Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Foldable energy, Herman Miller in 108 seconds, Goodwood 2013 and more in our weekly look at the web
1. 15 years of Gonz and Adidas
It may come as a surprise that the most celebrated character in
skateboarding has spent the last 15 years skating for Adidas. To
celebrate the mutual commitment between Mark Gonzales and Adidas
Skateboarding, the sportswear giant compiled a short film full of
archival footage, storytelling and interviews with some of the
industry’s top photographers. Just a few seconds in and it’s obvious: there’s nobody out there quite like The Gonz.
2. Fuseproject’s XO Tablet Hits Stores
Boasting a newly updated, colorful interface, Fuseproject’s XO Tablet hit stores around the US this week. The Android-powered tablet, designed by Yves Behar in collaboration with the One Laptop Per Child Association, creates new ways for kids to learn using the power of a touchscreen. Everything about the tablet has been developed for children, from its protective outer-case to its innovative software, which comes pre-loaded with 100 free, education apps, books and games. The interactive learning tool now sells from Walmart for $150.
3. The Hyperloop System
If Tesla CEO Elon Musk has his way, the Hyperloop system will become a reality and make transcontinental trips across the US astoundingly short. Developed with Colorado-based ET3, Musks’s elevated Hyperloop system works with magnetic levitation—similar to those of bullet trains—which would see passengers travel in a nearly frictionless enclosed tube. Possibly the biggest kicker is the projected cost per ride: A trip from LA to New York would be just $100.
4. Linguist Finds A New Language
University of Michigan linguistics professor Carmel O’Shannessy has discovered a new language called Light Warlpiri that’s spoken by aboriginal people under the age of 35 in a remote village in northern Australia. Completely unique to them, it’s uncertain why this entirely new language developed in this group at this point in history.
5. Foldable Energy
A recent design contest by Volvo Italy has inspired an unexpected, and frankly necessary, redesign of the solar panel. LA-based Synthesis Design + Architecture dubbed its futuristic renewable folding design the “Pure-Tension Pavilion.” While aesthetically stunning, the design is actually fully functional. Using high-density polyethylene as a base skin, solar panels are integrated while a carbon fiber rod structure gives the form integrity and allows it to fold. Fittingly, the design contest centered around Volvo’s V60 Plug-in Hybrid, the first diesel plug-in hybrid in production.
6. Antiquing at Brimfield
The Brimfield Antique Show in central Massachusetts, held triennially, is heralded for its eclectic finds. The show draws a wide crowd; from NYC art directors to collectors from around the East Coast looking for a score, to students outfitting their new dorm digs. Our friends at Sight Unseen braved the heat last weekend while capturing some of the best finds of the show. From vintage children’s toys worthy of a gallery to German-made brass pitchers, Brimfield has something for every taste, with enough surprises to keep collectors coming back show after show.
7. Inside Sunspel
Known for their commitment to quality, England’s Sunspel offers a
look inside their production studio to see the process behind their handcrafted T-shirts. Void of narration, the brief
yet
video shows a traditional environment and family-like atmosphere
in the Long Eaton factory and that, when done right, simple design doesn’t come easy.
8. 108 Years of Herman Miller in 108 Seconds
To celebrate the launch of their new video series Why Design, a digital platform exploring the world through the eyes of designers, Herman Miller created a charming video showcasing their rich legacy and abundant success in the company’s 108-year history. The Michigan manufacturer tapped Dutch animators Part of a Bigger Plan to produce the 108-second video, which takes viewers through an animated look at milestone moments, from Gilbert Rhode’s lasting influence to George Nelson’s creative direction, and Eames’ loungers to the Time Magazine cover-worthy molded plywood chair and more.
9. Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013
The 20th anniversary of the Goodwood Festival of Speed lived up to its reputation this past week in West Sussex, England. To celebrate the special year, the festival featured some of “the biggest, best, fastest, loudest and most outrageous vehicles of all time”—just take a look for yourself. New and old and incredibly rare, the cars at this year’s show were more than a thrill to all the fans, and even the biggest racing teams in attendance.
10. Stryker on Weed
It’s not everyday that you come across a medical marijuana growing guide written by an adult film star. After leaving his mark on the porn industry, Jeff Stryker began researching and testing various home-growing operations in light of California’s recent medical marijuana legislation, making it legal for those with a prescription to grow certain amounts at home. One might not expect Stryker to be an expert on in-house ganja—with his Ken Doll meets San Bernardino vibe—but his unique notoriety may draw in a new audience to the DIY medical marijuana movement.
11. Rubik’s Cube Traveling Exhibition
Google is collaborating with Liberty Science Center for the ultimate nerd-friendly traveling exhibit called “Beyond the Rubik’s Cube.” The show will feature a 35-foot illuminated “Groovik’s Cube,” a high-speed cube solving station, mountains of brain teasers and many more fun activities involving the timeless toy. The exhibition will begin in April 2014.
12. OCD Office Space
Filmmaker Casey Neistat has possibly the most compulsively organized workspace we’ve ever seen. With so much gear, he really doesn’t have much choice, but Neistat has completely customized his space into a work of art itself. Wires run along the walls in geometric patterns, everything is labeled—even said wires—and every digital moment is backed up and saved in stacks of hard-drives. He certainly makes the rest of us look bad, but not without making us look slightly more sane at the same time. Check out photos of his unconventional studio on Wired.
13. Zaha Hadid in NYC
World-renowned architect Zaha Hadid is well overdue to make her mark in New York City, and her new building on the High Line is set to do just that. Hadid’s 11-story residential building will add her to the already impressive list of architects to build on this westside park, alongside industry greats like Renzo Piano and Frank Geary. We’re sure that the structure, made of stacked glass and wrap-around volumes nestled together along a zigzag spine, is not as outlandish as it sounds and will undoubtedly win the admiration of its High Line passersby.
14. Momofuku Beats
David Chang took a break from cooking at his much-adored chain of Momofuku restaurants to riff on a track from of hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030’s upcoming concept album, Event II. In this candid, exclusive
interview with Complex Magazine’s food website First We Feast, the chef recalls how he came to meet Dan the Automator and tries to remember what got recorded. Besides collaborating with well-known artists such as Damon Albarn, Mike Patton and the Lonely Island, Deltron 3030 worked with other notable non-musicians including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Cross, Amber Tambyln and more for the album.
15. STOP
The world’s last remaining telegraph service, located in India, sent out its last telegram on 15 July 2013. The state-owned BSNL telecommunications company chose to discontinue its service after 160 years, as demand and revenue sharply declined and email and SMS texting became more available. To take a historical look back, 20 million telegram messages were dispatched from India in 1947 and in its peak in the 1980s, more than 600,000 telegrams were sent per day.
16. Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait
The recently-opened exhibition at the Jewish Museum London, curated by Amy Winehouse’s brother Alex and his wife Riva, offers an intimate glimpse into the private life of the British singer, who passed away in 2011. By displaying this collection of her clothing and never-before-seen photographs, as well as items such as her Jewish cookbook and records, their intent was not to create a “shrine,” but to illustrate the portrait of an ordinary Jewish girl growing up in London.
