Crossing Australia in a Kite-powered Car

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This is pretty freaking amazing: A pair of German “extreme sportsmen” recently crossed Australia in a lightweight car powered by a kite. Engineer Stefan Simmerer and television host Dirk Gion partnered with industrial group Evonik to produce the Wind Explorer, a vehicle made from lightweight composites and loaded up with lithium-ion batteries.

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The project was undertaken more as a technology showcase and thought-provoker than an exercise in practical transport options — as their blog shows, overhead lines and moving kites do not mix well — and the attendant website is thoughtfully appointed. In addition to overall descriptions of the team and a well-shot photo gallery, a blog documents the daily undertakings (and troubles) of the 18-day project while the “Partner” section details the composite materials and battery technology used in the vehicle.

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The Wind Explorer mission statement sums up their goal nicely:

Stepping on the pedal without regrets. That’s the mobility solution for the future. Electromobility powered by regenerative energies.

But the Wind Explorer is not intended to represent a technology for everyday. Crossing Australia is primarily a pioneering adventure meant to inspire further research and development in the area of alternative mobility concepts. A vehicle capable of crossing a continent without emissions of any sort. Peak performance born by combining today’s technologies intelligently in order to point the way to new possibilities. For there’s enough clean energy on our planet to go around. We just have to develop the technologies for tapping it.

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Daily Obsesh – Winifred Grace Bangles

imageEver notice how annoying it can be to type on a keyboard while wearing bangles? They clank everywhere and get in the way … yet, we can’t seem to stop putting them on in the morning. And with good reason. They look damn good.


Yes, it’s a bold statement. A true one. We like our accessories, and bangles are a must-have in our book. And right now, we have our eyes on this Set of 3 by Winifred Grace.


They’re made of brass and one has a pretty turquoise-colored waxed linen wrapped around it for a splash of color. They make a great complement to any outfit and will surely annoy you while you’re at work. But you’ll enjoy knowing that it’s worth it (and all of us feel your pain).

Where to BuyWinifredGrace.com

Price – $115.00

Who Found ItSusanY was the first to add the ‘Set of 3 Bangles‘ to the Hive.

Between Two Points

Un superbe vidéoclip pour le groupe électronique The Glitch Mob en featuring avec Swan, sur le titre “Between two Points”. Une animation très réussie autour du poids de la dépendance, dirigée et produite par le studio Motiphe. A découvrir en vidéo HD dans la suite de l’article.



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Creative director of Issey Miyake to leave


Dezeenwire:
the creative director of fashion brand Issey Miyake, Dai Fujiwara, is to step down next month. The new team will be announced in April. More details below.

All our stories about Issey Miyake »

Issey Miyake’s Creative director is leaving

Issey Miyake Inc wishes to announce that Creative Director Dai Fujiwara will stand down after the presentation of the Issey Miyake Autumn/Winter 2011 Paris Collection.

Since his appointment as Creative Director in 2006, Fujiwara has been looking to the future and while producing the collections he has also been actively training the next generation. After five years as Creative Director, the time is right for him to take the next step forward in his career, and Fujiwara has made clear his intent to leave the design operation in the hands of this new generation, who he feels are ready to take the brand further.

Fujiwara will continue to support and guide the new designers and their team wit his experience and know-how until the presentation of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections. Also, as always, Issey Miyake himself will personally continue to exercise overall supervision as the founder of the brand.

Details of the new issey Miyake Design team will officially be announced in April. At present, Fujiwara and his team are concentrating all their energies for the Paris Collection in March.

Tad Carpenter ‘Big Bear, Big Big Bear’

Questo peluches serigrafato e numerato a mano è un omaggio di Tad Carpenter al mitico John Hughes. Lo trovate in vendita alla Gallery 1988.

Incase MacBook Perforated Hardshell

Sul vostro nuovo MacBook Pro montateci questa cover di Incase.
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Incase MacBook Perforated Hardshell

Cycle sign by Trent Jansen

Questo e altri segnali catarifrangenti per la vostra biga, li trovate sullo store di Designboom. Design by Trent Jansen.
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Gibbon Slacklines

Test your balance and coordination with this fun tightrope alternative

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From its origins in the 1970s—when it was used by climbers for practicing their moves in parking lots and eventually to bypass terrain that was hard to climb across—Slacklines have more recently also become a great training tool to strengthen your core and improve your balance or just fun to mess around on.

Gibbon Slacklines started selling a range of slackline kits in 2008. They now have 1″ and 2″ width slacklines geared for specific uses (the Jibline for tricks, the Flowline for long distances, the Funline for beginners). Slacklines are easy to set up between trees, poles or stands just about anywhere. All you have to do is wrap the area and winch the line on. Beginners can set them up close to the ground. Once you’ve mastered a few skills you can move the lines up to whatever height you’re comfortable with. Slacklining has fortunately become popular enough to support competitions and World Cups.

