Sunday, 27 April 2014

Eames Chair: The Eames Softpad Executive Chair

In 1958, Charles and Ray Eames was asked to design chairs for a wealthy industrialist in Columbus, Indiana named J. Erwin Miller. Chairs that could be both for indoor and outdoor usage. Chairs that could withstand the weather and the elements, be comfortable and be beautiful enough to also go indoors and not clash with the decor. (Source: Herman Miller, Smart Furniture)

According to Smart Furniture, 'what they came up with they called the Aluminium Group, and it was this group that led to directly to the creation, decades later, of the Eames Soft Pad Chairs. The original Aluminum Group Chairs were, indeed, indoor-outdoor creations. They were upholstered in mesh, and that made them easy to use outdoors without getting ruined. They were supported by polished aluminum, and that made them attractive and modern. They were shaped in a beautiful curve, and that made them classically stylish chairs. Immediately, almost everyone involved saw that these chairs were perfect for indoor use, and perfect for leather upholstery. The idea quickly shifted, from making idiosyncratic chairs for a single buyer into making amazing chairs for a legion of new buyers looking to improve the look of their homes and offices. These chairs, the Aluminum Group that was upholstered in leather and given the familiar profile we now know so well, were the progenitors of the Eames Soft Pad Chairs.'

The Eames Soft Pad Chairs, taken from Smart Furniture

'The Eames Soft Pad Chairs were updates, released in 1969, to the original Aluminum Group Chairs, and they were also an addition; they introduced a side chair into the mix that had its own special purpose in the system. The design of the Eames Soft Pad Chairs owes a lot to the original Aluminum Group, and also to the original indoor-outdoor prototype for both. Mainly, the technical innovation of the comfort pocket is owed to the original prototype.'

The Wife acquired two Eames Soft Pad Executive Chairs and a Herman Miller Aeron chair from an office auction at approximately SGD20 each. They office was reducing their floor space and they were getting rid of their excess office furniture. I do not think they are aware of the value of these chairs. The Eames Soft Pad Executive chair is retailing at around USD2,400 each and a basic Aeron chair at USD600.

There is a slight twist to the Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair that was bought. It was manufactured by ICF Italy.


Taken from www.depadova.it

According to both Smart Furniture and Scott Howard UK website, 'The Aluminium Group Chair was first manufactured by Herman Miller Inc in the USA who later granted four manufacturers a "Licence to Produce" for their own markets in Europe. The four original licencee's were Vitra in Switzerland, Hille in the UK, ICF in Italy, and Mobilier International in France, of which only Vitra still retains a licence from Herman Miller Inc to manufacture for the European and Middle East markets, after becoming sole licencee with effect from the 1st of January 1986.'

ICF was founded by Fernando and Maddalena De Padova. According to their website, 'On a trip to Basel, Maddalena De Padova happens to discover the Wire Chair by Charles Eames. The encounter changes her life. A few months later, in fact, through Willi Fehlbaum, the founder of Vitra, Maddalena meets with the American company Herman Miller and acquires a license to produce the products designed by Charles Eames and George Nelson in Italy. Founding of ICF De Padova, with headquarters in Vimodrone, near Milan, for the production in Italy of the office furnishings of Herman Miller.'


Here are the photos of the Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair that I own.

Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair - Front



Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair - Back



Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair - Side






Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair - Aluminium Handle



Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair - Aluminium Frame



Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair - Aluminium Frame



Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair - Aluminium Frame



In case of any doubts...







ICF Italy's Address


The chair was used by the office since Sept 2006. Despite its age, it is still in very good condition. The leather is still good, despite some scuffs mark in the usual places for an office chair. The cushion is still strong. The pneumatic lift is works effortlessly. Most of all, it is one of the most comfortable chairs that I have ever sat in.

Writing this blog piece on this beautiful chair has given me a deeper appreciation on the architectural achievements of the Eames, of putting physics into a simple thing like a chair or an elephant for kids. Prior to this chair, I have also blogged about the Eames elephant.

According to Smart Furniture, the Eames Aluminium Group Chairs '...feature two polished aluminum ribs that range up and down the seat and seat back. Between these two ribs, the leather is stretched taut. And that's it to the casual eye. This creates a comfort pocket, in the same way hammocks and camp chairs create a sling. But the comfort pocket on these chair is different. Not only are the materials exquisitely comfortable, but each pocket is precise, measured, and repeatable to the Nth degree. They figured out a way to be precise with the sling, and make it actively inviting and comforting and supportive, rather than just sitting there. It was the first major chair not to use a solid back, and it was a huge hit. Years later, with the Eames Soft Pad Chairs, the technology is still sound and unimproved upon. The chairs are just as grand and comfortable today as they were four decades ago.

