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When Will Your Desk Go Wireless?

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:50:03 +0800

You may have read about wireless chargers recently in the Economist, the Independent, and elsewhere. This past week I got to see how these compact instruments, soon to be standard on our electronic equipment, might integrate with our desks, tables, or any flat surface. Those of us who visited the showrooms of KI and Teknion at NeoCon, the trade show for contract and commercial furnishings held at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart every June, saw the future. Instead of sophisticated wire-management systems, common to all office furniture today, small chargers will be attached under desktops, coupling with chargers on our communication units. I have great expectations of this new phase in efficient power delivery, not to mention new mobility in the workplace. I, for one, am ready to detach and detangle.

Hopefully very very soon.
From Metropolis Magazine

Ultra Lead

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:02:07 +0800

Developed in collaboration with BASF, Royal College of Art graduate Georges Moanack has designed Ultra Lead - a playful electrical management system that allows electrical devices from around the world to be used without changing their power plugs.

Ultra Lead is a modular extension lead that offers a new way of managing electrical connections in a flexible, open and global way. Each module can be bought separately and amongst the types of connections you can get are Uk, EU, USA, USB among others. Once you link them together, they will work as a one unit.

Two clocks

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:42:01 +0800

Two faces with two different concepts for the structure of the day. I love the helvetica but I prefer to finish by four.

With its most important numbers rendered in supersized Helvetica—9 a.m. arrival, lunch at noon, out the door by 5—Swedish firm BVD's new Klocka clock for Askul looks like it's for a 1950s businessman, which actually makes sense.

Via I.D. - Product of the Week

Witty graphics merge with serious engineering in this watch created by Tibor Kalman and his renowned design firm. With jeweled quartz movements, the watch has a solid brass case finished with matte black chrome. The topstitched calfskin band is lined with taupe glove leather. Antimagnetic and resistant to shock and moisture.

M&Co Watch

Washington's Most Authoritative Accessory

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:57:42 +0800

Some of these guys need help picking out something more practical and with a bit more flair. Where does this term manbag come from? Terrible.

D.C.'s politicos are always on the move, but how do they transport their prized possessions? With Washington's hottest accessory: the manbag. Call it what you will -- murse (man + purse), European carryall, gadget bag, tote or backpack -- but don't deny it: manbags serve an indispensable purpose in every society.

From briefcases to gym bags and from Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, take a handy hint from the Obama administration. Check out these staffers' style and tell us whether you love it or think they should leave it at home.

The Manbag: Washington's Most Authoritative Accessory

60 Seconds in the Life of Windows

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:15:10 +0800

Part 37 in an ongoing series of 60 Second Films at ironicsans.com.

Patagonia Stormfront Pack

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:03:00 +0800

If you absolutely need to keep your gear dry than this is the bag for you. Great for carrying electronic gear while on the water or under one Thailand's famous downpours.

This ultra-simple waterproof pack is made from welded, polyurethane-coated nylon and features a revolutionary easy-to-use waterproof zipper and internal, custom-fit padded gear case. It's comfortably supported by a removable shoulder-strap harness. Take the harness off and – voilà – you have the perfect dry boat bag. An internal molded pocket keeps valuables organized and extra dry, while the external mesh pocket holds your hydration reservoir.

The Stormfront Pack's poor straps (for the price) and size might make it unsuitable for carrying allot of gear under more demanding situations.

Patagonia Stormfront Pack

Penfield Colrain

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:43:23 +0800

The Penfield Colrain backpack's air-flow back padding and stowaway storm cover are defining features that make this bag a great choice for this part of the world. Nothing makes arriving at your destination more uncomfortable than a sweaty back. It's a large bag with space for your laptop. Unlike many bag brands, the Colrain is made in the USA.

Penfield Colrain. Via Uncrate.

Matt and Nat Rohe Streamline Laptop Bag

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:10:08 +0800

This bag reminds me of the handcrafted bags that I used to love 20 years ago when my interest in bags, design, and mobility were just beginning. Beautiful and understated. Made with vegan leather with suede lining.

