No, that isn’t a Tesla Roadster. It’s Ferrari’s new futuristic hybrid supercar!

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

After the smashing success of the SF90 Stradale, the 296 GTB is the second hybrid from the Italian automotive company, hinting at a potential move towards the electric market.

The 296 GTB is the company’s first “mainstream” electric model. Unveiled today at a virtual event, the 296 GTB redefines the whole concept of fun behind the wheel, guaranteeing pure emotions not just when pushing the car to its limits, but also in day-to-day driving situations. Its name comes from the fact that the car is equipped with a 2,996cc, six-cylinder engine, while the GTB stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta, harking to a long line of Ferrari sportscars that stretch back to the mid-1950s.

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

There’s something incredibly pure about the 296 GTB’s design. At first glance it does look quite inspired by the surfacing of the Tesla Roadster, although there’s nothing wrong with embracing purity over aggressively contoured surfaces and an overdose of air-intakes. Equipped with a short wheelbase and a flowy, monolithic design, the 296 GTB is perhaps the most compact berlinetta to emerge from Ferrari’s Maranello factory. The car comes fitted with Ferrari’s 120° Twin-Turbo V-6 hybrid engine (you can see a picture of it at the bottom of the article), perhaps one of the company’s most interesting pieces of innovation (there’s an entire article exclusively on the engine from Road & Track). The 296 GTB is also the first Ferrari hybrid automobile to not electrify the front axle, helping save weight and maintain the sheer dynamic purity of a rear-wheel drive.

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

The Ferrari 296 GTB draws a great deal of inspiration from the 1963 Ferrari 250 LM and 1974 Dino 246 GTS, especially the way its air intakes are integrated into the rear fenders and its use of a vertical rear window. Aerodynamically, the car depends primarily upon air management beneath it to develop downforce, resulting in an otherwise pure design uncorrupted by air-intakes. An active spoiler underneath the car and integrated into the rear bumper deploys to create a downforce of up to 360 kg at around 155 mph. The car boasts of a 0-100 of 2.9 seconds, and a top speed of over 205 mph. The rear is markedly different too, and I can’t help but miss Ferrari’s signature circular taillights. While Ferrari hasn’t hinted at a price, multiple European outlets have hinted that it could cost above $300,000. The car’s set to deliver in 2022.

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

Ferrari 296 GTB Supercar with V6 Hybrid Powertrain

The ‘Tough Turban’ uses a fabric 15x stronger than steel, to empower Sikh motorcyclists to ride safer



Given the turban’s cultural and religious nature, Sikh motorcyclists are exempt from wearing helmets. The Tough Turban hopes to be a helmet-alternative, allowing wearers to protect their heads from impact.

The Tough Turban is a one-of-a-kind fabric with an open-source turban design that can be worn in any style. Unlike most turbans that are just made by wrapping/pleating/folding a cotton cloth multiple times around one’s head, the Tough Turban’s fabric is much more specialized, offering superior impact-resistance while looking just like a turban. Designed as a no-compromise solution, the turban allows Sikh riders to safely and confidently drive motorcycles, knowing that they’re safe.

Designers: Zulu Alpha Kilo & Spark Innovations for Pfaff Harley-Davidson

Tough Turban - Protective Cultural Headgear for Sikh Canadian Motorcyclists by Pfaff Harley-Davidson

The fabric comes with 3 internal layers that help cushion impact – a Dyneema layer, a flexible 3D-printed chainlink, and a non-Newtonian foam. On a weight-for-weight basis, Dyneema is up to 15x stronger than steel and 40% stronger than high-strength aramid fibers. It’s used to make bullet-resistant vests, armor, helmets, and even in panels on tanks to protect against stronger ballistic threats like anti-tank projectiles. Underneath it sits the 3D-printed chainlink-inspired armor, harking back to the use of chainlink headgear historically by Sikh warriors in battle – owing to its strength and flexibility. The third is a non-Newtonian foam that’s fluid and flexible but immediately hardens on impact, helping act as a tough barrier to protect the skull.

