Morrama and Batch.Works have teamed up to create Kibu, children's headphones that can be easily assembled, repaired and recycled - a first step towards circular design.
We have never been able to use in-ear headphones with much success. They are often uncomfortable and unwieldy, even the wireless ones. Nor do we want to look like we are walking around with twigs or broken Q-Tips sticking out of our ears, therefore we were immediately interested in the look of the Human Headphones’ wireless, over ear design.
Kill two birds with one stone with UMA, a portable lantern for the modern age. Designed by Carmine Deganello who is based in Milan, and Venezuelan-born industrial designer Pablo Pardo, UMA combines LED technology with 360° high fidelity surround sound and provides a one-of-a kind portable light and audio experience housed in a strikingly elegant design.
UMA is designed for effortless portability indoors and out. It is made from diffused polycarbonate and comes with a tan or grey leather strap and a premium cotton travel bag for additional protection. It features touch-sensitive volume control, an intuitive full-range light control dial and Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream audio wirelessly from any mobile device.
UMA is designed for effortless portability indoors and out. It is made from diffused polycarbonate and comes with a tan or grey leather strap and a premium cotton travel bag for additional protection. It features touch-sensitive volume control, an intuitive full-range light control dial and Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream audio wirelessly from any mobile device.
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| DALI |
Portable speakers have become pretty ubiquitous since we started writing about them back in 2012, but we thought these high-end loudspeakers from Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries ("DALI") were worth a closer look as we loved the stylish design of the Katch Portable Speaker. The body is made from extruded aluminium, and holds a 2 x 18W Class-D amplifier powering a pair 21mm soft-dome tweeters and dual 3.5-inch aluminium woofer. The speaker connects over Bluetooth 4.0, has Apt-X support for cleaner audio, runs for up to 24 hours per charge. Adding a natural touch is the built-in sliding leather strap. The speaker delivers rich sound from an impressively compact body.
Up next on this Musical Monday are these eye-catching speakers called OLi which are designed by Joshua Han for appart_. Perched on a single stand with a pull switch mechanism for turning it on and off, the slimline, free-standing Bluetooth speaker is designed to create an immersive experience. The speaker can easily be moved and positioned in a room and is designed to take up as little space as possible in the home.
We are having a musical day today. Up first: the spare, geometric Caruso music cabinet by Italian designer Paolo Cappello for Miniforms.
The cabinet is made up of a high definition bluetooth speaker (handmade by Italian masters in Meolo, Venice) and a simple, boxy storage unit. The design combines elegant, traditional finishes such as lacquered wood, Canaletto walnut and precious Italian oak from the 1700s with modern auditory technology and the resulting piece of furniture is both stylish and functional.
The cabinet is made up of a high definition bluetooth speaker (handmade by Italian masters in Meolo, Venice) and a simple, boxy storage unit. The design combines elegant, traditional finishes such as lacquered wood, Canaletto walnut and precious Italian oak from the 1700s with modern auditory technology and the resulting piece of furniture is both stylish and functional.
Bang & Olufsen have just launched its latest minimalist speaker. With the latest Bluetooth and Bang & Olufsen's True360 sound installed, the BeoPlay A2 is highly portable weighing in at a mere 2.5 pounds and comes with a leather strap for easy handling.
The BeoPlay A2 is available in black, grey and green.
From Danish manufacturer Vifa, comes its latest device - a portable and wireless speaker known as the Copenhagen. The speaker has a simple and streamlined silhouette which is intended to help it blend into most environments. The speaker comes in six colours and is covered in fabric from the leading textile design manufacturer Kvadrat.
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| Image | G-Star RAW |
In honour of the International Day of Happiness (yes, there is such a thing) let's feature the latest project from Pharrell Williams, who in addition to being a musician also wears a hat as the Creative Director of Bionic Yarn. Pharrell recently launched RAW for the Oceans, a long-term innovative collaboration between Bionic Yarn and denim brand G-Star RAW, whereby the two brands will produce a line of denim made from recycled materials (which is being described as "plastic yarn") recovered from the ocean. RAW for the Oceans was launched at American Museum of Natural History's Hall of Ocean Life, and part of the initiative is an effort to clean plastic pollution from the world’s oceans. It is anticipated that the collection will be available for purchase in stores in August.
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| Image: Nike |
Step aside Peter Pilotto. In what should have been the only major collaboration on everyone's lips yesterday, the Pilotto collaboration with Target just got owned by the release of Kanye West's Air Yeezy II Red October sneakers which were designed and manufactured in partnership with Nike. The re-issue of the popular sneaker in its new colour sold out within 10 minutes of notice of their availability being posted by Nike on Twitter.
