October 2021 was pretty interesting as it brought with it a storm of mind-boggling and innovative tech designs! At Yanko Design, it was surely an exciting month for us, as we came across an influx of intriguing designs that left a lasting impression on our minds. Each design broke through some barrier or convention in the tech world, bringing to us unique solutions, improved functionality, and immense value. From the downpour of tech designs that October introduced to us, we’ve curated some of the very best. From an iPhone 14 concept with a solo powerful rear camera to a monitor light bar – not only do these designs address tangible problems, but they also make our lives better, easier, and efficient in their own way. We hope these inventive tech gadgets impress you, as much as they impressed us!
With an incredibly diverse eco-system of snap-on modules that let you practically attach the camera anywhere you want, the DJI Action 2 is what you get when you create a camera after intense research and design-thinking… not by simply copying what the rest of the market is doing. What the Action 2 gets right with its design isn’t just the camera (after all, DJI’s cameras are pretty fantastic, to begin with) but rather how the camera is operated. The company designed an exhaustive list of modules, holders, and even accessories to go with their camera, all of which affix themselves to the Action 2 using an incredibly powerful set of magnets (a la MagSafe). The modules simply snap on or snap off, and give you a variety of use-cases, from being able to hold the camera in your hand, fix it to your chest/arm/head, attach it to your helmet, handlebar, or dashboard, place it on a steady surface, or even go underwater with it.
I’ll admit I’ve never heard of a Monitor Light before, but BenQ’s ScreenBar Plus really does a good job of being a pretty darn amazing workspace light (it’s also a product that was first invented by BenQ). Instead of occupying actual table space, the ScreenBar Plus sits on top of your monitor. Its universal clipping mechanism can attach to any monitor type, and the long strip of LEDs help illuminate your entire workspace efficiently, without casting any shadows or leaving any blind spots. The way the lamp’s design is rather clever. Its optically asymmetric design casts light onto your desk without casting any light on your monitor. This way, it efficiently and consistently illuminates your space without creating any reflections or glare on your screen, something that cheaper knockoff versions of the ScreenBar Plus don’t manage to achieve. The lamp is powered via USB, so it doesn’t hog a socket in your multiplug panel, and can be controlled using a small desktop dial interface.
How the next exciting iPhone will look is anybody’s guess, for now, to be frank, but industrial designer Laci Lacko believes it could be a radical leap with its roots tracing back to the iPhone 7 series. That similar rounded side design lends it a thin feel in hand. Surprisingly, the designer doesn’t give us a peek into the front of the device, but going by the rumor mill, it should have minimal (as compared to iPhone 13) or no notch at all. What’s highlighted in this concept phone is the rear camera module. A big protruding single 35mm lens setup that has an f1.2 i aperture sensor promises the ultimate photography experience. Something comparable to a DSLR. The lens is so big, it almost feels like an add-on to the sleek body frame of the imagined iPhone.
Another palm-sized drone having a high probability of making it past the drawing board and in the possession of enthusiast photography travelers is the Drone 1, rotate and fly drone. Winner of the Red Dot Concept Design Award 2021, the portable flying machine designed by Maya Prokhorova is no bigger than the MacBook Air in the fully folded configuration. It comes with a 4K capable camera for high-quality photo or video shooting on the go – taking the gadget right out of your pocket or backpack. Drone 1 rests inside the hard case, and when the need arises, you simply take it out, rotate the quadcopter with a click motion and it’s ready to fly. The 90 degrees rotating motion is highlighted by the tactile sensation, just like a Rubik’s cube. Also, the camera can be set to the functioning position by pressing the switch-like button on the bottom section.
Deskpod was born out of a one-hour study of Apple design language, taking to the iconic brand’s most modern designs to create a sleek, yet bold speakers concept. The new iMac from Apple maintains the classic aluminum look that has graced the surfaces of most Apple Macbooks and iMacs for years. It’s the accessories from Apple that are typically the standout pieces, bringing out deep forest greens and royal blues to accentuate the fresh look of a bare aluminum Macbook surface. Waxman’s Deskpod takes that one step further and wraps the rich scarlet red speaker with a gold band that functions as the device’s cradle and stand.
The Splay is a pretty unique device if you come to think of it. It’s a projector as well as an external display, all packaged into a product that can easily fit into the average backpack. The projector can be used as a standalone device, allowing you to watch 1080p content on a nice 80-inch surface… but things get even more interesting with the Splay’s expandable display that turns your projector into an external monitor using an inverted umbrella-shaped device that lets you project images onto a bright 24-inch screen. In this format, the pico projector transforms into a monitor that you can use alongside your laptop, or with your tablet or phone, for added productivity.
Interestingly the internet is going crazy with the freshly leaked images of the insect eyes like HTC headset that gives off the futuristic vibe. The person in question is trusted leaker Evan Blass who has posted convincing images of HTC’s next-gen VR headset. The big question arises – will this HTC VR headset be able to compete with Oculus Quest 2? Evan has been posting a constant stream of tweets with photos of the said headset, building anticipation for the tech community. From the images so far, it seems the headset will have a tethered connection to a tube-shaped device to power up the advanced processing of the gadget. There are no straps apparent in these leaked images which suggests HTC has finally found a way to ditch the strap design. How they have managed to balance the weight out will only be clear once the headset is out there for real. Also, the images are highly suggestive of a snap-on face cushion for comfort, adjustable lenses, immersive spatial audio, and an active cooling system.
The biggest upgrade to the iPhone, many would trust, will be a folding form factor, which will be a stark difference to its image, and give fanboys a little more to consider as they weigh their options. In such a scenario, a Nokia-style sliding keyboard would make more sense than a book-like folding phone. If you are from the same school of assumptions; this new concept with a second slider screen will be a definite yes. The renders and video of the iPhone 14 slider concept shared by ConceptsiPhone show the iPhone 14 in new and beautiful colors and revives the Touch ID biometric system under the display. In addition to the sliding design, the idea of a notch-less iPhone is what fans have been longing for Apple to adopt. That didn’t stand to change in the iPhone 13 – where the notch has been slimed slightly though – but if Apple can do away with it in the coming models, this concept shows how the phone could appear.
Turning the act of getting your very own portrait into the event itself, Wegner created their Pankraz Piktograph to draw portraits of bystanders at events like science exhibits, trade fairs, and museums for them to bring home. With the press of a button on a handheld remote, the Pankraz Piktograph snaps photographic portraits of its users to then transform into a delicate pencil sketch. Once the photograph has been taken, it’s translated into a vector representation, which can then be drawn by the automated robot styluses. Equipping the Pankraz Piktograph with the technical makeup to master various drawing styles, users can choose to have their photograph drawn from fast minimalist styles to more intricate, or abstract renderings.
Designed to be a smart 21st-century dictaphone, Scripter modernizes note-taking by delegating the menial task to a powerful, capable AI. A single button starts and stops the Scripter’s ability to record (so you’ve got control over what the device listens to), and the Scripter’s internal computer can actively transcribe voices across 16 languages, all while accurately editing the transcribed text to add punctuation, paragraphs, capitalization, and event handling syntax, without needing to connect to the internet. The Scripter looks like an outwardly simple device. Its plain design sports a two-part magnetic assembly that lets you easily attach your Scripter to clothes (without needing pins that damage your clothing).
