electro^plankton

« August 2006 | Main | October 2006 »

September 30, 2006

Allerca Cat

Cat allergy sufferers rejoice because a biotech company called Allerca have finally begun selling their long awaited Allerca cat.

These are the world's first hypo-allergnic cats. Now you may think it all sounds creepy but rest assured, these cats aren't some lab experiment grown in test tubes. Quite simply, the company has identified the gene that triggers allergies. By screening and breeding only cats who have the genes missing were they able to carefully create a new cat that doesn't carry the gene at all.

Aside from its biotech origins, the Allerca cat is assured to be as healthy as any pedigree. They are loving, energetic, and very expensive. At $4,000 a pop and a year long wait list already, the company can hardly breed enough of the kitties to go around. So if you have cat allergies but love furry little felines, go ahead and put yourself on the wait list. For you non-allergy sufferers, save yourself the money and go adopt a cat. There are many that need homes.

via slash gear

Posted by tranism at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

Sleepypod

By far the best looking pet carrier I've seen. Sleepypod by meowme is the perfect place for your cat or small dog to sleep and travel in - much more comfortable than a hard crate. The outer shell is made of ballistic nylon. Inside you'll find a nylon covered foam bed with an optional heating pad. Your pet sleeps in a plush washable shearling bed. The dome can be removed or zipped open just for a peek-a-boo. The shoulder strap completes the package; heavily padded to make transport comfortable for pet owners.

At 17" in diameter and made from such high quality materials, not to mention smart looking, it's a steal at only $200. Somebody really needs to buy me one.

Posted by tranism at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

September 27, 2006

Modern Gnome

I apologize about the misinformation about these little mysterious creatures today. Technical difficulties, lets blame that on Electro.

These peculiar ceramic gnomes are called Gno's and they're one of many lifestyle products from Vitamin living. Gno's are meant for the modern urban consumer to decorate their gardens and interiors, to live a life less ordinary. Pretty neat looking aren't they?

These gnomes are just one of many cool and well designed products in their line, I also like the artistic dart board, such a cool idea.

more pictures after the jump.

Posted by diverseawareness at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | |

I Don't MySpace, I Wallop

Software giant Microsoft is not content with being left behind in this age of online social networks and blogging so instead of buying up established networks like Friendster and MySpace (both of which have already been bought by other companies), they went out and created their own.

The service is called Wallop - and as they put it; "discover an exclusive social experience like no other". So let's dissect its features, shall we?

For one, the design is slick. It uses almost every arbitrary web 2.0 design rule; glassy interfaces, big type, lots of rounded edges, and icons. Throw in a bit of Windows Vista and you pretty much can picture what Wallop looks like, or you can click on the image above to see a bigger version. Overall it puts MySpace and Friendster to shame. Just like the aforementioned, Wallop lets you keep and organize a list of friends, blog and store photos. However, it goes a few steps beyond by allowing you to share music, web links and features a fully integrated chat module (we'll get into what modules are later) and email system. The most important feature is customization.

People LOVE to deck out their MySpace and Friendster pages. Unfortunately, most of them have no design sense or coding skills so pages end up bloated, bogged down, and left looking like some rudimentary web design 1.0 class project. This is where Microsoft's strength weighs in. The interface looks like a desktop application. Every component (friend's list, pictures, music, blog, web links, chat) lives in a widget like window. So in essence, you basically have a computer desktop environment where you can change the desktop background and re-skin all the modules or widgets. This allows everyone to personalize their page without compromising on functionality. The friend's sorting feature seems particularly interesting. It allows you to group your friends into different communities, i.e. family, work friends, drinking buddies, ex-b/f's, etc. Each group and each person sprawls lines to other people they know or are connected to. It's sort of a visual diagram of the 6 degrees of separation theory. There's a lot more to it but with those features, it makes your ordinary friends lists look antiquated.

Wallop is devoid of advertisement banners but features a new system for people and companies to make money by creating cool widgets or modules and selling them thru what they call the Wallop Modder Network.

Wallop looks to be a fully fledged online social community that addresses many of the issues with current communities. The service is beta right now and accepting new members by invitations only, sorta like what Google did with their mail service. With Microsoft as it's daddy, I'm sure we'll see tons more features and services launched once the site goes public. For now, enjoy MySpace and Friendster because Wallop may just be the next big thing in online social communities.

Posted by tranism at 1:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | |

September 26, 2006

Paper Plane Coffee Table

plankton and I used to fold paper airplanes of all persuasions at our old office. At one point, we had over a dozen of them. Some flew really well, others were just for looks. We actually learned quite a bit and found fun in each taking different approaches to their design. plankton preferred streamlined designs while I folded the hell out of each paper to form some flying origami monster.

This scale paper plane model by UK designer Lorraine Brennan had me foaming at the mouth. It's made of 2mm powder coated steel with silicon insets. A perfect plane - a perfect coffee table.

