library showcase

Check out these awesome home libraries.

the impossible project

The Impossible Project is a company that restores vintage cameras to their original condition, so they would be the same as they would be if you bought it new, back in the day. My favorite is shown above, the Polariod SX70 Original ($332). They are always out of stock though, and the prices start at well over $150. Link

armani hotel dubai

Armani's first hotel is located in the Burj Khalifa, aka the tallest building in the world. I have to say I'm quite disappointed. It seems like they are focused on their reputation; like staying in the hotel is more of a fashion statement or a privilege rather than a good time. The style is cold and seems uninspired, if you look at the hallway above, it looks like a prison. On top of that, they aren't very focused on the hospitality, rather, a huge empire to spend money in. If you go to the website, just by watching the intro you wouldn't ever guess it was for a hotel. There are eight restaurants, an Armani store, 160 guest rooms, and 144 residences. It's furnished mainly by their very own Armani Casa collection. The guest rooms look like a contemporary Marriott, nothing someone would be expected to spend fifteen-hundred dollars a night in. Link: $1,500

hlaska ipad sleeve

Hlaska is a company that does things right; italian leather rather than fancy vinyls or ballistic nylon. They just released a new iPad sleeve, and I have to say it's pretty slick. It's basically just a vegetable-dyed Italian leather pouch with a metal clasp, and a soft interior. Link $175

apple, on flash

Steve Jobs' essay on Flash

holywood sign concept

Check out this awesome concept proposed for the new iconic "HOLLYWOOD" sign, by Danish company Bayarch. Link

iphone os4

Okay, I know this is very overdue, but Apple has released a preview for the iPhone OS 4.
First, I'm sure you heard about that guy who worked for Apple who was nesting the iPhone 4, and left it at a bar. A guy proceeded to pick it up and sell it to Gizmodo for chrissakes. The whole story is here, and the new iPhone is here. They can't turn it on though, because Apple conveniently remote-wiped it.
There are a few little looking new touches. Like the place where you keep those four apps that are always handy in any screen: that mesh aluminum kind of background has been replaced with a glassy like reflective table, like one on a Mac. Encrypted e-mail too, so you'll have the option to be required to enter a pin to go into the Mail app. Exchange Server 2010, and VPN support too.
Homescreen Background
All the those whiny teenagers won't have to jailbreak anymore in order to change the background of their homescreen. I don't think that it looks very finished, but at least Apple is listening to their customers.


Multitasking
Jobs claims that the reason that it took them so long to come out with multitasking, is that they were trying to develop a way to multitask without straining battery life, or reducing performance, and they have (apparently) finally achieved this. I'm going to have to see it to believe it. It works by double-tapping the home button: the screen will rise up, and you can select an open application from the menu. It's kinda like Quicksilver for the iPhone. You can even use your iPod controls in your lock-screen with Pandora running in the background. You can receive Skype calls, and do other things while talking. Imagine how cool this will be when coupled with the front-facing camera as seen on the prototype? You can even receive calls while in the lock screen. This is BIG. This is innovative. Why couldn't they have done something this cool with the iPad?

Folders
You can organize apps however you please. Just hold your finger on an app until it starts to jiggle, and the drop it into another app. Voila! A cool feature here is that it notices, say, if you are making a folder of games, that you have two game applications, and automatically names the folder. You can, of course, rename it as well. Tap the folder, the screen slides up, and you just select the app you want to launch. It's that simple. You can now have 2,000 apps on your phone now, thanks to Folders. (and Spotlight, thank you Jesus)

Unified Inbox
Business owners rejoice! There has been a huge demand for this. Now you will be able to have all your emails from all your email addresses in the same screen. Also, threads to follow conversations easier, adn multiple exchange support.

iBooks
It's just like the iPad. "e-Reader in your pocket". Not much to elaborate here. Free Winnie the Pooh, too!

iAd
Wins the award for worst name in the history of advertising, it even beat the iPad! So now developers will have a easier way to fill those "light" apps with advertisements. It works by making an ad pop up after a specified amount of time. Pop-ups: there's an app for that. Oh, and Apple gets 40% of the revenues. "It's all done in HTML5, by the way" Jobs said, which got a laugh out of the developers.

The majority of these features won't be available for the previous iPhones, and most of the iPod touches; the hardware just can't support it.
This is a general overview, but there is much more! Watch the Keynote- Watch / In HD

2uettottanta

The 2uettonttana is a concept by the renowned Pininfarina for Alpha Romeo. The home car is just seamless; like one piece of metal. Look at the aluminum border around the windshield, and the back of the car is so smooth.

