Tag Archives: mat

This slim laptop sleeve doubles as a portable desk mat and wireless charger

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Working from home might no longer be a buzzword these days, but sitting down anywhere with your laptop has always been a thing even before 2020. That is also why there will always be a thriving market for accessories that help make working anywhere more pleasant, even if you don’t have all the comforts and conveniences that your office or home desk may offer. But if you can’t be at your desk, why not bring your desk with you? That’s the proposition that this slim and minimalist laptop sleeve tries to make, allowing you to set up your personal working zone anywhere while also letting your phone and earbuds charge as you type your way to productivity.

Designer: Journey

No matter how durable laptops may be, you are undoubtedly tempting fate if you don’t put some protection around it before you stash it in your bag or carry it in your hand. That’s especially true for laptops with elegant covers and finishes that will undoubtedly get scratched one way or another. A laptop sleeve is a simple yet effective solution to that problem, but it serves no function other than to take up space once you’ve started using the laptop.

NEXA is a laptop sleeve that offers value beyond just protecting your laptop, although it also does that well with multiple layers of protection for those heart-stopping accidental drops and bumps. Even with that kind of durability, however, the sleeve remains slim and sleek, sporting a vegan leather outer skin that gives it a stylish character even when it’s doing nothing. You might even be tempted to just carry your laptop by hand instead of putting it inside your bag, just to flaunt the beautiful sleeve that holds it.

NEXA’s function, however, doesn’t stop there. Once the laptop is out of the sleeve, you can rest it on the table and put your laptop on it, transforming it into a stylish desk mat not unlike what you might have on your desk. Not only does it give added protection to your laptop’s bottom, it also helps demarcate your working area, which is especially useful in public spaces. And whether you’re at your desk or outside, you can still use the sleeve in some manner, functioning as a large mouse pad for buttery smooth movement.

That’s not the end of its bag of tricks, though. The flap discreetly hides two wireless chargers, a 15W MagSafe-compatible one for phones and a 5W charger for earbuds like the Apple AirPods. All of these features come at no expense to the product’s simple and lightweight design, making the NEXA laptop sleeve a dream for laptop users who always find themselves settling down in coffee shops and public places to get work done.

The post This slim laptop sleeve doubles as a portable desk mat and wireless charger first appeared on Yanko Design.

Faux leather desk mat keeps cables in order using magnets

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With computers and mobile devices becoming an important part of our work or school lives, it is almost inevitable that cables will snake their way onto desks, twisting and tangling into a sordid mess. As if keeping desks tidy wasn’t already difficult, cable management adds another layer of complexity to that chore. There are desks that offer one solution or another, and those often rely on fixed and inflexible designs. Accessories do give a bit more freedom, but it’s often an all-or-nothing affair that bundles all those cables together in one place. This magnet-powered system, on the other hand, lets you decide where you want to keep those cables, and its beautiful PU leather base also protects your desk from scratches and spills.

Designer: Function 101

Even before computers started living on our desks, desk mats have been providing a combination of protection and decoration for sometimes plain or damaged tables. With our lives becoming a tad more complicated, these desk accessories have also started evolving to go beyond the call of duty, offering additional functionality ranging from temporary paper storage to even wireless charging.

Function 101’s Desk Mat Pro is part of this new breed, though you might not be able to tell at first glance. The PU Pebble Leather gives it an elegant and stylish character, and it would already fulfill its purpose just by itself, making your desk look more appealing while also keeping damaging liquids and sharp objects from ruining your desk. In reality, however, it serves as a base for a rather creative cable management system, thanks to a metal-infused inner layer that provides something for magnetic objects to stick to.

The heart of this cable management system is really the Cable Block XL, a minimalist cube with a cutout that lets you easily slide in any cable. Powerful neodymium magnets make it stay in place and prevent cables from dragging the blocks away. You can place the blocks anywhere you want or need them on the Desk Mat Pro or even on a bare metal desk. You can even combine blocks in a row to keep all the cables in one area or have them individually in different places for better space efficiency. You have complete freedom in how you want to design your cable management system and still look good, whatever you end up with.

Being a magnet-based system also opens the Desk Mat Pro to more than just blocks. There is, for example, an upcoming “coaster” that can fit an Apple MagSafe charger for iPhones, removing the need for a tall cube if all you really need is a low puck. It could also accommodate other magnetic accessories and decorations, ensuring that these don’t get accidentally knocked around and cause a domino effect that ends up spilling your drink. Then again, that’s what the Desk Mat Pro is also for anyway.

