BlogYueNMe

Countdown!

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:36:00 +0000

I can remember a time when I was quite small when the month of December was one of the longest in the calendar. Those days are long gone! Time is flying quickly toward Christmas Day and even faster to the day I leave for Africa. I have been busy with custom orders and all sorts of preparations, so I have only three bracelets today. The first is a Swarovski bracelet with five strands of Swarovski bicone crystals in Pacific opal, white opal, white opal starshine, white opal sky blue, violet opal, peach, tanzanite, and Montana blue. It features a sterling silver toggle clasp.

The next jewelry piece is a garnet bracelet with a very special large clasp with seven cabochon garnets bezel-set into the top. A few rose quartz gemstones are scattered throughout the five strands for a difference in colour and texture.

Dawn of War 2 standalone expansion 'Retribution' announced for early 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:35:00 +0000

Relic and THQ have announced the second standalone expansion to the Warhammer 40k-themed RTS Dawn of War 2. The expansion will be called Retribution, and will introduce the series' first multi-race single-player campaign. The first race announced is the Orks, but players will be able to choose other races to play through the campaign as well, meaning you can finally play as something other than Space Marines in the single-player game.

Multiplayer also gets extras in the form of new units, some new maps and a whole new playable race to fight with. There's no word out of Gamescom yet as to exactly which race that is, but given that we've played as Orks, Space Marines and Eldar in the series before, playing as the Tyranids is ~~a pretty good guess~~ (edited) already in the game. Commenters are guessing Dark Eldar. We'll find out for sure when the expansion is released -- it's scheduled for Q1 2011.

Chinese Designers Build 5-Ton Transformers Megatron Tank from Scrap Metal

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:33:00 +0000

It’s one thing to be a fan of the Transformers movies, but it’s a whole different story to recreate the blockbusters’ mega-machines, which is exactly what a Chinese metalwork factory has done. Wing Wah, a factory run by designers Jiang Chen and Yang Junlin, has become known for its “Legend of Iron” project, a series of large scale metal sculptures. Most recently, the duo recreated the Megatron Tank from Transformers 2. Made mostly of scrap metal, the tank measures 4.5 x 3.2 x 2.5 meters, weighs five tons, and looks exactly like the movie’s machine.

Dawn of War II: Retribution multiplayer beta starts Jan. 31

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:32:00 +0000

THQ has announced a multiplayer beta for the standalone expansion, Dawn of War II: Retribution. The beta includes all of the game's factions and multiplayer maps and is scheduled to begin on January 31, at which point access will be given to the press and "Key Dawn of War community members." The following day, the beta will be open to anyone who has pre-ordered the game on Steam. Beginning February 8, the test will then open to anyone who has ever purchased a Dawn of War product or registered a copy of Dawn of War II on Steam.

The beta will test Retribution's Steam matchmaking as well as overall multiplayer balance. Once the beta ends on February 24, the results will be used by the developers at Relic to create a "day-zero balancing patch" for the game.

Pac-Man creator reminisces about classic game design, calls for creativity

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani wants the next Pac-Man game to be about "a singing Pac-Man." Not a musical, "not Chicago," but more of a Blues Brothers type thing, he told a packed house at his GDC postmortem. Nobody there knew what that meant either.

In the hourlong presentation, Iwatani shared concept art from the thirty-year-old arcade classic, including the hand-drawn concept for the famous Pac-Man death animation, and even a chart of ghost speeds. He identified the design of Pac-Man as female-focused, with an emphasis on "eating" as a verb ("Girls love to eat desserts," Iwatani explained. "My wife often eats desserts.") and cute characters, including cute enemies.
An executive at Namco suggested that those ghosts all be red, to avoid confusion about some perhaps not being enemies, but Iwatani countermanded that with a survey. When she saw the survey, which unanimously supported multicolored ghosts, the executive agreed with Iwatani. "She was a wonderful manager." Iwatani also shared the clockwork-like algorithms behind the ghosts -- one follows Pac-Man, one aims for a space 32 pixels in front of Pac-Man, one mirrors Pac-Man's position on the opposite side, and one just runs around randomly. An audience member asking a question described it as "like clockwork."

The talk continued with a discussion of Pac-Man Championship Edition and Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. According to Iwatani, Pac-Man CE director Tadashi Iguchi spent a year studying Pac-Man to determine what was fun about it before distilling that into CE.