No plans for production yet but perhaps a copy could be made with simple plywood. Can someone help me?

Posted by tranism at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

ebook Readers Finally Good Enough

I'm a pretty avid reader of fiction and I have tons of books I reference when I work. I don't always read consistently (except bedtime) nor do I need to carry all those books around with me. I've seen and read about ebooks but they were overpriced (still are) and weren't small enough.

It seems ebooks have finally come to a point ready for mass market consumption. All my gripes with them have been addressed. Number one, being size. ebooks should be no bigger than any standard hardcover book. They should have memory expansion to add more books. They need an easy drag-and-drop application to help organize all your books. They need excellent battery life. They need to be wafer thin. Most importantly, they need to simulate the reading experience as best as possible - meaning high contrast and no crazy back lighting to hurt my eyes.

There are two solutions on the market (or soon to be). The first of which is the Panasonic Word Gear. The Word Gear has a 5.6" 1024 x 600 color touch screen with an SD port. Navigation is handled thru a unique soft grip touch pad on the side (which I've yet to understand) and the whole thing weighs 325g. It's an awesome product for those who would read all their publishings in a digital format, i.e. books, comics, newspapers, and magazines. On the down side, because of its high powered screen, it only gets 6
hours of battery life and costs almost 350 dollars.

A better option for someone who only reads books would be Sony's ebook Reader. The ebook uses the latest electronic ink technology that is so high in contrast, it looks like print. The display is slightly bigger at 6" and the technology uses so little power that a single charge can last for 7,500 page turns. The ebook comes with both MemoryStick and SD card ports for you to store not only books, but RSS feeds, pictures and
even music! Navigation is a little more straight forward with dedicated page buttons and chapter markers. There's even a cool little button that dog-ears a page - bookmarking it for you. The only negative mark would be the Sony Connect Store and price of $350. I was hoping Sony would open the platform to allow ebooks from other services but at least the connect store is very well organized and currently has over 10,000 titles.

The future looks pretty good and I'm anxious to see when the educational markets will jump in. All those heavy ass books from college could have been saved on a single SD card all in one device. Since publishers set the price, I don't know why they shouldn't jump on the ebook bandwagon.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Order of the Phoenix

The movie is in its final stages of production. July seems so far away. I don't know if I can wait. I'm tempted to read the 5th book over again to try and quell my anxiousness. Fortunately, some images direct from the upcoming movie were just released and it's looking HOT. Harry looks HOT. Hermione looks HOT. Ron looks HOT. Did I mention Harry is lookin' HOT?

I did however imagine Dolores Umbridge to be portlier but other than that, they got her character spot on.

you'll see what I mean after the jump

bigger versions of the pictures here

Dumbledore's Army. Man, this is the first time I've REALLY REALLY wanted to be in a gang.

Posted by tranism at 3:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

September 25, 2006

Theories: Harry Potter Book 7

So after attending a Harry Potter Read & Discussion group, I've come away with some amazing eye openers in regards to what might happen in the final book of the series. If you haven't read the Harry Potter books, then all this will sound like crazy talk to you. And yes, I know I am a nerd for attending a Read & Discussion group. Now, here are my theories.

Dumbledore is dead. His portrait appears in the Headmaster's Chamber. As a portrait figure, he isn't all there but he is available to encourage Harry and members of the Order.

Severus Snape was (is still) in love with Harry's mother Lily. He was not aware that his secret work for Voldemort would lead to her death and out of that regret, he left the Death Eaters, came to Hogwarts and became a member of the Order.

Snape and Dumbledore had their own unbreakable vow, at which time, Snape is supposed to kill Dumbledore. Dumbledore's plea could be viewed not as a plea for his life, but a plea for Snape to follow thru with what they promised to each other.

Malfoy repents and turns against the Death Eaters and ends up helping Harry, Hermione and Ron. I think it's important for Rowling to show that even in the darkest and eviliest of deeds, one can turn their lives around and change.

Harry, Hermione and Ron will all survive and the three of them learn how to destroy Voldemort's horcruxes without killing Harry, with whom Voldemort shares his blood with. This involves the use of "ancient magic" or powers based in love and loyalty - the exact kind that Voldemort has no power, fight, or defense against.

The two prophecies broken in addition to the main one during the battle in the Ministry are actually clues to the death of Voldemort and victory of Harry. The prophecies speak of all ending after the solstice and none other following after all is said and done.

Harry's invisibility cloak is more than meets the eye and although they are rare to begin with, Harry's is much more special. The cloak might be a key item in helping Harry and crew find the horcruxes.

In a major battle, we see Hagrid and Neville cut down. These characters are so loved by readers that it sets up the perfect scenario to pull at your heart strings before the final battle. Despite devastating losses, Harry, Hermione and Ron must persist.

Harry's scar is actually the last and final horcrux. Harry is prepared to sacrifice himself in order to make sure Voldemort is defeated, but out of the love and bond he has with Hermione and Ron - they actually create a new spell (which is the hallmark of great Wizards) to remove the scar from Harry's head.

