‘Starchitect’ Frank Gehry’s, Ground Zero Arts Center has been given the green light after months of wrangling between politicians and New York officials.
The stunning looking 1000-seat performing arts theater, will be housed on the originally planned site and the city is expected to release the $50 million needed to get the site’s foundations underway.
The project will cost around $500 million in total but, as we all know, expect that ‘guesstimate’ to rise as the project gets underway.
This stunning design for a new community structure in centre of old Seville in Spain is well underway. The Metropol Parasol is, as the name implies, a series of large parasols designed to keep the sun off those that will inhabit and visit what will be a mix of commercial activity and cultural/tourism activities.
Personally, I think they look more like giant mushrooms spouting from the earth but maybe the ‘Metropol Mushrooms’ wasn’t trendy enough in the name department.
Check out some very cool shots and some video after the jump.
Electric bikes have moved right along in terms of functionality and some even look good. Few, however, are as out there as this concept electric bike design from Yuji Fujimura.
The EBIQ, or Electric Bike Concept ver2, is quite striking to look at and that modern design is reinforced with the complete whitewash makeover. But there’s even more trickery under those clean lines after the jump.
Why are we showing you a photo of nice house? Well, because this house was once little more than a series of those large, metal shipping containers. Really.
Why buy a hybrid when you can have more power, better comfort, similar mileage and a far better looking vehicle for less money? How does one do this you ask? You buy a Volkswagen Jetta TDI that will get 45 mpg. In fact a couple recently broke a world record in which they drove a 2009 Jetta TDI through all 48 states and averaged 67.9 mpg!!!
I found that some Prius owners are upset they are not getting the manufacturers rated 60 mpg, their real world is closer to 43mpg. Also, there is a concern as to how the hybrid would hold up over the years and the cost to replace the batteries.
Ever since I watched Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, I was shocked to learn how urgent it is that we need to be responsible with the way we live. What is it that we are leaving to our future generations? I would not want our kids to ask us one day “Why didn’t we do anything when we had the chance?” Contrary to popular belief that most of the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere is from our vehicles, the true culprit is from coal burning power plants. Consuming less energy is our most direct way of saving our environment.
A housing project in IJsselstein, Holland, sets a great example of what we can do by using solar energy, one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy. Traditional crystalline solar panels cost about $50 per square foot. They are made with silicon wafers produced by the ‘price-gouging’ tech industry An alternative thin film solar panel, unlike crystalline panels, are made by depositing a layer of semiconductors onto glass or a flexible polymer. A third of the price per square foot of crystalline panels, the black or dark purplish thin film panels don’t make the building seem a sci-fi movie set. The only downside of thin film (which incidentally is the same technology that fuels your trusty solar-powered calculator and digital watch) is that it’s about half as efficient as crystalline panels. Since thin film is so cheap, the easy solution is to use more panels to achieve the same energy output. The upside is that you can integrate this thin film right into the architecture of your home or building without the characteristic “panels on the roof” look.
One nice example of this is found in the IJsselstein project homes. These become very attractive multilevel solariums – each unit almost completely encased in photovoltaic panels. Can you see them?
The glass cladding with the thin film panels provides over 30 percent of the total energy needs of each house. This “solar glass” also helps the 1,400 sq. ft. space feel larger and more open.
Yes, the upfront cost is higher than traditional construction. But the energy savings assure future ROI. But the biggest savings is in a positive environmental impact. That’s priceless…
(The Nike Air Max+ 2009 Running Shoe - super lightweight comfort that's loaded with technology)
To help me jump start back into exercising, I needed a new pair of running shoes. So of course they needed to have style – so that meant Nike was the only choice. I tried on a pair of Nike Air Max + 2009 and WOW! – I got way more than I expected. These shoes are a BEAST! Honestly, they are the most comfortable and light weight shoe I’ve ever worn – and they look great with my jeans. By no means am I a marathon runner, however, when I lace-up these bad boys, mentally I feel I can run that 26.2 mile goliath.
With that said, the Nike Air Max + running shoe will be my ride to conquer my first half marathon. Yup, I’ve committed myself for the Kaiser Permanente run in San Francisco next Spring. I love the feel and support of my run with these shoes. I even took a closer look under the hood of my ride and was totally blow away by the innovative technology. The full-length cushion foam mid-sole and Max air unit will keep my 40(+) year old knees and hips happy. This shoe also features a breathable upper mesh with ultra-strong Flywire technology for incredibly lightweight support and fit to my disjointed feet. I don’t look so lop-sided when I run anymore.
My size nines only weigh 12.8 ounces – the weight of a can of Coke. Besides the incredible style and technology I can measure and monitor my progress toward my goals by simply placing a sensor under the sock liner of the shoe. Its Da Bomb! This little sensor can measure my pace, distance, time elapsed and calories burned. This information is transmitted wirelessly to the receiver for real-time feedback. And on top of that, I can upload this info to the Nike+ website to track my training progress and connect with other runners around the world. This pricey ride is worth every penny.
(Nike Air Max Technology - Insert the sensor in one shoe, sync it to your iPod, and get all your running stats - wirelessly!)
This year’s toy sensation is the Zhu Zhu pet hamster, a furry electronic rodent that explores its world and makes endearing sounds along the way. But what makes Zhu Zhu so cool has more to do with how it came to market.