Also on the subject of study: Iwatani's new job post-Namco is at Tokyo Polytechnic University, where he teaches game design. His students make their own games (like the TGS amateur division award-winning Sand Crush) and perform research about games, like measuring bloodflow to the brain during various gameplay activities. Then, using his students' work as an example, Iwatani called for more creativity from the game design community. And perhaps from the audience as well: when asked about the Western name change from "Puckman" to "Pac-Man," Iwatani told the inquiring audience member "Don't you have the answer? You know why!"

Incredible Ice Castles Grown by a Minnesota Man Using Geothermal Heating System

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Winters in Minnesota are cold and the best way to get through the bone-chilling season is to have fun with it, just like Roger Hanson does. For the last four years the ice builder has been growing ice castles in his front yard with the help of his geothermal heating system, some fancy sprayers and a computer program he created himself. Each year the crystalline castles at Hanson's Winter Water Wonder are getting bigger and bigger with more intricate rigging systems and more complicated programming.

PS3 stats: Over 41 million consoles sold, PSN revenue up 70 percent in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:28:00 +0000

During the PlayStation Network Analysis panel at GDC, SCEA digital distribution manager Pierre Gravereau provided some platform stats to attendees, revealing worldwide sales of over 41.6 million PS3 consoles. More than 80 percent of consoles are connected to the internet and have spawned 70 million PSN accounts.

Gravereau boasted about the success of PSN in 2010, saying traffic to the PlayStation Store increased by 60 percent compared to the previous year and Sony subsequently saw a 70 percent spike in revenue. Even without exact hard figures, it's quite a dramatic uptick.

Now, we're no bussinessologists, but if you ask us (you asked, right?), we'd have to attribute Sony's success in 2010 to one thing: KB.

Back from Africa!

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:27:00 +0000

When I looked at the last date on this blog, I was shocked to see that it was November 30th! I think that this is the longest I've ever gone without a blog entry. I'll blame it on the Christmas rush and our trip to Mozambique and South Africa, but now I'm back and everything is in full swing.

Although this is a jewelry blog, I am including some of the photos I took of the wildlife at Kruger in South Africa. The animals roam free and will walk around you and your car (hopefully you IN your car; it is not recommended to get out). I saw amazing things, including two hippos crashing into the water to take an evening dip - they swim like dolphins, lifting themselves partially out of the water - and real, live lions within 30 feet of me (5 of them at one time!). The sights and sounds of Africa have already had an affect on the colours and lampwork beads I am using and I have just begun to translate experiences and sights into jewelry.

African Rhythms

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:25:00 +0000

I'm still catching up from my trip to Africa, but here are a few samples of jewelry pieces that are in my new collection called African Rhythms. It's going to take me a few days to get them on the pages of the website since I am still behind on shipping, but they will be there soon with more to come! Enjoy!

To the left, a lampwork bracelet with special lampwork beads, a sterling silver bird toggle, and Swarovski crystals in a copper colour. Below, Swarovski crystals in rainbow colours grace the Swarovski bracelet with sterling silver.

Above is an iolite bracelet and below:

a fire agate bracelet; followed by bracelets of lampwork and Swarovski red magma; smoky quartz with gold vermeil; leopardskin jasper; carnelian, citrine, and amethyst, and a necklace made of sterling silver and chalcedony.

Geneva 2011: Pirelli shows off 2011 F1 tire with trio of racers

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Pirelli 2011 Formula 1 Tire Display - Click above for high-res image gallery

To the uninitiated, the choice of tires in motor racing can look about as insignificant as what refreshments they're serving in the grandstands. But those in the know are all too aware of the enormous effect the right – or wrong – rubber can have on a race's outcome. So in the world of Formula One racing, the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli as the official tire supplier is pretty big news.

The Italian rubber company is suitably proud of its selection, and to show off its wares, Pirelli brought a trio of contemporary grand prix racers – a Red Bull, a McLaren and a Ferrari, no less – to the Geneva Motor Show, wearing their new boots. These look to be last year's cars wearing this year's tires, but that's to be expected as the front-running teams in question frantically prepare their cars for the new season. Take a closer look in our high-res image gallery below.

