Taking the top out of desktop, the XYZ Computer Desk is actually the computer itself, a PC table made of chromed legs and some kind of polycarbonate top, with ports and optical drive on the side, and plenty of room for expansion and clutter. And while the screen is too small for me, it is oh-so-pretty that I want to build it, even if it goes against my religion. [BornRich]

TAKEN FROM /gizmodo.com

Successful product design manages to reveal useful functionality beyond its appealing form. No matter how excellent a design looks like, most customers aren’t likely to spend money on something they won’t be able to use. On the other hand, most people are likely to buy something useful despite the design it has.

Yet the key to a truly successful product design lies in designer’s ability to combine both beautiful design and functionality making it obvious to the customers how the product can be used and which benefits it delivers. However, one can combine the beauty of design with the utility it is supposed to provide.

Most products fail to pass this test and never reach the production stage; some products do manage to get to the stores. In the overview below you’ll find an overview of some beautiful and original product designs which will hopefully make the cut and will be available in the next years. Some of them are already available today.

You may want to take a look at our related posts

• Innovative Designs and Devices
• User Experience Of The Future
• Slick Laptop Designs and Concepts
• Cutting-Edge Gadgets and Technologies
• 25 Mind-Blowing Gadgets

Way Out Fridge Magnet

Way Out Fridge Magnet
Way Out magnet is an original imitation of the standard exit sign illustrating a run to the fridge for a midnight snack. We, however, are not sure why this sign should actually be placed on the fridge.

Bracelet Watch

Bracelet Watch
The idea for this watch is classic plastic bracelet, with incorporated lines inside the watch that show the current time. Those three lines are rotating around the watch and show the time, while the seconds line is going around all the time. It is a simple concept, atractive and eye-catching. Adjusting the clock is easy as the watch is the touchscreen. All you have to do is to touche the line, click the adjust icon and slide current time line to correct time. Design by Djordje Zivanovic.

Made in China

Made in China
This product targets the entire 1.3 billion Chinese population. Each aspect of the hardware derives from an oriental inspiration which improves the PC experience for the targeted market. The hardware features a “No CPU, No Hard drive, No Graphics Card and No Sound Card” concept. These PC components are stored in a Service Provider of the new infrastructure.

Thus, subscribing to a plan of the Service Provider will allow the use of these components. The data from the components is then wirelessly transmitted to the user’s hardware. Thus, all PCs are administered by the Service Provider. MADE stands for Massively Administered Digital Entities.

MARRO computer system

MARRO computer system
This computer system analyzes, organizes, and customizes daily media activities. It is comprised of a stationary central unit and a separate mobile satellite unit. The central unit contains components such as the media card, CPU, drives and network card. The satellite unit houses the built-in Life OS, CPU, and flash memory.

Compared to the typical OS, which are limited to the resources and hardware of their physical location, the Life OS operates digital files and electronic devices that we use day to day. The MARRO ring records users’ daily media activities within the life system, constantly learning life patterns and making suggested improvements.

External Touch Screen Concept

External Touch Screen Concept
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had an external touch screen that works as a keyboard, macbook cover and a photo/movie stand?

DDM PC

DDM PC
This concept is supposed to be “integrated device for all” that is easy to use. The “DDM” is normally used as a typical LCD display for a powerful desktop CPU yet can be detached from the main body. In this detached form, the DDM acts much like the desktop PC yet supports portability. In this way, multiple DDM’s can be taken away from the main CPU and used separately. When placed back in the CPU cradle, each unit automatically syncs the its data with the local machine’s database offering one-step, seemless back-up and sharability.

Concrete Art

Concrete Art
“Concrete Art” is a beautiful way to enhance any room with pretty much any design you can think of. Contrasting the cold austerity of concrete, these floral designs are a great way to enhance any room. This design concept allows for the application of any pattern to the surface, either when pouring or afterwards when the concrete has set.

TAKEN FROM www.smashingmagazine.com

Luigi Colani is a legend among industrial designers (see both his sites 1 and 2). We’ve featured radical-looking Colani trucks, and his streamlined piano, but now - thanks to the photo material provided by Roger Todd, exclusively for DRB - we can have a glimpse of his other designs, namely -

Aerodynamic Planes, Trains and (more) Automobiles

…all from a never-never land of the most far-reaching imagination of the modern designers. To describe these concepts simply as streamlined is a huge understatement. They are wild, exciting, totally unexpected forms - a tribute to a Golden Age of futurism (see our futurism category).

