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This miniature of the original Macintosh has 2-inch display and it’s fully functional

Miniaturization is not new to computers and rigs. We have seen our share of devices with unfathomably small form factors, skimmed down all the way from room-sized mainframes of the yesteryears. Now, someone’s taken things a step further by creating a fully functional miniature classic Macintosh complete with a display that’s only two inches diagonally. While it’s a nostalgic little Mac, it is not what we are waiting for in the AI-driven world.

We’ve got our eyes fixed on what Apple’s former design chief Jonathan Ive’s cooking up with the creators of ChatGPT. It is not evidently clear what, but whatever they are working on is definitely going to take things to a new level of minimalism. Reportedly, the project is an AI-powered personal device rumored to be screenless. It will be designed to deliver assistance in a truly pocket-friendly form, focusing on voice rather than visual interaction. Back to the Mac, it’s a definitive min version Apple’s never going to attempt, but you can secure files to 3D print this tiny tot for yourself.

Designer: 1-bit Rainbow

Before you get to that: the tiny classic Mac is created by 1-bit Rainbow, an online seller of spares and parts of vintage Apple products. Instead of offering out parts, the retailer has taken matters into its own hands and created a miniaturized replica of the original Macintosh that measures 2.4 inches (62mm) tall and houses a miniature 480×640 pixel LCD display. 3D printed chassis looks like the real Macintosh and behaves like one from the ‘80s, but of course, it’s in a very petite form factor.

Before you start to wonder, yes, the little Mac is powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico, which lends this guy its name: the Pico-Mac-Nano. The Raspberry Pi has enough power to emulate a Macintosh’s authentic OS flavor, but things are not going to be as stable for obvious reasons. Yet, if you choose to own one of these tiny desktops, you can plug in your USB mouse and keyboard and play – whatever it would – on this little guy in the real world. It should be able to pull off the Dark Castle courtesy of its 512MB storage, microSD card slot, and a three-volt CR2 battery that can keep the system going for a while.

Since it is functional, the Pico-Mac-Nano is also available for purchase. You can buy it for $59, fully assembled for plug-and-play. And if you want to try it your way, 1-bit Rainbow is also providing 3D printing files to print your own chassis. To gauge the scale of what you are committing to, a photo of the miniature Mac is released alongside a Coke can, need I say more about how small it is?

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PIEK Is An AI-Powered Guitar Tutor Concept That Makes Learning Fun for Beginners

Learning guitar has always had a certain mystique, the kind that draws in people eager to strum their favorite tunes or just jam along with friends. There’s an undeniable thrill in picking up a guitar for the first time, imagining all the songs you’ll soon be able to play. Yet, as any beginner quickly discovers, getting started isn’t always as simple as it seems, and the obstacles can pile up before you even learn your first chord.

It’s easy to think that buying a guitar is the only real hurdle, but the reality is a little more complicated. The cost of amplifiers, cables, and other must-have accessories can catch new players off guard. And even once you’ve assembled all your gear, the price of private lessons or music school can feel out of reach, especially if you’re just hoping for a casual hobby. Many turn to YouTube tutorials as a budget-friendly option, but these videos only go so far.

Designer: Haneul Kang

Forming good habits early on is crucial when learning guitar, but beginners practicing on their own often pick up bad techniques without realizing it. Things like awkward wrist angles, clumsy picking, or crooked finger placement creep in and become hard to reverse over time. The problem with online videos is that they can’t watch you play or tell you when you’re making a mistake. You’re left guessing whether your posture is correct or your rhythm is steady.

That’s where PIEK, a clever AI-powered guitar tutor concept, comes into play. Shaped like a familiar guitar pick, PIEK clips onto your guitar headstock and uses a camera and smart sensors to analyze your hand movements. It’s not just watching; it’s learning with you, offering instant feedback so you can catch and fix bad habits before they stick. Practicing feels less like guesswork and more like having a patient guide by your side.

PIEK SOLO is the compact version of the device, designed for quick, mobile use. It attaches right to the headstock, tracking your picking hand with a camera and sensors that notice everything from your picking strength to your finger patterns. The connected app beams feedback straight to your phone, so you know whether your technique is on point or needs a little nudge. Its lightweight build and simple design mean you can clip it on and start learning right away, wherever inspiration strikes.

The PIEK DUO takes things a step further for those who want even deeper insights. Instead of clipping onto the guitar, DUO is a freestanding device that sits in front of the player, using a wide-angle camera to track both hands. Its LED strip pulses like a metronome that adjusts to your tempo, giving you a visual cue to help lock in your groove. With its AI-driven rhythm detection, DUO knows exactly when you’re falling behind or rushing ahead, and will let you know.

