Urbanears is back with a connected home speaker, but this time it's both portable and shareable. The Swedish company's new Rålis speaker is small enough to transport and comes with a carrying strap, so you can listen at home or bring it poolsid...
If you're in the market for over-ear, wireless headphones, you've probably noticed how pricey they can get. Good over-ear models can often set you back two or three hundred dollars, if not more. But budget-minded music lovers may be in luck: Urbanear...
Named as Pantone color of the year for 2019, Living Coral is an animating and life-affirming coral hue that signifies light-heartedness and positivity. The color is the kind that instantly makes one happy, with its touch of vibrance and warmth, and the minute you add it to a product, it stands out. Companies have, for long, used the coral color to make products look and feel youthful, and to make them add a splash of color to a space. Living Coral’s beauty especially lies in the fact that it goes well in any domain, fashion, interiors, consumer electronics, or even appliances. Heck, I’d wager that a Ferrari with a Living Coral paint job would look absolutely dope too. Almost a month into 2019, we’re here to take a look at ten of our favorite products that have wholeheartedly embraced Coral as a hue, using it wholly, or in part, to create a product that stands out, and looks great while doing so! __
01. Apple Watch Series 4 Nectarine Sports Loop The Nectarine Sports Loop (along with the Watch Series 4) came just weeks before Pantone debuted their color of the year, and it’s almost as if Apple either knew, or they had some spectacular CMF Designers who just happened to feel that the color absolutely did justice to the Watch. There’s a silicone version of the Nectarine band too, but we prefer this woven nylon loop that’s breathable yet sweat-resistant. And it’s compatible with all versions of the Apple Watch!
02. Google Home & Home Mini (Living Coral Edition) The coral version of Google’s smart speakers were released shortly after Pantone announced the color of 2019. While the Mini comes completely coated in the Living Coral hue (with a rather remarkable contrast between the woven texture on top and the hard plastic at the bottom), the Google Home does a dual-tone, with white on top, and the addition of a detachable coral fabric grille at the bottom. Don’t make me pick favorites. I like them both.
03. Urbanears Plattan Coral On Ear Headphones The tragedy of these headphones is that Urbanears only produced the Coral edition as a limited run. I still maintain that the Plattan headphones look absolutely heavenly in their coral color, treading a fine line between sporty and fashionable with a color that isn’t as red as the Beats headphones, but is the perfect hue to look absolutely dapper. Yes, dapper’s the word.
04. Retroduck Q Wireless Charging Dock Unlike its previous, wired version, the Retroduck Q comes with two changes. Firstly, the dock works wirelessly, charging your phones simply by placing them on the retro TV-esque stand… and secondly, the Retroduck Q ditches its ancestor’s more orange-heavy color for a delightful coral version, or as they call it, Carmine Red. The Retroduck Q just finished its round of crowdfunding and is still under development at the time of writing this article. We’ll be sure to drop a link when they’re ready to buy online!
05. Kvell Pop Clock Rather strangely titled Pop, the Kvell clock actually comes in a single color, making it quite the opposite of pop… but it makes up for that with the use of such an incredibly rich hue that I’m sure it’ll pop off any wall you mount it on. I’d recommend a white or light teal colored backdrop for this beauty. Even a light blue would work, given that corals are originally found against a backdrop of oceanic blue.
06. Dot&Bo Coral Pantone Clock While most products embrace a hue, Dot&Bo’s Coral Pantone Clock embraces the entire shade card! With multiple hues arranged around the face of the clock, Dot&Bo’s timepiece is much more subtle than Kvell’s Pop Clock. After all, in-your-face vibrant decor isn’t for all homes.
07. Vespa Coral Visor 2.0 Helmet Vespa, the brand, stands on two pillars. Retro-Italian design, and an absolutely delicious color palette. The Visor 2.0 helmet has its share of both. Designed to pair perfectly with the adorable Italian legend-of-a-scooter, the Visor 2.0 Coral helmet will protect your brain and will blow the brains of pedestrians as they catch a glimpse of the Coral-colored helmet blurring past. Pairs well with a coral colored Vespa and the Italian countryside. Both sold separately.
08. Hip Bottle by Karim Rashid Rashid was using vibrant hues like Coral long before Pantone named it the color of the year. A major part of Karim Rashid’s design legacy is his use of CMF as an absolute weapon. Take the Hip Bottle for instance. Add any other pastel color to the Hip Bottle and chances are it probably won’t stand out. Its form is simple, and the bottle isn’t as edgy as most sports bottles out there… but carefully drop the Coral hue on it and the Hip looks stunning. Also available in 5 other colors that don’t match up to the sheer beauty of the Coral variant.
09. Bird of Paradise (2018) by KitchenAid I could totally imagine myself walking into a kitchen with a tropical teal wallpaper with pineapple graphics on it, and surrounded by KitchenAid’s coral-colored appliances. Kitchenaid, in fact, began its own Color of the Year series last year, and believe it or not, Coral was their color of the year for 2018. Titled the Bird of Paradise, the entire collection of kitchen appliances sports the beautiful coral hue, right from the range of blenders to the stand mixer that I personally love most, probably because of its distinctive design, and my obsession for meringues (what, I’m human).
10. Pantone Color of the Year Mug (2019) I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a product from Pantone’s own catalog. Every year, along with their announcement of the COTY (Color of the Year), Pantone also releases their own merchandise, from notebooks to thumb drives to mugs, that feature the Color of the Year in its Pantone-branded color accuracy. The mugs, however, are a standout because notebooks are too basic and thumb drives are practically obsolete. Besides, look at that mug and tell me it isn’t simply the most eye-catching mug ever.
