According to a new study, plants can “hear” when a bee passes and they subsequently create more sweet nectar to attract them. A recent study by scientists at three Tel Aviv University schools has found that a plant picks up sounds (signaled by the vibration of its petals) and responds (signaled by the excretion of additional nectar). With proof that the flowers responded to all of …
Flowers Are Eavesdropping
Holly + Kit Rug
$135
Available in three sizes, the Holly + Kit rug from Cold Picnic is made from 100% wool yarn weaved onto a 100% cotton woven backing. With a delightful abstract design dominated by olive green, the medium height pile rug will add a little spirit to any room.
Link About It
Stories from around the web that we think you should read
This Photo of Shanghai is Made of 195,000 Megapixels
Shot from 750+ feet above the city, this 360-degree panorama by BigPixel is made from 195,000 megapixels—for reference, the new Google Pixel shoots at 12.3 megapixels. Since it is one of the most detailed photos ever taken, viewers can zoom from the perch it was taken from all the way down to street-level where faces and license plates can be seen clearly. Though the photo …
Ezra Klein Interviews Anil Dash on Tech and Ethics
On his podcast for Vox this week, Ezra Klein (journalist, political commentator and editor-at-large) discusses tech with CEO of Glitch, Anil Dash. From the ways algorithms veil our real-life choices to the concept of “neutral” products, the two talk about the issues surrounding tech and how important it is that we create and “maintain our ethical standards as new technologies expand into uncharted territories.” One of …
AI Diagnoses Genetic Disorders Using Facial Photos
While doctors can identify genetic disorders with an accuracy between 70% and 75%, DeepGestalt—an AI project by FDNA—can do so with accuracy of 90% and over. By analyzing the face piece-by-piece, the system finds a corresponding disorder for that crop, moves on to the next and then pools the results to find the most proper diagnosis for the patient. For the 8% of the population that’s …
Why We Fixate on the Time Artists Spend on Their Work
Collectors, viewers and members of the press have long been fascinated with how long artists spend on each piece they create. Whether related to our obsession with the myth of the artist’s struggle, how we put a monetary value on a piece, or beyond, “it’s easier to value intensive physical labor over conceptual rigor when an artist’s thought process can feel so intangible and impossible to …
Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Eavesdropping flowers, enormous digital photography, AI for medicine and more
Buy Guide
The latest additions to our shoppable directory
Nor’easter Sweater
$298
Crafted using materials from New York (and manufactured there too) Best Made Company’s Nor’easter Sweater is made from burly, dye-free wool. This one in particular, in a unique shade, is made from a yarn that combines brown Corriedale and dark brown Romney sheep’s wool. By partnering with Battenkill Fibers and New York Textile Lab, Best Made ensures that the product is delicately crafted and cared for in …
Form Study in Blue Sheet Set
$568
Available for all sized beds (from twin to California king) these hand-dripped sheets are part of Flaneur’s Color Study Series. Made from 100% Supima cotton, the sheets are crafted from the finest materials and incredibly close attention is paid from the set’s rawest form to its final weaving, construction and beyond. Dyed one piece at a time, each product in the set is carefully colored and the …
Smokeless Smudge
$35
For those looking to rid a room of toxic energy or to indulge in the relaxing scent of white sage and Palo Santo, this is a liquified and bottled version of the smudge. Ideal for use in hotel rooms, in the car or anywhere else that needs to remain smoke-free, this fluid iteration is a modern take on the ancient ritual for those on the go. …
MoMA Edition Crewneck Sweatshirt
$70
An instant classic, MoMA and Champion’s collaboration sweatshirt debuted for the museum’s Is Fashion Modern? exhibition and remains a playful take on the classic, collegiate style crewneck. With MoMA’s logo appliquéd on the front, the sweatshirt is made from a cotton blend and available in size small through XL. Art fans, represent.
