Beyond Smart: A Quest For The Humane by Arash Eskafi

Arash Eskafi - Beyond Smart from Konstfack on Vimeo.

For his graduation project, Konstfack Industrial Design student Arash Eskafi imagined a world in which 'smart' products have taken on human-like behaviours and tendencies: carpets wiggle when walked on and fruit bowls tilt towards their owner to offer them a snack when they get home.

Lifelike reactions are increasingly being built into technology and homewares. For more examples, Homebuildlife subscribers can see our graduate show trend report, Appliances & Electronics.

Patch of Sky: connected lights by Fabrica

Amun in sunny weather conditions

Design research lab Fabrica has created a series of three lamps that show the weather conditions in friends' locations around the world.

Nest announces developer programme

Smart thermostat brand Nest has announced a new developer programme and partnerships with industry leaders including Whirlpool, Jawbone and Mercedes-Benz. By connecting Nest with wearable technology, cars and home appliances, the company hopes to bring about a "conscious home" with appliances talking to each other to seamlessly respond to consumer needs.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read more about the possibilities of the connected home in our CES 2014: Home & Lifestyle report.

Living breakfast tables at Republic of Fritz Hansen

Republic of Fritz Hansen used creative visual merchandising to bring its Analog dining table to life during Milan Design Week, projecting videos of a busy breakfast onto the tabletop surface to make it appear constantly in use.

Infinity Dock by The Refinery

Designed by Zack Cram and Thomas Wietecki of US design brand The Refinery, this mechanically-inspired iPhone dock is made from two-part machined aluminium with cork bumpers and a ridged dial, and is available in four colours: matte black, champagne, frosted silver and matte blue.

FireChat: messaging off-the-grid

New iPhone app FireChat enables users to send messages even when they have no phone signal or internet connection. Described as "a new way to chat: off-the-grid", the free app uses Bluetooth to transmit messages to people nearby. The range increases as more users log on to the app, acting as 'nodes' to connect and expand the network. Messages can also be sent anonymously if the user so chooses.

Google partners with Luxottica to redesign Glass technology

Google has formed a partnership with Italian eyewear giant Luxottica to make its wearable Google Glass technology more fashionable and broaden its appeal. The two corporations will establish a team of experts devoted to working on the design, development, tooling and engineering of Google Glass products to bring together high-fashion, lifestyle and innovative technology, they said Tuesday.

Homebuildlife subscribers can see our full news report here, and read about the future for wearable tech in our Big Idea reports from CES and SXSW Interactive.

Inventables announces Easel, a beginner's system for CNC design

3D printing hardware store Inventables announced an intuitive new program for CNC designing today at South By Southwest Interactive.

Called Easel, the platform will simplify the process of designing a file for computer manufacture, making it possible for novices to create a 2D shape, apply it to a 3D material such as wood, and visualise how factors such as bit size and material will affect how the final product looks.

Touchscreen dining: Pizza Hut showcases concept interactive table

Pizza Hut has released a video of a concept touchscreen table that is activated by diners' smartphones and guides them through building and ordering their own custom pizza. Made in collaboration with Chaotic Moon Studios, the concept also includes integrated payment and a timer that keeps track of the pizza on its way to the table.

The video follows other recent touchscreen innovations such as the Displair, which allows users to swipe through menus in mid-air.

Hexi: a wall coverage that responds to movement

Hexi - responsive wall from Thibaut Sld on Vimeo.

Made of 60 identical components, Hexi is a wall coverage created by Thibaut Sld that responds to movement thanks to an embedded camera and a smart fixture.

The honeycomb-shaped components are made of  vacuum casted aluminium and PVC and are fixed on the wall with a fixture that allows them to move and mirror the user's movements and appearing to be floating over the wall.

The surprise element is becoming more popular among designers and artists, who are adding unpredictability to day to day products. Homebuildlife subscribers can read more about this trend here.

Cloudwash: a connected washing machine by Berg

Cloudwash: the connected washing machine from BERG on Vimeo.

London-based tech visionaries Berg have prototyped a washing machine that can order detergent, time a spin cycle to finish just as its owner arrives home, and be operated by app or interface, so that guests can use it too.

Schneider Electric x Mathieu Lehanneur: smart energy

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur was commissioned by Schneider Electric to create a collection of smart devices able to measure and manage domestic energy consumption. With the issue of energy production becoming increasingly real, new regulations are implemented to raise consumers' awareness and encourage individual contribution to the collective energy-saving effort. Insulation and double-glazing are no longer enough.

Hybrid radio by Mathieu Lehanneur

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has designed a radio half-covered in woven rattan for Lexon. Available in two colours, white and graphite, and two sizes, the radio continues the trend towards natural tactility that we tracked at CES this year.

Displair: a touchscreen made of air

Made of an airstream containing tiny drops of water that images are projected onto, new innovation Displair is being billed as the touchscreen of the future.

Petbit: activity tracking for pets

Shipping from March this year, Petbit is part of the fast-growing market for health and activity tracking for pets. The small device clips to a collar and monitors daily activity using motion detection, an accelerometer, and temperature and brightness sensors.

Fishtank TV at CES 2014

Hisense is showcasing a screen concept that turns a fishtank into a TV at the International Consumer Electronics Show this week. An LED screen is fitted onto a normal fishtank, which is then backlit so that the fish can be glimpsed swimming around behind the colours and imagery on the TV.

Pattern at Polaroid: live from CES 2014

One of the highlights for print and pattern at this year's CES is Polaroid, who are showcasing a range of speakers decorated with colourful geometrics: irregular chevrons, 3D-effect checks, diamonds and pixellated triangles.

CES 2014: snapshot from day one

Ricoh at CES 2014

The world's biggest consumer technology trade show, CES, opened its doors to industry specialists today in Las Vegas. Here's a snapshot of some of the happenings across the fair - from personalised flipbooks to a large-scale TV marathon.

LaCie: 2014 design collaborations

LaCie Sphère by Cristofle

Leading manufacturer of data storage devices, LaCie has been collaborating with influential design brands and designers since 1992. This January, the company is launching two new products, a silvered external hard-drive by Cristofle and a fun USB key by French designer Constance Guisset. More than mere storage solutions or functional accessories, they were both created to act as qualitative decorative accessories and add prestige to all desks, at home or in the office.

Pivot tap by Dornbracht

Dornbracht's new Pivot tap has a 360° radius of activity, meaning it can reach all areas of a kitchen island. Water can thus be poured directly into a pot boiling on the stove or sitting on the work surface, turning cooking times into a fun and effortless experience.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read more on the latest kitchen trends here.