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The Credit Card Of The Future

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:25:00 +0000

I prefer using my bank card over physical cash and here’s why. With a card, I can’t view real-time data on my account usage. In a way I feel I can keep shopping all willy nilly without a care in the world and not feel guilty since I can’t see what it’s doing to my checking account – no doubt bleeding from my frivolous shopping trips.
Designer Jacob Palmborg’s solve for shopaholics like me is an RFID card linked to every account you have. A small interface indicates your own economic situation and forecasts what effects your purchases might have on your future economic status. The whole thing works wirelessly so no actual date is stored on the card. The card also has biometric security so only you can access it. This opens up the possibility of it being your driver’s license, student ID, passport, etc. Now if it only had customizable wallpapers, I’m sold!

Porsche Design Smartphone For Your Cellphone Wet Dreams!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:19:00 +0000

Conceptual plans are awesome especially if they promise you the moon! Here is what André luring you with, a Porsche Design Smartphone that is in slick aluminum, and a huge clean multi touch screen. The speaker is hidden out of sight between the glass and the aluminum body, to increase its aesthetic appeal and sound enhancement. The line at the bottom is the home and navigation button and the aluminum volume controls are housed to the left side.

A Quick video access button is hosted at the right side of the phone, giving you easy access to making great home videos. The back sports a dual camera system. You can use only one of the cams to take 5Mp photos and shoot 720p HD video with stereo sound quality, plus use the dual camera system to record 3D video and pictures. And of course, for low light situations there is a LED flash included!
Other specs include Android based system with custom apps developed by André. A 3,5mm audio jack and a sleep button on the top, and on the bottom there’s the battery charger and USB connecter as well.
All good on paper…like I said, a wet dream for the techie-lover in you!

Top 10 World’s Largest Sports Stadiums

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:30:00 +0000

1. Rungnado May Day Stadium

Rungnado May Day Stadium or May Day Stadium, is largest stadium of the world. Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, completed on May 1, 1989. The stadium was constructed as a main stadium for the 13th edition of World Festival of Youth and Students in 1989. It is currently used for football matches, a few athletics matches, but most often for Arirang performances (also known as the Mass Games). The stadium can seat 150,000, which is the largest non-auto racing stadium capacity in the world. Its name comes from Rungra Island in the Taedong River, upon which it is situated, and May Day, the international day celebrating labour and particularly celebrated among communists. Its scalloped roof features 16 arches arranged in a ring, and it is said to resemble a parachute or a magnolia blossom.

This post features top ten largest sports stadiums of the world.

2. Salt Lake Stadium

Salt Lake Stadium The stadium is the second largest non-auto racing stadium in the world and the largest in the Indian sub-continent. It is currently used for football matches and athletics. The stadium was built in 1984 and holds 120,000 people in a three-tier configuration. It is situated approximately 10 km from the heart of the city. It is elliptical in shape. The roof is made of metal tubes and aluminum sheets and concrete. There are two electronic score boards and control rooms. The lighting is uniformly distributed to facilitate nocturnal sports. The stadium covers an area of 76.40 acres. It was inaugurated in January, 1984. The salient features of the stadium are unique synthetic track for athletic meets, electronic scoreboard, main football arena measuring 105m x 70m, elevators, VIP enclosures, peripheral floodlighting arrangement from the roof-top, air conditioned VIP rest room and Conference Hall.

3. Estadio Azteca Stadium

Estadio Azteca is a stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América. Estadio Azteca was the primary venue for association football at the 1968 Summer Olympics and is the only stadium ever to host two FIFA World Cup final matches, in 1970 and 1986. It also hosted the 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England in which Diego Maradona scored both the “Hand of God goal” and the “Goal of the Century”. The stadium also hosted the “Game of the Century”, when Italy defeated Germany with scores of 4-3 in extra time. Estadio Azteca Stadium is third largest in the world.

4. Michigan Stadium

Michigan Stadium nicknamed The Big House, is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium has often been called “The Carnegie Hall of all Sports” and is also known as “the House that Yost built. It was built in 1927, at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field. Today, Michigan Stadium has an official capacity of 106,201, due to renovations for the 2008 season. The stadium previously had a capacity of 107,501 spectators. The football game attendance often exceeds 111,000 when band members, stadium staff, and others are added. Michigan is 4th largest in stadium in the world.

5. Beaver Stadium

Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, on the campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference. Beaver Stadium has an official seating capacity of 107,282, making it currently the largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and the 5th largest in the world.

6. Jornalista Mario Filho

Jornalista Mario Filho is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup. Since then, it has mainly been used for football matches between the major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro, including Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama. It has also hosted a number of concerts and other sporting events. Although the paid attendance at the final game of the 1950 FIFA World Cup was 199,854, the stadium currently seats 82,238 spectators. It is the largest stadium in South America and 6th largest stadium of the world. It is due to host the World Cup Final in the 2014 World Cup, becoming the second stadium to host football’s most important match twice after the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The stadium will also be the centrepiece of the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Paralympics as the site of ceremonies and the football finals, besides the FIFA World Cup in 2014.

7. Ohio Stadium

Ohio Stadium is the home of the Buckeyes football team at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974. Ohio Stadium also provided a home to the Columbus Crew of the MLS from the league’s inception in 1996 until soccer-specific Columbus Crew Stadium opened in 1999. With a capacity of 102,329, it is the third largest stadium in the NCAA and the 7th largest non-racing stadium in the world. Ohio Stadium is also a concert venue; U2, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and Metallica are among the many acts who have played at Ohio Stadium.

8. Neyland Stadium

Neyland Stadium is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several NFL exhibition games with the last between the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers during the Oilers transition to Nashville in 1998. After 79 years and 16 expansion projects, Neyland Stadium peaked at an official maximum capacity of 104,079 seats. Capacity was reduced to 102,037 with the addition of the new East Club seats in 2006. Due to the addition of the new West Club seats in 2009, the capacity currently stands at 100,011. Neyland stadium is 8th largest stadium of the world.

