1Hole: Original Multimedia Handheld That Shakes The Norm

I have never really bought into that whole iPod string of gadgets since I see no use in having a multimedia device when I can, instead, have an iPhone on which I can do exactly the same thing. But with that, I am of course not saying that it’s a waste to buy one. I just haven’t found the proper place in my daily use to justify the buy. Therefore, when I come across a multimedia (which by the way, I think the word “Multimedia” is so ’90s) gadget that is trying to redefine the way we browse, watch and listen, I always get a bit uneasy when trying to muster up the inspiration to appear interested.

Formboten, a German design house, has created several truly magnificent things in their days. Through an attempt to recreate the media player that we so often take for granted in our cell phones, they have come up with something they call 1Hole. It’s a different take on a device that most of us use by pressing buttons on a touch screen.

This, however, is totally changing the direction of it all. It uses a sort of a handle on which there are rollers to scroll through content, raise the volume and navigate. The device itself is pretty nifty when I think about it. It is truly intuitive, but the way it’s held makes me wonder why the screen is there in the first place. You’re covering it with your hand anyways, and by doing so, you lose a lot of the experience you otherwise could have. I am quite intrigued by this device; however, I will be monitoring this project to see what becomes of its conceptual state.