Hasta La Gadget!

Remember QR codes? “Q what, you say?” You know, those blocky, two-dimensional “Quick Response” barcodes containing URLs, which direct your smartphone to said web site after you snap a photo of the code.

Oh, wait — QR codes aren’t very popular outside Japan, where most phones are shipped with QR-reading software — so you might not have heard of them. The technology isn’t very popular in Europe either, which is why an Austrian company called Fluid Forms is aiming to bring QR codes into the mainstream with custom laser-cut QR jewelry.

The company is starting with the QR Belt Buckle pictured above. That means you’ll be able to visit Fluid-Forms.com and enter a URL you’d like to advertise above your private parts. Then, the company will laser-cut your QR code into the buckle and ship it to you.

Nerdy and pretty cool. The belt buckle will be available May 27, followed by an entire line of QR jewelry including rings, brooches and cufflinks. No word on pricing yet, but the cheapest product on the site is 30 euros (about $40), so expect to pay at least that.

See Also:

• QR codes in the wild
• Laser Etched QR Codes: Digital Graffiti For Gadgets
• Sci-Fi Writer Wears His Book on His Shirt
• Japanese Gravestones Memorialize the Dead With QR Codes …

Company Page [Fluid Forms]

Photo: Courtesy of Fluid Forms

The product name of the week award goes to Nobis for its adjustable hat tech, called Caps_Lock. The widget, which looks a lot like the brain-holes into which long sensors are shoved in the Matrix, is a simple twisting knob which adjusts the length of an internal strap.

The Caps_Lock means that one-size-fits-all is actually a true statement rather than a tricksy marketing lie, and Nobis is proud of the money-saving fact that it only has to make one size of each cap. Further, you can crank the hat tighter on windy days, or when speeding along the beach-side boardwalk on your bike, and loosen it for those sweat-inducing poker games.

The strap is internal, so the cap appears to change in size, an improvement over the usual strap at the back which merely cinches the circumference. Available now, with equally great product names such as Al Koholic and Angus Beef. Prices vary wildly like all clothing, but expect to pay over $40.

Product page [Nobis. Thanks, Jessica!]

Look: there are purses, and then there are purses. Well, this one is none of those things. It’s a decent looking bag to begin with, but then… well, things get really fantastic. Jeri Ellsworth took it upon herself to cram a Nintendo-on-a-chip and a Commodore 64-on-a-chip (her own creation) into the bag, along with an LCD. Then she connected up some NES controllers, which are velcroed onto the outside of the bag. The result looks awesome, and is also actually useable. We haven’t heard anything about these guys being offered for sale, but we’re fairly certain that the august House of Dior will probably be ringing her up any day now. Seriously: this thing is a work of art. There’s a video of Jeri talking about her creation after the break.

[Via Make]

Continue reading Nintendo / C64 purse is runway-caliber fashion accessory

Filed under: Gaming, Wearables

Nintendo / C64 purse is runway-caliber fashion accessory originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senseware is a project that teams up chemical and material manufacturers with designers of all walks to create new, compelling uses for synthetic materials. The most recent edition features major manufacturers like Asahi Kasei and Toray Industries alongside creative luminaries like architect Jun Aoki and industrial designer Nendo.

The results vary from practical structures to purely artist creations—and to fashion items. This year Japan Fashion Week design duo Mint Designs incorporated their Senseware contribution into their catwalk show. The “To be someone” mask project was created from an unwoven material using long polyester fibers called “Smash” by Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation. The highly thermo-dynamic material can be easily molded into 3D forms—here resulting in a pollen mask press-formed into the shape of a perfectly balanced face.

Photos courtesy of Japan Fashion Week

For the show, the masks were decorated with prints to match the clothes on display, giving the models an eerie mannequin-esque sameness. Except of course for the ones that got the contrasting chimpanzee version of the mask.

But joking (and social critique) aside, why not? Pollen masks are a common sight in Japan, especially now as hay fever hits its peak. We’ve looked at previous attempts to make the mask more fashionable, namely the Maskore (Mask-erade) campaign from fashion website GirlsGate.com that instructed women how to dress up their mask to suit their look. Why not one that is more than just tolerable, but actually enhances your appearance?

While Mint Designs created the masks purely as prototypes for the project, PR representative Naoko Jensen noted that a number of buyers and press expressed interest in them—suggesting that in this case Senseware has succeeded in pushing the discussion and potential of an average, accepted product to another level.

From Aprill 22-27 Senseware will travel to the Milan Triennial. This year marks the third edition of the annual series, Tokyo Fiber/Senseware.

Popular fashion festival the Tokyo Girls Collection (TGC) has released a chilled cup beverage called Collaboration Blend: Royal Milk Tea. The special edition beverage is available exclusively at Lawson convenience stores and went on sale March 10th, just a few days after the latest successful edition of the event.

While the TGC is produced by influential fashion and lifestyle portal site Girlswalker.com, it is the recognizable pink logo of the TGC that is displayed more prominently on the packaging and in-store promotional material. According to the press release, the executive committee of the TGC selected the blend of Assam tea and fresh cream and the ladylike pink stripe of the package design.

What’s more, on the back of the package and above the requisite nutrition information, is a QR code that links to the TGC mobile website where consumers can check out photos and reports from the recent show. This feature works to reinforce the link between the product and the event.

Trend Potential
CScout covered the fashion show in-depth, but for us the most interesting aspect is the e-commerce integration and collaborations that have made Tokyo Girls Collection such as hit. Our mini reports on collaborations, including lots of descriptions and photos, are available in the Mobile Trendpool.