The post Faux leather desk mat keeps cables in order using magnets first appeared on Yanko Design.

This ultimate picnic mat transforms into a lounger, a stool or a coffee table for convenience and comfort in the outdoors

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The coronavirus pandemic pulled the plug on all possible outdoor activities. But now as we get accustomed to the new normal: picnics and camping activities have begun to pick pace once again. Next time you’re heading to the outdoors with family or friends, you can consider replacing your regular picnic mat for the Threefold, which is an adaptable piece of furniture that easily transforms from a regular mat to a lounger, a stool, or a coffee table with simple adjustments to its modules.

There is frankly no dearth of adaptable furniture for picnics, camping, and outdoor events, but the Threefold presents its own use case, courtesy of its incredible versatility and effortless, timesaving flip in form. This is essentially true since the traditional mats we carry to the outdoors are limited in form. The fabric mats would offer more comfort, versus a semi-wooden mat as the Threefold, however, it has limited application. If you’d have realized, it excludes a section of users who cannot sit on the ground from convenience and comfort, compelling you to carry an additional folding chair. The conceptual Threefold outdoor furniture here extends adaptability to each individual’s needs in one useful unit.

Designer: Jonas Finkeldei and Nick Potter

The modular furniture brings to the users a lounger they can lay back on with support, or it can instantly transform into a low stool for the aged who cannot sit cross-legged on the ground. And when you want to keep your food or a board game you’re carrying along, the Threefold can become a sturdy table. A perfect companion for picnics and camping, the Threefold construction is supported by stretchers and is safe and secure to use.

It’s a brainchild of design enthusiasts Jonas and Nick who are by profession wood furniture engineers. They have an impactful design sense, which has been ideally executed to create this lightweight foldable furniture and packs it into a compact square for convenience of transportation. The Threefold prototype they have perfected is made from laminated neoprene with a layer of light plywood sandwiched in between. It can be made available in a wide range of colors to make your outdoor activities more comfortable, versatile, and of course very personal.

The post This ultimate picnic mat transforms into a lounger, a stool or a coffee table for convenience and comfort in the outdoors first appeared on Yanko Design.

This rug doubles up as seating – we can’t get enough it’s transforming furniture design!

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Who isn’t fascinated by transforming furniture designs? I love watching how furniture can serve multiple purposes by simple actions like a pull of a string or folding of a flap. My latest love in the realm of (furniture) transformers is FLUP – a multifunctional furniture piece that is both a rug and a seat! Furniture designs like FLUP are perfect for smaller living spaces, especially with the growing tiny house movement.

In the unfolded position, FLUP works like a conventional mat or rug on which we can sit or step without interrupting the movement of people through the space. It transforms from plane to volume, from floor to space while changing the function with its shape. In the folded position, it works as a piece of minimal furniture – it can be used as a pouf, an auxiliary seat, a footrest, a nightstand, etc.

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It is a perfect example of space-saving furniture. What makes it better is that there is no assembly required, it is a singular element that transforms with folds into another object like origami. With micro-apartments and being the new trend, flexible and lightweight furniture designs like FLUP are super handy. It is minimal, multifunctional and can be flat-packed for storage – there is no reason to not love FLUP!

Designer: Sergio Roca

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This sushi mat inspired chopping board rolls up to occupy less space in your kitchen

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A folding chopping board is more genius than you’d think! Imagine this… the board occupies the same amount of space as a rolling pin, but just when you need it, open it out and it unfolds into a beautiful surface to prep your veggies, chop up some fruits, or even butcher your meat. Plus, the mat curves up as you lift it, making it much easier to empty your chopped/diced/julienned food into a saucepan or skillet!

The uniquely flexible Trebonn Roll mat is made of two parts. Individual vertical strips made from a knife-friendly polymer, connected together by a flexible, food-grade, dishwasher-friendly silicone mat. The silicone is responsible for the mat’s hinges, and a magnetic closure at one end lets you snap the mat shut in place. Open it out and the mat unfolds to reveal a flat cutting surface… just make sure your knife-work isn’t parallel to the silicone hinges (you don’t want to accidentally cut the hinges through and through). Once you’re done cutting and chopping, the mat’s flexible design makes it easy to collect all your chopped bits and pour them into your crock pot, saucepan, skillet, or mixing bowl. The mat’s easy to clean – it rinses under tap water, or conversely, you could just place it in the dishwasher with the rest of your cutlery. When you’re done, it rolls right up into a nice scroll that fits right in one of your kitchen drawers, occupying a mere fraction of the space any regular cutting board would!