9. National Stadium Bukit Jalil

National Stadium Bukit Jalil in Bukit Jalil, located in the National Sports Complex to the south of the capital city of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, is a 87,411 capacity all-seater, multi-purpose stadium that was built in 1998 to host the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The stadium is considered the best stadium in Malaysia and is the home of the Malaysian football team. Initially built for the Commonwealth Games, the stadium is now used for a variety of events, most recently being one of the venues for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. National Stadium Bukit Jalil is 9th largest stadium of the world.

10. Melbourne Cricket Ground

Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park in inner Melbourne, home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the largest stadium in Australia, and holds the world record for the highest light towers at any sporting venue. The MCG is within walking distance of the city centre, and is serviced by Richmond and Jolimont train stations. It is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct. Internationally, the MCG is remembered as the centrepiece stadium of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The open-air stadium is also one of the world’s most famous cricket venues, with the well-attended Boxing Day Test match commencing on Boxing Day every year. Throughout the winter, it serves as the home of Australian rules football, with at least one game (though usually more) held there each round. The Melbourne stadium is 10th largest stadium of the world.

source: wikipedia

Top Ten Largest Deserts in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:28:00 +0000

10. Kara-Kum Desert, Uzbekistan / Turkmenistan

The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara Gum is a desert in Central Asia. It occupies about 70 percent, or 350,000 km², of the area of Turkmenistan. Covering much of present day Turkmenistan, the Karakum Desert lies east of the Caspian Sea, with the Aral Sea to the north and the Amu Darya river and the Kyzyl Kum desert to the northeast. In modern times, with the shrinking of the Aral Sea, the extended “Aral Karakum” has appeared on the former seabed, with an estimated area of 15,440 sq. The sands of the Aral Karakum are made up of a salt-marsh consisting of finely-dispersed evaporites and remnants of alkaline mineral deposits, washed into the basin from irrigated fields. The dusts blown on a powerful east-west airstream carry pesticide residues that have been found in the blood of penguins in Antarctica.

Image Credit: Marius Arnesen
Lets read about top ten world’s largest deserts.

9. Great Sandy Desert, Australia

The Great Sandy Desert is a 360,000 km2 (140,000 sq mi) expanse in northwestern Australia. Roughly the same size as Japan, it forms part of a larger desert area known as the Western Desert. The vast region of Western Australia is sparsely populated, without significant settlements. The Great Sandy Desert is a flat area between the rocky ranges of the Pilbara and the Kimberley. To the southeast is the Gibson Desert and to the east is the Tanami Desert. The Rudall River National Park and Lake Dora are located in the southwest while Lake Mackay is located in the southeast.

Image credit: yaruman5
8. Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico

The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra Madre Oriental. On the U.S. side it occupies the valleys and basins of central and southern New Mexico, Texas west of the Pecos River and southeastern Arizona; south of the border, it covers the northern half of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, most of Coahuila, north-east portion of Durango, extreme northern portion of Zacatecas and small western portions of Nuevo León. It has an area of about 140,000 square miles. It is the third largest desert of the Western Hemisphere and is second largest in North America, after the Great Basin Desert.

Via: wikipedia
7. Great Basin Desert, USA

The Great Basin is the largest watershed of North America which does not drain to an ocean. Water within the Great Basin evaporates since outward flow is blocked. The basin extends into Mexico and covers most of Nevada and over half of Utah, as well as parts of California, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming. The majority of the watershed is in the North American Desert ecoregion, but includes areas of the Forested Mountain and Mediterranean California ecoregions. The Great Basin includes several metropolitan areas and Shoshone Great Basin tribes. A wide variety of animals can be found in great basin desert. Look to the rocky slopes around the desert mountain ranges, you may spot a very rare desert bighorn sheep. Other mammals of the desert include kit fox, coyote, skunk, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrels, kangaroo rat and many species of mice. Bird species are very diverse in desert oases.

Via: wikipedia
6. Great Victoria Desert, Australia

The Great Victoria Desert is a barren, arid, and sparsely populated desert ecoregion in southern Australia. It falls inside the states of South Australia and Western Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grasslands and salt lakes. It is over 700 kilometres (430 mi) wide (from west to east) and covers an area of 424,400 square kilometres (163,900 sq mi). The Western Australia Mallee shrub ecoregion lies to the west, the Little Sandy Desert to the northwest, the Gibson Desert and the Central Ranges xeric shrublands to the north, the Tirari and Sturt Stony deserts to the east, and the Nullarbor Plain to the south separates it from the Southern Ocean.

Image credit: Travel Collective
5. Patagonia Desert, Argentina

The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonia Desert or the Patagonian Steppe, is the largest desert in America and is the 7th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 260,000 square miles (673,000 km). It is located primarily in Argentina with small parts in Chile and is bounded by the Andes, to its west, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, in the region of Patagonia, southern Argentina. The Patagonian Desert is the largest continental landmass of the 40° parallel and is a large cold winter desert, where the temperature rarely exceeds 12°C and averages just 3°C. The region experiences about seven months of winter and five months of summer.

Image credit: Melissa Toledo
4. Kalahari Desert, Southern Africa

The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in Southern Africa extending 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 sq), covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari Desert is the southern part of Africa, and the geography is a portion of desert and a plateau. The Kalahari supports some animals and plants because most of it is not a true desert. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperature is very high. It usually receives 3–7.5 inches (76–190 mm) of rain per year. The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over 2,500,000 square kilometers (970,000 sq mi) extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The only permanent river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife.

Via: wikipedia
3. Gobi Desert, Mongolia / N.E China

The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and by the North China Plain to the southeast. The Gobi is made up of several distinct ecological and geographic regions based on variations in climate and topography. This desert is the fifth largest in the world. The Gobi is most notable in history as part of the great Mongol Empire, and as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road.

Image Credit: PnP
2. Arabian Desert, peninsula

Arabian Desert or Eastern Desert, c.86,000 sq mi (222,740 sq km), E Egypt, bordered by the Nile valley in the west and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez in the east. It extends along most of Egypt’s eastern border and merges into the Nubian Desert in the south. The Arabian Desert is sparsely populated; most of its inhabitants are based around wells and springs. Today most of the desert can be accessed by roads. Since ancient times Egypt has used the porphyry, granite, limestone, and sandstone found in the desert mountains as building materials. Oil is produced in the north. The name Arabian Desert is also commonly applied to the desert of the Arabian Peninsula.

