Weird Ben

New Droid Lamp

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Droid, if you like good old science fiction then these lamps are for you. Designed by Jangir Maddadi a Swedish based designer has taken the retro shape of 1970's sci-fi robots and turned it to a very beautiful lamp which would look great in any modernist interior.

Live the Language Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:56:00 +0000

So I cam home today to find an interesting little comment on my post about the video series by Education First entitled Live the Language covering a short little video about French which you can go and see here. It was an amazing video which as they say on their Vimeo page they make "short films that will make you want to pack your bags" and it did for me I had been to Paris last summer before I came across this video series by as soon as I had finished watching the video I wanted to go back again, watching this video about Beijing has now made me want to pack my bags again and jet off to China, oh if only I had the money and time to do so. So why not check out the full video after the jump.

Ok so we're on a roll

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:37:00 +0000

So it's been a while since the last post, I'm sorry I have kept you all waiting for so long now. But farthing in the meter and we're back cooking on gas!

Anglepoise Lamp Model Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:30:00 +0000

A few days ago I posted about a project which, I have been set by one of my lecturers at university to construct a scale model of any piece of iconic product or furniture design. The choices seemed endless, but after some careful consideration, I decided to construct a scale model of an Anglepoise lamp. One of the required outcomes was to show documented evidence of the construction process through photographs and or video. I decided to document the construction with both.

Anglepoise miniture lamp

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Sat, 28 May 2011 09:00:00 +0000

So its been a little delayed getting on to this blog but I thought I would share with you my modelling project which has been going now for some time though I am enjoying putting this thing together, so about a month ago my modelling tutor a Mr Paul Briggs set us a piece of course work to construct a scale model from a piece of iconic design.

Clerkenwell Design Week Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Fri, 27 May 2011 09:00:00 +0000

So if you haven't checked out our first Clerkenwell Design Week post go read it here. So this week I went to Clerkenwell Design Week after being sent an email from my tutor, having never been to a design show before I decided it was worth a punt, so down to that place called London I went. So sit back and enjoy the second part of my time at Clerkenwell Design Week.

Clerkenwell Design Week Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:30:00 +0000

So awhile a go I was sent an email from my tutor about the Clerkenwell Design Week I decided to check it out, so on Tuesday afternoon I decided to pop in to my car and head on down to the that little place called London.When I first got to Clerkenwell I was greeted with a large amount of road works though there were enough signs to point me in the right direction. So what to see first?

The Hidden Apartment

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:00:00 +0000

So a few years ago I was living down in London in a very small apartment which was fine for me everything was at arms reach, the only problem was storage, where was I going to keep all of my crap?

Since then I have always been interested in how people overcome the problem innate to living in a small apartment, in the video after the jump, Christian Schallert one half of Churreria Photo has come up with a very innovative way to make the small form factor work around him rather then him having work around it. When he isn't eating, sleeping, cooking or changing in his 24 square meter or 258 square foot apartment then it just looks like an empty cube. This apartment only comes to life when Christian needs it, with all of his modern day living needs like kitchen, bed and toilet hidden away behind the wall, he even has room for a full sized fridge-freezer and a dishwasher. Located in the hip Born district in Barcelona the inspiration for the interior of this apartment, built into an old pigeon loft, came from the space saving furniture of small boats and the clean lines of small Japanese homes.

Pixel insperation

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Wed, 04 May 2011 09:00:00 +0000

In this modern world the amount of things you can now get in a digital format is increasing rapidly from films to newspapers and magazines. But what I it that makes up the image on your computer screen or TV? Well its the humble pixel that's what. The pixel has entered into our lives and is here to stay, all around us displaying the latest news and events or showing the familiar face on a social media site, but what exactly is a pixel?

Redesigning the School Chair.

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0000

If you have been through the education system in here the the United Kingdom, then you will most likely of sat on the Polychair for most of your lessons. The Polychair was originally designed in 1963 by Robin Day and has been in production ever since, currently more then 14 million have been sold to date. Made from bent tubular steel base topped off with an injection moulded polypropylene seat this inexpensive mass produced item has even been described as one of the most democratic modern designs of the 20th century, so iconic is the Polychair that it has also been included in a set of eight British stamps celebrating 'British Design Classics'.

Though should we still be using the Polychair a chair that is soon to be coming up to its 50th birthday?

Boys and Girls Conference Table

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:50:00 +0000

Did you like me have a collection of LEGO when you where a child? The amount of hours of fun I would have building things out of those little brightly coloured bricks, for some that joy never stopped building like the AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) folks, then you have people like James May who for his series 'James May's Toy Stories', which I would suggest you watch if you like to see how certain toys are made. So any way what does lego have to do with a conference table?

Final update of the Festival of Britain Giant Fox on the Southbank Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:00:00 +0000

So its been a long time coming but in the last few days the Pirate Technics team have been down in London installing the giant fox on the Southbank Centre in time for the 60th anniversary of The Festival of Britain, so far its been in the Independent, the Metro and the Daily Mail.

