Hasta La Ideas

Animals roar to life in an educational app designed for kids

A new app for iPads or iPhones, Critteroos brings stock images of animals to life in an interactive game for kids (aged three-eight). The brainchild of renowned designer Clement Mok, Critteroos is the first in an imaginative series of iPad education software for children that draws on the CMCD Visual Symbols library.

Backed by a consistent beat of insect hums, the app erupts in an attention-grabbing cacophony of real animal sounds, including the occasional whinny of a horse, snort of a pig and bird’s chirp. While the sounds entertain, children delight over the app’s vibrant animal imagery. In “Flashcard” mode, each image is paired with the animal’s name, which is recited aloud for vocabulary building.

As memory develops, users can switch from the primarily educational “Flashcard” mode to test their skills in “Mix and Match.” Flipping through animals’ top and bottom halves, kids can rack up points by finding the corresponding half, tapping twice on the screen to confirm a match. An encouraging ding sound accompanies each correct pair.

For pure fun, kids can let their imaginations run free by creating their own “Critteroos” (mismatched animals). These humorous and dazzling animals can be given fun names (like the Rooztera) and saved to the iPhoto library for printing.

Critteroos sells for $2 on iTunes, as well as other related education applications and add-ons (like Critteroos II for additional animal sets) by CMCD.

Our rare look inside three of Ferrari’s most exclusive facilities

After making the trip to Maranello, Italy to check out Ferrari’s new Jean Nouvel-designed production facility and restaurant a year ago, we were lucky enough to be invited back for this year’s World Design Contest in July 2011.

This time we toured the amazing V8 production line again, but also had the rare privilege of seeing many of the standout cars in Ferrari’s extensive vintage collection, as well as getting an exclusive glimpse inside the
FXX, Forumula 1 Clienti, and
Classiche garages.

The FXX garage houses and maintains a few dozen independently-owned Ferrari FXXs, the $1.8 million non-street-legal versions of the Enzo. These superior limited production cars are significantly modified specifically for racing. Storing your FXX here gives you access to Ferrari’s private track—so private we weren’t even allowed to photograph it.

Every year Ferrari produces between three and six Formula One race cars. At the end of the season, Ferrari keeps one, putting the rest up for sale to private clients. Like for owners of the FXX, with the Formula One Clienti garage you get storage, maintenance and access to the track—providing you have the funds of course.

For the classic car connoisseur, Ferrari also offers complete factory renovation and restoration assistance in their Classiche garage. Here the brilliant craftspeople will restore your vintage Ferrari to its former glory. Every little detail is remanufactured to its original specs in order to receive a proper Ferrari seal of authenticity.

For more exclusive images from our trip check out the gallery below.

All images by Evan Orensten

Fund an app that will bring the Twin Towers back to life

The destruction of the World Trade Center towers was indisputably a massive loss for every American. For lifelong New Yorkers, however, something else was lost. The beauty that the twin towers added to the New York skyline is irreplaceable, and the sight of the buildings provided the background for many fond memories—not to mention a beacon for orientation upon emerging from a foreign subway stop. 110 Stories is an iPhone app concept by Brian August that will use augmented reality to place the Twin Towers back in to view.

The app, currently in the process of being funded through crowd-sourcing on Kickstarter, would consist of three steps: orient, augment, comment. The app will guide users to the appropriate direction to view the phantom towers, then superimpose a ghost image of the towers upon the real one, creating a conglomerate image. Users will then be able to include their personal story regarding the moment on multiple social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as well as the app’s own site.

Brian August’s vision does not stop with the app, however. The lover of iconic imagery has a Phase Two of the project in mind: an installation that would consist of identical benches placed in prime viewing spots all over the city as a physical manifestation of the app, reminding all who visit there of the majesty that was the Twin Towers.

The better iPad solution for the classroom and beyond

If you find yourself balancing your iPad on top of folders and notebooks, the BinderPad is for you. The latest from tablet case specialists ZooGue, the case fits neatly inside of a three-ring binder. It’s the first to secure an iPad this way, designed for students to keep papers, folders and other accessories all in one place, or use the reinforced holes to easily hang it nearly anywhere.

The accessory has a lightweight yet durable frame and, at only half an inch thick with an iPad, won’t take up precious space in your Trapper Keeper. The only loss is plot lines about dropping your books.

Available in dark grey and black, buy the BinderPad on ZooGue for $30.

The latest power-packed sound machine from wireless streaming experts Sonos

We’ve been rocking out with a variety of Sonos products in the Cool Hunting office for years, gaining a great appreciation for the functionality of the comprehensive wireless streaming products in the process. Debuting today is the next step forward for at-home or at-work networked music playing with the release of Sonos Play:3. The device, designed as an all-in-one unit, promises bigger sound quality in a compact package, perfect for any room in need of bumpin’ tunes

The Play:3 gets its name from its three integrated speakers, three dedicated class-D digital amplifiers and three drivers. With an overall goal to crank up the quality, each unit also has a passive rear-firing bass radiator to keep the sound rich. As with all Sonos products the Play: 3 will integrate seamlessly into an existing Sonos system and can be controlled with the Sonos desktop app, the multi-platform mobile app or a dedicated Sonos controller.

Another clever feature of the Play:3 is the option to use the speaker in a vertical or horizontal position. This makes it easier to fit the system exactly where you want it and internal motion sensors detect the speaker’s orientation, adjusting the output accordingly to deliver ideal sound distribution. With two Play:3 units you can experience “Stereo Pairing,” which allows you to dedicate one speaker to the left or right channel. But be warned: two Play:3s paired up for stereo enjoyment the office makes for an internal struggle to stay seated.

If, like us, your Sonos system was in need of an overall upgrade, we recommend the updated controller ($350); it’s compact, slick and has a intuitive touchscreen UI for super-easy navigation.

Head over to Sonos’ online store to grab one of the new versatile Play:3s, available today for $300.

Also on Cool Hunting: Latest from Sonos: iPhone App, Free Pandora, Better Internet Radio