Hermione and Ron finally hook up and confess their love to each other. Hermione moves on to become one of the greatest Witches of all time. Ron finds the confidence that he's always wanted and finds peace with his family, whom all have survived and even reconciled with Percy. Harry finally finds peace with his parent's death and we learn all of his family on the magical side is not dead; we learn that Aunt Petunia is actually a Squib. Thru all his experiences, Harry finally becomes what we've been waiting to see happen - a man.

What do you Potter fans think? Got your own theories? Please share it!

Posted by tranism at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | |

September 22, 2006

Unorthodox Taxidermy

Dr. Seuss was more than some silly book about weird characters that spoke in a hypnotic rhythmic rhyme. First and foremost, Seuss was an artist. Even today, his art stands to be unique and instantly recognizable.

During the 30's, Seuss started to explore mediums beyond two dimensional drawings. Coupled with his esoteric nature, he created sculptures made from real animal parts called the Unorthodox Collection of Taxidermy.

Most of them are sold out but they are beautiful to say the least. I wish I could afford one.

Posted by tranism at 1:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

September 20, 2006

Message Bean

An ordinary bean turned into a memorable gift called Message Beans. The bean is carefully etched in such a way that when the bean germinates and sprouts into a miniature plant, your etched in message appears, i.e., "love you".

Ready to grow in its own canister, all you need to do is add water. Pretty neat gift I thought.

Posted by tranism at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Glass Knives

I bet our ancient ancient ancient cousins would be jealous of these tools. Carved from glass, these knives designed by Noa Bembibre slice thru tomatoes like a hot wire thru wax.

Posted by tranism at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Livingstones

Livingstones are pieces of furniture that look like smooth rocks and pebbles. They come in a variety of natural and slate colors and even carefully textured to simulate the grain found in pebbles.

Despite their appearance, they're soft and offer another way to bring the organic and outdoors into our homes. The giant cupped shaped pebble looks particularly comfortable. I want one!

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | |

Heat and Roll

The aroma towel rack by dough-heat ltd has heated side vents from which you can hang your towels to dry. You can even control the temperature via the pop-out dial on the left. Once dry, you roll them up and place them in the center. It looks great and functions. I would love to get my hands on one (since I'll be moving soon) and this would look great in my new bathroom.

Posted by tranism at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Engine on a Chip

The Gods that roam the hallways of MIT are at it again. Unhappy with current power hungry microchips, they are planning a chip with a built-in engine. The engine will be made from tiny bits of silicon that spin at 20,000 revolutions per second. They estimate each chip will be able to produce 10 watts of power!

They envision this technology integrated into current silicon microchips, extending the battery life of devices by 10x!

I bow to MIT.

Posted by tranism at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

USB CELL

These batteries from MOXIA are more than meets the eye. Aside from being rechargeable, they recharge via. . . wait for it . . . USB!

Yes - flip up the green top to reveal a USB plug. Pop it into your USB 2.0 laptop and charge the batts. I can see great uses for the traditional cylinder and 9 volt batts, but the cell phone one has me perplexed. Isn't it easer to charge your phone with its supplied cable instead of removing the battery cover each time?

These actually would go great with my Nintendo Wii console since the wii-mote uses 2 AA batteries. I could just plug the batteries into the Wii's USB ports to charge up. One issue I have with these batteries are they are not green; meaning environmentally friendly. Put in some green technology and I'll buy 'em.

$24.99 for a 2-pack of AA's. Get them here.

another picture after the jump

Posted by tranism at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

September 18, 2006

Oh SNAP! Photovoltaic OLEDs

Organic light emitting diodes or OLEDs are heralded as the future of LCD technology, for its ability to turn electricity into light with very little loss of energy, making them appear brighter and more efficient.

Scientists decided to think backwards and realized if you reversed the process, (light turning into electricity), you get a photovoltaic cell. They put that theory to the test and found OLEDs can not only generate light but also recover some of the energy lost by turning light back into electricity.

Just think about it! Imagine your cell phone screen bright as it wants to be, when it's in idle mode, the screen captures ambient light and recharges your battery. The same tech can apply to everything from TV's to windows. Soon, OLEDs will offer both low-cost lighting and low-cost energy production.

via ecogeek

Posted by tranism at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Tangram Shelving Solution

I've been obsessing over bookshelves lately. I spent part of my weekend in a library just to admire their shelves (and to discuss possible Harry Potter conspiracy theories). This particular shelving system called the Tangram by LAGO design studio injects a nice dose of humor in what is an otherwise standardized design. The systems comes in triads and shadow boxes to leave you free to create whatever you like. I found the above image amusing.

I can't read Italian so if any of you do, HOLLA at me.

Posted by tranism at 2:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | |

September 17, 2006

Sumo Pillow

This giant pillow from Sumolounge is made from 100% space age rip-proof nylon that can't stain, smell or rip and will please your every need for relaxation. This thing is huge and it looks very comfortable, I'm thinking it can even serve as a guest bed when needed!