Southbank Centre Fox Catch Up

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:00:00 +0000

So if your a regular to this blog you will of seen our last couple of posts all about the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Festival of Britain if your new and you want to find out what the 1951 Festival of Britain was check this post.

YB1 from Æsir designed by Yves Béhar

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:36:00 +0000

In the modern mobile phone market do you feel like just as soon as you have got the latest phone with all the whistles and bells on it that a newer more powerful phone is launched and the whole upgrade cycle begins again? Or do you feel that most of today modern phones have diluted what a mobile phone should be with its camera, internet, twitter and facebook access? With the most phones lifecycle only lasting two years, and the mobile phone manufacturers bringing new phones out every couple of months or phasing out old phone operating systems with to new alliances, shouldn't we be looking at a phone that lasts which you could pass on to your loved ones?

More Time lapse Southbank Fox

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:00:00 +0000

As in the last post where we introduced you all to the beginnings of the construction of the giant for to go on top of the Southbank Centre for the 60th anniversary of The Festival of Britain 1951 here we have some more videos of this amazing sculpture being put together.

Festival of Britain Soutbank Fox

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Pirate Technics Flag

Don't know what the Festival of Britain is? Why not check out the last post which covers a little history of the festival by clicking here. So what is the connection between a post about a giant fox and the Festival of Britain? Well read on and you shall find out.

The Festival of Britain 1951

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:18:00 +0000

So from the 22nd of April till the 4th of September 2011 the Southbank Centre down in London will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Festival of Britain, which was held in 1951, to make us Brits feel like there was positive progress after the horrors of World War II, as well as to celebrate the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851. The main home of the 1951 Festival of Britain was the Southbank Area which was rebuilt to stage the festival. Even though Britain was still saddled with huge debt from World War II and that its people where still under the umbrella of rationing, this festival was an attempt at least by the government to show this island nation that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and that they should look to the future with hope.

Nike Liberty Print collection.

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:24:00 +0000

So today is April the 1st, as many of you will probably know its been April fools day this morning, but what your about to read is no April fools. Today is the official launch date of Nike's Liberty print collection, a collection of shoes made in partnership with Liberty of London.

Neighbors: Dylan Bigby

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:44:00 +0000

Just came across this video from a a series of short stories about individuals from various neighborhoods in San Francisco the series name is Neighbors in this short story we meet Dylan Bigby of Retiredbelts where he collects his old tires and then turns them into belts which in my own opinion don't look half bad, I would love one of his belts. Check more of them out at Neighborsfilm or on their vimeo channel.

Interview with Alexiuss Vitaly the creator of Romantically Apocalyptic

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:45:00 +0000

Romantically Apocalyptic is the web comic which should fulfil all of your dystopia needs. Set in a paralell reality where the population of earth has been wiped out, our protagonists in this story are the Captain and his companion, left to face a world of perils (which include mutants). Here at Weird Ben I am very privileged to be able to bring you an interview with the man behind this great unfolding story Alexiuss Vitaly. So why not sit back grab a cuppa and get a quick glimpse in to what makes Romantically Apocalyptic after the jump.

English Countryside

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:00:00 +0000

It has been a long while since I last went walking in the English countryside, many a moon ago when I was younger I would find myself with my family looking over the rolling hills and peaceful looking farm land, hearing nothing but the sounds of nature away from the hustle and bustle of my home city, it was during these walks I found myself enjoying the peace a tranquillity of being the only group of people for possibly miles around.

Must have Software

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:19:00 +0000

What software do you need to survive in this chaotic modern world of ours? A question that started a conversation between me and a few friends over the last weekend, this question was then given some context with a new install of your operating system or a new computer all together.

It got me thinking about what and why I install the software I do and why I just have to install the certain software first that I have come to believe I just cannot live without. Has the software changed over the years or do I still keep coming back to the same brands over again?

Nokia and Microsoft Alliance Announcement.

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:49:00 +0000

So with Nokia announcing last month that it will be entering in to an alliance with Microsoft to start using Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Operating system on all its new mobile phones, with this announcement Nokia is basically confirming that it’s had enough with the Symbian Operating system even though it was still the highest selling operating system in the last year, but for a long time it was an operating system which looked and preformed like the sickly child in the smart phone family (though that is my personal opinion), what with Apple's iOS going from strength to strength in every new update and Google's Android operating system close on its tail. Though some of you might say that Android has overtaken Apple's iOS in the smart phone race already, but who knows.

Immaterials: Light painting WiFi

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 22:01:00 +0000

Here is a great use of long exposure photos and a wifi sginal, the idea for this work stems from the fact that all of use in our daily lives are surrounded by a mas of invisible information transactions be it radio, infer red or in the case of this project Wifi.

Spice Lab's Trill Reviewed on the Nokia E61i

noreply@blogger.com (Weird Ben) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:11:00 +0000

So recently I have been trying to find a Twitter client that works well on my Nokia E61i, just so I can keep up to date with my Twitter account whilst on the move. I can hear some of you saying 'why don't I just use the web browser that comes with the Nokia E61i Symbian operating system?' Read more of the Trill review after the jump.