Google has sold interactive glasses for $1500 (only) during its annual software conference in San Francisco to first adaptors. If all goes well, a less expensive version of the glasses is expected to go on sale for consumers in early 2014. While wearing these glasses, directions to a destination or a text message from a friend may appear directly before your eyes. Conversing with friends in a video chat, take a photo without taking out a camera, phone or even buy a few things online as you walk around. JUST DON’T DRIVE DOING IT.
Tag: DESIGN
Nendo: The Thin Black Line
Nendo, the wondrous japanese group formed by Canadian born Oki Sato, will show at the London Design Week with a collection based on calligraphy. Pure line art in steel.
One can get a hold of their magic at 1%, the online store that features productions of only 100 of each design.
See more of their terrific work for Hermes, Cartier and Boffi here: NENDO
Pièce de résistance: Master Bottier Dimitri Gomez
This parisian bootmaker has an impressive roster of clients that commission their particular requests with who is considered one of the industry’s best. A perfect example is his phenomenal derby CUT IN ONE PIECE WITH NO SEAM. Incredible. More at: Dimitribottier
Barefoot in the Park: Swiss Protection Sock
On the heels (excuse the pun) of the barefoot trend such as Vibrams 5-fingers shoes come the Swiss Protection sock developed with Kevlar (of bullet proof vest origins) and laminated with PVC for further protection. Not for everyone but possibly the solution for a variety of water sports and such. Running on tacks and glass is probably not recommended.
It brings new meaning to casual and “socks with sandals” notoriety and may become as annoying as the ubiquitous Croc but comfort is obviously the new black. Enjoy.
See more at:Swiss Barefoot Co.
Apocalypse 101: Blizzard Blanket
REFLEXCELL is a unique material that with its triple ply construction and use of reflective foil material offers TWICE the warmth-to-weight ratio of goose down! The construction is also elastic due to the crimping and thus contours to the body therefore optimizing its warming effect. Too bad it doesn’t feel as cozy as down but when the chips are done and you’re in Survivor mode, this is definitely the way to go. Besides, it comes in fun shades like optimal orange (visibility) and army green (camouflage) alongside spacy silver.
Following exhaustive in-house testing and trials performed by the US Army Institute of Surgical Research, the Blizzard Survival Blanket has been endorsed by the US Army Medical Center Directorate of Combat and Doctrine Development and is the only blanket used to train Army medics in the treatment of hypothermia.
Don’t leave home without it…
More at BLIZZARDSURVIVAL
Rick Owens + Michele Lamy Unplugged
I’ve always admired free spirits as the ultimate expression of life. Perhaps because I feel the conservative constraints imposed on everyone rather acutely. Take for example the incredible fusion of Rick Owens and Michele Lamy, locked in creatively and otherwise. A fascinating look at their dynamics and of course, their incredible works.
I have included some stills as I was not able to insert this video from “Another Mag” but have this link here:
http://www.anothermag.com/video/embed/148?shareurl=http://www.anothermag.com/exclusives/rick-owens
More: Rick Owens
Kiss the Future: The C1 Motorcycle
I haven’t been this excited about an urban vehicle since the BMW C1 covered motorbike 10yrs ago (it was dropped for the North American market and simply vanished)…Now comes the C-1 from LIT MOTORS in San Francisco.
Fully enclosed with gyro stabilizer wheels and sunroof, it is quite the machine. Different versions of the C-1 will be available for different markets. The model aimed at First World countries will have an 8-10 kilowatt-hour battery pack. The vehicle will incorporate electric hub motors in both wheels, at least one of those motors being a high-performance Remy HVH unit. The top speed should be at least 120 mph (193 km/h), with driving range for the higher-end model expected to sit at around 150 to 220 miles (241 to 354 km) per charge.
The price is, however, very high still. They are now working on a hand-built steel uni-bodied working prototype, which should reportedly be complete within about three months. Plans call for an initial run of production vehicles to be available at a price of about US$24,000 by late 2013, with that price going down to $16,000 once full production gets under way in 2014. The BMW scooter was only 4-5000$. It should ideally be 7-8000 IMO.
Robin Chase, co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the world’s largest car-sharing service – she has since become “a huge proponent” of the vehicle. The MIT Media Lab also provided assistance in its design.
