Cool Hunting

Name Voyager
The Name Voyager, from Baby Name Wizard, is a fascinating visualization of the US Social Security Administration's historical database of names. Enter part or all of any name and this little Java application will dynamically plot how many babies were given that name during each decade, instantly giving you a sense of when (if ever) that name was popular. I already knew Josh was...

Flickr Graph
The best online photo management and sharing solution just got a hell of a lot better thanks to Marcos Weskamp and his application Flickr Graph. It produces instant online graphing of any Flickr relationships and allows you to explore all these social connections by username or e-mail. A classic attraction-repulsion algorithm is used for the graphs. Double click the names to see their photos,...

Tryphone
The newly launched website, Tryphone provides the ultimate assist in purchasing a new mobile phone, allowing for test drives of different models on their site through a virtual interactive design. Clicking on buttons gives a sense of the user interface and functionality, just choose which phone you'd like to try from their surprisingly well-stocked inventory. Also featuring reviews and side-by-side comparisons, it's a good...

Bloomberg Makeover
We all know that a well-designed interface can improve productivity, so Portfolio Magazine recently approached three top design firms—IDEO, thehappycorp, and Ziba Design—to re-design a fantasy interface that could replace the existing Bloomberg interface. Bloomberg's data terminals are used by traders all over the world to track financial information such as stocks and bonds in real-time. Even the Vatican uses the Bloomberg terminal, which...

OrganisMuseum
Getting closer to the experience of an actual museum, OrganisMuseum is the first online virtual art gallery in 3D. By using directional arrows and cursor you are able to "walk" around the museum's three stories to view photographic works. Clicking on the photos takes you directly in front of the image for a straight-on view where you can select different image qualities. The current...