Stanford paper battery!

Biker bag

A bag for Joel!


http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/11/18/biker-bags/

Freedom Leg

A light, 2.5lb exoskeleton, the Freedom Leg moves all of your body weight from your injured foot to the prosthesis frame and your upper leg, meaning that you can walk pretty much like your used to while you heal up.

Watch video at
http://gizmodo.com/5401230/freedom-leg-looks-about-1000000x-better-than-crutches

Gas Mask Shower Head

Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike

IT’S a pickle of a paradox: As our knowledge and expertise increase, our creativity and ability to innovate tend to taper off. Why? Because the walls of the proverbial box in which we think are thickening along with our experience.

Read full article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/business/30know.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&adxnnlx=1256310371-KntYPTkZUIrlCl9PG4hNuA

Orange County Auto Show

Design and Art Direction (D&AD) Search Site

Pretty cool!

http://creativesear.ch/

Vinh's Project Blog

www.vinhpho.com

Hey guys, my site is up...R&D has seen most of these, but for future projects

Dahon Pango Folding Helmet

Designed specifically for urban cyclists the Pango folds in seconds to half the volume of a standard helmet and features replaceable panels to optimize it for use in rain or cold conditions.

http://www.dahon.com/news/releases/09112009.htm

Powermat - Wireless Charging

Wireless charging for cells phones, Nintendo DS and more.

http://www.powermat.com/us/home/

A Keyboard Sleeve That Turns Your iPhone Into a BlackBerry

I think it has potential. For people who don't need to look at their iPhone keyboard while typing. But, does anyone want to turn their iPhone into a BlackBerry?

http://www.mobilemechatronics.com/itwinge.html

Fire Relief Respirator

Designed to be used if trapped in a burning building.

http://www.pengtaodesign.com/pages/respirator02.html

Augmented Reality Glasses

These would be nice to replace our instruction sheets. One in every bag.

Thomas Meyerhoffer's Surfboard Put to Good Use

View Here!

Story and details of the ride.

BusinessWeek Competition: Design a T-shirt Fit For a CEO

Here in Manhattan, temperatures have finally reached the million degree mark (approx). It leads to some interesting summer fashions, as employees attempt to be comfortable yet decent and tourists attempt not to melt while gawping at the Empire State Building.

In a former life, I wrote and curated three books on T-shirt graphics, which documented the ever-evolving visual world of art printed onto cloth. T-shirts are an excellent barometer of style, taste and current opinions, as people choose to wear their heart on their chest, literally. (The little girl pictured wore this shirt to a demonstration held at UCLA in protest of the recent Iranian elections.) And I got to thinking. How about a competition to design a T-shirt fit for a CEO?

So here’s the deal: Design a T-shirt for a CEO. The CEO can be alive or dead and from anywhere in the world. Don’t actually print a T-shirt, but email a jpeg of your design (either just the graphic or the graphic as it might look on a shirt) to me: helen_walters at businessweek.com. Also include brief details of who it was designed for, and the thinking behind the design. Finally, include some information about yourself — your name, location, age and current occupation. We’ll feature the best in a slideshow on BW.com.

Stupid idea? Possibly. But I’m excited to see your creativity — and, of course, to get a sense of which CEOs spark comment and interest. Thanks in advance for your time and efforts. And, of course, be aware that profanity/defamatory won’t get chosen, so please don’t defile my inbox. Also, I won’t be clearing image rights, so please be prepared to vouch for ownership of the image you supply or include the correct credit.

More details at:
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/next/archives/2009/08/competition_des.html

Folding Bike Design

Very impressive!

Check out the video..
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/dominic_hargreaves_folding_bike_design_moves_to_the_top_of_the_coolness_pile_14404.asp

Duo converts laptops and monitors into tablet PCs

As consumers hold their breath for the rumored Apple tablet, KCI Communications has an immediate and possibly better solution for those who can't wait to get touchy-feely with their screens.

Read more and watch video..
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10316350-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave

Is Computer Design a Substitute for Hands-on Experience?

Mythbuster Jamie Hyneman admits that computer-aided design—CAD—is one of the most important inventions of our time. But it has its limitations—and no program, no matter how sophisticated, can replace hands-on experience. Here’s why Jamie thinks an engineer’s work is better if he has memories of his own blood smeared on his tools.

Read article at:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4328167.html

Design's Deadly Duo

Not-So-Fun-Fact:
Only .2% of patents become useful inventions.

In his article 'Design's Deadly Duo', Matthew May reasons that in many failed design attempts, we look for solutions before there is really a pressing need. Hmm...

Personal Cycle Lane

Newscientist.com reported on this awesome product for night riding. “Cycle lanes are a good way of keeping bikes away from cars and minimising accidents, but they aren’t available on every road. Evan Gant at the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Alex Tee of Altitude Inc in Somerville, Massachusetts, have designed a portable cycle “Light Lane” that straps to the back of a bike. A laser projects an image of a cycle lane onto the road directly behind the cyclist to remind approaching cars to leave room.”

