Green Walls

A store I like (Anthropologie) recently opened a new store in London and installed a three story green wall made of vertically grown plants in a patented modular, 14,000 to be exact. It is watered with rain water from the roof using a hydroponic-fed system and the lighting is partially artificial. The article listed some of the plants contained within the wall including ferns, lillies, spider plants, and also flowers. It was designed by BioTecture (short for Biological Architecture), a company used by alternative builders that construct these green walls, also known as biomembranes. One of the company's concepts is finding "more sustainable methods of creating buildings with lower or zero carbon footprints." Vertical walls were first created by Patrick Leblanc. The green wall is a wonderful invention for our future. Not only does it serve for decoration purposes, but as BioTecture's website also mentions "A healthy, stable building that tends towards self-regulation can also have a positive psychological effect on its inhabitants." (Their website features their project portfolio.) BioTecture

Their ashes, your diamonds

Another interesting way to adorn jewelry is to turn your pet's ashes into wearable gems created using the carbon taken from their remains using the same process that creates naturally occurring diamonds. As noted on ecouterre.com several companies are offering previous pet owners this opportunity, including DNA2Diamonds. You can even have a piece created from a single strand of hair (possibly to celebrate an anniversary, engagement, or wedding. This trend for preserving a pet's memory is said to be gaining popularity in Japan and is 'environmentally responsible.' The pieces are made in a lab and start at about $3000. If I had the money, I would definitely consider this. If they weren't so expensive, I think the U.S. might begin transforming their pet's ashes too.

Human teeth: as jewelry

The teeth shown in the left photo are sterilized and then hand-set in sterling silver by Australian silversmith Polly van der Glas. Some that are used are canine teeth. I don't believe I'd adorn myself with foreign teeth, or my own for that matter, but the general concept of recycled jewelry is interesting. I visited her website, but no pricing for her items was listed. To be honest, I find this particular display of teeth as jewelry somewhat dull. I did some searching and found another similar approach to human jewelry. Some people in China are saving their children's teeth and encasing them in glass charms for necklaces. I found it interesting that these pieces were being created by Chinese dental clinics. These pieces I find a lot more of an attractive approach to the concept. I might actually wear something like this.

Solar powered fashion

I just read this article on ecouterre.com on solar powered hats and matching gloves. Surprisingly their fashion appeal is not as hideous as I would have expected. And the idea is simple, but intelligent; especially for someone like myself who is always cold and hates winter. Called endless warm, the extra thin solar panels are shaped like snowflakes and convert solar energy into heat. German creator Yiran Qian was a finalist in Designboom's Green Life contest with his concept. I tried to do some research to find out when and for how much these accessories would be released, but had no luck. I'm assuming the idea is still fresh and
is awaiting marketing. However, these articles of clothing are not the only solar powered concept out there. A recent article on treehugger.com announced that soon a solar powered bikini will be available. Another clothing item that is already available for purchase with its solar abilities is the SCOTTeVEST, a coat with a solar panel that connects to a power source in one of its thirty pockets. It can then power any device capable of being charged using a USB. Direct sunlight is not a requirement and the item currently runs for $534.98 on pre-order...yikes!

Bangarang remix to 'Hook'

A friend of mine recently posted this video on his Facebook page. Typically I don't watch these sorts of things, however because it was about Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook, one of my childhood favorites, I decided I'd give this remix a shot. Anyone who was familiar with this movie as a child surely appreciates this video. I can't begin to describe how happy it made me and how much it made me miss being young. Every minute of the video is wonderful and exciting. As a student studying audio and visual production, it was also inspiring for me. The creator, with youtube username Fagottron is extremely talented at remixing popular tunes from classics (for ecample Disney's Alice In Wonderland or Mary Poppins) and syncing them with original film clips. The Austrailian took actual sounds from the original movie, included a sine wave bass and cymbals, and arranged them in his own way to create his video 'Bangarang'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65PiKsNhCsc

Biodegradable table?

