Gallery: Using the Internet of Things to Create Cute Long-Distance Interactions

  • Image may contain Human Person and Light
    Jonathan Levinson
    01

    things-that-cant-be-said-13

    Israeli design student Daniel Sher's recent project maps the Internet of Things with a collection of designs called *Saying Things That Can't Be Said*.
  • Image may contain Furniture Glass and Lamp
    Jonathan Levinson
    02

    things-that-cant-be-said-06

    The goal was not to recreate exact physical sensations, but capture the essence of emotions in abstract, interactive objects.
  • Image may contain Lamp
    Jonathan Levinson
    03

    things-that-cant-be-said-10

    *Sending a Kiss* consists of paper specimens that live inside glass chambers and when one is blown on, the other, in the shape of a butterfly, flutters.
  • Image may contain Paper Art Origami Human Person Diamond Jewelry Accessories Accessory and Gemstone
    Jonathan Levinson
    04

    things-that-cant-be-said-05

    *I'm With You*, looks like an origami pine cone and acts like a walkie-talkie for heartbeats, recording then transmitting heartbeats between the two units.
  • Image may contain Paper Origami and Art
    Jonathan Levinson
    05

    things-that-cant-be-said-07

    The series was inspired by a story about a family caring for a sick child, abstracted, and brought to the internet of things.
  • Image may contain Human Person and Bubble
    Jonathan Levinson
    06

    things-that-cant-be-said-02

    An unnamed project summons a flurry of soap bubbles from a wall-mounted dispenser in one location when a distant loved one blows on a pinwheel in another.
  • Image may contain Lamp Art Pottery and Porcelain
    Jonathan Levinson
    07

    things-that-cant-be-said-14

    The objects are built on the Arduino platform and the exposed wires and sensors help telegraph their interactivity.
  • Image may contain Tape Wood and Hardwood
    Jonathan Levinson
    08

    things-that-cant-be-said-01

    The material and fabrication choices---silk paper folded like origami, glass, dark walnut, and silver---make were meant to make the collection feel human and timeless.
Read More
Get Wired With the Best USB-C Cables for Your Phone, Tablet, and Laptop
Unravel the tangled world of cords and find the ones you need to charge your gadgets and transfer data.
Simon Hill
Donald Trump Is Ready for Fight Night. So Are Donors
The UFC event on the White House’s South Lawn is the president’s birthday gift to himself. Sources expect it to be a lobbying extravaganza.
Hugo Lowell
Wrongful Arrest Exposes Failures in One of the Oldest Police Face-Recognition Tools in the US
The ACLU is suing two Florida police departments over the arrest of a Fort Myers man in a child-abduction case, saying officers treated a flawed face-recognition match as a near-certain ID.
Dell Cameron
China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Center
With an initial capacity of 24 megawatts, the innovative data center uses seawater as a natural cooling system.
Fernanda González
These Are the Best $400 Digital Notebooks
The newest Kindle Scribe means there are now three digital notebooks you can buy in the $400 price range. Here’s which one you should get.
Nena Farrell
The Best Kindles to Take Your Library Anywhere
I’ve tried every single Kindle. Here’s how Amazon’s ebook readers stack up.
Nena Farrell
Get the Most Out of Your iPad With These Accessories
Kit out your Apple tablet with our favorite stands, cases, keyboards, and styli.
Julian Chokkattu
Finally, Some Affordable Laptops That Won’t Fail You in College
Laptops for college should be portable, offer long battery life, and remain reasonably affordable. Based on testing hundreds of laptops, these are my top picks.
Luke Larsen
The Other Major Soccer Event of 2026? The Shake-Up in the World of Video Games
The 48-team World Cup is not the only historic soccer event this year. Four titans are vying for control of video game soccer in the fiercest battle the industry has ever seen.
Javier Rodríguez
This World Cup, You Can Watch the Game From a Ref’s Point of View
Referees for the 2026 World Cup will be wearing cameras positioned at their temples, allowing TV audiences to see a live view of the pitch from a vantage point they never have before.
Ben Dowsett
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup
The games start June 11 and end with a grand finale in New Jersey on July 19. There are 104 of them. Here’s how to watch ’em all.
Boone Ashworth
Soccer Fans, You’re Being Watched
From anti-drone tech to face recognition, 2026 World Cup stadiums in the US, Canada, and Mexico are subjecting fans to an array of surveillance tech. Here’s what you need to know.
Vas Panagiotopoulos