It's available right now for only 129$ and even available in hot pink! Who's getting me one?

Posted by diverseawareness at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | |

Enlightened Couch

This sofa sleeper is designed by Giovannoni and Rodrigo Torres for domodinamica.

Inspired by the greek god of sleep, it has two arms with lights in place of the gods wings. The arms are made of flexible polyurethane resins covered with elastic fabrics which makes them flexible to point the lights anywhere in or around the couch.

It's not the most attractive or perhaps captivating piece of furniture one could own, but this piece truly belongs in reader's home.

For some reason it also reminds me of this old swedish book show that aired during the late 70's and early 80's. The show was a true socialist assertion where this awesome barefoot bohemian would read a chapter or two while sitting back in his amazing rainbow couch that looked like two hands.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by diverseawareness at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

September 16, 2006

Silicon Light Switches

Ross McBride is an Industrial Designer that I've admired for sometime now. There's always a sense of art infused with everything he does. My favorite product of his are the silicon light switches. They're completely different from anything you could find at your local Home Depot and bring an air of tech to something so simple as a switch plate.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | |

Zune Zune Zune

There's PLENTY of news out about Microsoft's Zune player, Zune store, Zune platform. People who know me know I'm an admitted iPod fan. The iPod's design is beautiful and functional and Apple's created a great platform for the iPod to exist on; the iTunes store.

So now Microsoft has its own platform and the Zune seems to be addressing all the problems other MP3 players have, while one-upping the iPod. But I already have some issues with the player.

The design is hideous. I don't know if Microsoft or the Zune's manufacturer Toshiba designed it, but it's a horribly dated design. Toshiba's Gigabeat is heads and shoulder a better design study both aesthetically and functionally. I don't understand the desire to frame the screen in another color. Don't they understand when you have a screen bleeding flush into the edge, it actually looks bigger? The scroll wheel isn't even a scroll wheel. It's a directional pad like those you might find on a game controller. A HUGE design no-no is to imitate design but not functionality. If I see a wheel, I instinctually want to be able to scroll. Perhaps they should have used a 4-way directional pad like the Gigabeat, since that's what it really is. Now I want to go back to the screen. Some would have you believe that Zune's screen is widescreen, but it's not. It's the same 4:3 aspect ratio found on the iPod and the same exact resolution, just turned sideways.

Microsoft's decision to use Wifi instead of Bluetooth is also another boo-boo. There's no way the battery life on that thing can sustain music, movies, and wireless transfers for more than 3.5 hours, unless Microsoft has some magic battery and since they refuse to release official battery life numbers, it leaves me wondering. The official battery life estimates are 12 hours for music playback and 3.5 hours for video. Just as a note, the 30 gig iPod does 15/6 and the 80 gig iPod does 20/4.

But I will say their packaging is nice. Apparently the days of a gazillion screencaps, stickers, text blurbs and logos on Microsoft products have missed the Zune factory because the box is clean and def. stands out. I for one am Happy Microsoft has finally entered for foray. If anything it pushes Apple to better their design and services. The future of MP3 players looks good.

Posted by tranism at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | |

Evolution of the iTunes Icon

Thru each major version of iTunes, Apple changes its icon. The current icon for iTunes 7 def. knods towards the Web 2.0. trend with its double gradient and hard contrast. For some reason, I miss the green icon.

image from macteens

Posted by tranism at 7:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | |

Design Yesterday And Today

It's no surprise that designers often misinterpret future design trends. Part of the problem is design is often a slave to current technology. To accurately design for the future, one has to guess what technologies will be available in the future. These designers are often labeled "conceptual". This paradox is clearly seen in a post I saw at another blog about what designers in 1933 thought cars in the future would look like.

"What do I think about automobiles in the future?"

Well, it will be about one-third the weight of the present car and will, of course, be streamlined. The new cars will all weigh less than 2,000 lbs. and will probably have motors of around 100 horsepower. They will be lightweight cars, because the lighter the car, the easier it rides. . ."

Interesting that designers then understood the dichotomy between weight and ride suspension. They understood coefficient drag and knew that cars would have to be streamlined. They also knew engines would have to be more powerful to adapt to the burgeoning drive culture.

What they didn't guess right was what those cars would look like.

Posted by tranism at 7:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Dirt Dog

I've been wanting to turn my living room into a workspace to do my pattern making and sewing. Unfortunately I haven't done so mainly because it would be a TOTAL MESS. All those pins, needles, paper, thread, and trim would make my Hoover roll over and play dead. So I've put off the work room idea until I move into a place with hardwood or concrete floors.

