Rockwell T-Shirts

Rising from the underground ranks, Amsterdam-based artist Parra Rockwell's new tees are the latest proof of his current spot in the limelight. The shirts feature the same bright, unusual palette that made top companies like Nike and Volkswagen hire him, also landing the rising artist gallery shows in recent years. In fact, Rockwell's first NYC show this past summer at Reed Space was a big …

Piezoelectric Concept Backpack

Capitalizing on the friction and heat created by walking, running and even just wearing jeans, engineers from Michigan Technological University, Arizona State University and NanoSonic Inc. devised a way to use this type of generated energy in a concept backpack that can charge portable electronic devices, like iPods and mobile phones. Shoulder straps made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a strong, flexible material that feels similar …

Urban Croquet

One of the last Anglo pastimes to be mined for its kitschy irony, croquet is getting a makeover for playing in cemented environments. A concept in conjunction with Adidas, Alice Kaiserswerth redesigned the croquet set for use in urban areas, liberating the sport from its stuffy past on English lawns. With its clever design, the hoops can be stuck in grass, like traditional versions, or …