The main IFA building kind of looks like BattleStar Galactica. Inside, the whole thing just looks like a B-movie set, making you think that you are in a groovy sci-fi flick from the 70s. Full of teutonic cylons too, obviously conspiring to kill us all. Or sell us useless things. I can go either way with those smiles. Obligatory gallery right after the jump.
” Smoking Lamp” (HeHe, 2005)
Interview/Article by Jonah Brucker-Cohen
In the diverse discipline of design for public and private spaces, artists are constantly creating new ways of envisioning our relationship to the objects we interact with daily. Exploring this connection is Helen Evans and Heiko Hansen (collectively known as “HeHe”) whose work provides glimpses of the technological systems surrounding us by making them more apparent and tactile. From their “Smoking Lamp” which outfits a lamp with pollution sensors that effect its color when someone is smoking nearby, to creating a screen with a matrix of LED lights that react to visitors breath in “Twilight”, HeHe’s architectural transformations are compelling reminders how urban space can be envisioned and acted upon. Gizmodo spoke with HeHe during their artist residency at Eyebeam in NYC to discuss their projects and the importance of critical design in everyday life.
Images and Interview after the jump.
newVideoPlayer("microsft_zunephone_gawker.flv", 475, 376); The not-new-but-still-enjoyable video above is pegged to a fresh quote from a Microsoft exec, via Reuters: “It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think at some point there might some integrated thing,” Mindy Mount, chief financial officer of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, told investors at Citigroup’s global technology conference. That was in response to asking about “a mobile phone combined with features of its Zune digital music player.”
Although the exact wording of the question could have been something along the lines of, “OK, suppose someone puts a cream pie to Bill Gates’s face and says ‘you can either make a Zunephone, or things are going to get messy again…’”
That stands in contrast this with Balmer’s statements. You, reader, should realize that this is still not proof. For example, Windows without security popups would be “Not Unreasonable” but you don’t see that anywhere, do you? Note to Microsoft: You guys are wimps if you don’t step into the Apple arena with a Zune phone. Battlemodo! [Yahoo!]
Despite looking like some sort of a PS3 VoIP phone, Messiah’s Darklite PS3 remote merely controls movie watching on your PS3. The remote, styled like a slider cellphone, features simple navigation controls on top, and slides up to reveal advanced controls underneath. A USB dongle plugs into the PS3, acting as a charger and IR base station for the Darklite. The real eye-catcher, however, is the design. The blue backlit keys and glossy top are enough to make us drool over its shininess. The Darklite is scheduled to release on September 25 for $30. [Messiah via Crave]
newVideoPlayer("iphonedock_gawker.flv", 475, 376); Check out Nate True’s iPhone dock 2.06 app that was rewritten to be accessible in any app, making it good for switching between programs. Swipe your finger from the bottom right of the screen towards center to pull up the starburst menu. This is the best way to make more icon space for your new 3rd-party programs. And it even takes screenshots. (Use AppTapp to get this setup easy as pie.) [Cre.ations]
Just when you thought you’ve graduated from college and escaped the desk + chair combination furniture, here comes the Thanko Chair-Desk. It’s a standard rolling office chair, yes, but it also has an attachment with a desk-surface for writing/computing. Very useful for Japan’s 200 sqft. apartments, but definitely useful for a workplace that no desks and cubicles—just a wide open floor full of chair-desks and laptops. We could see lots of rolling around work getting done there. [Thanko via Tokyomango]
newVideoPlayer("serenahp2_gawker.flv", 475, 267); More US Open / gadget combo posts. Here’s a new HP ad by Serena Williams. Fact: I recently discovered that these commercials were made on HP workstations at the Goodby Silverstein agency in SF, not Macs as I’d assumed all ad agencies do. This comes by way of an HP exec, but only the people at Goodby know for sure. Great ad, either way, especially when Serena tosses the competition away like a little gnat.
We often miss out on the best bits, even in online photo shops. So it’s nice to hear the news that the Australian Snapfish photo print store (it’s an HP thing, if you didn’t know it) is now offering their very sleek and sexy photo books.
The premium hardback option is $39.95 for a 20-page book, or add $1.95 per extra two pages. Six cover colours, eight layout styles. You can also get two paperback options, or even a pocket book. Books are delivered “within 10 working days”.
File this in the realm of totally false (Logitech said “this is definitely made up”), but here’s some fanart of a possible Logitech G25 keyboard. It has their EDGE-line stylings, but combines Optimus style changeable display keys with a scrolling circle pad on the left. Yeah, we could see ourselves using something like this, but if we really had to choose, we’d have them make the keyboard curved, like the Microsoft Ultimate Keyboards. Full version of the fake, complete with fakey fake specs, after the jump. [Thanks Tipster!]
Supercomputing on a budget. 26.25 Teraflops from four microATX / dual core hook ups. Some real mojo there.
Google Phone all but confirmed… Om Malik shares five ‘facts’ from a ‘reliable source’.
Think Secret practically promises iPod Touch/Nano tomorrow. I guess we’ll find out by this time tomorrow!
Germans plan colossal new Great Pyramid. For burials and everything. 100x bigger than ‘the’ Great Pyramid. I call nuts.
California bans mandatory subdermal RFID tagging. Nice pre-emptive strike against Big Brother corporations, and for the ultra paranoid.
Toyota releases US$300 iPod integration kit for all current model cars. Official integration for the price of an actual iPod? I’ll stick with my DLO kit.
[Eggs thanks to Malias]
