Color Now! Symposium

by Tim Yu

Color plays a major role in pretty much all areas of visual culture—studies have even proved that color has a powerful effect on behavior. If you've ever wondered why a blackboard is green, all the more reason to attend the Color Now! Symposium put on by the Color Association of the United States in New York City this 20-21 September 2007.

A multi-faceted event, the symposium will address global influences, "green" design, branding, architecture and home design. Panelists include Erik L'Heureux of architecture firm Perkins & Will, retailer Ann Ljunberg of Just Scandinavian, Zoa Martinez of ZONA Design, Leni Schwendinger of Light Projects, Richard Weissman of The Design Library and Mark Pollack will discuss his textile designs. Participants will also get to do some indigo dying with Linda Labelle of the Yarn Tree.

Visit their site for more information.

Color Now! Symposium
20-21 September 2007
315 West 39 St, Studio 507
New York, NY 10018 map

Justin Smith

by Lost At E Minor

After winning the i-D Styling and Maria Luisa awards at 2007's International Talent Support (ITS)—an annual event in Trieste supporting young fashion designers and photographers—a shell-shocked Justin Smith threw himself into celebrations. Smith, born in 1978, is the millinery world's new rising star. His masters show at London's Royal College of Art was extremely well received. "The concept for my show was based all around the performative hat," he says. "I started with the models, found out what they performed with and worked back from there. For example, the burlesque fan dancer wore the fans on her head as part of the hat, and took them off and performed on the catwalk with them. So the main themes were the performative hat inspired by circus, performance and an East End Victorian funeral."

Four Pairs of Wireless Headphones

by Tim Yu

I lack the coordination needed to operate a keyboard and mouse while tethered to my computer by the wire on my headphones. To protect my laptop from being thrown across the room by a careless jerk of my head, I invested in a pair of wireless headphones, the Sony IF140s (pictured right), about 10 years ago. They had an infrared transmitter that plugged into a standard headphone jack, which sent a signal to the wireless headphones. They were powered by a rechargeable AA battery, the charger for which was conveniently located in the transmitter. All in all, it was a simple useful design that was comfortable and effective for office use. I wish I still owned a pair. In my search for a replacement pair of headphones I tried out the following alternatives.

Sennheiser RS140
Nothing tells your co-workers, "If you must bother me with your inane questions and pointless chit-chat, at least do it via IM" quite like a pair of enormous headphones. Though bulky, the Sennheiser 140s were the best of the lot, featuring a transmitter with a handy cradle for recharging. They connected to my computer easily through the included headphone jack and were were surprisingly light and comfortable. A mid-range hiss might be a huge downside for true audiophiles, but sound quality is more than good enough for typical office use. However, watch out for the placement of the volume and balance knobs on the headphone, because it's easy to bump them accidentally raising the volume to ear-popping levels. Available for $220 here.

Koss Cobalt
The Koss Cobalt were the headphones I coveted the most, expecting to easily connect via Bluetooth to my laptop and my mobile phone and use the built-in microphone to make calls when needed. It turned out that these were only great in theory. In testing, I found them to be a middle-of-the-road headphone that seemed passable for computer or MP3 player use, but not outstanding for either. A little too large to wear when out and about (especially because they require the included bulky Bluetooth transmitter), some minor improvements in comfort and size would greatly benefit these. I look forward to the next edition; with improvements, they could be my headphone of choice. Buy them for $300 here.

Pioneer SE-DIR800C
Like the Sennheisers, these Pioneer SE-DIR800C would not look out of place on the tarmac at your local airport. True sound geeks would probably get more out of these than I did, since the benefit of paying their premium price seems to be their extensive range of audio options, including Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound. I found the array of options to be overkill for office use, however I'm sure it's great for home use. Decoding the settings on the transmitter seemed to require a degree in computer science and experience programming the Altair 8800. Note: the red light for "on" goes off when it's turned on. Available for a steep $400 here.

MotoRokr S9
Intended for the rare user who listens to music on a mobile phone (iPhones excluded), I thought I'd give the MotoRokr S9s a whirl here in the office. I love the one-button call/music switching, however—much like the Koss Cobalt—these lack the comfort of larger headphones and the portability of earbuds. I wish they could fold up for storage in my bag, solving the portability issue. I also found them difficult to put on and take off, which I need to do frequently over the course of the day. However, they did have the most radical design, which we always appreciate. Available for $130 here.

Ten years later I figured that recent improvements in digital and wireless technology would have resulted in even better wireless headphones on the market. Although there have been some great advances, like many things, it seems that newer isn't always better. Good thing the Sony IF140s are available for £23—unfortunately, they seem to only be sold out of the U.K.

by Karen McGrane

The Quiet Life x Lakai Sneakers

by Mike Giles

The Quiet Life just released its five-shoe collaboration with Lakai shoes. Designed by Andy Mueller, these 5 sets of shoes are available directly through The Quiet Life's online shop and at most finer skate shops and boutiques.

"We've been hinting about this for months in our news section about doing one shoe with Lakai," says Andy " When they first asked us to do a shoe, we were expecting to do one shoe...so when it turned into five shoes we couldn't believe it."

True to Lakai's limited nature, there are only a few sizes of each style. You can see if you are a lucky one who the "shoe fits" at thequietlife.com and lakai.com.

Gregory Z 22 Backpack

by Josh Rubin

The biggest problem with using backpacks in the summer is the uncomfortable sweatiness. Gregory's latest mid-size day pack, the Z 22, features a unique suspension system that they call the "Jet Stream Dynamic Transfer System (DTS)" to prop the pack slightly off your back. The DTS system allows air to circulate between the pack body and your back, keeping you cooler and cutting down on sweat stains.

An exoskeleton-like frame (usually only found in larger packs) maintains the bag's shape and the DTS suspension adjusts itself in response to how heavy your pack is. This keeps weight distributed evenly, making for a much more ergonomic experience.

Made with ultra-light materials like ripstop nylon, I like its slimmed-down design which gives it some urban appeal. I can do without the hip-belt stash pockets for use in a city, but they'd be helpful in the backcountry for easy access to important tools. It's a versatile pack, fitting in well in urban or wooded environments.

Available from one of these vendors for $99.