Nike Flywire

by Tim Yu

Nike's newest and most exciting innovation presented at the Sportswear Exhibition at a new Nike space called Cable 8 in Beijing had everyone talking. Named Flywire it entails the use of high-tensile Vectran threads (stronger than Kevlar) which cut down on weight of the product yet adds stability. What's particularly unique about the new technology is that Nike's found a way to use it in both their footwear and apparel lines.

The technique not only adds a totally new kind of support but also an original graphic look to the product. The Air Max 90 Flywire features seamless construction and Flywire threads in strategic spots lend support but not weight. In fact, it's the lightest Air Max 90 ever. Flywire also shows up in the new Windrunner with Vectran threads throughout the chest and shoulders. At a mere 119 grams, it's less than half the weight of the next lightest Windrunner. More images after the jump.

Keep a close eye out for Flywire in many upcoming Nike products, it's truly a game-changing innovation.

Also on Cool Hunting: Nike Zoom Victory Spike and Precool Vest.

Touch NY

by Phuong-Cac Nguyen

Almost all of the 14 artists and studios invited to be part of the Touch Design recycled-materials exhibit of products happening this weekend in NYC are Latin American, most notably Brazilian—something that could indicate where the pioneering trends in this area are coming from in the near future. Besides Estúdio Manus and Domingos Tótora (two names that have been getting more press recently) other up and comers/participants include Tatiana Sperhacke, whose website shows a skirt made from plastic spoons, art made from found natural material by Thomas Beale and the surprisingly delightful manifestations from Blindesign.

Touch NY
Opening reception: 18 May 2008, 7-9pm
18-20 May 2008
Honey Space
148 11th Avenue
New York, NY 10011 map
no phone

Highlights from the Spring 2008 ITP Show

by Josh Rubin

Our pilgrimage to the ITP show yesterday yielded more than a few great finds. From musical interpretations of an individual "color profile" and automated paintbrush robots to oversize models of a scrotum and a digital version of Exquisite Corpse, the projects (as usual) ran the gamut from the sublime to the absurd.

Colorful Melody

Colorful Melody analyzes a person's color profile based on their skin color, clothing and other factors. Using that data, the interactive device maps the profile onto a grid. Units of the grid fall, creating a sound based on the color of the unit. As the subject continues to interact with the device, the melody changes.

The Spectators

Another interactive experiment, The Spectators, also involves an individual's behavior and the responses it triggers, but with a darker undertone. In this case, a person stands in front of a screen which generates a pixelated image of them. Every time the subject blinks, the image is disrupted by acts of torture, deforming the representation of their face. The work comments on our indifference to such atrocities, using a visualization to call attention to the ways torture is usually invisible in the popular consciousness.

BrushBots

Set loose on a piece of paper with a few drops of paint, BrushBots create abstract art, drawing loops and lines and mixing colors. Intended to offset the fear in making art, the result is a collaboration between the user and the single-function robot, where neither participant as full creative control. We also appreciate that the little guys are made using castoff vibrating pager heads and toothbrushes.

Other notables include Tom Gerhardt's Erkel the Circle Judger, a project taking on the idea of a perfect circle using a computer to judge a person's rendering and Tymm Twillman's LED Staff, called fLUX which creates gorgeous light patterns that change based on movement.

We also appreciated Ben Chao, Stella Kim and Jason Krugman's Teste Touch, a giant replica of testicles in homage to their involuntary physiological response, that predictably caused quite the stir. Mitch Said and Yaminie Patodia's MoBody is a great ongoing application allowing users to submit body parts via camera-phone to a website where the snapshots become an online Exquisite Corpse.

Last but not least, Shinyoung Park's Funji is a customizable device designed to foster more meaningful communication between individuals by using sound, vibration and color in an increasingly isolated digital age.

Interview with Miranda Donovan

by Leonora Oppenheim

The first solo show for any young artist must be a nerve-wracking and exhilarating experience, even more so when at one of London's most cutting-edge galleries. But young British artist Miranda Donovan, who finds herself in this very position, is taking it all in her stride. Her exhibition The Lost World of Innocence opened at the Lazarides Gallery in Soho last week to great acclaim. A sure sign of Donovan's very bright future in the art world is the fact that every piece in the exhibition sold before the opening night. We've mentioned Donovan's work before in connection to the Saatchi Gallery Showdown, now that's she progressed from online to in-gallery we decided to find out what's going on behind her landscape scenes.

