Thumm by Pana Objects

An eye-pleasing beech wood iPhone dock that amplifies your tunes acoustically, with no plugs required

While many of the latest speakers for smartphones rely on highly specialized tech like Bluetooth or Airplay connectivity, a group of Thai designers chose to strip it all down to one material—beech wood. The result is a simple, beautiful speaker that uses natural acoustics, not circuits. Bangkok-based Pana Objects, a studio started by seven friends, embraces wood—unpainted, left as close to its natural state as …

Interview: Rafael Grampá

The award-winning Brazilian cartoonist on breaking new creative ground—partnering with UK studio Red Knuckles to bring his characters to 3D life

Advertorial content: In the world of comic books, it’s nearly impossible for an outsider to rise out of anonymity. However, that’s just what Brazilian cartoonist Rafael Grampá did in 2008 when he debuted his original series “Mesmo Delivery” in the United States. Characterized by bold colors, brazen lines and saturated panels, Grampá’s genre-defying style earned him overnight recognition as an artist and a storyteller of …

Awesome Without Borders

Greasing the wheels of greatness around the world with a new project each week—from experimental art to humanitarian causes

Acting as a sort of reverse Kickstarter for do-gooders and action-oriented creatives worldwide, Awesome Without Borders (AWB) is non-profit funding mechanism like none other: there are few barriers to being eligible for the groups grants, whether it’s a non-profit, an art project or something entirely outside the box, there’s very little red tape to cut through. The NYC-based organization—a chapter of the Awesome Foundation—combines a …