Who ever said good, functional design was just for the big kids. From humble beginnings to the pleasant plethora of items, Sparkability is a breath of fresh air for those in search of the elusive modern room decor for those cute bundles of joy better known as babies/toddlers. Say goodbye to the ho-hum crib as you know it and hello to the ducduc Alex Crib. The striking color (outside of white) choices for the head and footboards offer stimulation to the neural connections of babies. You can count on fixed side rails for further stability. This crib is meant to grow with a child and can conveniently transform itself into a toddler bed with the optional conversion kit. by Isla Verde
There's nothing cooler than making children's dreams come true. By the way, look at the most recent work of the talented German native photographe,r Jan von Hollebe : "Dreams of Flying". This disconcerting perspective of his pictures feature "children improvising their own games within the frame", as J.V.B said. Is it possible not to be seduced by as much poetic inventiveness? Holleben founded the non-profit organisation for emerging photographers Photodebut in 2003 and has since worked as a freelance photographer, picture editor and director of photography in London commissioning international photo-shoots. His personal work - including mainly landscapes, portraits and body parts - has been showcased in leading titles such as Creative Review, the Face, Sleazenation, The Independent and various others. After all, flying is not impossible. The proof is hereby Yvan Rodic.
Single letters
of the alphabet are messages surrounding us everywhere. Often they are
coded signs representing the world of brands, highly complex in
meaning.The system of the letter furniture Set 26 centres on individually
arranging and furnishing with letters and words. A full set of 26
letters, as well as a + and full stop, is designed as functional and
aesthetic furniture. Freely adaptable to any surroundings, these
letters are storage devices or partitions, emphasising and
characterising a room. Up to five interior drawers in each letter offer
plenty of space; adjustable inserts help organise and keep track. The
personal messages of the Set 26 can be metaphorical and very direct at
the same time. Words such as "bar" or "cash point" are plain examples;
for such purposes there are covers available. The Set 26 can also be
used outside the domestic area; for instance in reception areas in
shops or trade fairs. The concept offers the open rear "Front Fix"
model and the closed rear "Front" model with a front door. Each single
piece of furniture is crafted by hand from timber products in
Switzerland and painted with environmentally friendly, high-quality
paint. In order to afford more freedom for personal arrangements,
several standard as well as special colours are available. The Set 26
represents an innovative synthesis of space and function.
We have all been in the situation trying to find a street address where the absence of illumination delayed or completely changed our plans on arriving at a particular destination. The EZview Solar Powered Address Numbers can put an end to not finding a particular address when there is low or no lights. This product is weatherproof and uses solar energy which provides visibility (over 100’) to a particular set of numbers throughout the night and turn off at dawn. Thinking green never “looked” so good. by Isla Verde
For those who already know, its not what is next, but what is. They make modern synthed out rock, yet hail from a town in Nerbraska. This does not limit or imply they don't wield their guitars like axes. The Faint have explored their synthesizers with finesse and honesty to gather their own sound, but clearly they also have created some brutal dance floor slayers. I can't remember, and not always for just lack of sobriety, how many times the whole house has imploded towards the dance floor for their album Dance Macabre's, classics like Agenda Suicide, and Glass Danse World. These songs have sex appeal. This album even went on to get remixed by some notables, but I won't hold this against The Faint. Their newest album “Wet From Birth” saw The Faint honourably evolve. They incorporate violins, bells, and the unidentifiable. The flux of bands tailored towards the dance floor recently is a mere coincidence because while The Faint may be eligible for the dance floor, it retains an independent enjoyable cool. By Alex Fry
British duo Goldfrapp's have become certified masters of the sexy psychedelic electronica they created with debut “Felt Mountain” and built upon with follow-up “Black Cherry”. Their latest album “Supernature” uses this foolproof formula but alters it in the just the right way to keep it sounding fresh.
