Concepts and Designs

From unique car-accessing electronics to LED microlights built right into the grip, keys are evolving in new ways for the first time in centuries. These two crafty designs add another layer of functionality (helping you keep keys and attachments Invhandy) without messy moving parts, replacement-requiring batteries or other accessories.

Need to clip your key onto something? Just snap back a section of the top on this one, like you would a climbing carabiner, and latch it onto a zipper, flashlight or … another key entirely.

Still have enough keys to require a split ring to hold them all? How about having it built right into the key blank of, say, your primary key – this has the subtle added benefit of making one key (say, your front door, or whatever is most important or used) stand out from the pack as well.

Unlike some of the more fanciful industrial designs and inventions of Amron Experimental (some of which are shown above), these are in actual test and pre-production phases: “The Carabiner [and Split Ring] Key Blank[s] can link independently to keyrings, keychains, belt loops and shoelaces. Have [each] key cut at your local hardware store or lock shop to match your key and fit your lock. It is a real working key blank.”

Some people walk into unfilled apartments for rent and find it impossible to envision living in them – others see a blank slate to be filled with creative possibilities. For those in either camp, this self-contained, twelve-piece prefabricated room is a great plug-and-play solution.

The component parts of the Z Box by Dan Hisel are made large enough to be few in number, but small enough to carry up winding stairs and slot through conventional human-scale doorways.

Once on site, assembly is relatively simple and low-impact – it can be positioned wherever you want it within an open-plan layout, creating space within but also shaping space around it. In addition to color and texture cues, the structure pulls back at the base to make it feel more like the box is a floating element within the dwelling, not a permanent built-in object.

Curtains pull back to reveal a beautiful wooden bedroom (which would work great as a study, library or other meditative space, too), while modern wire mesh gives it a sense of security and autonomy when viewed from the rest of the residence. There is shelving inside and outside as well as nooks for pets, slots for shoes, diffused lighting and other elements making the most of each square inch displaced by the box.

hrrrthrrr:

Inkling by Wacom

You know what I need in my life? This. This magic tool of magicness. I’m not very amazing with my normal Wacom tablet so this little gadget is oh so appealing to me. Want. Want. Want.

The Inkling digital sketch pen captures a digital likeness of your work while you sketch with its ballpoint tip on any sketchbook or standard piece of paper. Designed for rough concepting and creative brainstorming, Inkling is ideal for the front end of the creative process. 

In addition to capturing your sketch, stroke by stroke, Inkling allows you to create layers in digital files while you sketch on paper. 

Available mid-September for $200.