This era is largely gone… we don’t see designers becoming superstar celebrities anymore, who would capture and shape world’s imagination. Industrial design has become an ‘apropos’ feature of our life, but perhaps it lost some of its glamour and inspirational influence that defined the image of 1960s and 70s.

Let’s start with trains. A steam train for Soviet Russia, no less! -

(image credit: colani.de)

This is the Coal-Dust-Powered Steam Locomotive for Siberia, 1979, more precisely for the BAM (Baikal Amur Mainline). I have no trouble imagining these beasts devouring infinite taiga-covered miles, no trouble at all. Too bad it did not materialize (BAM itself was not properly finished) -

Mono-track ideas? Sure. Here is an experimental shape for the Hamburg-Munich line “HM-1″ -

More ideas for the aerodynamic high-speed trains:
(I wonder if Japan is going to use any of them for their Shinkansen “bullet” trains)

Outrageous Transportation

Giant Flying Boat (Ekranoplan) “The Lida”, 1983

Considering the Soviet love for ekranoplans (”wing-in-ground” vehicles), it is really surprising that they did not actually made this beauty:

(image credit: colani.de)

Even larger one:

This is what I call truly radical aircraft concepts

Some of them beg the question “Why not?” (like this sketch done for the Japan Air Lines) -

…and others will leave you scratching your head, but also - perhaps considering the thought that the modern aviation is long overdue for a design overhaul:

Cars & bikes that will re-define luxury (again)

More recent design for the streamlined mobile home:

Horch Luxury Automobile design (so over-the-top that no apologies are necessary) -

(image credit: colani.de)

Check out this hood ornament:

More incredible aerodynamic shapes:

“Frog” - aerodynamic study for a motorcycle, 1973:

(images credit: Rolf Frohle)

Many of his shapes will haunt your sense of beauty - you can either love them, or hate them, there is no middle ground. However, this is the essence of exciting design: to challenge the predetermined (and possibly stale) mainstream sensibilities. Luigi Colani has been doing this like no one else since the 1970s.

Final image: This is how our space program could look, if designers like Luigi Colani had their say -

Images credit: Colani Ausstellung in Karlsruhe 2004, Colani Trading AG, Roger Todd, colani.de, Rolf Frohle

TAKEN FROM www.darkroastedblend.com

 

3M was so sure their Security Glass was unbreakable, they put a large stack of cash behind it and shoved it in a bus stop. [gizmodo]

 

YKM Bag Advertisement

Where’s your child?

Yodobashi Camera Store Bus Advertisement

Premiere “Spiderman” Advertisement

Your TV program takes a break when you do.
Personal digital TV with delayed viewing. [adsoftheworld]

Creative Adidas Advertisement

Funeral Services Advertisement

Stop’n Grow Bag Advertisement

German product that stops nail biting. [flickr]

Denver Water Advertisement

Use Only What You Need.

Sharpie Permanent Markers Advertisement

Samsung “Express Yourself” Advertisement

“Reserved for Drunk Drivers” Advertisement

Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer Advertisement

TAKEN FROM www.toxel.com

1) Realistic Icons - 3 Icons in PNG + ICO format.

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2) Onibari light - Formats are Png’s,Ico’s and Icns’s…

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3) Leopar’d IconPackager - An IconPackage for Apple’s new Leopard theme.

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4) Adobe CS 2.0 Grande Icon Set- This is the large set of Adobe Creative Suite Icons.

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5) Glossy Member Icons - Glossy Member Icons…4 PNG Files…Easy to change colors…

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6) Oxygen- Are as light and airy as their name suggests. Beautiful transparency effects make these icons stylish, graceful, and especially gorgeous set against a dark background.

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7) iPhone Pack- iPhone icon pack (
Phone, Text, Chat, iPod, Notes, System)

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8 ) isabi - Includes icons for most Adobe applications, Microsoft Office 2008 as well as a few extras in 16, 32, 48, 128, 256 and 512 pixel sizes.

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9) Helix icons

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10) Prostor_icons

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11) Shopping Basket Icons 3D

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12) TextEdit - A replacement icon for TextEdit, Notepad.

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13) Paper Clip - icon size 512×512px in png

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14) Icon for Transformers

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15) Aeon

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16) ALL ICONS pack “limewire…”- 500*500 PIXELS - LEOPARD AND VISTA

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17) Adobe CS3 full pack- 256×256 png. & ico.

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18) AccBox

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19) Apple Mail Icons

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20) Windows Icons V1 - Custom Windows XP / Vista Icon pack.