Tough Turban - Protective Cultural Headgear for Sikh Canadian Motorcyclists by Pfaff Harley-Davidson

The Tough Turban comes as a folded piece of long fabric, allowing its wearer to don it in multiple styles. Turbans can change in shape and size depending on cultures, ancestry, festivals, or plain and simple age. Designed to accommodate any turban-style, the fabric gives the wearer the freedom to choose, and the Tough Turban website even has design blueprints for enthusiasts.

Created in collaboration with the Sikh Motorcycle Club of Ontario, the Tough Turban was designed by Zulu Alpha Kilo and Spark Innovations for Pfaff Harley-Davidson as a bid to bring the motorcycling world a step closer to inclusivity – something that has yet to be achieved across Canada. Helmet exemptions were first granted to turban-wearing riders in British Columbia and Manitoba in 1999. Close to 20 years later, in the fall of 2018, Ontario passed Bill 194, exempting Sikh motorcyclists from Ontario’s helmet laws. However, all other provinces in the country have failed to adopt similar legislation. Concerns about safety are most commonly cited in discussions about helmet exemptions, but 22 years of riding with turbans have yielded precisely zero fatalities among Canadian Sikh motorcyclists. The Tough Turban hopes to bridge that gap, working as a traditional cultural garb while fulfilling the need to protect oneself while riding a motorcycle.

Tough Turban - Protective Cultural Headgear for Sikh Canadian Motorcyclists by Pfaff Harley-Davidson

Tough Turban - Protective Cultural Headgear for Sikh Canadian Motorcyclists by Pfaff Harley-Davidson

Tough Turban - Protective Cultural Headgear for Sikh Canadian Motorcyclists by Pfaff Harley-Davidson

Viewfinder House by Faulkner Architects faces vista of California's Pacific Crest

Viewfinder House among the trees

A request for every room to have a view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains informed the layout of this Californian house by Faulkner Architects.

The primary goal for the family building their home in Truckee – a few miles north of Lake Tahoe – was to capitalise on the site’s vista of the Pacific Crest, a ridge of peaks that runs parallel to the US West Coast.

Pacific Crest view from the living space
Rooms in the Viewfinder House are all oriented towards the same view

“‘Can all of the rooms enjoy this view?’ was our client’s question on our first site walk,” said Faulkner Architects. “This question formed the seed of our conceptual approach to the design of the house.”

To achieve this, the local firm divided the 7,200-square-foot (670-square-metre) family home over two levels that are both oriented towards the view, rather than precisely following the slope of the site.

Living and dining area
A butterfly roof allows clerestory windows to bring in additional light

The steel base of the lower storey, which connects to the sloped driveway, is more aligned with the street running below. Meanwhile, the upper level is twisted slightly for even better sight lines from the main living spaces.

Recessed apertures created by terraces and overhanging roofs give the project its name: Viewfinder House.

Bathroom
Untreated cedar ceilings, granite flooring and black fixtures are used throughout the home

“Sheathed in a red cedar rain screen and closed on three sides, the boxes open to the Pacific Crest to the southwest,” said the studio.

On the exposed side, a covered porch wraps around the ground level and provide access to the outdoor swimming pool from the “play” spaces that include a media room, gym, and bunk room.

Cedar rain screens shelter the porch
Gaps in the cedar rain screen cast patterns onto board-marked concrete walls

An angled metal staircase rises from the pool deck to the upper terrace, which runs the full length of the house.

The cedar slats offer privacy from the road and direct the gaze towards the mountain tops.

Aerial view of the outdoor swimming pool
An outdoor swimming pool adjoins other areas for play

The upstairs is organised around the central kitchen, living and dining areas, with the main suite to the south and three guest bedrooms in the north wing.

