Stool Stools

A Ken Burns iPad app, touchscreen subway maps, swapping sexism and more in our weekly look at the web

Using a homemade machine, Edinburgh College of Art student Peter Trimble has created a way to mass manufacture biodegradable furniture using just three organic ingredients—sand, urine and naturally occurring bacteria. With the bacteria acting as glue, the sand hardens over the course of two days to form a concrete-like state capable of supporting 91 kilograms, in the case of the stool. Future applications could see …

The Office Meets International Development

A Ken Burns iPad app, touchscreen subway maps, swapping sexism and more in our weekly look at the web

The mockumentary genre continues to be a major force in both TV and movies around the world, and now Kenya is getting its first comedy-doc series, tacking issues that are both local and international. As one of the major hubs for international development, there are over 4,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) registered in Kenya who work across a wide variety of fields. Aptly titled, The Samaritans …

Regenerative Candles

A Ken Burns iPad app, touchscreen subway maps, swapping sexism and more in our weekly look at the web

Designer Benjamin Shine’s clever candleholder allows melting wax to be deposited into an acrylic tube, where it cools and reforms into a slightly smaller version of its original self (some wax is unavoidably lost during the burning process). The Rekindle is not only a piece of wax-saving decor, the clever design could prove invaluable during prolonged electricity outages or in underdeveloped areas.