It’s summer in our hemisphere. Long days. Warm weather. Spending more time outdoors. Here is a innovative product that you make yourself at the beach or on a picnic — the cutlery! What fun!
The cutlery (Do!) and an extension cord (Thrush-In) that stores nicely in its own felt container is designed by Arihiro Miyake. The utensils are fashioned by hand and you also make that fashion statement. The designer labels the cutlery disposable but we propose the environmental statement. Throw them in the dishwasher!.
These are just some of the items found in New York mid-May. The main draw was the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Javits Center, but there were many off-site events to go to. One was the Hardcore Finnish Design exhibit featuring 20-plus Finnish designers. (more…)
In a highly extraordinary example of creativity and high-design, the iPhone captures the 2008 Creativity Awards Grand Prize Winner. Why so unusual? This event is judged by the advertising community where ad campaigns and 30-second spots typically rule.
A POV from one of the judges: “The iPhone. Iconic design or iconic brand? Simply put Apple leads the way as an iconic brand, but importantly it uses iconic design to express this in everything it does. People often confuse the two, but Apple has both, and this is what makes it connect with niche emotional intensity to a mass global market. (more…)
A home that makes the Smart car, standing side-by-side, look like a SUV. No, an 18-wheeler.
“Micro-Compact Home” [m-ch] was inspired by Japanese tea houses, yes, the Smart car and first class air travel. They are lightweight, modular, mobile and very minimal 2.65m (roughly 77 sq ft). That equates into a 266 x 266 x 266 centimeter cube ‘Home,’ Imagine that? It’s not for the claustrophobic, a dwelling non-the-less, for one or two people. This is not a tent, a trailer, but a home, in a super compact design.
The tiny cube provides a double bed on an upper level and working table and dining space for four to five people on the lower level. The entrance area has triple use: it functions as a bathroom and drying space for clothing, in addition to a lobby. Costing $80,000 USD, this little prefab integrates state-of-the-art technology into its compact design, boasting a sound system, flat screen TV, and temperature controls. It requires no furniture and all storage space is cleverly concealed within the structure of the dwelling. (more…)
High-design. Electric. 50-state approved (USA).
After quite a bit of tweaks, good and bad press the FDA finally blessed the Tesla in January 2008 and this red (green) car can go on sale. The car won’t solve the world problems, at least not this particular car — $100K — but it is a start.
Tesla is probably doing it right as they are a small company. Start with a small luxury — sport market and then move to the mass market. The big auto makers will probably beat them to a mass market electric.
Tesla says it’ll churn out 40 of the $100,000 cars per week. So put your name on the list. And there may be perks down the road too. In Norway if you drive an electric car you can drive in bux/taxi lanes, get free pass in toll booths, have parking near the entrance of large stores.
Interestingly at $100K this one is actually cheaper than most low end luxury cars. (more…)
Eton makes serious radios. Sound 140 Concerto (top) is a loaded clock radio with amazing audio that was specially crafted for your iPod. Martha Stewart would say put one in each room, being cheaper than wiring the mansion for sound. FR1000-VoiceLink (bottom) belongs in your survivor kit. AM-FM, emergency-band, cell-phone charger, walkie-talkie, with a nearly infinite power source crank. They don’t call it VoiceLink for nothing. (more…)
Worried about space? The Dyson DP24 is for you. This version of the top-shelf Ball, measures only 29.6 inches tall and weighs 11.6 pounds. And its sucks the color off the carpet. Visit Dyson DP24
Home Depot was surprised by the fire-safety statistics. Their new design lab creates Home Hero. The goal was to create a kitchen fire extinquisher that people would proudly keep on their countertops. CLICK AND DRAG THE OBJECT TO VIEW FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES. IDEA 2007 Gold Award winner in consumer products. Visit Home Hero
The bad news: $77,000 USD and Peraves will only make 100 units a year. The good news: This unusual vehicle is manufactured by the Swiss company Peraves. The Ecomobile is essentially an enclosed motorcycle. The power for the Ecomobile originates from a rear mounted liquid cooled 4 cylinder BMW K series motorcycle engine.
When in turbocharged form it has a claimed, and rather disturbing, top speed of 202 miles per hour. Inside are two leather covered car style seats, and all the equipment expected in a luxury car. (more…)
Value item: Tata Nano. A car christened “the peoples car” debuted in 2007 amid a lot of controversy. Its an unremarkable car if you don’t take into account that it’s sticker price is $2,500 USD. The negative is it is manufactured in India as an easy-entry into owning an automobile. Many feel that India’s densely populated cities, and streets, are ill-equipped to handle the additional emissions.
The car will have a 624-cc petrol engine generating 33 bhp of power. It will sport a 30-litre fuel tank and 4-speed manual gearshift. The car will come with air conditioning, but will have no power steering. It will have front disk and rear drum brakes. The company claims mileage of 23 km per litre. (more…)
When does form and function equal art? Here is an example. A recent reviewer said “If Apple did housewares, this might be the iPot.
Inspiration: Brooklyn, designer Joey Roth— “I’ve always been entranced by small, beautiful things that are so detailed, they seem like miniature worlds, yet so ordinary they’re often left unnoticed. I designed Sorapot to emphasize one of my favorite- the unfurling of tea leaves. Sorapot suspends the process of tea making in a glass tube a few centimeters above your tabletop. Unlike standard teapots that confine tealeaves in a small mesh basket, your leaves will have full run of Sorapot’s interior as they unfurl and change the hot water into tea. You might even see a tea-colored shadow cast by sunlight that passes through the tube and comes to rest in a gossamer puddle on your table.”
The Sorapot package benefits aesthetically from naturally imperfect corrugate patterns and earthen hues. Natural materials such as jute and recycled paper ensure its biodegradable impermanence. The molded pulp composition of the package provides a sturdy yet forgiving structure that is stout enough to function as a nested shipper and attractive enough to present well at retail.
Glass teacup
Joey is not done. There is also a twist to the new teacup. Joey says, “As you can see in the Sorapot video, glass tumblers are my favorite teacups. The contrast between the smooth glass and the fragrant amber tea may not make the brew taste better, but it definitely heightens the experience for me. I designed this teacup to emphasize the the beauty of tea on glass while insulating your hand and tabletop from heat.”
Another distinguishing feature is the Sorapot’s glass and metal components are fully recyclable.
The Sorapot and glass teacup can be purchased online at joeyroth.com We are going to get one. A spot of tea anyone?
Here’s one electric vehicle where limited range no longer seems unpalatable. Designed and built in China by a company called Axle Corporation, the EV-X7 is driven by an electric wheel hub motor and has a top speed of 93 mph. This, of course, is a snail’s pace compared to modern motorcycles, but then again, this doesn’t burn an ounce of fossil fuel. It also looks like something the police force in Minority Report would patrol the suburbs with, were it painted black. (more…)
