Blog is on pause, but please do enjoy my tweets :)

Pylon -surround speaker at Habitare furniture fairs


Habitare 2007 will be held at Helsinki at 20.-23. of september.
Our department from university of Lapland is also participating. Earlier today I heard that one of the early prototypes is featured on university web pages ;)

Unfortunately the article is available only in Finnish, but have a look at other designs too.
Codesigner for the textiles, Eija-Riitta Vähämaa and I hope that you come and visit Ahead-design area in Helsinki Fair Centre hall 5 to see how the design Really came out like.. Other interesting object might be Grandma's Revenge, by Mikael Heikkilä

The idea for the design of Pylon speaker relies on combining everyday living with new technology.
Pylon is a high quality speaker with unexpected shape and changeable textile cover on all sides. Speaker is wired from the bottom, and wires can be led to any of the four directions, which makes it highly suitable for surround speaker. With changeable covers speaker can be tuned into any interior, either to be bold or almost invisible. Textile covering all sides, speaker can be placed even in the middle of the floor. The four piece textile serie called Elo, is designed by Eija-Riitta Vähämaa.

Introduction to User Experience

Marjut had linked an introduction to user experience design onto her blog Matkalla. Since I've had similar conversations as Marjut, I find this really helpful, despite that it uses iPhone as an example.


Sony bio battery uses sugar to generate electricity

Consumer electronics companies have studied using glucose to energize their gadgets for some time, but Sony seems to be one of the first to provide some results.
Check the video from their site.
-Anyway it's absolutely great if we could get rid of massive use of different kind of batteries.

Configuring Windows wireless connection



Sometimes when repairing windows (it must count as a hobby) you end up in quite contradictive situations. Maybe most of these situations are related to internet connections.
Here Windows tells that everything will be fine after I can connect to internet. -Yes, I know that. That's the reason why I'm trying to fix it..
-Just put the article on my system!

Why mobile keyboard is below the display?


Posted from N73 through Flickr
I've been wanting to have a reversed phone for a long time. I cannot see why it couldn't be possible.
In the regular layout, with the hands of taiga- region dweller, it's nearly impossible to reach the lowest keys like C.

VR - green image of rail transportation vs. bikes


It is coming increasingly difficult to take your bike on a train at times of InterCity and Pendolino.
While old express trains can take bunch of bikes as freight at the rate of 9€, typical InterCity can take only 3 bikes at the same rate - accompanied by the passangers.
On Helsinki area commuter trains the bikes are a headache for both other passangers and bikers with the price of 3,60€. On my opinion taking bike with you could be free - if only VR facilitated trains with hooks, to lift the bikes up.

Actually those three bike places in IC-trains use kind of complicated hooks, but the actual system is terrible. There's no intuitivity nor proper guidance. The good thing is, that it locks your bike (needed?) and gives your money back - if only you end up sticking your finger into right hole.