Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Fisher Price records, Go-Go-Gadget gloves, Weezer camp and more in our weekly look at the web
This Week’s LAB is Sponsored by Dos Equis
1. Weezer Camp
Band frontman Rivers Cuomo offered an intriguing teaser as to his group’s future plans when he said they were thinking of starting “some sort of Weezer camp.” As in good old American summer camp. That’s all he’s said so far, but with the veteran rockers fresh off the Weezer cruise, the idea seems pretty foolproof—we’re on standby.
2. Kindle Fire HD
Answering the challenge of Apple’s Retina Display, Amazon released this week the Kindle Fire HD for 8.9 and 7-inch displays. Coming just short with 254 pixels per inch compared to Apple’s 264, the improved Kindle Fire HD still makes a tempting bargain with better Wi-Fi performance, improved storage and battery life, a front-facing camera and a $199 starting price.
3. Beth Ditto Interview
In the latest interview with Life & Times, Gossip’s front woman Beth Ditto discusses her band’s positive vibes alongside her political opinions and current musical inspirations. From listening to Lil Wayne on repeat to being inspired by the upbeat pop heavyweights of Paul Simon and ABBA, Ditto divulges what’s been running through her head in recent months since her bands’ latest record A Joyeful Noise dropped.
4. Until The Quiet Comes
Shot by Kahlil Joseph, the short film for Flying Lotus’ highly anticipated new album Until The Quiet Comes is as restrained and layered as his forthcoming work. The dynamic medley includes clips from tracks featuring Erykah Badu and Niki Randa—those excited to hear “Electric Candyman” featuring Thom Yorke will just have to wait until the album drops on 1 October 2012.
5. 3D-printed Fisher Price Records
UK “tinkerer” Fred Murphy has used the new technology of 3D printing to make Generation Y-ers nostalgic for their ’70s and ’80s childhoods. Dismayed by the electronic update to the classic Fisher Price record player, Murphy not only produced working plastic records for the toy on a CNC mill, he recreated the process—with an Instructable—on a 3D printer for others to join in the fun.
6. Augmented Reality Chest Burster Shirt
Wieden + Kennedy strategist Phil Chang neatly sums up the insanity that is New York Fashion Week with his nod to what would be his top style—an augmented reality chest burster tee. While a little alarming, nerd chic is never a bad look.
7. A History of NYC in 50 Objects
Inspired by the British Museum’s BBC radio series, “History of the World in 100 Objects,” the New York Times has tasked local readers to do the same for the city in 50 emblematic items. From Randel’s Map to bagels to Metrocards to dust lifted from the site of the 9/11 attacks, the tangible reminders of what has come to define New York elevate both the historic and mundane with a brilliant sense of pride and familiarity.
8. Hi-Call
Ever want to make calls from your thumb and pinky à la Inspector Gadget? Well, Hi-Fun has created a bluetooth “handset” that does just that. What looks like a knit glove from grandma actually encases a battery pack, mic, speaker and Bluetooth radio for inconspicuous calling. Word is, the “Go-Go-Gadget Glove” can also remotely control Siri.
9. ROM
Founded by graphic designer and video game enthusiast Darren Wall, publishing company Read-Only Memory stands to release high quality and well researched books on the gaming world and its inhabitants. With an impressive roster of industry vets set to pick up the pen, ROM is currently on Kickstarter to raise funds.
10. Jaqapparatus 1
Always evolving, filmmaker and artist Chris Cunningham has gone from designing alien anamatronics and directing daring and disturbing music videos in the 1990s to making his own music and shorts. His recently unveiled latest multimedia project Jaqapparatus 1 exemplifies an immense talent for mixing robotics and sculpture with music and live performance.
11. Kyouei
Sight Unseen revisits one of their design favorites, Kyouei, who in recent years has grown from creating “clever little Droog-ish housewares” to designing sleekly sophisticated sound machines, musical tables and iron lamps. You can catch his work in person at Design Junction during London’s upcoming Design Festival.
12. Dead Set
Dying? There’s an app for that. Dead Set is a freshly-launched app for iOS that let’s you get your affairs in order before you pass using a simple interface. From mocking up a last will and testament to assigning assets for inheritors, the app saves time and money when preparing for the inevitable.