It comforts me to know that iRobot, makers of the super duper Roomba, have just released their heavy duty robot vac called the Dirty Dog. More power, bigger bin, and more robust brushes make the Dirt Dog able to pick everything from dust to big nuts and bolts. It's perfect for any shop or work room and just like the tamer Roombas, it's totally autonomous. Best of all, it's only $129.99. Will somebody buy me one? :)

Posted by tranism at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Suzuki Splash Concept

UPDATED:
The Splash is set for production in late 2007 under a new name. The source engine is based off their Busa engine used in their super sport street bikes - a 1200cc 16-valve four-banger. To top it off, this super hatchback will get 78 mpg. Not too shabby Suzuki, not too shabby at all.

My love for Suzuki grows each time they release a new concept. The company def. has the design chomps and the technology to back up their ideas. Unfortunately there's still this anti-Suzuki mentality in by most Americans who still remember the cheap dinky cars of yore. As with any new brand trying to establish itself in a crowded market place, going budget is less risky and besides, not all of us can afford 20k+ cars.

Enter Suzuki Splash - the company's vision of a production ready mini MPV concept car (hatchback). Unveiled at Paris last month, the car wears Suzuki's new concept grill, LED lights that sweep across the hood and rear lights that reach around the entire rear window. As with most of Suzuki's current lineup, the Splash is powered by a powerful yet very fuel efficient four-banger. While the exterior is all high-tech and futuristic, the interior is minimal and slightly retro. Replace the center stack with a more production ready dash, change out the seats, and use real rear-view mirrors instead of cameras and I can see this thing flying off the lots - even putting some pressure on current segment leaders (HELLO HONDA & SCION).

All images from Jalopnik because I'm too young to try and screen capture the website's seizure inducing flash animation.

UPDATE via gizmag

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | |

Largest Known Planet

It's a planet name HAT-P-1, some 450 light-years from Earth. Normally I'm not impressed by new planetary discoveries because it's obvious more and more will be discovered as our spy glasses into the vastness of space continue to improve. However, I am interested when something discovered wipes the smugness off our Scientist's faces. HAT-P-1 is just that one discovery.

The gas giant is almost twice as large Jupiter but only 1/4 the density. In other words the planet is lighter than water. Find a big enough tub and it'll float in it. The planet turns all known theories about planetary size and density upside down. It was long thought size is directly proportionate to weight. The bigger something gets, the heavier it is, but this planet doesn't follow those rules. Obviously Scientists now have to go back and reevaluate their current theories about planets in our own system. One could say the planet may be larger in size but it might be made of lighter gases. That's true, but there's another theory that says the core of a planet is directly proportionate to it's mass. For a planet this large, it's core should be heavy enough to sink in water. Our current telescopes detect no core at all. A planet with no core?

So kids, moral of the story is, our existence - so far, is only a micro-instance in the corporeal timeline. So much we don't know, but the exciting thing is that means there's more to discover and that's where I think our truth nature exists. Doesn't that excite you more than trivial concerns like making money, getting rich, dying, only to do it all over again? The more you know (star bursts across the screen, twinkles).

via National Geographic

Posted by tranism at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

September 13, 2006

Sleep Comfortably In Your Jacket

I actually designed a jacket several years ago that converts the hood into a pillow. Unfortunately, it required people to carry around a small can of CO2 to inflate the hood. This design solution by designer Matthew Gale is far superior and pretty snazzy looking too. The Excubo jacket has a collar that flips up to cushion your head as you nod off and an inner structure around your
torso that keeps your back upright. All it needs now is some kind of integrated cup to catch your drool.

So Matt, when can you send me one? :)

Posted by tranism at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | |

Signe Chanel

How could I have missed this? Karl Lagerfeld has his own reality show?!?! This enigma (not so enigma) of a man easily captivates audiences of any type anytime he opens his mouth. It's his French accent coupled with his seemingly wise but fashionable aura that makes him so fun to watch and listen too.

The show is called SIGNE CHANEL and 4 episodes into the series, I'm more drawn in than I am with Project Runway. For one, I have a lot more respect for Karl (and I use only his first name as if I know him personally) than I do for Heidi, Kors, or Nina; although Tim Gunn does strike my fancy. The show chronicles Chanel's Fall/Winter 2006 collection and follows Karl as he brings his initial sketches to life, complete with his trademark
pitch black shades and ruffles. It's pretty amazing to see each step of the process - daunting and sometimes overly dramatic, but hey, they're French. What do you expect?

Check here to see when and what time the series airs in your area.

Posted by tranism at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Dottir Chair By Dot Kite Lab

A very beautiful lounge chair designed by Thomas Mylonas for Dot Kite-Lab called Dottir. The upholstered seat rests on a trio of stainless steel legs. The design is stark yet elegant and inviting. The Dot Kite peeps tell me it's currently concept only with plans to go into full scale production very soon.

I would love to have one of these in my living room so listen up Dot Kite people and fly me a chair.

Posted by tranism at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Blog Upgrades (NOW WITH DIGG!)

We're upgrading some of our blog components, come back in a few hours!

