Spyker’s foray into the mobile industry seems to be more than just a seasonal business, as the Dutch sports car maker is getting ready to release no less than four new phones during 2009.
We briefly saw two of them, at the beginning of February, but now we’ve got more details, as well as better pictures.
Unfortunately, the Spyker phone that offers the nicest set of features doesn’t have a name yet.
However, we know that it’s a slim candybar built from titanium and coming with a crystal glass display.
Here’s what it looks like:
Its specs include:
Quad band GSM connectivity
UMTS/HSDPA/ HSUPA connectivity
Bluetooth with A2DP
WiFi
3MP camera
1.3MP front-facing camera for video calls
MicroSD card support
Next we have a phone that’s apparently called Spyker EG200. It brings a touchscreen display and a touch-sensitive navigation pad, plus features like tri-band GSM connectivity, a 3MP camera and Bluetooth with A2DP.
Lastly, we have two Spyker sliders that look about the same. The difference is that one of them has an aluminum case. Other than that, they both feature dual-SIM capabilities, tri-band GSM/GPRS connectivity, Bluetooth and 2MP cameras.
Release dates and pricing details are still unknown.
The Fragile Future 2 lighting fixture really lives up to its name. You see, each tiny light source is actually framed by the seed pods of a dandelion. Now why is it called the Fragile Future 2? Presumably, because the Fragile Future 1 was just a little TOO breakable.
Created by Lonneke Gordijn of the Dutch outfit known as DesignDrift, the Fragile Future 2 lamp combines the modern, linear look of circuit board traces and LED illumination with the contrasting organic shapes of puffy dandelion heads.
Each one is custom-built and is made from modular pieces, so you can build complex wall fixtures using anywhere from 3 to 50 light modules.
All I can say is that you’d better not sneeze anywhere around this thing.
The Fragile Future 2 is available from Generate LE.
Here’s a nifty clock that’s a bit more dynamic than what you’d typically see hanging on your wall. Depending on the angle you view it from, the face either shows simple hash marks or numerals around the dial.
Named for its similarity to clocks which appear in train stations around Europe, the Station Numbers Hologram clock was designed by Dutch designers Ruben van Boxtel & Reinier Buijs for Karlsson.
And while I’m not really sure that the display counts as a true hologram, there’s definitely some sort of lenticular printing illusion used to produce the effect. And if simple black on white isn’t your thing, the clocks are also available in white on red and white on black versions with stainless steel accents.
You can find a wide variety of Karlsson clocks - including these ones - over at UK retailer ClockCo for £30 (appx. $59 USD) each.
I spent a hefty portion of my Memorial Day weekend playing ping pong, so perhaps that’s why this lamp made of hundreds of table tennis balls seems extra appealing to me right now.
The Dutch designer Diaz Kleefstra meticulously put together this hanging lamp so you can have diffuse light while toeing the line between über chic and über geek. It’s called the ‘Bettine’ lamp because it’s named after famous female Dutch table tennis player Bettine Vriesekoop. What’s that? You’ve never heard of her? You mean, you don’t have her commemorative Wheaties box on your collectibles shelf?
They also offer tabletop and floor lamp styles. You can buy the hanging lamp for just under €400 (which is around US$600 at the moment) directly from Studio Kleefstra.
[Doesn’t Captain Kangaroo have one of these in his house? Ed.]
This has got to be one of the most amazing clock designs I’ve ever seen. At first glance, the display looks like a bunch of random matchsticks, but over time, they gradually transform into words that tell the time.
Conceived by Dutch industrial designer Christiaan Postma, the clock goes beyond the simple dial and number paradigms we’re all used to seeing, and really thinks outside of the box. Postma used over 150 individual clock mechanisms to power the 55-inch square timepiece.
For those of you with Flash installed (who doesn’t these days?), check out the animation below to see how it really works.
At this point, it’s not clear if Postma plans to produce the word clock, or if it’s simply a design prototype. Regardless, it’s a really unique idea, and I’d be thrilled to hang one on my wall if he ever does bring these to market.
This cool fabric curtain may look like a tree from afar, but once you’re up close, you’ll see that it’s made of tens of thousands of tiny ASCII characters.
Created by Dutch designer Nienke Sybrandy, the huge (18′ x 11′) curtain panel was digitally printed with dot matrix characters to give the impression of intricate tree branches from a distance.
Now if only I could get her to make me one with some real ASCII art on it, I’d hang ‘em all over my house.
Sometimes it’s a bit of a challenge to tell the exact time on an analog clock. Sure, you can say “it’s about quarter-to-three”, but it really might be 2:47. This intricate wall clock tries to solve that problem by displaying every individual minute as a separate point on the dial.
Looking like a cross between a clock and a Sputnik satellite, the TikTak clock by Dutch designers Niels van Eijk and Miriam van der Lubbe makes a strong visual statement. Each number on the dial is represented by at one or more metal arms with digits of varying sizes hanging on their ends. Numbers are arranged in interleaved layers of powdercoated metal in varying shades of grey to create depth, while a red second hand really stands out when in motion.
While it’s a bit overwhelming to read, I do really dig the clock’s retro-modern design sensibility. The substantial timepiece measures almost 24-inches in diameter, making it a bold addition to any wall. You can find the TikTak clock at Habitat UK for £89.00 (appx. $177 USD).
Don’t etch this one in stone just yet, but for those keeping a close eye on studios and which camp(s) they support, here’s the latest. Reportedly, a so-called Blu-ray Festival has been raging in Hollywood, and aside from BD backers showing up in support of upcoming / existing films, there have also been a few interesting remarks uttered along the way. Most notably, Dan Silverberg, VP of high-definition media for Warner Home Video, stated that “one thing that may be changing is [Warner's] strategy,” and he continued by proclaiming that hardware prices had reached a point where consumers “no longer wanted to decide” which format reigned supreme. The speech actually got interesting when he mentioned that the “notion of staying in two formats for the duration is something the company was re-evaluating.” Beyond that, egos were simply inflated even more as recent BD vs. HD DVD sales figures were trumpeted about, but we think the aforementioned commentary is far more interesting that hearing about numbers we’re already familiar with.