An untreated cedar ceiling creates an inverted triangle across the full plan, lifting up at the sides to further enhance the views and create clerestory windows on the east elevation.

“The ceiling extends out over the porch like a large lens hood, protecting the glass doors from weather and shielding the interior from bright afternoon sun,” Faulkner Architects said.

Board-marked concrete walls, granite flooring and black metal fixtures create a pared-back aesthetic through all of the rooms – taking a back seat to the scenery.

Viewfinder House seen from the southwest
Glazed apertures all face southwest towards the mountain peaks

The Pacific Crest view was also carefully considered from the driveway, which ascends to the high side of the house and offers a first look at the distant peaks on arrival at the top of the hill.

“The intentions of the design are clear from this approach: the house gives its undivided attention to the snow-covered mountains, like a camera body twisted on a tripod to capture a distant perspective,” said Faulkner Architects.

Sunset view from the street
The cedar screens offer privacy from the road

Founded by Greg Faulkner in 1998, the firm has completed a handful of projects close to Lake Tahoe – a popular area for winter sports and outdoor pursuits.

They include a house with direct access from the ski slopes, a concrete and glass home tucked in an area of woodland, and a dwelling for a family of thrill-seekers.

Photography is by Paul Hamill.


Project credits:

Architecture: Faulkner Architects
Contractor: Glennwood Mountain Homes
Civil engineer: Shaw Engineering
Structural engineer: Linchpin Engineering
Mechanical and electrical engineer: Sugarpine Engineering
Geotechnical engineer: NV5
Lighting: Faulkner Architects
Interior design: Rory Torrigiani, Natalie Zirbel

The post Viewfinder House by Faulkner Architects faces vista of California’s Pacific Crest appeared first on Dezeen.

An interview with the creators of a climate change animation features in today's Dezeen Weekly

Still from data visualisation by Real World Visuals showing New York City's emissions

The latest edition of our Dezeen Weekly newsletter includes the background to a 2012 computer-generated timelapse which depicts New York City being buried under a mountain of giant bubbles.

According to its creators, Real World Visuals, the animation allowed people to appreciate the scale of carbon emissions for the first time.

It remains one of the most-watched climate change videos and the creators told Dezeen they believe this is because it helps people quantify atmospheric carbon and therefore visualise climate change.

Some readers feel the intended lesson isn’t needed, with one commenting “Climate change is already visible. That’s kind of the point”.

Exterior view of Google Store
Google’s first physical retail space in New York City was designed by Reddymade

Other stories in this week’s newsletter include Google’s first physical retail store in New York, the renovation of department store La Samaritaine by SANAA and a conceptual airship that’s been redesigned to reduce its emissions.

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Dezeen Weekly is a curated newsletter that is sent every Thursday, containing highlights from Dezeen. Dezeen Weekly subscribers will also receive occasional updates about events, competitions and breaking news.

Read the latest edition of Dezeen Weekly. You can also subscribe to Dezeen Daily, our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours.

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The post An interview with the creators of a climate change animation features in today’s Dezeen Weekly appeared first on Dezeen.

Paper Idol: Seen This All Before

LA-based recording artist Paper Idol (aka Matan KG) returns with the dance-party pop track, “Seen This All Before.” Under its sunny, synth-driven exterior beats the song’s lyrical edge. As for the official visuals, “We shot the video in a single day in 2019 while [keyboardist] Adam’s brother, Sam, was visiting from out of town,” KG explains. “Sam happened to bring his video equipment and was like ‘you guys wanna shoot a music video?’ We went to every possible tourist destination in LA we could think of and just kind of fooled around and sang to people. The song release was delayed due to Covid, which gave us the perfect opportunity to frame it as two guys entering a 2019 simulator.” The comedic framing works—and although the footage dates back in time, the song it supports is a perfect fit for summer 2021.