So electro^plankton is slowly inching its way towards a web 2.0 redesign. I thought it best to start by adding in new features and one of the things I love most is social bookmarking. I'm an avid user of Stumble and digg. Unfortunately Stumble is browser dependent so until that service becomes more universal, I'm integrating digg into this blog.

From now on, if you see a post you like and want to share with the digg community, just click on the little digg guy. Remember, digging for stuff you think is cool not only makes you the envy of the digg community but also helps electro^plankton.

For those that don't know what digg is; it's a social bookmarking network. You sign-up for a free digg account and you along with millions of other digg users are constantly submitting content you dig. If other people dig it as well, your post rises to the top of digg's ranking, upping your stats as a "cool finder" and sending all those digg users thirsty for cool content to very thankful websites for the traffic.

More features will be added in due time. ENJOY!

Posted by tranism at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

TiVo Series3

Amidst my disappointment with Apple's "sneak peak" of their new streaming entertainment set-top box iTV, I turned my attention to something I've always loved - TiVo! The new TiVo Series3 is out and it's a huge upgrade.

First off, those who were anxiously awaiting for HD support, now you've got it. It can record two HD shows while you watch a 3rd at the same time. No other DVR on the market does that right now. It also has two CableCards slots so TiVo 3 was designed not to complement your cable box, but to replace it, FINALLY YAY! The last bit concerns HDMI, currently the ONLY DVR to support the soon to be component standard for anyone with a flat panel TV. Of course the new OLED screen and redesigned controller complete with backlight buttons is a nice touch too. It's $800 right now so its HELLA expensive. Just give it about a month or two, then you'll see all those special holiday deals drop in.

Posted by tranism at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

September 6, 2006

China Design 2026

The world's largest growing country and most rapidly developing sits on the cusp of answering many of the design challenges that have plagued every other industrial country thru its growing pains. China is unique with its own culture and style so design solutions from the west can not simply be grafted upon the country and be expected to work. To answer these questions a bunch of European design students traveled to China to work with Chinese design students to understand those challenges, to take the experience the west has had with those same problems, and learn how to apply them successfully to China.

So the question is, what will China be like in 2026?

One example is the image above, the Fetish Mask. I'm sure you've seen news footage and images of Chinese people walking around with masks on. They wear it to protect themselves from the polluted air and to a lesser extent, disease. We all know those paper dentists masks do little to actually protect you but herein lies the problem; how to do you take something that is socially ingrained and redesign it for the future?

The masks filters the incoming air, and medically sterilizes biological and chemical particles. It also incorporates a non-condensation mechanism so your exhaled breath doesn't build up and cause you to sweat underneath the mask.

A lot more at China Design

via Core77

Posted by tranism at 5:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Earnest Sewn

I've heard so many wonderful things about Scott Morrison's new clothing line and concept store Earnest Sewn. For those of you who don't recognize the hottie's name (proof that he's a hottie after the jump), he's the cofounder and designers for Paper Denim & Cloth - one of my favorite denim lines. I own a single pair of PDC jeans and they're easily one of the BEST. The construction is amazing, the material only gets softer with each wash without losing any of the designed details.

So what's Earnest Sewn about? Just think Americana denim workwear mixed with the Japanese aesthetic. Every piece uses numerous amounts of processing, hand application, and refinishing techniques to create something truly unparalleled.

I'm sure we all have an idea of what denim workwear is. The foundations are that it's comfortable, rugged, long-lasting, and the classic 5 pockets. The Japanese aesthetic comes in via the concept of "Wabi-Sabi"; the idea that beauty is created from unfinished and imperfect details. You see it all the time in contemporary Japanese design, especially in fashion where construction looks almost incomplete and deconstructed.

There's clothes for men, women, and children so if you're lucky enough to find it in your local retailer or if you live near New York's meatpacking district (nevermind gentrification), give it a visit.

821 Washington Street
New York, NY 10014

more pictures after the jump

Founder and Head Designer Scott Morrison

Posted by tranism at 5:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Meet The Robinsons

The newly reformed Disney Feature Animation studio's first project called Meet The Robinsons is already reaping the know-how of its new head, Pixar's John Lasseter. The project began before the merger but already, Lasseter wants to make sure the project is a huge success. Although not a Pixar creation, it's been reported that Lasseter has given his input regarding one of Disney's biggest weaknesses - storytelling.

These new images are really exciting. The style is great, with the slightly muted colors, art deco influence, and 30's era sharp angles. I so hope it delivers!

via Jim Hill Media

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 5:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

A Sidekick On Steroids

Actually, other than the hip-top profile, Pantech's Sky IM-U140 is far superior to T-mobile's nimble Sidekick. It's a digital satellite DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting) handset that caters to hardcore phone users who want every conceivable form of digital entertainment with them.

Although the IM-U140 is missing the Sidekick's QWERTY keyboard, it trumps the former by having a 3 megapixel camera and can capture those wafty digital signals floating in the air so you can watch the latest Big Brother on the go. Of course, a DMB phone is nothing to wrote home about. LG and Samsung have had DMB phones for almost a year now. What the IM-U140 does different is its incredible screen.