Another thing that the Eames Soft Pad Chairs took from the Aluminum Group was variety. There are four different types of Soft Pad Chair, and each one of them is specialized and unique, all the better to fit your life more precisely.'


Source:
Eames Design
Herman Miller
Vitra
Smart Furniture
wikipedia.com - J Erwin Miller
Scott Howard
Mid Centuria

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Travel Essentials: Asus All-In-One Wireless N Pocket Router WL-330NUL for Wifi Review.

I bought the Asus All-In-One Wireless N Pocket Router WL-330NUL to replace the D-Link DIR 505 which I bought and blogged about here. I got the Asus Pocket Router at the recent IT Show 2014 which was held at Marina Bay Sands from 27th Feb to 2nd March 2014.

My main usage for the the mobile router is to create an instant hotspot in hotel rooms via their wifi. Normally, the usage is restricted to a single device with login and password supplied by the hotels but with these mobile router, multiple devices can be hooked up.

The process to connect to the hotel wifi is straightforward. When the mobile router is powered up, there is a web-based interface to search for the wifi around the vicinity. I would just click on the wifi that I have been given access to, put in the hotel supplied login/password, the mobile router would reboot and I would be connected. It seems quite easy on paper. But I have been getting problems with the DIR 505 as it would reboot and still no connection. It is suppose to be easy. Spending an hour fiddling around the wifi connection in a hotel room is not ideal when I should be doing work or better yet, if I am on holiday.

I decided to get the Asus WL-330NUL mainly because of its size. It seems to pack quite a lot of features in such a small form, as compared to the DIR 505.

Specifications

Interface: 1 x RJ45 for 10/100 BaseT with auto cross-over function (MDI/MDI-X)
Antenna: Internal 2 dBi antenna x 1
Operating Frequency: 2.4GHz
Management: Guest SSID / Site Survey / DHCP server / DHCP client / Static IP / Upgrades via web browser        
Security: Firewall : NAT, Virtual DMZ
Encryption : 64/128-bit WEP, WPA TKIP/AES, WPA2 TKIP/AES
Authentication : MAC address
Utilities: WL-330NUL Ultra-Link Utility / One-click guest management / Web-base administration
Power Adapter: AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz)
DC Output : 5 V with max. 1 A current
OS Support: Windows® 8 , 32bit/64bit / Windows® 7 , 32bit/64bit / Windows® Vista , 32bit/64bit / Windows® XP , 32bit/64bit
Mac OS X 10.5 / Mac OS X 10.6 / Mac OS X 10.7 / Mac OS X 10.8
Linux
Dimensions: 65 x 20.7 x 15.4 mm (WxDxH)



ASUS WL-330NUL Pocket Router Box Front
The 330NUL Pocket Router has 4 functions, as indicated on the box cover above. I am using it mainly as a Wi-Fi Hotspot.


ASUS WL-330NUL Pocket Router Box Back
Connection is either through an ethernet cable or via wi-fi.




There are 3 types of power source for the pocket router. This is extremely flexible, as compared to the D-Link DIR 505, which has to be plugged to a wall socket. 


There are just 3 items in the box. Thankfully, it came with a
UK-Type plug. The USB cable is attached and hidden below the pocket router.


Comparing the D-Link with the ASUS.


Connection:

Using the Asus WL-330NUL is quite simple. On the iPhone, I just need to locate the network, which I have selected above.


I launched the iPhone browser, point it to asusnetwork.net, login with the Supervisor Code. This is a 8-digit number which is located on the mobile router. After that, I would get the screen above. It will do a survey of the wifi networks nearby.


I select the wifi network which is assigned to me and put in the Network Key or Password. It will be reboot and reconnect to the wifi network.

This works for the rest of the devices within the network. It is quite straightforward. The D-Link DIR 505 is a bit troublesome in the administrative part of getting connected. And after it reboots, most of the time I would not get a connection and I would have redo the process all over again.

As a travelling companion, I find this device very useful.

If you have the WL-300NUL, let me know what you think of the device.