Eight object design projects from Lucerne School of Art and Design students

London South Bank University

A chair made from agricultural waste and mycelium, and a bed that adapts to a child as they grow are included in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at the Lucerne School of Art and Design.

Also featured is a project that explores how natural light can impact human wellbeing and sustainable snowshoes made from recyclable parts.


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

School: Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Courses: Bachelor Object Design
Tutors: 
Gabrielle Alioth, Suzan Curtis, Mònica Gaspar, Florian Hauswirth, Thai Hua, Tina Moor, Michael Niederberger, Tido von Oppeln, Samuel Perret, Andreas Saxer, Laurin Schaub, Christoph Schindler, Christof Sigerist, Dagmar Steffen and Nora Wagner

School statement:

“This programme asks: what is the aim of design today? What is my responsibility as a designer? What does the world need? Object designers need to think and design products for a future-proof society. This includes thinking about new needs, material cycles and behavioural economics.

“The Object Design course consciously positions itself in niche situations: between existing job categories, established product genres, manufacturing techniques and material groups; between socio-culturally anchored patterns of thinking, behaviour and diet. In their bachelor degree, object designers build on their passions, experiences and previously gained skills to formulate their unique outlook.”


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Pressed Motion – The Vocabulary of Dynamic Extrusion by Martina Häusermann

“Extrusion processes are usually used to produce continual strands, such as steel profiles or clay bricks. But what are the results when a motion is introduced into the constant flow?

“Martina Häusermann explores the potential of dynamic ceramic extrusion at the crossover between design, artisanship and industry. The controlled reprogramming of the production process – via the development of moveable dyes – allows innovations to be generated out of the process itself.

“Dynamic structures, shape transitions and interfusings open up myriad applicational possibilities. By having elaborated the technical and formal fundamentals, the perspectives for the broad potential are evident – for serially finished unique items in the craft industry or industrial adaptations in architecture.”

Student: Martina Häusermann
Course: Bachelor Object Design
Tutors: Mònica Gaspar, Florian Hauswirth and Laurin Schaub
Email: martina.haeusermann@bluewin.ch


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Atua by Andrea Schürmann

“We are surrounded by light, day in and day out. It helps us perceive colours, objects and spaces while the natural rhythm of light and dark provides our body clock with a structure.

“Andrea Schürmann explores light and its impact on human wellbeing, focusing on how dynamic light should also be appreciable in living rooms. By rotating the object’s core, the colouration and the brightness of the light can be changed.

“The various lighting moods and the contact with the object have an emotional impact and heighten our wellbeing. The lamp aims to encourage a consciousness for the influence that light has on us as humans and inspire a more natural interaction.”

Student: Andrea Schürmann
Course: 
Bachelor Object Design
Tutors:
Mònica Gaspar and Christof Sigerist
Email:
schuerm.andrea@gmail.com


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Levi One – An Attempt at Accessible Design by Sina Julia Spring

“We all use aids in our everyday lives – whether it is a spoon for our cereal or scissors for cutting paper. Often in disabled people’s day-to-day lives, aids are omnipresent, and without them, life would be unmanageable for many.

“This project examines the use of manual wheelchairs – their inadequacy and available solutions to improve them. With an environmentally friendly and elegant object, the aim is to establish easy access to design without losing functionality. Natural materials and a soft design vocabulary are combined with a non-medical appearance to create a sign of equity in design.”

Studnent: Sina Julia Spring
Course: 
Bachelor Object Design
Tutors:
Gabrielle Alioth and Andreas Saxer
Email:
sina@springs.ch


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Sustainable Snowshoes – So We Can Still Enjoy Snow in the Future! by Joël Reinmann

“Sustainability is becoming an increasing issue in our society and calls sustainable redesigns of day-to-day objects. In sport and outdoor articles, robust performance is a central criterion, and in this case, Joël Reinmann has designed sustainable snowshoes with performance in mind.