Karen O + Danger Mouse: Woman
In conjunction with news of forthcoming joint album Prima Lux, Karen O and Danger Mouse share a raucous track titled “Woman.” An infectious, drum-driven pulse anchors the tune. Karen O shines, as always, but it’s a delightful blend of both artists—bringing out the best of their sonic evolutions. Prima Lux is set for a 15 March release, via BMG.
Daste: Sober
Fusing lo-fi funk with wavy alternative, Daste’s “Sober” is an ode to giving someone your undivided attention. The Australian trio (signed to Mammal Sounds) may not be referencing drugs or alcohol, but rather the millions of other distractions that invade intimate situations. “I know you’re feeling like I’m in my head all the time / Cause when you tell me about your day-to-day I don’t …
Bringing Design to CES: A Look at Audi’s Booth Design
At an event where products take center stage, an excellent booth can steal the show
Richard Mille’s Sweets-Inspired Bonbon Wristwatch Collection
Lollipops, licorice, kiwis and strawberries atop a line of playful, hand-painted timepieces
Bloom Farms Launches CBD Line and Continued Charitable Effort
The high-quality purveyor of cannabis flower and cartridges turns to CBD
Oakland, California-based Bloom Farms is a widely acclaimed purveyor of cannabis flower and concentrate cartridges. But, being widely acclaimed in the industry can only get a brand so far—cannabis is only legal, medicinally or recreationally, in a handful of states. CBD, however, is legal in all states and the recently passed amendment to the Farm Bill rendered industrial hemp farming legal. Bloom, in the interest …
Loyle Carner feat. Rebel Kleff + Kiko Bun: You Don’t Know
Loyle Carner (aka Benjamin Coyle-Larner) moonlights as an observant server, bartender, security guard and cab driver in the video for “You Don’t Know.” Watching over his mother (played by his real-life mom) as she goes on a few dates—some good and some not so. Throughout, Carner raps about his own dating fears—particularly losing trust and love as time goes on. It’s a clever and sweet …
Agoria feat. Blasé: You’re Not Alone
Accompanied by a stunning video treatment directed by Latin Grammy Award-winner Hernan Corera, Agoria (aka Sebastien Devaud) releases a new single titled “You’re Not Alone,” featuring French singer Blasé. It’s an entrancing tune about promises between two people—and the distances they’ll go for one another. In the otherworldly video, the song acts as an appropriate soundtrack for a cross-desert ride, intimate moments between lovers and crowded, …
Smart Products Abound at CES 2019
From mirrors to coffee machines, assistants are migrating into nearly every product
Parachute’s First-Ever Mattress
The bedding company creates an option without foam or latex
Venice Beach, CA-based Parachute got its start in 2014 with a desire to make bedding better. They did so by manufacturing percale, sateen and linen sheets in Portugal, all Oeko-Tex certified (meaning they test free of harmful substances and chemicals), at a direct-to-consumer price. Since sheets, Parachute has followed a natural trajectory, expanding into the bathroom, kitchen, living, and brick-and-mortar stores—and today, they launch their largest …
Testing ZF’s Autonomous Ride-Hailing Taxi
We try out a robo-taxi at CES, and learn where the industry really is at on the road to autonomous lifts
URWERK’s AMC Tabletop Atomic Clock + Wristwatch
New technology provides unprecedented accuracy, for a price of $2.7 million, from the independent Swiss horology brand
Electric Mobility Innovation at CES 2019
Beyond cars, some of our favorite one- and two-wheel vehicles
Ulysse Nardin’s Erotic, Oceanic “Classico Manara” Collection
Italian cartoonist Milo Manara partners with the luxury watch brand for a 10-piece line
There’s a torrid history of erotica in watch design. From graphic automatons on dials to hidden (or obvious) hyper-sexual imagery, the time-telling industry has toyed with sexual iconography for centuries. Last year, at Richemont‘s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève (SIHH), acclaimed watchmaker Ulysse Nardin unveiled an orgiastic Jaquemart repeater—or a timepiece featuring a mechanical animation that chimes. It was NSFW to say the least. This year, at SIHH, …