The release of ‘Ooh la la’ has been one of the most eagerly awaited musical events of this year, such is the pulling power of Alison Goldfrapp and her ultra-dry interpretations of electro dance pop. She is undoubtedly a genius of sorts and goes all the places that her washed up competitors wouldn’t dare. For an extra spin on her public pleasing prowess, ‘Ooh la la’ incorporates a 70s glam feel to its grunty dance rhythms, making the slight disco slant on the album apparent immediately. But Goldfrapp still have that otherworldly, ethereal freshness about them - partially because of the sleek production, but primarily due to Alison Goldfrapp’s breathy vocals. One of the most obvious things about “Supernature” though is it’s destined to keep Goldfrapp at the head of their game, and highlights their effervescent originality, enthusiasm and tongue-in-cheek flair. If you get the chance to see them live, you’ll be amazed at how unique their stage presence is...Alison will never fail to impress. By Eve Jenkin
It had to happen. As practically everything we use in the home, from TV sets to cell phones, ipods and computers, have shrunk in size and increased in efficiency, it was only a matter of time before the home itself became a transportable, order-in, pocket sized commodity. Ok, so it won't fit in your pocket but the Micro-Compact Home can be easily craned into position and comes complete with a sound system, flat screen TV and air-conditioning. And at roughly 77 sq metres, the two level dwelling isn't a whole lot smaller than your average inner city studio apartment. The thoroughly urban invention was a joint project between students at the Technical University of Munich and the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Plans for the first Micro-Compact village using prototype units are currently under way at the University of Munich campus. Or for 50,000 euros you can buy your own although we're not sure how welcoming your local council would be.
Falls Creek in Victoria, Australia prides itself
on being a very inclusive resort and this year became the world's first
alpine resort to be benchmarked by Green Globe 21 - the international
accreditation scheme for ecologically and socially sustainable tourism.
An oasis in the heart of the Australian Alps, our award for the coolest
new place to open in the mountains must go to Huski Boutique Apartments and Day Spa.
Huski has stepped away from traditional alpine architecture with a
radical, modern design based on the segments of a snowflake. The
apartments have mountain views to the spectacular Spion Kopje range and
are lavishly decked out with kitchen and dining accoutrements, luxury
linen and video and music systems.
It looks a little like the Michelin Man crossed a
kids jumping castle but the 'Office In A Bucket' means serious
business. Today's business market is all about portability, from hand
held PDA's to wireless networking. The team at Inflate
in the UK have taken it one step further with a portable, inflatable
office that is stored in a a bucket. The Office In A Bucket is a PU
coated nylon structured inflatable work space, that is erected by
simply plugging its storage bucket into the nearest power supply.
Within a few short minutes, the Lightweight office is fully
inflated and ready for use. With a simply entrance which easily pulls
to open, the BIAO provides privacy with a clip fastening closure system
and its PU coated design makes branding the structure easy. By Billy T
Ok picture yourself, its a rainy night, your driving home and you see a broken down car on the side of the road. On closer inspection you realize the car is a Mercedes convertible and Barbara Streisand is on her knees changing a flat. The best bit is her crack is showing. SNAP! you grab a shot with your cell phone cam and a week later your $15,000 richer thanks to scoopt.com
The newly founded U.K based Scoopt a 'civic media press agency' helps members of the public sell photographs and videos of newsworthy events to the press. If you snap up a scoop with your cam or phone, send it on through to the folks at scoopt, and by automatically granting them exclusive world rights, they will market the photo for a period of six months. Professional paparazzi can start looking for other work, as the regular Joes are the new happy snappers on the block.
Mint Royale originally started in 1997 -- now 2005 sees them returning with their third album 'See You In The Morning'. Championed by the likes of Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong, Judge Jules and Seb Fontaine, Mint Royale from the UK are no strangers to the big league. See You In The Morning earns Neil Claxton (aka Mint Royale) and his band even more stripes. Every track hints at something you’ve known before – there’s a splash of Pnau there, a nod to Fatboy Slim here, a bit of Chemical Brothers over this way and something that sounds like some early Infusion halfway through. Make no mistake though – this isn’t a copycat record. It’s rather more like listening to all your favourite songs that you haven’t heard yet. There’s a great mix of slow and lovely, sad ballad-type songs, straight-up pop, instrumental vs vocalized tracks and some written for the dancefloor. One track everyone is destined to hear (and by no means is it the best on the album) is the reworking of Singin’ In the Rain. It’s what a reworking should be – very far from the original with a dancebeat. Singin’ In the Rain sounds slightly familiar but you’re not really sure why. See You in The Morning is a wicked record, and a favourite of mine for the year for sure. ring tone By Shannon
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