TAKEN FROM www.noupe.com

One of the most important and hardest things to overcome when designing is to understand when the piece you are designing on is actually finished. while creativity is sometime boundless the end result should always be the result of a clear objective, the end result. I often get caught between creativity and completion and from the emails I’ve received, I have discovered im not alone .So we asked the experts.

Before the answers I’d like to thank all designers that answered this question. And a special thanks to Justin Maller for the great help. Also we’d love to know your opinion, so leave a question telling us when do you think a design is finished.

Chuck Anderson - http://nopattern.com

When any more would be too much and any less would be too little. Knowing when something is finished comes down to an eye for composition and detail, in my opinion. If I can look at the image and it has good balance and just “feels” right. It’s hard to explain, you just kind of know when it’s time to stop. Of course, if you’re working for a client, it’s time to stop when they say it’s time to stop!

 

James White - http://www.signalnoise.com

I see my artwork as one big organic process. If I like elements and methods I developed in previous pieces, I am prone to re-use them again in a different way for a new work. Art is constant exploration, so in a way I am never finished my work. However, when I feel an individual design is going well the best thing to do is close it and step away for a while. I let my eyes rest for an hour or so. When I return to look at it again errors and inconsistancies tend to be very obvious. In the end, if I can look at a piece of my art the next day and it still looks okay, then I’m on the right track. Everyone has to think about their personal workflow to find the proper balance of achieving your goal with a given idea, while not overworking it at the same time.

 

Justin Maller - http://www.superlover.com.au

I know a piece is finished when I set it as my wallpaper and don’t notice any flaws.

 

Guilherme Marconi - http://brain.marconi.nu/

I always ask myself the same thing, like if it has met my expectations.

It’s done when I let my feelings tell me if everything is OK. I use the same thing to choose colors, where to add shadows, and the most important, if the process to get to that point was pleasant and satisfactory. That for me is more important than the end result, and for me, it’s done. Then it’s just save it and show to my fiance, my main critics.

 

Collis Ta’eed - http://eden.cc, http://collistaeed.com/

“I know a design is finished when every time I add something or adjust something it seems to get worse. I often create a set of history snapshots of the design trying different things - additions or small alterations - and then show them to my wife - who is also a designer. When we both agree that the original is already complete then I delete the snapshots and stop there. Of course sometimes adding one more element can lead you down a whole other path of design, and I have wound up totally reworking a look. But that’s the joy of design, there are always many solutions to a problem!”

 

Alberto Seveso - http://www.recycledarea.co.uk

well.. i don’t know! I’m never sure when a piece is ended or it seems good, I try and risk, but I have a small secret to say, I never look the illustration of forehead when I believe is ready, I tilt my head of 45° on my left side and I look the monitor, if I like from this
position I consider done.

 

Phil Dunne - http://www.lovetherobot.com

As Andy Warhol once said about art, ‘If you don’t think about it, it’s right.’ When I start to get goosebumps while I’m working on an illustration, it feels right. That’s when I know it’s time to stop.

 

Erik Finsrud - http://www.thenorik.com

My work is normally never finalized till I’ve received feedback from my peers, they will always see something in a way I haven’t. I enjoy involving others in my process.

 

James Wignall - http://www.mutanthands.com

When the deadline is met.

 

taken from abduzeedo.com

 

 

Desktop wallpapers can serve as an excellent source of inspiration. However, if you use some specific wallpaper for a long period of time, it becomes harder to draw inspiration out of it. That’s why we have decided to supply you with smashing wallpapers over 12 months.

And to make them a little bit more distinctive from the usual crowd, we’ve decided to embed calendars for the upcoming month. So if you need to look up some date, isn’t it better to show off a nice wallpaper with a nice calendar instead of launching some default time application?

This post features 15 free desktop wallpapers, designed by 15 designers across the globe. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free.

Please notice:

• all images can be clicked and lead to the preview of the wallpaper;
• you can feature your work in our magazine by taking part in our desktop wallpaper calendar series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?

So what wallpapers have we received for May?

Whale

Available in 12 desktop resolutions — both widescreen and fullscreen. Designed by Vlad Gerasimov from Irkutsk, Russia.

• preview (0.1 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar:
  800×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×1024 , 1280×800, 1280×960 , 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1600
• without calendar:
  800×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×1024 , 1280×800, 1280×960 , 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1600

Stay Creative

“The wallpaper is an illustration based on this Picasso quote: “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”. In the illustration, the adult is looking through the wall at his creativity from childhood trying to get it back.” Designed by Tim Newton from USA.