It all started with a challenge, to forego animal products for 30 days. Now almost 2 decades later Matt & Nat have established a collection of design-centric, fashion-forward accessories that is also vegan. Matt & Nat have created a vision and a brand that goes beyond fashion. it's about invoking our own human experiences and the environments that surround us.

Wax Coated Tote

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:42:50 +0800

This wax-coated canvas tote looks perfect for quick overnight go bag and would be fine for my frequent trips across the Taiwan strait. The tote bag comes with a roomy main compartment replete with organizer pockets, pouches and buckles at the sides, outer polyurethane-bordered zipper pocket and is finished with webbed canvas handles. Looks nice but watch those single rivet handles.

Two Men on a Street in Malmö

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:24:15 +0800

Filmed on the afternoon of June 29, 2009 from the outdoor patio at Barista on Södra Förstadsgatan in Malmö, Sweden. 60 seconds of original video slowed to 1/4 speed. Music is 'Orgel' by Akira Kosemura.
My position just on the edge of the street, with pedestrians streaming by, lent me an unusual vantage point; it wasn't until I slowed the video and watched it many times that I started to see the two men in the background, present throughout.

Malmö City Guide
Ban Gaw Halmtorvet - Great Thai. food in Malmö.
Malmö city guide
Malmö travel guide

MP3 Miffy

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:25:48 +0800

MP3 Miffy fits right to the cute accessories office culture I see in my visits in Asia. It has all the right elements, identifiable character, primary colors, and last and least utility. Miffy comes with a docking cradle with a built in speaker. A perfect fit for USB Tulips.

MP3 Miffy @ mobiBlu

USB Tulips

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:22:45 +0800

Turn your desk into a plastic flower garden. Cute and fun. Use it with the AC Adapter MIDORI for the full garden effect.

USB tulip hub. Via swiss-miss.

Harveys Laptop Bag treecycle

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:16:01 +0800

This tough and beautiful bag for your laptop is from Harvey's Treecycle collection of seatbeltbags made from reclaimed seatbelts, organic hemp and water-based inks. It features a padded laptop divider with velcro closure, brushed nickel hardware, and a smooth zip-top closure. Harveys Original Seatbeltbags have been producing their signature seat-belt-style bag since March of 1997 and the concept still seems fresh. A testament to their quality and design. I'm a big fan of their Messenger as well.

Laptop Bag treecycle. Thanks Michael.

Compass Phone

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:58:25 +0800

This project addresses the issue of whether the mobile phone is a surveillance tool or a digital leash and explores designing an alternative means of communication which delivers a more poetic and aesthetic experience.
The Compass Phone does not support any verbal communication side, but has only a GPS function. It measures the distance between two people in real-time and then converts it to the time it takes for them to meet each other by either transport or time unit. A compass is hidden under the digit display. The centre of the compass always indicates the user's position and its needle indicates the other person's direction.

HTC Hero

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:35:22 +0800

The HTC Hero was released while I was traveling so I could only squint over the press photos on my Nokia. Now that I have had time to read the reviews and lust over the industrial design, I am excited to give the device a try when it's released in Asia later this summer. The Hero is the local handset makers third Android phone and arguably it's first worthy of consideration. With the exception of that growing lip the form factor is beautiful but it's the custom Android UI called Sense that has my attention. It's gorgeous. The Sense UI's focus is on widgets putting a great deal of your info on the home screen. It's designed to make tasks such as organizing emails and messaging more effective. Social-networking services such as Facebook and Twitter have also been integrated to make viewing updates from the phone's contacts page easier. Their approach is not dissimilar to what we see in the Palm Pre.

Travel links: Tech, Cheap destinations, and tips

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:54:19 +0800

Tech in Travel
A topic from the National Public Radio's (NPR) All Things Considered program. The first using cell phones to check into your airline flight plus using a cell phone-displayed bar code in lieu of a boarding pass. The second part of the segment (about 4:00 minutes in) shifts to other helpful travel sites and tools on the Web.

