Anti-Cellphone?

While I have to admit nanotechnology tends to scare the bejesus out of me (and if you've ever heard of the grey goo theory, the possiblities of nanotechnology might scare you too); nanotechnology - like any technology - has the ability to use it's power for good. This specific example is the creation of paint that has the ability to block cellphone calls.

A New York company called NaturalNano is claiming that it's developed a paint that can block cellphone and WiFi signals - yet be toggled off to allow selective, chargeable access.

While it'll be nice to not be annoyed by annoying cell phone calls & hence they're even more obnoxious ringtones, one problem is that of WiFi networking. As the Hexus article explains, the blocking of WiFi would allow companies to charge for the specific networks they provide. This would be good for a business standpoint as extra revenue is a good thing, it might not be so good for the many of us who go to coffee shops and other places with WiFi access because we can't afford internet. Although, I'm guessing not many coffeeshops would use this technology anyway.

Also an interesting point is perhaps nano can be reversed engineered - hopefully mainly in outdoor paints - to allow places farther from cellphone signals to amplify the signals so they get for better signals.

Either way, I think I perfer the lack of cellphones in public places like movie theaters and it's inherent lack of WiFi access to the grey goo theory.

Hexus has the whole article here

The developers - Naturalnano - can be reached here

Faceted Shapes

Faceted Shapes seem to be becoming more and more popular. The past few years organic shapes have been very popular, so it makes sense that faceted shapes are starting to become popular as a reverse trend.

Some examples include the Orloff bowl.

spanish designer patricia urquiola is renowned for her elegant furniture and home accessories. the orloff bowls, each made from a single disc of drawn stainless-steel plate and formed without welding, are no exception. angular and engaging, these bowls come in two sizes and are part of alessi's new fall 2005 collection. composed of 18/10 stainless steel.

The zendome is another example of faceted shapes -

Depending on the event the spacious dome is suitable from 50 up to 500 people. The luminous white dome is a huge and elegant eye catcher that attracts a wide range of audience and can be printed with your logo and label. The dome qualifies imposingly for advertising and presentation for companies and agencies. The cupola-acoustic creates a very special sound and makes speech highly understandable. Due to the high-tech materials the geodesic domes are extremely weatherproof and have a stability that bears big spotlights and projectors. The translucent fabric has a convenient textile character that provides a soft and natural light. With the mobile construction you are at short term present at any place with your bar, catering, press café or your v.i.p. area.

More info here


David Wiseman's Pink Porcelain Vase...


Vilde | Form Terrain floor rug.

Terrain is a hand made floor rug composed of 33 wool felt triangles. The rug's form is derived from terrain modeling - a triangular mesh representing a digitised aerial view of a stretch of land. The four shades of grey, representing land contours, create an illusion of three-dimensional space.

"In The Mix"

NotNeutral.com has a line of dinnerware called "In the Mix" based off of geometric patterns. Most of which are affordable, and beautiful as well as dishwasher and microwave safe. This "Black Circut Small Plate" is available for 12$ each. See the whole linehere

East Hamburg

The East Hamburg is a beautiful hotel, restaurant and bar in the heart of hamburg. It is breathtaking and beautifully designed. I reccomend you guys look at their website. http://www.east-hamburg.de/.

Some of my work

Here is some of the work I've done over the past semester. Click on any of the images to get a larger, better quality view.






We had to find furniture and make it in AutoCAD blocks.





Using said blocks we could make sections and elevations a lot easier. Just load each block and use it as many times as needed.


This is an elevation I did for part of a kitchen.


Afterwards we learned how to make our blocks in 3d.


Our most recent project has been done mostly in AutoCAD. The fun thing about which are dviews, which are perspectives. This is a conference room/reception area seperated by windows.



since that picture was taken I have added a few things, so I redid my review to include just the reception seating area for a sample board I put together.

Cardboard Houses

The Cardboard House represents the reduction of technology and the simplification of needs. By demonstrating that we are able to recycle 100% of the building components at extremely low cost, the Cardboard House is a direct challenge to the housing industry to reduce housing and environmental costs.

Stutchbury and Pape, working in association with the Ian Buchan Fell Housing Research Unit at University of Sydney, see this project as a genuine temporary housing option.

A cardboard house places the least demand on resources and encourages people to shift their preconceptions about the “typical Australian house”. Many Australians enjoy camping on their holidays, easily shifting their lifestyle from the rigidity of the urban home to the freedom of the campsite.

Being extremely low cost and transportable, the Cardboard House could be used in a wide variety of applications. You could live in one while your permanent house is being built or renovated, for emergency housing, or for short-term accommodation.

Read More...

I saw this a while ago. I still want to design a new version and build it for transformus.

Frank Gehry; You're a genius!

The following is a Simpsons Clip of Frank Gehry:
D'oh!

Frank Gehry is designing the George Ohr Museum in Biloxi Mississippi. It was ravaged by Katrina, but is still planning on being finished. For further info:
GeorgeOhr.org

Laptop Blues

Unfortunately during the next week or two I won't be updating quite as much as I should. My laptop is broken and I only have access to the internet at school. I will hopefully still post a few things of interest, but most likely not everyday. Thanks for being patient with me :)

trilobis 65

Trilobis 65 is a semi-submerged
dwelling environment. Reaching 20 metres in length designed by Giancarlo Zema for habitation by six people at sea. It is ideal for living in bays, atolls and maritime parks. The main aim of the project is to allow anyone to live in a unique environment through a self sufficient, non-polluting dwelling cell in unison with their ocean surroundings.

Read More..

Crate Art

Marc of Wooster Collective noticed something odd up on the roof of a building in Melbourne, Austrillia. Could it be a bird, king kong? NO... it's a man made out of crates!