See video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOU563OvpUY

Studio 7.5 and Herman Miller’s Setu Chair

Herman Miller’s Setu Chair, designed by Studio 7.5, addresses the mobile workplace and the fact that work is now done in the most unexpected of places. The 7.5 team realized that multipurpose seating should reflect these changing needs, and devised — over several years and many exploratory prototypes — a chair that combines work-chair principles of motion and comfort with sleak lines, simplicity, and an affordable price ($650 list). Here is a look at Claudia Plikat, Roland Zwick, Burkhard Schmitz, and Carola Zwick’s processes leading up to Setu, and their favorite (and least favorite) places to do work.

See more...
http://www.otto-otto.com/2009/08/studio-space-studio-75-and-herman-millers-setu-chair/

Pulse: a new urban bike concept from Teague

Pulse, Teague's new concept for an urban bike, addresses all the necessities of a standard bike commute. Taking cues from both fixed gears and cafe-racers, Its features include electric turn signals controlled from the handlebars and a luminescent frame that lights up when you need it. We especially love the specialized caged bike pedals--they're counterweighted to always sit "the right way round," allowing the rider to benefit from their three-fold increase in efficiency without suffering from having to clip into upside down pedals at every stoplight.

See more...
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/pulse_a_new_urban_bike_concept_from_teague_14220.asp

Tom Wujec on 3 ways the brain creates meaning

Information designer Tom Wujec talks through three areas of the brain that help us understand words, images, feelings, connections. In this short talk from TEDU, he asks: How can we best engage our brains to help us better understand big ideas?

Watch the video...
http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_on_3_ways_the_brain_creates_meaning.html

Architecture

Office building for Caja Vital Kutxa, a bank from Euskadi, by Mozas+Aguirre Architects.

More photos...
http://www.clicarq.com/oficinas-vitalkutxa/

thomas meyerhoffer: changing the shape of modern surfing

since 2004 thomas meyerhoffer has been developing a new kind of surfboard which is now considered by some as the most radical leap in surfboard design in the last 50 years. the 'meyerhoffer' board is shaped like an hourglass to emphasize noseriding and tailriding for recreational surfers. it is supposed to be a longboard that rides like quicker more manoeuvrable shortboard.

See video...
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/6987/thomas-meyerhoffer-changing-the-shape-of-modern-surfing.html

SAHİMO Hydrogen Vehicle Travels 568 Kilometers on 1 Liter of Fuel

Students from Turkey’s Sakarya University have unveiled a remarkable attempt at creating Europe’s most fuel efficient vehicle. The SAHİMO is a hydrogen powered vehicle that is capable of traveling 568 kilometers on 1 liter of fuel (about 353 miles on a quarter gallon). The students’ ultimate goal is to trek SAHİMO across 3,000 kilometers of the Australian Outback on just 3 liters of fuel in the inaugural 2009 Global Green Challenge. And you thought you were getting good mileage out of your Prius!

See more...
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/07/07/sahimo-hydrogen-vehicle-travels-568-kilometers-on-1-liter-of-fuel/

Innovative Airless Tires by Michelin

They look like bicycle wheels. I wonder how the car handles.

See more..
http://www.toxel.com/tech/2009/07/05/innovative-airless-tires-by-michelin/

Joseph Joseph's Spaghetti Measure

I want one! Although, I don't cook spaghetti often.

See more...
http://aplusrstore.com/product_detail.php?show=product&pid=427

OBJECTIFIED

We should all go and watch this documentary. It's finally coming to LA.

Watch the trailer at:
http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/objectified-trailer/

Aimee Mullins and her 12 pairs of legs

Athlete, actor and activist Aimee Mullins talks about her prosthetic legs -- she's got a dozen amazing pairs -- and the superpowers they grant her: speed, beauty, an extra 6 inches of height ... Quite simply, she redefines what the body can be.

Watch the TED talk at
http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics.html

An Audi for your Wet Dreams

Wow! Can we get one for the department?

See more...
http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/06/17/an-audi-for-your-wet-dreams/

NYC Metro Cuff

Just add a compass to this and you will never be lost.

See more..
http://www.core77.com/gallery/NEW%20YORK%20DESIGN%20WEEK%202009/355.asp?current_image_number=55&current_photo_id=12185&album_id=97&page_no=3&context_id=1

Flexible Solar Cell Roof Shingles

I wonder how often they need to be replaced?

Read more..
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/06/15/researchers-unveil-flexible-solar-cell-roof-shingles/

Light weight chair, and flexible

A wooden chair that looks comfortable! The seat shell is made of two layers of 1,5 mm birch plywood, which allows flexibility . And, it weighs 2 kg.

See more
http://www.dailytonic.com/light-weight-chair-by-jens-otten/

Dog food scooper

I am not a dog owner, but this makes sense.

Take a look
http://www.addictivedjdesigns.com/dj/blog/?p=478

Bicycle

"Bicycle" is the title of a 100-day event (Jun.22 - Oct.5) full of activities and lectures anchored by a central exhibition at the Designhuis in Eindhoven.

There are some pretty cool products made from recycled bicycle tubes (image above). Notice the patches.

copy and paste the link below to view full exhibit
http://www.core77.com/gallery/photos_search.asp?context_id=1&album_id=69

Barry Schwartz on our loss of wisdom

By now most designers have heard of TED Talks. It is where brilliant minds from around the world come together to share "ideas worth spreading".

In this video the American psychologist Barry Schwartz talks about improvisation, and draws attention to the fact that "rules and procedures spare people from thinking".


copy and paste link below
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/barry_schwartz_on_our_loss_of_wisdom.html