Image Credit: Nick Leonard
1. Sahara Desert, North Africa

The Sahara is the world’s largest desert. At over 9,000,000 square kilometers (3,500,000 sq mi), it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as the United States or the continent of Europe. The desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean. To the south, it is delimited by the Sahel: a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna that comprises the northern region of central and western Sub-Saharan Africa.

Via: wikipedia

The 14 Worst Travel Destinations of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:27:00 +0000

1. Republic of Sierra Leone

This West African country has been plagued by foreign invaders, deep-seeded corruption and years of civil war.

Flipside: cheap diamonds, great football team and cool national flag?

Here is the list of world’s worst destinations. We advice you to think twice if you are going to travel through these.

2. Belarus

Seventy percent of the radiation fallout from the Chernobyl disaster in neighbouring Ukraine spilled over into Belarus, leaving a fifth of its total land unsafe.

Flipside: ancient castles and churches, mysterious beauty and value for the Belarusian rouble?

3. Republic of Iraq

Iraq is dubbed ‘the world’s second most unstable country’ (after Sudan). Flipside: amazing history and not a lot of other tourists?

4. Republic of Haiti

Succession dictators and dishonest politicos have ensured this place is the least developed country in the Americas.

Flipside: voodoo priestesses, colonial-era hotels and a tropical paradise?

5. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Brutal civil wars have torn the nation to pieces since the late ’70s and currently two-thirds of the population live on less than US$2 a day.

Flipside: natural beauty, friendly people and spring equinox festival?

6. The Chechen Republic

Widespread lawlessness and ethnic cleansing should be enough to keep you away from Chechnya.

Flipside: eerie backdrop and a sense of Renaissance?

7. Republic of the Congo
Hotels and the international airport are some of the most dangerous places in all of the Congo.
Flipside: gorilla spotting, balmy weather and lack of expats?

8. Central African Republic
Though it is one of the poorest countries in the world, you’ll have to budget substantially for bribes when holidaying in the CAR.
Flipside: pristine forests and tropical climate?

9. Georgia
Georgia might best be avoided just about now. About 68,000 ethnic Georgians are believed to have fled from their homes in August 2008 alone.
Flipside: stunning mountain scenery, ancient villages and a hotchpotch of cultures?

10. Union of Myanmar (Burma)

Burma has borne quite a burden in recent years. The crippling hands of a military junta has squashed political dissenters arguing for freedom, and Mother Nature has been just as harsh on the Burmese, throwing cyclones and tsunamis their way as well.

Flipside: lovely locals, temples of Bagan and dilapidated colonial seaside resorts?

11. Newark, New Jersey, USA

Dubbed ‘the most dangerous city in America’ for two years running in the ’90s, it’s estimated that the murder rate has dropped in recent years due to the thick haze of pollution keeping would-be attackers indoors.
Flipside: gateway to NYC and tax-free shopping?

12. Republic of Niger
If you’re looking for a temperate climate and ocean breezes, steer clear of Niger. Most of the country has been subsumed into the inhospitable Sahara Desert.

Flipside: awesome sand dunes, combination of French colonial and Islamic cultures and desert oases?

13. Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea

North Korea has the worst human rights record of any nation — about one in 100 North Koreans have reported torture, starvation, rape, medical experimentation, forced labour and forced abortions in detention camps.
Flipside: mass games and Kim Jong Il cult worship?

14. Timber Creek, Northern Territory, Australia

Timber Creek bears a striking resemblance to Wolf Creek; you won’t want to spend a night here, let alone an entire week!
Flipside: proximity to Victoria River?

source

America’s Top 10 Cities for Winter Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:25:00 +0000

10. San Diego

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This post features count down list of top ten winter travel cites of United States.

9. New York City

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8. Santa Fe

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7. New Orleans

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6. San Antonio

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5. Houston

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4. Miami

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3. Denver

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2. Honolulu

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1. Orlando

World’s Top 10 Cleanest Cities

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:23:00 +0000

10. Calgary, Canada

This post features a count down list of top ten cleanest cities of the world. This list has been also compiled an eco-ranking of the cities, taking into account water availability and drinkability, waste removal, sewage systems, air pollution and traffic congestion.

9. Helsinki, Finland

8. Adelaide, Australia

7. Copenhagen, Denmark

6. Ottawa, Canada

5. Kobe, Japan

4. Honolulu, Hawaii

3. Oslo, Norway

2. Minneapolis, Minn.

1. Wellington, New Zealand

Top 10 Most Walkable Cities in the United States

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:12:00 +0000

10. Portland, OR
Population: 2.14 million
% commute by walking: 2.8%
% commute by mass transit: 5.9%
Average commute: 25.3 minutes
Number of parks: 39.5

Here is the count down list of top 10 most walkable cities in America.

9. Providence, RI
Population: 1.62 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 2.5%
Average commute: 22.3 minutes
Number of parks: 54.2

8. Chicago, IL
Population: 7.9 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 12.8%
Average commute: 33.7 minutes
Number of parks: 160

7. Philadelphia, PA
Population: 3.9 million
% commute by walking: 4.5%
% commute by mass transit: 12.1%
Average commute: 30.6 minutes
Number of parks: 36

6. Honolulu, HI
Population: 914,163
% commute by walking: 5.4%
% commute by mass transit: 8.3%
Average commute: 30.5 minutes
Number of parks: 46

5. Washington, DC
Population: 4.2 million
% commute by walking: 3.1%
% commute by mass transit: 11.3%
Average commute: 35.9 minutes
Number of parks: 102

4. Seattle, WA
Population: 2.5 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 7.9%
Average commute: 30.1 minutes
Number of parks: 23

3. New York, NY
Population: 11.5 million
% commute by walking: 8.4%
% commute by mass transit: 42.4%
Average commute: 38 minutes
Number of parks: 242

