Jan 10
Jan 10
CH Gift Guide: Baby New Year: Prep for a precious little one with our list of infant-inspired presents
Posted in: chgg, parents 
While September—a cheeky nine months after the year’s booziest holiday celebration—is indeed the most popular month for birthdays, we’re toasting to Baby New Year by adding a mélange of newborn-inspired items to the Cool Hunting Gift Guide. Whether you are soon to have one of your own, like CH…
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Jan 10
Interaction Awards 2013: People’s Choice Award Open for Voting
Posted in: Uncategorized
In anticipation of the upcoming IxDA Conference taking place January 27-31 in Toronto, the Interaction Awards has opened up this year’s shortlist of 75 projects to the voting public! Now you can weigh in on the Interaction Awards’ People’s Choice award.
Vote for your favorite interaction design project and on January 29th, see how your vote stacks up to this year’s jury choices. Last year’s People’s Choice award went to Interaction Cubes by Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Museu da Vida, from Brazil, who also earned an award for best in category, Engaging.
You don’t have to be an IxDA member in order to vote but you will have to register or login through a third-party sign-in (for example Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn). Visit the gallery, cast your vote and stay tuned for the full announcement for this year’s Interaction Awards winners!
If you’ll be in attendance in Toronto, come say hello to us! We’ll be covering the conference and hosting the Coroflot Portfolio Review!
Jan 10
Skyscraper construction stalled in 2012
Posted in: UncategorizedNews: in 2012 the total number of skyscrapers constructed around the world failed to increase for the first time in six years, says the annual report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, revealing the continued impact of the global financial crisis that started in 2007.
Just 66 buildings over 200 metres tall were completed last year, compared with 82 in 2011 and 70 in 2010. The number is less than CTBUH predicted, as many projects experienced delays that have pushed back their completion dates to 2013 and 2014.
Despite the decrease, the report states that tall building construction is by no means slowing down overall. “As 2012 closes, the industry is on the cusp of another burst of tall building development,” it reads. “It is likely the 2013 completion total will set a new record for tall building completions, surpassing the 2011 total.”
At 601 metres high, the tallest building to finish in the year was the Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel in Mecca, now the second-highest building in the world behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The tower was one of five newly constructed skyscrapers completed in the Saudi Arabian city, bringing the total number in the country up from seven to twelve.
As previously reported, China continues to dominate the list, with a third of all the new buildings over 200 metres spread out across 13 different cities. According to the report, the building boom in China is set to continue, with the 660-metre Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen, the 636-metre Wuhan Greenland Center and the 632-metre Shanghai Tower all on the horizon, as well as the controversial 838-metre tower that Broad Sustainable Building plans to construct in just 90 days.
Just two of the 66 buildings were located in the USA, while four were located in Canada. Meanwhile, only three were completed in South Korea, which had until recently seen a significant increase in skyscraper construction.
Also in 2012, the two tallest residential towers in the world finished in Dubai. The title initially went to the 393-metre 23 Marina, but was stolen away by the 413-metre Princess Tower a few months later.
The tallest building in Europe also changed hands in the year, as Moscow skyscraper Mercury City overtook Renzo Piano’s The Shard.
This time last year the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat predicted what the tallest buildings in 2020 might be.
See all our stories about skyscrapers »
The post Skyscraper construction
stalled in 2012 appeared first on Dezeen.
Jan 10
Pixar – Blue Umbrella
Posted in: blue umbrella, monstres academy, parapluie, saschka unseld, studio pixarVoici le premier extrait du prochain court-métrage du studio Pixar appelé « The Blue Umbrella ». Visible en salles avant les projections du prochain film Monstres Academy, cette vidéo est tirée de l’imagination des équipes de Saschka Unseld. L’extrait est basé autour d’une histoire d’amour naissante entre deux parapluies.
Jan 10
Handmade Towels: Jennifer’s Hamam: Traditional Turkish towels get an organic upgrade
Posted in: linens, towels 
The new year has us updating our old routines around the house, and fresh linens seem like one of the easiest ways to make a clean start. This week, we’ve gathered up five beautifully crafted towels to help spruce up the bath and get us going on cold mornings….
