New trends in technology

S U B MIT TE D B Y: R I CHE L L E B I E S U MI TT ED TO : MS J E NI F F E R E S PA NO L

Industrial Copper Beauty Stores

Melbourne beauty product company Aesop enlisted its in-house design team in designing a special customized shop in Hong Kong that uses sinks made from copper and oak wood and blackened steel shelving.

The stores interior takes on the use of pale oak wood to nurture a sense of calmness and tranquility with blackened steel and oxidized copper to contrast the neutral tones with an industrial element. There is also a treatment room fitted with drawers and a wooden sink, where customers are allowed to consult the staff of Aesop for beauty tips or a demonstration. The shelving system is made from beams of oak against blackened steel frames to display the brands iconic brown bottles made from glass, while brass taps hang over large copper sinks for customers to wash off the products.

Modern Parisian Storefronts

French-born fashion designer and fashion house Saint Laurent's creative director Hedi Slimane has opened and designed the newest French modernism-inspired Sloane Street branch in London. The space was inspired by Art Deco and bases itself on the principle of the Union des Artistes Modernes -- an architecture and art movement, which predominantly used the raw quality of materials and simplicity as a theme. The mirror and white marble interiors are similar to the fashion house's flagship store in Paris.

In the latest Sloane Street branch, visitors will see a consistent monochrome palette of black glass and marble throughout the space, translated minimally into materials and techniques used in the French Modernist movement including designs MoernistsMarcel Breuer, Jacques Adnet and Ren Herbst.

Multi-Functional Sink Hybrids

Its tough to understand what a sink-shower hybrid would look like. Considering theyre both staples in every bathroom, it seems like it would make sense for a hybrid to come around, but the design aspect was an issue. The vision has become reality though as Julia Kono nenko has come through again with a brilliant bathroom innovation.

The design of this sink-shower hybrid is extremely dependent on the bathroom that its being placed in as it works best for smaller bathrooms. The sink and shower have to be placed side by side as they share the same shower head/ tap. The shower head tilts between being vertical (for the shower) and horizontal (for the sink). It looks quite simple, but it can save quite a lot of space in more cramped bathrooms.

Illuminated Shower Lamp Hybrids

This shower lamp hybrid blurs the lines between the living room and bathroom in modern homes. Hans grohe and Nendo came up with the design and the idea is a masterful mash-up of essential parts of a home. In an attempt to to make the home feel more cohesive, these two design companies have combined two basic things you would find in a house. The shower lamp, entitled water dream, sprays illuminated water from the shower head as the lamp part sits perched above it. From a design standpoint, it is very simple but has a classic style. The metal parts of the shower head become less noticeable in the dark, revealing mostly the lamp.

Integrated Shower Sound Systems

The Gator Sound is a bathroom speaker that is the latest product from the New York-based Pyle Audio company. It's a hands-free unit that lets you have phone conversations and listen to your music in the shower or bathtub. It also has an integrated plastic hook to hang on any surface that also includes your shower head. It's completely waterproof, so it will never get damaged.

Now you can listen to music and talk on the phone, hands-free, while enjoying a hot shower or luxurious bubble bath simultaneously. This unit is ideal for multitasking when going through busy schedules. There is no need to leave the shower to answer a call when you have the Gator Sound that works conveniently as a bathroom speaker.

DIY Doctor Apps

These DIY doctor apps seem to suggest that we may soon live in a world where you only need to visit the hospital for life-threatening emergencies. As mobile technology has developed, so has the desire to take personal authority over healthcare. People are no longer content to wait on/pay doctors to tell them what's wrong. These DIY doctor apps can do many of the things a doctor can do in less than half time and at virtually no cost.
The DIY doctor apps perform a wide variety of functions, including eye tests, cancer screenings and heart rate monitoring. While these apps can't treat diseases, they can help detect them and provide advice on how to avoid them. If you're looking to take your health into your own hands, then you'll want to browse through all of these DIY doctor apps at length.

Food-Focused Vending Machines

With technology advancing at an increasingly fast rate, people are becoming more reliant on speed and convenience, and these food-focused vending machines are showcasing that such aspects as purchasing food is becoming much more accessible and quick.

While vending machines were often only associated with buying candy bars and sodas, nowadays retailers are taking that concept one step further to create dispensers that will offer such things as hot meals or pre-packaged dishes. A creative alternative for consumers looking to grab something quick and convenient to eat while outdoors or on-the-go, these food-focused vending machines will definitely make purchasing a meal a super convenient task. From creative pizza vending machines to scrumptious french fry dispensers, these food-focused machines are allowing ordinary people the opportunity to enjoy their favorite snacks or meals through a convenient automatic machine.