2. Boston, MA
Population: 3.2 million
% commute by walking: 5%
% commute by mass transit: 12.5%
Average commute: 31 minutes
Number of parks: 29

1. San Francisco, CA
Population: 1.7 million
% commute by walking: 5.7%
% commute by mass transit: 18.2%
Average commute: 34.1 minutes
Number of parks: 71.4

source

Prince William and Kate Middleton ( Royal Wedding )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:11:00 +0000

Prince William and Kate Middleton are to marry at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011

Maid of Honour Pippa Middleton (L) bows as she passes the Cenotaph in a horse-drawn carriage, in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, after the wedding ceremony of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. Some 1,900 guests, including crowned heads, war veterans, sports personalities and celebrities, have been invited to the royal wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Prince Charles of Wales (L) and wife Camilla Duchess of Cornwall wave as they proceed along Whitehall, in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, after the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey, London, Britain. Some 1,900 guests, including crowned heads, war veterans, sports personalities and celebrities, have been invited to the royal wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Prince William (L) and his brother and best man, Prince Harry (R) arrive at Westminster Abbey for the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton in London, Britain, 29 April 2011. Some 1,900 guests, including crowned heads, war veterans, sports personalities and celebrities, have been invited to the royal wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (R) salutes the Cenotaph as Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, bows from their Landau carriage as they proceed along Whitehall after their marriage at Westminster Abbey, London, Britain, 29 April 2011. The bride wears a v-neck Alexander McQueen gown, designed by creative director Sarah Burton and a 1936 Cartier halo tiara lent to her by Queen Elizabeth. The newly-wed couple travels in the 1902 State Landau carriage which was built for King Edward VII for his coronation.

The eight tiered wedding cake made by Fiona Cairns and her team, awaits the newly weds Prince William and Kate Middleton, in the Picture Gallery of Buckingham Palace in central London, Britain, 29 April 2011. About 650 people have been invited to the lunchtime reception given by Queen Elizabeth II and around 300 people have been invited to the dinner given by the groom's father, Charles Prince of Wales, at Buckingham Palace.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (R) and his wife Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, in London, Britain, 29 April 2011. The bride wears a v-neck Alexander McQueen gown, designed by creative director Sarah Burton and a 1936 Cartier halo tiara lent to her by Queen Elizabeth. About 650 people have been invited to the lunchtime reception given by Queen Elizabeth II and around 300 people have been invited to the dinner given by the groom's father, Charles Prince of Wales, at Buckingham Palace.

The top section of the eight tiered wedding cake made by Fiona Cairns and her team, awaits the newly weds Prince William and Kate Middleton, in the Picture Gallery of Buckingham Palace in central London, Britain, 29 April 2011. About 650 people have been invited to the lunchtime reception given by Queen Elizabeth II and around 300 people have been invited to the dinner given by the groom's father, Charles Prince of Wales, at Buckingham Palace.

The Irish Guards Military Band perform in front Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, to celebrate Britain's Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge marriage.

Britain's Prince Charles (L) and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (R) are driven towards Westminster Abbey in a car for the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton in London, Britain, 29 April 2011. Some 1,900 guests, including crowned heads, war veterans, sports personalities and celebrities, have been invited to the royal wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

The Household Cavalry escorts Queen Elizabeth II of Britain from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, after the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (R) and Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge (L) ride in a horse-drawn carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace escorted by a Captain's Escort of The Household Cavalry, in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, after their wedding ceremony. The newly-wed couple travels in the 1902 State Landau carriage which was built for King Edward VII for his coronation. The bride wears a v-neck Alexander McQueen gown, designed by creative director Sarah Burton and a 1936 Cartier halo tiara lent to her by Queen Elizabeth.

The newly-wed couple Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, after their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The bride wears a v-neck Alexander McQueen gown, designed by creative director Sarah Burton and a 1936 Cartier halo tiara lent to her by Queen Elizabeth.

A handout picture released by the British Ministry of Defence shows at 1330 hours a flypast comprising of a Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster from the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) flying over Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, 29 April 2011. Eight selected RAF personnel lined the path outside the Great West Door and over 60 Royal Air Force volunteers joined 60 personnel from the Queens Colour Squadron and members of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force to line the streets of Whitehall between Horse Guards and the Cenotaph. More than 1,300 personnel from across the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force played a key role in the ceremonial elements of the Royal Wedding.

A general view of the carriage procession after the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton in London, Britain, 29 April 2011. Some 1,900 guests, including crowned heads, war veterans, sports personalities and celebrities, have been invited to the royal wedding ceremony at Westminster

The newly-wed couple Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, after their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The bride wears a v-neck Alexander McQueen gown, designed by creative director Sarah Burton and a 1936 Cartier halo tiara lent to her by Queen Elizabeth.

Britain's Prince Charles of Wales rides in a horse-drawn carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after the wedding of his son Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, in London, Britain, 29 April 2011. Some 1,900 guests, including crowned heads, war veterans, sports personalities and celebrities, have been invited to the royal wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

A handout picture released by the British Ministry of Defence shows Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (R) ride in a horse-drawn carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace via Horse Guards Parade escorted by a Captain's Escort of The Household Cavalry in London, Britain, 29 April 2011, after their wedding ceremony. The newly-wed couple travels in the 1902 State Landau carriage which was built for King Edward VII for his coronation. The bride wears a v-neck Alexander McQueen gown, designed by creative director Sarah Burton and a 1936 Cartier halo tiara lent to her by Queen Elizabeth.

Second Life Mobile Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:59:00 +0000

I Can See Through Your Juice

The Second Life Mobile Phone Concept works on the premise that we often forget about the battery life of our mobile phones, hence run out of juice, just at the wrong time. As a remedy (rather power-saver-option) the phone incorporates a double display. When in active use the AMOLED screen powers up in all glory and in standby mode the E-ink display gets active. This essentially means that the E-ink uses very little energy and the degree of transparency of the display shows how much battery is remaining. The more transparent the display, the less battery remaining.

So besides ultra-low power consumption, the transparent screen offers an intuitive expression: “You’re low on juice so better recharge the phone soon!” Apparently the E-ink uses power to change the degree of transparency and doesn’t add to the battery load.
I like the idea behind the concept and its transparent vibe, but I guess its more aimed at a niche set of people who keep forgetting to put their phone on charge.

