I’m privilege to have been offered Marc Zuckerman’s beautifully hand crafted products from sustainable New Zealand timber. My favorite is ZWILLET, the ultra compact, ingenious and versatile trivet pot stand. I say ingenious because it is made out of 2 identical pieces held together by a magnet which plays the role of a hinge but in a much more versatile way. The 2 pieces can be paralleled and spread apart for long dishes or crossed.
Our long term client, Wexxar Packaging has a new machine from their IPak tray forming line. The IPak RP 100 is unique in that it folds reusable industrial plastic trays, these usually being disposable cardboard. We were curious to know what advantages they provide, especially environmentally. Our research showed collapsible plastic trays are the smart, reusable alternative to using cardboard packaging. They outlast and outperform traditional expendable packaging such as cardboard and wood. With the “eat local” trend, they are also used to display fresh produce directly on floor as if delivered straight from the field. [...]
The Specialized Turbo is the first non clunky, light looking e bike. At first glance it looks like a regular sweet looking street bike. Take a second look and you start to see the difference. The first great innovation was the design and integration of the battery pack into the down tube form, this makes it look part of the bike and not just an added block, like on typical e bikes . The second is the simple use of contrasting colours and finishes which reduces the visual massing of the bike especially the down tube and gives the bike similar proportions to a regular street bike. Nicely done. Now who’s up for a test ride?
I recently watched Vanessa Gould’s fascinating documentary Between the Folds who profiles brilliant artists, mathematicians and scientists reinventing the ancient Japanese tradition of origami. The art of paper folding is used as a medium for construction, to develop algorithms, to explore more origami techniques and shows how closely art and science are intertwined. Not only are these origamists creating unimaginably beautiful pieces of art and thought-provoking mathematical models but foremost trying to explain the world through paper art. Everything about this documentary is exquisite and absolutely captivating.
While reading a bed time story to my 2 year old niece I saw a drawing of a phone. I realized that its iconic shape we’ve known for many generations has now completely changed. The iconic red phone with the dialing wheel as known by our grandparents, parents and even ourselves can’t even be identified as such by my niece. The latter has been replaced by the single button simple rectangular shape. Even our relationship has change to the object. As teenagers, we would spend hours talking on the phone but now in this day and age, a phone call is almost considered rude and preferably be announced via text, or messaging. To my niece, it’s not a phone if it doesn’t have a touch screen.
A real world review by a real world user. The reviewer, a qualified and experienced user gives us insight in how Polycom’s new business media phone the VVX 500 designed by White Box Design is poised to redefine the market place. Here’s a few snippets
“Just about everyone who sees the VVX 500 in the flesh thinks that it is a thing of great beauty”.
“I am convinced that all phones will look like this in a few years time. An intuitive touch screen interface is instantly useable by anyone who can work a smartphone and this replaces the huge desk eating form factor with myriad buttons on older phones”. Read the full review here
Automatic timepieces have traditionally been products of exquisite craft and hand-made precision, leaving them as luxury items for only the most privileged enthusiasts. In 1996, Seiko sought to refresh that atmosphere with their 7S26 movement, doing away with any antiquated traditions and supplanting them with modern materials, innovative engineering, and considered design choices. [...]
Jim Campbell’s Exploded View, exhibited recently at the Vancouver Art Gallery, draws deeply on the history of photo-based imaging to produce what may be best described as a newly emerging post-photographic practice. With its suspended web of more than 1,100 LEDs, Exploded View expands Campbell’s work from his flat two-dimensional grids of light into extraordinary three-dimensional space.
To get a taste of his installation click here
Walking CES this year it was noticeable that the economy was turning a corner by the increase in exhibitors and visitors from previous years. There was a significantly stronger showing from the automotive industry and the home appliance sector. Check out our round up on what caught our eyes at CES 2012. [...]
At this years Consumer Electronics Show there were several new trends that stood out for us including: the proliferation of ultrabooks, camera technology, waterproofing, apps controlling home appliances and a lot more. See our CES 2012 trends overview [...]