Cool Hunting

Greener Gadgets Call For Entries
Greener Gadgets, a conference on the topic of greening consumer electronics, partnered up with our amigos at Core 77 in hopes of seeking out design innovations for more eco-friendly electronics. The design competition will engage established design firms and students alike to come up with new solutions for consumer electronics addressing energy issues, health and toxicity, new materials, product lifecycle and social development. The...

Q Celsius Tires
For those of us in more extreme climates, Q Celsius is an all season, retractable stud tire, that performs well on wet and dry days. Not only have studies shown that using studded tires in dry conditions negatively affect performance, the loud noise of winter tires on bare pavement is irritating and then there's the added inconvenience of having to change them in and...

Design for the Other 90%
Design for the Other 90%, an upcoming exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum looks at what happens when designers design for an audience without the privilege and money of the first world. Featuring affordable design solutions for those whose main concern is not a better tea kettle for boiling water but how to get water in the first place, the exhibition includes life-saving...

Ikepod Black Hole
With the new Ikepod Black Hole, a limited edition of 66, Marc Newson's iconic watches are back—this time with more expensive materials, extensive (re)designs and overall exclusivity. Only advertised as silhouette, no images are shown until the potential owners buy it. I met with new owner and prominent art collector Adam Lindemann in his New York office to discuss the rebirth of the brand...

Freedom Of Creation: The Smallest Show in Milan
The Amsterdam-based design company Freedom Of Creation (FOC) was one of our highlights of last year’s 100% Design Show in London. The beautiful organic forms in their lighting design and their extraordinary rapid manufactured textiles both stood out from the crowd. FOC’s use of the laser sintering process—allowing complex forms to be built up in layers—has now been expanded to a more commercial use...

Franz Maurer: Vienna
For those of us who prefer to hold on to our CDs for one reason or another, the problem becomes where to store them without overwhelming your apartment. Franz Maurer designed this CD shelf, Vienna, a wall unit for the design collection Anthologie Quartett. To help contrast the unsightly crooked stacks of jewel cases, he adds a hint of sophistication by housing CDs in...