I discovered this design on inhabitat.com. Called a conversation table, this is made from recycled corrugated cardboard that's stacked on top of each other and shaped like a speech bubble. Between the layers of cardboard are plywood spacers. It is supposedly lightweight, sturdy, and there's even some space to store a few things. Designed by Leo Kempf, there's also a matching curved wall shelf. Now that I'm aware that cardboard furniture is a possibility I think with the right modern decorative furniture and color combinations, this table would be a great piece for a room. The design is simple as well as the functionality, but the best part is that it is constructed from recycled materials. The only negative part about the article was that it lacked information on when the item would be available and at what cost.

Jewelry from junk

As noted, a post referring to the great things you can make from garbage persay. Here's an idea for the creative women out there: make your own jewelry from your junk. To me this sounds like a fabulous idea, but unfortunately I don't have the time. Thankfully there are artists who do however, like those at etsy.com. Artists here hand-make all sorts of things; some recycle waste of some sort into hand-crafted jewelry like Audrey Rogers. All of her proceeds go towards medical expenses for her mother, recently diagnosed with lymphoma. Thinking about it, the general idea is relatively cheap. The labor isn't too extensive, and best of all you make a profit doing something you enjoy. This design is also eco-friendly so you could think of it as doing your small part in some way. Skimming through the jewelry on etsy.com I found a myriad of pieces I'd like to own and I saw so much creativity that it inspired me to once again make my own jewelry...maybe over winter break. For now, maybe I'll just get my friends some unique gifts for the holidays.

Recording Sunglasses

I found these ultimate "spy glasses" in-wouldn't you know-SkyMall. They feature a built-in video camera so you can record what you see. The camera is actually located in the bridge of the glasses and provides 320x240 high-quality resolution for AVI videos. You can record up to 2&1/2 hours of "footage" directly onto its built-in 2GB memory. The rechargeable battery offers up to three hours of recording or eight hours of music. This product is just under $200. I found some similar glasses on buyetechs.com for less than half of these with the same memory capacity. I also found a number of other sites offering a similar product, but with a few differences. I looked up the item on SkyMall to read reviews, but none had been posted. I have mixed emotions about this accessory. I like the idea, but it could be taken too far by some. I do however think the capability of listening to music from your sunglasses is pretty inventive.

Canine Genealogy

I was traveling recently and decided to pick up a Sky Mall as suggested by Professor Mannheimer. I was browsing through and literally found a canine genealogy kit. It basically analyzes your dog's DNA and identifies the breeds it its ancestry. Once again I was amazed that such a product even exists. "It provides scientific confirmation of the physical characteristics, behavioral tendencies, personality traits, and potential health risks your mixed-breed dog has inherited." To test your dog's DNA you simply rub a cotton swab against the inside of its cheek and send it to a professional lab in a provided envelope. It takes up to three weeks to receive the certificate which lists your dog's ancestry and a detailed explanation of dominant characteristics. The cost: $59.95 not including shipping. I don't think I'm so interested in finding out my dog's ancestry, especially since he has so many breeds that I would spend sixty dollars to do so. I don't think of a dog's ancestry as significant. However, there are those people out there that might want to know this information and wouldn't mind spending sixty bucks to find out. I went to the website for this product and read some reviews. One customer said the kit did not cover their particular breed of dog and was dissatisfied. So apparently this kit doesn't even apply to all dogs. Another review was completely unhappy that their results were entirely inaccurate. Their advice and mine would be to just live in ignorant bliss and save your money.

Geeked-up sneakers

These have to be the most creative kicks I've ever seen. Made by Gabriel Dishaw, a junk-metal artist, they are made from pieces of recycled computer chips and typewriters using only glue and metal bending techniques. The article claimed they are not wearable and weigh about fifteen pounds, but do make "quite the fashion statement." It took three weeks to construct them and they even come with a carrying case. The artist has made five sculptures so far and has gotten a lot of attention from quite a few eco-friendly sites such as ecouterre.com, earth-stream.com, inhabitat. com and of course tree-hugger. His inspiration for his sneaker projects comes from his love for shoes. I checked out the links at the end of the article and found even more ideas of what some are doing with junk. There's a website, etsy.com that features creative re-use of junk. It's so inventive I think I'll have to make it one of my future entries :).