“Joël Reinmann has developed the snowshoes with the requirement that all of the components can be separated, replaced or recycled without the need for special tools. Together with non-toxic nanomaterials – for which the recycling process already exists – the simple disassembly means that a cyclical economy is achieved.”

Student: Joël Reinmann
Course: 
Bachelor Object Design
Tutors:
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Johanna Steffen and Christof Sigerist
Email:
reinmanndesign@gmail.com


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Metal 3D Printing: Also Appropriate for Designers? by Yuri Maurer

“This project asks: can metal be printed in 3D? If yes, can product design students usefully adopt the technology?

“In search of answers, Yuri Maurer sets off on a journey through the technical reality of product development. At the crossover between design and engineering, he critically examines product development methods and familiarises himself with the potential and limits of computer-aided design and fabrication. This knowledge he has used to design individual bike forks.”

Student: Yuri Maurer
Course: 
Bachelor Object Design
Tutors:
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Johanna Steffen, Thai Hua
Email:
yuri.maurer@gmail.com


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

In a nutshell by Andreas Vögtlin

“Andreas Vögtlin’s in a nutshell furniture design combines a bed and a nappy-changing table in an integrative way. It accompanies the child as it grows, from birth to the age of five and provides quality-conscious parents with a sustainable alternative to cheap, industrially manufactured furniture.

“Inspired by the construction of traditional Swiss farmers’ houses and Japanese craftsmanship, the combined piece of furniture dispenses with screws. Instead, in a nutshell, it can be assembled and disassembled via slot-in connections. The high-quality wood guarantees high durability – not only for one child, but for each child the bed is passed onto.”

Student: Andreas Vögtlin
Course: 
Bachelor Object Design
Tutors:
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Johanna Steffen and Thai Hua
Email:
a.voegtlin@hotmail.com


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Mycelium Furniture by Valentin Küng

“Future-proof product design ought to be thought through to its conclusions and provide solutions even when the product becomes obsolete. Furthermore, it is time to integrate products into recycling, thus reusing the planet’s finite resources repeatedly.

With Mycelium Furniture, Valentin Küng aims to develop a chair that consists entirely of renewable raw materials, which can be composted at the end of its life. Together with the start-up Mycrobez, to this end, he has developed a material that consists purely of agricultural waste, held together by a fungus.”

Student: Valentin Küng
Course: 
Bachelor Object Design
Tutors:
Gabrielle Alioth and Florian Hauswirth
Email:
valikueng@bluewin.ch


Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Fracht – Design The Other Furniture by Tim Frank and Renato Rüfenacht

“Do you remember the times when objects were still made by hand? The enduring value with which our parents and grandparents produced things is no longer reachable. As a new generation, we believe that we have an obligation to treat these industrial, cultural goods as our heritage: to find them, care for them, and preserve them.

“Tim Frank and Renato Rüfenacht celebrate a contemporary style of craftsmanship that blends the past and present. Their passion for the traditional materials of wood and metal, combined with artisanal talent, has great potential and results in new objects.

“Aged machines, iconic components and historical motor parts from Switzerland’s industrial past – that otherwise would have been condemned to the melting furnace – are collected, reworked, restored and then processed to form bespoke objects or unique items of furniture.”

Student: Tim Frank and Renato Rüfenacht
Course:
Bachelor Object Design
Tutors:
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Johanna Steffen and Andreas Saxer
Email:
welcome@fracht-design.ch


Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Eight object design projects from Lucerne School of Art and Design students appeared first on Dezeen.

Space-saving ergonomic office products from Colebrook Bosson Saunders feature on Dezeen Showroom

Colebrook Bosson Saunders desk set up with laptop mount and monitor arm

Colebrook Bosson Saunders has presented a range of ergonomic office products on Dezeen Showroom that range from monitor arms with compact footprints to desk lights that can charge personal devices.

All of Colebrook Bosson Saunders products are designed to create healthier workplace ergonomics.

The brand has recently launched a lamp called Lolly, which can be placed on a desk or a bedside table.