For the most thorough experience, you can use SOLO and DUO together, watching both hands in real-time. This dual setup means you get feedback on your fretting and strumming, making it easier than ever to smooth out those early rough patches. For anyone who’s struggled to learn guitar on their own, or who found traditional lessons out of reach, PIEK offers a fun, affordable, and smart new way to practice.

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Brown Jordan’s Huntley Collection Redefines Coastal Luxury with Wave-Inspired Weaving Innovation

What happens when the rhythmic dance of ocean waves meets cutting-edge outdoor furniture design? Brown Jordan’s latest Huntley Collection offers a stunning answer that’s reshaping our perception of coastal luxury. The collection represents a complete reimagining of how natural inspiration can drive functional innovation.

When Ocean Waves Meet Outdoor Living

The Huntley Collection captures something most outdoor furniture misses entirely: the actual essence of coastal living rather than just its visual clichés. Designer Ann Marie Vering didn’t want to create furniture that looked beachy. She wanted to bottle the feeling of watching waves roll endlessly toward shore, translating that hypnotic rhythm into something you could actually sit on and live with.

This approach shows in every curve and connection point. The collection’s sweeping lines don’t suggest coastal elegance – they embody the fluid movement that makes oceanside moments so captivating. Where traditional outdoor furniture often feels static and predictable, Huntley introduces an organic flow that makes each piece feel alive.

Ann Marie Vering’s Coastal Design Revolution

Vering’s breakthrough came through her fresh interpretation of traditional weaving techniques. Instead of following conventional patterns, she developed extra-wide interlacing straps that genuinely mirror the way waves overlap and intersect as they approach the shore. The straps function as structural components that serve both form and function, going far beyond mere decoration.

The genius lies in how these wave-inspired straps integrate with sleek metal frameworks. Rather than competing for attention, the soft woven elements and rigid metal structures create a harmonious balance that feels both substantial and graceful. It’s the kind of thoughtful material pairing that elevates furniture from functional to genuinely beautiful.

Vering has fundamentally rethought how coastal inspiration can inform actual construction methods, creating pieces that feel authentically connected to their oceanic inspiration.

Weaving Innovation That Mimics Nature

The technical execution of Huntley’s weaving system represents a significant leap forward in outdoor furniture construction. Those extra-wide straps aren’t wider versions of traditional materials – they’re engineered to flex and move in ways that mirror natural wave motion while maintaining structural integrity under real-world use.

This innovation extends beyond aesthetics into genuine performance benefits, creating seating surfaces that adapt to users while maintaining the visual rhythm that makes the collection so compelling.

Modular Magic for Every Space

Huntley’s modular design philosophy transforms how people can approach outdoor space planning. The system offers genuinely endless configuration possibilities, adapting seamlessly whether you’re working with a compact urban balcony or sprawling resort terrace. Each component connects intuitively with others, creating custom arrangements that feel intentional rather than cobbled together.

This versatility proves particularly valuable for hospitality applications, where spaces need to serve multiple functions throughout the day. A morning coffee setup can transform into afternoon lounging and evening entertainment without requiring completely different furniture sets.

The collection brings sophisticated coastal aesthetics to both residential retreats and commercial spaces. Fashion-inspired details elevate the overall design language while maintaining the practical durability that outdoor furniture demands.

What makes this modular approach unique is its ability to maintain design coherence regardless of configuration. Whether you’re using three pieces or thirty, the wave-inspired rhythm remains consistent.

The fluid design philosophy invites experimentation, encouraging users to discover new arrangements that work for their specific needs and spaces.

Kravet Brings Textile Mastery to the Mix

Brown Jordan’s partnership with textile industry leader Kravet adds another dimension to their 2025 offerings. This collaboration combines Brown Jordan’s furniture expertise with Kravet’s century-long heritage in luxury textiles. The timing couldn’t be better, as outdoor living spaces increasingly demand the same design sophistication as interior rooms.

The partnership leverages Kravet’s extensive archive of classic patterns, reinterpreting them specifically for outdoor applications. The approach involves thoughtful adaptation that maintains the integrity of original designs while meeting outdoor performance requirements.

40 Patterns That Redefine Outdoor Style

The Kravet x Brown Jordan Collection encompasses 40 distinct outdoor textile designs, each drawing inspiration from Kravet’s rich pattern archive. These are carefully curated designs that complement the coastal sophistication of collections like Huntley while standing strong as independent style statements.

The collaboration successfully bridges the gap between indoor design sophistication and outdoor durability requirements. Classic patterns receive a new lease on life through advanced, outdoor-ready materials and construction techniques.

