Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Elon Musk’s new Tesla, the Nobel Prize-winning blue diode, skateboarding sculptor Stefan Janoski and more in our weekly look at the web
1. Norway’s Artistic Bank Notes
The Kroner, Norway’s currency, just got a radical redesign and the result is simply stunning. After a call for submissions from the nation’s central bank Norges, architectural firm Snøhetta and graphic design company The Metric System were named co-victors. Each was offered one side on every note in the bill range, which will go into circulation in 2017. Snøhetta’s side is quite abstract and pixellated, while The Metric System side is a more straightforward representation of traditional Nordic culture—but both are distinctly beautiful.
2. John Baldessari’s VISIONAIRE
Conceptual artist John Baldessari is best known for his work in found photography and the application of his sense of humor—most notably, his signature technique of covering faces with bright colorful price stickers. For VISIONAIRE‘s 64th issue, his subjects are a little more recognizable—with selfies of Drake, Miley Cyrus, Gisele Bündchen, Scarlett Johansson and more—but his “interventions” are still just as colorful and mischievous as ever.
3. Elon’s Tesla D Unveiled
Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla D this week to much anticipation and, of course, it’s incredibly advanced. The new dual-motor, all-wheel-drive car is capable of doing 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and introduces a collision-avoiding autopilot mode with highway radar, ultrasonic sonar to detect objects 360 degrees around the
vehicle and even the ability to park and summon itself.
4. United States of #Turnt
The popularity of slang words changes with a unique irregularity and spontaneity that is not only unpredictable, it’s tough for even the most culturally in-tune to keep up. Data-loving Urban Dictionary-readers at Mic combed through the Google Trend numbers to offer their own slanged-out State of the Union. According the to report, “swag” and “ratchet” are on their way out, while we’re at peak “Bye Felicia” use, and the somewhat old “cray cray” remains in fairly stable use. While seemingly irreverent, the report sheds light on the ever-changing vocabulary in American culture and the staying power of certain phrases while some remain a flash in the pan. In other words, get turnt with this report or the next time TBT rolls around you’ll feel cray cray.
5. Hackflix
To encourage innovation within the company, Netflix hosts an annual
“Hack Day” during which its own
developers explore how the video streaming
service could be modified—from pairing Netflix with
Philips’ Hue smart lightbulbs to flood your home with corresponding
color to syncing with Oculus Rift (dubbed Oculix) to a text-based version that caters to Linux and purist users and more. There are plenty of interesting ways the company is testing approaches to content immersion—changing the way we consume the platform’s entertainment.
6. From Skater to Sculptor: This is Janoski
Professional skateboarder Stefan Janoski wouldn’t compromise when it came to designing his signature shoe with Nike. After several iterations the sportswear giant caved and let him have his way. The result? One of the best-selling skate shoes in history and a silhouette beloved by collectors and skaters alike. This intimate look at Janoski’s career from French magazine Desillusion, gives an artistic portrayal of Janoski’s transition from skater to fine arts sculptor. From his studio in New York, Janoski shows his work and discusses the ways in which skateboarding influences his art.
7. All of the Lights
The Nobel Prize winners have been announced for 2014 and, in the category of physics, a trio of Japanese scientists (one who is now a US citizen) have been honored for inventing the blue light-emitting diode 20 years ago. While green and red diodes have been around for around 50 years, it took much longer to develop a diode that could emit blue light—which was the final ingredient needed to create white light (a combination of the three colors). Congratulations and thank you to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura for making energy-efficient LED lamps possible.
8. 40 Years of Family Photos
Back in 1975, photographer Nicholas Nixon snapped a photograph of his wife and her three sisters. A year later, an opportunity presented itself for him to line them up in the same way and snap another—an event that has since gone on annually for the past 40 years. The New York Times recently revealed the latest in the series, and all of the photos will be on display at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art next month. The humbling collection captures an unwavering timeless gaze from all four sisters that projects intimacy while keeping their privacy. The engaging images are a must-see in person.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily on Twitter and published weekly every Saturday morning.
