Vessel provides a series of attractive and useful items for the home. The first item I spotted was the tissue ring - a brilliant alternative to the idiotic print boxes and *gasp* crocheted box covers of my grandmothers day. This clever device sits on a pile of tissues - no box required - allowing you to pull one out at a time. They claim it's precisely engineered for size and weight to allow this to happen, but I tend to think a little experimentation could allow a similar result for less money.
A second product are the very nice Candela lamp sets. They sit on their base as various colored plastic cylinders and cones, only to light up when being removed - imagine an instant on candle that burns for 5 hours on a charge.
This online (and print!) magazine is a true gem - the publish "found" items - photos, notes, even wayward voicemail messages that you come across in daily life....stuck under a windshield, crumpled up on your lawn, or left in the laundromat. Personally, I found the pictures to be humorous, but the absolute nuttiness written on the notes and shopping lists really raised the bar.
(and don't forget, most of these people *vote* too!)
Modern, modular architecture. Cost saving and eye-appealing all at once.
Great design of home items....lamps, furniture, appliances, etc. Even if it *is* in Japanese, it's worth a quick look around.
This comprehensive 196 page guide, Transmaterial, highlights novel materials that will start showing up in our world.....translucent concrete for example. Covering a range of materials that are categorized into Ultraperforming, Multidimensional, Repurposed, Recombinant, Intelligent, Transformational, and Interfacial.
Did I mention it was a free, full color PDF file?
Just happened across this great site that has quite a few unique fonts for (free) download.....most of them are not your ordinary fare, so choose your selection wisely.
A truly novel and inspiring fireplace....now if I only owned a house worthy of it's investment. Maybe next year!
JAMES CLAR - Interactive Lighting Design and Retail Environments.
Another unique lighting display...this one actually takes an idea I had some years ago and brings it to life! 1000 LEDs in a three dimensional grid are controlled via computer to display various animations, graphs, and other eye-benders.
Unfortunately, I think his design (as evidenced by the previous versions) leaves something to be desired from a technical standpoint. A mess of cables is surely *not* the elegant solution to making this a really functional or ultimately expandable piece.
I envision a group of multiplexed microcontrollers addressing the array via a serial bus (CAN / SPI / I2C)....
I've always been attracted to unique lighting designs and installations. Most of these designs eclipse anything that I have dreamed up, but they are truly inspirational.
Cockeyed.com: Always bring your camera
Ok, this site has a lot going for it. Photos, humor, science, pranks - what more could you ask for? Roam around and take a quick ride on this guys life adventure...inspirational.
Some favorites:
Fishing Alien
Random street chairs
How much gold in Goldschlager?
How long is a package of Ramen Noodles?
Paparazzi Costume
Handy page of "science meets art" references. A personal favorite is Tim Hunkin's page where he has built some really fun coin-op amusement booths.