michael young: recycled PET earphones for EOps + coca-cola

michael young: recycled PET earphones for EOps + coca-cola:
the earphones contain 20% recycled content and feature 9mm HD titanium driver units for optimum sound quality.

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Sman Cruisers’ Classic Wooden Bikes Take to the Streets With Sustainable Style

Sman Cruisers’ Classic Wooden Bikes Take to the Streets With Sustainable Style:
Sman Cruisers, Arnolt Van Der Sman, wood bicycle, green transportation, sustainable design, green bicycle, wood bike, sman bicycles
With summer in full swing and temperatures soaring across the states, why not stay cool and reduce carbon emissions at the same time by taking to the streets on a wooden bicycle by Sman Cruisers? The retro-styled beach bikes, developed by Dutch master woodworker Arnolt Van Der Sman, combine 1950s California surf culture with environmentally-friendly materials to inject classic form with contemporary eco-consciousness.  Read about what makes this cruiser sustainable after the jump.

Sman Cruisers, Arnolt Van Der Sman, wood bicycle, green transportation, sustainable design, green bicycle, wood bike, sman bicycles
Most bicycles are made from aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, or titanium. These metals require significant amounts of energy to extract and mold, and their manufacturing results in the release of toxic byproducts. In the case of carbon fiber, in some ways it is more harmful than steel and recycling of the material is still in its infancy
By contrast, all Sman Cruisers are constructed using ash and beech woods – renewable materials that, if produced by Forest Stewardship Council certified sources, present a much more sustainable alternative. So whether you plan on cruising the pier or peddling on over to a farmers’ market this summer, consider upgrading your wheels to a wooden bicycle by Sman Cruisers.
+ Sman Cruisers
Via Blue Ant Studio
Images: Stefan Warnar

Cardboard Bike Project

Cardboard Bike Project:
What are you doing with all those empty cardboard boxes you have strewn across your garage floor? Probably breaking them down and tossing them on the curb every other Tuesday, right? Why not take a [...]

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Aroma Printer Prints Out A Postcard With Image and Smell On It

Aroma Printer Prints Out A Postcard With Image and Smell On It:
Aroma printer prints and captures the smell on your food on a postcard, can you believe that? Well, you probably won’t, it’s only a concept though, but if this device were available, could you imagine that you can share exotic foods, the look and smell, with friends or families while you traveling? A Chinese industrial designer has developed unique concept device to capture image and aroma of a meal on a postcard by using a camera, printer and smell extractor. This concept is part of Sony design competition.
For the love of food and travel, Li Jingxuan was inspired by unique and delicious local food when he travels around. Utilizing an aroma sensor at the top of this device, it analyzes the aroma coming out from the food and simulates it using aroma inks which then stored inside the machine. Once it achieves the similar formula, it prints onto the surface of the postcard. Based on The China Daily, Aroma printer has won “most fun” award in Sony Student Design Workshop 2012, we can see the reasons for that.
Designers : Li Jingxuan via [Wired]
Aroma Printer Project by Li Jingxuan
Aroma Printer Project by Li Jingxuan

Aroma Printer Project by Li Jingxuan
Aroma Printer Prints Out A Postcard With Image and Smell On It is originally posted on Tuvie

The Leatherman OHT, a 100% one-hand-operable...

The Leatherman OHT, a 100% one-hand-operable...:



The Leatherman OHT, a 100% one-hand-operable multi-tool, complete with spring loaded pliers and wire cutters, a strap cutter and an oxygen tank wrench.

Laterelle Redesigns the Bike Seat for Better Ergonomics

Laterelle Redesigns the Bike Seat for Better Ergonomics:
0laterelle.jpg

Bicyclists and horseback riders have something in common: During the course of riding, their bodies undergo highly focused pressure on the crotch, an area of the body that is not designed for such. Horseback riders can mitigate the pressure somewhat by using their thighs to squeeze the horse's torso, an option not available to cyclists.

If you look at the seats on scooters or touring motorcycles, you'll find the design vastly different than that of a bicycle seat. There's more padding and the bulk of the pressure is moved to the buttocks, as the riders needen't be placed to pump rotating pedals.

A company called Laterelle believes they've solved the bicycle seat problem with their eponymous product, which can be fitted to standard bicycles and features a carefully calculated, more ergonomic shape. "There is no contact AT ALL with the rider's central crotch area, removing all the unhealthy pressure and discomfort suffered with rounded, pear-shaped 'saddles,'" the company writes. A wider rear section provides more lateral support, while the pommel has been lowered and the mid-section cut at a downward angle to remove chafing.