This comprehensive range ensures designers and homeowners can find textiles that enhance rather than compete with their furniture choices. The sophisticated and versatile designs are equally well-suited for both residential and commercial applications.

The collection represents a significant step forward in outdoor textile offerings, bringing interior-quality design thinking to spaces that have traditionally accepted lower aesthetic standards.

Market Impact

The industry reception at High Point Market Spring 2025 confirms that both collections address real market needs for more sophisticated outdoor design options. Trade buyers have particularly responded to Huntley’s modular flexibility and the textile collection’s design depth.

These launches position Brown Jordan at the forefront of the growing trend toward outdoor spaces that match the sophistication levels of interiors, setting new standards for what luxury outdoor living can achieve.

The post Brown Jordan’s Huntley Collection Redefines Coastal Luxury with Wave-Inspired Weaving Innovation first appeared on Yanko Design.

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ecoLogicStudio reimagines domesticity through microbial architectural installation

DeepForest³ reimagines Forest ecologies at domestic scale

 

DeepForest³ is a microbial architectural installation developed by ecoLogicStudio in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck and the Bartlett UCL. The project is part of the We the Bacteria: Notes Toward Biotic Architecture exhibition at the 24th International Exposition of La Triennale di Milano, curated by Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley. The installation proposes a domestic space structured as an active microbial ecosystem. It utilizes biotechnological systems to establish a functional relationship between architecture, biological processes, and environmental conditions. The spatial arrangement includes components that perform photosynthesis, biodegradation, and carbon storage, forming an integrated biotic infrastructure.

 

At the center of the installation are three types of architectural components: Photosynthesizers, Biodegraders, and Carbon storers. Photosynthesizers, filled with 50 liters of living cyanobacteria, actively capture CO₂ from the gallery environment and convert it into oxygen and biomass. These glass vessels are arranged to form a breathable membrane, both wall and filter, alive with metabolic activity. Biodegraders, built from 3D printed bark-like shells made of algae biopolymers, host living mycelium networks. These fungi feed on spent coffee grounds, a readily available urban waste, and grow into dense, fibrous forms that line the space like living insulation, mimicking salvaged birch trunks but grown from synthetic matter. Carbon storers, such as reclaimed wood elements and active lichen colonies, integrate with these systems to stabilize and reframe the aesthetics of waste as beauty, turning the byproducts of decay into architectural ornament.

all images by Xiao Wang, courtesy of ecoLogicStudio and the Synthetic Landscape Lab

 

 

ecoLogicStudio merges biology with digital fabrication

 

The design strategy followed by ecoLogicStudio’s team aligns the architectural system with Italy’s history of landscape engineering, drawing a comparison between historical interventions and microbial resilience. The spatial configuration compresses forest ecologies into a controlled interior scale. Floor and wall assemblies incorporate engraved and porous substrates, enabling air exchange, moisture retention, and microbial colonization. ‘We are now more and more aware that our own nature is cyborgian and collective, and that our own identities extend far beyond the limits of our bodies. We are microbial ecosystems, we are algorithmic networks. It is a necessary consequence that our home becomes an extension of these ecosystems and networks. Our home is our microbiome,’ shares Prof. Claudia Pasquero.

 

The installation emphasizes visibility of technical systems. Algae growth chambers, mycelial substrates, air and CO₂ pumps remain exposed, functioning as both operative systems and formal features. This approach integrates the mechanical and biological processes into the architectural language rather than concealing them. ‘The installation aims to celebrate the first time microbial architecture enters the Italian temple of design, the Milano Triennale. I think this is an epochal moment. For this reason, we took great care in its design and detailing. DeepForest³ is really more than just a temporary installation, it delivers a fully functional and tangible biotechnological living system, grounded in the metabolic cycles of algae and fungi, but brought to life through bespoke digital design and unique material craftsmanship,’ comments Dr. Marco Poletto.

DeepForest³ installation presented at the 24th International Exposition of La Triennale di Milano

 

 

DeepForest³ exhibits open-source biotechnological integration

 

A secondary feature of the installation is the Zolla bench, made from modular cork blocks and honeycomb cardboard base. The bench is designed for live mycelium cultivation, which gradually transforms the surface through colonization and mushroom growth. This component demonstrates real-time material transformation and user interaction with biologically active surfaces. The installation supports cyclical material use, passive environmental modulation, and open-source system integration. It is conceived as a domestic prototype for future biotechnological applications in architecture, emphasizing accessible and distributed cultivation of photosynthetic and fungal organisms within built environments.