Buy a Pair of Broken-in Jeans for $1,200, Sexual History Included

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:23:00 +0000

Derek Burgess, a designer based in Pittsburgh, PA, is currently working on a reconstituted denim line that’s far removed from what we normally consider designer jeans. At $1,200 per pair, his “Wastelanders” don’t run cheap, either. The name of the collection, loosely based on his interest in post-apocalyptic fiction, encompasses both the process of creating the garment and its affinity to modern, performance art. Simply put, Burgess records anything of interest that happens while wearing the jeans, from fist fights to sexual encounters, and makes it part of that garment’s history.

a fire agate bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:22:00 +0000

I have an unusual grouping of jewelry today; perhaps I should say "eclectic" since there are a variety of gemstones and colours and textures. I am still working on my "African Rhythms" collection and you will be seeing and hearing more of it. Meanwhile, today's group includes from the top: a fire agate bracelet accented with carnelian gemstones and one of my favorite sterling filigree toggle clasps. Below are fire agate dangling earrings.

A Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin Made From Water Hyacinth

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:21:00 +0000

The water hyacinth is to Lake Victoria, Kenya what kudzu (“the plant that ate the south”) is to the southeastern United States—an invasive plant with an unbridled appetite for wreaking environmental and economic havoc. So thick are the weeds that blanket the Kisumu shoreline, in fact, that light can barely penetrate the upper layers and local fishermen are cut off from open waters. But the water hyacinth can be classified as a natural fiber, one that can be spun into filaments and used in papermaking and textiles. For a group of visiting students from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, the solution was simple: When life gives you water hyacinth, you pulp the suckers into something the native population can use; in this case, sanitary protection.

Geneva 2011: Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid plugs in at the PalExpo

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:18:00 +0000

Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

The automaker best known for its safety technologies is forging a new path its leadership of the green revolution with the new Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid. Revealed here at the Geneva Motor Show, the hybrid wagon is the first in its segment to combine a diesel engine with a plug-in rechargeable electric powertrain.

As we reported in the run-up to the show, the V60 Plug-In Hybrid offers its drivers a variety of propulsion options, alternating between two motors to adapt to conditions at the push of a button.

Outwardly the hybrid version looks pretty much the same as the already svelte sport-wagon we know, save for some new wheels and a charging port on the front-right fender. See for yourself in the high-res gallery of live images from the show floor below and check out the full tech details in the release after the jump.

What Do Health Care Providers Look For in an Insurance Company?

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:16:00 +0000

To some, this may not seem like important information. However, when considering what doctors you want to visit or what insurance you need, knowing all the information you can is important. You should know what your health care provider, from walk-in medical clinics to hospitals to individual doctors look for when choosing an insurance company.
Let’s face it, when the average person thinks of health insurance, they think of premiums and co-pays, whether or not the insurance is comprehensive or if additional cancer policies are needed. Pre-existing conditions, deductibles, and Cobra payments often never make their way into the thought process. Medical providers must take a serious look at the insurance they accept, although it may be at the opposite end of the tongue depressor.
Instead of worrying about having the money to pay for insurance, they have to worry about actually getting paid from the insurance. Everyone has bills to pay, even doctors. And don’t forget about hospitals which have millions of dollars every year to pay so they can offer you a service. And while some hospitals, especially teaching hospitals, do receive endowments, the bulk of the bills have to be covered by payments from insurance companies. While a co-pay they receive may help some with their cash flow, an office can not stay open without constant payment from their insurance companies. This means that an insurance company that doesn’t work well with the accounting office isn’t going to be very popular.
Needless to say, there are hundreds of insurance companies out there. To be able to cover a large amount of people, which in turns increases their profit margin, medical providers must accept insurance from many different insurance companies. While this means that continued cash flow occurs, and the associated profits as well, it also means that handling insurance claims becomes more difficult with each additional insurance carrier they support.
All expenses need to be paid for, from band-aids to suture needles to the stickers given to children for good behavior. To cut down on the confusion and amount of time to decipher, coding systems have been simplified. And while the codes used may be Greek to the common consumer, each code represents money to both the doctor/hospital and the insurance company. A common coding strategy that works with their process as well as other companies is one aspect that must be considered. While this used to mean they had to learn a different system for each company, as the health care industry grows, there must be compatibility between them all. Having software that will support multiple insurance companies does simplify the accounting job, but if insurance companies don’t adhere to a standard coding schema, that could reduce the number of health care providers that will use their services.
Overall, your medical providers have to be just as careful and picky when choosing to accept an insurance from their patients. Denied claims or late payments are annoying to us because of the other bills we have to pay. These are even more bothersome to your doctor as it can cause a financial crisis for their business. So, making sure your health care provider carries your insurance, or that you have insurance with a company your health care provider works with is of vital importance.

