OPD, Ocean Power Delivery, creates an amazing system for generating up to 750 kilowatts of electricty from the movement of offshore waves. Renewable energy is a huge topic into our near future and OPD is one very unique option to follow. I wonder if theres a system to renew energy through roads, highways, or the freakin shaking floors in malls when you just stand still. Perhaps malls will one day be partially powered by the traffic they get.
ideas
It’s curious how industrial products are slowly evolving back to their natural stages. Pictured above are two showerheads connecting you to nature a bit more. First, a shower head that rains on you in a sexy kinda way, then another one that actually creates a cloud that rains on you…pretty cool yeah!!!
If your out in the Santa Monica region go check out Brendan Monroes upcoming exhibition of recent work at the Richard Heller Galllery. Above are creatures Brendan created a few months back. Check out his gallery preview … I love his somewhat disturbing drawings.
It’s great how the usb stick has become a race to give them personality, style, and fun. There’s the slick metal ones, the sushi ones, the usb ring, the cute mimobots, and now some whimsical ones that hint at the storage capacity. When the function of an object is limited to changes, the creative juices kick in to give plain boring products some jazz and spunk! Pictured above is Michael Leungs ruler usb stick which depicts the capacity of a stick based on the length. On the right is a usb bag that acts like a stomach. The more stored in it, the larger it gets. I wonder if you can squeeze the belly to copy data out of it? fun fun fun!
Some wooden structures by The Art Office have been surfing the net lately. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share how similar this project is to a lamp project I created way back in high school and my early years at RISD. I guess when you have a real studio, you stop buying popsicle sticks and use 2 x 4’s. Anyhow, all great stuff!
One of my favorite commercials was the “Ugoff” series for BurgerKing in 2004. Recently some really great VW commercials came out which reminded me of them, and whala…it’s the same freakin firm! If you have not seen either series, your missing out! If your a designer, you’ll have a great appreciation for the “Ugoff” series. Anyhow, they rock!Crispin Porter+Bogusky
Ugoff commercials one, two, web (look into “ugoffliments”)
VW commercials one, two, three
“In Paris, bistros are synonymous with cheap and cheerful food. In Hamburg, FRoSTA Bistro serves cheap and cheerful frozen food…. FRoSTA, a mid-sized, forward thinking company with an active blog, manufactures premium frozen foods that are completely free of artificial additives.The bistro, which opened in November 2005, is a well-design restaurant with chefs working in an open kitchen. For all to see, they prepare frozen foods from FRoSTA’s range. Packaging is on display, reinforcing the message that the meals prepared in the bistro are identical to what consumers can buy in a supermarket. “
Pretty freakin cool. Hopefully it taste just as good as it sounds!
Did you ever wonder how a computer thinks? Well, if so, Martin Wattenberg has created an awesome application that visualizes a computers thinking process. If your into “information visualization”, have a go at his other incredible projects.
If your a fan of Jimmy Kimmel’s TV skit “Unnecessary Censorship“, you’ll get a kick out of these shirts. You know how TV stations blur out logos, profane images, or words… well, Ironic Sans brings that “blur” to reality with your very own censored-ish shirts. It’s funny how people fill in bleeped or blurred images with their own imagination and come up with profane thoughts. Adam Connely is another artists that does pixelated art, though, his images are a bit more obvious from a distance.
Are ya looking for some cool interactive ambient light projects? If so, link yourself over to UnitedVisualArtists. They have a some great project using light and interactive sensors. Some are a bit trippy, but a few are breathtaking. Make sure to watch their project video clips. I’ll list a few of my favorites:Victoria and Albert Museum
Interactive Installation
Massive Attack
Fashion Show
There are two incredible developments in the interactive tables arena, the muti-touch table by Jef Han and the touch table by >Applied Minds. So, whats next?… A freakin dynamic 3D version of one!!! Yes, like the one in the X-men movie. Xenotran has developed a Dynamic Sand Table (DST) that can produce accurate topographic models in under 3 minutes. It’s basically a table with a bunch of needles that retract or extrude upwards to represent the projected terrain. Watching this table work is awesome!Touch Table (has video clips)
Multi-Touch Table
Xenotran Table w/videos
Touch-Table /3D table demoat EG (a must watch!)
Here’s a fun product. Your pull the string, and the shaker starts shaking!! Just pull, turn upside-down, and the bits flicker out. You can always shake it yourself, but why shake when it can shake itself.PerpetualKid