Should you be interested, LIT is accepting deposits…
LIT MOTORS
See it in motion here:
Yohji Yamamoto : Back to Black
If you haven’t seen the new screening of “This is my dream”, you still have a chance this fall in various cities: London, Berlin, Milan, Dubai and Tel Aviv. One of the very few designers that continues to astound with his mix of dystopian poetry and grace, Yohji Yamamoto reveals his inner soul and approach to his travails. In our new series, DESIGN MANIFESTO, we will explore the idiosyncratic methods and ethos behind notable creatives.
Here is a snippet of the film. Amazing. More info here: “This is my Dream”
YOHJI YAMAMOTO: THIS IS MY DREAM from Huge Conglomerate on Vimeo.
Dieter Rams : Cold War Modern
Here is an interview on some of the origins, inspirations and approaches to 20th Century classics by one of my favorite designers, Dieter Rams. A true visionary…
Dieter Rams “Cold War Modern” from Tom Haines on Vimeo.
Jannis Hulsen: Design
Fresh, innovative approaches to age old questions are what become benchmarks. German designer, Jannis Hulsen does just this in marvelous ways. Here is his explanation for the bio-tech stool: Xylinum is a research project that poses the question: what could future materials and production processes be like? The title Xylinum is the name of the bacterium which produces an artificial cellulose material. This bacterium counsumes sugar and builds a cellulose fibre structure around any given form. Since the process takes place in a nutrition liquid, the wet material can be dryed later on, resulting in a durable and 100 % biodegradable material. The properties of this material can be adjusted by changing the genetic code of the organisms. In collaboration with the company Jenpolymers, a technique was developed to create a »skin« around a wooden stool frame, forming the coating and seating surface.
More at: Jannis Hulsen
Thierry Mugler’s Redesign of the Spire Boat
While other cities deal with ever disgruntled rioters, Monaco lives on in a sun-bathed bubble of excess on the med. Here Thierry Mugler, that 70’s and 80’s design stalwart, will unveil the new, improved boat design, “SPIRE” at the 2011 Monaco Boat Show that does a cool 100MPH…
Arguably, it does look like the Batboat, but with it’s light and glistening chassis, this may not be the case.
Philips Ambient LED Wallpaper
The remarkable Philips LED-illumination wallpaper is neither cheap or green but as an aesthetic feature to restaurants or civic spaces, it certainly adds dynamic atmosphere. This new development would have interactive panels that respond to music, movement or any such visual appropriate to the environment. There is also the possibility of acting as an acoustic buffer. Personally, I think it would be great in the bedroom or bathroom as the dimensions are perfect…
For a visual of this check out the link:
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1
Electrolux Design Contest
Country: New Zealand
Designer: Sam Evans
School: Massey University
Electrolux declares its 2010 Design Lab winners. This year has been focused squarely on MOBILITY. That is the buzzword for just about everything these days for the modern day nomad…
Above, the heat grenade (No. 5) that resembles an aluminum egg and unfolds elegantly to a heat induction hob in black glass run on paper thin batteries. Nice.
Here’s more…
ASUS unveils 3 very futuristic waveface items
ASUS – once known mostly as a motherboard manufacturer – has chosen CES 2010 to introduce some innovative laptops and futuristic concepts. Not content with showcasing a laptop designed in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen’s chief designer, it has also introduced three Waveface design concepts. The range includes a portable device worn on the wrist, a widescreen display that is both an entertainment center and internet portal and a touch-sensitive machine that can be used as a single-screen tablet or conventional keyboard – all designed by ASUS to allow the user to fully embrace the digital life…perhaps even by using one’s own physiological and emotional state as a source of data. Well, I did say “futuristic concepts”.
Sea Shepherd “ADY GIL”
The Stealth like “Ady Gil” trimaran was unfortunately sunk by Japanese whalers. At 2 million$ that is a great loss for all of us as they patrol the seas. The vessel is just incredible.
A ton of bullet-proof kevlar…Described as a ‘wave piercer’ which can submarine up to 23 feet underwater, the craft completed the round-the-world trip using 100 per cent renewable biodiesel fuel, with a net zero carbon footprint.
The 24,000 nautical mile journey took just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, smashing the previous record by over two weeks!