Buying Life Insurance? What You Don’t Know Might “Hurt” You

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:15:00 +0000

If you are considering buying life insurance, how do you know if the agent will show you all the products available so that you can choose the one that will best meet you and your family’s needs and goals? I am a firm believer in “comparison shopping”. The key here is making sure you know what to ask for so that you have the right things to compare. You have to ask the right questions to get the answers and information you need to make an informed choice.
When dealing with the average agent you will most likely be presented with policies that are of a type that is referred to, (in the industry), as “cash value” or “permanent” insurance. These products are often called “Whole Life”, “Universal Life”, “Variable Universal Life” or some variation of those names. These are products where, in essence, the insurance company has bundled together a death benefit and some type of account that accumulates a balance of cash, (often called an accumulation account). The way these policies work is part of the monthly amount paid to the insurance company is used to purchase the death benefit, (i.e. pay the premium), pay any required fees, and then remaining amount of the monthly payment is placed in an account where it is supposed to earn interest and grow.
What most people don’t know is that there is another option available that the agent has somehow “neglected” to present. This other option is very rarely offered to the consumer on a regular basis. This is unfortunate. I feel it is a very powerful alternative to the other products available. What is it? It is an option where the customer purchases a term insurance policy and invests the difference of the cost in a stand-alone savings/investment “vehicle”. Here is an illustration*.
First let’s look at one type of insurance plan that is often presented by agents. We’ll call it, “Plan A”
Let’s pretend that Mr & Mrs Smith want to have life insurance, (and yes, they should have it). They are both in their mid thirties and have two children. Their budget is such that they can afford to spend about $150 a month. The first type of insurance under consideration is the “whole life” policy. The Smiths are probably able to get a policy that provides $100,000 death benefit on him, and $75,000 on her. The coverage will last from now until age 100. When the Smiths reach the age of 100, the insurance company promises to pay them $100,000. If they decide they want to “take the money and run” before that, (at age 65, for example), they can terminate the policy, (end the insurance), and take what ever cash has accumulated to that point, (probably about $50,000 to $65,000). Ok, that sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Let’s look at the other option. We’ll call it, “Plan B”
With a 30 year, renewable term policy, Mr. Smith can get about $200,000 of coverage, Mrs Smith about $150,000, and they can get $10,000 on each of the kids. Total monthly cost, about $53. Remember, they budgeted $150 per month for this, so what would happen if they took the $97 and put it into some type of savings “vehicle”? Over the course of 30 years, $97 a month could grow to about $300,000 **. This is what is referred to as, “buy term and invest the difference”.
With this type of policy, at age 65, Mr & Mrs Smith would have the choice of continuing their insurance coverage if they felt they needed it, AND they could also take the $300,000 and use it how ever they see fit, (without ending their insurance coverage). Some agents might argue that the premium on the term policy will be higher at re-newal. That may be true, but the $300,000 would also be creating about $2500 in interest income each month**. More than enough money to pay for any modest rise in the premium costs. (Besides, if the Smiths have $300,000 saved up, do they really need to buy that much insurance any more?)
So which would you choose?
(A) Pay $150 per month for $100,000 in coverage and get $100,000 at age 100
-OR-
(B) Pay $53 per month for $200,000 in coverage and set aside $97 per month in savings, and have $300,000 at age 65 **
So why don’t insurance agents present this second option? (I’ll let you answer that one yourself)
There are some other differences between the two plans. For example, what happens if the Smiths need to use some of the money that was accumulated?
If the Smiths had gone with Plan (A), in order to get the money they needed, they would have two choices.
(1) They can terminate the policy and take the entire amount of what has accumulated. They would have their money, but now they don’t have any insurance coverage.
(2) The other choice is to borrow the money they need from the insurance company, using their account as collateral. Their coverage would still be there, but they would have to make payments on the loan, (including interest), in addition to their monthly premium payment. If one of them should die before the loan is paid off, the outstanding loan balance is subtracted from the death benefit. For example, if Mr Smith dies and they still owe $5,000 on the loan, the death benefit paid to his wife would be $95,000. ($100,000 - $5,000). Also the $5000 could become taxable as non-death benefit income.
With Plan (B), the savings account is separate from the insurance policy so the Smiths can take money out of their account, and it would not have any effect on the insurance coverage. The policy does not have to be canceled, and the amount of the death benefit paid is not reduced. Depending on the type of savings “vehicle” the Smiths use, they might have to pay some type of tax or interest penalty on the money they withdraw, but again, there is no effect on the insurance coverage.
As you can see there can be some clear advantages to buying term coverage over a “cash value” type of policy. Which type of policy works best for you is strictly a matter of personal choice, but that is the key word, “CHOICE”. You deserve to be shown ALL of the options available that best meet YOUR needs and not be steered into something just because the agent gets more commission.
* The insurance plan costs and coverages described are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. A actual comparison can only occur using actual policy documents issued by an insurer.
** This is an illustration only and is not a representation of a specific investment product or plan.
This above information is provided for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation to conduct any type of business or transaction.
Why go it alone?
A personal financial coach can provide you with valuable insights in your quest for financial security.

