We’ve already come to know that wood is the next big thing for gadgets. Wooden gadgets are catching every geek’s fancy. Over the last few weeks, I have seen an array of wooden creations hitting the shelves and somehow thought of doing a round-up for our readers. Here, I have compiled a list of Top 12 Wooden Creations you would love to spend your money on. A few of them might not be available for sale and a few are still in the wilds, but all of them are a treat to geeks who are all-praise for wooden gadgets. Complete list after the jump…
12. S-series notebook concept
Designed by Simon Enever, the S-series notebook concept is made of wood. The notebook features one ultra-thin 4mm thick 17″ wide LCD screen that drastically reduces the thickness and bulk that 17-inch performance laptops usually have. The screen flips around and sits flush to produce the first ever stylish tablet. The screen itself is backed by black acrylic, you know, to compliment that wood base. Catering to business users, the S-series is a tablet PC powered by Windows Vista.
11. Half-retro, half-modern wooden car
A Ukrainian man gave up his job, sold his two other vehicles and spent one and a half years in his garage to create his dream vehicle. His literally half-modern, half-retro car has a wooden body made of thousands of oak parts. Vasily Lazarenko says the most difficult thing was to preserve the balance between the modern and vintage halves of his design, so that they didn’t clash with each other. Under the wooden bonnet there’s a 1981 Opel with a 100-horse-power engine. The wooden body was assembled with glue and bolts and is covered with five layers of waterproof and fire resistant lacquer.
10. Wooden Airplane
Some crazy folks do crazy makeovers of airplanes too! Like this neo-Victorian wooden airplane from Ukraine’s Aeroprakt. But, apparently, this wooden makeover is nothing but a custom paint job, so is not actually a modification, but maybe this Flintstones look might actually ring a bell with some millionaire. This is my kinda thing. Can anyone tell me where I could buy this one?
9. Tryane II wooden car
This beautiful wooden car featured here is not a result of any modification. This one is built from scratch by its creator Friend Wood. This one-of-a-kind wooden car titled Tryane II is hand-made through a process similar to that used by boat builders. The car weighs 900 pounds and it is capable of hitting a top speed of 100mph (160 km/h). It took Friend almost 2000 hours to create this work-of-art. No words on pricing.
8. Luxury Wooden Phone
Simply stunning! We have seen a whole lot of wooden PC cases and speakers decked in wood but have seen comparatively less of wooden phones except for the luxurious Mobiado and Hulger’s Ziricote Luxury Wooden Phone. So, another one got us drooling though its only a concept as of now. This sleek, sophisticated mobile phone features in the S-series from a design student Simon Enever. The designer has concentrated both on stylish looks and features as almost every key feature, from using the camera to making and receiving calls, is easily operated without the need to flip out the keypad.
7. Japanese wooden car
This might not look classy, but we know they are selling it. Built in Japan, the Wooden Supercar is made entirely out of wood except its engine and other mechanical gear. It is said to be made by some furniture manufacturer and can reach the speeds of up to 90km/h. The videos after the jump demos the Supercar in action and on the driving seat is the president of the furniture company. Priced at US $32,000, I don’t think anyone having brains will think of a ride in this risky car.
6. Olympus 3D Wooden Camera
After the luxurious gold-plated and diamond cameras, how about turning a green consumer with Olympus 3D Wooden Camera. The alluring wooden looks of the camera is achieved by three dimensional compression of the wood using latest Japanese technology. The wood used in the camera is the most desirable lumber in Japan that is used to build Shinto shrines and remarkable Buddhist architecture. The cypress wood body is even harder and more durable then any plastic.
5. Antique Clock case mod
The Antique Clock case mod is carved in mahogany wood and it packs a VIA processor, motherboard, 1 GB of crucial DDR2 memory and an eight-inch Earth LCD touch screen. The back also has the wi-fi antenna, power connector and a push-button power switch and there are two USB ports on the bottom of the case. The designer informs that he is ready to build one of these computers for $10,000.
4. Asus Ecobook
The ASUS’ green Ecobook aims to be as environmentally friendly as possible as ASUS is aiming for a 50% recyclable rate. The laptop touts biodegradable bamboo around the mouse pad, keyboard, and on the exteriors. The trackpad will also include a handwriting function that would let you use your fingers or stylus to enter text. The circular PowerGear button will glow red or green to indicate the amount of power being consumed. A treat for the eco lovers for sure!
3. Suissa’s Wooden Enlighten PC
Suissa, a company quite renowned for making natural wood luxury computers and components, has taken wraps off the Suissa Enlighten. It’s the first modularized PC from the house. Because of its exclusive form factor, Enlighten comes with a technology package slightly different than the rest of the Suissa collection. The salient specs include microATX motherboard, Intel Quad core CPU or AMD X2 6400+, single NVIDIA 8800GTX video card or ATI Radeon HD2900XT, 4GB PC6400 memory, 1TB hard drive space, and DVD burner. The power supply is concealed hidden in the block positioned below the Plexiglass faced wood ring. The natural, exceptional, and stunning looks of the Enlighten compensate aptly for its stocky price tag of US $16,000.
2. Singulum Luxurious Wooden Notebooks
Singulum luxury notebooks are made of high quality wood used in rich and elegant violins with ivory and 24 carat solid gold keyboard. And, the aesthetic design is complimented with advanced tech specs including core 2 duo processor, Windows Vista, Ehternet, DVD recordable (dual layer) with a 15.4inch screen representing design and engineering perfection. Singulum is built from one block of wood, and every piece is processed with a special production tool. The case, the ivory and golden keys are all handcrafted.
1. The Splinter
Splinter is an original project of a high-performance sportscar concept made of wood composites. It was started by industrial designer Joe Harmon to explore new materials and ideas. The versatility of wood allows the flexibility of experimentation and the incorporation of varied techniques and designs. Satisfied and excited though he is of his work, Mr.Hermon is painfully aware that his creation probably wouldn’t end up being a rage in the market, and appeal to, at the most, a few customers. Wood, with all its advantages, is prone to burns, cracks and splinters. Add to it the untested safety issues. The result: fewer customers. However, the features of the car are still under the wraps. All we know is that the car would be capable of speeds in excess of 240mph. It is due to hit the road later this year at a price yet to be decided.