Skinny Player- One Album Music Player

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:58:00 +0000

The Skinny Player kinda reminds me of the O+ Music Campaign where the promotional kit offers one song in various mediums. The concept here with the Skinny Player is to offer one album space on a portable – Band Aid-esque device. The self-sticking player houses a play/stop button and flexible speakers. Although I am not so sure about the sound quality for the output, but the idea is worth exploring. The user-scenario is for exercise or such places where you want to keep your hands free, but still carry your music with you.

The unique angle to the player is that hopes to use your body heat for powering the device. Now if this is possible or utopian , is left to be seen.

If BMW Designed Rails

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:55:00 +0000

The Siemens group commissioned BWM’s subsidiary Designworks USA to develop a sprawling metro railway for Los Angeles, Munich and Singapore. Aptly called the Metro Inspiro, the design is meant to make all facets of public transport in a train easier. Innovative door-lit graphics, iconography to indicate status and time, and the tree referenced hand rails for passengers of all heights intimate a more user-friendly train.
The interior has a warm, almost organic feel. Materials like cork, rich woods and adaptive lighting make the Inspiro one of the most comfortable and eco-friendly trains to ride. Good news is Siemens just received an order for one in Poland. Not sure when construction starts but I’m already anxious to ride it.

Black and White Hypercar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:54:00 +0000

The following is an introduction to a conceptual car brand via the brand’s first virtual auto. The name of the brand is Shayton, a word that comes from the Sioux word for falcon (Chayton pronounced Shay-ton.) The car that’s being presented is the Shayton Equilibrium. To describe Shayton as a brand, the Equilibrium is described as the world’s first hyper-car. Because this car aims to display “pure hedonism, perversion on four wheels,” Shayton the brand can be easily seen as a niche brand that wishes to become the top tier.
To create such a car as this, one whose goals are to push the boundaries of abstract concepts were born in childhood fantasies, a company must dedicate themselves not only to creating a solid foundation in a strong story, but also to competing with the leading brands who’ve been sparking the imaginations of designers and car enthusiasts for generations. Can the balance inherent in this car, the Shayton Equilibrium, bring the conceptual auto brand Shayton to the forefront of the auto world before it even becomes a reality?
Have a peek at the Equilibrium below, and you be the judge.

Saline Bird Future Automobile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:52:00 +0000

Yet another air compression powered motorbike concept from our fellow Frenchmen. The Saline Bird was designed for the quirky speed record holders, Les Triplettes de Bonneville. The air tanks and other elements are nestled snugly within it’s carbon fiber frame. Riders sit in a skier-like position to minimize air resistance and the optional leather body panel adds a nice aerodynamic finish. I hope that hand-stitched hide is ready for some serious bug gut-splatter.

Floating City ala Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:49:00 +0000

So when you think of Haiti, what do you think about? Probably some sort of… disaster area? Well how about this instead – Tangram 3DS collaborating with Boston Architect / Designer E Kevin Schopfer together creating a floating agricultural / light industrial city right off the shores of Haiti. What’s it called? Harvest City. Behold a 2 miles in diameter complex of tethered floating modules. Holy goodness gracious!
There are four zones in this project, communities interconnected by a linear canal system. Each of the four major canals are focused on building neighborhoods that consist of four story housing complexes. All along the outer perimeter are “one acre” crop circles with secondary feeder canals. The inside “harbor” is a city center with schools, administrative buildings, community activities, and a general marketplace. The whole entire complex floats and will be cable secured down to the sea bed.
The low profile of the entire system, low draft, dead weight capacity, and perimeter wave attenuators, hurricanes and typhoons will have little effect besides their collection of “much needed water harvesting.” Helpful! A breakwater will be in place to add to the city’s stability. AND AND AND since they know that that silly earthquake is still fresh in everyone’s minds, (especially those directly affected by it,) the project includes using all of the concrete rubble debris crushed down by the disaster as breakwater filler. Excellent!

2011 Skyscraper Competition, Top 35

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:48:00 +0000

The 2011 Skyscraper Competition is an endeavor to revolutionize efforts, vision and passion that architects put into building our future infrastructure. The projects have been adjudged for their use of new technologies, materials, programs, aesthetics and spatial organizations, along with studies on globalization, flexibility, adaptability, and the digital revolution. Hosted by the eVolo Magazine, the focus of the jury has been to pick out those ideas that understand architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environments.

First Place: LO2P: Delhi Recycling Center by Atelier CMJN, Julien Combes & Gaël Brulé

LO2P skyscraper is destined for New Delhi, the highly polluted capital city of India. Reminding you of the London Eye, this Ferris wheel like structure is built using old cars recycled for sourcing building material for the new structure. The surrounding air will be purified through a series of large-scale greenhouses that serve as filters. Another set of rotating filters capture the suspended particles in the air while the waste heat and carbon dioxide from the recycling center are used to grow plants that in turn produce bio-fuels.
Second Place: Flat Tower by Yoann Mescam, Paul-Eric Schirr-Bonnans & Xavier Schirr-Bonnans

The Flat Tower is a new high-density typology that features a medium-height dome structure with perforated cell-like skylights. The dome’s large surface area is the ideal location to harvest solar energy and collect rainwater. The structure houses community recreational facilities at the ground level, residential and office are located at the upper cells. An automated transportation system connects all the units, which are different shapes according to their program. This project has been designed for the city of Rennes, France, in an old industrial area but can be adapted to fit any location.
Third Place: Re-imagining the Hoover Dam by Yheu-Shen Chua

At the present moment one can visit the Hoover Dam and partake amenities like a viewing platform, a bridge, and a gallery. But the problem is that they are located at different areas of the site. With this redesign project, Yheu-Shen Chua brings together all the focal points of the amenities plus adds in a vertical aquarium to enthrall the visitors.
Honorable Mentions
NeoTax: Three-dimensional City Grid by Studio DMTW – Marc Anton Dahmen, Rene Lierschaft & Anna-Maria Wiedekind

