Category: Technology News

Phonebloks

A phone only lasts a couple of years before it breaks or becomes obsolete. Although it’s often just one part that killed it, we throw everything away because it’s almost impossible to repair or upgrade.

Phoneblok is a phone that is made of detachable bloks. The bloks are connected to the base which locks everything together into a solid phone. If a blok breaks you can easily replace it; if it’s getting old just upgrade. 😎

So far Phonebloks is just an idea. But if enough people show interest in this idea, it is possible that someday this phone will become a reality.

For more infos on the project visit the Phoneblok website.

All your cards. One Coin.

Coin is a startup that has built a prototype of a card that it claims can store all of your credit, debit and loyalty card information on one Coin card that can then be used to pay at any point of sale system.

To load the Coin card, one has to connect a dongle to the smartphone and swipe whatever credit, debit and loyalty cards that contain a stripe and are swipeable. Then to pay, one has to press a button on the front of the card and flip through the different card choices. The electronic display shows the card information so that you and the cashier know which card you’re using. 😎

Samsung Smart Window

At CES 2012, Samsung unveils a “transparent” window screen called Samsung Smart Window. The effect feels instantly familiar. It brings the Minority Report interface fantasy straight into the real world.

The point. A window that is also a screen

Samsung Smart Window frames the display as a surface you can look through and look at. A transparent screen that turns the idea of a “window” into an interface.

What Samsung signals next

Samsung positions the Smart Window as moving toward mass production, with availability expected soon.

A few fast answers before you act

What is Samsung Smart Window?
A transparent display concept unveiled by Samsung at CES, positioned as a window-like screen.

What does it evoke culturally?
A Minority Report style interface experience, where the screen feels like a transparent surface in the real world.

Where is it introduced?
At CES, the consumer technology trade show.

What is the key value of the concept?
It makes the display feel less like a device and more like an architectural surface.

What is the stated next step?
Movement toward mass production and near-term availability.