New Word of the Day: Flashpacking

Flashpacking clicks with great outdoors (via: CNN.com)

Flashpacking: When you go backpacking or camping and bring your cell phone, pda, laptop, gps, iPod, and digital camera with you.

Shoes for Dorks.

Featured at SIGGRAPH 2006, these powered shoes with wheels allow a user to walk in any direction within a virtual scene, all while staying in the same place in the real world; bringing to life the dream of realistic walking to gamers everywhere ;)

(via Engadget)

Weapons of Ass Destruction

I never belonged to a frat in college (the Stout-ID crew was a gang in itself), but www.fratpaddle.com looks like a novel way for trust-fund babies to gear up and act out their homoerotic fantasies, er, I mean rush pledges. They sell anything online these days.

Superman: Men in Tights

I was a super nerd last night and biked over to AMC Van Ness to watch the 9:50 showing of Superman Returns. It was nice to see Byran Singer stay true to the styling of Donner's original '78 Superman, down to the original John Williams score and bringing Brando back from the dead as Jor-El, and the Boeing 777-Space Shuttle scene was great. Of course what I noticed is that Lex Luthor's henchmen are completely decked out in Lowe Alpine gear from head to toe when they explore the Fortress of Solitude. C'mon, everyone knows that evil henchmen and diabolical geniuses prefer JanSport and The North Face gear 2-to-1.

I was also chekin' out the new "S" logo on the chest, and they've added a very cool knurl pattern with a carbon fiber feel. It looks less plastic than in the past and the texture adds depth to the crest. The cape was allegedly GCI throughout the movie and it looked pretty good, and I like how they added sonic booms and re-entry flare-up for added realism when he flew around. His boots were pretty interesting, too, because they looked like a cross between cowboy boots and Adidas A3 Superstars. There were what looked like EVA pod cushions along the sides with ribbed toe protection (why does he need cushioning when he can stop a bullet with his eyeball?), and the signature split-front boot cuffs. They could've been Steve Maddens, actually.

Must be in the Front Row!

Woman Told to Stay Away from Brewers Games (via ESPN.com)

This isn't really related to art & design at all, but since I grew up in Milwaukee I find it hilarious that anyone, especially female, is stalking Bob Uecker.

Land of Lincoln

Wow. Lincoln is putting out some sweet-ass rides for 2007, most notably the MKS (G5-esque) and the MKX (Pacifica with better proportions). Ever since '02, the Lincon design team has been putting out some really dialed show car concepts, and it was only a matter of time before the styling crept into production models. Score one for U.S. auto makers.

Today's Devices of Tomorrow, Yesterday.

Communication Devices of the Future (via: Forbes)

...and a couple good articles featuring designers in The Onion:

Graphic Designer's Judgment Clouded By Desire To Use New Photoshop Plug-In

CNN Graphic Designer Asked To Combine Dollar Sign, Syringe, Fighter Jets, Panda

Laid Off Website Designer Designs Website about being Laid Off

New Solidworks Surfacing Tools

Surfacing in Solidworks was always a pain in the ass, I'd always have to make the sexy forms in Rhino then import it as an IGES, but apparently the next release has some pretty decent surfacing tools. Plus, everything stays parametric.

Pride Celebration, San Francisco

Last weekend I had to check out what was described to me as a "cultural experience" like no other, the Pride parade and celebration in San Francisco, billed as the largest one around. The feather boa factories must've been running three shifts leading up to this weekend. As an open-minded straight guy now living in San Francisco (and with a gay brother), what struck me was not the occasional, and really unsolicited, nudity or the crazy outfits, but the amount of support given from the regular breeder population such as myself. The main highlight for me was witnessing Esera Tuaolo perform, the former Green Bay Packer and Pro Bowler who is now out of the closet. The last time I saw him in person was years ago at Lambeau Field when he was on the d-line killing running backs. Sunday, he was belting out an R&B version of Lennon's Imagine in a traditional Hawaiian skirt-thing. Both were equally frightening.
Yahoo's blurb on the origin of the rainbow flag design.

Food Design

(tonight's dinner)

So, yeah, I like to cook. I definitely don't act like I always know what I'm doing, but there are flavors and ingredients that I like combining and I find that as long as I don't burn it, I'll usually end up with something that's palpable. I think what I like about cooking is that I can approach it like a design project: carefully choosing components, envisioning a final composition in my mind...and then ignoring all directions and planning, rushing through the process, and ending up with something I didn't want.

In the latest GQ (and also blogged to death on core) there's an article on how Chicago has the best restaurants in America (up for debate, but I don't disagree). They feature restaurants such as Moto and Avenues, whose chefs who also approach food like designers.

VW brings back the Rabbit. Huh?