NeoTax is basically a three-dimensional city grid that is organized in a horizontal and vertical street grid. The network is based on a modular system where each module can be viewed as a separate quarter or neighborhood.
PoroCity: Rehabilitation for Mumbai, India by Khushalani Associates – Rajiv Khushalani, Thomas Kariath & Mihir Sanganee

Dharavi in Mumbai is one of the largest slums in the world and the Porocity is an effort to rehabilitate this area. The design is derived from a progressive subdivision of a right-angled Sierpenski’s Pyramid. Features include small self-divisible units that are 3m x 9m blocks, divided into collective housing units with north facing terraces, community spaces, small-scale infrastructure like clinics and supermarkets, educational institutions, factories, and offices. It is a car-free environment where means of vertical, horizontal and diagonal access is through elevators, moving walks, escalators, and funiculars.
Tower for the Dead by Israel López Balan, Elsa Mendoza Andrés, Moisés Adrián & Hernández García

This project is an underground vertical cemetery for Mexico City.
Fish Tower by Hsing-O Chiang

The Fish Tower is a prototype for a vertical fish farm that could be up to 30 times more efficient than traditional farms. It features a fisherman’s market and visitors center at ground level. The fish farms are designed based on the research and analysis of habitation and movement of specific fish species. Finally there is a section that is dedicated to R&D.
Sports Tower by Sergiy Prokof`yev & Olga Prokof`yeva

Sports Tower is a vertical complex that accommodates a variety of sports facilities in one site.
RE:pH – Coastscraper by Gary Kellett

The underpinning concept for the Coastalscraper is to reduce the acid levels of the oceans by adding fossilized Coccolithophores to the water. The perfect location for the project is the southeast corner of England, with a vast geological swathe of Coccolithophore (white chalk) spanning from the outskirts of London, and terminating in what is known as The White Cliffs of Dover.
Iceberg Autonomy: Oil Recovery by Akram Fahmi

The Iceberg Autonomy is an enclave, a seascraper of suspended oil collectors and separators – a new water-world in constant navigation.
Tourist City Skyscraper by Francisco Villeda, Heechan Park, Wouter Dons & Sandra Fleischmann

Tourist City is a proposed cluster of mega-structures in Cancun, Mexico that will keep a check on unplanned urban sprawling.
Rhizome Tower: A Thousand Underground Plateaus by Enrico Tognoni, Federico Tinti & Davide Mariani

The Rhizome Tower is an underground city and something out of a surreal fantasy! It’s essentially a ‘Groundscraper’ that harvests natural resources above and below ground while creating a new living typology. The idea is to cultivate a self-sufficient underground city and maybe even develop a nation or two in the process! The entire setup is divided into 4 layers that is organized around a central core. The first layer is above the surface and contains the recreational, and food production facilities, with agriculture fields, farms, and glasshouses. The entire façade is covered with photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy and specific locations are also equipped with wind turbines. The second layer, approximately 60 levels, is the residential part, with a diverse range of living quarters according to family sizes. The third and fourth layers are used as offices, and service areas with the deepest part of the project dedicated to the study and harvest of geothermal energy.
Borough no. 6 – New York City by John Houser

Borough no. 6 occupies the space between 22nd and 14th street and 6th and 7th avenue in New York City. This grid-like structure houses infrastructure like train stations, parks, homes, offices etc. The ideal urban Utopia!
Singapore’s Waterfront by Giorgi Khmaladze

As the name suggests, Singapore’s Waterfront is intended as an extension of the financial district in Singapore. The structure emphasizes on the proper harvesting of resources like rainwater, natural ventilation and sunlight. The tower is positioned at a 20-degree angle to the site to face the nearby waterfront. Each residence or villa consists of a two-storey apartment and shaded private garden. A hotel and offices are located in the middle levels, where the porosity of the building changes from a series of small openings to larger ones.
Moonscraper by Luis Quinones

Lets go and live on the moon, the Shackleton Crater Rim on the South Pole of the Moon! No kidding, this project is located precisely there and it looks at moon being our home-sweet-home of the future!
Floating Olympic Complex by Andrew Chow Wai Tat, Tao Huang & Xue Liang Zhang

The main idea behind the Floating Olympic Complex is to create the first vertical Olympic architecture with large-scale inverted skyscrapers that will serve as host to the games and will later be transformed into a floating city with housing, offices, recreational areas, and infrastructure already in place. The design has several inspirational references, which include an umbrella shell structure, mushroom, and stalactite formations. This project is envisioned for the forthcoming games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
North Pole Skyscraper: A Trading Post for the World’s Freight Industry by Borja Muguiro

Proposed as the hub for shipping activities in the Arctic region, the North Pole Skyscraper slices vertically through the Arctic ice-shelf. It is an open structure that holds containers in multiple levels or platforms that serve as transaction posts between countries.
The On Demand Experience by Benjamin Feenstra & Jelmer Frank Wijnia

Here is a futuristic concept where the facilities arrive at your doorstep without you having to budge an inch! You need a golf course, a doctor, a movie…. demand and it will be there!
Waste Collector Skyscraper by Agata Sander & Tomek Kujawski

The Waste Collector Skyscraper is a recycling plant in the middle of the city. This specific project is designed for the Huangpu district in Shanghai, China. The structure has the potential to recycle 400 tons of MSW daily, in a comprehensive, clean, and self-sufficient process without intensive land use.
Hopetel: Transitional High-rise Housing by Asaf Dali

Here is a project based on transit housing for folks left roofless due to the economic crunch and calamities. An external skeleton with an open-scheme floor plan provides the base for internal tent structures and basic amenities like beds, showers etc. Shared amenities like laundry, storage and kitchen are also provided for.
3D Green: Vertical Farmland Inserted in an Existing Urban Fabric by Yiqing Jiang & Ying Tao

This project examines the idea of developing a vertical park and farm between skyscrapers in Shanghai, China.
Seeds of Life Skyscraper by Osama Mohamed Elghannam, Karim Mohamed Elnabawy, Mohamed Ahmed Khamis & Nesma Mohamed Abobakr

