Years ago we looked at Aquor Water Systems' intelligent design for a hose bib. Their flush-mounted House Hydrant is a damn sight better-looking than your standard spigot, and won't freeze. They offer a number of attractive debris cover options.The company has also developed this designey hose reel:The fittings are stainless steel and lead-free, and the 5/8" hose is 65' long. The unit pivots 180 degrees. By the bye, Aquor's hoses are drinking water safe; they're made from an FDA-approved polyurethane and are phthalate-free.The price was unavailable at press time; though the reel has won a Good Design Award, it's not yet on the market.

The Core77 Design Awards Apps & Platform category features software applications that perform a specific task, such as writing documents, playing games, or watching videos. Web or mobile screen-based software programs designed for user-friendliness. Examples include community platforms or hubs, websites, computer programs.The Core77 Design Awards Interaction Design category features interactive content and user interface design for websites, mobile devices, and experiential installations. Examples include software, mobile apps, interactive projections, products with embedded user interface, animations, simulations, robotics.As Senior Design Director at H-E-B, Jodi Cutler never tires of thinking about how to scale design across a human-centric organization. Over three decades, Jodi has dedicated her energy to designing experiences at startups, enterprises, consulting firms, and as an educator. At H-E-B, the focus is on people from employees, to customers, and the community which makes design decisions distinctly personal. In the design world, Jodi maintains an eye to inclusion, an area she hopes to see designers continuing to consider more fully in their work. She encourages Core77 Design Awards entrants to approach their work with curiosity and a clear understanding of where their bias lays and find ways to counter it.ParaVerse from the Swiss Paraplegic Centre winner of the Apps & Platform category for 2024.The 2024 winner of the Core77 Design Awards Apps & Platform category was ParaVerse from the Swiss Paraplegic Centre, which allows people with limited or no hand function to interact with the digital world using eye-controlled XR glasses. 2024 Interaction Design winner, Bluecadet, and its Met 81st Street Studio project.In the Interaction Design category, the winner was Bluecadet for its Met 81st Street Studio project, a 3,500-square-foot interactive science and art play space for children that promotes exploration of art, and the materials used to create it.If you have an app, platform, or interaction that will spark our jurors' curiosity, we would love to consider it for the 2025 Core77 Design Awards.Enter your work in the Core77 Design Awards today.

When youre on vacation at the beach, you probably enjoy looking at and listening to waves as they crash onto the shore. You may even like going into the water and battling these waves, safely of course. But these wave actions can sometimes cause damage on the shore and shoreline structures so we put wave-dissipating blocks to protect them. Most of the materials used here are concrete and cement which are not always suitable for marine life and also contribute to global warming. Two students have come up with a project to use more eco-friendly materials for them. Designers: Chia-Ying Chiang and Shao-Yu LinThe Ecotrapod is what they call a new solution to wave dissipation and this project has won them awards in their homeland of Taiwan. Instead of the usual cement or concrete, they used Circular Slurry of C-slurry mixed together with oyster shells to serve as base materials for the wave-dissipating blocks. The blocks are also structurally designed using biometric principles with bio-porous spiral surfaces. This means they are able to get maximum structural strength aside from reducing carbon emissions by 30-90% since they can reduce or even replace cement. Aside from the more environmentally friendly construction of the blocks, they were also designed with holes so algae can attach themselves to it and some species of fish and shellfish can live within them. This means that aside from protecting the shore, visitors to the ocean can also observe marine ecology within that space, interacting with these coastal organisms. The wavy and porous design of course also makes these blocks seemingly part of the ocean instead of just blocking the waves.The two designers collaborated with C-Cube, Lotos, and Everplast for this project, which they started and completed since they have a deep love for the ocean and wanted to create sustainable ecological cycles. With the material reducing carbon footprint by 50%, 3D printing can also reduce material usage. Once the blocks have reached the end of their purpose, they can be crushed and then remade into new materials, completing the recycling and reusing cycle. The post Wave-dissipating blocks reduce carbon footprint by using oyster shells and c-slurry first appeared on Yanko Design.

Buying furniture for newborns and toddlers might be a fun activity for some parents, but it becomes more of a hassle when the child has outgrown their size or use. Depending on the state of the product, they could resell it, hand it down, or even donate it, though an even more economical solution would probably be if it could actually still be used one way or another. Unfortunately, most kids furniture doesnt have that in mind, which can lead to waste and unnecessary costs down the line.This aesthetic wooden high chair, however, is designed very differently, almost as if it was made with adults peace of mind as well. Easy to use, elegant, and modular, this chair can be used by a child from the moment they are born to the day they grow old and decide they dont want to sit so high up anymore, even if they still technically can.Designer: CybexFurniture for kids are often made with plastic because they are durable enough to withstand the many accidents unavoidable involving young children. Its also a lot cheaper compared to most materials, but they also give products a certain aesthetic that, in this particular case, is toy-like and immediately associated with kids. Even if they were to remain useful for older ages, very few would want to be caught dead using them anyway.Click and Fold is a high chair design that goes against the flow by using solid beechwood for its body, giving it a more mature character than most high chairs. This kind of wood is quite hardy against bumps, but not impervious to nicks and scratches. At the same time, however, these war wounds become part of the products history and charm, just like those pencil markings that record a childs growth on door frames.Although primarily made for a childs use and comfort, the Click and Fold is designed for adults just as well. With a simple push of a button accompanied by a satisfying clicking sound, you can fold the chair up and quickly put it aside when you need more room. Even better, because of its luxurious wooden material and elegant curves, simply propping it against the wall turns the folded high chair into a beautiful design object when its not in use.One of Click and Folds key features, however, is its modularity. You can remove the seat and backrest to make room for a bouncer nest for a baby or put on a baby set with a tray when that baby is old enough to eat. The seat and footrest can be moved to any height, so it can function as a regular chair for grown-ups as well, albeit one that might be a bit too high for some tastes. Click and Fold has a visually simple yet aesthetic design that belies its ability to grow old with your kid, extending not only its use but also its value long after that child has grown into an adult.The post Wooden folding high chair accompanies your kid as they grow first appeared on Yanko Design.

