Is the ‘Outta-the-door Reminder’ suitable for everyone?

Following the last blog, I came across this ‘Outta-the-door Reminder’ door handle on yankodesign.com. This grabbed my attention, as the aesthetics are very eye catching, but nothing like a traditional door handle. The idea behind this concept is that if you leave the house without turning off the lights or gas you can control them from the handle.

http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/12/08/outta-the-door-reminder/

When you leave your house and if your unsure if you have turned all the plugs and lights off or if your unsure I you have left the gas on, then you simply close the door, lock it then turn on the handle.

You turn on the handle will the large black button on the left (see picture below) then twist to the desired settings.

The settings that are available are: Turn all lights off, turn all light, gas and glugs off or option three which is just turn gas off.

When you return home, to turn the power or gas on, that only thing that needs to be done is open the door. By opening the door and putting the handle down forces all systems to go back to normal.

The picture below shows the in-depth detail on how to use, from setting the program to setting it back to normal.

Over all first looks at this product I was astonished and the technology, the idea is great, the aesthetics in my opinion fits the target market well. This would suit an upper class, wealthier household as lets be honest to have this technology is a luxury, and it would cost a lot of money to have this system. That’s where I feel the product falls on. The target market is to focused, normal average people could never have this technology, so I don’t feel this product works fully. This concept should go back to the drawing board and design the technology that everyone could have this in his or her homes making it not cost a ridiculous amount. 

Apple Earphones – Outdated?

I came across yankodesigns.com earlier this year and often look at new concepts that are posted. The most recent design that cot my eye was, ‘The Apple Hairbands.’ As you can see below this product is very eye catching but simple. The simple yet obvious shape highlights the effectiveness of this product.

http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/12/08/simply-the-apple-hairbands/

If you look at previous Apple earphones (like the most famous ones shown below) there not very interesting. Apple stands for creativity as you see in all their products from the iPhone, to the iPad and finally to the design of the Mac Book Pro. But these earphone just doesn’t share that vision in my opinion, yeah back when these first came out the white colour choice showed modernism, cleanness and simplicity, but now, there just plain boring.

Apple attempted to change the earphones for the iPhone, by adding a microphone and switch section onto the product. Yeah function wise, its perfect but aesthetic wise? Not so good in my opinion. If you compare the old earphones to Yanko Design’s concept of the hairband, it shows a new twist on the combination of earphone and headphones. Even the small details like, the adjustable length for the head, the light up logo part when the product is being used, the same technology and function as in the apple logo on the mac book pro. (Image below shows the buttons ad light on the headpiece.

Over all, I feel Apple’s earphones are outdated and should be developed their into something like this design, its eye catching, interesting and fits well in to the cohesiveness of the rest of the products.