For a closer up, and more photos click here

Gorillapod

The gorillapod is a tripod created for people who don't like to carry around large tripods that won't go everywhere they want to go.

"The gorillapod firmly secures your compact digital camera to just about anything...anywhere and everywhere. Unlike traditional tripods, the gorillapod doesn't require an elevated flat surface for you to take the perfect shot."

On top of it's amazing ability to attach to just about anything; at $24.95 it's a bargain for the photographer on the go.

Which Glasses

This set of six glasses has up to 6 rings. Each cup has a corresponding number of rings which allows the user to keep track of which cup is theirs. At $59 this glass set is both useful and affordable.

Go to this page to order Which Glasses from Generate Home.

Napshell

As power-napping.com reports on this page...

""napshell" is the sleeping capsule as design object. It's powerful shape acts as eyecatcher that attracts Attention to itself. This leads to a playful engagement with the in Germany still unknown topic of Power-Napping.

A modular system allows different Areas of use:
A simple variant of the object is designed for outdoor areas. The robust construction could be used within parks or in open places as public furniture. This would allow the object to reach a broad audience.

The more sophisticated indoor-variant was intended for lounges, exhibition halls of foyers. It is equipped with a comfortable Mattress and lockable doors. The opaque and sound-proof doors noise allow the user to relax despite being in a busy environment. In addition the object can be outfitted with further luxury in the form of massage functions, air conditioning and audio equipment..."

for more information on the Napshell visit Napshell.com. The english version is here.

 

Klockwerks

"Roger Wood creates with time in mind. Yet even though the clock can be a consistent element of his work, it’s often secondary to its creation. Whether it’s a curious timepiece or a unique assemblage, Wood thrives on working with an immeasurable array of findings from the tarnished and forgotten to the odd or intriquing. He is a devoted collector of usual and unusual objects with one thing in common, a history.

The source of his inspiration lies in the hundreds of curiously labelled drawers and boxes brimming with artifacts of all description that line the shelves of his Toronto studio. Wood orchestrates an arrangement from his myriad of treasures until the precise moment that it feels right. Then he quickly glues them all down so they can't escape.

Playful, wondrous timepieces emerge that take flight on cherubic wings, float and sway on fine wires, or appear frozen mid-explosion with flying springs and cogs that bounce at the touch. "

Roger Wood's works are amazing time peices. You can reach his company at Klockwerks.

Klockwerks was featured on CBC on the show Zed. The video can be watched on this site.

 

Another question of design

This webcomic was found at http://www.xkcd.com/

I propose a new V rating on all windows and doors. One can be the most likely a velociraptor can get through the window or door, and ten being the least. For example, the higher small bathroom window would be a V9 while the living room window is a V3.

Lucellino table lamp

However tacky, due to it's unique design and wackiness, this might be one of my favorite lamps ever. It was designed by Ingo Maurer in 1992. It is made out of glass, brass, plastic, and hand finished wings made of goose feathers. The price is $605.00 and can be bought on Moss Online at this page.

I would reccomend checking out Moss Online. The company has a large variety of products for sale. They're not all as tacky as that lamp :P.

 

Optimus Keyboard on Presale

Art. Lebedev Studio is presaling it's keyboard along with the Optimus Mini Three. The Optimus Mini Three is set for release on June 15th, 2006.

Pampered Pets

"WOWBOW is a new luxury brand committed to pampered pets & their discerning two legged companions

The company is founded on a vision: to pioneer and create unparalleled design solutions for our furry friends. By combining the best craftsmanship, animal husbandry and a unique personal service, WOWBOW sets the standard for a new class in pet furniture."

WOWBOW's website is here.
WOWBOW is a member of Pampered Puppy

Self Defense Ring

The Subtle Safety™ ring is a expression of confidence. Orange whistles are garish and weapons can easily be turned against you. The Subtle Safety ring is meant to act as a better solution to the recommended practice of a woman placing her keys between her fingers as she walks alone. The ring in its compact form is an elegant stack of three shapes.

The ring can be found here

Awesome Origami

Remembering grade school origami, some of us would quarrel that origami is not really art, but instead a craft. Robert J. Lang begs to differ. Only one view of his sculptures is needed to understand that origami is an art. His origami sculptures are amazing peices of work, only an artist can do. Check out his website Robert J. Lang Origami to view his gallery of origami sculptures.

Wired.com Article - Geek Graffiti Takes on New York

Wired.com has an article about Graffiti Research Labs. Specifically the article is about their LED throwies on "The Cube".

NEW YORK -- The group of 12 graffiti artists surrounds its target, a sculpture in Manhattan known as The Cube, and waits for the signal to begin tagging it up. It's a daunting task -- the 15-foot sculpture in Astor Place was recently coated with anti-graffiti paint.

But within seconds, The Cube is covered in LED Throwies, the latest innovation from the Graffiti Research Lab, or GRL, an open-source think tank dedicated to developing new methods and tools for street artists.

The article can be found at http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,70552-0.html

Research Graffiti Labs has video of the event at http://graffitiresearchlab.com/?page_id=17
Instructions on making LED Throwies can be found at here

And he said let there be blog, and there was...

and after a little bit of tinkering it was good. This is my first post to Design Rebel. I plan on posting blogs on various aspects of design, mostly product design, interior design, and architecture. I will probably post things pertinent to my classwork, since I am an interior design student at the University of Georgia. While design is my main focus of this blog, I will most likely deviate every now and then, and discuss such things as spirituality, vegetarianism, environmentalism, animation, art, Electronic Music and scene, etc. If you're interested in viewing my web journal, my livejournal can be found here.