Rest of 2012 Ford Focus line tops out at 38 MPG

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:14:00 +0000

2012 Ford Focus – Click above for high-res image gallery

The fuel economy wars have heated up in the hotly contested C-Segment. The latest salvo from Ford comes in the form of the Focus SE SFE (Super Fuel Economy) capable of 40 miles of highway travel on a single gallon of petrol. That ties the similarly new 2011 2011 Hyundai Elantra (40 mpg) and it's close to the 42 mpg from the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze ECO. But like its competitor from Chevrolet, most Focus models won't be able to keep pace with the big four-oh.

According to Kicking Tires, the rest of the Focus lineup will return a slightly less exciting 38 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg around town (31 mpg combined) when equipped with a six-speed automatic gearbox. The manual transmission Focus will hit 36 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg in city driving (30 mpg combined). Not best-in-class, but not too shabby, either.

It would have been a big win for the Focus if it could best the Elantra at the pump. On the other hand, the Focus does pack 12 more horsepower than the Hyundai and we're thinking it looks every bit as good. It's a good time to be in the market for a compact car.

Power Flower Wind Turbine Trees Could Domesticate Wind Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Large, utility-scale wind turbines are fantastic and can generate a lot electricity, but they also require a lot of land and infrastructure. What if we could harness the power of the wind closer to home in an unobtrusive way? NL Architects explored this idea of 'domesticating' wind power with Power Flowers - tree-like structures outfitted with multiple vertical axis wind turbines. These small, almost noiseless generators could be placed in urban settings and serve as both distributed generation and artistic sculptures.

Mechanical mustache envy

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:07:00 +0000

While this mechanical mustache isn’t made for a Halloween costume, it certainly looks like part of one. Copper clad, brass, cable, and a few other bits come together in a similar style to tension based hands; the piece is then worn much like a Mardi Gras mask. To complete the rustic “old tyme” look [John] was after, the copper was tarnished using the vapor from a vinegar and salt solution. The finished assembly is steam punk delicious, but we’re saddened by the lack of steam punk eye brows to complete the look (or steam punk mutton chops, or steam punk goatee, or…)
[via Boing Boing]

European Researchers Develop World’s First Flexible Organic Microprocessor

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:06:00 +0000

European researchers recently announced the development of the world’s first flexible organic microprocessor at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco CA. The novel technology harnesses organic semiconductors and has applications ranging from cheaper flexible displays and sensors to high-tech fashion and advanced e-readers.
The flexible microprocessor was developed by polymer and molecular electronics researchers at Imec (a Belgian nanotech research center). Jan Genoe, who led the research with colleague Kris Myny, explained that the largest hurdle in the development of this new technology was figuring out a way to control organic transistors. When it comes to structure, silicon often beats out organic alternatives because the monocrystalline structure allows for more consistent behavior.
In order to turn the current on for one of these transistors, you need to turn up the gate’s voltage to a known threshold. By adding an extra gate to the back of each organic transistor Genoe’s team was able to better control the electric field in the semiconductor, therefore eliminating the unpredictable performance.
Imec’s new flexible microprocessor could lead to an exciting range of applications – if wrapped around pipes it could record water pressure, or it may be used to package food and pharmaceuticals and could indicate whether your meat is rancid or if you forgot to take your meds.

