iCade

We posted about an April Fool's day joke last year that told of an iPad cradle designed to look like an old-school arcade machine. At CES this week, iCade was announced as a bona fide creation by Ion Studio in association with Atari. Any compatible game will link up to the joystiq and buttons via bluetooth. It will launch in Spring with Asteroids.

Link: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/view/12752/ces-2011-ipad-arcade-by-ion.html

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Keel Idea

A friend of David's has sent along this image depicting a new concept in surfboards by Ekstrom. The board requires no keel (fins on the bottom of the board). As a result, the silhouette of the board had to be amended, so the question of simplification hangs in the air. However, if you can always find them in the back of vans containing giant burritos, it is a win for me!

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Coca-Cola Mystic

Jerome Olivet is the latest designer to imagine how the Coke bottle form could be reconsidered. Jerome's promotion of the bottle is, well, French. I will leave it to his description:

“Mystic surprised by its beauty and intensity. It was created to live an intense and fleeting moment. Its racy style describes a supernatural world which soars skyward. Its skin has a sculpted unique spiritual experience.We discover in the palm of our hand soft and aerodynamic forms. Its living surface is shaped by a force mysterious and transparent.It sends us all the energy and excitement of Coca-Cola Its sexy lines and red color give happiness in 3 dimensions.Both organic shapes intertwine and form a body ambiguous and fascinating. Its loving silhouette, ties into a true popular poetry.”

Link with video: http://lovelypackage.com/coca-cola-mystic/#more-16950

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Shadow Chair

This chair seems to defy gravity by balancing only on 2 front legs. A rigid steel frame built inside the chair is actually part of the design, allowing it to rest on its own shadow.

Designed by ID firm Duffy London. You can read more about it here.

Melty Metals

The 2010 Vancouver Olympic metals have been announced. Their design is reminiscent of ocean waves, drifting snow, and mountainous landscapes. They were designed by Omer Arbel and are being produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Link: http://www.vancouver2010.com/

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Dol-fun

The Seabreacher is a submersible watercraft inspired by dolphins. It can jump, dive, and roll through the water at speeds of up to 40mph. These aren't renderings — these are actual action shots.

Link: http://www.seabreacher.com/

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Strange Bedfellows

Designed by Dzmitry Samal as a unique concept for beverage cans, this can design utilizes a process called impact extrusion, where an aluminum slug is pressed at a high velocity with extreme force into a die/mold by a punch.

Looks more like the aluminum can and Metallica album artwork have gotten kinda cozy while cruising the award circuit together this year...

bh

Yoav Avinoam Sitting in a Tree

Isreali designer, Yoav Avinoam, created a line of furniture created from wood shavings pressed into a mold. The tree legs on a few of his pieces is an especially nice touch.

Link: http://www.yoavavinoam.com/

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The Butterfly and the Spider

A great set of glassware design by Thai design studio, Propoganda.

Link: PROPAGANDAONLINE.COM-Low Res

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Simplicity is Key

A key and key ring combined. You can buy the "Ring Key" on Amron Experiemental. What a "why didn't I think of that" solution!

Link: Amron Experimental

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Lessing is More

Christian Lessing is a product designer and illustrator showcasing some fun and innovative pieces in his portfolio.

Link: christianlessing.de

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Do the electronic slide.

Designer, Shay Shafranek, has designed a ruler that reads distance as you slide your pencil along the edge.

Link: electronic ruler : shay shafranek ::designer::

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TOKYO FIBER ‘09 SENSEWARE

International collection showing new materials and their uses.

http://tokyofiber.com/en/

Does this dress make me look phat?

BMW's concept car, GINA, rethinks the skin of an automobile. Riding with the notion that the frame of the car upholds structural integrity absorbs crash impact, BMW designers are toying with the shell of a car being completely made of cloth. The cloth skin seeks a new emotional perspective on the automobile. The skin will open at seams to reveal the engine or headlights. Brake lights will appear and disappear through the translucent fabric. The entire car is capable of changing shape at the driver's will.

YouTube link: YouTube - BMW GINA Light Visionary Model: Premiere

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battery-powered packaging

Every NXT shaving product carries an LED in its base that lights up the gel inside, similar to a lava lamp. The lights last for about a year and don't start working until they're on a shelf, because of a rolling switch that turns them off when they're not set upright. The products will sell for around $5 each and will start lighting up the shelves at Target this month.

-em

Locust Folding Bike Study

"Major goal of the new design is to offer full-valuable bike with great ability to be folded, stored in small spaces (cases, car trunks etc..)"

Ironically enough, Lisa and I faced the issue of fitting a large bike into the backseat of her car a couple of months ago. The Locust bike is only a concept at this point.

Link: http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_file.asp?portfolio_id=171510&individual_id=89369&sort_by=1&

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Dinner on Time

Ross McBride is an American-born designer that has been living/working in Japan since 1985. Originally trained as a Graphic Designer, Ross's focus is now on product and furniture design. His pieces tend to rethink their own practical qualities: some in a surreal manner.

Visit his site here:

http://www2.gol.com/users/ross/

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The more things change

The more things change the more some have to stay the same.
This design element is considered a BMW trademark. Though photos are not taken from the same angle, I have highlighted the rear window curve. This contour has remained the same since the early 80's even earlier for some models. It is carefully considered and maintained as well as thought to be attractive. even under the auspices of revolutionary stages of the company's design.

Seems successful car brands have a family of their own complete with siblings. So, what makes 1 car hot and 1 car not. Maybe we can do a slide tweaking a car to fit into those two categories. I think Michelangelo said that all good art/architecture is based on human proportions, more examples to come on that thought.