It's blatantly obvious that today's attitude toward technology is very much "right here, right now." In an attempt to reorient a user's relationship to their consumer electronics, The Consortium for Slower Internet—a website focused on giving a deeper look into computation spaces and all of the different communication methods around us—has launched a series of products for our gadgets that's looking to reconnect users with their devices' roles within their homes. By incorporating a planter or photo display into charging dock and USB drive designs, the hope is that users will take a moment to reflect on their natural environment while using their technologies.
The "Cybernetic Meadow" collection includes a charging dock/planter hybrid (with cork reinforcement to keep your electronics safe from draining water), a Wi-Fi router planter and a concrete USB drive with a display rack for favorite photos and art. Concrete is used in all of the designs—and you know how much we love designs that mix concrete and lighter materials from this recent post.
While the products offer great design to disguise not-so-pretty necessities, the idea behind the combinations are less obvious to someone unfamiliar with the website's purpose. "These devices (smart phones, Wi-Fi routers, USB drives) are entangled in the biggest issues of our day but we rarely think critically about the spaces they inhabit," designer Sam Kronick says. "The "Cybernetic Meadow" collection is an invitation to reexamine our relationship to these objects in our homes. Why isn't computing more like gardening? How is a smart phone like a succulent? Where does our data live?"
You can purchase products from the "Cybernetic Meadow" series here.
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Where can one get research on concrete/cement mixture ratio's to perfect concrete/cement products that one designs.