Terrafugia Transition©: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a...Car???...

I remember when I was a wee tot, I always thought by the time I was a 'real' grown-up we'd for sure have flying cars...I think it's funny how nearly every generation of kids, from our parents on up, had that same belief...Anyway, it looks like perhaps I was kinda right....I introduce you to the Terrafugia 'Transition©', the world's first street legal airplane...According to the people who make this contraption, this unique front wheel drive 'vehicle' gives a pilot the opportunity to drive should he or she have inclimate weather by just folding the wings upwards...Wild and crazy and a plaything for the rich...At an estimated $194,000 to own this baby, us poor peons of the recession era will never get our hands on one...I'm just hoping to catch an up close glimpse at this awkward thing - so I can laugh at the people who were so wasteful with their money that they bought it, then subsequently cry when I go home cuz I can't have it...que sera sera...

.FIN

Butt-On: Come on baby light my fire...

Here's a great night light concept by Ashish Chaudhary for all you ass-obsessers out there...Dubbed the 'Butt-On', this aesthetically pleasing version of a night light also provides tactile pleasure with it's soft, silicone materials...Pinch on, pinch off, the Butt-On (*pinch-pinch*)...No worries, you won't get slapped in the face for it...

.FIN

MacBook Event: Disappointing to Consumers and Investors Alike...

It looks like there will be no low-end Apple laptops despite the wide-spread speculation that there would be an entry-level MacBook starting somewhere near $800...There IS, however, a MacBook with an introductory price under $1,000 but you can expect it to not include any of the semi-cool new features Apple has added to the new 13" MacBook (Starts @ $1,299) and MacBook Pro (Starts @ $1,999)...Here's a breakdown of what you'll see in the new models, available now online:

*Casing is made from a single piece of aluminum

*Mouse is replaced by a glass track pad that can handle multi-touch gestures much like an iPhone

*Enhanced graphics performance via an NVidia graphics chip

Yeah, lackluster...Cool, but not exactly the big "Wowee" we were all looking for...And the disappointment was reflected in Apple stocks yesterday as the company's shares dropped 5.6% after 4 p.m. yesterday; this, after Apple stocks are already down 45% this year...This is not to say, however, that Apple stocks are failing...Apple shipped nearly 30% more computers already than it did last year and this years laptop sales topped that of Apples iPod and iPhone sales with 62% of total sales...**End nerdy psuedo financial guru Aja rant**...Though I am disappointed that what I had expected from Apple did not come into fruition, I am glad that Apple continues to be a front-runner in the 'PC' industry and always seeks ways to improve upon it's already near perfect (in my own personal opinion - relax) product line...

*Gizmodo has a video breakdown of the MacBook Pro that can be seen here*

.FIN

Architectural Technologic Innovation: Moving Building...

I'm speechless...For once in my life, I've no words to describe how enamored I am with this design concept...I'm even more amazed that this is not, after all a concept, but instead is a reality that will be in Moscow and Dubai soon...A rotating building??...This is the stuff of futuristic 1960's childhood dreams, of a time when we'd surely be 'driving' flying cars by the year 2000...But alas, in 2008 we've advanced so far technologically that we can design and produce a building that rotates (the full rotation can take up to 3 hours and is voice commanded)using only solar and wind power with more energy to spare for surrounding buildings, should they need to borrow some...This $700 million structure dubbed the 'Dynamic Tower' is designed by Italian Architect , David Fisher...Amazingly, most of the structure is prefabricated at a factory in Italy (Side note: Building them this way makes it possible to install a floor in only six days, whereas building it on-site can take up to six WEEKS per floor) with only a core being built on-site...The core will house the elevators, which will not only move people, but cars too - directly to their floor!...I am both happy and terrified to live in this day and age...The technophile portion of my soul embraces all these advances to further enhance and make more efficient human life as well as environmental conservation in correlation to these advances...The nostalgic fibers within me start to wonder though...Have we advanced so much that the simplicity of life and actually 'living' within this world in its more natural sense has been lost forever and we can never truly 'live'?...Food for thought...Anyway, you can expect to see these buildings in 'real life' as early as 2010...And if you're nouveau riche enough to afford a floor at $3,000 per square foot, you can get in on the innovation too...

.FIN

See Video HERE

MacBook under $1000???...Tune in October 14th...

