Color Picker Pen

Image Source: Amazon

When I was a little girl, I really liked this multi-colored retractable pen that allowed me to use many different colors without using many pens. However, I was disappointed by the quality of it. The ink cartridge sticks were so thin that they broke easily because the multiple cartridges had to be fit in one tiny pen. After many years passed, the brilliant concept of a pen has been introduced which I’ve never thought before.

Color Picker is a concept pen that can scan colors from any object in real life. It’s the same concept of eyedropper tool in Photoshop. You simply press the color scan button after you place the pen anywhere you desire. The color will be detected by the RGB color sensor, and then the RGB cartridge located within the pen mixes the inks to create the desired color that has been scanned. This pen was designed by Korean designer Jinsu Park and won the 2008 Red Dot Design Award. However, this product is still in the prototype stage and there is no information about future release date. I assume that the designer is on the stage of making it, and I’m sure that the designer will work on the areas to improve. Since most print uses CMYK, I’m curious that if RGB can produce all the colors that CMYK can produce.

If this concept could become a manufacturing stage, this would be a very useful invention in our life. It will save our money just simply refilling the ink without buying different pens. However, it will be expensive and other companies that are making pens will be badly impacted as well.   

Image Source: Designboom.com

My Dream House

Image Source: McClean Design

This house is called “Blue Jay Way”, located above the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles, California. Completed in 2008, this 6,800 sq. ft. house was designed by McClean Design and built by Corr contemporary Homes. The exterior of the house is made of concrete and stone that achieved the look of a contemporary home with natural feeling. Wooden tiles that are used in the room floors add more natural feeling to it.  The 75-foot-long pool divides a house in half, and it meets the Jacuzzi at the end of the edge. The windows of the house are mainly covered by glasses, which emphasize a wide open feeling. The overall look of the house has a contemporary feel to it. It feels spacious, stylish, and comfortable. There are many places to sit and enjoy the view of the city and skies. It’s absolutely a great combination of nature and the contemporary architecture.

SONY HMZ-T3W Personal 3D Viewer

Source: SONY

The Sony has launched a third generation of the personal 3D viewer on November 2013. The main component of this product is a 2D or 3D projection that offers the appearance of a 750-inch TV screen in front of your eyes. The idea of the product is that you are watching an equivalent of 63 feet tall cinema screen sitting from 20 meters away, so you have the same experience as you do in theaters. Unlike the first and second-generation, this product is portable and battery operated. It became much lighter than the previous versions and includes wireless connectivity with 1280 x 720p dual OLED (displays that are able to deliver sharper and brighter images than LCDs, while using less power) screens. Also, the audio quality has been enhanced from 5.1 virtual surround to 7.1 channel surround-sound immersive audio. However, the price is very high; $999.99 at the U.S. stores.

The Sony’s idea of the personal viewer fits well on our society today. We live in a busy society and the technology has helped us become more productive. I assume that this product will make our life more entertaining. On the other hand, this type of products may decrease our social interactions and cause us to become dependent on technology. If this product makes us happy enough, we might think that it’s not necessary to go to movies with someone. There are always pros and cons.  

LA Express Park Project

Traffic congestion in LA is probably the worst in the nation and it’s gotten worse. Furthermore, finding a street parking space in LA has always been difficult, but it’s grown worse lately. Valet park could save time, but I always feel like it’s a waste of money. I can’t even count how many times I had been running late for my appointments and meetings because of the parking.

Image Source: laexpresspark.org

LA Express Park is a one-year pilot program and it's one component of the LA Congestion Reduction Demonstration. Their goal is to increase the availability of limited public parking spaces, so that eventually reduces traffic congestion and pollution, and encourages people to use alternative modes of transportation. Also, the city may adjust parking rates based on the project analysis. For instance, when demand for parking is low, rates are low, and when demand is high, rates increase.   Their demonstration has begun on May 2012 in a 4.5-square-mile area in downtown LA.

Image Source: Parkme.com

The great thing about the project is that they introduce several apps for the better parking solution. The main function of the app is to find an empty parking space for you. Once you tab on the icon of the selected area, it will provide information about rates, hours, and more. You can also filter by your preferences including EV charging stations, ADA Handicapped spaces, specific payment options (credit card, coins, and smartphone), etc. The project has also included a cell phone payment option, which I think it is an innovative approach. It has a timer option, too. It will remind you when your meter is about to expire. I think the idea of the project is great and thanks to technology, our lives become more productive. 

Avery Address Labeling

Photo by Sun Kang

Image Source: Avery

Avery is well known manufacturer of self-adhesive labels for laser and ink jet printers, crafts & scrapbooking, dividers, cards, binders and other office-related supplies. The product on the image above is an address label. Address label has about a hundred kinds of types depending on their dimensions, number per sheet, colors, printer type, and shapes. I often use them as an address label as well as the name label on the back of the presenting board for my school project.  Furthermore, they are useful at so many different places such as locker, drawer, book cover, folders, and so on. The material of the product is mainly a paper and adhesive tape is fixed on the back of the paper. They are jam-free and smudge-free, so you will get a label that looks professional and polished every time.

Image Source: Avery

The best thing about this product is that Avery offers template software for all labeling products with free of charge. Templates are available at Avery website and all you need is a product number or keyword. Avery apps for smartphones and tablets are now available.  If you need name labels, buy you’re away from your computer, app is good to go. Then, you print labels from your devices with a compatible printer or email your labels to print later. I never thought about this labeling technology back in the days. Technology has improved our standard of living in this short amount of time period. I wonder how this labeling technique will change over the time.