Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

The keyboard that charges your devices.

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 12:00 PM PST

It’s funny how Microsoft’s new product design language is plain and simple visible in its logo. Clean geometric shapes, no fluff, no nonsense. If you look at Microsoft’s tablet, keyboard, or even its phones, you’ll see it. Seokmin Jang and PDF Haus cleverly caught on that trend and made what I can only assume is the most visually different and useful keyboard of all time. The All In One Keyboard comes with this unusual design that looks funny first, but makes a world of sense later. Fitting inside its cuboidal frame is a keyboard, a trackpad, and a wireless charging dock (that not only charges the keyboard but even your smartphones).

The keyboard uses capacitve ‘feather’ touch to remain sleek and svelte. A cylindrical member at its bottom positions it at just the correct angle to allow you to type with ease. You can use the trackpad alongside to work even faster. It uses the Microsoft Surface’s stylus, allowing you to attain a level of precision you normally wouldn’t get with your finger on a trackpad. The extra touch is the wireless charging dock, that lets you place your phone on it, and even doubles up as an office tray, allowing you to place stationery in the empty space on the right. In doing so, the All In One Keyboard elevates itself from being just a piece of tech, to being a product that looks at the context of work and office very carefully… which is what all productivity tools should do, right?

Designers: Seokmin Jang & PDF Haus

Looks Incredible, Smells Incredible

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 10:45 AM PST

The Scentee Machina gives the fragrance diffuser such a radically different avatar, it transforms what you imagine diffusers should look like. Designed as a product that makes your environment smell beautiful, the Scentee Machina even looks beautiful in a way that draws you towards it. It harnesses an aesthetic that’s reminiscent of the Nixie Tube, and brings that visual language to the fragrance diffuser, a product that hasn’t seen much change in 500 years of existing (aside from going electric).

The Scentee Machina asks the question, is the diffuser’s sole purpose just emitting fragrance? Or can a beautiful aroma just be a part of a beautiful experience… created by a product that’s beautiful too? The Scentee Machina is a flat plate that lets you dock a clear fragrance tube into it (it really does look as pretty as a nixie tube), and comes in a Uno and Quattro variants letting you dock single or multiple fragrances. Controlled via a smartphone app, you can choose which fragrance you want to be diffused, and at what time. The Scentee’s fragrance list is quite inclusive, and far from traditional, allowing you to scent up your room with anything from Sandalwood, to Vanilla, even to Buttered Toast! The app learns from your choices and begins deploying fragrances based on your moods at the time of the day.

Changing a fragrance tube is as simple as unplugging a tube and replacing it with a new one. Magnetic connectors let tubes snap to the base, and when in use, a warm light glows from the tube’s bottom, providing a visual cue while also letting you see the liquid level descend eventually in all its beauty.

What the Scentee Machina does is it abstracts the diffuser, not assigning to it the conventional urn/vase/mountain shape we’ve seen all along. It creates an aesthetic that feels familiar, but not familiar to fragrance diffusers… Which is what’s truly innovative, and goshdarnit beautiful! Not to mention if you could get my room to smell like Chocolate or Buttered Toast, why wouldn’t you?!?

Designer: Scentee

Click here to Buy Now: $99.00 $125.00

Click here to Buy Now: $99.00 $125.00

The Cleanest Design for Clean Teeth

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 10:30 AM PST

The year 2018, we thought there would be flying cars, self-tightening shoes and so much more, yet we have an abundance of smart speakers and biometric data for every smart device. The latest product to go smart which may or may not need it is Colgate, with their Colgate Connect E1. Exclusively available only at Apple stores, this smart and sleek toothbrush is actually pretty cool.

This toothbrush certainly packs a punch, going ten days on a single charge, with a small rounded head to reach those hard to get corners of the mouth. It also has artificial intelligence embedded in the handle and automatic data uploading via Bluetooth wireless technology for a seamless pairing process. All this inside a pretty slim handle seems like a no-brainer honestly. As if that wasn’t enough, this little guy comes with an app that helps you map your mouth when brushing to ensure better brushing habits and how to get the best out of what you brush. Oh, and it also comes with games because who doesn’t like games right?

Designer: Colgate

Click here to Buy Now

Click here to Buy Now

A Literal Spin on Wireless Earbuds

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 09:32 AM PST

According to designer Thomas Le, wireless earbuds just aren’t quite there yet. The touch controls can be difficult and tedious to navigate or, even worse, tend to dislodge them from the ears altogether! The fix? A spinning dial instead of buttons and touch surfaces.

This micro-size rotating dial allows the wearer to quickly and accurately adjust volume, cycle through songs, or even fast forward through music or emails being read. The dial also features a texturized surface for precision tuning. This reduction in parts also equates to an even more compact size and lighter weight, however, the tragus/antitragus ear contact ensures they’ll stay put even during rigorous activity. DO want!

Designer: Thomas Le

The Hyper Style of Hyper Speed

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 05:17 AM PST

Toyota, in recent days, has been hitting the talk of the town when it comes to their e-Palette concept and for excellent reasons too! However, what’s slipped under the radar this month is the unmissable GR Super Sport Concept which let me start by saying, is outstanding.

Don’t let the curvaceous body fool you into thinking it’s just a prototype (even though technically it is). Underneath the curvy bodywork of this animal is a chassis and powertrain that according to Toyota “is composed of mostly the same main parts” as the company’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) hybrid-power TS050 race car. Underneath the body, you’ll find the ever-impressive twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 that makes 986 horsepower and a hell of a lot of noise.

Let’s not get distracted and be reminded that this is simply a prototype/concept and will be years before we set our eyes on such a beauty. Nevertheless, this truly is a work of art, and it’s reflected by the gorgeous wheel arches and extra detailing brought in by the carbon fiber and polygonal arch detailing. What makes me get very excited by the GR Super Sport Concept is that this car has the ability to look incredibly fast without having to move an inch. The side profile of the GR Super Sport Concept reveals so much more about this car than words ever could.

Designer: Toyota

One Rad Toaster

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 01:11 AM PST

I love a design that combines two unlikely functionalities but this one takes the cake… errr… toast, rather! It’s called the RADIOOO TOASTER and it adds a different kinda jam to your toast!

This hybrid concept is the perfect appliance to kick off your morning. Drop in your favorite bread slices for super-fresh toast AND flip on the radio for equally fresh morning music. In contrast to its modern ability to play Bluetooth music from your device, its cool, classic retro style harkens back to yesteryear!

Designer: Yulu Guo