Leave notes around the world with Pinwheel

By Rob | Published: May 4, 2012

Notes tied to specific locations.

When I think about leaving a note at a specific location, one of my favorite restaurants, Dinosaur BBQ, comes to mind because they encourage you to write on the walls, but finding a note written here could be pretty difficult. If there was only a way to sort all those messages out and be able to view them remotely….. This may now be possible thanks to one of the original founders of Flickr, Caterina Fake and her new start-up.  Pinwheel is a service that allows you to attach notes to geo-spatial locations around the world. Attaching narratives to specific locations is one way to add intrinsic value to a particular place whether as a memory or as augmented information. The note can be public or private and include photos, videos or links. For instance you could leave notes for a loved one “This is the street corner where we first met 12 years ago” or it could be used for a  real estate company to post an upcoming listing (see the image above).

President Obama's former residence in Brooklyn.

I think it could be a great tool for tagging historically significant landmarks that may have flown under the radar such as the Brooklyn Brownstone that President Obama once lived in right after graduation from Columbia. The man who owns the home now had no idea of the home’s former resident. Like Twitter, users will be able to follow people and companies and the business model will revolve around sponsored notes.

Here is Fake’s description in her own words.

The notes can be public or private, shared with an individual, a group, or everyone. They can be organized into sets, such as, say, “Tales from the Road: Kiss’ 1974 ‘Hotter Than Hell’ Tour,” “Best Spots for Butterfly Hunting,” “Every place that you told me that you loved me, circa 2008,” or “Find Me a Nearby Toilet NOW.” You can follow people, places, and sets. And in the future, you will get notifications on your phone from who and what you choose. Following sets is useful, because that friend of yours with the great taste in coffee shops may also have an unhealthy obsession with, say, 1970s glam metal band Kiss, and frankly, in childhood you were traumatized by a photograph of Gene Simmons and don’t need to repeat that in your dotage. Here’s an example of what a note looks like. This is one of my notes from Grand Central Station:

Personal example from Fake.

This is an exciting use of technology that mashes mapping, photos, memories and storytelling all together. This kind of stuff is right in D-Build’s wheelhouse.

writing directly on a location is one way to leave a note at the Dino. Photo Jason Perlow

via cnet, Forbes, NewYorkTimes, inc

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Tree House Escapes

By Rob | Published: May 3, 2012

El-Ambassador is a part of AirHotel on display in the UK

There is something definitely magical about tree houses and it seems as though they are growing in popularity. Is this an escape mechanism in an uncertain future or a way of recapturing the simplicity of youth? Regardless of the reason, I love them. Leaving the ground behind to have a bird’s eye view of the world even for just a few minutes can quite literally give you a new perspective on life. Building a tree house is no easy feat and I know from experience since, my brothers and I once built a triple decker tree house in the woods behind my parents house in western Pennsylvania and remnants of it still remain. That tree house pales in comparison to the ones seen here and makes me contemplate building another in the woods surrounding the cabin I live in now. I still don’t know if I have the tree house building chops to pull off something like these ones.

The AirHotel is a series of hanging cabins that can be rented out overnight. It is a project by a collective of Belgian artists on display this month at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival in the UK. A one night stay is just $57 dollars, worth every penny in my mind. Each cabin is completely unique and made from a variety of materials. I think I like “El-Ambassador” the best because of its egg like form, so cool.

 

The solar powered wellness center is where guests check in.

The HemLoft has a completely different story. Built illegally in a secret location on “Crown Land” outside of Whistler, British Columbia the HemLoft is made of mostly reclaimed materials that were found on Craigslist. Joel Allen, an out of work software developer, constructed the cabin almost entirely by himself (he had some help from his GF) after teaching himself carpentry following the loss of his job at a social media start-up. It took him three years to build it and he had to carry all of the materials to the site by hand to avoid detection. The results are absolutely stunning.

The HemLoft by Joel Allen.

Building this could not have been easy.

If you happen to be in San Francisco anytime soon, keep your eyes open for the temporary art installation entitled “Manifest Destiny” attached to the side of the Hotel des Arts near Union Square. The project is a collaboration between designers Jenny Chapman and Mark Reigelman and will be on display until October 2012. The tiny cabin is made from materials reclaimed from a barn from Ohio built in the 1890′s. The material was sourced from E&K Vintage Lumber in L.A.

"Manifest Destiny" hangs from the side of the Hotel des Arts in San Fran.

Via Inhabitat, Core77, Gizmodo, Gizmag, TimeCircus

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3-D Printing Finally Getting its Due

By Rob | Published: May 2, 2012

3-D printing has begun to go mainstream. Photo by Keegin-Ma Forever

I have always been fascinated by 3-D printing and as a practicing industrial designer, have been using it to visualize product concepts for years. I am certain that 3-D printing will change how we imagine, create and consume products in our daily lives in the years to come. With the push economy being replaced by the pull of individual needs and desires, 3-D printing will continue to be an important tool in our future. Imagine printing a life sized statue of your long passed grandfather in sandstone from nothing more than a few snapshots, or making your own furniture or toys fueled by only imagination. This is not the future, but the now and it is happening faster than most people realize. Today 3-D printing technology can be had for as little a $1200 and can be done in your own home. After being immersed in this technology and seeing its potential over the last 15 odd years or so, it is great to finally see it become embraced by everyday users. A recent article in Businessweek gives a very nice overview of the technology, its applications and history. But I think I like the opening paragraphs of the article best, as it describes how 14 year old Riley Lewis and his friends play with a Rapman 3-D printer:

On most weekends, 14-year-old Riley Lewis and a few of his eighth grade friends gather at his house in Santa Clara, Calif. The group of about five, depending on who’s around, grab some chips and bean dip and repair to the garage, where Riley and his dad have created something of a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub. The boys can pretty much fabricate anything they can dream up on a machine called the RapMan. As the hours tick by, they cover tables with their creations: rockets and guitar picks and cutlery. They hold forth on plastic extrusion rates and thermodynamics and how such forces affect the precision of the objects they can produce. “That’s a very beautiful gear you have printed,” a boy named Douglas tells Riley.

The kids obsess over what versions of the Linux operating system they run on their laptops and engage in awkward banter. “I will stab you with flash drives,” Riley tells Vernon, a skinny boy with a braided rattail who shows off a pair of freshly made plastic brass knuckles. Vernon says, “I want to print an essay for one of my teachers and hand it in on sheets of plastic instead of paper just to confuse people.”

You can read the whole article at Businessweek.

via Businessweek

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Sodapop Prom Dress

By Rob | Published: April 30, 2012

Regan Kerr and her dress made from soda can tabs.

It doesn’t matter whether you hail from part of the world that says “soda” or “pop” to come to realization that this dress is cool. Regan Kerr of George Washington High School in Aurora Colorado spent five months sewing 5114 soda can tabs into a one-of-a-kind prom dress and that doesn’t count the 2 years it took to collect all the tabs. Regan made it clear that she didn’t actually drink all those sodas but had help from friends and family. I love seeing examples of truly creative reuses for materials that too often end up discarded. The simple gown has an understated design aesthetic that contrasts nicely from the intricacy of the tabs themselves.

Over 5000 tabs make up the dress.

If you want to make your own fashion statement with soda can tabs there are plenty of videos on youtube that can show you how to make anything from jewelry to handbags. Click here to see more about Regan’s dress.

via KUSA9 news

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re:vision’s new use for old cameras

By Rob | Published: April 27, 2012

New life for old technology, camera lens bracelet.

Film cameras may be considered obsolete by some but elements of them can live on thanks to Aussie Craig Arnold of re:vision. Craig makes beautiful one-of-a-kind bracelets from discarded camera lenses. Arnold, a photographer, happened upon the idea by accident after dropping a lens and realizing it didn’t have to go in the trash. Each piece carries the distinctive marks and scratches of it previous life. This is the perfect gift for the photographer in your life. Arnold is also now making sterling silver versions cast from the original parts as well if you are looking for something with a bit more of a traditional jewelry feel.

All of the great graphics and machined details live on.

These are only available exclusively online at www.oyemodern.com

via designboom

 

 

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Chalk Bluff Cabin, Off-the-Grid Inspiration

By Rob | Published: April 25, 2012

Arkin Tilt Architecture's Chalk Bluff Cabin. Photo by Eric Millette

Since we started D-Build, I have been thinking, well dreaming really, of designing and building an off-the-grid “eco” cabin totally out of repurposed materials. In fact I have even begun stockpiling materials from some our example projects for this very purpose. Some day when this dream is realized, I will be referencing the work of architects like David Arkin and Anni Tilt of Arkin Tilt Architecture in Berkeley California. Their Chalk Bluff Cabin on the outer edges the Tahoe National Forest in California is an excellent example of what a simple cabin in the woods can be. The nearly 900 square foot home is partially constructed of straw bales and is completely off-the-grid:

The home is so remote that its location is well beyond the utility grid. The home harvests energy from the sun through a PV array on the roof and stores the energy in batteries to operate the well pump and other domestic electrical services. A Solar Hot water collector provides domestic hot water and heat for the small cabin. Along with the solar hot water collectors heating is accomplished through a 2ft deep Sand-bed heat storage system.
Though it’s tucked deep into the wilderness, the home sits isolated in a clearing to protect it from wildfires. The siding, metal roof and earth-cement on bale walls all contribute to the home’s wildfire resistance. – Rob Yagid, Senior Editor FineHomebuilding.com

The main living area doubles as a bedroom after dark. Photo Eric Millette

The simple interior has everything one needs to get away from the trappings of modern life. All of the work done by Arkin Tilt has a connection to being environmentally responsible and should be an inspiration to all of us.

Built from combination of straw bales, conventional framing and SIPS. Photo by Eric Millette

Via FineHomebuilding

 

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Wood Casting by Hilla Shamia

By Rob | Published: April 24, 2012

"Wood Cast" Furniture by Hilla Shamia

One of the most celebrated exhibitions to come out of this year’s Milan Design Week was the work of Israeli based product designer Hilla Shamia. The unique process of blending molten aluminum with wood into one of a kind furniture pieces is nothing short of amazing. The way in which the metal flows into the negative space of the wood gives a unique aesthetic while helping to create a lasting bond between the two materials. The organic/industrial fusion of the bark on split logs with the sharp edges of the metal legs is an unexpected marriage of two age old materials.

Notice how the aluminum flows into the negative space of the wood.

I think the voice of the designer speaks best:

Furniture combining the cast aluminium and wood.The negative factor of burnt wood is transformed into aesthetic and emotional value. Preservation of the natural form of the tree trunk within the explicit boundaries. The general,squared form intensifies the artificial feeling, and in the same time keeps the memory of the material.

via http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/41703/wood-casting-an-honest-aesthetic; http://www.contemporist.com/2012/04/16/wood-casting-by-hilla-shamia/

For more information about the designer please visit her site at: http://www.hillashamia.com/

 

 

 

 

 

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The Epidemic of Illegal Logging

By Grant | Published: March 21, 2012

By the time you have finished reading this sentence, around a football field size portion of forest will be illegally clearcut.  Across the globe, illegal logging is reaching epidemic levels, and little is being done to slow this booming industry.

The report estimates that illegal logging accounts for as much as 90% of all timber felled each year, generating between $10 to $15 billion. The report says the logging is mostly controlled by organized crime, and ill-gotten gains are used to pay corrupt government officials at all levels to turn a blind eye.

“Forestry’s criminal justice system is broken. Despite compelling data and evidence showing that illegal logging is a worldwide epidemic, most forest crimes go undetected, unreported, or are ignored,” says the 56-page report released Tuesday. “All too often, investigations—in the rare event that they do take place—are amateurish and inconclusive.”

Currently, it is estimated that less than .1% of people involved are being penalized, and with this much money greasing the wheels, it seems like there is little incentive for governments to enforce the laws.  This has obvious environmental implications, as well as hurting local economies and communities, and putting unfair competition on legal, sustainable harvesting practices.  At this current rate, about 16 millions acres are being clearcut a year, about the size of the state of West Virginia, and if this is not slowed, it will reach a point past where some of these forests will be able to recover.

Via CNN

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The Future is Physible

By Grant | Published: January 24, 2012

A mighty ship that has so far sailed the digital waves says that the future will be filled with physical objects, or as they are calling them , physible.  The Pirate Bay is known throughout the web as the go-to destination for pirated content, from software, games, music, books, to movies, and have been publicly leading the fight against copyright, much to the consternation of copyright holders across the world.  Paying attention to the trends sweeping the cultural and technological world, the Pirate Bay has announced a new category of content that users will be able to upload and share, physible.

We’re always trying to foresee the future a bit here at TPB. One of the things that we really know is that we as a society will always share. Digital communication has made that a lot easier and will continue to do so. And after the internets evolutionized data to go from analog to digital, it’s time for the next step.

Today most data is born digitally. It’s not about the transition from analog to digital anymore. We don’t talk about how to rip anything without losing quality since we make perfect 1 to 1 digital copies of things. Music, movies, books, all come from the digital sphere. But we’re physical people and we need objects to touch sometimes as well!

We believe that the next step in copying will be made from digital form into physical form. It will be physical objects. Or as we decided to call them: Physibles. Data objects that are able (and feasible) to become physical. We believe that things like three dimensional printers, scanners and such are just the first step. We believe that in the nearby future you will print your spare sparts for your vehicles. You will download your sneakers within 20 years.

The benefit to society is huge. No more shipping huge amount of products around the world. No more shipping the broken products back. No more child labour. We’ll be able to print food for hungry people. We’ll be able to share not only a recipe, but the full meal. We’ll be able to actually copy that floppy, if we needed one.

We believe that the future of sharing is about physible data. We’re thinking of temporarily renaming ourselves to The Product Bay – but we had no graphical artist around to make a logo. In the future, we’ll download one.

At first this may seem a bit odd, especially for people who have followed 3D printing for some time.  There have been resources and communities based around uploading and sharing 3D printable files for some time, including the incredibly active Thingiverse community built around the Makerbot.  Maker Culture is becoming increasingly popular, to the point where 3D Systems, who makes many of the expensive high end 3D printers, have come out with their own budget, home 3D printer.

So how can The Pirate Bay have influence on scene that already has an active community?  Easy, by allowing people to shared items that would be banned from other forums, and this is not just copyright infringement.

AR-15 Magazine and Lower Receiver

This is a near fully printable 5.56mm X 45mm or .233 REM AR-15 magazine. It is current only a 5 round magazine. I left my printed spring design out on purpose for saftey reasons. However, with a little printing experimention and some range time it can be made easily.

The Lower Receiver is the frame that holds together all the other pieces of the firearm. In the States, all the other pieces can be purchased without a permit – over the counter or through the post. The Lower Receiver is the only part which requires a background check or any other kind of paperwork before purchase. Typically this part is made of aluminium. A rifle with a Lower Receiver made of plastic can be perfectly functional.

In the one day that the category has existed, 11 items have been uploaded, including one anonymous (obviously) poster giving out a part file to allow users to print out and then assemble untraceable, background-check-free guns.  Another involves 3D printing porn.  Right there, you have the internet, and now in (real) 3D.  With the all of the talk of SOPA and PIPA, and the recent shutdown and arrests around Megaupload, it clear that there is a growing battle between different realms of the internet, but not matter which side you take, you will now be able to print your own weapons.

Via Gizmodo and Core77

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Virtual Guilt and Redemption

By Grant | Published: December 16, 2011

We have recently talked about the concept of gamification as a method of crowd sourcing human input to solve complex problems, but games can be used for other purposes as well, such as raising awareness.  If you are not familiar with Minecraft, which we have mentioned before, it is a wildly popular game where you navigate through an environment made of cubes, which you can break apart, transform, and build with.  One of the key aspects of the game is the gathering and consuming of supplies to power other transformations, such as chopping down trees to make wood, to make planks, which you burn to melt metal.  In the real world, these types of processes produce greenhouse gasses, and now, thanks to a hack by James Smith, it has the same effect in Minecraft.

Smith went to work on this hack at the Stockholm Green Hackathon in October. He states that Minecraft — a game in which you can make things and in which that making often includes burning things — is a perfect platform for overlaying carbon emissions data. He used AMEEconnect to get real scientific data from IPCC which is then used to calculate the carbon footprint of your actions as a player, from adding carbon emissions to the atmosphere by burning things to taking it out of the atmosphere by planting trees.

“When you burn some wood in a furnace, the mod calls out to AMEEconnect to do a calculation, and adds the result to a tracker in-game. As the carbon ticks up, the environment gets more and more polluted as the skies go dark and the clouds come down. OK, not entirely accurate, but an effective visual indicator!”

Smith notes that his hack supports the burning of pretty much anything in Minecraft — so if you light a fire, you won’t escape the carbon ticker.

“After a long day of mining and smelting, you’ll have to go plant a few trees to keep the weather nice.”

Now, whether this will make people live a more conscientiously environmental life is debatable, but it could most certainly raise awareness, and at least make players conscious of the impact that their actions would have on the real world.  It also makes videos like this all the more gruesome.

Via Treehugger

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