Design

Universal Everything
DESIGN & INNOVATION  |  Comment

Universal Everything's Forever Video Installation Is Enchanting

BY Cliff KuangWed Jan 7, 2009 at 3:03 PM

If you find yourself in London anytime in the next month, it's worth trotting over to the V&A museum for a mesmerizing installation. In the museum's gardens, the design studio Universal Everything has set up a screen that displays a sinuous ... GO»

    passive house white house
    THE AD VERSE EFFECT  |  1 comment

    Let's Turn The White House Into A 'Passive House'

    BY Danielle SacksWed Jan 7, 2009 at 2:00 PM

    David White, an architectural energy technical consultant at Transsolar who I met while reporting environmental design stories, is a passionate advocate for the passive house movement. "German Passivhaus," which originated decades ... GO»

      Ordos 100
      DESIGN & INNOVATION  |  Comment

      Designing A Pipe Dream In The Mongolian Desert

      BY Cliff KuangWed Jan 7, 2009 at 12:30 PM

      Remember the "Bird's Nest" stadium from the Beijing Olympics? It's creators were the starchitects Herzog & deMueron and the Chinese artist AiWeiWei. Happily, the two are still collaborating: This time, they're trying to bring ... GO»

        solar mirror 1966
        GREEN DAY  |  Comment

        Clean Tech Recession: Winners And Losers

        BY Anya KamenetzWed Jan 7, 2009 at 10:00 AM

        Green energy is still a lightning-fast growth area in venture capital--VC investment in green energy technologies in 2008 exceeded $7.7 billion in more than 350 deals, more than double last year’s dollar totals, according to ... GO»

          hitachi trackball
          TECHNOMIX  |  Comment

          Hitachi Reinvents TV Remote As A Trackball

          BY Kit EatonWed Jan 7, 2009 at 8:30 AM

          I'm totally left befuddled by the current trend of having full-function TV/AV remotes with two hundred tiny buttons and a screen for Windows connectivity. Instead, I'm all about simplicity, which is why Hitachi's trackball-style ... GO»

            Brand Extensions
            DESIGN OF THE TIMES  |  Comment

            Best -- And Worst -- Brand Extensions Of 2008

            BY Linda TischlerWed Jan 7, 2009 at 8:30 AM

            It’s hard work building a big, recognizable brand. Naturally, once they’ve built one, most companies find it irresistible to try and extend that brand love to other products. Sometimes this is a good idea: Starbucks’s lattes are good; Starbucks’s latte ... GO»

              Macworld Keynote Innovations
              EDITOR'S DESK  |  Comment

              Seven Innovations From The MacWorld Keynote

              BY Noah RobischonTue Jan 6, 2009 at 5:03 PM

              Apple announced an impressive number of advances today at MacWorld, everything from facial recognition to advanced drag and drop video editing. But which of these software upgrades are truly innovative and which ones are simply Apple's 'improvements' on what's already been done? GO»

                Macbook Pro
                TECHWATCH  |  Comment

                Is The MacBook's New Super-Battery Actually Cutting Edge?

                BY Chris DannenTue Jan 6, 2009 at 3:44 PM

                The best new feature in Apple's [AAPL] new MacBook Pro is the 8-hour, ultra-durable battery that Apple says it custom-designed. But is it really the advanced powerplant it claims to be? Conventional notebook batteries, or lithium-ion ... GO»

                  Waterford
                  DESIGN OF THE TIMES  |  Comment

                  Posh British Brands Face Bankruptcy

                  BY Linda TischlerTue Jan 6, 2009 at 1:30 PM

                  Waterford Wedgwood, icons of British tableware, are on the block. Are they victims of a nasty economy or changing tastes? GO»

                    CES Preview
                    DESIGN & INNOVATION  |  Comment

                    Pre-CES Buzz Jockeying

                    BY Cliff KuangTue Jan 6, 2009 at 1:00 PM

                    And...go! On Thursday the sprawling consumer electronics industry descends on Las Vegas for its biggest tradeshow, CES. For many companies, it will set the entire year's product calendar. But how to stand out? One ploy is to jump ... GO»

                      Gary Hustwit
                      DESIGN & INNOVATION  |  1 comment

                      Gary Hustwit's "Objectified" [video]

