Cool Hunting
| 06 November 2007view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
I, Grobot
by Jacob Resneck
The latest in the way of grow-your-own plant kits is a sort of Asimovian take on the Chia Pet that makes a great home or office ornament. With an unlikely pairing of nature and futurism, I, Grobot stands about four inches tall, with its grass head at full growth the hair easily adds another two to three inches of height.
Retailing for less than $13 and guaranteed to ship within three days, it's a whimsical piece that makes for an eccentric gift.
Also on Cool Hunting: Canned Goods, Garden in a Bag, Pet Tree Mini, In Vitro Orchid, Magic Bean Word
Swobo Folsom Bike: Interview with Founder TIm Parr
by Josh Rubin
After living in NYC for over ten years I finally started riding around the city on a bike this past spring. Of course, as these things go, I now have all sorts of opinions on the urban bike experience. While I'm now surveying all different bikes, the Folsom from Swobo is my new favorite. (Click image for detail.)
The Folsom is like a featherweight tank. An aluminum frame and lack of external brakes, gears and other attachments makes for a lightweight bike. But unlike other pared-down models, the frame tubes are fatter like a mountain bike and the tires are also a slightly oversized—almost like a hybrid road bike/BMX.
The coaster brakes—like the ones from when we were kids—require some adjustment. Learning to pedal backwards to stop took a few minutes and a couple minor crashes, but now that I've got the hang of it, it's very simple. Being in NYC, which is mostly flat-land, no gears are needed. Nothing on the Folsom has a quick-release so all the parts are relatively secure from theft.
Minimal details and a lack of giant flashy logos also deflect the attention of would-be thieves. Coupled with its matte gray color, the Folsom is understated, stealthy and chic. My only gripe is that wide handlebars, though custom-designed for a range of riding styles, makes riding between cars in NYC streets tricky.
Available in two frame sizes (medium and large), the Folsom is a reasonable $500 from Swobo.
We threw a few questions at Swobo founder Tim Parr who responded with some insights about their mission to get people on bikes, their history and the thinking behind the design of their three models.
When and why did you start making bikes? Where are they made? Who is the Swobo team?
We've been around for 16 years, but we started making bikes about a year ago, because we knew the world is ready for a Swobo complete point of view. They're made in Taiwan, which is a good thing.
Strange Faces Origami
by Ami Kealoha
Originally called "oreore-nai," meaning "I can't fold properly," this easy origami kit comes with 15 square sheets of paper printed with photo images of cropped faces. When folded the sheets transform into bizarre kaleidoscopic versions of a face, as if a few people got together and went crazy with Apple's Photobooth effects.
Designed by the Tokyo-based origami group Studio Cochae, Strange Faces Origami is available for $9 from Unica Home and Paper Animations.
Sounds from Saturn
by Lost At E Minor
NASA has released some pretty amazing audio recordings of sounds from the moons of Saturn. The weirdest thing about them is that they actually sound like Theremin warbles and echoey whooshy sounds from '50s movies about space.
Patagonia's T-Shirt Campaign: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
by Jacob Resneck
Building on what's developing as a series of products geared toward raised awareness of our ecology, part of the profits from Patagonia's latest tee go to protect the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, a 19 million acre area of Alaska's North Slope, that's long been eyed by the energy industry because of huge oil deposits thought to exist underneath this protected region.
Designed by Northern California-based artist Jason Munn, whose Oakland studio Small Stakes has gained a following in its own right, Patagonia is donating $5 from each sale to the Alaska Wilderness League, a nonprofit committed to protecting the grizzly bear, caribou, wolves and 125 different migratory bird species that conservations fear would be threatened if the land is opened to oil exploration. (Click images for detail.)
Check out the t-shirts (available in white or brown in both men's and women's sizes for $30) and get more information on the campaign from Patagonia.
