Link About It: This Week’s Picks
A rotating iPhone dock, QR-code haircuts, A$AP Mob’s retro album covers and more in this week’s look at the web
1. Boxing Robot
If you want to have the ultimate backyard party accessory look no further. These gas powered boxing robots are guaranteed to impress and seem like a good way to work out any frustrations you may have with friends, family or unruly neighbors.
2. A$AP Album Covers
Harlem-based rapper A$AP Rocky and his A$AP Mob recently teamed up with Vice photographer Ben Ritter to recreate a handful of famous record album covers from the likes of Tupac, Eric B. and Rakim, Weezer and Kiss. Keep an eye out for the recently signed rapper, he’s sure to continue blowing minds in days to come.
3. R2D2 Helmet
Available mid-November Avid Grom’s R2D2 Helmet will lend some Star Wars steez to your little grommet’s slope-side look. Ideal for riding Tauntauns on the planet Hoth or ripping through the trees.
4. I’m A Watch
The confusingly named I’m watch is the latest in wristwatch-slash-cell phone-slash-iPod gadgetry. Aesthetically similar to an iPod Nano, this little device links your phone via Bluetooth complete with caller ID, speakerphone and streaming music capabilities, all controlled by a 1.5-inch touchscreen. Compatible with iPhone and Android with 64MB RAM and 4GB storage.
5. Tokyo Compression
German photographer Michael Wolf turned the morning commute into an emotional series of voyeuristic works with “Tokyo Compression,” on view at Paris Photo.
6. Laurel Roth “Peacocks”
This taxidermy alternative from artist Laurel Roth is a vibrant series of fighting peacocks meticulously constructed (superficially, at least) from hair pins and fake nails.
7. Flat Bulb
They say don’t fix what isn’t broken, but we certainly appreciate Flat Bulb, a concept from Korean designer Joonhuyn Kim. Although the unconventional idea may lack efficiency in actual light distribution, it would certainly help reduce shipping weight and space concerns.
8. Swivl
This new iPhone dock does more than charge your device. Using motion tracking technology, the dock rotates to follow your movements while using the iPhone camera, making it perfect for filmmaking or using Facetime while your hands are full.
9. QR Cuts
A concept more suited to dystopian novels than football pitches, Daniel Johnson has opted to shave QR codes into the heads of footballers. The haircuts are slated to unveil at the first round of Bromley FC’s FA Cup, taking athlete branding to a new level.
10. Polaroid Z340
While the days of the classic instant film camera may be over, the fun and ease of it live on in Polaroids new Z340 camera. A throwback to the brand’s classic models, the camera snaps shots digitally and then instantly prints them out for sharing.
11. Art Popsicles
Pick up an all-natural art Popsicle in shapes like Che, Darth Vader and more, created as a “design experiment” by Russian advertising agency Stoyn.
12. Lumenoise
An instrument that looks like it’s pilfered straight from the Tron universe, Lumenoise allows you to digitally draw music on your TV through the power of a pen. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this featured on OK Go’s next music video.
13. Audi Urban Concept
The Smart Car’s badass cousin has come to town, bringing something of an edge to the electric micro-car market. Designed for the tight quarters of city roads with a clean system to combat polluted metropolitan atmospheres, the two-seater “Urban Concept” takes on its tiny competitors with a truly urbane attitude.
14. MegaPhone
Megaphone implies something much flashier than the sublimely simple iPod and iPhone horn-shaped sound dock by Italian studio en&is. Resembling a glossy ivory artifact, the amplifier’s sweeping lines and strategic wooden stand combine for an organic sound output as clean as the design of its source.
15. Backcountry Float Access 30
Designed to aid quicker excavation in an avalanche—the most crucial element to preventing fatalities—the pack‘s “avalanche airbag” inflates with the tug of a pull-string, keeping its wearer above the snow and protected from icy trauma. For $750, the pack is also equipped with a sophisticated hydration system that uses body warmth to keep up to three liters of water unfrozen in the 150-liter airbag. If you’re planning on an intrepid trek way off the grid this winter, best to suit up safely.
16. The Kickstand Desk
Cyclist Dan Young offers up a clever solution for the off-season with his Kickstand Desk, a stationary bike for when the weather turns or work doesn’t give you enough time to get in the daily ride.