Laterelle's seats come in three sizes ranging from a 13-ounce Sports version, a 28-ounce version for cruising, and a 15-ounce in-betweener.
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Symbol Audio’s Handmade Furniture Rocks

Symbol Audio’s Handmade Furniture Rocks:


You’re not some casual record listener; you live and breathe tunes. You are an avid collector, and you’re also a giant modern design-loving freak. You need furniture that looks like something you would dream over. That has clean lines, earthy woods. That’s handmade. But you also need furniture that fits your music collection PERFECTLY. That protects and displays. That makes your favorite records easily accessible. You need some furniture from Symbol Audio, new to 2Modern!



“Unique “hopper” drawers swivel open to present the user with 160 records per drawer. The top surface is sized perfectly to hold your turntable and audio components creating an integrated audio and media storage system. Each piece is bench-made to order in West Virginia from responsibly harvested solid maple or walnut with several finish options available.” Ahh! Find your perfect audio storage system with Symbol Audio.

House of Marley Exodus Headphones

House of Marley Exodus Headphones:
House of Marley Exodus Headphones
Looking for headphones that deliver premium quality sound but also offer the ultimate in comfort? House of Marley Exodus Headphones fit the bill. Featuring extra-soft ear cups with excellent noise isolation, the Exodus Headphones use 40 mm drivers to produce high quality sound. The headphones are produced using natural, eco-friendly materials, including recycled wood and soft leather.

A More Virtuous Vise

A More Virtuous Vise:
0benchcrtailvise01.jpg

The traditional bench-mounted vise, protruding as it does from the worksurface, is always in the way when you're not using it. And over time they can start to sag, which gets annoying. (The ones we had in the ID shop at Pratt did that thing where they got higher as you started to tighten them and lower as you loosened them.)

Workbench manufacturer Benchcrafted's Tail Vise is a clear design improvement. Integrated into the bench itself, the Tail Vise holds a dog block (that's on you to provide) meant to correspond with a row of dog holes in your bench.

0benchcrtailvise02.jpg

One cool thing is that the screw doesn't move in and out of the table as it's turned, instead maintaining its position in space. Another cool feature is the cast-iron wheel, rather than a T-handle; the wheel affords greater precision and lets you more quickly crank a full revolution.

0benchcrtailvise03.jpg

Here it is in action:
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Fiskars Unbreakable Hatchet

Fiskars Unbreakable Hatchet:
Fiskars Unbreakable Hatchet
Serious woodsmen know that an axe with a flimsy handle just won’t cut it in the great outdoors. Enter the Fiskars Unbreakable Hatchet. This convenient little hatchet has FiberComp handle that can take even the hardest of overstrikes, and the PermaHead molded axe head is guaranteed not to fly off on the upswing. Weighing in at just 2 pounds, the Unbreakable Hatchet is the perfect companion for any hiking, camping, or hunting trip.

Bloombox iPhone Docking Station is a Living Natural Acoustic Amplifier

Bloombox iPhone Docking Station is a Living Natural Acoustic Amplifier:
Bloombox, iPhone Station, acoustic amplifier, speakers, amplifier, planter, gardening, green product
Gardening and technology don’t always mix, but in the case of the Bloombox, a living iPhone acoustic amplifier, it’s like star-crossed lovers have finally been united. The Bloombox is the brilliant idea from Portlanders Nicholas Hyde and Brennan Conroy, who wanted a docking station that not only looked great but also put out great sound without any extra energy. Made from ceramics, the simple hollowed-out design allows space for plants on the bottom and your iPhone on top. And even when your iPhone isn’t plugged in, the docking station can survive on its own as an awesome addition in your home or office.

Bloombox, iPhone Station, acoustic amplifier, speakers, amplifier, planter, gardening, green product
Bloombox, iPhone Station, acoustic amplifier, speakers, amplifier, planter, gardening, green product
Bloombox, iPhone Station, acoustic amplifier, speakers, amplifier, planter, gardening, green product
Bloombox, iPhone Station, acoustic amplifier, speakers, amplifier, planter, gardening, green product


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Mattel Commissions A Drag Queen Barbie

Mattel Commissions A Drag Queen Barbie:
Barbie maker Mattel knows that it's not just little girls who like to dress up in pretty clothes and high heels. That's why they've commissioned a Drag Queen Barbie from NYC design house The Blonds. [...]

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Teacup

Teacup:
If you like loose leaf tea, here’s the cup for you. This teacup has tilted base with an inbuilt and removable strainer; brewing your tea simply involves tilting the cup away from the leaves when it has reached the correct strength. Available in Pure Black or Snow White.




