It’s actually quite hard to stand out in the world today. There’s so much going on, so much information to take in, so many products competing against each other.

Here are some products which I think stand out all on their own. They may not be ones which you’ve heard of or even ever use, but they are products which do something in their own unique way.

Drobo RAID Storage – The Drobo brings RAID backup to the everyday computer user. The benefits of having your data backed up across multiple hard drives, securing your data in case of failure is clear. The price is hefty at the moment, but it’s a fair price to pay for security.

Quartz Kitchen Work Surface – The Quartz worksurface is similar to granite and marble but without the weight and porous properties. It is scratch, heat and stain resistant making it one of the best choices for kitchen work surfaces. It’s also incredibly hygenic.

Basecamp Project Management Tool – A simple online project managament tool for organising people and tasks within a project of any kind. It’s easy to use, quick to setup and maintains a broad overview of whatever kind of project you’re working on.

Is there anything which stands out to you in this complex world which people should know about?

Rising Star? by MΛЯK, on Flickr

I’ve used a few handheld devices over the years, and as there are a few more on the market now, but I’m wondering whether any of them are as efficient as they could be.

The Psion, Tapwave Zodiac, Nokia mobile phones, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, HTC Hero and Samsung Galaxy Tab – It’s interesting how the text input on these devices has developed over time and it got me wondering which input method is the most efficient. But there are lots of things which affect how good an input is.

Weighing them all up provides an accurate view of which one is the best. So bearing that in mind, I’ve separated the devices I’ve used into the types of input in order to compare.

I’ve rated them from a 1-5 (1=low, 5=high)

The early transition from QUERTY keyboard to was clearly met with issues. The pen input of the Tapwave Zodiac and other Palm based devices has definitely improved with the use of finger based touch inputs. I find that the next step now is to refine the devices and make them much easier to use, fool proof and really try and understand how people use their devices.

For me, QUERTY keyboards are still the clear winners, but they aren’t as versatile and interesting to use with other applications.

The next steps are ones of refinement rather than major changes, and I think that there will be a battle between the touch screen keyboard and the QUERTY keyboard for mobile devices.

Blackberry Curve black closeup by bigpresh, on Flickr

Swype launched a new beta programme recently for their unique swyping keyboard. I decided to install the software on my HTC Hero and since then I’ve been trying to get used to the new way of typing on touch screen mobile phones.

It works quite simply by allowing the user to draw one continuous line between the letters on the keyboard which make up your chosen words. It automatically puts spaces into the sentence when you lift off your finger to start the next word.

Its fairly hard to get used to at first and that’s not just because of the new way of typing. There are other differences such as the layout of symbols, removal of the button to hide the keyboard and the introduction of a microphone key. it’s slightly alarming at first but you get used to it the more you use it.

One of the harder elements to get used to is the new predictive text (unfortunately out doesn’t iuse the same library as the default keyboard) and making edits to text you have already written. Typing words which contain double letters also seems a little tricky resulting in a little finger wiggle to get it sorted.

Above all it’s pretty satisfying to use especially when it comes to typing longer words and the actual user input is fairly easy and interesting. Much more thought is required when putting in the words though, and if you make a mistake on a long word then it can be annoying.

After using the input for a little while and to start writing this blog article, I have found that it is definitely quicker than the standard htc keyboard. That is only if you use one finger to type. If you are a multi-finger touch screen typist, then stick with that! The swype keyboard has specific other uses too, such as aboard public transport. Not having to lift your finger from the keyboard as often definitely improves accuracy!

The use of hardware is petty good and performance verses the default HTC Hero keyboard is definitely better and it copes with hardware lag better and more obviously.

Overall I would recommend giving it a try. Its now my default keyboard for most things except entering postcodes and telephone numbers! And the best bit is that you can choose when to use it, and even switch to it half way through typing!!

TechCrunch50 Day 2 by magerleagues, on Flickr

Friday marked the launch of the London Design Festival with the writing of the words “LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2010 IS NOW OPEN” on the set of Audi production line robots which have been placed in Trafalgar Square.

