As far as entertainment hubs go, the new Evolve LifeStation has to be the pick of the bunch. We found the project challenging as the end product speaks for itself; the LifeStation is a media server the likes of which few living rooms have seen before.

The new high-end device brings together the various elements of your digital world; playing and ripping Blu-rays, storing your digital music and images and slotting into a multi-room set up with ease. The striking design and top-notch build quality only hint at the cutting-edge technology contained within. The Evolve LifeStation has the ability to record 4 channels simultaneously (2 free view and 2 digital satellite), boasts support for Dolby True HD and DTS HD audio codecs (therefore connectable to a 7.1 channel speaker system), allows you to transfer all the major audio file types, and enables users to store CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays on its hard drive – for instant access.

If the generous 750Gb of storage isn’t enough, owners have the option to expand by a further 4TB or even 20TB, by adding one if the LifeStore add-ons. But the excitement doesn’t stop there. A free app means this can all be controlled by iPhone, Touch and iPad, and later this year a software update will enable Evolve LifeStore owners to watch 3D movies in their full stereoscopic splendour.

The Evolve LifeStore has been developed with the expertise of Applied Product Design, and has been manufactured in high end facilities in the UK. The Evolve LifeStore is one of the latest products that has benefitted from Applied Product Design’s long standing experience in bringing products to market, drawing on a wealth of in-house expertise and manufacturing contacts.

Summary of Project:

David Simpson from Passive Technologies approached Applied Product Design to assist in the design and launch of a new brand of media equipment called Evolve. The aim was to launch several different models, each with a unique set of features, enabling their customers to create their own multi-room, multi-media system. System capabilities had to include the recording, storing and playing of Blu-rays, DVDs, images and CDs, together with the ability to watch and record satellite TV and radio. The result was four Evolve products, the LifeStation, the LifeStream, the LifeStream Mini and the LifeStore server.

If you would like to know how Applied Product Design can help bring your idea to market in the same way, get in touch today.

The shiny, flashy nature of the Surviva Jak – due to the fact it is made of aluminium covered PET – raised a few eyebrows among festival goers at this year’s Rockness Festival, where the BBC took the Jak. The fashion conscious were a little wary of the jacket’s cyber-feel, but ultimately warmed to the product’s heat keeping qualities.

Anyone who’s ever found themselves lost or caught short without enough warm layers, is likely to see how beneficial this item might be. If you missed the Roadtests, you can watch it at bbc.co.uk/dragonsden.

Products such as this are what make Applied Product Design tick; we love to see a new item that addresses a very real problem. In many instances products combine both visual appeal and functionality – the Surviva Jak may not tick everyone’s boxes on the visual count, but it certainly is highly effective at warming up a cold body. If you believe you have the next game changing piece of product design, get in touch with Applied Product design today, and discover how we can help make it a reality.

The fetching and rather unique design of the Windancer has evidently caught the eye of the book’s editor, with its combination of looks and functionality. This piece of product design is noiseless, highly efficient and compact – addressing some of the key issues that have turned off potential wind power users in the past.

At Applied Product Design we love to see innovations such as this, especially when such products contribute to the solving of some of the world’s major problems. Products that aim to answer some of the key problems of the future have an even greater chance of success. If you have a concept for a piece of sustainable energy equipment – or indeed any other type of product that meets a demand – get in touch today.

The new product has been available in the USA for a while already – with 300 retailers having taken on the seat. Now UK customers will be able to purchase the new seat too, retailing at £199 in Mothercare.

In order to be more attractive to UK buyers, the name was changed from 4moms mamaRoo to 4mums mamRoo. The seat looks set to be a popular product, having won several awards including The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval, 2010.

The seat represents a completely new approach to infant seating product design, ensuring the child has fun while the parent has more ‘me time’. Here at Applied Product Design we love ideas like this; innovation that makes life more enjoyable and easier.

The future of Britain’s economy is perhaps under more scrutiny now than it ever has been – as the realisation that over reliance on the financial and service sectors is more than a little risky. There was perhaps a time when it was believed that the UK was not the place to build things any longer – but the recession seems to have altered that view.

