From Nendo, here's a fun imagining of 50 different chair designs, inspired by the way that kinetic energy is visually represented in manga. They've presented it in animation form, as one chair that morphs into all 50 designs:

"50 manga chairs is the result of adapting the strong symbolic nature of manga comics to furniture design.
"Manga consists of a series of frames on a single sheet of paper that creates a sequence. Similarly, 50 standard chairs are lined up in a grid, each one conjures up a sense of story, and each with a design element from manga. For example, a 'speech bubble' or 'effect line' are added to visualize sound or action. Or emotional symbols from manga, like 'sweat' or 'tears', are formed so that a sense of story and character can be felt."Manga is a means of expression with a high degree of flatness and abstraction, and which is composed of a series of lines. We could say that manga comics are deeply rooted in Japanese culture, since they can be traced back to Ukiyoe prints developed during the Edo period (1603-1868 A.D.)."

Industrial designer Kenji Takeuchi curated "Walking Sticks & Canes," a research exhibition currently running at the Triennale Milano. Takeuchi asked 17 fellow designers to re-imagine the titular object, considering the following:

"[The first walking stick] must have been one of those primitive objects that people made on the spot as needed. As time passed, it evolved in step with social changes and cultural developments, naturally taking on different purposes and meanings. At some point, it became a symbol of power and authority or religious status and later an icon of fashion and wealth.""Today, it is commonly associated with older adults, who tend to be viewed with pity. However, some have found novel and fascinating ways to express their personalities and stories through their canes, making them a source of pleasure and pride. Some people have canes that are almost self-caricatures, some completely customise them to suit their needs, and others go to great lengths to find a perfect match for their taste. It is a universal yet understated subject with limitless potential for exploration."

You can see all 18 canes (Takeuchi himself designed one) here, but only five jumped out at me for having attempted—with varying degrees of success—to increase their functionality.

Cestino, by Portugese designer Hugo Passos, features a small integrated basket for gathering things in the garden.

Milanese, by Italian architect and designer Maddalena Casadei, perhaps takes inspiration from tablecloth clamps. The design provides a secure way to hang the cane at a table.

Gianni, by Italian architect Marialaura Irvine, playfully uses the material to hold a newspaper.

Off-Road, by Swiss industrial designer Michel Charlot, provides a wider base that doubles as a way to retrieve the cane if dropped. (Care would be required—I can see stepping on this thing too quickly and whacking myself.)

And finally Up, by Takeuchi himself, adds a paper cord wrap to the midsection of the cane. This provides purchase to the user when they are transitioning from seated to standing.

The exhibition was sponsored by Karimoku furniture, which prototyped the Up design.

DeWalt's $33 manual Carbon Fiber Composite Staple Gun is made out of the stuff, and thus weighs 50% less. It's actually 2-in-1 tool as it can also fire brad nails.

As for design features, it's got a little windows on either side of the nose, so you can see when you're running low on staples/nails.

There's also a belt/pocket clip at the back, which can be placed on either side, to accommodate both lefties and righties. The tool is also bottom-loading, rather than slide-loaded (i.e. you pull the slide out, invert the tool, drop the staples straight into an opening in the bottom of the tool, then close the slide).

If you're in the market for a lighter-weight staple gun, in the video review below the guy runs it through its paces. He also beats the crap out of it to see how tough the housing really is (it comes with a lifetime warranty), dropping it off a ladder onto concrete, driving over it, leaving it outside overnight in freezing conditions, etc. The tool seems to hold up.

This PSF1, by Taiwanese manufacturer BESV, is an e-bike that's easy on the eyes.

Conveniently, it folds down for transport or apartment storage.

An LCD display indicates your speed, range, battery life, and which of the four assistance modes you're in.

It's powered by a 250W motor in the rear hub, which can get you up to 20 mph.

The triangular battery housing pops off for recharging, so you don't have to move the entire bike over to the outlet.

It takes 6 hours to top off the 378Wh battery, which can deliver up to 95km (59 miles) of range.

The aluminum bike weighs 18.3kg (40.3 lbs) and runs $2,500.

Sandy Munro criticized the original Mach-E rear motor as being needlessly complex.

The soft skills of problem-solving and communication will be needed, while AI, additive manufacturing, and robot/human interaction will grow in importance.

This video says the convenience of being able to charge your devices without wires comes with tradeoffs.