Cityscape USB Covers

If you're looking to add some cute and quirky features to your computer accessories then look no more, because these 'Small Ville' wooden USB covers feature miniature buildings that will make your flash drives look more exciting. Ordinary USB covers are simply miniature pieces of plastic that helps keep your drive safe and secure from damage, but they often lack any type of visual appeal. This 'Small Ville' collection however, is turning these average accessories into playful and artistic designs, by designing these caps in the shape of a miniature town. The collection comes in pairs such as a tree and a mountain, a house and a cloud and a city building plus an airplane.
All created from Maple wood, these 'Small Ville' caps will definitely add a unique and fun touch to your otherwise ordinary USB devices.

High-Tech Wrist Watches

The NEXD Android watches do more than simply telling time or glowing in the dark. Incorporating Android technology, these watches will allow users to hook up to the Internet and video chat with friends on the go. It's hard to imagine that anyone who would own this watch to want to revert back to a chunky cell phone. Despite smart phones getting thinner and lighter, they're not going to be as compact as a snazzy wristband. Trying to squish all that technology into a tiny wristwatch isn't easy, and the NEXD Android watches do so without sacrificing any style.

Besides the face of the watch, the band also has embedded features like battery power and micro USB slots. Other functions include fitness monitors, social media, cameras, music, calendars and anything else your Android smart phone is already equipped to do.

Solar-Powered Chargers
A charitable organization called Buffalo Grid has developed a portable solar-powered charger that can be used to quickly and safely charge phones in developing countries. Cell phones have proven to effectively connect communities in countries lacking wired telecommunications infrastructure; however, the lack of electricity infrastructure makes devicecharging a problem. Buffalo Grid tackles this by providing solar-powered charger hubs to communities, and offers them a share in its profits. Buffalo Grid founder Phil Schluter spent 20 years as a coffee trader in Africa, and came up with the idea after seeing the benefits cell phones were bringing to local communities and recognizing the difficulties in charging phones. The Buffalo Grid equipment is provided for free to entrepreneurs in the local community. Customers pay for the use of the device by sending a premium text message as their payment. The entrepreneurs who own and manage the device then share in Buff lo Grid's profits.

Wearable Phone Chargers

Solar I Phone chargers are already available, but many seem clunky and strange to use over a regular charger. The Carbon Precision Solar Charger by Energy Bionics simply makes sense: you wear it on your wrist.
Simply wear the charger on your wrist as a watch; the watch becomes charged via solar energy. Monitor the amount of energy stored within the device, and simply charge your device when youre on the go. The device appears to take a regular fire wire/USB input that wills imply plug straight into your I Phone or Android device. Imagine being lost out in the wild with a dead smart phonesimply charge your deviceit could save a life.

This solar I Phone charger is currently under development and will be available via Kick starter within the coming months.

Contemporary Camper Concepts

Your old trailer is going to look pretty bad when compared to the shiny and new Car aviso caravan concept. Designed by German firm Knaus Tabbert, the Car aviso is as modern as a trailer can be. For starters, its exterior was designed to be as aerodynamic as possible. The fact that it looks great is a nice bonus.

Like its exterior, the interior of the Car avison caravan concept is wonderfully modern with its wooden furniture, slick couches and a built-in projector. Knaus Tabbert reportedly spent two years designing the concept alongside caravan designers and suppliers. While most concept cars/trailers live only on paper, the Caraviso has actually been brought to life! Here's hoping designers continue to modify campers and equip them with current technology and design them with contemporary styling in mind.

Glowing Sci-Fi Bicycles

Bicycles are such elegant objects that have evolved smoothly over time to become more and more efficient at translating kinetic energy and enhancing human movement. Aesthetically, the Win Cycle 001 appears to be a significant leap in this transformation, bringing it into a future era that mankind has yet to experience.
Youn es moula designed this techie twowheeler based on inspiration from the Tron Legacy movie. The sleek black frame is accented with striking neon lights that illuminate the rims and the handlebars as well. A sharp honeycomb pattern on the top tube might suggest electronic controls and an impressive hologram of the bike's name appears consistently still within the rear wheel. The Win Cycle 001's three models are gear- and spoke-free, promising a mysterious and powerful means of propulsion for the extreme space-age cyclist.

Peculiar Feline Pumps

These cat themed high heels come from the twisted imagination of shoe designer Kobi Levi. Levi is known for creating unusual pumps, made in the image of animals or familiar objects. He's even created a pair of shoes inspired by pop icon Madonna. These feline infused heels are perfect for cat lovers with a bold sense of style.

The straps on these peculiar pumps are designed to look like tails. They wrap around the wearer's ankle, holding these eyecatching shoes in place. The heel itself is made to look like little kitty hind legs. These brown pumps come with tiny red collars, which have bells fastened to them.
Levi calls these cat astic shoes 'Miao', which seems extremely fitting. These domesticated kitty shoes are guaranteed to get people talking.