Thank you, Luxury Issues

transbay

The Transbay Transit Center is a 1.2 billion dollar project to create a new high-speed rail system in San Francisco. This architectural features a 5 acre rooftop park with views of the city. Click the link to watch the video--it's awesome. Link

keyport

This little contraption is pretty self-explanitory. A very clever way to keep track of your keys... and no annoying jingling sound in your pocket. Link: $80+

2011 audi a8l

Audi is launching fresh new, even longer version of the A8L. It's a little over seventeen feet long. The most noticeable update is the LED headlights.The W12 500hp engine is staying the same though.

normann copenhagen

The design company, Normann-Copenhagen, is launching it's first bike this year. The sleek, matte-black frame is accented perfectly by the green grips, seat, and chain. Link

t jays

The new headphones by JAYS, and up and coming sound company are really cool looking. Link

marea

Marea in New York city looks like a great place to grab a drink or have a formal dinner. The brunch menu was featured in New York Magazine. Link/ Brunch Menu

2011 phaeton

I love VWs. The Phaeton was my favorite vehicle of theirs, and I was sad to see it be discontinued because no one bought them... But now VW is announcing a new Phaeton for 2011 and I'm super excited! This is a full-sized luxury sedan has variable headlights, GPS thanks to Google, four zone climate control, "road sign" detection, and an optional Dynaudio sound system. I would expect it to have an Audi engine, but I'm not sure yet. It's going to compete with the BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes S-Class. I would take this over a Mercedes any day.

Thank you, Auto Blog

epic world map

This is quite possibly the most incredible utilization of silk-screening yet. This map inspires me... I really want a modern room! Link: $60

casa kimball

This is a vacation home in the Dominican Republic. It's made with "white coral stone" which sounds incredibly cool, expensive, and exclusive. I also love the paneling on the ceiling in the bathroom, and the pool is really great. It's designed by Rangr Studio.

Thank you, Design Milk

the drunk engineer

If you haven't heard already, an apple employee that was testing the new iPhone left it at a bar, a guy picked it up, and sold it to Gizmodo for 5k. Here is the down-low. Story iPhone
There is a ton of new stuff including:
-A new aluminum body. It isn't the unibody design though, you can see the seams in the picture.
-A front facing camera. That's right, two cameras on this phone. Perhaps for a new iChat app?
-Much better camera, with flash.
-New chips made by exclusively by Apple itself. Obviously much faster and bigger.
-A much higher resolution screen,
-The design is slightly smaller, but Gizmodo says its a tad lighter and feels much more sturdy in the hand. This is obviously due to the new aluminum.
-The back is still plastic though, making the whole thing aluminum would cut too much of the reception range off.
-Multitasking, even though I think it's over-rated, it's a good feature to have.

citroen metropolis concept

This is so amazing! I really like the direction Citroen is going with their new designs. It is about time. You can't really tell from this angle, but it has a forward stance, which is a recent trend that I really don't like. It isn't as severe as some others though, I still think it's awesome.

Thank you, TrendsNow

ipad heritage case

Awesome! Hard Graft has finally came out with their iPad case, and of course it looks awesome. It's got the usual wool with the tanned leather. Link: $80

b&b italia

B&B Italia is where it's at. And Paris is where their new flagship store is. It's an Italian company with a flagship store in France...? But in all seriousness it's a pretty awesome company. Think IKEA, but actually nice, and handmade. Link

kin

What you see here is another phone from Microsoft. Two phones actually, the KIN1 and KIN2. They're heavily built on social networking, and they use a completely new UI that is similar to that of the Zune and Windows phone. It's absolutely amazing, not something that you would expect from Microsoft; I find myself saying that a lot lately. Link

business card throwing champion!

alexander gronsky

Great pictures of Tallinn, Estonia by photographer Alexander Gronsky.

Thank you, there was rain

nyt cover

A really cool vintage cover for the New York Times.

hamilton khaki team earth auto

Awesome watch by Hamilton, available sometime this summer. Link: $TBD

Beautiful work by Sylvie Bello!

samsung 3d tv

This is for real. These are actually being sold right now. They're connected to the internet with a variety of apps, and can even convert non-3D movies into 3D instantly. This is the way of the future! Link: fr$2,800