Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

After getting into a fight with mainly his entire family, Kevin McCallister got sent to the third floor of the house by his mom and upon doing so wished his family would disappear – and they did. Sound familiar? It should. The new speaker released by Mitipi is called Kevin, and after you finish this article, you’ll understand why this speaker is so aptly named.

When you leave your home for long extended periods of time, Kevin (the smart speaker) will control lights, turn on and off the TV and play various sounds/music that will make it look like Kevin (McCallister) were there himself. It’s advised to leave the speaker in an area where it will be most effective, and ill tell you why. Once you’re gone, Kevin will start cycling through sounds and light sequences that make sense for their respective timestamp in the day, and the room that it’s in even influences it. It is wedged full of different sounds and scenarios that Mitipi claims should have weeks of content, preventing the possibility of a loop being detected.

The front of this guy looks just like any other speaker, a little bigger than most, but the rear is where it all changes. A mix of varies LEDs sink into the rear body which helps amplify those projections to scare away those pesky burglars.

Designer: Mitipi

Death Machines of London (DMOL) are easily my favorite Motorcycle resurrectors there is at this moment in time. After seeing the ‘Up Yours Copper,’ (a resurrected 2007 Triumph Thruxton 900) it’s easy to understand why they’re the leading artists in their craft of cool. As if the UYC wasn’t already a strong enough reason to agree with me, then why not check out their latest release – the Moto Guzzi ‘Airforce.’

Designed and built in memory of Giovanni Ravelli, the Moto Guzzi ‘Airforce’ is somewhat a thing of admiration, maybe never to be driven (if you could stop yourself) but who are we kidding, this bike is magnificent. Taken from the crew at DMOL “They say convenient is the enemy of right. Mr. Giovanni Ravelli, a co-founder of Moto Guzzi, was not a man to take the convenient path. WW1 fighter pilot, aviator and motorcycle racer, he was so fast he became known as ‘The Italian Devil.’ we hope he would have appreciated the fact that our Moto Guzzi ‘Airforce,’ built in his memory and released on his birthday, was the most inconvenient thing we’ve ever made.”

The donor motorcycle of the ‘Airforce’ is a 1982 Moto Guzzi LeMans MK2, and my goodness me if you know what that looks like, you’re equally as shocked at how it looks now. Coated in a custom ‘Airforce Grey’ specifically for this project and further coated in incredible detail, the ‘Airforce’ is precision detailing at it’s finest. Almost showing off how great they are, DMOL has outdone themselves with the attention here. From the inverted knurled handlebars and the rear aviation-inspired suspension to the handspun aluminum wheel disks, this bike is so much more than just a bike. How about the fact this thing looks like it might take off? DMOL have once again proved that one man’s trash is another man’s work of art once DMOL is finished with it – and this is certainly to be admired.

Designer: Death Machines of London

AXY audio is an essential item for anyone pursuing a minimalistic lifestyle! It aims to reduce the number of gadgets required for differing styles of listening, freeing you from superfluous devices and gadgets.

Its modular construction makes it possible to quickly switch between over-ear headphones, stereo desktop speakers and mono portable speakers in seconds. Built-in sensors automatically detect how you’re using it so it’s a seamless transition. Additionally, you never have to worry about a blast of excessive volume in your ear. Better yet, it can perform dual functions at once in mono mode, meaning you can share with a friend and both listen to your individual playlists or entertainment using separate Bluetooth devices!

Designer: Tamás Túri

What’s more frustrating, your bicycle tire being stolen or being punctured? I’d have to say they’re pretty much equal. What’s worse is if it’s punctured then stolen…nightmare. There’s been many a time I wish I could just carry my tire around with me but it’s quite the cumbersome task that, given the option to leave it, I will.

Due to the ingenious design by Andrea Mocellin, the Revolve Wheel, this is a thing of the past. Revolve is an airless, puncture-proof and foldable wheel that is compatible with most bicycles and wheelchairs. The unique hexagonal structure folds down to a compact pod, allowing for an effortless pack up – perfect for biking excursions or city adventures.

This new tire eliminates the needs for a pump, puncture repair kit or any additional tomfoolery when it comes to replacing a tire. Not to mention these tires look so damn cool, if you were given the choice of these tires or some normal road bike tires, I think we can both agree this one gets the win – hands down.