A dwelling for the newly liberated Cairo is based upon construction materials sourced from the recycled waste gathered from the city’s bin. The project is composed of an exoskeleton where different types of living and working units could be plugged-in.
Living Mountain: Solving Overpopulation by Anna-Maria Simatou & Marianthe Dendrou

The Living Mountain is a city-like skyscraper for one of the Earth’s harshest environments: the desert of Taklamakan, in the northwestern region of China. This high-rise structure mingles with man-made lakes and the housing areas are percieved as “living pods” of 2,000 square-feet with easy access to all the facilities. Rainwater is collected and circulated on top of the super-structure and freely cascades to the atrium while filtering the air and promoting the growth of indoor vegetation. Quite an oasis in the desert!
Tree of Life Skyscraper by Svirid Denis & Gudzenko Anastasiya

The Tree of Life is a skyscraper proposal for open mines around the world with an autonomous ecosystem. The lower end of the structure or the root, hosts the power station that harvests geothermal energy and includes a subterranean water purification plant. The stem is an external frame that provides stability to the structure. Pneumatic elevators offer transportation and the crown hosts the public area with housing sectors, offices, schools, and entertainment facilities. Attached to these structures there are a series of pods or terraces that are used as geoponic greenhouses, covered with solar panels and wind turbines.
Hydra Skyscraper by Milos Vlastic, Vuk Djordjevic, Ana Lazovic & Milica Stankovic

Hydra is a skyscraper that looks into the possibility of using Hydrogen power for consumption. The power is produced through electrolysis and could be stored in batteries and transported by truck, pipes or cables. The structure’s exoskeleton is built from grapheme. The project aims to harvest energy from lightning storms and store the power in several mega-batteries located at the base. It also features a research facility, housing, and recreational areas for scientists and their families.
Oil Platforms Transformed into Sustainable Seascrapers by YoungWan Kim, SueHwan Kwun, JunYoung Park & JoongHa Park

This project aims at transforming oil platforms around the world into sustainable seascrapers that produce and store fresh water. A modernized rig with all futuristic housing facilities.
Tensile Tower by David Gull & Jin Young Song

In the Tensile Tower project tensile cables suspended from the top of the mega column support the perimeter edges of the floor slabs. These cables spiral the tower at an angle in both directions, creating a diagonal configuration that provides resistance to torsion and overall stability.
Elevated Connectivity by Adam Nakagoshi, Thao Nguyen

The three-tier Elevated Connectivity is a high-rise proposal that creates a new urban grid above the city by connecting existing skyscrapers. The ground floor remains public and mainly used for transportation. The middle layer is dedicated to residences and offices while the third strata houses leisure and entertainment activities.
Rollin’ and Tumble: Vertical Amusement Park for Times Square by Dalho Yang & Seungdon Jung

The name says it all; a rollercoaster for the famous Times Square! It is an exploration of transportation in three dimensions, which has never been tested and tries to break the norm of using elevators and horizontal corridors.
Barbed-wire Skyscraper by Hyunbeom Cho, JinKyu Pak, HongSup Kim, Jiwon Kim

The Barbe-wire Skyscraper is based on the idea of a unified Korea in the near future and the importance of preserving the untouched natural habitat of the DMZ. The intention is to showcase museum and ecological reserve, where visitors will enjoy different sports facilities and outdoor recreational areas.
Lady Landfill Skyscraper by Milorad Vidojević, Jelena Pucarević & Milica Pihler

Lady Landfill Skyscraper is a bid to remove the Great Pacific Garbage Patch via a series of underwaterscrapers or floating islands. The structure comprises of self-sustained nodes that are organized by function hierarchy with four communication cores that connect three main programs – collectors at the bottom, recycling plant in the middle levels, and housing and recreational levels atop.
Kinetic Skyscraper by Victor Kopieikin & Pavlo Zabotin

The Kinetic Skyscraper has three main programs with a geothermal plant at the base, housing and offices in the upper levels, and a solar plant powered by thousands of photovoltaic panels on the façade. It even features a slew of kinetic housing units attached to a main exoskeleton. These units resemble a flower and are able to open, close, and direct towards sunlight.
Chernobyl Skyscrapers Network by Mengni Zhang

Chernobyl Skyscrapers Network is the reconstruction of a post apocalyptic environment around the Chernobyl power plant, Ukraine.
White Cloud Skyscraper by Adrian Vincent Kumar, Yun Kong Sung

The White Cloud Project is an air purification network of skyscrapers and is shaped as inverted buildings with ample public space at its base and residence and offices clustered on top. A fine membrane that cleans the air through an ingenious filtering process covers the structure. The air particles are trapped by the cloth-like structure and washed away by a constant mist. At the same time the collected dust is transported through a secondary branching system to a brick factory on the bottom.
Coalesce Skyscraper by Justin Oh

The final height of this skyscraper has not yet been decided, as perpetual development of the project has continued for more than twenty years! What is evident is that over the years, the distinct architectural style of each year, is reflected in each developing layer.

Galleria Centercity Cheonan South korea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:45:00 +0000