(http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/sneakers-for-geeks-and-hackers-are-made-from-recycled-computer-chips.php) link where I found the sneakers

Vicon camera

Vicon, a U.K. based company will soon release a new camera to consumers, likely in 2010 that automatically captures photos as often as every thirty seconds. "Worn around your neck, documentation becomes virtually hands-free. The camera uses an accelerometer, light sensors, and heat sensors to know to capture an image whenever you enter a new environment, or when someone is standing in front of you." (taken from fastcompany.com) Something else worth mentioning about this unique device is that the technology was originally developed for patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. Developed by Microsoft SenseCam it helped the patients review their day's events, which studies have shown improves long-term memory. This version's one gig memory holds up to 30,000 images, but costs $820.

For someone like myself who likes to document many aspects about life, I think it is a fascinating invention, but some don't see it that way. Some would say that it's overkill; documenting life so frequently. I see more positivity in the invention. I think it would be convenient to go back to images or places in order to remember something significant, especially from a vacation or meaningful event/moment. Also, it could help solve cases, crimes, give clues and who knows what else. Think about it, if it is constantly capturing images, it sees many things, things we wouldn't normally pay attention to. It's like a personal surveillance camera; this however it could also be easily abused.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/stephanie-schomer/write/capture-your-life-without-lifting-finger?#

Digital Zoo

While doing some research for blog material, I happened to stumble upon dgzoo.com and wow was I amazed at the material! The company, Digital Zoo, is a multimedia design agency based in Thailand, but their clientele is international. On their homepage is an animation of a beetle with beautifully vibrant greens. When you hover over the insect with your mouse, it flaps its wings and when you click on the beetle it moves to the background and then back to the foreground. They feature examples of really great designs in their portfolio, some that have even won their company awards. Their graphic designs and web designs are truly amazing to me because I don't yet have that talent or ability. They even design packaging for products and apparel; one design in particular was for Thai youth street fashion for a company called Saber Saturn which features a brightly colored sneaker (left). I thought the idea to have the company's name appear as gum stuck to the bottom was very clever.

Looking at some of the agencies material is definitely a good way for me to get creative ideas for future design projects.

http://www.digitalzoo.com.au/

Touch screen soda machine

In the photo is an all-digital touch screen soda machine, which I just discovered existed. Apparently as indicated on examiner.com the soda machine offers 100 different drinks. It also comes equipped with wifi to signal owners when the product is running low. This is the future of coke fountains. I think it is great because it is efficient and caters to our society, which is always in need of something new, technologically advanced, and that offers many choices. There's even a youtube video for this product. As mentioned on examiner.com, the hype with touch-screens on smartphones is what generally fueled the creation of other similar touch devices which use complex user interfaces. So to further the idea just a bit, what about a vending maching with a touch screen? (Did some research and there actually are touch screen vending machines, they're just appearing slowly.) Because the IT building doesn't have a cafeteria, many students and staff that are here for multiple hours a day generally operate on a vending machine diet, unless they bring their own food and snacks. I've seen the crowds at the vending machine during class intermissions and short breaks, there are a number of them. It would be entirely appropriate for the IT building to have a touch screen vending machine, even one that possibly has a number of different meal options, ideally on the healthy side. If any building deserved it, it'd be ours, one that works with information technology on a daily basis.

http://www.selikoff.net/2009/10/04/all-digital-soda-machine/

Digital Candy Tutorial

Below is a link to a web design library with a tutorial on how to create your own digital candy. (The one demonstrated is a peppermint.) This tutorial primarily uses Photoshop and goes through the process step-by-step from the very beginning and even shows you the viewer windows (as screen shots). I encountered new filters and effects when reading through the instructions, such as distorting polar coordinates. The designer(s) suggest once you’ve finished your digital candy you can use it to decorate photos, for scrapbooking, or even in making your own Christmas cards. To me this is a great “tutorial” if you will because as a student in New Media, using Photoshop is a basic skill that is necessary. Even though I am already somewhat familiar with Photoshop, I could always stand to gain something new. Another reason I was intrigued by this tutorial is because I love scrapbooking, so to have a tool to add to my designs in that respect is even better. In fact, when I have the time, I'd like to go through the whole process to make my own candy design.

http://www.webdesign.org/photoshop/drawing-techniques/digital-candy.14133.html