Cepia, a seven year old small St. Louis, MO. based toy design company with only 16 employees, envisioned creating an electronic pet toy. Then:
1. They narrowed the choice down to 3 animals – a fish, a dog, or a hamster. A live hamster was something that parents were least likely to get, so a substitute seemed to be a good fit.
2. This gut decision led to further research on YouTube where Cepia found tons of videos featuring hamsters. Add to that the hamster craze from TV shows and feature length movies, and Zhu Zhu sounded like a hit in the making.
3. They tested the little critters at ball games in Atlanta, Arizona, Philadelphia, Texas, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
4. Mom bloggers were also a target and Cepia sponsored some 250 hamster events. They shipped product to the moms, who invited 10 children and their parents to play with the toys. The results were astounding.
With 16 million dollars (US) invested, this tiny company did some gutsy and brilliant marketing!!! Predicted sales should top 70 million dollars (US) by the end of the year but this phenomenon should generate close to 500 million in sales when all is said and done.
These little guys are cute, collectable, and cheap (or will be once the demand goes down; suggested retail is 8 bucks), and loaded with accessories – my favorite being the hamster car. The hamster rolls into his own garage, gets into his car, drives right out of the double garage doors and into the world.
Move aside Tickle Me Elmo and Beanie Babies – it’s Zhu Zhu Pet’s time in the limelight.
Check out these links and see for yourself.
Weird Review of Zhu Zhu Pets and Accessories
I’m not much of a motorcycle fan and I’ve only watched “American Choppers” a handful of times; but even with this limited exposure I’ve been intrigued enough to enjoy the creative problem-solving that goes into each bike project. They start off with a client that has a unique personality or theme that they would like to promote. Then Orange County Choppers (OCC) creates a bike that’s custom tailored to meet these needs. As an exhibit designer, I appreciate this process but also the mass marketing potential. I mean to have your project built in front of millions of viewers tells an amazing story from which both Siemens and OCC benefit.
If you’ve watched “American Choppers”, you immediately associate Paul Teutul Sr. designing and building custom choppers. But the Siemens Smart Chopper, one of the latest custom-built choppers built by Orange County Choppers is no ordinary motorcycle. What makes it unique is that it’s electric and built from recycled materials. Thus it’s being billed as the world’s first custom “green” chopper. Siemens will be showcasing this chopper in several of their trade shows and conferences over the next year to promote a greater awareness for a more sustainable environment.
What really gets me excited about the Siemens “green” chopper is that it shows how technology that is currently available is beginning to be applied to potential consumer market areas outside the automotive market. Sure this technology is out there for industrial use – wind farms, power stations, etc.- but the idea of being able to take that technology, scale it down, and apply it to a niche product, shows how far we’ve come and where we’re headed. To be able to develop an all electric chopper that can go 60 miles on a single charge, do 100+ mph and still looks like a custom chopper that is still sleek and sexy – THAT is exciting. To turns heads without the roar of the tail pipe – in fact just the opposite; no sound at all – causes people to take notice of how such technology and environmental awareness is consistently taking a forefront in the conceptualization and production of everyday things and still allows us to look cool.
The Siemens Smart Chopper
It’s been an exciting “ride” to see this development and promotion first hand and how it relates to the overall message and that Siemens wants to convey at each of these trade shows.
Check out this video link!
click to view video of Siemens Smart Chopper
A friend sent me an email the other day with photos of a concept car with “joystick” steering. The comments in the email are what got under my skin: “Your grand-kids would love this car” – citing that today’s generation of video-gamers would be “joy-struck” with this concept. Here is Mercedes Benz attempt at joystick steering:
I’m 46 years old and I remember playing with my Atari back in the 70’s with a joystick. In fact, that was the preferred controller back then. Today, we have control pads, keyboards and, of course, the joystick.
This joystick idea wasn’t even new in the 70’s. About 40 years ago, Ford had a joystick concept car as well:
Well, it’s about 35 years since my Atari days and guess what? – I still don’t see anyone embracing joystick steering.
In my fury to defend my steering wheel position, I did some quick research and, to my surprise, found something that actually changed my thinking, and perhaps a little prejudice, toward this “new” concept. Please take just a second and check out this Toyota concept car video:
Toyota \”Joystick\” steering concepts
Suddenly I didn’t feel so “joy-stuck” anymore. The egg-shaped joystick added a fun, whimsical element to the driving experience. And the dual joystick steering that made the one-passenger vehicle “lean” as it was turning started to make some sense to me. Perhaps it wasn’t the joystick itself but the way it was being applied which needed different contextual waters to swim in. This new context removed it from feeling like a driving was some life-like video game. This was my “joy-sucked” dilemma and the reason why the traditional joystick concept never took off the ground (unless cars could fly).
What if we used “enlightened” joysticks to have better wheelchair controllers, easier amputee driving, a fun inner city commuter vehicle, a racing circuit dedicated to this special steering system. What if you need both hands to operate your vehicle. No knees on the steering wheel while eating your fries; no more cell phones in the “other” hand; you won’t even be able to light up a cigarette! Of course I write with tongue in cheek, but some realistic possibilities are starting to emerge.
Is there room for joystick steering in our future? Why not? Just remove the emotion from the name. Oh, and get rid of the “stick” idea. Let’s just call it CGM- Cool Guidance Mechanism, or ESS – Enlightened Steering System, or HCM – Human Controlled Movement, or – forget about it.
Steering wheels rule!
Questions?Want to talk? Let us call you. We'll respond to your question in 5 minutes.
