Cool Hunting
| 03 November 2005view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Nokia N92
by Josh Rubin
In 1999 I wrote a graduate thesis (NYU, ITP) on form defining function in mobile devices. My collaborator Kent Hollrah and I even went so far as to mock-up a prototype we called The Stack. It was made of multiple display panels that were hinged in a manner that allowed it to be folded into four different shapes; each used for a different purpose—phone, pda, map and media player. We loved our little concept and dreamed of the day that it could be real. That day isn't quite here yet, but it's getting a lot closer.
I had the chance this afternoon to play with the Nokia N92 which was just announced yesterday. The media-focused device has the same conceptual intent as The Stack did. Opened vertically it functions as a phone; twisted around it's a still and video camera; and opened horizontally it's a little TV. Yes, TV. With up to 50 channels the Nokia N92 is the first mobile device to use a new standard called DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast on Handheld).
The pieces of the technology puzzle won't fit together for DVB-H to become a reality until the middle of next year in Europe (in the U.S. it will take twice as long at best), but today's demo was promising. The screen on the Nokia N92 is fantastic and the video quality was seamless. Another notable item is the dedicated Media button which goes to a menu just for the music, web, TV and photo/video content on the device. This is a new feature in the Nokia N92's software platform (Series 60 v3.0). I was hoping to preview the new Mini Map web browser but it wasn't yet implemented on the engineering sample I looked at.
For more information check out the press release.
Stephane Manel's Dwyane Wade Mural
by Ami Kealoha
Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade's new signature shoe for Converse hits stores today and for a launch party last week in New York, French artist Stephane Manel created this 12' x 36' mural. As Manel says, the piece "translate[s] Wade's movement to catch the ball bouncing on the multi-color lines of the basketball court." Manel, along with Sebastien Agneessens (curator and founder of Formavision), co-curated a shoe gallery that traced the history of Converse from the first Chucks (dating back to around the turn-of-the-century) to Wade's contribution.
Walk the World Flip-Flops
by Ami Kealoha
If you're flying South for the winter, pack these Walk the World flip-flops by Lomo. Printed with a photo-collage of street signs, they're available in both Tokyo and London versions and are a great medium to appreciate the "little differences" in foreign visual landscapes.
Pick them up from Lomo directly.
Let's Share at Giant Robot SF
by Evan Orensten
Giant Robot SF's new show, Let's Share, features work by Evah Fan, Jack Long and Susie Ghahremani. From the subconscious to childhood memories to irreverent thoughts on society today, each of these artists communicates through the filter of their distinct influences. We're particularly into Evah's quirky designs. They have a hint of Edward Gorey's mischevious, storytelling drawings.
The show opens on November 19th and runs through December 21st 2005.
A Piece of Cake
by Ami Kealoha
New from the ladies at Cake, a book that (in the same vein as their events and website) is a frank, sex-positive take on sexuality for the modern woman. Enclosed in a red faux-velvet cover, the guide dishes advice, history, and opinion on topics like body image, masturbation, threesomes, and casual sex. Features include interspersed first-person fantasies, Cake-endorsed products, films, and books, and pleasure tips. Authors and Cake founders Melinda Gallagher and Emily Scarlet Kramer represent a new generation of sex experts for the 21st century.