A Map of the World According to America

A Map of the World According to America:
You might remember this USA stereotype map, in which one American designer poked fun at his own country. Well this map does one better. The World According to the USA Map takes shots at the entire [...]

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Production Methods: Thermal Drilling

Production Methods: Thermal Drilling:
0thermdril01.jpg

In addition to friction welding, there's another production method that exploits heat from friction to perform operations in metal: Thermal drilling.

With thermal drilling, a conical bit is rotated at high speed and driven into sheet metal or the walls of metal tubing. The heat generated deforms the material at the point of contact, allowing the bit to push through. But what's especially neat here is that material is not excavated, as with drilling a hole with a conventional twist bit; instead the heated material is actually formed into a bushing within the workpiece itself, providing a convenient mounting point for a fastener. And yes, it can be tapped.

0thermdril02.jpg

Check out this video demonstraiton, put together by thermal drilling company Formdrill USA:




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Brickstarter Makes It Easy to Say ‘Yes In My Backyard’ for Funding Community Projects

Brickstarter Makes It Easy to Say ‘Yes In My Backyard’ for Funding Community Projects:


community garden, green neighborhood, brickstarter, community activism, community project, yimby, backyard projects
The team of developers at Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, know that urban landscapes are full of potential for innovation. But initiatives aimed at change and progress can often find themselves entangled in a great deal of bureaucratic red tape. Renovating an old playground or installing a community garden takes a great deal of time, money, and organization, and the amount of human and financial input demanded can cause inspired ideas to struggle. To help guide activists and help get projects off of the ground, designers Bryan Boyer and Dan Hill have created Brickstarter, a prototype website that pitches projects, helps raise funds, and connects neighborhood citizens with local government.


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Mr Porter’s handwriting: Perhaps the first emotional, human typeface?

Mr Porter’s handwriting: Perhaps the first emotional, human typeface?: Mr. Porter's handwriting: Perhaps the first emotional, human typeface?
Mr. Porter's handwriting: Perhaps the first emotional, human typeface?
Launched last year, Mr Porter is a menswear site with a high class design aesthetic and a personality to match. Where the personality comes in though is through the script used on the site, the handwriting of the fictional character that is Mr Porter. Created by the design trio that calls themselves Underware, Mr Porter is a typeface that perfectly emulates handwritten words.
We tried to make him as human as possible, not only being different all the time, but also including obvious shortcomings. Funny enough it takes a highly intelligent font to have fully controlled imperfections. The result is a single typeface with a strong relation between the glyph set (which characters should be in the font) and the way these glyphs work together.
Mr Porter's handwriting: Perhaps the first emotional, human typeface?
When you look at the site it’s pretty fantastic to think that it’s not someone’s handwriting, that it really is an intelligent font that allows for human characteristics. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before, so to me it’s pretty astounding.
I keep thinking about the applications of fonts like these beyond a website. For example, I posited the question of what if emails came in your own handwriting? Would it be different to get an email from someone if it was in their own handwriting? Would it mean more? Would it decrease efficiency? Would it be a gimmick? I think it opens a lot of interesting questions.
You can see more examples of the Mr Porter handwriting typeface by clicking here.

Kichler’s New LED Tape Light Fits Just About Everywhere

Kichler’s New LED Tape Light Fits Just About Everywhere:
LED layered lights, LED tape, LED strip, green lighting, LED under counter, Kichler LED, low impact lighting
LED is taking the interior design world by storm and Kichler’s new lineup of LED tape add a heap of options for low-impact and dramatic lighting. The lineup of indoor or outdoor strips comes in all flavors and two power options so you can specify exactly what you need. Some come in rolls where you cut just the right amount you need, and the efficiency is comparable to Edison base LEDs.


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Nude Bodies As Miniature Landscapes (NSFW)

Nude Bodies As Miniature Landscapes (NSFW):
What could possibly top miniature landscapes made of food and toys? Not a damn thing, but miniature landscapes made of nude figures comes pretty close. The Bodyscapes Photographic Series by Artist Allan Teger almost [...]

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Chopped Tables by Yuval Tal

Chopped Tables by Yuval Tal:
Chopped Tables by Yuval Tal
Designer Yuval Tal has made a series of tables from wooden dowels wrapped with a metal ring called Chopped. The metal ring holds the wood pieces together so there’s no need for glue or screws.
Chopped Tables by Yuval Tal
Made in three sizes, the tables’ surfaces have colored parts, inspired by color blindness tests. Each table has a uniquely designed top with grey, orange or green paint and lacquer.
Chopped Tables by Yuval Tal