At first glance, you might think that this is a camera, but it’s not, it’s an oven, a revolutionary new oven called Inspiro. Electrolux Inspiro oven launches this week with technology that you might say can be the future of cooking. The auto focus camera like in this oven is a heat management that sensors what is to be cooked before calculating the temperature and time needed. Rather than just measuring the air temperature with a thermometer and regulating it with a thermostat, the way a conventional oven operates, Inspiro uses sensors to calculate the precise combination of energy consumption and time needed to bring the food to the correct temperature. This is similar to the way cameras now automatically set aperture, exposure time and focus, depending on the light and what’s in the frame.
How does it work?
To cook a lamb joint, for example, select the category “roasting” via the touch control, then choose whether the joint should be rare, medium or well done. The oven indicates which level to put the tray on – in a cold oven.
From that cold start, Inspiro calculates the energy consumption and time needed to raise the temperature of the meat to the desired level. That information is then combined with its database of professional cooking techniques to calculate what combination of heating modes is required (top, bottom, side, hot air, or grill) to ensure the desired result.
When the cooking sequence is finished, the oven stops, and alerts the chef that the food is ready. Or if you prefer manual oven, Inspiro can also operate like a conventional oven by selecting manual mode.
Using soft materials, this Soft Phone concept is a finalist in Tancher Award 2008. The interface features its fabric material, to define the function modules by extrusion and fold. This soft phone concept is based on the fabric digital display technology, which will lead to a new experience in more flexible cell phone operation. Jian Qian says “The Bluetooth earphone buckled to the string can charge the phone by Electromagnetic Induction. The material of the interface is fabric while the one of clip and circle is silica gel, which makes the phone very soft and portable.”
Different directions of extruding make different functions for the phone and the camera.
Camera Usage (Extruding vertically)
Extruding to a little extend: focus (take photos) ,
Extruding to a larger extend: pulling the trigger
Release: Photo finish
XPERIA X1 marks the launch of a new brand for Sony Ericsson company, this product is hoped can gain attention from slider phone lovers. Featuring 3 inch wide VGA display, 3.2 mega-pixel camera, slider-design body, touch screen, and full wide-pitch QWERTY keyboard. This probably the next iphone rival. No one mention about any price just yet, we can hope to see XPERIA X1 in the market around second half of 2008. Let’s hope so !
—– Update —–
It’s here now with the price $800, phew…more expensive than iPhone. [Buy it here]
Scentsory is a mobile communication device that works with the senses of smell, sight, hearing and touch, giving users the ability to experience remote communication on multi-sensory levels. With the development of Scentsory, remote interfacing will become more biologically natural. The future of mobile communication is ready to take part in rich, multi-layered, multi-sensory experiences. In addition to basic audiovisual features, Scentsory is able to detect, transmit and emit smells. It can also radiate colours, lighting, and temperature from the caller?s environment.
The purpose of this concept is to explore innovative products for the near future. Nowadays, more people use cellphones to substitute for cameras and music players. The cellphone becomes a digital Swiss army knife in the new era. Because of the light-power use and carry-on property, the combination of cellphone and camera is the most successful one. Instead of relying on a big touchscreen or software solutions only, this concept focused on the essential value of an easy-use cellphone.
