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Posts tagged with Japanese inventions

November 11, 2009 | New Trends | by The Uncool Hunter |

The first publication of the book 101 Unuseless Japenese Inventions, at the end of the 90s, was centered around Chindogu art. Created by author Kenji Kawakami, this art of unusual and useless inventions, displayed different ways of solving the everyday problems. One of the Chindogus is the Baby Mop, a pair of trousers and a sweatshirt for babies with strips that clean the floor while the baby crawls. Read more

November 9, 2009 | New Fashion | by The Uncool Hunter |

From the depths of functional creativity comes this invention out of Japan: the back scratching t shirt, the fastest and most illogical solution to fight an itch.

October 19, 2009 | New Products | by The Uncool Hunter |

The new Japanese battery — NoPoPo — ensures that you will never run out of energy, even in those unexpected moments. This promise is made possible because you can charge them by inserting either water, urine, blood, apple juice, beer and saliva into their base with a teat pipette which is included in the package. So now you know it! Is this a way of turning drunks into real plants that generate energy? Their operation is possible thanks to the reaction produced by the magnesium and the carbon of the urine. According to the online magazine The Register, these batteries are only being sold in Japanese stores and the date of the arrival to the Western markets is unknown. Unfortunately they can only be charged between two and five times — an ambiguous number — and the price is not cheap at U$15. Read more

September 6, 2008 | New Trends | by Julia Hennock |

From the what will they think of next box comes [drum roll please] Pileus — an umbrella connected to the Internet, ‘to make walking in rainy days fun’. Pileus has a large screen on the top, a built-in camera, a motion sensor, GPS, and a digital compass. And it provides two main functions: social photo-sharing and a 3D map navigation. Yes, indeed, rainy days will never quite seem the same again.

 

New York artist James Jean doesn’t need any introduction. But, just in case you haven’t seen his work yet, take a peek now. And forever be in awe. We caught up with him recently in his studio and asked him about the props for his daily inspiration: ‘Sometimes I’ll have my laptop setup next to my work station so that I can listen to audio books, the radio, or have videos playing in the background. But mostly inspiration comes from books and magazines’. Read more


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Look closely at the froth of this latte and you’ll see a portrait carved out amongst the grains and milk. It’s a truly a work of art and it’s a feature of the coffee served at Richmond, Melbourne cafe Flavours of Lakhoum. Check, please!

The My Town In My Home collection of hand-knitted fashion by Yoshikazu Yamagata and Mafuyu was exhibited at this year’s Amhem Mode Biennale in Amsterdam. Sure gives a new twist to the saying, ‘wherever I lay my hat …’ [see also the Brain Bag by Jun Takahashi]


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Side-scrolling funage for a rainy, lazy day. I’ve been putzing around on this and sipping nettle tea. Moles are cute.

We asked Ham and Pete, from New York band The Walkmen, to give us the rundown on the music that is inspiring them right now and they started off with a track from that elder statesmen of indie folk, Bonnie Prince Billy, Goin’ to Acapulco: ‘He did a remarkable job of putting a unique spin on a classic. It’s no small feat, and it’s a really impressive version’. Read more of The Walkmen’s Secret Playlist.

Animator Mathieu Labaye created this short film in tribute to his late father, who had been in a wheelchair for the last 15 years of his life. Read more

If Pharrell’s calling these guys ‘geniuses’, you’d better watch out! Chester French are Ivy League prep boys from Massachusetts who have mastered an interesting Beatlesque sound tinged with Motown influences. When, in May 2007, the duo — D.A. and Max — completed their recording and their degrees (in African American Studies and Social Anthropology respectively), they were snapped up by Pharrell Williams’ label Star Trak.

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T-post: the world’s first wearable magazine

So here’s the scoop. Every six weeks, T-post subscribers get a new t shirt issue in the mail, with a news story on the inside and an artist interpretation of that story on the front. Yes, we agree. It’s clever, clever. Read more

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Creative advertising packaging

Despite the intentions of many, it’s not so often that advertising — as an industry — truly thinks outside the box. Yet, when executed well, clever eye-catching advertising actually works. It does. As these examples will attest to. Read more

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Alex Passapera

Alex Passapera’s dizzying pen and ink drawings are cascades of images melting into one another, often looking like contorting, mutating creatures spewing blood-like ink splatters. Read more

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Sparrow Vs Sparrow

Trip out with Sparrow Vs Sparrow’s retro illustrations, I love their aesthetic, color use and sense of humor. Read more

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Amazing cake designs by Charm City Cakes

Baltimore company Charm City Cakes produces the most innovative wedding and party cakes on the market. Inspiration for these creative bakers comes from everywhere: art, fabric, furniture, architecture, landscapes, science, and music, and each cake is individually designed to match your personality, and the theme of the occasion you are celebrating. Don’t miss these cakey engineering masterpieces. Read more


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Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more

Fragile Vases is a new collection of vases made from recycled materials by Itunube. All parts have been carefully selected and put together, so each vase is totally unique. So now it’s possible to give a second chance to old pieces instead of throwing them into the trash. We have a selection of these vases for sale in the Lost At E Minor store for just US$85. Read more

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