The Intempo skyscraper in Benidorm, Spain—standing proud in this image—was designed to be a striking symbol of hope and prosperity, to signal to the rest of the world that the city was escaping the financial crisis. Sadly, the builders forgot to include a working elevator.
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When it comes to pasta, you better know your rotini from your rotelle, cuz if you just go around calling everything "spaghetti" until you’re like 21, people are going to make fun of you. Believe me; I know. Fortunately this perfect pasta poster can pump up your proficiency.
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The 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand in 2011 killed more than 200 people and damaged thousands of buildings, including the city’s oldest church, a grand stone copy of a gothic cathedral in Oxford. This week, two years after it fell, its replacement is open to the public. And it’s unlike anything ever built in Christchurch—or the world.
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Gamers and game developers alike are excited about the potential of the Oculus Rift headset and the Virtuix Omni walking surface. But these virtual reality devices have applications beyond gaming. The Human Interfaces Group of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory used both devices to make simulations of space environments.
In an interview with Engadget, Human Interfaces Engineer Victor Luo said that they used a stereoscopic 360º panorama of Mars taken by Curiosity, satellite imagery of the red planet and development kits of the Rift and Omni to create an immersive virtual tour of Mars (or at least part of it). They also made a similar experiment for the interior of the International Space Station, but they used the Rift by itself to emphasize the feeling of floating in zero gravity.
While the experiment showed the potential of VR, Luo also said that they needed devices that had more sensors built-in before they can consider actually using them as tools. At the very least, I think their experiments can inspire a couple of VR games. Watch out for Curiosity Simulator and Dead Space: ISS. Oh wait, we already have the first one.
[via Engadget via Destructoid]
Amsterdam-based Blofield is known for its collection of premium inflatable furniture
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There’s no denying China’s place among the topmost world powers
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This automotive concept sketch from 1979 predicted a future where car interiors would resemble an airplane’s cockpit. But while this must have looked decidedly cutting-edge at the time, the inspiration, in a way, was pure nostalgia.
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Now here’s a piggy bank that literally grows as your savings grow.
It’s annoying how you can’t really tell if your piggy bank is still half full or half empty (oh, those two are the same? You don’t say!). An alternative to most rigid-type coin banks are the Feed Your Dreams Piggy Bank.
This bank isn’t just for kids who are learning the importance of saving, but it’s also great for adults who want to get back into the habit of saving.
The piggy bank is made from high-quality felt imported from Germany. Unlike traditional breakable ceramic piggy banks, Feed Your Dreams visibly shows how full it is with every coin that’s dropped inside it. When the pig is as full as it can get, the coins can be scooped out by opening the zipper at the bottom of the piggy bank’s belly.
The Feed Your Dreams Piggy Bank was designed and made by Baum-kuchen in Los Angeles in collaboration with Christine Lau. It retails for $58(USD) and is available in five colors.
[via BLTD]
Cats know just what to purr and what to meow to get their owners to do anything. So if you own a cat, don’t look into their eyes. Don’t listen to their purrs too intently and never rub their tummies more than you have to… or you might end up like this dude who built the ultimate catwalk for his cat outside his out: cat-notized.
This over-the-top walkway was discovered and brought to the attention of thousands of other cat lovers by Nekomemo, a Japanese site for cat-loving dudes and dudettes. It provides your cat with a safe, caged walkway so eagles won’t be able to swoop down on him and carry him away. (Yeah, I know, that was far-fetched. But still.)
It just goes to show that the cat is the boss and you are just his lowly servant. He’s got nine lives, you’ve got one – even Mother Nature’s against you!
[via Rocket News via Neatorama]
It’s difficult to express the timeless influence Dieter Rams has had on the world of design. From the iPhone in your pocket to the clock on your wall, his elegant and simple voice is everywhere. The only problem with Dieter Rams-designed products? They’re almost impossible to find.
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