The Magic Radio and the Suspension of Disbelief The Magic Radio OB-4 is Teenage Engineering’s latest contraption. The Swedish tech house has a history of creating curious musical instruments, gadgets, and home goods. Prefigured by a product line developed for IKEA, the Magic Radio is a Bluetooth speaker with aspirations of eccentric grandeur. Inside an obelisk that would…

Using a touchscreen carries with it the complete dependency on visual interaction. As these devices are increasingly ubiquitous we find them in places where the users’ eyes may be otherwise engaged. The result is a compromised interaction and potentially dangerous attention-dividing. …

There are nine essentials in choosing a home. While the hierarchy is up to the individual, each category captures a vital criterion to promote enduring happiness and well-being. Affordability Cost of entry can be managed. You have enough money in your bank account to buy a home, and you’ll have…

Getting Less out of More The Clock-Radio There is the clock-radio. The clock-radio takes up less space, weighs less, costs less, and works half as well as a clock and a radio. It exists in a strange in-between place of neither and both. A jack-of-all trades and master of none. True the…

What species of tree are they trying to imitate? At gross distortions of scale and proportion, these obscene things no more resemble a tree than a snowman resembles a person. And to what end? Authentic ugliness is a lesser offense than pretend beauty. Cell phone tower trees are ugly and their designers believe we are too dumb to realize it.