I’ve been saying it for years: one day soon, we’re not going to be buying an Apple or Samsung flagship device. Instead, we’re going to be walking into a store (probably an Apple or Samsung store) and ticking a bunch of boxes based on what we want in the phone we’re about to buy. Touchscreen VS QWERTY keyboard, one camera or two, 5-inch or 7-inch. Everything decided by you then and there.

The Smarter Phone is a design by Bernat Lozano and Rocío García that has won second place in the Design for (Your) Product Lifetime Student Challenge and the idea is straight forward. It looks, functions and is a smartphone. Except, when it breaks (a bad drop, the camera goes fuzzy or a button kicks it) you simply strip the device open, buy a replacement part and carry on regardless.

Of course the immediate lifestyle problem is that you want a new smartphone every year, you want something to show off to your friends and you definitely don’t want to be stuck with the same piece of plastic for 5 years. What does that say about you as a trend-setter?

How about if I told you that by using the Smarter Phone instead of a new phone every year, you’d be doing your part to stop the dumping of unused electronic parts in far-flung (or not so far-flung) countries like Ghana?

This unnecessary wastage of technology is the driving force behind the designers who acknowledge that new technology like NFC arrives on the scene more often than poo on Patricia De Lille’s doorstep and they’ve theoretically made space for that in the phone.

Sure there’s a long way to go still and it’s far from a packaged solution or ideal product, but I think it’s a sign of the times and an omen of what’s to come: major manufacturers feeling the pressure of their discarded device cluttering the beaches of an African paradise, thus being forced into producing longer-lasting devices, user-upgradable hardware and fewer unit sales.

Make your money on deals with music companies. Oh wait…

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That. And fast. With a 3-litre V6 turbo-charged engine, AWD and a DSG gearbox, the mathematics of this car add up to a 0-100 time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h.

The power? 373kw.

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French architect Jean-Marie Massaud and Toyota are proud to present the ME.WE electric car and as has come to be expected, it’s all about the human, the environment and the good.

It’s made out of a tubular aluminium structure and has interchangeable expanded polypropylene body panels. That’s doors, wings and bumpers that come off and can be put back on. Imagine the number of colour combinations they’ll offer.

Each wheel has its own dedicated electric motor meaning it’s technically 4WD but can be operated in 2WD.

The floor and the roof are made from bamboo, and the occupants take precedence with any luggage carried on the bamboo roof covered by a neoprene housing. The back bench can also be removed in the case of a seat being needed while at the beach.

jean-marie massaud: ME.WE electric car concept for toyota from designboom on Vimeo.

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But the advantages of the iBeetle are more than skin deep. Owners will have to download the Beetle App to get the other functions going in the car, these include: Spotify (music service which doesn’t work in SA yet), Trainer (a feature which displays driving times, distances, speed, economy and traffic data) and Photo which takes pictures from within the car and shares them on social networks for your friends to scoff at.

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The watch obviously takes its look from the iPhone 5, matte finish, blck aluminium and shiny glass.

There’s the familiar “Home” button nestled neatly below the beautiful curved glass display and a rubber strap for comfort.

If only…

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The ‘ener-G-force’ fuel cell SUV concept is an idea of the future of environmentally friendly off-road vehicles that ambulances and policemen might be using.

Bleeding awesome, I say!

So here’s how it works (at least in theory). Obviously it’s a zero emission vehicle which stores recycled water on the roof in tanks. This water is then transferred to the ‘hydro-tech converter’ which converts the natural resources in to usable hydrogen for the fuel cells.

The energy is stored in batteries stored in the side skirts of the car, that or replaceable batteries. These change color as the charge decreases, letting the driver know it’s time for a change.

Drive 500 miles on the four wheel hub motors driving each wheel. The car also has a “Terra Scanner” on the rood which permanently scans the surroundings and is thus able to adjust suspension parameters for maximum traction on the respective surfaces.

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The Crosslane Coupe has a 1.5-litre, 133kw TFSI engine that is both petrol and electric, making this concept a plug-in hybrid.

The 17.4 KWH lithium-ion battery allows traveling of 85km on pure electric when cruising at an average of 130km/h.

Tope speed is181km/h and 0-100 is done in 8.6 seconds.

The future? Comment below.

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Decent crack at the concept of the iPhone 5 by film makers at Adney Films.

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