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Jan 10
Marc Jacobs Reveals Favorite of His 33 Tattoos, Plans for 34th
Posted in: 92Y, Fern Mallis, Jean-Michel Frank, Manbearpig, Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is not perfect, but the word is etched–in a distinctly imperfect slant of capital letters–on his right wrist as a reminder of an acceptance mantra (“I’m a perfect being in a perfect world where everything that happens benefits me completely”) he learned in rehab. That’s just one of the fashion designer’s 33 tattoos, many of them inked by Scott Campbell, he told Fern Mallis during a wide-ranging conversation held last night at New York’s 92nd Street Y. As for his favorite, that would be the furniture. “A couch. A Jean-Michel Frank couch that is tattooed right here,” said Jacobs, patting his abdomen. “And ask me why a couch, because everybody does, and there’s no reason. That’s exactly the reason.”
The outline of a classic Frank three-seater is joined by a jubilant SpongeBob SquarePants, Oui magazine logos, a red M&M character, and the world “Shameless.” When Mallis asked about the proliferation of cartoon characters, including the Simpsons-ized likeness of the designer himself, he shrugged. “Well, kids on the beach like them. They’re colorful,” said Jacobs. “I think I see life in a kind of cartoony way, and I like colorful tattoos. I never saw tattoos as a dark thing, or ritualistic.” And he’s already thinking about his next one. “I was talking to my trainer today, and there’s this character on South Park called Manbearpig, and I think we might be fighting over which one of us going to get it.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Jan 10
This past December, we shared some advice on Unclutterer about creating New Year’s resolutions. When deciding on a resolution(s) for the new year, keep three things in mind: acknowledge your feelings, have a plan, and take your time. As we mentioned, your plan don’t need to be rock solid by January 1.
Once you’ve decided on goals to work toward, you can focus on these five tips for success:
- Stay positive
- Lean on a support team
- Choose goals wisely
- Take on one goal at a time
- Focus on more ambitious goals over the long term
Today, I’ll share some software that will help you realize your annual goals, focusing on the most common resolutions, according to USA.gov:
- Drink less alcohol
- Eat healthy food
- Get a better education
- Get a better job
- Get fit
- Lose weight
- Manage debt
- Manage stress
- Quit smoking
- Reduce, reuse and recycle
- Save money
- Take a trip
- Volunteer to help others
Many of these are similar, and I’ve combined those to create this master list:
- Get healthy
- Earn more money
- Become a better citizen
- Travel
Here are some examples of hardware and software to help you achieve each of those goals.
Get Healthy
Every January, millions of people vow to improve their health by either losing weight, adopting a healthier diet, or exercising regularly. It’s a great goal, as a heathy body and mind often means a longer, more enjoyable life. The health and fitness market is full of gadgets. Here are a few to get you started.
Bodyweight Training: You Are Your Own Gym for iPhone and iPad ($2.99). This app is remarkable in how comprehensive it is. It features over 200 videos demonstrating exercises that can all be performed with equipment you already have at home. There’s no need to buy an expensive gym membership. You’ll find guided exercise programs for all fitness levels, as well as timers to keep you on track. It’s great for when your traveling, too.
Nike+ Fuel Band ($149). The Nike+ line of fitness products are all connected to the Internet, for easy tracking of your performance and sharing with your friends. The Fuel Band is a bracelet with an accelerometer that tracks the number of steps you take and calories you burn each day. Set a goal and see how close you come. You can track and share your progress with friends via a browser or the optional iPhone app. There are even fun challenges to aim for, called “Missions,” presented as a sort of game.
MyFitnessPal (Free) MyFitnessPal offers a free calorie counter for the iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones, Blackberrys and Windows phone. It’s got a massive database of foods and drinks that let you track exactly how many calories you take in per day. You can also network with friends who are using the program, which helps to provide you with a community of support. Plus, it looks good.
Earn More Money
I can’t start this section without thinking of those Sally Struthers ads from the ’90s. “Do you want to make more money? Sure, we all do.” Here’s some software to help you stay on top of your finances.
iTunes U (Free). When I was young I was taught that the key to a good-paying, enjoyable job was education. Now, Apple lets me take a course on almost anything right from iTunes. iTunes U is a collection of educational resources put out by some of the nation’s top schools. You’ll find courses on a huge variety of subjects, from business to cooking to the arts and literature, law, math and science. Download any to your iPad and get learning.
Mint.com (Free) Mint is a fantastic finance and budget management suite of software. It’s available for the iPhone, iPad, Android tablets and Mac. It also works right in your browser, so Windows users can use it, too. Mint helps you track spending, follow a budget, set financial goals and more. Connect it to your bank and add any account you have, loans, retirement savings and more. Plus, it’s beautiful and generates nice-looking reports.
Become a Better Citizen
This often gets overlooked, but it’s great for your community and sense of self-satisfaction. Here are a couple of solutions to help you create and track all sorts of goals.
