ButtaBar's NonCents

BlackBerry 10

2012-05-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

BlackBerry has undoubtedly lost a lot of users to the iPhone and Android smart phones, it was once a staple for business men and university students, but it looks like they’re making an effort to catch up with the BlackBerry 10. It appears as if they’ve taken a large step forward in doing so. Take a sneak peak at the device in this video as it gives an idea into what will be next from the platform.

Ikea's "UPPLEVA"

2012-04-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here comes a rather unexpected move by Swedish furniture brand/discounter IKEA – they are moving into electronic. Of course IKEA found the perfect way in for themselves. Taking the mess of home entertainment systems as the starting point, the brand figured out that in order to get rid of it, they would have to combine the furniture and the electronics – that is exactly what they ended up doing.

“The range includes three designs, all of which incorporate an LED TV, 2.1 sound system with wireless subwoofers, Wi-Fi for smart TV features, and DVD / Blu-Ray players. The company is planning to launch in Sweden, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Portugal in the fall, with a worldwide rollout in spring 2013. The furniture is intended to hide away cables, and will come in a number of different color options.
A few specs on the system have been announced — the LED panels are full HD (suggesting 1080p) which Ikea says have a 400Hz refresh rate and come in four sizes, with four HDMI inputs, two USB ports, and support for DivX HD files. There’s also extra storage, which means that your Xbox 360 and PS3 won’t need to be left out.
The range, dubbed “Uppleva” (meaning experience) is designed to make your home entertainment simpler to use, with one remote to command the whole system. It’s built by Chinese manufacturer TCL, a company better known in the US under the RCA brand, or as Alcatel in Europe. The base model is set to cost about $995 with a 5-year guarantee, though it’s not clear what’s included at this price point, or how much the full version will cost.”

QLOCKTWO W - Time in Words

2012-04-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

At the recent Baselworld watch and jewelry show in Basel, Switzerland, Biegert & Funk unveiled their QLOCKTWO W watch. This new wristwatch is the world’s first watch to tell time in words. For instance if it is 9:30, the watch will read: Is is a half past nine. The square watch face has 110 characters all placed neatly into a grid and when you press the stainless steel button on the side, the words light up to tell you what time it is. The watch will be dropping in Autumn of this year and it will be available in stainless steel and black. Also, the watch will be available in both the English and German languages, and it will cost approximately 550 Euros. If you are interested in the watch, check out the Biegert & Funk site.

Figure iPhone App - Pro Beats in Less than 1 Minute

2012-04-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Propellerhead Software presents their new $1 Figure iPhone App. While there are already numerous apps in the beat space, they thought they could make it easier, faster and simply more fun with Figure. From what we have seen so far, that might actually be true. The way beats and sounds are created in the app is the real innovation, rather than the musical output. Any amateur can actually start producing beats in the matter of a short time and enjoy the outcoming sounds.

“Playing bass, drums, and lead melodies on Figure all happens through the performance pads. These have been designed for touch control from the beginning. You can tap them like traditional keyboards or pad controllers or you can simply hold your finger down and let the rhythm wheels provide a pattern for you. You can easily tap into the sound-sculpting power of Thor’s filters, envelopes, and effects by adjusting each preset’s “Tweaks”. Don’t know what a filter or envelope is? No problem! Just move your finger along the same performance pad and listen to the changes in sound.”

Paper by FiftyThree

2012-03-30T08:00:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the best ideas are those scrawled on bar napkins, receipts, scraps of paper, or faithful notebooks. FiftyThree design studio has set out to create an elegant, and convenient medium that encapsulates the rush of creativity in those epiphanous moments, through their new iPad App. But unlike a piece of paper that gets lost in a pocket, you can use this app to share your ideas and creations across the web. This will show to be the ultimate app for the tech-wise university student. And best of all, you can get “Paper by FiftyThree” for free from the Apple app store.

Sand Flea Jumping Robot

2012-03-30T07:54:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure what university graduates designed this, or what the military has planned for this, but I want one.

Tentsile "Tent + Hammock"

2012-03-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

With summer right around the corner, you might find yourself more often in the woods. Tentsile offers an alternative solution to camping with its tent hammock combination. The tent is attached from three trees and suspends the tend in the air leaving room for 5 to 12 occupants. This solution might also keep you away from things at ground that might harm you.

Captain America: The First Avenger Auction

2012-03-10T09:51:00.002-08:00

Profiles in History has announced its association with Marvel Entertainment to hold the “Captain America: The First Avenger” Auction at this year’s C2E2 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The auction consists of over 220 lots including the incredible costumes, props and vehicles from the 2011 film. Among the key items to be sold is the the Captain America hero costume worn in the ultimate incarnation of Captain America, Johann Schmidt’s hero Cube setup costume, Hugo Weaving’s screen-worn Red Skull prosthetic and the “Decoy” Cosmic Cube. These items as well as other Marvel gems will be available at auction April 14 at McCormick Place.
McCormick Place
2301 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60616
United States

New Balance “Excellent Makers” NB Factory Video

2012-03-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

As with many modern footwear brands, the production of around 75% of all New Balance shoes is outsourced to countries like China and Vietnam. But their most iconic shoe — the M1300 is one of several key pieces still produced in the United States. This video short explores the historical Skowhegan, Maine factory, and the production process of the “excellent makers” which brings the M1300 to life.