 

DeepForest³ forms part of an ongoing research initiative by ecoLogicStudio and the Synthetic Landscape Lab. Parallel projects include Tree.One, Bio.Lab, FundamentAI, and CryoflorE, which extend this inquiry across multiple international venues including the Venice Architecture Biennale, Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, and MUDAC Lausanne. The installation opens to the public on May 12th, 2025.

visible systems turn the walls into a living, cyber-organic laboratory

air pumps circulate air and CO₂, supporting algae and mycelium growth

engaged with the living installation

Carbon storer made from reclaimed trees and 3d printed barks

Carbon storer made from reclaimed trees and 3d printed barks

Photosynthesizers and AIReactor in action

Zolla bench is composed of mycelium colonizing cork, with mushrooms starting to sprout

 

 

project info:

 

name: DeepForest³

designer: ecoLogicStudio | @ecologicstudio

location: Milan, Italy

 

lead designers: Prof. Claudia Pasquero, Dr. Marco Poletto

commissioner: Triennale di Milano

exhibition curators: Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley

academic partners: Synthetic Landscape Lab IOUD Innsbruck University, Urban Morphogenesis Lab BPRO The Bartlett UCL

design team: Prof. Claudia Pasquero, Dr. Marco Poletto, Jasper Zehetgruber, Francesca Turi, Alessandra Poletto

prototyping support team: Jonas Wohlgenannt, Korbinian Enzinger, Felix Humml, Bo Liu, Mika Schulz, Michael Unterberger, Marco Matteraglia, Beyza Nur Armağan, Beatriz Gonzalez Arechiga and Xiao Wang

photographer: Xiao Wang

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post ecoLogicStudio reimagines domesticity through microbial architectural installation appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

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Extreme Package Design: The Art Edition of the “Calatrava – Complete Works” Book

If you’re a fan of the architect Santiago Calatrava, you can buy Taschen’s “Calatrava – Complete Works 1979 – Today” coffee table book for $200. The nearly-700-page tome is loaded with text and images including both photos and his original watercolor sketches.

If you’re a Calatrava superfan, you can pony up for the special Art Edition of the book. This version, of which only 300 were produced, comes with two signed lithographs and a pretty on-brand package design by Calatrava himself:

The Art Edition is a tad pricier at $2,500.

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Stories of Black Britishness by Lubaina Himid

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10 Things You Must See When You Visit the Frida Kahlo House

The post 10 Things You Must See When You Visit the Frida Kahlo House appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

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The Magical World of Maxfield Parrish in 10 Artworks

The post The Magical World of Maxfield Parrish in 10 Artworks appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

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brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza

milan’s brutalist icon returns with new mixed-use identity

 

After a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca, Milan’s iconic skyscraper, reopens to the public with a fresh identity that amplifies its brutalist-modernist legacy. First completed in 1958 by the avant-garde collective BBPR (Banfi, Belgiojoso, Peressutti, and Rogers), the concrete tower has long stood as a symbol of postwar Italian resilience and experimentation. Now, under the direction of Hines, with Asti Architetti leading the architectural refurbishment and Studio Valerie Traan and Amdl Circle contributing interior and public realm design, Torre Velasca enters a new phase as a hybrid vertical complex that combines residential, corporate, cultural, and communal uses, anchored by a newly created urban piazza.

all images ©Albo

 

 

Hines and Asti Architetti restore Torre Velasca

 

The defining form of the tower, composed of a rational base rising into a dramatic overhanging crown supported by angled buttresses, is preserved in its entirety. Often likened to a medieval fortress or Lombard tower, its bold silhouette remains unchanged, but its skin and systems are carefully upgraded. The original clinker brick facade, one of the most distinctive features of the building, was subjected to extensive restoration, led by Milan-based Asti Architetti for global real estate firm Hines, using laser cleaning and manual repair techniques to preserve its original grain and irregularities. Windows, some of which had been replaced with incompatible frames in the decades since its construction, were returned to BBPR’s specifications, reintroducing uniformity and rhythm to the grid.

 

The restoration also involves an overhaul of the building’s technological core—HVAC, energy efficiency systems, acoustic insulation, and digital infrastructure—earning the project LEED Gold and WiredScore Gold certifications. ‘The restoration had to be invisible,’ explains Paolo Asti. ‘Every intervention had to match the design logic and constructive intelligence of BBPR, or it didn’t belong.’

after a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca reopens to the public

 

 

reimagining BBPR’s skyscraper as a civic platform

 

Spanning 34,000 square meters of mixed-use program across 29 floors, what was once a gated skyscraper now opens fully to the public. The base now includes flexible event spaces, an exhibition gallery, retail units, and informal lounges. The 75-meter-high tower, once seen as a fortress, now functions as a civic platform. ‘This isn’t just a real estate project. It’s a return of public dignity to a building that was always meant to be part of the city, not apart from it,’ notes Senior Managing Director of Hines Mario Abbadessa.

