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Here's a collection of DVDs for the new - the very new of us. Wee See is a series of animations designed to stimulate a newborn's vision, not to mention doing so with a visual taste lacking in most children's products. We're not convinced the best way to teach Baby is in front of the TV, but it's hard to deny the appeal of this monochromatic world. Here's the mesmerizing link.
And here's a taste of the animation here:
Summer's upon us, and that means it's time for more fluff in our lives. So here we go.
Who doesn't need more t-shirts? Our new friends - we don't actually know them, it just sounds nice - at RIPT Apparel think the entire world needs more t-shirts. They're so convinced in fact that everyday, they display a different t for sale - only one - and each day the price is $10. Did I mention that each shirt is an original design by a graphic artist? There's even a countdown clock on the left side of the page, displaying how much longer that day's t will be for sale before it's retired into the rafters. (Move over, Wayne Gretzky's 99.)
What better time to stock up, before you start slopping your ice cream and Slush Puppies on the t's you currently own?
How good looking is THIS? The craftsmen at UK furniture shop Kent and London present their Alphabet Drawers. The piece is handmade from solid oak, which means of course it weighs a tonne. And it's inspired by vintage printing blocks, which means it looks like THAT. Not much room for your underwear here, but your aprons, babushkas, col bateaux, dungarees and earrings will never be more accessible.
T's aside, nothing says summer like a cold can of Coke. The next time you pick one up though, you may notice something's changed about it. The 'Classic' part of 'Coca-Cola Classic' is finally being dropped.
After almost 25 years, Coca-Cola is finally (almost) finished apologizing for ever having introduced to the world, New Coke. On April 23, 1985 the company announced it was changing its famous recipe and to the dismay of many, 'New Coke' was released. You may remember that within a very short time, 'Coca-Cola Classic' was brought out as an apology to loyal fans of the original. The two brands remained on shelves beside each other for years, before New Coke became Coke II in 1992. It has since been pulled from shelves everywhere, except for U.S. Territory American Samoa and Yap, one of the four Federated States of Micronesia, where it still sells well. (I know - really?)
Just as Pepsi has undergone a makeover taking it closer to its graphic roots, cola wars are heating up, and it's almost as if it's 1985 all over again. Just no more Max Headroom please.
More and more, we can customize online everything we could possibly want. You can monogram clothing, engrave a coffee pot, publish a manuscript, and design your own credit card, all within the comfort of your own room. Here's another example of an idea that's not new, but so terribly appealing. Design your own Converse sneaks. Choose from leather or canvas; low or high top, and a vast spectrum of delicious colours. Somehow, I think we're not far off from customizing an entire wardrobe, without ever having to glance a salesperson in the eye.
Well on a busy day, who wouldn't want a portion of Heinz Baked Beans that they could plug into their computer and heat up at their desk. Yes, this is real. Heinz has just introduced 'Beanzawave' a small low-powered microwave that plugs into your computer, via USB cable. It uses the same technology that your cell-phone uses, as opposed to actual microwave rays, and will heat your lunch of baked beans or any other comfort food, I suppose - right at your desk. Cost is estimated to be about $150, and Heinz is looking at releasing this saucy little heater within a year.
Identity designer Tanner Woodford presents his Brand Clock. One day in 2008, Woodford documented all the brands he interacted with in a 24-hour period, from which he then made a clock. Woodford insists his list would be even more comprehensive, if he'd been able to write faster. As it was, he was able to document 1,035 brand interactions in one day. Imagine all the ones that come into play in your day. Quite the role they play, no?
British artist James Yarker has a way of gathering everyone in the world in one place. He uses rice - 112 tonnes of it, and each grain represents one of the 6.7 billion of us on our planet.
He then divides up the piles of rice, er- of us, into different global statistical piles. One heap represents the population of India. Another pile represents all the children who will die this year of diseases for which there is a vaccine available. And another portrays the number of people who will visit a McDonald's restaurant today.
Throughout any installation of 'Of All the People in the World' docents clothed in brown atelier coats continually sweep all of us that have fallen out of our piles, back into them. If only life could be the same...
Here's a glimpse at an installation that'll make you look at life differently.
For those of us venturing into the world of e-books, either on the iPhone, or Amazon's Kindle, here's a little something so you don't feel like your library is becoming too virtual. Smell of Books claims it will make your e-reading experience smell like you're pawing your way through a paper bound classic. Scents include 'Classic Musty Smell' and 'Scent of Sensibility'.