Fireplaces are objects of both functionality and beauty. We recently covered the Starline Fire Pyramid collection and now, let’s take a look at the Starline’s Vendome stove. The fireplace falls in the company’s Bio-Fireplace series. Use it on a mountain hut or a city-centre apartment, the Vendome looks great with its modern lines and traditional design.
Written by Trend Spotter on September 20, 2007 | No Comments
Just as I predicted in 2004, here is a chair whose seat is made entirely of plush pandas. It is probably disgustingly expensive, in addition to be disgustingly cute. But it is also limited edition, so some enterprising person will either have to go for broke or end up gluing little sister’s entire collection together. It’s your choice.
Made by design group Estudio Campana in Brazil, it is apparently commentary on complex socio-economic ideals. I am torn between dearly wanting one of these and my extreme disgust for people who make art and then write an essay on it.
Hit the jump for more pics.
[ Moss ] VIA [ BoingBoing ]
Written by Trend Spotter on September 20, 2007 | No Comments
KidKustoms has designed a masterpiece with its new custom stroller called ?The Roddler? meant for rich kids. The luxurious stroller has BornRich written all over it. No, it?s not studded with diamonds or something if that?s what you think! The aircraft-inspired design is constructed likewise to give your little toddler a high. The Roddler features lightweight monocoque chassis construction which can be customized with custom pearl paint jobs with pinstripes, custom leather seats and tops available in a host of colors and stitch combinations (ostrich, alligator or stingray), custom rims and tires, to name a few.
But, apart from its luxury looks and feel the stroller packs-in high-tech goodies to keep the parents entertained too while taking their infants for a stroll. Yes..the stroller can be customized to include a bluetooth speakerphone and Caller ID, DVD players, and ipod docking station..(only if they could have made it bulletproof for you don?t want any troubles..right!). Besides speakerphone and iPod dock is fine, but a DVD player (unless you are prepared to meet any untoward incident hooked on to that on road driving your kid). But nonetheless it?s a hit already. The Roddler is out in the market since this past week and is available for a starting price of $2,500 depending upon customization.
Written by Trend Spotter on September 20, 2007 | No Comments
Conventional ‘earbud’ type headphones work kind of like a dam completely blocking outside noises from entering the ear canal and disturbing your tunes. The downside of course is that you can’t hear anything but your music which could be dangerous when wearing them outside. So the AirDrives headphones from a company called InAir Technology have a unique design that allows the wearer to not only hear their music but also everything else around them.
The headphones hook in front of your ears and actually transmit the audio through the cartilage which supposedly aids in the perception of high frequencies but also allows other sounds to easily get through. It’s kind of hard to explain particularly since I can’t find a photo of someone actually wearing them but there’s a ‘How It Works’ section on the InAir website which describes how the ear functions and the theory behind the headphones. If they work as claimed they could be a great alternative particularly for the urban crowd.
The AirDrives are currently available for pre-order and should ship in about 4-6 weeks. The standard version with a magnesium housing sells for $99.99 while a smaller kids version sells for $69.99.
[ Air Drives ] VIA [ Popular Science ]=
Written by Trend Spotter on September 20, 2007 | No Comments
That is just crazy!
I enjoy a clever bit of industrial design as much as the next guy particularly when form closely follows function but I’m struggling to see why this ballpoint pen designed by Jean Pierre Lepine looks so utterly complicated. Here’s the description of the Free Ride pen from the JOON New York website that doesn’t help much:
The Free Ride is designed to be different, ergonomic, and fun. This push top ballpoint features a soft rubber like material in the vital sections where finger meets pen. The arched hull is held in place by hand drilled screws. As Lepine puts it, “I create tomorrow’s writing instruments for today’s men and women”.
I can understand the need for an ergonomic pen since “today’s men and women” have to deal with the strain of signing their name 3 or 4 times a day on computer generated documents but what’s with that wheel on top? I assume it’s a clip of some sort but would anyone really walk around with this hanging off their shirt?
Surprisingly though when it comes to ‘designer’ pens the Free Ride isn’t that expensive. It’s available in green, blue, red, orange and yellow colors for $175 but I would suggest going for the chrome finished version instead which adds about $15 to the cost.
[ Free Ride Ballpoint Pen ] VIA [ Crave ]
Written by Trend Spotter on September 20, 2007 | No Comments
This can really come in handy in an emergency!
When it comes to an LED flashlight I’m pretty sure this design is as simple as it gets. Three super-bright LEDs (are there other versions of LEDs out there? somewhat-bright? relatively dim?) are housed in a small plastic cap that attaches directly to the top of a 9-volt battery. A small power switch is also included allowing you to leave the light connected at all times without draining the battery.
The design obviously borrows quite a bit from Richard Lawson’s own 9-volt lights but where as those look and function like miniature table lamps this version provides a directional beam making it a bit more useful to carry around with you.
The 9-Volt Battery Flashlights will be available from KIKKERLAND for about $10 sometime in October but if you can wait another month I’m sure the market will be flooded with plenty of even cheaper knock-offs.
[ 9-Volt Flashlight ] VIA [ technabob ]
Written by Trend Spotter on September 20, 2007 | No Comments
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