So I click on an interesting banner I had found on The Onion's website, about something called The Gypsy Cab Project, about some guy from Denver who's picked to be a NYC gypsy cab driver for, like, two weeks (note: in Pittsburgh, they're called jitney cabs). Almost like a taxi cab confessions sort of deal, it's actually pretty interesting, and I wish I were in New York so I could call this guy for a ride. I couldn't figure out who the sponsor of the site was at first, or what it was even selling, if anything, but then I saw the small VW badge at the bottom. Of course, who else? The purpose of the site is to promote the upcoming 2007 VW Golf, which will go back to it's old nameplate, The Rabbit. As a Golf owner myself, who's been looking forward to the release of the latest model (and possibly buying one), I'm not too fond of this decision. It makes about as much sense to me as going back to calling the Jetta sedan the Fox, or bringing back the Gremlin or Pinto name. Now, the original Rabbit had a much better reputation than the latter two autos, but there's still a 70's, unsexy connotation to the name, for me at least.

Iron-y Couture

With the proliferation of ironic t-shirts in mainstream places like the Gap and even Target, I eventually had to make some of my own. And poking fun at work is always a stress reliever. Basically I got inkjet iron-on sheets from OfficeMax and some blank t's. They work great, but if you store the sheets and don't use them for awhile they don't transfer as cleanly, so take note.

Art Shmart

When I was back in Milwaukee last month, one of my good friends, Andre St. Louis, gave me one of his "Walking Man" cast-aluminum sculptures (from a series of three) which I've always thought were extremely cool. It had been on display at an internet cafe on the eastside for months, and we just went in and ripped it out of the wall (with permission, of course). The proportions of the fists in combination with the negative space where the torso should be gives the piece a weightless, yet anchored presence at the same time. And it looks bad-ass.

This is another piece of his which I like, a painting that hangs in the main office of Flux Design in Milwaukee. I think I can just relate to schools of dead fish, growing up near Lake Michigan. I felt honored to be a subject model for his senior thesis at MIAD a few years ago, but it's still wierd to see myself in sculpture form or on newsprint. I've just started the first painting I've done in about five years (below) as a wedding present for some friends of mine. I'm more of an illustrator than a painter, and I'm not a master at mixing acrylics, so I felt it safe that I use an illustrative style for the piece. In industrial design school, they teach you to think and draw fast, so I always have to put on the brakes when I do studio art. So naturally I spent about 60 seconds on a sketch that I felt worked for a vertical composition and went to work. Although I think you can pull some symbolism from the imagery (marriage is like a tree, it should be well rooted, blah blah blah), there will be a twist to it once I start populating the tree and roots, so hopefully it won't be too wierd for their home when I'm done ;)

iSweat

Apple iPod factories reportedly 'sweatshops'
via: MSNBC.com

With 100 iPod sold for every minute of the 4th qtr 2005, I don't doubt it. Now you have two reasons to feel guilty for downloading that Chingy video.

Flyers

I'm starting to do more flyer work out here in San Francisco, because I missed investing lots of time with little return. Here are some oldies but goodies from the old 'burgh days. (clockwise: b-day invite for former Steeler QB Mike Tomczak using actual prom photo supplied by his wife, a singles "board game" charity mixer, and a bowling party at Arsenal Lanes complete with scorecard)

Big Ben go Boom

Steeler's QB Ben Rothlisberger was in a motorcycle accident yesterday while riding (sans helmet) his Suzuki Hayabusa, which claims to be the fastest production motocycle on earth. He struck a car about 500 yards from my first apartment in Pittsburgh, a tight intersection between an avenue, a bridge, and a set of tunnels. You'd think that he'd have better peripheral vision, right?

Kami and Sasu

Before it leaves July 2nd, check out the paintings from husband and wife duo, Kami and Sasu, at Fifty24sf Gallery off of Fillmore and Haight.

Google Trends

A sales rep at work brought Google Trends to my attention today, which seems to be getting legs within the marketing world. Yet another extremely useful app that I will waste lots of time doing mostly useless things with.

HondaJet

After 15 years in development, Honda is introducing their debut into aviation, the HondaJet, at this year's EAA Air Venture in Oshkosh. It's an ultralight jet sporting Honda turbofan engines that should allow even meager CEO's to have their lunch breaks in a different state. It looks pretty slick, and I'm sure the Honda tuning community will be all over it in a few weeks, maybe adding a bigger wing in the back or tinting the windows. The last time I was at EAA the coolest thing I saw was a simulated WWII bombing raid and dogfight, complete with ground explosions and authentic B-1 bombers and P-51 Mustangs. If it wasn't for the overweight family gorging on cotton candy standing next to me, I would've thought it was France, 1943.

In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaaand...

The Institute for the Future (which sounds like a sequel to Blade Runner) is a Palo Alto think tank specializing in trend forcasting which has resorted to creating "artifacts from the future" to supplement their 10-year planning reports. Apparently their clients weren't even reading the 96-page annuals they paid for, so the Institute decided that pictures can paint 96 pages of words.

Rollin' on 5's

The newest trend in rolling luggage.

Design 2.0

I wasn't able to attend Design 2.0 at Minna Gallery here in San Francisco because of work commitments, but Nick Baum has nicely summarized the seminar on his blog.

