Design Corner » electro^plankton

electro^plankton

Huggable

Posted: November 29th, 2008, 2:30am PST by tranism

Tags: hot Science [edit]

Once again I need to profess my love to the brainiacs at MIT. Their latest project, "Huggable" is a robotic teddy bear complete with servos, sensors, webcams, speakers, articulated joints, and artificial intelligence. It even acts as a telepresence device mirroring the movements of a remotely controlled Huggable.
The Teddy Bot was designed for early learning and hospital use but lets get to the real deal here. This thing is about as close as we'll get to the lovable "TEDDY" in Spielberg's "A.I." DO WANT!
via Gizmodo

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Second Skin

Posted: November 16th, 2008, 6:56pm PST by tranism

Tags: Fashion [edit]

I'm all over this story called Second Skin by photographer Willem Jaspert. I love the variation of skin tight fitted clothes, everything from nylon, spandex and even a knitted piece. Who is that model?!
via Pony Step

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A little Perspective

Posted: November 16th, 2008, 6:47pm PST by tranism

Tags: think thought view [edit]

The U.S. goes thru 2 million of these things every 5 minutes. Hit the jump to see what it is.

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Engineered Garments

Posted: November 14th, 2008, 12:59am PST by tranism

Tags: Fashion [edit]

A Japanese take of Americana. Daiki Suzuki is a man enamored with American workwear. Not the stuff we wear today, but a time when clothes were woolen and dated, meant to look tattered. If a button fell off you replaced it. You may have not been able to sew and the button may have not even matched but that's the charm.
The Fall/Winter 2008 Engineered Garments collection is inspired by American steel and railroad workers mixed with a bit of good ole' logging and coal mining from the 20's and 30's. Everything, even the pants, are tailored woolens. I love how it's a Japanese take on what I would normally call blue collar wear. Daiki may not know it but the clothes feel distinctively Japanese. The proportions, cut, and subtle deconstructivist detailing are straight up Nihon.
Buy it at Odin New York

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Engineered Garments F/W 2008

Posted: November 14th, 2008, 12:59am PST by tranism

Tags: Fashion [edit]

A Japanese take of Americana. Daiki Suzuki is a man enamored with American workwear. Not the stuff we wear today, but a time when clothes were woolen and dated, meant to look tattered. If a button fell off you replaced it. You may have not been able to sew and the button may have not even matched but that's the charm.
The Fall/Winter 2008 Engineered Garments collection is inspired by American steel and railroad workers mixed with a bit of good ole' logging and coal mining from the 20's and 30's. Everything, even the pants, are tailored woolens. I love how it's a Japanese take on what I would normally call blue collar wear. Daiki may not know it but the clothes feel distinctively Japanese. The proportions, cut, and subtle deconstructivist detailing are straight up Nihon.
Buy it at Odin New York

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Buy the Car, Lease the Batteries

Posted: November 14th, 2008, 7:21pm PST by tranism

Tags: techness [edit]

Nissan may have totally missed the hybrid revolution but they're making sure they've got the fully electric thing down pact. Carlos Tavares, Nissan's VP for product planning and development recently shed light on how he thinks we will purchase cars in the future. When you walk into a dealership, you buy the vehicle but lease the battery.
At first I thought, "great, it's another way to milk more money from consumers" but in hindsight it makes sense. Battery technology is one of the most costly parts of an electric vehicle. Battery technology is still technically unproven and bound to improve faster than the lifespan of most vehicles. Wouldn't it be easier to just swap it out as tech improves instead of buying a whole new car?
Hit the jump to see more of Nissan's Nuvo

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Highlight 3 Ways

Posted: November 14th, 2008, 7:50am PST by tranism

Tags: think thought view [edit]

Where the hell was this invention when I was in school? It's a highlighter with a modified tip they called 3-way beetle. Japan only. Damn they get all the cool stuff.
via Spoon & Tamago

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Baby Karl!

Posted: November 14th, 2008, 7:47am PST by tranism

Tags: Fashion [edit]

Oo Snap ya'll. Check out baby Karl Lagerfeld! Amazing, he was obviously born with style.

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The Eye of Mordor is Watching Us

Posted: November 14th, 2008, 7:35am PST by tranism

Tags: hot Science [edit]

Researchers made a break-thru this week when the Hubble Telescope photographed 2 planets orbiting a star very similar to our own. What's more the two planets seem to be within the habital zone - the area where it's just the right temperature to support liquid water. Unfortunately the system is over 130 light years away - longer than a human lifetime. More surprising to the researchers is the fact that the system looks like the Eye of Mordor.
via Bad Astronomy

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Lives Better Than Me

Posted: November 12th, 2008, 4:31am PST by tranism

Tags: Design [edit]

This "cattery" is amazing. Olive (the cat) sure does have a loving owner. A beautiful blend of modern design with all the cat essentials like a scratching mat, bird's eye view, and cushy sleeping quarters.
I made this house for my cat, Olive. She enters through a door in the bottom side and then ascends a ramp, which boosts her to the upper level. The front wall is plexi-glass, the floor is 2.5 inch thick old sheepskin rug, and my wife made some small paintings that hang on the walls. There is also a big cardboard scratching porch. Cats love to scratch and relax on cardboard. The top is removable and the glass slides out for maintenance.
More pics after the jump.

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Thin is Out, Odd is In

Posted: November 11th, 2008, 5:56am PST by tranism

Tags: Design [edit]

Mobile phones are getting so thin, they're almost ignoring every rule of handheld ergonomics. Designer Heikki Juvonen decided to backtrack and redesign a futuristic mobile complete with all modern accoutrements but with realistic ergonomics in mind. The end result is a phone he believes is perfectly balanced in the hand placing the heavy components towards the bottom. The unique profile shape also helps it sit better in the hand providing multiple surface areas to grip.

