Not a Pamphlet, It’s a Smartphone

Jan 23, 2012 Posted Under: Home Improver Advice

Clutch your pearls because Im about to say something amazing nanoparticles! Yes these tiny, near invisible objects can revolutionize the bio medical, optical and electronic fields so designer Ilshat Garipov put pen to paper and came up with the Smartphone Booklet  a disposable phone as thin as a cardboard made possible by switching from traditional silicon to nanoparticles.

The Booklet unfolds like a pamphlet with each side representing a commonly used application or function. Manufacturers can cut it to any size and once its worn out, just recycle it. Dont worry about private information because everything is served from a cloud.

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Used Electric Car Batteries Could Be Crucial In Future Energy Storage

Jan 22, 2012 Posted Under: Home Improvement Topics

Nissan North America ABB 4R Energy and Sumitomo Corporation of America have formed a partnership to evaluate whether used electric car batteries could provide residential and commercial energy storage solutions and back-up power sources making electric vehicles even more sustainable. Their aim is to develop a prototype to effectively reuse lithium-ion batteries taken from the Nissan LEAF.

As electric vehicle batteries have up to 70% capacity remaining after 10 years of use they can be used beyond the lifetime of the vehicle for other applications. The companies are going to test their use in smart-grid energy management systems and battery energy storage.

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Are we stuck in a design rut?

Jan 17, 2012 Posted Under: Home Improver Advice

In his essay You Say You Want a Devolution in the January issue of Vanity Fair, Kurt Anderson wonders if America’s days of cultural innovation are behind us, noting that although “the world has become radically and profoundly new,” thanks to e-mail, mobile phones and other technological advancements, the world’s appearance has changed very little since the late 80′s or so. “The past i

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The Colorful Sweet Seating Collection by Sander van Haar

Jan 16, 2012 Posted Under: Home Design Trends

Dutch designer Sander van der Haar and Jaromir Maas has created a collection sitting pretty for the manufacturers of the Dutch spell. The collection consists of benches, hocker, and sofas made ??of beech wood and covered with foam rubber. Using simple materials and designed with a dynamic new form, but it looks beautiful and comfortable. This is a different design and interesting work is unique.

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10 Easy Pieces: Glass Pendant Lights

Jan 16, 2012 Posted Under: Home Improvement Topics

Glass pendants are among our favorite lighting solutions; heres our (updated) roundup of favorites.

MODERN OPTIONS

Above: Solitaire Pendant by Jeremy Pyles of Niche (available in a range of colors); $475 at Y Lighting.

Above: Aquatinta Murano Handblown Glass Pendant Light by Michele de Lucchi, also available in green, glazed white, sanded, silver, or black; $690 at Y Lighting.

Above: The Miconos Suspension Light by Ernesto Gismondi for Artemide has achieved iconic status; $790 at Y Lighting.

Above: The quintessential Globe Pendant; $129 at West Elm.

Above: The Perseo 44 Suspension Lamp, designed by Michele de Lucchi, is $1,240 at Y Lighting.

Above: Bubble Pendant by NYC glass artist Jeffrey Goodman; available in various heights and diameters.

Above: The Luna Rod Pendant, in an antique black finish, has a fixed rod and a 10-inch transparent shade (opaque shade also available); $119 at Schoolhouse Electric.

Above: The Mega-Bulb Pendant Light by Sofie Refer mimics the incandescent bulb; $285 at Y Lighting.

TRADITIONAL OPTIONS

Above: The Berlin Pendant by Roost is on sale for $170 (down from $199) at Velocity Art & Design.

Above: Clear Glass Dome with “chrome or sludgy brown” fittings; £98 at Baileys Home and Garden.

Above: Meridian Pendant Lamp; $195 from Sundance.

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