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MacworldApples Thunderbolt cables arent something we usually recommend because theyre just so expensive, but theyre hard to pass up when theyre on sale. Target has Apples 1m Thunderbolt 4 cable down to $35 right now, which is a 50 percent discount and the lowest price weve ever seen.We know, we knowthe newest MacBook Pro models support Thunderbolt 5. So why are we recommending Thunderbolt 4 cables? Well, because there just arent many accessories that support Thunderbolt 5, and the ones that are out are entirely too expensive. Plus Thunderbolt 4 is no slouch: Not only will this cable allow you to transfer data at up to 40GB/s, but it will also allow you to connect your laptop to a 4K display. Of course, theres also the fact that youll be able to charge your laptop or other devices with up to 100W of power.This cable is a 1m (3-foot) braided cable that is well-made and that will coil neatly without tangling. At $35, its comparable to other Thunderbolt 4 cables from Satechi and OWC, and we wholeheartedly recommend it at this price. So get your own Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable for half-off at Target sooner rather than later because you cant know how long its going to be on sale.Buy now at Target

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsFreeSimple to useSupports Passkeys and Verification codesConsApple-centricVery basicDoesnt store payment details or other IDOur Verdict A simple, if somewhat basic, first step into the world of passwords managers. Best of all, it costs you nothing to use it. Probably should be avoided if you use some non-Apple devices, but otherwise its a nice addition to Apples suite of bespoke apps.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayBest Prices Today: PasswordsRetailerPriceFreeView DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketWhen Apple launched iOS 18, the updated iteration of the software came with an entirely new password manager app called, simply, Passwords. So, how does it compare to the existing iCloud Keychain and does it have enough features to have Password Managers like Dashlane and 1Password looking over their shoulders?Software & FeaturesAuto-fill passwordsSupports PasskeysCan share passwords with family membersIt might seem like Apple is replacing iCloud Keychain with the new Passwords app, but the two will happily co-exist, with the latter being how your details sync across all your devices. The Passwords app itself is essentially a user interface for iCloud Keychain, and as such its clean and friendly to use. So, if youve yet to get to grips with an app of this kind then it could be an excellent first step.If you already have account details and passwords in your iCloud Keychain, then these should appear in the Passwords app once youve logged in and given permission. You can also import data from an existing password manager app, although that involves creating a .CSV file and then using the import feature to pull it in. Its not complicated and there are plenty of tutorials online to show you how to do it in only a few minutes.Martyn CasserlyWith the app up and running, youre able to have it auto-fill account login details, saving you the hassle when you want to quickly go to an online store and order something. The app supports biometrics, so Face ID and Touch ID can be used instead of having to type in a password for the app.Apples Passwords not only handles login details for online accounts, it also can become home for your Wi-Fi passwords, Passkeys and verification codes. Unlike most of the major password manager apps, Passwords doesnt hold your payments details or other forms of secure documentation such as drivers licence or passport information, plus there is no storage space for personal documents you want to keep safe.(Read about how to add your driving license or ID to the Wallet app).You can set up a family sharing feature to securely allow other members of your family to receive and use passwords and passkeys from your accounts. This is helpful if youve been asked for the Netflix login by your children for the 17th time. If you want this feature outside the family, then Shared Groups offers the same capabilities, with you creating a list of trusted contacts, each of whom can share passwords and passkeys with others in the group. This could be useful for a trip with friends or if several of you are organising an event.Martyn CasserlyThe Passwords app is available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS and also works with Apple Vision Pro, so you can have your details to hand on all of your devices.Security & Encryption256-bit AES end-to-end encryptionSecurity warningsAutomatic Verification codesAs youd expect, the security on the Passwords apps is solid, with 256-bit AES encryption deployed end-to-end, so no hackers should be able to sneak a peek at your login details at any time.Theres also the standard security monitoring area in the app that warns you if any of your passwords have appeared in data leaks or are weak and could do with being replaced by stronger alternatives. Apples new app does have a password generator, which can instantly auto-generate strong ones for you to use, plus you have a few configuration options such as making ones with no special characters, but this only works on supported websites. Its simple to use, but a bit basic when compared to the likes of Dashlane and 1Password.Martyn CasserlyThe security section is also on the simple side, with none of the graphical representations youll find on other apps. This makes it more list-based, which is less interesting and engaging than with some of its rivals.One useful feature you can use in Passwords is to use it as an authenticator for one-time multi-factor authentication sites and accounts. With this set up, you can use your iPhone to generate the codes without needed SMS texts or other apps.Price & AvailabilityAs with iCloud Keychain, Passwords is a free service that comes with any iPhone running iOS 18, or devices on iPadOS 18 or macOS Sequoia. One thing to bear in mind is that this isnt a cross platform service, so if you have an Android phone or tablet, Linux PC, or Chromebook then you wont be able to use Passwords. There is compatibility via iCloud for Windows, but it isnt as clean and well designed as youd find with a standard password manager. Should you use Apple Passwords?If youre looking for a basic, easy to use password manager, and only really intend it to work with Apple devices, then Passwords is certainly worth a go. The lack of features does make it less appealing that the leading passwords managers, but its simplicity means it would be a great first step into using this kind of app. Security is decent, theres no cost in using it, plus its already on your device.To see what its up against, take a look at our roundup of the best password managers for Mac and iPhone.