Alize and Diablo Bicycles

BMW's design group teams up with windsurfing experts NeilPryde on a set of new high-performance bikes

The joint effort of BMW’s DesignworksUSA and windsurfing industry leaders NeilPryde, these two new bikes marry computer-designed aerodynamics and carbon composite materials for a set of high-performance road bikes. Designing the tube of the Alize using a Computational Fluid Dynamic modeling system, each element of the bike—frame, forks, wheels and components—has a profile tweaked to optimize airflow. The lower third of the down tube features …

Mojibakeru

Redefining the pictogram, these Japanese characters transform to the animals they describe

Transforming Japanese letters into a playful creatures, Bandai‘s line of shape-shifting animals inform while entertaining. Called Mojibakeru (Moji is the Japanese word for “character” and bakeru means “to change”), the collection of six plastic toys represent 犬(dog), 虎(tiger), 魚(fish), 馬(horse), 鳥(bird) and 龍(dragon). Each character is available in black, white, yellow and blue, maximizing your language-bending skills. Each figure sells online for $9 from White …

All My Friends Are Dead

A dark-witted book explores the feelings of loss and loneliness with ironic levity

A children’s book for adults, “All My Friends Are Dead” cleverly illustrates the inevitable sadness we all will face—whether you’re a tree, sock, pirate, cassette tape or other—when our friends cease to exist. From the snowman whose friends all melt away to the house plant whose friends are slowly killed by humans, the book uses dark humor to shed light on the ubiquitous feeling of …