by Levi of eOffice News on July 2, 2009
Last December, Green Car Advisor’s Nick Kurczewski was able to snag a ride in MDI’s AIRPod. Now, the lucky punk journalist has taken a turn behind the wheel. The short version of his review: this could be the car of the future and it feels like an amusement park ride, but it’s no Millennium Falcon. Seriously.
As we know, the Air Car uses compressed air to power a small two-cylinder engine. The 180cc poweplant produces 5.4 horsepower, but MDI is working on a upgraded AIRPod GT will have 8 hp. Kurczewski says the AIRPod’s joystick steering is modified from the original design, which would have seen the speed and deceleration controlled by the stick as well as direction. That complicated-sounding mess has been scrapped in favor of more traditional pedals + joystick.
Check out all the details – including why driving a bubble car with no openable windows in June is not a good idea and how MDI plans to bring dozens of AIRPods to airports and universities and other locations around the world – over at Inside Line. Thanks to throwback for the tip!
Edmunds
by Levi of eOffice News on July 2, 2009
The Man With No Shadow by Makoto Tojiki is a life-sized LED light sculpture of a man that welcomed visitors to Tojiki’s stand at SaloneSatellite. The Man was just one of some very interesting lighting projects by Tojiki. Tobias Franzel also got a lot of attention by challenging passersby to a quick game of ping-pong. Franzel is the designer of a door that flips into a ping-pong table for two players. Birds on a wire are a common outdoor scene, so why not put them to work on a clothesline? Angelo is a bird-shaped clothespin by Valentina Frosini. And students from the product design department of the University of Lincoln had a solid variety of work at their stand, including some sharp laser cut clock towers.
Mocoloco
by Levi of eOffice News on July 1, 2009
It’s safe to say the 360° chair is a love it or hate it product, one of those objects that are impossible to ignore. The unique office chair designed by Konstantin Grcic and manufactured by Magis is striking for its unconventional proportions and the somewhat odd choice of materials.
Mocoloco
by Levi of eOffice News on July 1, 2009
by Levi of eOffice News on June 30, 2009
Forget about the Cannon USB Hub – here’s something else that will theoretically (in real life anyways) cause much more damage in terms of payload – the Airplane USB hub. Strangely enough, the Airplane USB hub also sports the same archaic USB 1.1 ports as found on the Cannon hub, although plugging in a USB device will result in a fun airplane sound effect. The propeller also doubles up as a fan to help keep you cool when plugged in, assuming the A/C breaks down at the office. You can pick up the Airplane USB Hub for $14.
by Levi of eOffice News on June 30, 2009
We recently received details on a new 3D printer from Objet. The printer is named the Connex350 and is a multi-material 3D printing system which creates some stunning results. With the Connex350 being multi-material it is capable of printing a 3D object, with different materials in just a single build process.
The 3D printer can use flexible, rigid and rubber materials to print which create models with up to 2 different materials at the same time. The materials are jetted in preset combinations to print the objects. The results are very good. The sample model we got is both rigid in areas as well as flexible in others and shows a good example of what can be created. Although 3D printers are still in their infancy it seems, this particular model of printer (the Connex350) has made a significant step forwards. Now that a dual material print is possible it only opens up to even more materials being able to be printed to create even more detailed and complex prints.
Uses for such a printer could be in an office environment for example where you could print any 3D object you need. Research and development departments will probably make very good use of the Connex350 as they could easily create a 3D model of a new product they want to build and rather then hand make or send off the plans for another company to create, they could use a machine like this to print an object right away in a shorter space of time. With the 3D printer printing objects as layers it also allows for some very unique shaped objects to be created from a single mould rather then 2 more more moulds attached together.
Sample images are below of the flexible hat on the springy character we received as well as the detail that can be seen in the buttons.
Details of the 3D printer can be found over on Objet.
by Levi of eOffice News on June 30, 2009
by Levi of eOffice News on June 29, 2009
Steel is just about the most recyclable building material on earth. You could be well reading this in an office building built with steel originally smelted from iron in Julius Caesars day.
So it makes good green sense to build eco prefab houses with steel…
Steel does not spread fire. Building with steel allows for a lighter load, so it does not require a huge concrete foundation. Making concrete is one of the most carbon intensive building industries there are, producing the heaviest carbon footprint.
by Levi of eOffice News on June 29, 2009
Shuttle and its form factor Barebone PCs are nothing new but this time around, Shuttle has surprised many (including us) with the launch of the X50 an All-in-One PC. We’ve never heard about Barebones that integrates certain essentials. And definitely the X50 breaks a trend or rather sets one in this case.
The X50 is more of a Nettop and it is also being described as the first AIO PC from Shuttle. The X50 is powered by an Intel Atom 330 dual core processor and has a 15.6 inch touchscreen display. Other incorporations include a 1.3 MP Webcam, a memory card reader, WiFi, Stereo Speakers and a 65W PSU that comes pre-installed.
It is a form factor Barebone so the need for an exterior RAM ranging between 512Mb to 2GB along with a fitting HDD is no surprise. With the current set up, the X50 costs €361 with the price for US market still unknown.
by Levi of eOffice News on June 29, 2009
Road warriors know that toting a laptop bag can be a tedious game of switching shoulders to prevent fatigue. Depending on how you look at it, Hard Graft’s 2UNFOLD laptop bag, with its eight possible configurations, is either a blessing or a curse. The Italian leather bag has a strap for slinging 17-inch laptops over one or both shoulders and a fastener to hold that strap down when using handles instead. For laptops 13 inches and smaller, part of the bag can be folded over to a courier style, with either leather or canvas exposed. With the strap tucked away, this smaller configuration becomes a clutch that tucks under the forearm. The 2UNFOLD costs 349 Euros (roughly $483) direct from Hard Graft.