Well well well, it seems our man Steve Jobs may be feeling the pressure as the PC industry is aggressively dropping prices on laptops as new mini-laptops and affordable tablet PCs hit and potentially will dominate the market...Not to mention our failing economy...People can no longer afford to dish out minimum $1,100 dollars on an Apple and I'm pretty sure people eyeing to invest in Macintosh are paying attention to that too...It appears as though this may change...There's buzz around town that on October 14th, during the MacBook Event, a 13.3" MacBook will be unveiled with a price point more than likely under $1,000...Some even believe the price will bottom out around $800...This is exciting news for all those who've wanted to be a Mac snob but never could afford it...If this rumor comes into fruition, I will be one of the first to purchase...You should too...before Steve Jobs changes his mind...

**More updates on October 14th**

.FIN

Paris: Solar Triangulation...

I'm simply amazed by architecture in general, particularly older architecture...Lately I've been keeping tabs on modern architectural innovations and stumbled across this beauty...Dubbed 'Le Project Triangle' ('The Triangle Project' - duh), this seemingly massive triangle is said to cast no shadows on buildings around it and allow for maximum amounts of solar and wind power to be generated...

Surprisingly though, the size of the building is an optical illusion and actually resembles a shark fin...

Look for this building to be built by 2014 in the Porte de Versailles area of Paris, France...

.FIN

Wing, sweet Wing...How I've missed you...

THAT monstrosity of a broken phone was my TMobile Wing I've had for several months broken like that as I was in a bitter battle betwixt myself, my insurance carrier and TMobile...FINALLY I've got a new one...Today is a good day, I can now text at will =)
.FIN

Oh my Jesus!!...Winos of the world UNITE!!...

I may have died and gone to wino heaven...Seriously...I am a fan of fine wine and $3.99 wine alike (I don't discriminate against ANYTHING...Not even my wine, sometimes you're broke enough or down enough to want the bottom of the barrel...I'm just sayin'...)...I'll be honest and say I'm not the best keeper of good wine which is why I typically lean closer to the $25 bottles of wine (If I can get a bottle to last more than a night that is...LOL)...The problem is that good wine should be served at and stored at the proper temperature or else it's not at its' full flavored and bodied potential...This is a difficult task to achieve at home...This is where this sleek and technologically perfect (at least by wine standards)store and serve contraption from Skybar steps in to assist you in accommodating and pouring your wines without compromising on appearance and function...dubbed the 'Wine Preservation and Optimization System', this cabinet houses three variedly chilled chambers to serve three different wines which are chilled to perfection...You can set the temperature yourself or choose from nine preset chilling options...Another innovative feature is the vacuum technology that helps to preserve wine for about 10 days without any change in its taste...You also won’t need a decanter, as this cabinet is equipped with a smooth pouring technique that decants a perfect glass of wine...The price is a little steep for my tastes at $1,000...But still a worthwhile investment for winos of the world like me!!...I got 5 on it!!
.FIN

Wiimote x Google Maps: Yep, Tokyo, here I come!!...

This isn't perfect, but oh my how I LOVE the concept...This Nintendo Wii User connected his Wiimote to Google Maps and was able to create a simulated jog through the streets of Tokyo (DOPE!!)...The flaw is that it doesn't create a fluid video, but instead is more of a frame by frame view...Still, it beats Dance Dance Revolution now, doesn't it?...

Try to run on the google street view like a jogging game of wii fit from katsuma on Vimeo
.FIN

Nintoaster...'Nuff said...

HAD to post this bad boy before I go on hiatus...This is fucking dope though...So someone of my own nerdy caliber gutted out a toaster and made it an actual working NES...The games pop up just like toast would when done...Genius for us geeky people who like quirky things like this...Pure genius I'd say...I''m blowing into my cartridges as we speak...And yes, that DID have purposeful sexual innuendos...*wink*

.FIN

I'll have a double shot of light, chilled please...

This is insanely amazing to me...A liquid lamp??!!...This design was created by designer, Christina Ferraz Rigo, to demonstrate the fact that light is not attached to the bulb itself, but is rather its' own entity that can be manipulated at one's will...Aesthetically and artistically, this innovation reigns superior to traditional lighting...I'm not too sure about its capabilities to actually light a whole room, but the effect and the mood set by this liquid light is quite a conversation piece(or lack thereof depending on the situation...tee hee)!