Designer: Rich Clough for Trebonn

Optical Illusion floor-rug makes it looks like you have a gaping hole in the ground!

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The Tik-Tok possibilities are endless!

Meet the Round Void, a floor mat that should definitely give your guests a mild shock and your landlord a mini heart-attack! Designed to look like you’ve got a circular hole in your floor, this woolen rug is for people with a sense of decor, and a sense of humor. The two-tone rug comes in black, with a crescent-shaped grey zone, designed to complete the illusion of a black void in the thick floor when you look at it at the right angle. The illusion works best on grey floors, but I suppose any sort of floor would really do the trick. Just place the mat at a crucial passage-way and watch your friends and family do a double-take as they suddenly feel like they’re about to step into a massive hole, only to later realize it’s an optical illusion and not a portal into the underworld. Happy Pranksgiving!

Designer: Scott Jarvie for Delupo

Click Here to Buy Now

Click Here to Buy Now

Why lust after an AirPower mat when this flexible device lets you charge and dock all your devices

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Rumor has it that the AirPower mat, which Apple suddenly and surreptitiously axed behind closed doors, isn’t quite dead yet. The company is reportedly working on a smaller wireless charging mat, but until Tim steps up on stage (or in front of a video camera) and makes the announcement, let’s just re-evaluate our alternatives… like this 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Mat which works as an angled dock for your devices too.

The 3-in-1 mat is named for its ability to charge 3 devices at once. The foldable mat also flips open into an angled stand, becoming an easel for your devices. A three-pronged LED indicator on top points at three separate charging zones where you can place your devices. You can either charge your phone in portrait or in landscape, although the former frees up space at the bottom for a pair of AirPods. The mat even comes with a dedicated charging zone on the top right for your Apple Watch, allowing you to even secure it in place using a cutout at the base to slide your band through. All in all, the charger is as flat as an AirPower mat and can handle as many devices, but it’s much more versatile, allowing you to not just charge your devices but dock them too in a way that makes them easier to view while kept on a desk or bedside table. ‘Classy’, as Jim Halpert would say.

The 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Mat is a winner of the iF Design Award for the year 2020.

Designer: Shenzhen Renqing Excellent Technology Co., Ltd.

Withings adds sleep apnea detection to its tracking mat

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There are countless products available that help you track your sleep, giving you insights into your sleep patterns and quality. But there's been nothing to help snoozers identify sleep apnea, a potentially-serious condition that could traditionally...

Self-rolling Yoga Mat: Now There’s No Excuse Not to Do It

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You want to do yoga and get all of the benefits to your body and mind, but there’s one problem. That pesky yoga mat is such a pain. Who needs the hassle of laying your mat out and then rolling it up when you are done? That’s way too much work. Well, problem solved.

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The YoYo Mat has a pair of metal strips along the edges that keep it straight when it is fully unfurled, but when it is flipped over, the whole thing will roll-up on its own. Think of it as a giant slap bracelet. It works its magic while still remaining comfortable since it’s 5.5 mm thick, and made from a closed-cell foam construction that prevents bacteria, mold, and odor.

It will stay rolled up without needing a strap too, and it unrolls with just a toss. What’s funny is, anyone who does yoga is probably not lazy enough to need one. If you want one, all it takes is a $79(USD) pledge on Kickstarter.

[via Gizmodo via OhGizmo!]

Beacon Yoga Mat Helps You Get Those Positions Right

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Beacon Yoga Mat

A lot of people post photos of themselves doing all sorts of yoga poses all the time, making it look oh-so-easy and effortless in their shots, but it isn’t as easy as it looks. If you’ve tried it (especially one of those headstand poses), then you know what I mean.There’s a lot of emphasis placed on getting the position right, because holding a pose when you’re doing it all wrong might cause an injury.

If you can’t do yoga with a friend or in a class where others will be able to help you out, then the next best thing is the Beacon yoga mat. It’s an interactive mat embedded with LEDs and a pressure sensor that lets you know when your hands or feet aren’t where they should be.

Beacon Yoga Mat0

If you’re applying too much pressure, those areas on the mat turns red. If you’re in the wrong position, areas on the mat turn violet to indicate the right one. And when you’re doing it correctly, the mat turns green.

You can follow the development of the Beacon yoga mat here.

 

VIA [ Incredible Things ]

The post Beacon Yoga Mat Helps You Get Those Positions Right appeared first on OhGizmo!.