ImaginativePRO Blog

THE CRYOSCOPE HAPTIC WEATHERVANE IS A THERMOMETER THAT LETS YOU ACTUALLY FEEL THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE

AFTER DECADES OF WEARING THE WRONG COAT, NEVER AGAIN, I SAY!

Thermometers are superb at measuring temperature but lousy at describing it. A bulb of mercury tells me it’s 55 degrees--but what’s 55 degrees? When was the last time I walked into a room and said,

“This place feels exactly 55 degrees.”

Cryoscope from Robb Godshaw on Vimeo.

The Cryoscope Haptic Weathervane, created by Robb Godshaw of Syyn Labs, conveys the temperature by allowing you to experience it. Syncing with Wi-Fi to online weather reports, you can touch this aluminum cube to actually feel the outside temperature rather than simply reading about it through numbers or whimsical sunshine icons.  Godshaw tells us.

“I sought to develop a device that conveyed the forecast in a manner which left nothing to the imagination.  It provides a thorough and instantaneous understanding of what awaits the user outside.”

Technically, the 4-inch milled aluminum cube is stuffed with quite a bit of hardware, including an Arduino that controls a Peltier element and a heat sink, which work in tandem to pump heat appropriately. After the first weather sync, it’s just a few minutes before the device comes to temperature.

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But the best trick of the Cryoscope isn’t its ability to hit a perfect temperature, but its ability to hit the perfect perceived temperature.  Godshaw writes.  

“Due to the ‘cold’ nature of metal, the temperature is adjusted to match human perceptions of hot and cold.”

For the cube to feel neutral on human skin, it’s set to an 85°F baseline. From there, the cube adjusts its temperature by the number of degrees the outside differs from 73°F room temperature. In other words, if it’s 60°F outside, the cube will technically cool to 72°F.

So the imperfect temperature ends up feeling perfect.

Currently, Godshaw is open to commercializing the proof of concept, but that hasn’t stopped him from considering improvements to the simplistic temperature-only design to include all aspects of weather.  Godshaw writes.  

“A version of the device that could communicate precipitation or wind would be beneficial.  The addition of water would present numerous technical challenges. An Internet commenter suggested that a lightning feature should be added, where it gives the user a small shock. I do not plan to implement that feature.”

And if I might add, the water mixed with lightning sounds especially dangerous.

COMMENTARY:    I never thought I would say this, but this is the worst design for a household temperature thermometer that I have seen in a long time.  Steve Jobs designed the Apple cube idea too, and it didn't work.  The ability to feel the perceived outside temperature by simply touching the cube is a novel idea, but I would like to know the actual temperature displayed on a digital display.  How many individuals can tell the difference between 85 and 90 degrees fahrenheit, do you suppose? See my point?  

If I want to feel the outside temperature, I go outside. I want to feel just how the temperature feels to the skin of my face.  If it's too hot, I will know.  I will instantly go into a sweat.  The Cryoscope Haptic Weathervane just does not shake my world.  I just don't think that this cube gives you the sensitivity of the outside temperature as it would feel on your face.  For a blind individual who can't see a temperature reading, this might work wonders, but for normal people, this is not very practical.  In my opinion the Cryoscope Haptic Weathervane is a dude.

Courtesy of an article dated February 13, 2012 appearingi n Fast Company Design

 

HOW TO MAKE FRESHLY BAKED PITA BREAD IN AN ULTRA STYLISH TOASTER MADE OF CINDER BLOCK AND REBAR

Simple toaster uses just a few elements common to contemporary construction.

Adi Zaffran’s toaster has five components: rebar rods, a cinder block, wood, a wire, and some fasteners. Looking at its compact aesthetic, I can’t help but think of Thomas Thwaites.

A couple years ago, Thwaites set out to build a toaster from scratch. The result apparently worked, but it sure was ugly. The plastic casing in particular seems to have given him a lot of trouble.

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Thwaites’ project was intended to raise awareness of the massive network of materials and production required to make simple household objects in an industrial economy--a contemporary reinterpretation of I, Pencil. It was intentionally absurd, but watching him struggle through the quixotic process, I kept thinking:

"Dude, just use different materials!"

Zaffran’s toaster is itself a reinterpretation of an elementary technology--the brick oven--using the common materials of contemporary construction. Zaffran says.

"The pita bread as a staple food led me to the use of simple and basic building materials.  It is very easy to make out of ready-made cement block."

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Zaffran’s toaster would still require some struggle if you put it to the Thwaites test, but with its economy of parts, it would be far easier to build. It bypasses the plastic problem entirely. Besides, if the industrial economy does collapse, there will be plenty of rebar and cement blocks lying around to provide the raw materials. This attitude of making clever use of available materials, rather than futilely trying to create an impossible copy, strikes me as being closer to the heart of good design.