Clockpops: Colorful Retro Clocks Made from Recycled Bottlecaps

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:02:00 +0000

These “Clockpops” made from discarded plastic bottle and jar caps offer a clever twist on the classic mid-century modern ball clock. Available in several shapes, sizes, and an endless choice of color combinations, these clocks are sure to brighten any room – and they can even be custom-made to suit the color palette of your space!

This is a peer-to-peer filesharing network

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:01:00 +0000

[Aram Bartholl] is building his own filesharing network that screws those fat cats who want to control your freedom. He’s added file cache devices throughout NYC (five so far but more to come) that are anonymous and free to use. Upload what you want, download what you want. They’re completely offline which means monitoring who’s doing what gets a lot harder and quite possibly requires a warrant from a Judge (we’re obviously not legal experts, your mileage may vary).
As for the slew of comments that are sure to point out the dangers of malicious USB device; We think everyone knows they’re taking on some risk when connecting to a USB plug protruding from a brick wall.
[Thanks Neckbeard]

Adam Cornish’s Wood Hammock Wins Herman Miller Design Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:59:00 +0000

This award-winning Wooden Hammock by Australian designer Adam Cornish makes us want to grab a good book and find a nice, shady spot in the garden to string it up! Manufactured from a single piece of plantation-grown plywood, this piece has been designed with the unique range of motion of the human spine in mind. A long row of slender, curved timber segments flexes and move to cradle the user’s body, creating a comfortable cocoon-like bed.
The Wooden Hammock won the Workshopped ‘s Peoples Choice Award in Sydney last year, and earlier this month it caught the attention of the Herman Miller Asia Pacific –Yves Behar Design Competition, finishing first to score an incredible one-on-one mentoring session with prominent industrial designer Yves Behar.
Herman Miller spokesperson Samantha Giam says the Wooden Hammock caught their eye, as “Bringing relaxation to life is a thought most of us can resonate with and the notion of maximizing the economy of materials while minimizing the environmental footprint is something close to the ethos of Herman Miller and our latest product SAYL by Yves Behar”. If you are lucky enough to be in Italy this April, you can go see Adam Cornish’s latest design collection at the Milan Salone Satellite Exhibition in collaboration with the Milan International Furniture Fair.

We knew we were doomed when the T-shirt cannon bots showed up

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:57:00 +0000

The newest addition to the Skynet armada is this 10-barrel t-shirt cannon. It’s capable of storming the battlements at over twelve feet per second with a firing rate of three T-shirts per second (ooh, is that cotton?).
The members of Team 254, which is hosted by Bellarmine College Preparatory School, built the robot over the summer. This involved a full production cycle; planning, 3D modelling, acquiring the materials, and finishing the build. All of this is well documented in their build blog and for video, check out their media page.
We already know how to customize the T-shirts for use as ammo, now what this needs is some tank treads.

Green Roofed London Hotel is Buried Underground

noreply@blogger.com (Rico Van Hallen) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:55:00 +0000

This five star hotel is going under – underground that is! Designed by ReardonSmith Architects for a proposed development at Hersham Golf Club in Surrey, London, this new subterranean hotel will pay its ultimate respects to London’s Green Belt by placing all 200+ guest rooms underneath it! The entire scheme is covered with a plush green roof that takes its cue from the surrounding countryside.
In addition to the green integrated into the building, the proposal includes the addition of extensive on-site re-vegetation and re-organization of existing spaces (such as parking) that will actually leave the site even more eco-friendly than it is now.
Matthew Guy, ReardonSmith’s project designer, states “Our concept integrates hotel, spa, and golf facilities into a single architecturally exciting and organic composition below and above ground. The design fulfills the requirements of the brief for a bespoke five star hotel while returning hard standing to the Green Belt and improving the physical layout and visual attraction of the entire site. It represents a commercially viable solution to developing in the Green Belt and is, we believe, a world-first.”