Even though I missed the opening line, there were plenty of messages which came flooding through from their website. You can log on and submit a message of your choosing, with it randomly being selected through a lottery type system. It is then written, recorded and played back both online and also on the LED type display which surrounds the installation. Take a look at the video below and the picture above to understand how it works.

London Design Festival – Outrace – Audi Robots from Richard Stowey on Vimeo.

If you are in London between the 16th and 23rd of September, then go and take a look. Apart from it being crowded with tourists who are probably wondering what on earth it is, it’s a chance to see some production environment machinery in real life. The London Design Festival also has other events on in London this week. A full schedule can be found by going to the London Design Festival website.

It’s also worth checking out some of the designers other collaborative work: Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram

Image Outrace – London Design Festival 2010 by Richard Stowey, on Flickr

I took some time out to visit the Dieter Rams exhibition at the Design Museum. Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams is in it’s last weeks, an I wanted to take a look before it moved on or disappeared forever. I thought it might be a good place to see some of his products in the flesh and take a few photos.

I’ve been aware of Dieter Ram’s design ethos since studying product design. His ten principles of good design are taught to design students around the world, and provide a firm basis for professional industrial designers everywhere.

Dieter Rams is most famous for working with Braun for over 40 years and developing the unique style within the brand. His aim is to omit everything superfluous so that the essential is shown to the best possible advantage. The instantly recognisable result is functional products with a simple and elegant style.

The range of products Rams designed with the Braun family cover record players, radios, hair dryers, video cameras, flash guns, coffee grinders, heaters, a watch or two and many more. The open, honest and truly functional product designs each have their own qualities and individual personalities. A few of these above and below.

The exhibition at the Design Museum has been a great chance to take a closer look at the products. Many of the little details which can’t be seen in books, photographs and even within videos are clearly visible. Each of the products work on their own, or displayed within a group. It’s clear that these beautiful products have set a trend, philosophy and direction which is used by modern greats such as Jonathan Ive, Jasper Morrison and others.

If you’d like to know more, check out the design museum or Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams the book. Exhibition is on until the 9th March 2010.

All photography by me.

I recently found this 15 minute TED talk about Charles and Ray Eames, in a talk by their grandson, Eames Demetrios. It’s a very short overview of the design thinking which Charles Eames adopted in his work. A very short overview of something which i found very interesting to read in a book I have – The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention.

Unfortunately the video isn’t very long and only a short glimpse, but it’s worth while if only to catch a glimpse of the Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera in one of the videos. The video can be played using the embedded version above, or found on TED.com here: Talks The design genius of Charles + Ray Eames.

I went to see Objectified the movie on Saturday at The Barbican. The film is directed by Gary Hustwit and about the relationship we have with all of the objects around us, all of which have been designed. The film takes a look at the world’s objects through various interviews with Designers, the people who originally conceive the idea and turn it into reality.

The film was at The Barbican and as I hadn’t been there before I made the mistake of presuming it would be similar to a normal cinema. I am usually careful to pick a seat about 3/4 the way from the screen and near the middle. This is so I can see the large screen and hear the sound in the best possible way. Of course, having a cinema within the Barbican Estate would of course pose limitations on height etc. The cinema is actually long and shallow (with a large possibility of someones head being in your way) so for future reference, Cimena 2 on Level 4 has an optimum seat position of only a few rows from the front.

The documentary is very interesting and offers designers and design fans a chance to see interviews with a few of the big names of the industrial world. Jonathan Ive, who rarely makes a public appearance in the UK, can be seen to explain many of the design features of the aluminium shell of the Macbook Air, iMac and Apple Keyboard and get rather lost in the process of explaining the rationale behind it. For designers it’s a chance to see the people who they have read and heard so much about actually talking about what they have made. For non-designers it’s a chance to see into a world constantly asking questions.

The film covers many different topics, but conveys the obsession that Designers have with their products very well. The film is a pleasure to watch, learning and understanding a little bit more about the designers and their products who are so well known through modern culture. Unfortunately I missed getting tickets for the London Premiere event with after show Q&A, which would have been a good chance to ask some interesting questions.

For now, we’ll just have to continue asking why.

It was nice to see the LC-A (Lomo Kompakt Automat) on the poster too!