New Projects Watches: Chroma, Iridium and Twilight

by Ami Kealoha

Witty and modern, these latest editions from Projects Watches continue the brand's reputation of making affordable accessories with high design pedigrees. Since 1992, the Michael Graves-founded outfit has been producing timepieces by the likes of Richard Meier, Maya Lin and Cesar Pelli.

The Twilight watch, which illustrates the fading light cycle every 20 seconds, comes courtesy of web typography guru Daniel Will-Harris. Using two discs that rotate with the seconds, it's a thoughtful and elegantly executed reminder of time's relentless pursuit.

A more whimsical take on the passing minutes, Lauridna Spear's Chroma watch features colors that change every second with other hues that evolve more slowly.

Similarly, the Iridium watch cleverly uses color and a rotating dial for a novel way to tell time. Consisting of cut out numbers on a dial, hours read blue, minutes are red and on the hour, the numbers turn purple.

Iridium, Chroma and Twilight are $120 each and available from Watchismo.

Sherwin Williams ColorSnap iPhone App

by Karen Day

For the color-obsessed or interior designer on the go, Sherwin-Williams created the ColorSnap iPhone application to help sync up distinct palettes.

Quick and easy, it works by simply scrolling a finger across an existing photo or a new one to locate the exact point for color match up. ColorSnap then instantly offers up one of the 1,500 corresponding Sherwin-Williams paint hues and a list of their closest retail stores.

The color can be saved for later and the app suggests a list of coordinating colors to create a unified palette.

Relieving a lot of the time and stress from running back and forth to the paint store attempting to find the exact desired shade. the service is also just a fun way to play around with hues.

ColorSnap is free from iTunes and compatible with both the iPhone and iPod touch.

Catamount Microwave Popcorn Popper

by Karen Day

Avoid the oily mess, expense—and extra calories—with Catamount's microwave popcorn popper. Built with a butter-straining lid, the kernels pop at the bottom while the butter melts through, covering the popcorn to movie theater-perfection in just under three minutes.

A more fail safe option then DIY microwave versions, the dishwasher and microwave-safe glass container has a glass handle for easy transport.

The microwave popcorn popper is available from Sur La Table or Crate and Barrel Outlet.

Simon Denny: Watching Videos Dry

by CH Contributor

by Paolo Ferrarini of Future Concept Lab

Currently exhibiting the powerful work of Simon Denny, in the scope of young Italian art galleries, T293 Gallery in Naples, is one of the most promising. Owners and curators Paola Guadagnino and Marco Altavilla constantly search for artists able to convey strong ideas, not just style, which Denny does successfully with his installation "Watching Videos Dry."

Dedicated to the stages of drunkenness, including Euphoria, Lethargy, Confusion, Stupor, Coma, Hangover, the whole of the installation itself represents the seventh stage an signifies that everything is in progress in Denny's world. The fact that some of these works are replicas of previous pieces exhibited at the Luettgenmeijer Gallery in Berlin, while others are the prototypes for other upcoming installations, underlines the sense of perpetuity in his concept.

Born in 1982 in Auckland, New Zealand, Denny now lives and works in both Auckland and Frankfurt. Seemingly the perfect successor to the work of Marcel Duchamp, Denny's bi-dimensional readymade sculptures (like those that use Ikea tables and video cassettes) make us feel like we are in front of TV screens.

Watching Videos Dry
Through 30 June 2009
T293 Gallery
Via Tribunali 293
80138 Naples, Italy map
tel. +39 39 (0)81 295882

Cool Hunting on the Amazon Kindle

by Evan Orensten

Cool Hunting is now available on the Amazon Kindle. The service automatically sends blog subscriptions to your Kindle and updates them several times a day. The first two weeks of all Kindle blog subscriptions are free, then available for $1.99 monthly.

Lomographic Amigos Program

by Lost At E Minor

The premise behind the Lomographic Amigos program is simple. The Lomographic Society International equips selected photographers, musicians and other creative types with a Diana F+ camera and some film, asking them to shoot the film, which Lomo then displays on their website.

Lomo Amigos alums include Radiohead, Modest Mouse and David Arquette. These beautiful shots above and below were taken by Feature Shoot founder and editor, Alison Zavos, whose own photography has been featured in the American Photography annual. Click to read more.

More images after the jump.