Mobile technology and its peripheral industries move faster than fingers can type or the eye can perceive sometimes, and that ever-changing dynamic is one of the core reasons the mobile technology world is a very exciting one. We browse through some up-and-coming developments and concepts to bring you a few ideas that piqued our curiosity and interest.

3D Printing and Imprinting iOS App

As quickly as the mobile phone industry adopted and is adapting to 3D viewing technology, it’s not surprising that 3D printing also follows suit.

3D-printing has been used by designer shops for some time, but it’s recently been sneaking into mobile phone technology. A French company called Sculpteo, has created an iPhone app that allows you to create projects that present 3D images on solid objects, such as cups, vases and even mobile phone cases – in this iOS-specific case, iPhone cases.

The image you choose is paired with the object you choose from their gallery. Sculpteo creates a vase, for instance, whose outline matches the prominent image in your photo choice. The image is not projected ONTO the object but INTO its design.

Alas, Sculpteo isn’t always able to transform your vision into realistic 3D images with all surfaces or items, but it’s certainly an intriguing concept.

We can’t wait to see what printer manufacturers do with 3D paper printing! Will the breakthrough come in printer or paper design?

Apple Transmutes Visible Ops Philosophy

While many aspects of Apple’s designs are cloaked in secrecy behind closed, locked and security-sealed rooms, it seems, Apple is breaking new boundaries in its new philosophy of openness: They are constructing a see-through store.

Three walls of the one-storey structure being built in Aix en Province in France will be constructed from earthquake-proof glass provided by Apple’s supply line whilst the fourth wall is constructed from light-coloured brick.

If the glass is being supplied by Corning, what a boost that would be for their new Gorilla Glass 2, thinner but just as strong as the well-known original Gorilla Glass that protects, among other things, many of the display screens in several top mobile phones.

It’s unknown at this point whether Apple will export the structural design to China.