the picture. Since then, different designs for digital thermometers have come up, and this one tries to give a nod to its predecessor.

Digital thermometers naturally have more freedom when it comes to design precisely because they’re no longer limited by the material properties of mercury or even alcohol. We’ve even recently seen one that didn’t require batteries, powered only by kinetic energy and built from sustainable materials. This concept isn’t as ambitious, but it is nostalgic.

THERM°C is designed like almost all digital thermometers, held upright with the IR light and sensors at the top to take the measurement. What makes it unique, however, is the graduated ticks on the back of the device, mimicking the same method of measuring temperatures with analog tools, just without the liquid component. Instead of rising mercury or alcohol, LEDs light up that meter.

As with most digital thermometers, the design of the THERM°C is meant to be simple to use and doesn’t require a manual. Curiously, there is a switch to change from Celsius to Fahrenheit readings, though it isn’t clear in the concept how these figures will change accordingly. There are also buttons for “Set” and “Lock,” though their exact function isn’t explained.

The digital thermometer charges over USB-C, so this concept won’t be scoring points for sustainability. Then again, this design was envisioned to be nostalgic rather than practical. It might actually take a second or two longer to read off the actual temperature, but the familiar feeling of having a certain margin of error might actually be a bit more appealing and humanizing than typical digital displays.

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Love Hultén’s latest synth comes with a 15-inch display that serves as a music-based NFT Visualizer

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Collaborating with digital artist Lirona over his latest synth creation, Love Hultén’s latest synth is an audiovisual treat. The MIDI Synth, handcrafted by Hultén, is paired with a 15-inch display that showcases Lirona’s digital work, titled #synthboi. Limited to 10 synths, each digital work is, in fact, an interactive NFT that the buyers get to own when they purchase the synthesizer.

Synthboi falls perfectly into Hultén’s portfolio of quirky, bizarre synths, with its odd human-shaped visualization that lights up as you play the tunes. The collaboration bridges the worlds of bespoke electronic instruments and NFTs, allowing music enthusiasts and collectors to also own their own one-of-a-kind non-fungible digital artworks along with their music instruments!

The synth features a 25-key MIDI keyboard that plugs via USB into an Intel NUC i5 computer that’s also connected to the circular 15-inch display on top. The electronics sit within handcrafted cabinets that boast of an alternative 90s Apple-esque design with terrazzo and matte metal materials. Each Synthboi ships in a wooden crate to its 10 owners, and comes marked on the back with a QR code linking to Dissrup’s website, which powers the NFT experience.

Designers: Love Hultén & Lirona

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Google Stadia meets Nintendo Wii with these resistance-based mobile gaming accessories

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If you ask me, as compelling as a game’s storyline may be, you can’t really compare playing Call of Duty to actually training and fighting in the army. Assassin’s Creed doesn’t teach you how to fend off Roman soldiers and take leaps of faith from steeples, and FIFA doesn’t build your stamina or make you objectively better at a real game of football. The thing with digital gaming is that it’s still fiercely digital, and it only stimulates your mind, eyes, and fingers… nothing more.

As we’re experiencing the eventual explosion of mobile gaming thanks to Apple Arcade, Google Stadia, and Xbox Game Pass, Elastic Force hopes to give mobile gaming its Wii moment. A series of accessories designed to bring physicality to digital gaming, Elastic Force relies on resistance training as a gaming control. In short, the more force you apply, the more control you exert in the game. Instead of simply mashing buttons together, Elastic Force’s accessories invite you to perform actions like pulling, lifting, twisting, and squeezing to control aspects of the game. Sure, it makes the game more difficult, but it adds a sensory element to gaming, immersing you more. Ultimately, you interact both mentally and physically with the game, exercising not just your mind and eyes but your body too… and the positive reinforcement of the game makes you enjoy it all too!

The Elastic Force Mobile Gaming Accessories Series is a winner of the Golden Pin Design Award for the year 2020.

Designer: Ching Chou