The World's Cheapest Destinations
If you ignore the expensive spots where the tourist herds are going and visit The World's Cheapest Destinations instead, you'll save enough to travel longer, more often, or better, for less money. Here, in one location, you can find the world's cheapest vacation spots and the best travel bargains.

28 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Traveling.
When you first head off to places in the world that are a lot different from where you live, a number of things change. You have to learn to adapt. I still make a lot of mistakes everywhere I go, but I try to learn from each of them. Here’s a short list of things I wish I knew before I started my routine of extensive overseas travel, especially in countries in Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America that are not part of the tourist circuit.

Cheap First Aid Kit For Travellers.
Whilst on the road I’m constantly amazed at how few backpackers carry a first aid kit. Maybe it’s simply overlooked, maybe it’s not deemed necessary and sacrificed during the quest to attain a lighter backpack, or maybe it’s dismissed on a cost basis alone. I don’t know the exact reason, but what I do know is that a first aid kit can be worth its weight in gold - at worst it can provide piece of mind and at best could even avert a trip ruining calamity.

Thailand Airport Scam

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:04:43 +0800

If it wasn't bad enough that Thailand is under seemingly constant political strife, the tourism industry there has taken another hit with an alleged scam involving corrupt police at Bangkok Airport. This alleged scam involves police falsely detaining tourists on theft charges whereby the only way they can regain their passport and their release is by paying a large 'fine'. This fine/bribe has been in excess of 13,000US.

A British couple who were falsely accused of shoplifting in Bangkok airport and were forced to pay £8,000 in bribes to secure their release are to take legal action for compensation.
They were the victims of an extortion racket that has ensnared other foreign travellers at the airport, which handles most of the 800,000 British visitors to Thailand every year.

Stephen Ingram, 49, and Xi Lin, 45, both technology professionals from Cambridge, were detained by security guards as they went to board Qantas flight QF1 to London on the night of Saturday, April 25.

They were accused of taking a Givenchy wallet worth £121 from a King Power duty-free shop and were handed over to the police. An official release order from the local Thai prosecutor’s office subsequently conceded there was no evidence against them.

Travelers beware, with the recent riots and near constant jostling for political power, no matter how worldly and well travelled you think you are, you can never be assured of 'safety' as there is no authority in Thailand that can assure that safety, even in their international airport. Thailand may be my favourite place to visit but it's getting hard and harder to recommend it as a holiday or working location.

And stay away from King Power Duty Free.

From British couple fights Bangkok airport extortionists. Also, £10,000 for eye shadow at King Power?- The Bangkok airport scam.

Sakura Season 2007

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:45:32 +0800

Hanami activities in Kyoto and Tokyo, April 2007. Scenes from the Path of Philosophy, Kyoto Waterworks, and Maruyama Park in Kyoto; and Shinjuku Park in Tokyo.

Goodbye, Sticky Notes; Hello, Reqall

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:52:12 +0800

In a nutshell, Reqall is an effortless personal reminder system. You speed-dial its toll-free number and dictate whatever it is you want to remember. “Meeting with Jacobs Monday at 5 o’clock.” “Buy frozen grape juice.” “Remind Shannon to pick up the kids early tomorrow.” “Anniversary present every Sept. 15.” “Idea for Act 2: Henderson turns out to be an android.”
That’s it. You go through your life, dictating these little tidbits that would ordinarily be relegated to scraps of paper or the back of your mind — and therefore, probably, lost.

Reqall transcribes your utterances into text and collates them at Reqall.com. You can also have them sent to you by e-mail or as text messages to your cellphone.

Continue reading Reminders From Out of the Blue

Find Internet Cafe for iPhone

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:17:44 +0800

A potentially useful app for iPhone and iPod touch which finds Internet Cafés based on your current location.

Features:
- Detects your current location automatically and displays search results based on proximity.
- Shows interactive map with driving directions.
- Tap to call the business phone number.
- Tap to visit the website.
- Bookmark your favorites places for quick and easy retrieval.

I could have used an app. like this when I am in Hong Kong as I spent far too much time looking for free wifi access.

Find Internet Cafe for iPhone. Via textually.