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Not Your Standard QVC Fair

Posted: November 11th, 2008, 5:51am PST by tranism

Tags: Fashion [edit]

My friends and I always rag on this woman and her "Quaker" line of fashionably knitted sweaters on QVC. We're talking full on cable stitches adorned with ducks, pine trees, squirrels, snow, etc.. you name it. But knitwear doesn't have to be so "meh" as proven by SIBLING Knitwear company. Joe Bates, Sid Bryan, and Cozette McCreery all came from top fashion houses like Alexander McQueen and Lanvin. They struck out on their own to revitalize the world of high fashion knitwear which has totally become dominated by machines. I'm fucking in love ya'll!
More after the jump.
via Mensrag

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Little Windmills Charge My Batteries

Posted: November 11th, 2008, 5:40am PST by tranism

Tags: Design [edit]

This is one of those DUH moments where I say, "damn why didn't I think of that!" The Febot is a windmill like gadget you suction cup to any surface facing the wind. A propellor collects wind energy to drive a motor that converts those kinetics into electrical energy thus promptly charging your AA battery. Hell you don't even need wind. Just place your hyperactive children next to them and make it a game. Whoever spins the most Febots the fastest gets a cookie!
via Yanko Design

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Plushy Momo Keeps Me From Getting Lost

Posted: November 11th, 2008, 5:35am PST by tranism

Tags: Design [edit]

OMG this is so precious and so DO WANT! Momo is a haptic navigational device that requires only the sense of touch to guide a user. No maps, no text, no arrows, no lights. momo sits in the palm of your two hands and navigates you to an end location by leaning and vibrating. Akin to someone pointing you in the right direction, there is no need to find your map, you simply follow as the device gravitates to your destination.

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Boliva Could Be The Next Big "Oil Well"

Posted: November 11th, 2008, 5:33am PST by tranism

Tags: think thought view [edit]

If it weren't for the massive oil reserves in the middle east, many of those countries would have never modernized the way they have today. As the world slowly turns its attention to alternative fuels, with them are the resources to drive that new economy. One part of the equation are lithium batteries. Electric vehicles of all sorts could be powered from a multitude of fuels but they all charge lithium ions and as it stands now, Bolivia - one of the poorest countries in South America - holds over half the world's lithium reserves.
The country's massive alkaline flats could see a flurry of foreign investors rapidly changing Bolivia's economy and world power just as the middle east oil boon did for Arabian peninsula. Will our children see future conflicts set in South America or will they be smart enough to learn from the mistakes we've made?
via Treehugger

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Interactive Opera

Posted: November 11th, 2008, 5:24am PST by tranism

Tags: think thought view [edit]

Massive stage sets may be nearing their end if the Met's first interactive opera becomes the norm in theatrical entertainment. The first performance of "Faust" utilizes some of the most sophisticated interactive technology to date.
Microphones (not the broadcasting kind) which are attached to the singers and positioned over the orchestra gauge volume and pitch. A system of infrared lights and cameras detect motion; similar technology is used to catch people trying to cross the United States border with Mexico, Mr. Lepage said.
A flock of digitally created birds swirls during Faust's opening aria. As Mr. Giordani's pitch changes, the birds change directions. As the volume surges, they swoop. When soldiers, supported by cables, march perpendicularly up the scaffolding on a projection of grass, the blades waver and part.

For the water-reflection scene, a high-definition camera captures the image of the moving boat. The software flips the image upside down, creates a shimmer and then instructs a projector to play it back simultaneously on the screen below the boat. The movements of ballet dancers during the "Menuet des follets" cause projected images of curtains to flutter and billow. In the production's most striking moment a JumboTron image of Ms. Graham's face appears behind her, emanating flames, as she sings "D'amour l'ardente flame."
via PSFK

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Social Networking for Dogs

Posted: November 11th, 2008, 5:07am PST by tranism

Tags: techness [edit]

Hey, they're pack animals so it would only make sense man's best friend gets a social network too. The SNIF tag is a wireless doo-dad that clips onto Fido's collar. As he/she passes by other SNIF enabled dogs, they exchange data and record each other's presence. Everything uploads to an online site where your dog's SNIF profile exists.
More info on how SNIF tag came to be after the jump.

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Porter Bookstraps are Tres Chic

Posted: November 2nd, 2008, 9:32pm PST by tranism

Tags: Fashion [edit]

The Porter bookstrap is an amazing throwback to pre-backpack days. I have no use for it now since I'm fervent about going totally digital but it would be such a cool photograph to see the Amazon Kindle strapped up. If ya likes it, you can get it from All Beams for 7,350 Yen ($75 U.S.).

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My Fall/Winter Wardrobe

Posted: November 2nd, 2008, 9:11am PST by tranism

Tags: Fashion [edit]

Fall and winter are my favorite seasons mainly because in Los Angeles, it's mild in the day and only a little chilly at night. I basically pull out money I horde during the summer (because I hardly ever shop then) and go nuts in the stores. I've also noticed like most men I try to purchase everything at once. It's much less hassle because if I ever do return to the stores, it's to buy basics like undies and socks. I don't want to have to think about anything else - just in and out of the stores.
Oddly I define my seasonal wardrobe by what footwear I buy first. They set the stage and everything else becomes secondary or decorative. I try not to prescribe to any "fashion rules." I wear what I want regardless of whether it makes me look short, fat, stubby, or weird. Somewhere along the way somebody got way too serious and decided fashion - which is supposed to be trendsetting - needed to follow conformist rules. BLAH to that.
Hit the jump to see my fall/winter 2008-2009 wardrobe.

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