Congratulations on the success of your first solo show. The exhibition sold out before the opening night, how does that feel?
When told the news I felt overwhelmed and definitely a little weak at the knees! To know that the work I have spent months/years producing has found new homes is an incredibly rewarding feeling.

What does the show's title "Lost World of Innocence" mean to you?
For me Lost World of Innocence refers to aspects of life in contemporary society: the ever increasing expansion of cities across the countryside, the ever present gang/knife culture in our cities today, the "Tesco" capitalist takeover, the "big brother" camera that has become such an intrusive—yet integral—part of our life, the media which infiltrates all layers of society and successfully enforces huge pressure on people to perform and succeed at a young age.

Can you tell us about the concepts behind the different series of paintings in this show?
There are five series of paintings in the show. The Lost World of Innocence Series is where I have painted bucolic Ruisdael landscapes juxtaposed against news clippings of lives tragically and violently lost to knives and guns. My intention was to evoke a feeling of nostalgia, a lost ideal in the viewer whilst also heightening awareness of a serious problem in our cities. In other works e.g. "Too Many," my intention was to be more personal by introducing the viewer, with stark frankness, to the faces of victims lost to violence on our streets.

The pieces in London Streets in most cases are intended to be more humorous, whether it be word play on Al Fayed's shop of "HORRORS," placing graffiti in incongruous places, or telling those at BANK to chill out!

In Scrublands lives are lost, the big brother camera follows us—even here we're asked does capitalism bring happiness?

How did you get interested in graffiti and what's the significance of taking it off the street and into the gallery?

Continue reading for more including images and gallery info...

Ikan Wireless Scanner

by Doug Black

The world is filled with technology designed to make lives easier, but many are more nuisance than time-saver. The recently-launched Ikan, however, proves to be both effortless in use and hugely efficient in everyday life. The system consists of a small kitchen appliance about the size of a toaster (shown at right). Once registered, the unit scans barcodes on empty products as you finish them which automatically adds them to a virtual shopping list accessible online. When you're ready to buy new groceries, simply submit the digital list and everything is delivered within three hours. The Ikan also promotes a cleaner environment by listing the most effective method of recycling each spent container.

Ikan recently announced a deal with NYC's D'Agostino grocery stores and are holding demonstrations of the technology at a dozen locations this month. If you don't live in New York, you can still use Ikan as a shopping list-compiler, and fortunately, the company has plans to expand to other locations with new retailers.

The Ikan machine runs for $400 on their web store. You can check out the remaining demonstrations at any of the locations below.

Digby and Iona: Fall 2008 Collection

by Brian Fichtner

After a few unfortunate years of influence from designers turned would-be lumberjacks, we're finally witnessing a shift away from flannel shirts and mukluks. Digby and Iona recently released its Fall 2008 collection of intrepid jewelry inspired by themes from the American Civil War and British Imperialism. Comprised of several sections, including Elements of Disguise, Instruments of Pursuit and Means of Retribution, the series forms a "manual of accessories for an adventurer."

For the stalker in you, Elements of Disguise consists of two monocle-style moustache necklaces that can be raised to your lip, should your quarry grow suspicious. According to designer Aaron Ruff, "the necklaces pay homage to the styles of the infamous Inspector Clouseau and the gentleman adventurer, Phileas Fogg belonging to Jules Vern's novel, "Around the World in Eighty Days." The pieces in Instruments of Pursuit should make the tailing a little easier, with a functional miniature telescope (the Filigree Spyglass) and an antique brass compass (the Lost Love Compass). Finally, for the climactic moments in your fanciful diversions, there's the Lion Figurehead Knucklebiter (a brass knuckle-style ring resembling the lion figurehead belonging to the Victorian British Royal Navy) and the Black Spot Pistol Ring (no, not functional).

For pioneering urban swashbucklers, or steampunk geeks looking to flaunt their retro-futurist tendencies, the new Digby and Iona collection can be purchased through the Williamsburg shop Catbird.