Here's what the designer has to say about her creation:

"My first lamp explores the greatest metaphorical potential of my project by presenting liquid light in its most pure state: as a liquid contained in a bottle that can be manipulated as liquids normally are. Along with this bottle, I have created a set of two glasses that represent a lamp and a bulb – see pictures on the right. By pouring the liquid light into the glasses, the object meaning is given to the light – two new lamps have been created. However, the liquid remaining in the bottle reminds you of its intangible essence – there is no need of a lamp in order to have light. Light remains unattached to an object and able to be placed in any imagined context. I have used the quotidian gesture of pouring as a way to attach, or detach, light to its archetypes.

For the other lamp, I worked with the pervasive idea of the lamp. I worked with proportions and shape in order to create a perfectly recognizable archetype of a lamp. Alongside this process, I implemented the idea of liquid light by using the archetype of liquid, a tap. Therefore, I created a lamp that looks typical when first seen, but creates a hint of curiosity and delight when a closer look is given and the tap on it is noticed. The user starts then to imagine how the lamp would work, and ends up discovering that the lamp switches on – gives light – when the liquid light starts to fill it. In order to switch it off, the tap has to be open and the liquid released."

Here's a video demo:

.FIN

Innovation from the past...

Seems like this silly looking thing might have gotten in the way of fighting the actual fire, but I see what they were trying to accomplish here...I guess...Supposedly this 'Sprinkler Suit' was used by German firefighters in the early 1930's to prevent them from being engulfed in flames...Boy am I glad the future yielded better fire retardant mechanisms...

.FIN

Exciting Obsession: Lomography

In this world of digital photography where I almost always end up looking like a crackhead from hell, I always felt that the gritty uncertainty of a non-digital photograph was lost...I remember the days when I was the President and Founder of the Photography Club at Academy of The Sacred Heart (insert giggle here, I give you permission...I WAS and AM a dork)...Long after school photo shoots and hours in the lab with Mr. Weschler who always made you feel like you were the dopest photog on God's green earth...*sigh*...But boy oh boy was I stoked - yes STOKED - when I saw the type of photos Lomography produces...I am again in love with photography...

.FIN

$700 Tablet PC...Cop that jont!!...

Wow, this is a serious steal....Tablet PCs are fantastic (though not nearly as fantastic as, say, a MacBook Pro - yes, this chick's a Mac snob); especially if you're an artist, writer or designer...It's pretty much an impossibility to find one under $1,200...Well here's your chance to cop one of them jonts for hella dumb retarded exponentially cheap...I'm talkin' an HP Pavilion tx2500z for $700 with free shipping cheap...It's a little bit of a beast (By, say, Mac standards...tee hee) weighing in at a hefty 4.5lbs but it features a 12.1" touchscreen (woo-hoo!), AMD Turion 64 X2 RM-70 2GHz dual-core processor, 160GB hard drive, 3GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics (Yeah, no fancypants here babe), Bluetooth, integrated webcam and Vista Home Premium.
Steps to buy as explained by Dealnews:

1. Click here to start (at $899.99)

2. Select "FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)"

3. Apply coupon code "NB9970" during checkout for $200 off

4. Of note, add the HP DeskJet D1560 for $0 after rebate

HP via dealnews

.FIN

Gnarls Barkley is RIDIC son!!!!

Wow...This is the newest crack ass (and I mean that in a good way) video by Gnarls Barkley called "Who's gonna save my soul now?", and it is eyefucking the SHIT outta me...Not to mention I am in deep sorrow and emo-land...Damn my dudes, is that really what happens??...I'm sorry to all my exes...

"She doesn't want your heart, but YOU can't have it either" - James

.FIN

Slap bracelet revamped for the phuturephunk...

Remember those annoying and somewhat painful slap bracelets of the 80's that got banned somewhere along the line cuz kids were like seriously slitting their wrists on the thing?...Well, believe it or not; China's Chocolate Agency has created the slap bracelet of the future...instead of just being a plain 'ole metal band wrapped in ridiculously fluorescent hues; these new age bracelets will feature full multimedia functionality on e-paper...the illest part is that this device won't even need recharging because it runs on kinetic energy....so go ahead ya'll...get slap happy...
.FIN

iPhone just got even MORE God-Like...WooChile!...