• preview (0.1 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1680×1050, 1600×1200, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×960, 1680×1050, 1600×1200, 1920×1200

Tribute

“This design is a personal interpretation of June in Macedonia: beautiful sunny days, red poppy fields and Nikola Madzirov’s poetry. A personal tribute to all the beauty in this world. Girl image inspired by Banksy.” Designed by Meri Donevska-Kosturanova from Macedonia.

• preview (0.5 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1680×1050, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Beginning of madness

“When I thought what was inspiring me in May, the mind filled me with flowers, and when I wanted to do the calendar of June I saw it quite full of boil, quite green. Then I found a tutorial in “psd tuts” that helped me to fulfil the wallpaper. The motive of the phrase that it accompanies is the feeling euphoria that transmits me this month.” Designed by Alba Soler from Spain.

• preview (0.1 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1680×1050, 1600×1200, 1920×1200

Eternal Sunshine

“Designed completely in Photoshop. My idea to this timetable was based on the prophecy and Maya, all that power and magic secret that there are only in the pyramids in Mexico.” Designed by Miguel Angel Lozada from Mexico.

• preview (0.2 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1200×900, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

You Slag

“Looking forward to another hectic summer in Brighton…” Designed by Mark Hurrell.

• preview (0.1 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1200×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Rhino

“I suppose that I got influenced by the works of Scott Hansen. I just love the retro feel in his designs. Furthermore I used brushes which were meant to emulate the effects of James White. I wanted to have these different sections which form an entity, sort of like when you look through a window and the frame is hiding parts of what is behind. The origami rhinoceros was the last element I inserted and finally gave rise to the title.

The final design is not what I had sketched out but it never is for me. I need a basic idea and then just play around until I’m happy with it.” Designed by Franz Jeitz from Luxembourg.

• preview (0.2 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Nec scire fas est omnia

“It is impossible to know everything” horaz - well true, but not to worry as I learned in life and business, it is better to know a lot of educated people from different disciplines, then you’ll know a lot yourself. And in the end, there is always Google and Wikipedia.” Designed by Dirk Worring from Krefeld, Germany.

• preview (0.2 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Daydream

“I love daydream, when I fall in the daydream,everything is strange, it’s a surrealistic world. Everything has their own soul and live in the unique way, no pain, no goal, just enjoy the imagination.” Designed by Dan Chetao.

• preview (0.1 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Umbrella

“Umbrella, sky, lights…..and the girl is so pretty!” Designed by Cléo Morgause from Brazil.

• preview (0.15 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Retro Summer

“Well, June it is the month where the summer starts, and when i think in Summer, i think about California and the Beach Boys, and when i think in that, i start to think about retro stuff, and then retro design!” Designed by Bleed from Mexico.

• preview (0.4 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1680×1050, 1600×1200, 1920×1200

The DJ

“The wallpaper isn’t created only for DJ-fans or people who’ve seen DJ’s at work. The wallpaper can really give a warm feeling to everyones desktop. And after all, aren’t we all DJ’s of our lives?” Designed by Vincent Vander Cruyssen from Belgium.

• with calendar: 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

June Bug

“This inspiration came when we heard that the Cicadas are coming again this summer. And although not of the cicada family, Junebugs can be nearly as annoyingly creepy. The design incorporate a visual pun on the back of the ‘creature’, as well as a near subliminal ghoul face up above within the darkness.” Designed by Michael Langham.

• preview (0.26 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1200×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1900×1200
• without calendar: 1200×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1900×1200

Date and Time

Designed by Grikshmi Manandhar from Nepal.

• preview (0.1 Mb, jpg)
• with calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

TAKEN FROM www.smashingmagazine.com

Our Amazing Food Art post was very popular and received a lot of great feedback. Therefore, we decided to write another post showcasing food art. This time, we are featuring Incredible Sushi Art:

 

Japanese Sushi Sunflowers

Japanese sushi chef and show off, Ken Kawasumi, opted to recreate Van Gogh’s Sunflowers with sushi. [tokyotimes]

Sushi Art Collection

I Love Sushi ! You Love Sushi ! We love Sushi !!! [flickr]

More Sushi Art

TAKEN FROM www.toxel.com

JVC’s new GZ-MS100 is totally YouTube. How YouTube? It has a freakin’ YouTube sticker on the side. Also, it allows one-button YouTube uploads to challenge the Flip Video.

Essentially a high-end SD card video recorder, the $350 GZ-MS100 records MPEG-2 and features a 35x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD screen, about 2 hours of stock battery life, various shooting modes, and an optional (YouTube-friendly) 10-minute recording limit. It’ll run $350 this June.