The Most Powerful Ferrari Ever is About to Take its Bow

2012-02-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

On February 29th, the Italian car maker will be announcing the most powerful Ferrari that has ever been built. Obviously it will be a V12, but much more we do not know yet.

Barbara Walters Interviews David Choe

2012-02-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

I'm are sure you all now about David Choe and what went on with his shares of Facebook stock he received back in 2005 for painting the social network’s offices. In case you missed that news, it turns out his stocks are now valued at 200 million US dollars. Barbara Walters linked up with the artist to talk about the deal in this clip on Youtube (ABC is not allowing embedding, so click the link here). While hanging with the artist, Walters also took a moment to get up with a spray paint can.

The Amazing Spider-Man Official Trailer

2012-02-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

Whether you deem it necessary or not, the lucrative Spiderman franchise was pegged for another reboot, this time with Marc Webb at the helm, and Andrew Garfield (of Social Network fame) tackling the titular role of the young Peter Parker. The film looks to focus more on the earlier days of Spiderman, with the discovery and exploration of his powers, as well as his search to better understand his own past. It also stars Emma Stone, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary, C. Thomas Howell, Campbell Scott, and featuring Rhys Ifans as The Lizard. The Amazing Spiderman in glorious 3D is set to hit theaters on July 3.

Cuppow – Turns a Canning Jar into a Travel Mug

2012-02-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

This is genius! Cuppow is the latest product to come out of the great Fringe Union space in Somerville, MA. Designer, Aaron Panone and his friend Josh Resnikoff designed the Cuppow to modify and turn the ordinary canning jar into a proper travel mug. Clearly there was a need for this. I myself, like many, use a plain glass canning jar as a water glass and for coffee.

In fact, it will work better than a travel mug based on the seal alone. Drip f’n free. In their own words:

The canning jar already makes an awesome platform for a travel mug: it’s easy to clean, made of heat-resistant glass, cheap, durable, and when sealed it doesn’t leak. The only problem is that with their large openings, canning jars are not great for spill-free sipping while on the move. So we adapted it – made a new lid that lets us drink like a boss from virtually any wide-mouth canning jar.

The Cuppow is BPA-free, made in Minnesota, and costs $8. This is awesome.

CUPPOW! from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.

"DreamTime" Alarm Clock.

2012-01-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

From Austrian design studio Vera Wiedermann comes the “Dreamtime” Alarm Clock which adds a certain whimsy to one’s sleep ritual and waking routine. Crafted out of copper and glass, and filled with water, the clock sees the passage of time occur silently. As the drops of water fall, the glass bowl becomes lighter and finally lets the hammer fall.

Dreamtime - alarm clock from Vera Wiedermann on Vimeo.

Cassette:

2012-01-26T00:40:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, the term “cassette tape” was taken out of the Oxford English Dictionary. As recorded sound continues its love affair with the downloadable, ethereal digital file, the tangible artifact is quickly becoming a thing of the past. CASSETTE: A Documentary Film about the Cassette Tape from filmmakers Zack Taylor and Seth Smoot aims to shed a much needed light on a medium that brought so much joy to music purveyors over the years. After receiving kind words about the project from some notable folks at Sundance, Taylor and Smoot are currently raising funds via Kickstarter where they hope to reach their $25,000 goal.

NOWNESS: Damien Hirst

2012-01-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

Damien Hirst: On the Spotfrom Matt Black on Nowness.com.

Upon recently sitting down with world-renowned artist Damien Hirst, filmmaker Matt Black and NOWNESS were fortunate enough to delve inside the mind of the British painter regarding his infamous spot paintings. Just as any individual, and more specifically creative people in general, Hirst has undergone many transitions regarding his beliefs, thoughts and motivations surrounding his artwork. Bred upon a mentality to break away from the accustomed rules and regulations built by previous artists, the esteemed phenom has cultivated quite an impressive body of work, building an army of artists to produce his masterful pieces of art, albeit warranting direct criticism at times.

Apple iPad 3 in March.

2012-01-14T14:24:00.001-08:00

New rumors around the next generation iPad by Apple have surfaced. The release date is apparently set for March 2012. Bloomberg reports that manufacturers of the device want to reach full capacity for the iPad 3 in February.