Everest for iPhone (Free) “Everyone’s got their Everest. Climb yours.” That’s a great slogan for a clever app. Everest lets you create goals and, more importantly, break them down into a series of small, achievable steps. Each goal, or “dream” as the app calls them, features an inspirational image. There are many to choose from, and you can even upload your own.
Lifetick (Free or $20 per year for the premium service) This app is different in that it starts by helping you identify your core values. Next, you create goals that are in line with each one. It’s an interesting way to approach goal setting. From there you create tasks for each goal and a timeline to keep track of all of them. Plus the web app is really beautiful.
Travel
Kayak Hands down my favorite travel app. It’s is as close to a portable travel agent as you’re going to get. It handles everything, from finding a flight to hotels, car rentals, attractions, things to do, and much more. Kayak polls several top travel sites and airlines for flights that match your criteria. The results can be filtered by airline, number of stops, airport, price and duration. You can also sort by cost, duration and departure time (leaving soonest). There’s an app for the iPhone, iPad, Android phones, Windows phone and Kindle Fire.
There you have it. I hope there’s something here to inspire you to an exciting, fulfilling 2013. Good luck!
Need help getting organized? Buy the DRM-free audiobook version of Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week today for only $8.99.
Jan 10
Jeté hair salon by Sides Core
Posted in: Kobe, Salons and spas, Sides Core, slideshowsWhite walls are sandwiched between the exposed concrete ceiling and floor of this minimal hair salon in Kobe by Japanese designers Sides Core (+ slideshow).
Sides Core transformed a former cafe on the ground floor of an apartment block into a salon by stripping out the space and changing the original entrance into a window while moving the main access to the back door.
Translucent curtains are draped over the large windows on two walls and four gold spotlights provide the room with additional lighting.
Two freestanding easel mirrors paired with dissimilar chairs and a small black table are the only pieces of furniture in the cutting space, while a shampooing chair and sink sit in a niche created by a partition beside the door.
Equipment is kept hidden from view in a small store room clad in wood on the other side of the entrance.
The most recent hair salons we’ve featured include a pop-up salon by Zaha Hadid and Fudge at London Design Festival and one covered in ceramic tiles laid in a traditional English brickwork pattern. See all our stories about salons »
Photography is by Yoshiro Masuda.
Read on for more text from Sides Core:
There are just some places you never want to leave.
Theme parks, parks, and pubs, and for me it’s especially when I visit my friends’ home that I feel this way. There is nothing special about the doors or windows of this shop, and there are no large signs to be found. To start with, it is situated in part of the first floor of an apartment building. I think that the appearance of this shop is not that of a shop that is intimidating, but rather, that of a shop that possesses a perfect sense of comfort. That’s the reason you just never want to leave.
When I first asked about my client’s requirements, I got a sense of this perfection. I thought that the site, its location, and the services provided were very understated. The client’s wish was to create a place that prized relationships between people over all else. That’s why I felt that it was up to me to create something in a way that combined “just right” with the client’s “wish.”
I went about making my sense of “just right” and the client’s “wish” into reality. I made the existing door into the entrance and hung a plate on the doorknob for its sign. I then put lace curtains on the windows to ensure that no one could see too much, whether inside or out. I made sure that the set mirror was not too big and made it lightweight enough to provide for easy movement. Doing so allows one to change the room’s mood with ease.
When I thought about my client’s wish to foster relationships between people, I wanted to create a place where two people could come and spend time without feeling constrained. To put it another way, I wanted to make it into a place where couples or parents with children would not hesitate to visit. For it is my sincerest wish for this to be a place involved in the creation and continuance of relationships.
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by Sides Core appeared first on Dezeen.
Jan 10
Like rival Samsung, LG also caused a stir with their new TV offering, seen above. (I apologize for the crappy photos, but it was a real jostle-fest.) The EA9800 series is freaking curved, providing truly equidistant viewing to the corners, assuming you’re sitting dead-center. The OLED display can also support 3D, which is why the second image looks janky; it looked a lot more impressive through the glasses.
Honestly this seems more a demonstration of manufacturing might than a design innovation that consumers will enjoy, but time and the market will tell. Samsung reportedly announced their own curved televisions just moments before LG, and I like to see this kind of competition–it means sooner or later one of them will be driven to produce a breakthrough the other cannot match, and assuming their designers are clued in, we’ll hopefully see something a bit more profound.
In the meantime, I think the curved screen technology would actually best be targeted to art directors, 3D modelers and video editors, people who spend their lives in front of a screen manipulating images, and typically from a fixed position.
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