It’s called the Galleria Centercity in Cheonan South Korea, designed to respond to the current retail climate in Asia. It’s a massive department store that also operates as a social a semi-cultural meeting place – a museum if you will.
Rather than being the outcome of a prescriptive, standard-critical approach, the design of the galleria is based on observations of current behavioural tendencies in large commercial spaces. Particularly in South East Asia, department stores serve a highly social function; people meet, gather, eat, drink and both shop and window shop in these venues. The department store is no longer solely a commercial space, it now offers the architect the opportunity to build upon and expand the social and cultural experience of the visitor. If today we are seeing the museum as a supermarket, then we are also now seeing the department store as a museum.
The exterior is a sight to be marveled at. The double layered facades are articulated in a trompe l’oeuil pattern of vertical mullions. The vertical lines on the façade make the scale of the building unreadable; does it contain three floor levels, or fifteen? On the inside, this play with scale and dimension is continued in a way that is at least as radical as the outside. Upon entering, the department store is revealed as a layered and varied space which encourages investigation and unfolds as you move through and up the building.
Programmatically, the Galleria Cheonan incorporates a number of cultural and public spaces, including an art and cultural centre and a vip room. In the basement, a food court and specialty supermarket constitute another distinct destination within the building, which is simultaneously integrated with the overall design strategy.
The main architectural theme for the Galleria Cheonan is that of dynamic flow. This is found both inside and outside. The architecture of the 66,000 m ² building responds to its central position by presenting a deliberately changeable aspect all-around. Moiré effects, special lighting and animations ensure that the outside changes appearance constantly.
The double layered facade encloses the building, with a number of strategic openings incorporated into the inner facade layer.These openings provide daylight to the interior. At the same time, the lamellas of the outer façade prevent direct sunlight from entering the building, ensuring a cooler environment, while the use of white finishes throughout the interior minimises the need for artificial lighting.
The interior derives its character from the accumulation of rounded plateaus on long columns. The repetition of curves, enhanced by coiled strip lighting in the ceilings of the platforms, gives the interior its distinctive character. Four stacked programme clusters, each encompassing three storeys and containing public plateaus, are linked to the central void. This organisation propels a fluent upstream flow of people through the building, from the ground floor atrium to the roof terrace. As the plateaus are positioned in a rotational manner in space, they enable the central space to encompass way finding, vertical circulation, orientation and act as main attractor of the department store. The spatial and visual connections within the space are designed to generate a lively and stimulating environment, in which the user is central.
The strategy for the building enclosure consists of creating an optical illusion. During the day the building has a monochrome reflective appearance, whilst at night soft colours are used to generate waves of coloured light across the large scale illuminated surface. The lighting design was developed in parallel with the architecture and capitalises on the double layered facade structure. Computer generated animations specially designed by UNStudio are incorporated into the lighting design and refer to themes related to the department store, such as fashion, events, art and public life.
Rather than creating a platform for a multiple billboard effect made up of individual brand identities, the thematic animated content of the fully integrated media façade facilitates a more holistic and site-oriented urban approach to branding.

Wristband Design Hearing Impaired

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:42:00 +0000

A view of the ambient noise is what this device hopes to give people with less than a perfect sense of hearing. The fashionable bit of the Danger Alert Enabler, is the wristband, but it also comes with a “micro device.” The way these two bits work together is: sound goes in one, comes out the other. But as the micro device, which sits on your belt, hears sound, it interprets it and translates it to a corresponding pictogram and in some cases, a vibration for warning.
Fancy, yes?
In nature, the device can show you a bird, a sheep, an oncoming thunder or rainstorm, the sound of water, and more. In the way of ambient sounds, the device can show you the telephone, some music, some chattering voices, and more! Then there’s DANGER!
In the way of DANGEROUS sounds, you can hear a siren, some construction working people, a clown…
I need one of these.

P-Per Mobile Phone Could Challenge iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:39:00 +0000

Those sweet lads over at the Chocolate Agency have come up with yet another delectable concept dubbed P-Per; a concept mobile phone that would satisfy both environmentalists and tech nerds. The design consists of just 4 layers, a printed circuit board, extruded polycarbonate, recycled titanium, and a wrap around flexible haptic LED touchscreen. By minimizing materials, the design is highly sustainable.
The wrap around screen allows for endless user interface possibilities not to mention bezeless picture/movie taking and watching. If that weren’t enough to challenge the iPhone, how about a 7mm wafer thin form factor, 3 megapixel camera, and a 2 minute recharge time!

Envy 4G Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:38:00 +0000

There was a time when ID “imagineers” would concoct fabulous concepts using new fangled tech that hadn’t been invented yet and I miss those days. Heaven forbid you do that now, you’d get your a** handed to you. I’m fond of the Envy 4G with its SUPER AMOLED screen and MasterMobile OS. So what if it looks like Windows Phone 7 and iOS 4 had a baby? It’s got a Carbon chip! That’s a CPU and GPU on one silicon. It’s the future people, have fun with it.

Trypoxy Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:35:00 +0000

My generation (I’m 30′ish if you must know) will not understand the need to have a cool looking phone that allows you to browse the internet intuitively, but the millennial generation do and I suspect they would love the Trypoxy Phone. Looks like a smooth pebble but for the ultimate web browsing experience, the rear has a soft-gel-like grab extension that can pulled out. It fits snuggly in one hand and has built-in controls to pinch and squeeze your way through the internet with simulated buttons for scrolling and moving back/forth thru pages.

OLED Blackberry

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:33:00 +0000

Working with Aza Raskin of Mozilla Labs as part of their Concept Series, yours truly is helming the open source project to design the Mozilla Phone. The lovely BlackBerry you see here is the first throw-away concept to come out of the project blog at MozPhone.com. While only a crude mashup of a Blackberry 7130 and the Optimus Keyboard, its serves to illustrate how much more we need phones to communicate with us.

Mixing channels of communication like with the Storm’s clickable screen or this concept’s OLED buttons allow the phone to create more information rich experiences that help break down barriers created by size limitations. If you’re technically inclined Industrial or Interface design, or just like talking about phones, leave some comments or contribute over at the development blog.

Gabler Folding Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:31:00 +0000

A Cellphone for Women and Men with Manbags

I agree with designer Paz Brouk that women who tend to keep their cellphones in their purse find it a nightmare to retrieve before a call goes to voicemail. To overcome this little problem, she’s designed the Gabler, a folding phone that can be hung over the edge of a purse. The phone folds in a diagonal line in the middle thanks to the flexible screen and flexible outer shell and includes all standard features found in modern-day phones. My only problem with having it all exposed is the invitation for would be kleptos.

All In One Computer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:28:00 +0000

The InOne is truly an all-in-one computer. 22″ screen, keyboard, touchpad, speakers and a digital tablet are all built into one TRONtastic package. Everything is wirelessly connected and the tablet displays what your write and draw so you don’t have to look up at the screen. Interesting design, especially the keyboard.

Nokia E2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:26:00 +0000

The E2 is a 21:9 device with a different approach to the slate phone. It’s symmetrical across the horizontal axis instead of vertical like traditional phones. The result is an ergonomic phone with a large screen, a relatively small size, no vertical orientation bias and no compromises in hardware.