In the world of the uber/nouveau riche this is a drop in the bucket for Daddy's little 'Princess' (In whichever since of 'Daddy' your mind can conjure up...I know where mine went...SPANK ME DADDY!...Don't be shocked, this IS BeautiFoul, afterall)...Anyway, so this company in the UK named Amosu Ultimo Diamond has made the world's most expensive iPhone just for the rich bitches(and I mean that in the most endearing manner) and ballin' ass men with a price tag just over $177,000 - which is sure to get you a few head turns, jealous stares and/or rolls around the bed...take your pick...So the specs...Well, for starters, it's an iPhone...The glorified God-Phone of them all...*Side Note: In case you didn't know this already, iPhone is available in Germany currently through T-Mobile and T-Mobile USA is currently in talks with Apple to bring it to A-fucking-Merica soon too!...I damn near wanted to touch myself when I heard this - I'll keep you posted on any advances since I'm stalking it like MySpace...haha...you like that one...Laugh dammit!...End Aside*...So this masterpiece has 1179, 16.18 carat diamonds and features 458 diamonds caked around the flat-front face, while the rear bottom case is made of 18 carat solid white gold encrusted with 660 diamonds....Just to add a tad bit more detail they put 61 diamonds in the Apple logo...UGH!...Talk about Icy/Chilly/Froze/Frijo...My salivary glands are going NUTS!!

And in case there was a slight chance you wouldn't receive instant dome from the phone alone, it comes with one year’s complimentary VIP International Concierge Service which focuses on ‘accessing the inaccessible’...The concierge service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will save the Amosu Luxury customer time, hassle and money and will afford you the opportunity to get damn near any luxury item you can imagine, from front row seats at fashion shows to chartered yachts...And if the royal penis isn't clean enough Your Highness, they've gone ahead and included ownership of a Luxury Network VIP Privilege card that is accepted by Lamborghini UK, Bombardier Skyjet International, Sunseeker Yachts, Oliver Sweeney, Holland and Holland, Selfridges and Ascot Horse racing...Now THAT'S and iPhone...For that ass...

.FIN

Hi-Tech, Artistic, Rad, Radiohead type CRACK!!...

Ok, so anyone who knows me knows I'm a GIGANTIC Radiohead fan (As a matter of fact I just saw them for the first time live and crossed one off my 'bucket list' *sigh* & *tear*) and I have been waiting like the end of the war for their latest video to drop so I could watch with eyes full of child-like delight...Wait no more...It has arrived...The video is for the song "House of Cards" and was shot with no cameras or lights but instead (in typical Radiohead innovative style) it was shot with lasers (Check the 'Making Of' video after the jump)...And get this...You can download the visualizer which will allow you to manipulate the data to adjust the image and rotate around the objects in real-time...I'm pretty sure I'll never get any real work done now...And I don't curr...

Hocus Pocus Chess set - A must have...

A Chess Set inspired by the novel 'Alice through the Looking Glass' where the pieces magically turn transparent when they touch the board.

In ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’ by Lewis Carroll, Alice falls through a mirror and on the other side of the mirror, she becomes a piece in a game of chess. Inspired by this, the chess pieces have an opaque mirror finish, when they touch the surface of the board they magically turn transparent and reveal the identity of the piece contained inside them. When removed from the board they revert to being opaque, hiding the identity of the piece.
This is a comment on how a chess piece has no value unless it is in play on the board. If removed from the board, a pawn and a queen are equal, in that neither have any value.
The theme of 'Alice through the Looking Glass' is the difference between the real world and the world behind the mirror. In keeping with this theme there is a contrast between the unlit mirrored piece and the clear glass piece. Each unlit mirrored piece is a smooth and modern shape. Each lit piece is clear glass, with the negative shape of a traditional, delicate Staunton chess piece enclosed within it. In the book the White Knight talks about how he thinks better when he is upside down. In a reference, the White Knights in the set only work when they are placed upside down. This joke is hidden to all but those who know the background of the chess set.

The Chessboard is made out of LightPoints a material manufactured by Schott, which is glass that has LED's embedded in it; the pieces are coated with Mirona, a Material that turns transparent when light shines through it. When the piece is placed on the board it completes the circuit and lights up the LED under it turning it transparent, like magic.
This product was designed in response to a brief set by Schott UK Ltd. for Final year students of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Via Yasmin Sethi

Solar Powered Sea Limo????

The Solar Powered Sea Limousine designed and developed by Dennis Ingemansson. This idea is based on "The World" located in Dubai - a society with new needs of marine transportation between artificial islands. The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of a world map and located 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) off the coast. This concept powered with solar cells integrated in the window skin and moves forward with hovercraft. This vehicle is controlled by a satellite navigation system, therefore no human pilot. This concept deliver a new dimension of discrete sea limousine in terms of luxury yacht design.

Via LikeCool