Weniger...aber mit Stil

"Dress down in style" - unter diesem Motto hatte ein Modehaus in Helsinkis Einkaufstempel Kamppi bereits im Frühjahr dekoriert. Ein paar Nummern kleiner, weniger luxuriös, weniger kostspielig - das steht auf dem Einkaufszettel der meisten Leute, egal in welchem Land. Aber es hebt nicht unbedingt die Laune, wenn Kunden das als Statusverlust empfinden. Wer "Darf's ein bisschen weniger sein?" zu etwas Besonderem machen kann, gibt Kunden ein gutes Gefühl.

Das erinnert mich daran, dass Kleidung kaufen tatsächlich mal etwas Besonderes war: Zur Kirmes gab's ein neues Kleid. Ein gutes. Und nicht drei zum Sommerschlussverkauf.

Wassertransport ohne Flaschen

In Flaschen abgefülltes Wasser zu kaufen ist für umweltbewusste Bürger längst inakzeptabel. Und einigen Kommunen wachsen schlicht die Kosten für Abfallentsorgung und über den Kopf: So bittet Venedig seine Einwohner, auf Leitungswasser umzusteigen. In der australischen Stadt Bundanoon soll Wasser in Flaschen sogar bald verboten werden. Aber irgendwie muss man das kostbare Nass ja mit sich führen, auch wenn es aus der Leitung kommt. Das könnte traditionelle Wasserbehälter wie diese "Wine Botas" in Ziegenleder (von Campmor) zu einem schicken Status-Accessoire machen.

Gefunden via TrendCentral

Kostenloses Obst mit Google Maps finden

Obstbäume in und um Champaign können auf der Champaign-Urbana Fruit Map gefunden werden. Dazu gibt's hilfreiche Anmerkungen wie "hinter einem Zaun" oder "Zweige hängen auf den Gehweg".

Passt gut zu Guerilla Gardening und der anhaltenden Leidenschaft, alles in Karten und Navigationssystemen zu verorten.

Was könnte man noch alles auf eine Karte setzen: die besten Steinpilz-Stellen, kostenloses Hasenfutter-Grasland, Holunderbüsche...und andere nahrhafte Insidertips. Gut kombinierbar mit: Wanderrouten, Insektenschutzmittel, Kochrezepten :-)

entdeckt via rebel:art

Erfolg visualisieren - wie der FC Barcelona

Champions League Finale zwischen FC Barcelona und Manchester United. Während sich die Spieler von Man U schon warmlaufen, ist FC Barca noch in den Kabinen - und schaut ein Video an!

Mit den besten Spielszenen der Saison im Mix mit Szenen von Gladiatorenfilmen und untermalt von Musik a la Herr der Ringe rührt Trainer Pep Guardiola seine Spieler zu Tränen und gibt ihnen das Gefühl, bereits Sieger zu sein. Und so spielen sie dann auch.

Aber auch die Fans sind begeistert und kreieren inzwischen eigene Versionen.

Via Viralblog via Fresh Creation

Periodic System of Videos

Do you remember the periodic system of elements? Did you like it? Not everyone finds chemistry interesting. The University of Nottingham made short videos about each of the elements to make the periodic system of elements more memorable and more fun. - As you can see in the video about sulphur, also the researchers had fun doing the experiments.

http://www.periodicvideos.com/

Smell Time

A watch that lets you sense time with your nose rather than your eyes has been designed by Hyun Choi. Instead of hands, the watch has 12 hidden capsules that can be filled with different flavors. Imagine the smell of coffee at 8, lavender at 9 ...
As society is drifting towards experience rather than ownership, you can expect to see more ideas like this.

Found at inewidea

Luxury City Tour

Hard to imagine that guided audio tours could be turned into a premium experience? The cooperation between Louis Vuitton and Soundwalk demonstrates how :
For Bejing, Shanghai and Hongkong, Soundwalk (the company that creates“audio tours for people who don’t normally take audio tours”) mixed music, sound effects, and nostalgic narration into a compelling blend. The stories of love and longing are told by three of China’s most well-known actors (Gong Li, Shu Qi, and Joan Chen) and leave you with a sense of having experienced something unique.
The MP3 tours are $17 each, last about an hour and can also be enjoyed at home.

Listen to a sample at www.louisvuittonsoundwalk.com

Bomb proof bins

Combine waste management with security and up to date information - and you get information terminals that collect rubbish! The Times reports that in 2009 hundreds of such high-tech bomb-resistant bins are to be placed throughout the financial district of London.

Due to security concerns rubbish bins had been removed from busy public areas in the 80s during the height of the IRA bombings.

The new bin is designed to absorb the heat of explosives and prevent the spread of shrapnel using “blast intelligent technology” which has been tested in the New Mexico desert over five years.

In addition, large screens on the sides of the bin will provide news, travel information, latest share prices - or urgent security information.

Electricity Gift Card

In uncertain times, alternative currencies may be just the thing - and why not turn electricity into a currency? At Kilowatt Cards' Web site, you may purchase gift cards with a value of 10 kilowatt hours of electricity (enough to run a 100-watt light bulb for 100 hours). The recipient can then redeem the card at the Web site, which then pays the utility account.
Because the cards hold a specific value, they may also be used to barter for other things and as a hedge against inflation, says spokesperson Robert W. Hahl.

Found through: Futurist Update

Perfume Phone

A few months ago I wrote about a Samsungs Belle cell phone that comes with matching nail polish. Now Samsung found another way to make cell phones more appealing to women by making the gadget look like a luxury perfume bottle. The concept phone dispenses a lavender aroma. And while normal phones only display how much energy is still left in the battery, the "Samsung Lavender"also shows how much perfume is still left. (Perfume can be refilled!) Another cool feature is the pulsating light it emits in the dark - should make it easier to locate the phone in a handbag :-)

Spotted at Trendwatching

Web2.0 and Recession

Standing at the beginning of what looks like a long recession one might wonder were this will leave Web2.0, collaboration and, in fact, innovation. Very likely, companies will look at cost cutting rather than innovation as a survival tactic. Hm. The better strategy may still be to use innovation (and collaboration and web2.0) in order to cut costs and raise efficiency.

In this short video from ZDNet, Charlene Li talks about how Silicon Valley will be affected by the current economic downturn. She says that Web 2.0 companies will face a scarcity of resources and more hardship, and will need to buckle down and focus on new innovations, collaboration, and getting things done - potentially, the downturn was a good time for emerging technologies.

Fashion + Technology

A massage-based video game controller, panties with wings and an inflatable dress were just a few of the concepts exhibited recently at the NYC gallery Eyebeam to launch Sabine Seymour's new book "Fashionable Technology." In this video, Cool Hunting interviews her about the burgeoning field that merges wearable technology with fashion.



Found on Cool Hunting.