“The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.
The Cupertino, California-based company has been working on making the iPad compatible with a wireless standard called long- term evolution, or LTE, said one of the people. Carriers such as Verizon Wireless (VZ) and ATT Inc. (T) are rolling out LTE networks to give users faster access to data. Apple is bringing LTE to the iPad before the iPhone because the tablet has a bigger battery and can better support the power requirements of the newer technology, said one of the people.
The new display is capable of greater resolution than the current iPad, with more pixels on its screen than some high- definition televisions, the person said. The pixels are small enough to make the images look like printed material, according to the person. Videos begin playing almost instantly because of the additional graphics processing, the person said.”

This all sounds pretty promising, so a little more wait and we will know more. We will of course keep you posted.

Moonrise Kingdom!

2012-01-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

One of my most anticipated films of the year now has a trailer and I’m over the moon about it. The film is Moonrise Kingdom, the latest from the great Wes Anderson. It stars Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman in the story of two twelve year olds (Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward) who fall in love and run away into the woods leaving an entire community on the lookout.

2012-01-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Upon welcoming his newborn baby girl into the world over the weekend, proud father Jay-Z lets loose a new track titled “Glory,” seemingly dedicated to B.I.C., Blu Ivy Carter. The single highlights Pharrell Williams on the hook, as Hov spits several bars directed at he and Beyoncé’s prized little one.

Samsung 7 & 9 Monitors

2012-01-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

Samsung is set to release two brand new high-end monitors later this spring. Featuring the 24″ and 27″ Series 7 and the 27″ Series 9, the monitors boast vastly improved color calibration alongside networked streaming via new Mobile High-definition Link technology. The Series 7 will house two USB 3.0 ports, VGA and HDMI connectivity, 7W stereo speakers, a built-in TV tuner, Intel WiDi and 1080p resolution, while the Series 9 couples Samsung’s “Natural Color Expert” technology with PLS panels for a 2560 x 1440 resolution offering over one billion colors. The monitors are set to debut at CES 2012 from January 10-13 and go on sale to the public beginning in March for $550, $600, and $1,200 USD, respectively.

You Can Do It Too.

2012-01-03T14:11:00.001-08:00

In the fall semester of 2006, Student Hip-Hop Organization was founded at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Since then, it has branched to surrounding universities and has played an integral part in Virginia’s hip-hop scene while cultivating the minds of their campuses and communities.

The organization is known for its quality, independent spirit, and most importantly, authenticity. It has become an institution and creative platform for students and artists to gain experience and find opportunity in their individual passions. SHHO strives to promote higher learning through hip-hop.

The organization has selectively worked with the best up-and-coming artists, hip-hop legends, like-minded companies, and passionate student – talents all who have established SHHO as an organic uncompromising brand.

Punk'd is Returning.

2012-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

When MTV mutated from a music tv channel to a reality soap channel we were certainly not very excited. One of the very few shows that we did check out every once in a while was Punk’d. During its New Year’s Eve program, MTV revealed that a new season of the celebrity hidden-camera series will premiere on March 19, 2012.

Ashton Kutcher will no longer be the host of the show, instead there will be a series of guest hosts, including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Bam Margera and Dax Shepard.

“Unlike the original series, the new Punk’d will also offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the elaborate pranks were put together. Punk’d is executive produced by the show’s co-creators, Katalyst’s Jason Goldberg and Kutcher.” (Via Deadline)

If the new show will be worth watching, we cannot tell you yet. We will all have to wait and see in March.

Liberty Walk: Amusement Park

2012-01-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

In a city that has birthed innovation for decades, we see car culture being led by Liberty Walk in a whole new appreciation for design with their compulsion of customization. Owner and car fanatic Wataru Kato started the autoshop in 1993, based off the simple proposition of bringing this massive culture to the younger generation through personalized means. With big brands such as Lamborghini, Chysler and Suzuki under his belt, Liberty Walk offers a video showing a preview of their work they’ve done over these 18 years. In addition, we get a glimpse of a self-produced car based off the classic Lamborghini aesthetic called the LamborMini. Stay tuned to see part two featuring Wataru’s own personal favorites.

Skateboarding is a crime.

2011-12-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

Vic’s Market presents a high-octane and energetic skate part humorously titled, “Skateboarding is A Crime.” Complete with masked men and destruction of things both big and small, this is definitely the way to ring in the new year. As the weather is going to inevitably turn from bad to worse, the outdoor action is certainly a welcome sight.

It's Finally Here.

2011-12-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

Stand up, remove your caps and pay respect to the theatrical trailer for Christopher Nolan‘s highly anticipated conclusion to the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, finally online in an official form. This extended glimpse into the July 20 release includes none of the prologue footage that wowed audiences in IMAX, instead focusing on a rising tension in a peaceful Gotham City that will throw characters played by Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Matthew Modine into the fight of their lives. They all appear in this trailer, along with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward in a football scene that looks beyond massive.