xocea

cloud lounge

In astronomy, the Latin word equinox designates the two times each year when the sun’s ecliptic intersects the celestial equator. Equinox was also the working title for this weatherproof outdoor lounger that goes by the name Summer Cloud today. “The idea behind the design was to create a dialogue with the blazing orb, but also a feeling of intimacy and security,” Martin remembers.

Summer Cloud features a lounger and sunshade that are linked, but can be moved and adjusted completely independently of each other – an absolutely novel design. You don’t have to turn your head or get up to adjust the shade to changing sunlight conditions whenever you wish.

The circular cane base is a handy place to put personal items.

via Summer Cloud.

Tom Wujec on 3 ways the brain creates meaning | Video on TED.com

Information designer Tom Wujec talks through three areas of the brain that help us understand words, images, feelings, connections. In this short talk from TEDU, he asks: How can we best engage our brains to help us better understand big ideas?

Alex Steffen sees a sustainable future | Video on TED.com

Worldchanging.com founder Alex Steffen argues that reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now, as the western consumer lifestyle spreads to developing countries.

The Green House of the Future – WSJ.com

What will the energy-efficient house of the future look like?

It could have gardens on its walls or a pond stocked with fish for dinner. It might mimic a tree, turning sunlight into energy and carbon dioxide into oxygen. Or perhaps it will be more like a lizard, changing its color to suit the weather and healing itself when it gets damaged.

This site received the Best of Show award this year at Webvisions.  I experienced a full spectrum of intense emotions as I read through it. What a wonderful tribute to life. Tragically beautiful.

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very creative, brilliantly executed.
http://www.girleffect.org/

TED's June Cohen reports via Twitter on the World Science Festival session "Greengenuity", where she's hearing from the screen designer for One Laptop per Child (the "$100 laptop"):

The OLPC gal is asked about the new ...
... touchscreen-driven design (from the wonderful Yves Behar)
An "oohhh" goes thru the crowd when she explains how the mesh network works, letting each laptop act as a relay point
She points out another advantage of it: the keyboards become software and not hardware, allowing for multiple languages

Now over to ecovative design
They do nature-based, low-tech, bio-tech solutions
Oh this is very cool. They get mushroom cells to absorb another type of material, and grow in a brick shape...
Instant organic styrofoam replacement!

Check out June's Twitter feed for more updates!

Designer Yves Behar digs up his creative roots and discusses some of the iconic objects he's created (the Leaf lamp, the Jawbone headset). Then he turns to the witty, surprising, elegant things he's working on now -- including the "$100 laptop" (whose next-gen redesign was announced yesterday) and a groovy new water bottle. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:43.)

Watch Yves Behar's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Yves Behar on TED.com.

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What would a music video look like if it were purely directed by the music? If it were not a brand-building tool but simply a visual expression of a great song? Designer Jakob Trollback shares the results of his experiment in the form. The song is "Moonlight in Glory," from David Byrne and Brian Eno's classic album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, remastered in 2006. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 04:00.)

Watch Jakob Trollback's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Jakob Trollback on TED.com.

Download this talk in 480p high-def >>

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