If I had the money, I would probably invest in one (as a sort of panic room for the apocalypse…)
“iSlate” rumour
Via Wired
Apple will unveil a “major new product” at the
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Wednesday the 27th
of January.
According to the Wall Street Journal,
the device will cost $1,000, feature a “10 to 11-inch touch screen” and
will be unveiled later this month, with shipping to commence in March.
“iSlate.co.uk” is also owned by MarkMonitor and with the UK being a key
market in Apple’s portfolio, it would make sense to cover its
bases in this way. In addition, iSlate.jp (Japan), iSlate.cn (China)
and iSlate.fr (France), further key markets for Apple, have also been
linked to MarkMonitor, and this seems like too much of a coincidence to
presume that a large company wasn’t involved in scooping up the most
profitable world markets.
TRANFORMABLE TABLE
Via Notcot
Short on space but still need somewhere to sit down and eat? Here’s an innovative solution – the Picture Table is a unique dining table that flips back against the wall and becomes a stylish showcase for your favorite photograph, poster or piece of art.
The Picture Table is designed to be mounted on a side wall. When you have finished dining, the table rotates towards the wall and is fixed in place. It then becomes a large frame for an image that can be changed as often as you like.
The table is attached to the wall with three metal supports and the legs are kept in place with magnets. Posters can be easily removed and replaced and can also be enhanced with framing mat board if desired.
Particularly suitable for small apartments, hotel rooms or coffee shops, the Picture Table measures 130 x 85 x 78cm (51.2” x 33.5” x 30.7”) and is made from beech and balsa wood, plexi glass and stainless steel.
The Picture Table is produced in Italy and was designed by Verena Lang, the founder by IvyDesign. It weighs 20kg (44lbs) and costs EUR1,140 (approx. USD1,368 at time of publication) plus shipping. The company also makes a Mirror Table if you prefer to gaze at your own image!
FOLDING FAN KEYBOARD
By Darren Quick: Decent portable keyboards can be hard to find. Roll-up solutions like the ElekTex Smart Fabric Keyboard are extremely portable but lack the feel of traditional keys. Others that do provide traditional keys, like the Goldtouch Go! Travel keyboard, opt for a folding solution that doesn’t really reduce their size all that much. The Keystick keyboard looks to overcome both of these shortfalls with a full-sized QWERTY chicklet keyboard design that folds away like a Japanese fan to become an easily transportable stick. 
MEDIA CHAIR OFFERS IPOD, SPEAKERS AND PROJECTOR IN COMFORT
Usually, when you envisage a media chair your mind conjures up thoughts of weird (read uncomfortable) pieces of furniture that would be more at home in a museum of modern art than your lounge room. But Martin Emila’s Media Chair is something else. Sure, it’s a bit “left field” but it’s a concept chair that would look pretty good at my place I reckon. It features embedded speakers, an iPod dock, a projector and, above all, looks pretty darn comfortable. 
New Airline ECONOMY FLEX Seating
By Jeff Salton
Jacob Innovations has developed the conceptual Flex-Seat, which can be configured in a number of ways to make the most of the vertical space often wasted inside airline cabins and putting the possibility of a good night’s sleep (or rest) within reach of most fliers.
The Flex-Seat is a unique flexible seating configuration that can be utilized differently for each class of flier. While some business class passengers might feel that they are perched precariously in their seats, their Flex-Seat model allows them to lie in comfort and virtual solitude.
Other benefits over current business class sections include increased privacy (good for traveling professionals), allows for travel with infants, and has extra room for large carry-on luggage and bulky items. Passengers and luggage are stored away from the aisles, allowing better traffic flow while loading and unloading passengers. Also, these seats don’t need reclining mechanisms, as the diagram shows.
In the basic traveler’s section, every other seat is raised by a height of approximately two steps, which lets the passenger behind recline and slide their legs fully under the seat ahead, therefore allowing for a totally reclining flight or, even better, sleep. The makers say the economy version would cost around 20 percent more than current prices but the offer of a 45° or better angle allows for a great chance of sleep versus sleep deprivation, meaning workers arrive at their destination ready to go. One definite advantage is that even the upper deck of a 747 can be reconfigured to fit more people in comfort than traditional conventional seating, with longer beds up to 2m in length. 
ÆSTHETIQ 