The large 2.6" 256k QVGA TFT screen slides up and angles 30º to provide the best viewing experience. All controls sit on either side of the screen and watching tv on this thing is a lot more natural than clamshell style phones with 90º turning screens.

With such a powerful screen, you just know it's also designed to be a gaming device as well, hence the dizzying array of buttons, stereo speakers, and hip-top profile.

It's a little ugly and you can forget about ever seeing one of these in America; we don't have digital multimedia broadcasts here. It's just worth pointing out how far ahead Asia and Europe are in the race towards digital bliss.

via CrunchGear

Posted by tranism at 4:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

September 5, 2006

Atomic Ballroom

Nike Savvas’s installation is part of an exhibition which features the innovative ways in which contemporary artists uses form, color and space. Thousands of suspended polystyrene balls are held in place by a nylon wire that runs across the room in a grid.

Occasionally a set of industrial fans blow across the room and puts the the whole spectrum into a wobbling craziness that eventually settles down into one coherent bobbing in time.

A pretty stimulating piece to stare at I'd imagine, though to me this immediately appeared to be the ballroom at ikea flown into space. Wouldn't it be so fun to play in it!

More pictures after the jump.

via MoCo Loco

Posted by diverseawareness at 1:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

September 4, 2006

Crocodile Hunter Gone?

He's gone guys, he's really gone. I still can't believe it. I've always placed him in this elite category of celebs that'll never go away like Elvira. He wasn't even killed by a croc! There's just something wrong about that. Instead, he was killed by one of the most serene and quiet animals in nature; a stingray. I guess his luck finally ran out. He was only 44.

Posted by tranism at 5:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | |

September 3, 2006

Mongol Wolf Hunters

Mongolians have fascinated me ever since I was a kid. In almost every Asian culture - be it Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese - there are stories written about the warrior people of Asia. The nomadic horseman from the steppes, conquering all - who's culture was so wrapped in their environments and the animals they shared it with. It then doesn't surprise me to see modern Mongolians, still living the nomadic life, still working with some of the world's most dangerous and beautiful animals.

First we look at the Wolf Hunters of the steppes. This particular group of Mongols are raised with Asian falcons, training them since birth. The wolf provides much needed fur and meat for a people constantly on the move. As with most native people, they hunt only what they need. The concept of surplus and excess escapes them.

images via Holott

more photos after the jump

Posted by tranism at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Mongol Reindeer Riders

When I first saw these images, they sparked my imagination. I've asked many of my nordic friends if it were possible to ride these magnificent creatures. Most said no because they're not domesticated like horses. Although Siberian reindeers vary greatly from their Scandinavian cousins, it's an exciting prospect nonetheless.

This particular Mongol tribe domesticates reindeers along with horses because these people live further north. Mongolia is a land trapped between hot and cold seasons. The blistering desert can suddenly become frozen tundra within months. Reindeers are hardier and can trespass the tundra a lot better than horses. They are also incredibly strong and make a powerful weapon in keeping other wild animals away. I mean, if I saw a bunch of riders on reindeers, I think I'd run for my dear life.

I wonder is Santa Claus knows what his deers are doing during their off-peak season.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Gimme Samsung!

UPDATED:
In response to numerous emails, the phone is not slated for release in America. However it operates on GSM tri-band frequencies so you could easily import one and use it with Cingular and T-mobile. Sorry Sprint and Verizon users - no CDMA support announced.

In my book, Sony Ericsson is still the best at combining features, technology, and build quality but Samsung (whom many of you have attested, bested Sony) is quickly climbing up my "I GOTTA HAVE IT" scale. However, there were several reasons why I never jumped onto the Samsung bandwagon.

First off, my first experiences with Samsung phones were negative. They were very plasticky. The buttons sometimes felt really loose in their socket rocking back and forth. The user interface wasn't intuitive and the inability to reprogram shortcuts and soft keys got on my nerves when I had to press 3 buttons just to get to a particular application or change volume settings.

On the positive side, Samsung, like Sony, are technophiles. They pack their phones with the best screens and cameras. They make sure every wireless protocol is covered, from infrared to bluetooth. I've never heard anyone complain about slow software, freeze-ups, or firmware errors. On top of that, Samsung phones were and as we will discover unusually small and compact and have extraordinary battery lives.

So I think I've found my next phone, (until Apple releases whatever it is they're working on). It's the next-gen version to the credit card size P300. The P310 updates every feature its predecessor had and throws in some tech other phones have yet to capitalize on. Best of all, it's still credit card size and the design has greatly improved.

