MIT engineers create 3D-printed magnetic shape-shifters
Engineers from MIT have designed soft, 3D-printed structures that can transform their shape "almost instantaneously" with the wave of a magnet. More
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We+ creates magnetic spiky chair and matching vases
Japanese design duo We+ has created a series of magnetic chairs and vases that are covered with thousands of tiny steel rods. More
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Magnetic Sound2 speaker designed to be easily moved and mounted
Korean design studios Cloudandco and 11+ have teamed up to create this pocket-sized wireless speaker that can be mounted onto a fridge (+ slideshow). More
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Magnetic trainers recreate sensation of walking on the moon
New York startup Moonshine Crea's MoonWalker trainers use layers of magnets to replicate the feeling of walking in low-gravity environments. More
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Arx Pax unveils updated Hendo hoverboard on Back to the Future day
Tech company Arx Pax has worked with pro skateboarder Tony Hawk to create a slimmed-down design for its second Hendo hoverboard, released today to mark the exact date travelled to in 1980s sci-fi film Back to the Future II. More
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Today we like: magnets
Magnets have long been used as a way of creating temporary connections for products as diverse as flat-pack furniture and bike lights. But now designers are finding increasingly weird and wonderful uses for them, with recent examples including wallpaper, spiky shoes, fluid clocks, and even a hoverboard. See all of our stories about design with magnets »
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Zelf Koelman's Ferrolic clock uses magnetic ferrofluid to tell the time
This clock by Dutch designer Zelf Koelman spells out the time with magnetic fluid under the control of electromagnets (+ movie). More
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Lexus unveils Back to the Future-style hoverboard
Japanese car brand Lexus has revealed its eagerly anticipated hoverboard, which uses magnetic fields to carry its rider without touching the ground (+ movie). More
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Dusen Dusen creates ever-changing magnetic mural for Wanted Design show in Brooklyn
New York 2015: textile designer Dusen Dusen has used magnetic wallpaper to create an interactive mural for the 2015 Wanted Design show in Brooklyn (+ slideshow). More
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Jólan van der Wiel creates spiky shoes for Iris van Herpen using magnets
These prickly looking shoes and accessories by Dutch designer Jólan van der Wiel were formed using magnets and worn during Iris van Herpen's latest catwalk show (+ slideshow). More
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Magnetised clay defies gravity to form ceramics by Jólan van der Wiel
Dutch designer Jólan van der Wiel's latest experiments with magnets have resulted in fantastical architectural models made using metallic clay (+ movie). More
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BCXSY's Mixed Animals magnetic soft toys launch on Kickstarter
Amsterdam studio BCXSY has launched a crowdfunding campaign to produce its plush toys with body parts that can be interchanged using magnets (+ slideshow). More
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Magnets connect Ilya Tkach's two-part desk lamp
Russian product designer Ilya Tkach has created a simple desk lamp featuring a light source that snaps onto its stem with a magnet. More
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Flat-pack furniture assembled with magnets by Benjamin Vermeulen
This range of flat-packed furniture by Benjamin Vermeulen does away with little bags of screws, fastenings or Allen keys and simply snaps together with super-strong magnets (+ movie). More
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Magnetic Fields by Studio Tord Boontje
London Design Festival 2013: experimental surfaces covered in patterns created by magnetism are on show at Dutch designer Tord Boontje's studio this week (+ slideshow). More
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Magnetic dresses by Iris van Herpen and Jólan van der Wiel
Dutch designers Iris van Herpen and Jólan van der Wiel collaborated to grow these dresses with magnets. More
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State of Things by Klubben
Stockholm 2013: a wall lamp that mimics an eclipse of the sun and tray of vases held fast by magnets were among the objects on show in an exhibition of work by young Norwegian designers during Stockholm Design Week (+ slideshow). More
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iFlash One by KiBiSi
Product news: this magnetic bicycle light by Danish design studio KiBiSi lights up instantly when its two halves snap together. More
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Magnetic Bike Lights by Copenhagen Parts
These magnetic bicycle lights by Copenhagen Parts turn on as soon as they come into contact with the steel frame. More
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Gravity by Jólan van der Wiel
Designer Jólan van der Wiel has sent us this movie of his machine for shaping stools using gravity and magnets, on display as part of the [D3] Contest for young designers at imm cologne in Germany this week.