The light features an integrated USB charging station comprising traditional ports and thinner USB-C ports, making it one of the first desk lights to offer charging capabilities for newer devices that use these slimline ports.

Available in either a black or white finish, the Lolly lamp can be adjusted to different angles to focus illumination on specific areas. It has been designed to reduce glare and eye strain in that it tilts below eye level and features a four-stage dimmer to adjust brightness according to personal preferences.

Lolly desk light by Colebrook Bosson Saunders
Lolly is a pared-back desk light with an integrated USB charging station for smartphones and tablets

The Lima Laptop Mount can be positioned at an angle that encourages good posture and raises devices to eye height in a bid to improve user efficiency and reduce stress on the body.

The dynamic mount can be used in conjunction with many of Colebrook Bosson Saunders’ products, including its Lima Monitor Arm, so that it can support more than one laptop or even a laptop and monitor combination.

While freeing up desk space, the mount can be integrated into any workplace setting seamlessly due to its slender and lightweight frame. Once the product has reached the end of its lifecycle, the components can be disassembled and recycled.

Lima Laptop Mount by Colebrook Bosson Saunders
The Lima Laptop Mount is designed to free up desk space

Ollin is a wide-ranging collection of monitors arms for flat screens, dual screens, curved screens, tablets and laptops.

All Ollin monitor arms feature Colebrook Bosson Saunders’ proprietary technical cord that can support the full weight of monitors using only one arm. The technical cord was informed by standard bungee cords and is made of an elastomer polymer that is fully recyclable.

Ollin Laptop and Tablet Mount by Colebrook Bosson Saunders
The Ollin Laptop and Table Mount features a clamping mechanism that allows users to connect devices to their desks securely

Part of the Ollin range is the Ollin Laptop and Table Mount, which is equipped with a clamping mechanism that allows users to secure devices to their desks in either a portrait or landscape format.

The mount, which can support laptops up to 16 inches or tablets up to 13 inches, has a thin profile and curved edges. Like many of Colebrook Bosson Saunders’ products, it comes with integrated cable management facilities.

Ollin curved screen monitor arm by Colebrook Bosson Saunders
The Ollin curved-screen monitor arm can be easily moved and smoothly adjusted into portrait or landscape positions

Another item in the Ollin range is a monitor arm specifically intended for wide, curved screens. The curved arm is designed to be easily moved, smoothly adjusted and rotated into portrait or landscape modes.

The arm is capable of supporting monitors up to nine kilograms in weight and features a three-point cable management section that conceals cables. The arm comes in white, black or silver and is available with a choice of either a split clamp or a top mount clamp to attach it to a desk.

Ondo connectivity module by Colebrook Bosson Saunders
Ondo is designed to declutter workspaces

Ondo is a connectivity module designed to declutter workspaces by neatly managing all power, monitor, mouse and keyboard connections.

The module’s integrated cable management system is designed as an antidote to cluttered workspaces, thus improving productivity and connectivity.

Available in black, white or silver, the module features two standard USB ports and two USB-C ports for charging personal devices.

Colebrook Bosson Saunders' monitor arm and laptop mount secured to a desk
Founded in 1990, Colebrook Bosson Saunders is a workplace furniture brand that specialises in ergonomic design

Colebrook Bosson Saunders is a workplace furniture brand founded by Martyn Colebrook, Peter Bosson and Brenda Saunders in 1990. The company’s products sit at the intersection of architecture, furniture design and technology.

The company creates unique solutions designed to enhance users’ everyday interactions with technology and furniture in the workplace, resulting in ergonomically-designed solutions that drive performance and improve user wellbeing.


About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. To launch a new product or collection at Dezeen Showroom, please email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

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The swappable directional pads of this gaming controller are designed to give you tactical gameplay advantage!