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COMMENTARY:  What a great idea for a weekend project for the do-it-yourselfer who loves rustic baking like they still bake pita bread in Greece, Iran and Middle East.   In the mood for some freshly baked pita bread, checkout this receipe.

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In Greek: πίτα, pronounced PEE-tah

Many recipes for pita bread require cooking at very hight heat, and home ovens don't always do the best job. This recipe makes soft, white pita rounds that should be brushed with olive oil and grilled, heated in a skillet, or toasted in the oven before using and serving. Serve wedges of this soft bread with dips, as a wrap for sandwiches, and in other creative ways.

Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 21 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 cup of warm water
• 4 cups of bread flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preparation:

Dissolve in the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside, covered, for 15 minutes. Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 cup of warm water.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a well in the center. Add yeast mixure and salt water. Knead with hands for 10 minutes in the bowl. Add olive oil and continue to knead until all oil is absorbed. Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), and lightly oil baking sheets.

Take pieces of dough slightly larger than an egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3/8 to 1/4 inch. (For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough). Prick the bread with a fork in several places.

Place on baking sheets and bake at 350°F (175°C) on the lowest oven rack for 2-3 minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a tray covered with a clean dishtowel, with another clean towel on top. When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or frozen.

Before using, brown in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes until browned on both sides.

Courtesy of an article dated January 11, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design and an a great Greek pita bread receipt appearing in About.com

 

ELECTROLUX INTRODUCES THE 'ECO AUTOMATIC SINK' THAT DOUBLES AS A DISHWASHER FOR KITCHENS WITH TIGHT SPACE

A clever concept by Ahhaproject lets you clean a sink full of dirty dinner plates at the press of a button.

If you’ve ever looked at a sink full of dirty dishes and wished to high heaven they’d clean themselves, then today’s your lucky day.Ahhaproject, a German and Korean design studio, has invented Eco Automatic, a sink that magically doubles as a dishwasher.

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The key is a clever rotating mechanism. At the press of a button, a sink packed with dirty dishes pivots 180 degrees, disappearing under the counter, while a second sink appears in its stead. Under the counter and fully covered, the first sink kicks into dishwasher mode, rinsing plates and pans and knives as would any Kenmore or Whirlpool. Meanwhile, the second sink can be piled up with new dirty dishes. Press the button, and the sinks turn another 180 degrees, triggering the cycle all over again. In effect, it’s two sinks and two dishwashers in one.

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It’s a great idea for people who don’t have enough room for a standard dishwasher or even for people who do. Loading the dishwasher can be harrrrrrd, especially for domestic dolts (that's us!). Eco Automatic eliminates that step entirely.

The drawback: Eco Automatic is just a concept. But Ahhaproject’s Jinwoo Han tells Co.Design that Swedish appliance giant Electrolux patented the design, which is maybe good sign it could sneak into our kitchens some day?

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COMMENTARY:  I think it's a damn shame that the Electrolux Eco Automatic sink is not commercially available.  I have a feeling it would go over well with the homeowner.  Homart has a dishwasher sink combination, but it's really ugly.  The Eco Automatic sink has a nice high-tech popular with today's homeowner.

Courtesy of an article dated Auguat 16, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

 

DREAMFARM'S AWARD-WINNING CHOPULA SPATULA THAT CAN ALSO SLICE LIKE A KNIFE

The Red Dot award-winning Chopula (cute name, eh?) makes it astonishingly simple to slice food in a pan.

Ever try to use the dull edge of a spatula to cut something in a frying pan only to wind up with a dish that looks like it got ripped to shreds by a pack of wild dogs? Yeah, that happens to us, too. All the frickin' time.

Feeling our pain, the Australian design firm Dreamfarm has invented Chopula, a great little spatula and knife in one. The head is made of sharp-edged silicone that can cleanly slice just about whatever you've got sizzling on the stove -- eggs, pancakes, fish, you name it. Okay, it probably won't cut a Porterhouse (it's only silicone, after all) but if you're hacking up a Porterhouse in a pan, you probably shouldn't be cooking at all. That's like cleaving the Hope Diamond.

Chopula took home the prestigious Red Dot award in the "Best of the Best" Households and Kitchens category recently. It's easy to see why. Even if you don't use this thing to dice dinner, it works plenty well as a plain old spatula. The extra wide head lifts and flips fragile foods without breaking them, and a bent handle keeps the head off the counter, so it's not spilling sauce all over the place.

Buy Chopula here for 14.95 Australian dollars (about the same in American dollars).

COMMENTARY:   Dreamfarm designs a very unique line of household kitchen accessories and took home the prestigious Red Dot award in the "Best of the Best" Households and Kitchens category.

Courtesy of an article dated March 17, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

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