It seems certain that future wealth creation will rely on what traditionally Britons have been very good at – innovation. Coming up with new product design ideas that fulfil a demand in the market can lead to long term job creation in various fields.

At Applied Product Design we believe strongly in UK design, and its ability to contribute a great deal to the economy. Whether products are built in the UK or overseas, the country will benefit in the end. If you have an idea you think meets an unmet demand, get in touch with us today.

Despite the economic challenges that face all business people, the Dragons know that the best way to keep ahead of the competition is to continually find new ideas that help to address specific problems –and make lots of money along the way. For any developed nation, it is of course paramount that it’s resident are as inventive as possible – and the new Dragon’s Den series looks set to demonstrate just how inventive the UK still is.

Last year Applied Product Design was lucky enough to help develop the Dry Ice product with Karen Coombes and Karen O’Neil. The invention aims to replicate the experience of ice skating – on dry land. The pair won £100,000 of funding from Theo Paphitis – who loved the concept. APD were involved with everything from the screws and fittings to protecting the intellectual property.

The success of the Dry Ice Blades demonstrates Applied Product Design’s consummate approach to design – as well as our long standing experience in developing ideas that people want to buy. Our strong connections with manufacturing facilities in China also mean we are able to help with long-term mass production, when ideas really take off.

If you have an innovative idea you think has the potential to fill a gap in the market, get in touch with us today, and see how we can bring your concept to life.

One controversy that has dogged the new offering from Apple, though, is the suggestion that if the set is held a certain way, the antenna is covered, preventing reception. This could be a major stumbling block for the corporation, but in response, it seems to have been working on a patch that will correct the issue.

Problems of this kind are not uncommon in the world of product development, but it does demonstrate just how important testing new products is. While it might seem expensive, in the long run, being thorough could save a great deal of money. Here at Applied Product design we work hard to ensure such issues with new products do not happen. If you have an idea for a product that you think there’s a market for, get in touch with us today to see how we can help realise it.

The result is undeniably impressive – an appliance that seems to have the same aesthetic value as a piece of beautifully designed furniture. Combining the practical with the visually attractive is not always easy, but it seems that Samsung have done a good job here.

A key part of the design is the effect that the blue light has on those around the refrigerator; the designers sought to create a calming, energising feel to the fridge – something that such a humble kitchen appliance might not normally be associated with.

Here at Applied Product Design we also aim to combine aesthetics with functional design – something we have been doing for a very long a time and with substantial success. If you are developing an idea – or need help developing one – that you think fills a gap in the market, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

You can now purchase handheld camcorders, some that are even as small as mobile phones that can amazingly record and store HD video on HD/SD cards for upwards of £100. It is staggering at the rate of electronic product design and it doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon. You have to wonder how long it will be before these companies start developing cameras that can record images that can later be projected as 3D images on our screens.

Apple has always been class leading at innovative design and with their latest version of the Apple iPod Nano they have scored another huge success, with the massively powerful video camera, which allows people to store tiny snippets of video. What makes it so amazing is the fact that they have been able to fit any sort of camera into the Nano. The device is so small that it seems impossible that you could fit a camera all the wiring and everything required into the case.

Who knows where technology will be in ten years time, maybe we will all be shooting video footage in HD and 3D on cameras the size of iPod Nano’s. Whatever it is, it is bound to be beyond our wildest imaginations.

600cc in capacity, all the motorbikes will be running specially manufactured Honda engines and will have electronic control units to manage the amount of rider aids that the riders can use. It really should be back down to racing at it purist, when it is the team that has made the best use of their product design opportunities to design and construct the perfect chassis and the rider, who muscles the motorcycle around the tight and twisty tracks.

The teams have been frantically working away over the winter to perfect their chassis setup and manufacture new aerodynamic fairing casings to assist the rider with obtaining a greater top speed when tucked in during qualifying and the race.

Of course all of this work is good news for the motorcycle industry. In effect all of these teams are performing live testing for the manufacturers like Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. I’m sure with a little bit of persuasion and a little bit of money, some of the designs that we see competing on the track this year, could be featuring on the roads in 2011 or 2012.