The "iTable"?

The iPad not big enough for you?  How would a 58 inch multitouch surface suit you?  It hooks up to your iPhone through a 30-pin dock connector.  Just be careful where you put that cup of coffee down!  Is this one of the first steps in PCs becoming handheld devices and screens becoming even more massive?

Does it "wow" you?

Mighty Strange Bread

I thought this was a 3D image, but turns out it's a sculpture ...in bread!  I love the concept of the bread attacking the knife.  What do you think? Does it "wow" you?


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ReadDot

Designer Suhyun Kim has created a device attached to a scanner that allows visually impaired people to scan an image or text and convert to Braille in very little time.  The scanner can also be attached to their PC and the device used to view digital photos and read webpages.  While there is already software available that converts visuals into sound, hopefully this will still improve the lives of many people.

Does this "wow" you?


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Some peoples' feet smell of cheese...

At the same time I discovered the "glove shoes", I also bumped into these.  What would you think if you noticed someone wearing them?  Do they "wow" you?


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FiveFingered Shoes?

A company called Vibram makes shoes with individual spaces for each of your toes.  They're called "FiveFingers" or "glove shoes".  They strike me as being rather cheerful.  What do you think?


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Retro CD Player

Beautiful and functional.  Although I'm not so sure about the chunk of wood.  What do you think?  Does it "wow" you?

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B-Iron 725 (Transparent)

Today's "wow" is a "wow" of the obvious. In hindsight irons don't have that much inside them, so why not create a transparent iron so that you can see when you're ironing in creases?  The soleplate is made of tempered glass with heat conduction working via a network of electro-thermal wires.  Hats off to designers Dong-Seok Lee & Ji-Hyung Jung.

Does this "wow" you?


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Skull Sunglasses

This is Brian Weitz.  Imagine glancing at him while you were going about your day-to-day business.  I bet he'd get a second look!  But is it a good "wow" or a bad "wow?

The Adam & Eve Hotel

The Adam & Eve Hotel, Antalya, Turkey looks fantastic, even though there isn't a curve in sight.  The different coloured windows bring life to what otherwise would bear significant resemblance to a multi-storey carpark.

Does it "wow" you?  What other drab buildings/objects could be improved by adding colour?

The British Library

The British Library, London has so many architectural "wow"s that I was spoilt for choice.  Here are a few:

But I highly recommend looking yourself if you get the opportunity.  The British Library is open from 09.30-18.00 on Mon, Wed, Thurs & Friday, until 20.00 on Tuesdays, 09.30-17.00 on Saturdays and 11.00-17.00 on Sundays and public holidays.

And then it also contains "wow"s such as this:

Which "wow" you?


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Desert Chair

I'm not sure that artist Nadia Utto's Desert For One from her Eco-Chairs collection is one that you'd want to lean back and relax in, but, each taking a month to sculpt, they're made to be (otherwise) practical and to last.  The cacti and plants are real, with a drain to prevent build-up of water.  And the right arm features a cocktail holder!

Did she capture your view of a desert oasis?

Melted Staircase

This "melted staircase" in the Longchamp Store, NYC, USA is mindboggling.  Not least how it could be constructed for use without becoming a major health&safety problem.  If it wasn't for the railings you'd think it was a painting.

What do you think? Would you walk up it? Does it "wow" you?

Stop 'n' Grow

This ad for Stop 'n' Grow makes me cringe, but it's certainly eyecatching.

Wow?

Ice Hotel, Sweden

Ever fancied sleeping at -5˚ on a bed made of blocks of ice and reindeer skin? If you have you're in luck. The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden was the first and is the largest of its kind. Constructed of 10,000 tonnes of ice and 30,000 tonnes of snow, each year the hotel melts down to a "mere" 1,000 tonnes and has to be rebuilt. And each time it is built to a different theme.

Even the glasses in the bar are made of ice.

Does it "wow" you?


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Square Melons?

I thought they were photoshopped - or at least a gimmick - but it turns out these square melons are actually grown by Japanese farmers in individual boxes so that they're forced to adapt into the square shape.  The idea is they take up less space in the fridge. 

Does this "wow" you?  Good or bad?

What would you grow in a box?  I wouldn't mind square tomatoes... Or would you grow things into a different shape?

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Scattered Light

This art installation by Jim Campbell is hanging in Madison Square Park, New York until February.  I was staring at it, trying to work out why it "wow"s me, and then it struck me: looking into that photo I feel like I'm standing surrounded by stars - able to reach out and touch them.  I've been looking up at distant stars all my life, no wonder that feels so meaningful.

Does it "wow" you?


Photo credit: Jou-Yie Chou

Mushroom LED Lamps

Created by a Japanese artist known as "The Great Mushrooming", these LED lights "sprouting" from found driftwood/salvaged lumber are a great idea.  Unfortunately unless you live in or visit Japan, you won't be able to buy one as the artist thinks they are far too brittle for shipping.

"Wow"?

Queen's House Staircase

The Tulip Stairs were the first centrally unsupported spiral stairs constructed in England, and they're a work of art.  They are part of the Queen's House, Greenwich, England, built between 1614-17 by architect Inigo Jones.  The house is open to the public (free of charge) from 10.00-17.00 most days as it's part of the National Maritime Museum.

If it doesn't "wow" you, perhaps the floor of the Great Hall will:

What do you think?

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Typewriter Animals

This octopus and this deer by Jeremy Mayer are made entirely from the parts of typewriters that he has disassembled and then reassembled into sculptures without soldering, welding or gluing.  I'm lost for words.

Do they "wow" you?

Gold Nanoparticles Make Trees Glow

Research by Taiwanese scientists has revealed that adding gold nanoparticles to plants can induce luminescence in leaves.  Dr Yen Hsun Su and his colleagues are imagining a future where streetlights are replaced by trees, reducing the pollution of cities in two ways: a) no electricity is used to create the light, and b) trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen as a waste product.  It sounds like a fantastic idea, although I'm slightly skeptical about the practicalities.

Does the thought of walking down a leaf-lit street at night (or seeing it from above) "wow" you?

How else could this technology be used? Glowing Christmas trees? Potted night-lights for young children?


Photo © Paul Dex

A Rainbow in Your Hands

This flipbook by Masashi Kawamura is one of my favourites, a sophisticated version of the stick figure flipbooks that I was encouraged to draw as a child.  I love the mistiness created by the white page edges - it gives it a realistic drizzly look.

Does it "wow" you?