                      BY Cliff KuangTue Jan 6, 2009 at 12:35 PM

                      Gary Hustwit's documentary about the ubiquitous Helvetica font was an instant classic for design geeks. He's now turned his lens on process behind product design in "Objectified." Above is the just-released trailer. In the film, ... GO»

                        LG logo
                        TECHNOMIX  |  Comment

                        LG Adds Photo-Frame Tech To TVs

                        BY Kit EatonTue Jan 6, 2009 at 11:56 AM

                        Given that an LCD TV is basically a large digital photo frame with added video-processing power, this innovation from LG has taken a surprising while. And LG's new 47-inch "Digital Photo TV" goes one stage further than just acting as ... GO»

                          vuzix goggles
                          TECHNOMIX  |  Comment

                          Vuzix VR Goggles World's First With Transparent Quantum Optics

                          BY Kit EatonTue Jan 6, 2009 at 8:51 AM

                          News of the Vuzix Wrap 920AV video-glasses first appeared a few days ago, but without any specific data. Now we know that along with looking less retro-sci-fi than previous video-goggles, they're packing some interesting ... GO»

                            Amazon Kindle
                            TECHWATCH  |  Comment

                            What Can The Book Business Learn From iTunes?

                            BY Chris DannenTue Jan 6, 2009 at 8:00 AM

                            This week the media is a-squabble over the death rattles coming from the book publishing industry. Yes, it's in dire condition. But a new business model might bring readers back. Call it the Free Lunch model. An article in The Wall ... GO»

                              USC dean Qingyun Ma
                              FEATURE  |  Comment

                              Asian Designers Are Schooling American Architects--Here's How

                              BY Carolina A. MirandaTue Jan 6, 2009 at 8:00 AM

                              Renowned Asian designers now helm two of the U.S.'s traditionally Eurocentric architecture schools. Here's what they're teaching the new generation of American architects. GO»

                                Phat Knits
                                DESIGN & INNOVATION  |  2 comments

                                Knitted Furniture Finally Done, Knitted Wii Only A Matter Of Time

                                BY Cliff KuangMon Jan 5, 2009 at 2:03 PM

                                Here's an over-sized hunk of eye candy: Dutch designer Bauke Knottnerus recently created a series of low-slung sofas made entirely from giant pieces of knitted "thread." Imagine getting hit by a shrink ray and then falling into your ... GO»

                                  lenovo allinone
                                  TECHNOMIX  |  Comment

                                  Lenovo Joins All-in-One PC Game With Slimmest Model

                                  BY Kit EatonMon Jan 5, 2009 at 1:14 PM

                                  For a long time Apple was king of the all-in-one PC game with the latest gen iMac being one of the slickest PC offerings out there: But this year there's been a lot of interest from other players, with Dell, Fujistu and Sony coming up ... GO»

                                    iphone nano
                                    TECHNOMIX  |  Comment

                                    MacWorld 2009 Rumor Round-Up

                                    BY Kit EatonMon Jan 5, 2009 at 12:47 PM

                                    With the doors of the Moscone center in San Francisco soon to burst open upon a Jobs-less Macworld 2009, the Internets are predictably alive with rumors--some more believable, some less believable, some just stuffed with desperate ... GO»

                                      Floating Hotel Thumb
                                      DESIGN & INNOVATION  |  1 comment

                                      Swedish Floating Hotel Is More Than A Gimmick

                                      BY Cliff KuangMon Jan 5, 2009 at 12:20 PM

                                      In October, Sweden got its first floating hotel, a 46-room, boutique affair called Salt & Sill. The eco-minded proprietors chose the watery location, off a small fishing island near Gothenburg, simply because they didn't want to ... GO»

                                        samsung tv
                                        TECHNOMIX  |  Comment

                                        Battle Of The Thinnest TVs At CES 2009

                                        BY Kit EatonMon Jan 5, 2009 at 9:06 AM

                                        When news of LG's LH95 "thinnest" LCD TV hit last week, we should've predicted that it was just the first of a series of similar product announcements. At CES 2009, it seems that TV makers are trying to out-do one another with debuts ... GO»

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