Urbanears' first batch of Connected Speakers were clever, packing AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify Connect into colorful boxes you wouldn't mind putting on display. There was one main problem, though: at a minimum of $350, you were paying a lot for th...
With the increasing abilities of home assistants like Google Home and Amazon Echo, the masses are flocking towards this all-in-one audio system trend. I think it’s time to reflect on one of the beauties that slipped by us this year and didn’t get enough of the limelight. I’m talking about Stammen and Baggen, the two connected wireless speakers developed by Swedish audio company Urbanears.
Connected through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a different mood can be set in each room or equally, the speakers can be grouped for synchronized listening. Wrapped in an acoustically- transparent fabric, each speaker is available in genuinely stunning and complimentary colors including; Dirty Pink, Vinyl Black, Plant Green, Concrete Grey, Goldfish Orange and Indigo Blue. The Stammen and Baggen are prime examples of less is more. The CMF choices here are undeniably Urbanears and the percentage of fabric material to plastic material is perfectly weighed out.
The simple form given to these speakers are what make them adaptable to any environment, allowing those colors to take shape and add their own personality to the room. Complete with only two dials, the minimalistic design of the Stammen and Baggen is what makes them effortless to use – simple, push-to-play knobs; one with seven customizable presets and another for the volume. If you find your parties going a bit stale, bring in a Stammen or Baggen to really liven things up a bit.
There's a strong case to be made for investing in quality audio gear at any period in your adult life. For college students in particular, though, a good set of speakers can be icebreakers as much as gateways into audiophilia. As such, we've included...
The last time we covered Urbanears, the company was hawking headphones with quilted padding. Now, some six years later it's getting into the crowded wireless speaker game. Long story short, the Connected Speakers are colorful noise boxes that you can...
What's the best way to promote a line of workout headphones? Well, if you're Urbanears, offering a "Limited Sweat Edition" that carries the perspiration of real human "movement makers" is how you go about it. The audio company teamed up with seven fo...
Looking for a cool Android phone, but don’t want to be tied down to a specific carrier and a contract? Thanks to YEZZ and our friends at Gear Diary, we’ve got you covered. If you’re the lucky winner of our giveaway you’ll be getting a shiny new unlocked YEZZ Andy A4 smartphone, with some cool accessories to go along with it.
One lucky winner will receive an unlocked YEZZ Andy A4 dual-sim Android 4.1 smartphone ($119 value), with a 4-inch WVGA screen, 1GHz dual-core processor, and has 32GB of memory. While it’s not going to keep up with your shiny new Galaxy S5, it’s a great everyday phone, and certainly a good idea as a spare in case your main phone ever breaks.
In addition, the prize pack includes a Neptor Dual Port Battery Charger ($49.99 value), which offers 5600mAh of power, and can juice up two gadgets at once. It’s also got a handy built-in LED flashlight. Next up, we’re throwing in a pair of Urbanears Kransen In-Ear Headphones ($39 value), which provide a secure fit, solid sound, a remote and mic for smartphones, and colorful styling. Last but not least, the winner will score a Kenu Airframe Universal Smartphone Mount ($24.95 value). This handy gadget snaps onto car vents and holds onto smartphones while you’re driving. It’s perfect for GPS and hands-free calling, and also doubles as a travel stand.
To enter the contest now, follow the directions below:
You have to give it to Urbanears, their headphones are really distinctive, so much that I almost bought a pair without finding out how they sounded. This Plattan Tweed Edition is part of the Urbanears Editions range, and once again, these look pretty spiffy.
The Urbanears Plattan Tweed Edition headphones are enveloped in hand-woven Harris Tweed, which is made out of 100% virgin wool. They have brown ear caps, and a brown textile cord with a Kevlar core, so it won’t end up all twisted. These headphones are pretty interesting, and will nicely match any Harris Tweed clothes you might have.
There is a plug to share music with a friend, who will need to use his or her own headphones. These headphones sell for $80 (USD), but unfortunately, they are currently sold out. For now, be sure to check out the additional styles of Plattan headphones over on the Urbanears website.
Urbanears is back with a connected home speaker, but this time it's both portable and shareable. The Swedish company's new Rålis speaker is small enough to transport and comes with a carrying strap, so you can listen at home or bring it poolsid...
If you're in the market for over-ear, wireless headphones, you've probably noticed how pricey they can get. Good over-ear models can often set you back two or three hundred dollars, if not more. But budget-minded music lovers may be in luck: Urbanear...
Urbanears' first batch of Connected Speakers were clever, packing AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify Connect into colorful boxes you wouldn't mind putting on display. There was one main problem, though: at a minimum of $350, you were paying a lot for th...
There's a strong case to be made for investing in quality audio gear at any period in your adult life. For college students in particular, though, a good set of speakers can be icebreakers as much as gateways into audiophilia. As such, we've included...
The last time we covered Urbanears, the company was hawking headphones with quilted padding. Now, some six years later it's getting into the crowded wireless speaker game. Long story short, the Connected Speakers are colorful noise boxes that you can...
What's the best way to promote a line of workout headphones? Well, if you're Urbanears, offering a "Limited Sweat Edition" that carries the perspiration of real human "movement makers" is how you go about it. The audio company teamed up with seven fo...
