5 amazing gadgets made from concrete
Solid! Solid as a rock! That’s what this tech is
Concrete: great for making pavements, patios and the occasional high concept, highly modern kitchen floor. But did you know that it’s also becoming increasingly important in the world of gadgetry? Read on for five eye-opening examples of how this building material is being put to stylish use in the tech world. Rock on.
Zeitgeistfactory iPhone 5 dock
This might be the perfect desktop accessory for anyone living in an underfurnished, artfully distressed Dalston loft. It’s incredibly simple: a piece of formed, polished concrete, set at an angle, into which an iPhone 5 can be slotted. It’ll stand in both landscape and portrait orientations, and costs a reasonable €30 (around £25).
Exposed speakers
You might not think that concrete is a particularly suitable material for speakers: it’s far too stiff to provide the resonance of wood or MDF, which will results in a “thinner” sound. Unperturbed, Israeli artist Shmuel Linski created these horn-shaped speakers from concrete, the design of which aids in creating a more natural sound: air is moved through a pipe almost a metre long from the driver at the top to the mouth at the bottom. They weigh 70kg apiece too, which should ensure the only vibrations you’re experiencing are good ones. In a Beach Boys sense.
Dzmitry Samal watch
Billed as the first ever watch to boast a concrete face (and who are we to argue?) this Swiss-made timepiece comes in eight different styles and costs €1,240 (around £1,060). If you don’t trust concrete as a hardy enough material for day-to-day wrist-wearing, bear in mind that it the watch frame is made from stainless steel and polished concrete is used only as a housing.
Espresso Solo coffee machine
Sadly a concept and not something you can pick up at your local Comet, this is by far the coolest coffee machine we’ve ever laid eyes on. It makes only espresso, so lovers of Starbucks-style foamy milkshakes need not apply. Which makes it even cooler, we guess. Another design from the clearly concrete-crazy Shmuel Linski.
Luna iPhone 5 skin
This protective skin for the iPhone 5 is a little more imaginative than the average piece of press-on plastic. Every Luna – named for its resemblance to the surface of the Moon – has its own individual pattern of crater-like bubbles that will ensure your phone is a beautiful, unique snowflake. With a concrete cover on the back.
Sam Kieldsen
Contributor 
