Wired - Green is the new black — and bamboo is the new titanium. After years of churning out glossy, metal-finish, high-polish products, electronics companies are taking their design cues from nature — and trying to pick up the sheen of eco-friendliness — by wrapping their products in bamboo veneers.
Bamboo has become the "it" material for many gadget designers. PC maker Dell has launched its Studio Hybrid PC with the option of a bamboo case, while Asus offers a Bamboo series notebook. There are also bamboo speakers, a keyboard, mouse and USB hub available, all wearing the woody-stemmed grass.
"The use of authentic materials is a strong trend in product design right now," says Gadi Amit, principal designer and founder of product-design firm New Deal Design, which worked with Dell on its Studio Hybrid PC.
The trend goes far beyond the PC industry, with many designers in other fields adopting the ostensibly eco-friendly material. Watchmaker Nixon has a model with a bamboo strap. Bikemaker Craig Calfee showed bicycles with bamboo frames at a recent show. Bamboo has even taken the clothing world by storm as one of the hottest textiles. It's used in everything from T-shirts and boxer shorts to high-end hotel bedsheets.
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