Current Known Specs:

• OLED 256k color TFT portrait display with 220 x 176 pixels
• Micro SD card slot, supports up to 4 gigs
• Bluetooth 2.0 A2DP (full stereo support)
• AAC, WMA, MP3 support
• Stream music to and from your computer via bluetooth
• 2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, 30 fps video capture
• SMS, MMS, full email support
• Latest version of Samsung's user-interface (vastly improved)

All the tech is there and still more yet to be announced. Based on the old P300 model which only had a 1.3 megapixel camera, but still managed to take some very clear shots, this new 2 megapixel version should be a joy to use, especially since it now has auto-focus. The other exciting feature is the screen. OLED screens are vastly superior to current screens on mobile handsets, with the exception of Sharps VGA Aquos screens. There's nothing in Sony's, Nokia's, or Motorola's arsenal that comes close.

The P310 packs in all the features while remaining INCREDIBLY SMALL. Expect it this October. No price set yet but the P300 retailed for $400 when it first launched so I assume this to carry the same price tag.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 2:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

Labor Day Weekend in Santa Barbara

So here I am in Santa Barbara, California. It's a nice city but totally not my steelo. I have never seen streets this clean. State street is insanely immaculate. The birds even look like they're hired trash moogers.

But anyways, I promised myself I wouldn't do any blogging but the city is blanketed in free wifi. It's 3 am and I'm not sleepy, so why not blog? Unfortunately I'm using a borrowed PC so I don't have access to my usual blogging utilities. So be nice if you notice weird formatting glitches.

UPDATED 09-03-06

It's almost 8 pm here and I'm tired. I just had a big ass dinner and now I feel sick because the ice cream I'm snogging down now isn't agreeing with me. Nonetheless I wanted to get in some blogging before I have to return this PC. It's been a nice trip, somewhat relaxing, A WHOLE LOT OF WALKING, but I finally tried to do something I normally resist - enjoying the small outdoors and nature's nature, although a bit suburbanized. However, next year I am sooo picking the destination. Anyways I hope plankton had a good weekend. I get back on the road tomorrow and probably along with everyone else traveling down the 101, will hit an insurmountable amount of traffic. Oh well, at least I'm not driving and I have my Nintendo DS with me.

more pictures after the jump

So our trip started like this. HELLA TRAFFIC. This is EXACTLY what I get for leaving at 6 pm, in the middle of rush hour. I was jealous of all the motorcycles that effortlessly bypassed everyone. A note for my next trip. Do no rent an American SUV. The seats are so hard and the A/C sucks!

Santa Barbara generally looks like this no matter where you go. Spanish mission type villas and courtyards surrounded by palms.

My friend and I stayed at the Eagle Inn. First place I've been where pets are okay. Charming isn't it?

For some reason I was drawn to this tree and as it turns out, it is special! The story is some little girl planted it many many years ago. It's now the largest and oldest tree in the city. It looks really eery at night tho, almost like a Tim Burton creation.

Took a boat ride and luckily Dolphins showed up. Perhaps it was because they heard the wailing cries of Bjork's singing from my mp3 player. I couldn't help but think of the smart ass dolphins in the Hitchhiker's Guide. Perhaps these fellas know when our inevitable doom will occur.

So I'm eating some clam chowder minding my business when this Pelican, or at least that's what I think he is, waddles up towards me. He looks hungry but I had no fish on hand.

The Santa Barbara courthouse is quite beautiful. It sorta reminded me of something you might find at Disneyland.

My friend and I somehow scored tickets to see the Foo Fighters. Although our seats SUCKED ASS HARD, the Fighters were good - a totally acoustic set. I enjoyed them, and my hot dog on a stick too.

Posted by tranism at 2:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

September 1, 2006

PSP GPS, It's Official

I think I've been waiting for this thing for how long now? Damn near a year, but Sony has finally released info regarding its GPS module for the PSP. The receiver has a determination renewal time of 1 second, which is pretty good and will retail for $51.

Huh? $51 dollars??? Yea it sounds like a good deal but here's the catch, no software included. Sony has designed the module for both gaming and utilitarian function so it's really all up to first and third party software developers. Not to worry tho, Sony promises there are already a handful of apps ready to go and will be showcased September 22, at the Tokyo Game Show.

For us statesiders, we won't be getting it until December. Bummer I know.

another picture after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Bumpin' These For September '06

(from left to right)
Kelis - Kelis Was Here
I've been a fan of hers since day one. Although she's gotten less spacey and more R&B, she still carries a sound only unique to her. This album is her most cohesive to date with a couple stand out tracks I'm sure anyone who listens to R&B and Electronic music will like.

BT - The Binary Universe
Can this man do no wrong? Don't expect the same hyper electronic beats from his previous albums. This is much more cinematic, but done electronically. Just close your eyes, have a listen, and let the music take you where it wants. It's very surreal.

Tiga - Sexor
Okay, not only is Tiga one of my favorite muscians/DJ's, he's also one of the hottest. Yes kids, he may be Canadian but America Junior is infamous for birthing talented f*ckers like him. If you like 80's, if you like New Wave, if you LOVE Depeche Mode, then you'll love Tiga's latest album.

Posted by tranism at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |