hands on search

What would it be like if you could add an extra sense to the way that you interact with the internet? What if that that sense was touch?

While Yahoo! Japan's "Hands On Search," which combines a search function with 3D printing technology, seems like a pretty cool idea, it's the way that they decided to introduce it that's really remarkable. Below, see magic happen when this machine shows up at a school for the visually impaired in Tokyo.


(Via Spoon & Tamago)

chargecard

I've never been a particularly gadgety person, but ChargeCard definitely made me look.

A USB cable for your phone that's slim enough to fit in your wallet, ChargeCard bills itself as the most convenient charging cable ever, and considering that it's the size of a credit card, I can absolutely believe it. Purchase one to fit your Android, iPhone 4/4s or iPhone 5 over at Photojojo.


(Via Cool Hunting)

the human body

The first release from Tinybop, a new studio that's setting out to build a suite of creative educational apps for kids, The Human Body is beautifully animated by the supremely talented Kelli Anderson. Now, my little guy may be way to young for the likes of something like this (it's for kids ages 4+), but that certainly hasn't stopped me from exploring the wonderful workings the body for myself. You can watch the a little teaser stop motion animation for the app below, read a great blog post from Kelli about the illustration process and download the game for yourself through iTunes.


(Via swissmiss)

pbs idea channel

I just discovered PBS' Idea Channel, and am completely hooked. A weekly web series that examines the evolving relationship between modern technology and art, Idea Channel is not only entertaining, but it's also an incredibly smart, funny and remarkably thought-provoking show. I've included a few favorites here for you to watch, but if you like what you see, you can check them all out right here.

water installation

I've seen some incredible fountains in my life, but never have I seen water used in quite this way before. This Osaka Station waterfall clock/signage/intricate floral pattern maker is a completely fascinating use of technology. I could sit and watch this thing all day, or at least for a few more minutes.



(Via The Kid Should See This)

little printer

Meet Little Printer, from BERG. Isn't he just the cutest?


Hello Little Printer, available 2012 from BERG on Vimeo.

So what does Little Printer do, exactly? Basically, in conjunction with the BERG Cloud, Little Printer publishes your own mini, receipt-sized personal newspaper. Available in 2012, you can read more about Little Printer right here.

(Via kottke)

Blog About It

Inspiration is a funny thing. Sometimes it comes upon you completely unawares, from unusual places, and sometimes, it's something you find much closer to home. There are a ton of blogs, mine included, that share a belief in searching out the inspirational, regardless of what category or form that may take. For previous Blog About It posts, I've shared blogs that I find inspirational in terms of fashion and style, a focus on curiosity and an openness about both personal and business lives. Today, however, with The Fox Is Black and Cool Hunting, it's all about finding inspiration in the modern world.

I'm relatively new to The Fox Is Black - an art and design blog that seeks to discover and share the most interesting and inspiring parts of contemporary life and culture - but in the 6 months or so that I've been a follower, it's quickly become one of my favorite daily reads.

 Space Suit of the Week

 Re-Covered Books

 The Desktop Wallpaper Project

While Bobby Solomon, the blog's founder and Editor-in-Chief, along with a host of regular contributors, are all interested in many of the same things that you'll find on a variety of art and design-focused blogs, it's the other projects that The Fox Is Black focuses on that are the real draw for me. Don't get me wrong, all of the posts about individual artists, interesting architecture and new technology are fascinating, but you can't deny the appeal of projects like Space Suit of the Week, Re-Covered Books, and The Desktop Wallpaper Project.

Cool Hunting is one of the major players in the blog world, with a global team of editors and contributors that share inspiration and innovation in design, technology, art, and culture.

 Philips concept beehive

 Hollo modular cabinet

Wilder Quarterly

As the name suggests, Cool Hunting is a great site for finding out what's interesting and cool right now, especially in terms of the latest in technology and design. And while the perspective is always international in scope, Cool Hunting's home base is New York, meaning that they're particularly adept at keeping up with a city that has so much talent and inspiration coming out of it, that it's sometimes hard to keep up.

(i)Pawn

I always enjoy seeing technology and design combined in fun new ways, which is why today, I wanted to share the idea behind (i)Pawn with all of you. Created by Les editions volumiques, a French publishing house focusing on ways of incorporating paper, books and new technologies, (i)Pawn combines the user's phone and physical pawns (miniature figures) to create a different type of interactive game. (i)Pawn is able to recognize the different figures, which takes the user on a series of frequently-updated adventures. Now if only I had an iPhone phone...

(Via designboom)