Penck

by Josh Rubin

Apparently released in Japan today, the Penck was designed by Makoto Saito and Kumiko Hitomi. It's quite elegant in its simplicity and from what I can gather looking at the pictures on the site, it has all the latest features you'd expect in a phone.

Thanks to Fumi for translating the site! English version after the jump.

Design Sponge DIY Contest

by Josh Rubin

Grace over at Design Sponge is having a DIY Design Contest. If you're an independent designer who makes furniture, product, jewelry, graphics or anything else for that matter, send your stuff to Grace sometime in the next week. She'll be publishing the work of the winners on Monday 28 November.

Details here.

The Zoomer

by Josh Spear

The Zoomer is one of oki-ni's latest products--a 50cc scooter collaboration with Honda. Very limited edition, only 15 Zoomers will be available and oki-ni will be selling 5 of them each month for the next 3 months. It's available in 3 colors, plasma yellow, black, and camouflage green (shown). Each Zoomer comes with a limited edition numbered key ring and an invitation to a private Zoomer exhibition. $3,915 and it could be yours. Too cute.

Grivina

by Carol T Chung

Those bizarre quirky babies above were created by Grivina, in Russia. The site cuts to the chase. Not much description other than the categories, which is fine since I don't know a lick of Russian. But the work speaks for itself with their hands in illustration, 3D, package, and product design. There's also a livejournal as well. Not something you see everyday on a design site.

Evan Hecox

by Josh Spear

Colorado native Evan Hecox never ceases to amaze me with his design skills and his brilliant screen prints. He has done t-shirts and skateboard designs for skate companies like Chocolate and Girl. I keep seeing his work pop up all over--once even I spotted his work behind glass in the Denver Airport on my way home. This one is a limited edition print for Arkitip, only 100 were produced and they are for sale in their online store.

Ian Brown -- Solarized

by Ari Bendersky

It’s always been amazing to me how British music fans can completely and wholly rally around an artist, like Robbie Williams or Kylie and America just doesn’t pay any attention.

Such is the case with Ian Brown. Many of you likely know him as the frontman for the Stone Roses – ah, the Stone Roses, where dance music seamlessly meshed with rock. For without the Roses we wouldn’t have had Oasis, "Screamadelica"-era Primal Scream and countless other BritPop acts – even Coldplay. But, in America, the Stone Roses? It seems like people could care less.

Well now they should. Because Ian Brown is releasing his fourth – yes fourth – solo record. And it’s brilliant. It’s been out in the UK since last fall and it’s finally getting a proper release in the States on Feb. 22.