Hasta La Ideas

Circuit Board Tie from esty seller Scatterbrain Ties…(Read…)

You know I’m going to come at you with the modular Phonebloks argument, but think about it… There’s so much in your phone you don’t use, or rather, so much you want from your phone but there’s just not enough demand. I for one would love for my phone to be able to pack great audio recording and playback capabilities, but phones are too camera-centric. As far as wearables go, it’s even more pressing that I have a wearable that does exactly what I need to. Some people need health tracking, others want their wearable to be an extension of their phone, there are also people who believe smartwatches should have an incredible battery life, like analog watches. The only way to make everyone happy? Modularity.

Blocks does a rather unique thing in which it recognizes that the watch strap is useful real-estate. It breaks the strap down into modules, allowing you to plug modules in that you need, letting you build the smartwatch of your dreams. The face of the watch forms what they call the “Core”, having all the essential features like Bluetooth and wifi connectivity as well as a touch-sensitive display, activity tracking, and a 1.5-day battery life. The modules that attach to it (forming the bad) are what make the Blocks interesting. You’ve got modules for everything you could possibly think of, from the usual Heart Rate Monitor, GPS, and an extra battery unit, to the unusual Camera, Fingerprint Reader, and NFC Payment module, to the absolutely bizarre ECG/Stress Level, Flashlight, and Bone Conduction Speaker Module. Based on your needs, you can pack up to 5 sensors into a single watch and they work using a proprietary plug-and-play connection that is beautifully flexible as any watch strap is, but gives the smartwatch powers that you’ve bestowed on it… making it an incredibly functional device, but also an incredibly functional device that’s unique to you and your needs. Rather fascinating I’d say…

Designer: Blocks

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Plastering a wall is time-consuming work, so it’s natural that workers who do it day-in, day-out will try to devise shortcuts. Watching this guy’s technique, I can’t decide if it’s faster or slower than setting up a scaffold:

Or maybe it’s not a time-saving technique, but simply borne of necessity because they don’t have a scaffold? The DIY ladder should’ve tipped me off.

If you walk up Elizabeth Street early in the morning, you’ll pass this tidy but odd-looking area along a blank stretch of wall beneath an awning.

It’s decorated with what looks to be children’s artwork from the local Chinese school.

What are these pieces of street furniture? You can see, neatly arranged, a found Ikea coffee table, a piece of veneered particle board propped against the wall, and what appears to be a purpose-built cabinet. Next to that, a 2×4 that has been encased in a bucket of concrete.

What this actually is, is an outdoor cobbling station run by a man who looks to be in his eighties. Each morning he sets up a transparent plastic tarp to provide some respite from the cold. The 2×4 in a bucket serves as one of the support columns, but the impromptu tent is not tall enough to stand up under.  He slides the low “counter” out to act as his workbench and sits or crouches behind it, using a wooden tray to hold his tools next to him. Each evening he breaks everything down and puts it like you see it in the first photo.

I’m sorry I couldn’t get a better photo than this, but I feel funny sticking my camera in people’s faces when they’re working. So I had to shoot this from across the street.

When I observed the man more closely, I was intrigued to see that he was fixing a brightly-colored Nike running sneaker. I didn’t realize those could be repaired and had expected to see him working on proper shoes. So if you have a busted pair of kicks, bring them to Elizabeth Street just north of Grand Street and you can see the workstation in action.

For many red wine lovers, Silver Oak has become synonymous with luxuriant bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon over the last 45 years. These food-friendly, dynamic vintages hail from quality fruit met with virgin oak. Often, Silver Oak wines are consumed……

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