Link About It: This Week’s Picks
A foldable rowboat, microscopic beauties, the human body as an instrument, and more in this week’s link list
1. Genital Instruments
Panties get strummed and nipples are turntables in this NSFW animated short and accompanying website from the French organization AIDES, putting a comically risqué spin on what in most other cultures would be a typically-sober public service announcement.
2. Spectacles
Dazed & Confused editor John-Paul Pryor recently released his first novel called Spectacles, a “hallucinatory” ride through the Ballardian future of London with a drug-addled population engaged in prostitution, biological warfare, and more. Artist Marnie Weber calls it “The most seriously dark, violent and disturbing work I have ever read.”
3. Muji Hard Carry Travel Suitcase
Like all Muji design, their take on the lightweight hardshell four-wheeler is simple, well-made and, at $200, more bang for your buck than comparable premium brands. The polycarbonate case comes in two sizes (either for a
few days plus or up to a week) and three muted colors: khaki, grey and black.
4. Talk To Me
Core77 got a sneak peek at MoMA’s upcoming exhibition “Talk To Me,” which explores the shifting terrain of communication design with over 200 objects, such as an SMSlingshot, be-B Braille Education Ball, Sputniko’s “Menstruation Machine” and the mood sensor Happylife.
5. Bean Bag Chairs
We all long for the days when (without the benefit of big kid toys like cars) plopping on and throwing around a bean bag chair was as good as it got. As adults it may be hard to justify having a foam-filled blue blob in your living room, but the new line of cute bean bag chairs from Woouf in witty shapes like giant cameras and hamburgers will satisfy nostalgia without alienating your “downtown” friends.
6. Pictures of Sand
A professor at the University College London has taken obsession with detail to a new level. Sorting and choosing the best grains, Gary Greenberg takes photos of sand at over 250X magnification, bringing out the insane details and totally unique characteristics of each one.
7. U.S. Women’s Soccer Success Gives Men a Tough Goal: Buying a Jersey
Congratulations to Japan and hats off to both teams for a great game! While the Wall Street Journal’s pandering coverage of the uniforms left a lot to be desired, it does provide us with the opportunity to give a shout to the fans and other supporters quoted in the article—in particular our own Tim Yu acting as spokesperson for Nike.
8. Foldable Boat Packs into a Portable Carry Bag
A prototype developed in a paper-folding workshop, this eight-foot plastic rowboat folds into a portable tote. Potential applications include disaster relief, as well as backpacking or for any water-sports fans tight on storage space.
