Hardcover Reading Lamp

Find illumination in a good book. The craft studio Typewriter Boneyard turns old books into desk lamps, often using old fashioned light bulb designs. Link, Via: My Modern Met | Previously: The Book Lamp | Via: Neatorama

A Peek Inside Lego Headquarters

Hello, dream office. Employees who work at Lego HQ get to enjoy a slide inside of their already sleek-and-modern digs. I imagine their day-to-day goes something like this: “Hey, Bob. Meet me in the conference room for a very important meeting in 30 seconds — just take the slide!” LINK

Full Auto: Gatling Slingshot Crossbow

Gatling guns have been the first firearms with a firing rate close to modern machine guns. Their principle is easy: A set of rotating barrels is turned by cranking a wheel, with one barrel after the other firing a round when it is in shooting position. This makes them technically and legally a repeating gun, not a full auto one - but it is close enough. The Slingshot Channel took the challenge to design a rubber powered version of Mr. Gatling's great invention. And here it is: Eight 20 mm balls, on their way to the target in less than half a second. The theoretical firing rate is 960 rounds per minute, slightly faster than the popular M16 assault rifle. The video also shows how you can fire single shots with the weapon. LINK: Youtube

Fiona Krüger: Memento Mori

Fiona Krüger, a recent graduate of ECAL/university of arts and design lausanne from the master in luxury industry and design has created 'Memento Mori' for her thesis project. the timepiece reinterprets the theme of mortality in watch-making. The luxury watch appreciates both the mexican imagery of dia de los muertos and the 17th century watch of mary queen of scotts with a human skull detailed with decorative, gold metalwork. The skeletal form of the the faceplate is formed by layering, by which the intricate nature of a mechanical watch is reinforced. The case is fashioned from solid silver and mineral hand cut glass and is engraved by hand as well. The dial is made from gold and rhodium plated brass which has been laser cut and engraved. Blued steel hands of the clock move by a ETA 2824 mechanism over the skull watch face. 'Momento Mori' is fastened to one's wrist by a blued calf leather band with a silver buckle. LINK

Surreally Scribbled Digital Portraits

Image credit: Ayaka Ito and Randy Church [Spotted Via: Design Boom]

Designer/illustrator Ayaka Ito and programmer Randy Church collaborated on a digital project integrating 3D line work and traditional photography. The designers used various applications, including 3D flash drawing and 4D modeling programs. The results are surreal and give the model a shredded, wiry appearance. It’s almost like frantically drawing with an unspooled cassette tape. Check out Ito and Church’s works in detail past the break. LINK

26 Cool Toiler Paper Dispensers and Holders

There are toilet roll holders in all designs and colors.
Here are 26 cool toilet paper dispensers and holders. LINK: The Presurfer

United Visual Artists: Canopy + Connection

Short documentary about two art installations by London-based art and design practice United Visual Artists. The works are located in Toronto and were commissioned by Lanterra Developments for their Maple Leaf Square development. Video by inkblot media. LINK: Vimeo

Designer Builds Functional Sound System from 5,000 Recycled Beer Cans

Japanese designer Yuri Suzuki teamed up with Mathew Kneebone to create an incredible beer can sound system for Red Stripe’s “Make Something Out of Nothing” project.

Suzuki and Kneebone were commissioned by Red Stripe, Jamaica’s most popular beer, to use their talents and create a work that reflects Jamaican DIY culture. The two came up with a sound system inspired by the towering, bass-driven sound systems that started out in the ghettos of Kingston and nowadays provide the rhythm of Jamaica street life. Because they can’t get their hands on expensive materials needed to build sound systems, Jamaican reggae groups often have to improvise and make them from scratch, using all kinds of stuff that doesn’t usually serve as components. This inspired the artistic duo to create their own DIY sound system from recycled Red Stripe beer cans.

Most of the 5,000 tin cans used for the project were collected from this year’s Notting Hill Carnival. The final piece, which measures 2.5 meters high and 2.5 meters across, has speakers hidden inside the cans as well as a can microphone. Jamaican singer/songwriter Gappy Ranks tested the DIY can sound system and was impressed with the sound quality and the design of the musical structure. LINK, Via: Youtube

Rimino - A Human Touch on Mobile Experience

Project Rimino redefines mobile experience through human factors research and design thinking. Informed by human experience, the project is guided by both observational and experimental design research methods.