New JVC Camcorder Offers One-Touch Uploading To YouTube™WAYNE, NJ, May 19, 2008 - Sharing videos over the Internet is now easier than ever with the launch of a new JVC camcorder that provides one-button uploading to YouTube™, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos.
The new JVC Everio S Series memory camcorder, the GZ-MS100, was designed to make sharing simple for the millions of people who enjoy sharing their videos with the world over the Internet. And unlike many of the other camcorders that target Internet users, JVC’s GZ-MS100 provides an impressive array of full-fledged camcorder features that give it the versatility to do more than shoot short Internet videos.
It looks strikingly similar to the popular Everio G Series camcorders, but is smaller and weighs only 0.60 lbs. including battery, because it records to an SD Card (user provided) instead of a built-in hard disk drive. The ever-increasing capacity and affordability of new SD Cards appearing on the market means that over time Everio S will be able to offer expanded recording time at a lower per minute cost.

Once the provided CyberLink software is installed on a Windows® PC, uploading video clips to YouTube™ is quick and easy. The camcorder has an UPLOAD button that works in two ways. In the camera mode, press UPLOAD and then the trigger, and this limits recordings to 10 minutes in length, which matches the YouTube™ file size limit. This eliminates the need to manually time recordings or go back to edit and shorten footage. After recording is done, connect the GZ-MS100 to a PC via a USB cable and press the UPLOAD button. This automatically launches the supplied application for uploading to YouTube™. After just a few mouse clicks the video will be up on the Internet for everybody to see. The original video quality is maintained in the camera, so it can be used for any other purpose.

For storage and cataloging, recorded videos can easily be transferred to a PC via USB2.0 or directly using the SD Card. The provided CyberLink application also allows easy burning to DVD using the computer’s optical disc drive. Or, to create DVDs without using a computer JVC offers the CU-VD3 Everio SHARE STATION as an option. Since it was designed as an Everio companion, this DVD burner accommodates Everio’s USB Host function that allows scene playback order to be rearranged within the camera before transfer.

The GZ-MS100 features Laser Touch Operation, first offered in the Everio G Series camcorders released earlier this year. The feature’s scroll bar and buttons are touch-sensitive so the user just glides a finger up or down the bar to choose menu items while its blue light follows the movements. The LCD screen itself is never touched, so it won’t get dirty, smudged or covered in fingerprints. The 2.7-inch LCD screen, the same one used on Everio G series models, has Auto Backlight Control to automatically adjust brightness for comfortable viewing indoors or outdoors. And with Auto Power ON/OFF, the user simply opens up the LCD to power-on and start shooting (takes only about one second if Quick Restart mode is engaged), and closes the LCD to shut the power off and avoid draining the battery.
The shape of the camcorder itself facilitates ease of use, with a contoured grip that snugly and securely fits the palm of the hand.

In addition to the supplied BN-VF808 rechargeable battery that provides 2 hr. 5 minutes of operation per charge, higher capacity batteries are available: BN-VF815 for 4 hr. 15 minutes and BN-VF823 for 6 hr. 25 minutes of continuous operation per charge.

Up front, the GZ-MS100 is equipped with a KONICA MINOLTA LENS that provides a 35x optical zoom with excellent picture quality. JVC’s proprietary Gigabrid Engine also contributes to quality by incorporating six digital noise reduction systems to improve the S/N ratio by about 30 percent (3dB) over previous models, and integrating the MPEG-2 encoder to help reduce block noise and mosquito noise. Other full-fledged camera functions include Program AE with shooting modes to accommodate a variety of situations (Night, Twilight, Portrait, Sports, Snow, Spotlight), Digital Image Stabilizer to minimize camera-shake, and much more.

TAKEN FROM gizmodo.com

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that iPhone case manufacturers have gotten an early peek at the 3G iPhone, but this rendering on XSKN’s site for the EXO mask iPhone 3G is obviously a bit more detailed than the rough sketches from a couple weeks ago. It lines up with them though, as well as what we’ve heard earlier: It’s a bit thicker, with a more pronounced curve to the back, though it’s hard to tell if the headphone jack is flush now. The earpiece hole spans almost the whole width of the phone—could it be for a front-face camera? Apply the usual skepticism here, but this could be plausible, given that cases will have to be ready in time for launch, so manufacturers likely already have the specs. [XSKN via Mac Rumors]

TAKEN FROM gizmodo.com