A $14,000 runner-up prize in the Lifebook category went to Philipp Schaake of Germany and his Crowd concept, a PC for the consumer of many moods.

Crowd can be configured to resemble a notebook or slate, and can also be tweaked so that the screen and keyboard are separate. The PC can even be operated via the back cover when closed.

"On the one hand, 'Crowd' can be used like a typical laptop. On the other hand, the user can activate a new, playful, and haptic interface for surfing the Web, chatting, or mailing," the designer says. The size of avatars on the screen, for example, indicate the frequency with which you contact a person or visit a Web site.

Submissions to the Lifebook category could appear in a notebook PC series slated for release in 2013.