Tag: Design

Internet browsing is possible without becoming an advertising target. But AI firms use any online content available to train their systems. Now, resourceful designers in Amsterdam and Denmark are aiming to curb this practice with their new smart typeface. Machines read websites’ programming code, and in order for humans to decipher the intended content, the code is converted into...

Some vehicles move easily between road and rail. Meanwhile, a Portuguese startup has developed a light EV for on- and off-road driving. The reason? Its founder, the owner of an upmarket country hotel, deemed golf-carts too uncomfortable for his guests. With its aluminium frame, polymer body and waterproof soft-top, the four-seater weighs only 450kg. A low centre of gravity...

A smart vice is making laptops safe from theft. In Spain, meanwhile, a startup has developed a flexible bike lock comprising three cables, which help secure both saddle and wheels. All three cables are connected to a central, mechanised lock. The core consists of a braided steel cable, which is enclosed by short, hardened, interlocking steel sleeves. Those, again,...

Experienced hackers can be exposed. Password vaults help people remember the many logins required to access online services. But even they aren’t completely risk-free. Cue a Texas-based research team and its browser extension, which allows users to dispense with passwords save for a single master one. When visiting a website, the extension must first be activated and the master...

Lighting and air-conditioning can be controlled using a ring. Now, a design studio in Amsterdam has devised a piece of jewellery that enhances digital security. Still a concept, the ring is used for verifying personal contacts. Initially, an integrated infrared-light scanner captures the blood flow through users’ finger veins. This information is converted into a personal code and stored...

A venture capital firm is specifically backing LGBTQ+ teams, while an app focuses on the community’s mental health. For some time, a German non-profit organisation has been using wool from gay rams to promote its pro-LGBTQ+ message. A message that was recently given a global platform with financial help from a queer dating app: special wool pieces, whose designer...

Batteries made from paper can be an environmentally-friendly source of electricity. Now, a Swiss startup is aiming to replace batteries used in small devices entirely (a process that’s already begun in Sweden). Energy will come through perovskite solar cells previously developed in a research lab. Their properties and size can be tailored to customer requirements and device design. Manufacture...

In future, an automatic device could service human blood vessels. Industrial infrastructure also needs regular monitoring. Flying support is nothing new, but now a Swiss startup has developed a maintenance drone with 360° aerial mobility, which can get just about anywhere. It’s all possible thanks to two tiltable propellers installed at the side and an additional rotor at the...