Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Ice Cube for Eames, the perfect survival knife, a chromatic typewriter and more in our look at the web this week
1. iLaunch Thunder
Spitballs and paper airplanes are for grade school children. Annoy your colleagues like a pro with this bluetooth-controlled foam missile launcher that uses a custom app to search and destroy unsuspecting passersby.
2. Higher Power
Believe in a force greater than the typical power strip. A clever, practical idea by Means of Production that’s now jockeying for funds on Kickstarter, the cross-shaped Higher Power surge solves the problem of bulky, plug-blocking charger with a simple cross-bar. Have some faith and offer backing if you want to bring it to life.
3. We Barbarians
Check out this new music video for the track “Chambray” by We Barbarians. Shot in a single take the video is a great example of how creativity, technology and talent can make a story come to life.
4. Ice Cube Celebrates the work of Ray and Charles Eames
Prolific LA rapper Ice Cube weighs in on the art of his home town in this video for Pacific Standard Time. Having studied architectural drafting before turning to music, Ice Cube’s analysis of the beauty and resourcefulness of the Eames Studio is an educational lesson for those who thought LA was nothing but strip malls and billboards.
5. Perfect Survival Knife
An essential guide for any individual, this detailed piece will help you choose the ultimate tool to survive. It is important to prepare for the impending apocalypse and anyone who watches survival programs on the television knows that a solid piece of steel is the most important tool for staying alive in the wild.
6. Kindness Dice
While the holidays are meant to be a time of universal community, sometimes it’s hard to remember to pay it forward. This set of dice keeps your karma on track by randomizing your daily dose of kindness.
7. Chromatic Typewriter
What started as a purely conceptual idea to jazz up a nicotine-stained old typewriter became a watercolor pointillism machine with some tinkering. Artist Tyree Callahan rigged up a 1937 Underwood Standard with paint, turning the keyboard into a palette for banging out painstaking masterpieces on paper.
8. Cheeseburger Wrapping Paper
Soon-to-launch wrapping paper company Gift Couture‘s first order of business is burgers. The cleverly devised set mounts up to create one surprisingly enticing paper box cheeseburger that you can pre-order now through their Kickstarter project.
9. Touch of Evil
Young photographer extraordinaire Alex Prager puts her dramatic spin on a series of video portraits for The New York Times. Watch Ryan Gosling emerge from a painting done by Prager’s sister Vanessa, see Kirsten Dunst bite from an evil apple and more in this villainous celebration of the year’s top actors.
10. Uber Logo Redesign
Self-described as “Everyone’s private driver,” Uber just got even better with its new logo, a sleek and modern “U” that more closely matches the type of service they offer. Whether picking you up in the rain in NYC or toting you around the streets of San Francisco, Uber is an ease to use thanks to their clever iPhone app ordering.
11. iNuke
The people at Behringer are upping the ante for iPhone docks with the iNuke, a monstrous powerhouse of audio decadence. Making its debut at their CES display this year the $30,000 dock 4′ x 8′ and packs 10,000 watts of power, so bring your ear plugs.
12. China Builds
The largest installation at the 2011 Shenzen and Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale comprises thousands of orange safety cones set in a massive frozen domino effect across Shenzen’s City Plaza. Check out the sneak preview here.