More in the US getting inked

According to CNN, 36% of americans between 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo. Since I'm never satisfied with my art enough for it to be permanent, I'll probably always be part of the other 64%.

Physics of Breakdancing

Ever wonder about the science that goes into a flare or an airswipe?
This guy has.

Cordless jump rope patented

The cordless jump rope has been patented. As if you didn't look silly enough jumping rope. via: engadget

Hip-burgh

A recent CNN.com Travel article called Pittsburgh "cutting-edge", which would probably cause most people to scratch their heads, especially those living there. However, I was there for roughly five years and had a blast. It's easy to get involved in the growing art + design scene, the people are down-to-earth, urban redevelopment is booming, cost of living is way low, and yinz can't beat the accents (what accent?). And it's nice to see them give a nod to Kelly's Bar. This picture shows the scene from Mt. Washington that was rated the second-most beautiful view in America. I think I can see someone breaking into my car from here...

JanSport LiveWire iPod Gear

This is an article on the new iPod-controlling apparel and backpacks my lovely employer has been developing. For a meager amount of cash (or if you're a personal friend and beg) you, too, may own one. Wait'll you see what's in store for future versions, heh heh. So it's 11:30pm on a Saturday night in San Francisco and I'm slaving away on Photoshop. Why do I agree to do these side projects again? Oh yeah, $$$.

Golf Punk

How do you make a traditionally stuffy game like golf cool and accessible to the young hipster masses eager to hit things with a metal stick and wear sportswear in an ironic way? Golf Punk Magazine entices novices like me by adding some FHM dna, snide uk humor, girls in bikinis lying in bunker sand (Kinda disturbing, actually. I imagine cigar butts stuck to their backs), and showcasing hip links gear from J. Lindeberg.

Installation Art

A very talented installation artist I know in Milwaukee, Katie's thought process and attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. www.kathrynemartin.com

Smart Cars in the U.S.

A hit everywhere in Europe but struggling to gain entry to the U.S. market, the Smart Car may finally have a champion in Mercedes-Benz. Somehow I just can't see the soccer mom trading in her M-class, but considering the parking situation on my block and the gas prices in San Fran, I wouldn't turn one away if it were dropped in my lap. Yes, it's that small.

Guerilla Marketing

I was at a surprise birthday party this afternoon for a friend of mine who's currently at Google, and his former cmu roomate brought up the topic of a suspected guerilla marketing attempt on him while riding the BART. The woman sitting next to him took out a device called the oqo, a new micro-windows tablet device launched by a former Apple product designer. She started extolling the virtues of the device without any solicitation from him. If it was some sort of planted tactic, he just realized he was spreading the word about the device as he's retelling us the story. People here are pretty keen to guerilla tactics by corporations. Remember the PSP grafitti campaign a few months ago? Actual street artists defaced the Sony "graffiti" outside Zeitgeist, just down the street from me. In a recent find, companies as prominent as Volkswagen have started creating MySpace "profiles" for their products. I'm surprised more people aren't in an uproar about VW tainting the "integrity" of MySpace. Cue sarcasm.

The iDJ2 from Numark

My friends at Numark have come out with the new iDJ2. It improves over the first iDJ by allowing the user to simultaneously pull two tracks of music from a single iPod and mix them together, plus adding scratch capabilities. They conveniently hid it from me the last time I was at their offices.

Dragon. fly.

My friend Jessie, former roomate and co-owner of Flux Design, is currently building a large steel and wooden dragonfly for a client, and it's no degree short of sick. I want one.

Absolut Ice

Aside from having the time of my life during the Travel Goods Show in Vegas back in March, a few of us stumbled over to the Nightclub, Bar & Restaurant Show next door. The Absolut booth showcased an amazing bar and pool table sculpted completely out of ice, encasing bottles of Absolut Mandarin inside. I don't know if I could make a living out of making temporary art, it's gotta be heartbreaking seeing every piece of work wither away to nothing. 

Cakewalk Music Creator 3 vs. Apple's GarageBand

In an attempt to find a competitive Windows equivalent to Apple's GarageBand music mixing software, I came across Music Creator 3, a $30 download from UK software firm Cakewalk that seems to have some pretty established roots in the professional recording industry. Their claim is that you don't need any experience to use the software, but I beg to differ. The user interface is clunky, icons and controls are not intuitive, there's an overload of controls covering the panels, and for a beginner trying to use the software to simply mix their little ditty, good luck. I've only played around with GarageBand at the Apple store, but in the 15 minutes of me standing there I quickly composed a simple score on the MIDI keyboard. I'm searching for a used iBook on eBay and throwing iLife 3 on it.

Calatrava & Java

Last month I revisted the atrium of the Milwaukee Art Museum during a morning jog while in town for a sales, er, brand strategy meeting, just before hitting Alterra Roasters. I'm always amazed at how Santiago Calatrava can design such beautifully kinetic structures that seem at home in whatever state they're in. Luckily it was a beautiful day, and the brise soliel was fully open. But I've never forgiven him for building the museum on top of my old skating spot, "The Circle".