Visit Gibbon to find retailers. Prices start around $75.

Take our reader survey and enter to win a CH Edition Jambox!


The Flashing Lights of Mr. Beam

Living Room from Mr.Beam on Vimeo.

A coworker of mine passed the work of Mr. Beam along today as an example of some innovative work being done with light and projection in 3D architectural environments.

After watching a few of their pieces, I was really impressed with the Dutch outfit. I remember seeing some amazing architectural light-art the last time I was in Belgium, and am familiar with the work of Jenny Holzer from my time at RISD, but their work brings it to another level — introducing a sense of dynamic augmented reality.

In “Living Room,” (video, above) Mr. Beam “created an unique physical 3D video mapping experience by turning a white living room into a spacious 360° projection area.” The resulting effect is a room that’s entire character and physical appearance changes in the blink of an eye. Visually stunning, but what’s technically most impressive? They did it using only two projectors.

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Much of their other work is on a larger scale — splashing entire buildings in detailed, film-based light shows. Their work for H&M reminded me particularly of some of the technology sequences in Children of Men, a film I’ve found to be one of the most realistic (albeit depressing) depictions of future technology in recent years. Though the specific depictions in Children of Men (above compared with Mr. Beam’s work for H&M) were focusing on screen/billboard technology, the experiences are very similar, capturing viewers in an uncanny valley of light and image — light years away from what we thought was possible with simple projectors.

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Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects completed

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

Here are a few images of the Holmenkollen ski jump in Norway by JDS Architects, which is now complete (see it under construction but already in use in our earlier story).

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

Top photograph is by Marco Boella

The aluminium- and glass-clad ski jump is 58 metres high and has a 69-metre cantilever.

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

The Holmenkollen ski jump is hosting the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011, which opened yesterday and will run until 8 March.

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

See all our stories on the Holmenkollen ski jump here »

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

All our stories on JDS Architects on Dezeen »
More buildings for sports on Dezeen »

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

Above photograph is by Marco Boella

The following information is from the architects:


Designed by JDS Architects, the new Holmenkollen ski jump will host the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

More than 100 years ago, a Norwegian lieutenant propelled himself 9.5 meters into the air and the sport of ski jumping was born. Since 1892, the village of Holmenkollen, twenty minutes from Oslo, has hosted legendary competitions and the site remains one of the foremost locales for the international sport including the 1952 Winter Olympics.

Along with Wimbledon’s All England Club and the Wembly Arena, Holmenkollen Ski Jump is often cited as one of the world’s most recognizable sports facility. Nevertheless it is one of the smallest hills in the World Cup tournament, and in September 2005, the International Ski Federation decided that the current hill does not meet the standards to award the city the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. In December 2005 Norway’s Directorate of Cultural Heritage approved the demolition of the ski jump and in April 2007 the Oslo municipality announced an open international competition for a new ski jump. JDS Architects based in Copenhagen and led by Belgian-French Julien De Smedt, beat out 103 other firms and was awarded the commission the following year.

Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

Click for larger image

Working closely with city officials, JDSA established an office in the capital and collaborated with Norwegian engineering firm, Norconsult, to bring to fruition their elegant serpentine form that will become a beacon for the city and a new showcase for the sport of ski jumping. Rather than having a series of dispersed pavilions on site, their design unifies the various amenities into one holistic diagram. The judges booths, the commentators, the trainers, the royal family, the VIPs, the wind screens, the circulations, the lobby, the entrance to the arena and the arena itself, the lounge for the skiers, the souvenir shop, the access to the existing museum, the viewing public square at the very top, everything, is contained into the shape of the jump. The resulting simplicity of the solution improves the experience of the spectators and brings clear focus to the skiers.

The ski jump is clad in aluminum and glass and rises 58 meters in the air. It cantilevers an impressive 69 meters and on the first day of jumping tests; the record of the longest jump made at Holmenkollen was broken.

Atop the ski jump is a platform where visitors can take in some of the most breathtaking views of Oslo, the fjord and the region beyond. It’s a new form of public space, using an unlikely architectural form as its host, affording the same spectacular vantage point for everyone who comes to Holmenkollen. The Lonely Planet agrees, the travel publication recently declared the new Holmenkollen Ski Jump as one of the ten top destinations to visit in 2011.


See also:

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Holmenkollen ski jump by
JDS Architects opens
Olympic ski jump by terrain:loenhart&mayrWaste-to-Energy Plant by
BIG