 

Internally, public and private programs are layered vertically in a manner that respects the original tripartite structure: a commercial and communal ground plane, a modernist office block midsection, and a residential crown above—now reimagined as the METT Hotel & Lifestyle residences. The 18th floor houses MIA, a new panoramic restaurant designed with restrained luxury, while the mezzanine floors accommodate SUSHISAMBA and other food and wellness amenities. The interiors, curated with the collaboration of Studio Valerie Traan, feature bespoke terrazzo, restored wood paneling, original signage typography, and hand-finished ceramics in an effort to echo the material intelligence of BBPR’s original scheme.

 

Perhaps the most radical gesture is at street level, where the formerly vehicle-dominated area around the tower has been entirely re-landscaped as Piazza Velasca, a pedestrian piazza paved in natural stone and planted with magnolias, olive trees, and native grasses. Amdl Circle (Michele De Lucchi) led the design of custom benches and lighting, reinterpreting BBPR’s design language in a contemporary idiom. The original street lamps designed by BBPR have also been restored, bridging past and present.

Milan’s iconic skyscraper adopts a fresh identity

first completed in 1958 by the avant-garde collective BBPR

the concrete tower has long stood as a symbol of postwar Italian resilience

under the direction of Hines, Asti Architetti leads the architectural refurbishment

Torre Velasca enters a new phase

a newly created urban piazza anchors the project

a hybrid vertical complex that combines residential, corporate, cultural, and communal uses

its bold silhouette remains unchanged

its skin and systems are carefully upgraded

laser cleaning and manual repair techniques preserve the original grain and irregularities of the facade

a rational base rises into a dramatic overhanging crown supported by angled buttresses

 

project info:

 

name: Torre Velasca Restoration

location: Milan, Italy

original architects: BBPR (Gian Luigi Banfi, Lodovico Belgiojoso, Enrico Peressutti, Ernesto Nathan Rogers)

restoration lead architect: Asti Architetti | @asti_architetti

developer: Hines Italy | @hines

floor area: 34,000 sqm

height: 75 meters

 

engineering: CEAS (structures), ESA Engineering (MEP)

general contractor: ARS Aedificandi

interior/public realm collaborators: Amdl Circle, Studio Valerie Traan

heritage supervision: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Milano

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OnCue Keyboard for Parkinson’s Rethinks Accessibility and Style for Every User

Keyboards are everywhere, but for people with Parkinson’s disease, what seems ordinary becomes a daily challenge. The OnCue Keyboard steps into this space with a design that manages to look playful and inviting instead of clinical. The idea was sparked by the urge to make digital interactions more accessible, not just functional, but genuinely appealing for those who need a little extra help getting their fingers to cooperate.

OnCue’s secret sauce lies in its modular build. Each key can be moved and spaced out, letting users customize the layout to suit their own reach and comfort. The keys themselves are generously sized and slightly concave, making those wild tremors less of a problem when typing out an email or a quick search. The surface is tactile and satisfying under the fingertips, so every press feels deliberate and controlled.

Designer: Alessandra Galli

But OnCue doesn’t stop at the physical. It comes with wearable cuffs that deliver gentle vibrations and visual prompts, nudging the user when it’s time to act. These cues tap into the brain’s own systems for initiating movement, a feature that’s especially handy when every action takes extra effort. The cues are adjustable, too, so users can fine-tune the experience to match their own unique needs and preferences.

What’s refreshing about OnCue is that it refuses to look like a medical device. Alessandra Galli, the designer, made sure to keep things looking stylish, with a minimalist aesthetic that blends into any workspace. She wanted users to feel confident and at ease, rather than self-conscious or singled out. That attention to dignity and detail gives OnCue a friendly character, making it as much a personal object as a tool.

The accessibility benefits are obvious for people dealing with Parkinson’s, but OnCue’s design goes beyond that. Anyone with hand mobility issues, from arthritis to temporary injuries, can appreciate the customizable spacing and feedback. Even someone without any impairments might find the haptic prompts useful in noisy environments or as a quirky aid for focus during marathon typing sessions.

There’s also something quietly radical in the way OnCue invites everyone to shape their own digital experience. Instead of forcing hands to adapt to a standard grid, it lets users decide what feels right. That kind of flexibility, paired with understated aesthetics, could easily become a blueprint for future keyboards and input devices. The focus on comfort, confidence, and choice makes it a standout, whether you’re typing with shaky hands or just want your workspace to match your personal style.

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