A gaming controller for your PC, consoles, or smartphones is one accessory every gamer should have handy. A versatile gaming controller is a quintessential piece of equipment in any setup these days. Sure options like the Xbox Controller or the PlayStation DualSense bring precise in-game controls to gain a tactical advantage. But how about a more flexible control input that is tailormade for a better user experience?

Industrial designer Dingyu Xiao of Suosi Design decided to do away with conventions and came up with the MOZER Gamepad. The controller resonated instantly with me since it solves a fundamental issue – having a single joystick layout for a varied set of games. For example, you’d need precise and fast input sticks for an FPS game, a D-Pad for sports titles such as FIFA, or a spring-loaded sling joystick for a tactile feel of shooting a stack of balls in Pool. The MOZER Gamepad makes all of this and more possible. And to top it all off, it’s wireless.

The concept is quite interesting as the user can swap the control modules instantly and it’s all plug and play. The directional pad of the controller is the one that has this modular function which Dingyu quite smartly does, I have to say. Even better, the grip of the controller hides two of the three directional pad control inputs when not in use. I’m sure gamers will be dying to get such a well-designed wireless gamepad in their hands to have a strategic advantage over their mates or online hotshots.

Designer: Dingyu Xiao of Suosi Design

 

 

Premiere: “2 Lovers” by Dana and the Wolf

A ruminative, soulful single in advance of the duo’s debut LP, LA Fade

Burbank-based duo Dana and the Wolf (aka Dana Hobson and Daniel Wolf) premiere “2 Lovers,” a thematic follow-up to April’s “It’s Too Late,” another considered exploration of non-monogamous relationships. From Hobson’s powerful, pliable vocals and soulfully sincere lyricism to the steady, supportive and percussive instrumental, the track rises into pensive anthemic artistry. Together for more than a decade, the couple, originally from Chicago, probe their personal relationship—and the nature of love in general—with a ferocious spirit, all in advance of their debut LP, LA FADE.

“When Dana had her first serious relationship outside of me, I would use my alone time to write,” Wolf tells us. “There was this tune I couldn’t get out of my head when I would go for walks. My jealousy manifested as a sort of sadness. It was scary at first, wondering if I could really trust Dana with being non-monogamous. Lyrically, since Dana only sings what she believes in, the song acted as a sort of confirmation in her belief of this lifestyle. So on top of it being kind of sad, it also told me that this was actually going to work.”

“Non-monogamy is a little bit of a feminist movement,” Hobson adds. “The concept is to not possess or own your partner. Whether sex is part of the equation or not, this control stunts growth and new ways of thinking.”

Wolf believes others could learn their relationship. “You’re not born monogamous, it’s not an orientation,” he says. “You’re choosing a lifestyle based on irrelevant and outdated principles. There’s a handful of reasons to elevate your style of living to non-monogamy. Autonomy: I do not own my partner and they don’t own me. Jealousy is a cloak for insecurity. With more partners, over time, you keep growing. Monogamy was stunting my growth in ways I couldn’t even imagine.”

“2 Lovers” and “It’s Too Late” offer plenty to be excited about—and both showcase sonic chemistry and fearless songwriting. Altogether, anticipation for the full-length album continues to escalate.

Images courtesy of Bryan Mederos

Information Gathering + Reef Robots for the Ocean Decade

The United Nations has declared that 2021-2030 will be known as the Ocean Decade (aka the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development). This comes with the approval of several initiatives aimed at conservation. But as Smithsonian Magazine notes, “Reaching the goals for a healthy ocean by 2030 will mean reaching beyond national boundaries to create a clearer path to sustainability.” Two Smithsonian programs endorsed by the UN—Marine Life 2030 and Coral Reef Sentinels—offer solutions. The former is about information gathering, storage and sharing; the latter will develop a watch and warning system for coral reef health around the world through the deployment of autonomous robots in the ocean. Read more about both groundbreaking international initiatives at Smithsonian Magazine.

Illustration by Paulette Guardia