Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Sukiyabashi Jiro’s world of sushi, iPad apps for cats, stop motion dancing and more in our look at the web this week
1. Born with Three Mouths
A performance art piece by Alva Bernadine features Hellen (aka Traumata) and her split tongue. Overlaying her eyes with additional mouths in Adobe After Effects, the artist creates a three-mouthed persona whose respective gobs move independently of one another for a fantastically creepy result.
2. Fuelband Hackathon
To launch the NikeFuel API—and open the interface to app-crazed third party developers—Nike is hosting a “music hackathon” at SXSW. Hackers will be tasked with infusing NikeFuel with music-related apps and platforms as they mingle with record moguls.
3. Wrecking Crew Orchestra
Combining synchronized dancing with electroluminescent light suits, the Wrecking Crew Orchestra create a Tron-worthy break dance performance. By turning the suits on and off during the performance, the show is able to create the dizzying appearance of “stop motion dancing”.
4. Apps for Cats
Not content to let your furry friends miss out on tablet entertainment, Friskies has produced three feline-friendly games. The apps utilize research on how cats respond to stimuli and make for some great entertainment for both pets and their owners.
5. Round Up Your Mates
Guinness addresses the common issue of drunken distraction this advert, proving that the best way to organize a St. Patty’s day gathering at the pub is with the use of a well-trained sheepdog.
6. JuiceTank
JuiceTank solves the affliction of poor battery life by incorporating a standard AC plug into the case design. While the common sense solution seems like it should have been standard practice for years, JuiceTank (currently a Kickstarter project) would be the first to bring such a case to market.
7. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Recently premiered in NYC, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a film that inspects the work of world-famous chef Sukiyabashi Jiro through the lens of filmmaker David Gelb. The proprietor of a ten-seat restaurant in a Tokyo subway is known for year-long waiting lists and a tendency to massage octopuses for 40-50 minutes before serving
8. In Thoughts
Double exposures and black and white film may be old hats in the world of photography, but that doesn’t make Florian Imgrund’s “In Thoughts” series any less powerful. Portraits are coupled with landscape photography, resulting in some gorgeous high contrast works.
9. Who’s There Chair
In a nod to the Hollywood convention of locking a door by wedging a chair under the doorknob, Daniel Ballou created the “Who’s There Chair“. The working model using hinges on the legs, rubber feet and a notch in the back to grip the door handle. The piece was recently shown at “Threat”, a show by the American Design Club, which also included Name That Bat (previously on CH), a series of doomsday-worthy wooden bats.
10. CityMaps
Mobile map app CityMaps spells danger for shopaholics by displaying store logos based on their GPS locations. Currently available in NYC, San Francisco and Austin, CityMaps plans to expand to 25-30 cities by the year’s end.
11. Oolone
A new search engine called Oolone replaces text with visual search results. The result is a streamlined array of images free from too-small text and unwanted clutter—perfect for the visually inclined.
12. The Story of Sushi
A video shot over 7 months with handcrafted miniatures details the dangers of modern fishing methods. Bamboo Sushi, the world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant out of Portland, sought to inspire higher standards for environmental responsibility, uniting a good cause with a fascinating creative process.