This new collaboration between Rebecca Minkoff and Frends combines premium acoustics and elegant design to deliver a statement accessory. Called the Frends With Benefits headphones, the removable headphone caps in Minkoff's signature style and materials are made to be used with Frends' Taylor headphones' black leather and gold finish to creating two headphone looks in a single box. The headphones are available at the Apple online store and in Nordstrom stores nationwide.
You can experience a virtual piece of musical history with this app created as a collaboration between Design I/O and strategic design agency eyeball nyc. John Lennon: The Bermuda Tapes is an interactive album app that tells the story of Lennon’s life-changing journey by sailboat Megan Jaye from Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda in June 1980, and the creative re-awakening he experienced during his time on the island which lead to the release of his album Double Fantasy: A Heart Play. The trip, which Lennon had been encouraged to take by his wife Yoko Ono and which occurred six months before his death, is uniquely chronicled in this electronic format.
One of the project’s directors - Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Michael Epstein - wanted to recreate the experience of becoming immersed in a record album, something he felt no longer exists in a world made up of electronic music files. The Tapes are essentially a conversation between Lennon and Ono through songwriting, and Design I/O were given unpreceedented access to the demo tapes Lennon recorded in Bermuda as well as interviews with Lennon, Ono and Megan Jaye's crew.
One of the project’s directors - Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Michael Epstein - wanted to recreate the experience of becoming immersed in a record album, something he felt no longer exists in a world made up of electronic music files. The Tapes are essentially a conversation between Lennon and Ono through songwriting, and Design I/O were given unpreceedented access to the demo tapes Lennon recorded in Bermuda as well as interviews with Lennon, Ono and Megan Jaye's crew.
The story is divided into six chapters which cover everything from the sailing voyage, to his arrival in Bermuda, to the visit to the disco which his creative re-birth is attributed. Told with the use of illustration and interactive techniques including 3D and dynamic/generative content, it features music, photos and interviews that detail a relatively unexamined slice of the former Beatle’s life. The team wanted the design and experience of the app to match the tone and feeling of each section of the story, therefore different techniques were used for each chapter in order to provide the most poetic interaction.
The app, which is currently only available on Apple devices, is solely owned by WhyHunger with all net proceeds going to benefit that organisation's work to realise a world free of hunger and poverty.
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| Image: Jawbone |
Three years after the introduction of the original Yves Béhar design of the Jambox, Jawbone have introduced the Jawbone Mini Jambox, making it cheaper, smaller, lighter and designed to work with the new Jawbone App on your smartphone. Resembling its bigger brothers, the Mini features Jambox's signature grill and geometric-inspired side panels, with the same simple top and side button configuration as before. Sized to fit in your pocket or bag, the speaker is built to be portable. Inside its attractive aluminium exterior are two acoustic stereo drivers and a passive bass radiator that are designed to produce the sort of sound you'd expect from something larger. Bluetooth and stereo connectivity, 10 hours of battery life, a built-in microphone and a range of colour options make it the ideal choice for high-quality sound on the move. The corresponding App is a central place where you can manage your favourite audio from services like iTunes, Spotify and Rdio and customise your Mini Jambox. Up to eight devices can be paired with the Mini and two devices are able to connect simultaneously to share control.
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| Image: Running Farm Labs |
These sleek and shiny space-saving speakers called Timbre from Running Farm Labs are the ideal combination of beautiful design and fantastic sound. Manufactured from a single piece of solid alder wood and stainless steel, the speakers' design actually contributes to their sound as the stainless steel sheet acts as a diaphragm. The speakers are currently in prototype form only, so visit Running Farm Labs' Kickstarter page to help make them a reality.
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Image: Colette
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This sleek, minimalist block is the result of a collaboration between mobile technology leader Jawbone and French retailer Colette. Called the Colette Edition limitée Big Jambox, only 120 of the wireless, portable speakers were manufactured exclusively for the French superstore available to purchase in store or online. Able to connect wirelessly to any bluetooth device and with details like the signature Pantone-blue buttons, the Big Jambox delivers on both style and performance.
We are working our way up and down the islands and so once again we leave Barbados and head over to the island of Anguilla where we find this most unique beach bar/entertainment centre.
The Dune Preserve is the home of Bankie Banx and is also where they hold the annual Moonsplash festival. While the Dune Preserve is nestled between two high-end resorts, the complex is a rough amalgamation of buildings made of timber and driftwood which have been cobbled together in what appears to be a haphazard manner. The survivor of numerous hurricanes, the structures return after each hit with a slightly different configuration than before.
On closer inspection it is clear that much thought has gone into everything at the Dune Preserve from an outdoor shower topped by a conch shell, to a drum kit which has been reconfigured as a side table and folk art murals depicting well known politicians and musicians. The Dune Preserve is the embodiment of relaxed, island living and is the perfect setting for lounging under the sun or the stars, for dancing, liming and just having a great time.
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