The Rimino concept is an E-paper mobile device with a user interface inspired by print posters. Historically, as technology has progressed, devices have become more conspicuous. Rimino challenges this trend and presents the alternative: technology that is more integrated and more sensitive to the human experience.

for more information please visit project website:
rimino.com, Via: Vimeo

Weird Cars

A car is an item of necessity and also luxury. But for many designers, cars are works of art where they can unleash their creativity and imagination. Extraordinary imagination has given rise to a number of crazy cars with weird designs in recent times. LINK: The Presurfer

Kinetic Art

Kientic Art project for a 3D design class.Music by Genghis tron. LINK: Youtube

Octopus Chair

So you’re looking for just the right chair to accent your demon skin rug. Perhaps something tasteful and subtle that conveys your cosmopolitan demeanor. Well, Spanish artist Maximo Riera has just the chair for you. It’s the first of a series of fifteen works designed to resemble walruses, beetles, rhinoceroses, and other animals.

Link, Via: Born Rich, Via: Neatorama

Bodyshells by Heidi Bucher

Heidi Bucher was a Swiss artist who collaborated in the early 1970's with her husband, sculptor Carl Bucher. These "Bodyshells" were showcased in an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (now the Museum of Art and Design) in New York City. This rare 8mm footage shows the sculptures in action when they traveled to Los Angeles. LINK: Youtube

A Building That Looks Like a Set of Wings

Pictured above is a design submission for the Zayed National Museum in the United Arab Emirates. The project is named after Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918-2004), who was president of the UAE. In memory of the Sheik’s love of falconry, the main structures are shaped like wings. But they also serve a practical purpose:

The galleries are placed at the bases of five solar thermal towers. The towers heat up and act as thermal chimneys to draw cooling air currents naturally through the museum. Fresh air is captured at low level and drawn through buried ground-cooling pipes and then released into the museum’s lobby. The heat at the top of the towers works to draw the air up vertically through the galleries due to the thermal stack effect. Air vents open at the top of the wing-shaped towers taking advantage of the negative pressure on the lee of the wing profile to draw the hot air out.

Link, Via: DVICE | Photo: Foster + Partners | Via: Neatorama

Homebuilt 8-Wheeled Sports Car

“We’re not ones to suggest there’s such a thing as too much when it comes to homebuilding vehicles. But an eight-wheel ‘sports’ car with dual Mazda rotary engines, Jaguar differentials and a rat’s nest of unfinished business? Someone cry uncle. This is a car that is hard to describe. It is design to be a sports car with 8 wheels. The body is custom made of fiberglass. The frame is steel tubing. There is no interior in it. The detentions are 204in long x 81in wide x 40in tall.” w/ photos. LINK

Jaill -The Stroller

Thanks to Seattle’s SUB POP label (still alive and well, thank you very much) the world can now enjoy the musical contributions of Jaill, a Milwaukee-based “psycho-pop” combo. Jaill has recently unleashed their music video for “The Stroller,” which seems to prove that lo-fi will never go out of style, and neither will beach parties. Directed by Rock and Roller Remote Controller this video embraces the DIY aesthetic and launches it right into space. Mix a catchy track with some Roger Corman-style production design and you have some quality entertainment. LINK, Via: Youtube

14 Cool Computer Keyboard Mods and Designs

"Retro Keyboard Mod"
Cool keyboards have always been in the priority list of the geeks. As such, there have been innumerable creations varying in themes, designs, features and specifications. To add to the list is the retro keyboard mod. Although looking like a blend of the typewriter sculpture and the steampunk ergonomic keyboard, this keyboard has its own distinct design and concept. The classic side rails and the keys together form part of the perfect nostalgic keyboard in the list. LINK

Rock N Roller MultiCart R2 Micro

What is most useful and unique about this adaptable rolling cart is that it folds to a relatively compact size that anyone can easily fit into a normal car while being able to unfold and expand to carry a large number of boxes.

Being able to put into a long horizontal position allows the Rock N Roller carts to carry unusual loads that might not stack in a stable fashion on a typical upright dolly.

[Rock N Roller offer this same design in multiple sizes. They seem to be a favorite among touring musicians.--OH]

Rock N Roller Multicart Micro $99

Available from Amazon Comment on this at Cool Tools. Via: Boingboing

The samchillian - a musical instrument based on relativity

An electronic musical instrument which takes Leon Gruenbaum's samchillian concept and defines a possible product design for it. The challenge was to make an aesthetic, ergonomic, musical product which could be used on stage by a musician.

The samchillian is a new type of musical instrument which uses the concept of relative notes, rather then fix pitches (as in a piano). LINK: Youtube

Speakers that Change Shape with the Volume

Carson Leong designed computer speakers that bellow out as the volume increases:

To turn the volume down, simple squeeze the skin to the desired volume. This creates a more tactile and visual experience for the user, where functions do not have to be operated by simply pressing buttons.

Link, Via: DVICE | Designer’s Website, Via: Neatorama