Designer: Andrea Mocellin of Revolve

Don’t be deceived by those sails! The Kathreen yacht’s vertical honeycomb protrusions aren’t just for catching wind. They’re actually solar sails – not to be confused with the solar cells that harness the suns energy. That’s right… she’s a lean, green, water machine that uses solar energy to power her motors in addition to wind propulsion.

At 45 meters, the Kathreen is massive yet streamlined thanks to its swordfish-inspired shape. The resulting aesthetic is at once aggressive and sophisticated with an even more posh interior. Inside, passengers and crew will enjoy a 2 floor glass cabin fit with all the creature comfort of home (a very nice home at that). This includes a lounge, dual control centers, deluxe sleeping quarters, chefs kitchen and indoor/outdoor transitions that make the most of square footage and deck space.

Designer: Marko Petrovic

Douglas Cushing’s concept twists the archetypical flashlight on its head quite literally! Designed with a desire to stray away from the predictability of current products, the Heavy Utility Flashlight features a twisting head that turns the light source on and off.

As easy as a switch might be, it’s also a cinch to operate, especially in the dark. Rather than fumble around with your fingers trying to locate the button, you can quickly guide your hand to either end and give it a small twist to activate. To stay similar but different, its shape is also new. Unlike the cylindrical form of standard designs, it takes on a rectilinear shape that keeps it from rolling away. Its straightforward aesthetic is just as minimalistic as its functionality!

Designer: Douglas Cushing

It seems as though getting a good night’s sleep is somewhat of a dream these days, which is ironic. I find myself tossing and turning, trying app after product after app to “track” my sleep pattern in an effort to enhance it – but to no avail. Maybe Dreamlight’s Rechargeable Sleep Mask could be the answer to my troubles. Using light technology, Dreamlight helps you sleep and experience optimal rest.

Like all good sleep tech, this sleep mask tracks your sleep patterns each time you use it. Considering it’s a sleep mask, it really does prevent any interference both visually and auditorily. That being said, the user has the option to play their own music through the embedded speakers, or they can use the preinstalled playlists that are in the accompanying app. Like any good app, this guy can learn from your pattern to find the optimal time to wake you up and to use the same lights to put you into a deep sleep, can be used to softly wake you up at the right time. Albeit the claims being made by Dreamlight seem somewhat perfect, you are wrapping a pillow around your head before you go to sleep, so I do wonder how that feels.

Designer: Dreamlight

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What’s the point of playing chess against a machine when you can’t really look at the enemy pondering over moves? Software opponents are too impersonal, says the Russian behind the DIYprojects YouTube channel, and the creator of Chessbot… an awkwardly cute wooden robotic arm that plays chess with you. Put together using an Arduino Leonardo controller, 4 servo-motors, a few pieces of wood and a metallic grabbing ‘thingy’ fashioned out of mild steel wire, the Chessbot can literally play chess with you (imagine pairing two bots against each other). It connects via Bluetooth to an Android smartphone (docked right on top) that observes the positions of pieces on the board in bird’s eye view, and then relays them to the manipulator arm to pick up and move chess pieces. It also takes its own sweet time, with the arm fumbling around on both axes as it picks up pieces, giving it a somewhat humane character. However, don’t underestimate it just yet. It still pretty much viciously kills players, picking up the opponent’s pieces and placing them in a tiny cup built right into the Chessbot’s side. Cute? Sure! Ruthless? Has technology ever been otherwise??

Designer: DIYprojects

Amazon Alexa is inside EVERYTHING. It’s starting to become somewhat of a prison in your home, walking through the house talking to yourself and then having an inanimate object respond with “I didn’t quite catch that.” As of late, I’ve become a huge fan of companies trying to push the boundaries themselves and challenge the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant products, and nobody has done it better than the ever-creative Teenage Engineering with their release, H.

Taken from their site, Teenage Engineering has said “In Silicon Valley, they would call a device like the ‘H’ a ‘smart speaker.’ Our friends in Beijing, who asked us to collaborate on the H, rather talk about it in terms of ‘a colorful device for splendid moments’ and ‘flexible operations for life guidance.’ We think that’s a quite humble way for them to talk about their world-leading AI technology.”

The integrated battery enables the user to remove the top level of this friendly AI device and keep it close to your body, so you don’t need to shout or pop your head around the door to ask H a question. Not only is this little guy incredibly smart, the limitless functionality of its microphone and touch sensitivity working simultaneously is really exciting. The interaction and feedback with H are second to none, and it’s due to this that H is easily becoming my favorite product of this year so far.

Designer: Teenage Engineering