MB&F - Parallel World

The PAL-V ONE flying car: The ultimate in commuter transport

2012-05-14T00:00:00Z

We recently featured the lumbering transport behemoth that is the Australian Road Train on A Parallel World, a beast you definitely wouldn"t want to find yourself behind on your daily commute.

However, if the Dutch-designed PAL-V ONE was your mode of transport for getting to the office in the morning, it wouldn"t matter what the traffic situation was like on the roads.

Standing for "Personal Air and Land Vehicle", the PAL-V ONE is a flying car or, more precisely, a car that can quickly transform into an airborne gyrocopter.

Several successful test flights have recently been conducted and now the company behind the vehicle, PAL-V, is looking for investors to help fund the first commercial production model, with first deliveries expected in 2014.

On the ground the PAL-V ONE is a slim, aerodynamic, three-wheeled vehicle combining the comfort of a car with the agility of a motorcycle thanks to its patented, cutting-edge, "tilting" system. It accelerates like a sports car and can reach land speeds of up to 180 km/h (112 mph).

Powered by a robust, flight certified aircraft engine that runs on regular petrol (gasoline), the PAL-V ONE transforms into a gyrocopter within minutes as its rotor unfolds and its tail extends – rather like a Transformer robot.

As much fun as it would be to be able to escape a traffic jam by simply taking off vertically, straight out of a gridlock of cars, the PAL-V ONE does require a runway to take off and land. Even so, we"re not talking huge – a clear stretch of about 165m (540ft) will do it.

The PAL-V ONE can also reach a top speed 180 km/h (112 mph) when airborne, usually flying below 4,000 feet (1,200 m) – the airspace available for uncontrolled Visual Flight Rules (VFR) traffic – meaning no interference from commercial air traffic. And when you are not using controlled airspace, it means you don"t have to file a flight plan.

Flying a PAL-V ONE handles like a standard gyrocopter, apparently, and is quieter than a helicopter due to the main rotor rotating more slowly. Its gyroplane technology also means that it can be steered and landed safely even if the engine fails, because the rotor keeps auto-rotating.

Once back on terra firma, converting the PAL-V ONE from airplane to automobile takes about 10 minutes. The propeller folds itself automatically into the driving position. Pushing a button then lowers the rotor mast into the horizontal position. The same motion lowers the tail. The outer blades are folded over the inner blades via hinge mechanisms. And then driver/pilot has to push the tail into its driving position and secure the rotor blades.

The estimated price for a PAL-V ONE will be around $300,000, though raising the cash will be just one hurdle keeping you from hugging the clouds: Flying it requires a sports/recreational/private pilot license, and that"s before PAL-V ONE-specific flying lessons, of which 20 to 40 hours are recommended, in addition to a theoretical exam.

However, driving the PAL-V ONE on the ground requires just a regular driver"s license and takes about 30 minutes to get used to.

Apart from providing fast door-to-door mobility for private individuals – fly-driving to an island, soaring over that traffic jam, sailing above water and crossing that mountain range as freely as a bird – the PAL-V ONE could also open up a plethora of applications for professional organisations too.

It can be customised for use by police, border control, flying doctors, courier services, disaster aid organisations and the military.

For more information on the PAL-V ONE, visit http://pal-v.com/

Street Art by OaKoAk

2012-05-07T00:00:00Z

A few years ago we featured the satirical street art and subversive epigrams of the pseudonymous England-based street artist Banksy on A Parallel World.

Banksy usually employs distinctive stencilling technique to produce graffiti containing some sort of political and social commentary, and his work has featured on streets, walls, and bridges in cities across the globe.

This week we look at the work of his Gallic counterpart, OaKoAk. Like Banksy, OaKoAk is a pseudonym and as, with Banksy, a large degree of speculation surrounds his real identity.

What we do know is OaKoAk is originally from Saint-Étienne, a city in central France that has produced such diverse luminaries as the 18th sculptor Antonin Moine, 20th century contemporary artist Orlan and the current orienteering world champion, Thierry Gueorgiou.

OaKoAk describes himself as "a fun-loving French artist who likes to play with urban elements". Whether it"s a crack in a wall, a broken drain grill, a crumbling façade or an upended bollard, OaKoAk takes imperfections of the street and uses them to create artworks that are generally less political than those of Banksy, yet still contain a delicious – and sometimes dark – sense of humour.

And if it is not imperfections of the street with which OaKoAk is playing, then it is banal, everyday street features that we are normally unlikely to think twice about to which OaKoAk manages to give a new raison d"être, features such as traffic lights, doorsteps, zebra crossings, stairway banisters and utilities boxes.

To see more of OaKoAk"s work, visit his website here: oakoak.canalblog.com/ and to order OaKoAk"s book – a printed compilation of his work – please visit: www.editionpopulaire.com/blog/oakoak-first-artbook

MOONMACHINE by Stepan Sarpaneva – Forged by a Giant Impact

2012-05-02T00:00:00Z

MOONMACHINE by Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva is both the first of the MB&F Performance Art pieces by a watchmaker and the first to endow a Machine with a new complication. With MOONMACHINE, Stepan has taken a specially configured HM3 Frog and transformed it with his iconic moon-face moon-phase indicator set in a scintillating firmament of northern stars.

The MOON: Around 4.5 billion years ago when the young Earth was still forming, Theia, a proto-planet the size of Mars, is thought to have struck our planet and disintegrated in a "Giant Impact". Some of the debris was attracted by the Earth"s gravity and the rest – consisting of material from both Earth and Theia – went into orbit around the Earth. Within 12 months this orbiting debris coalesced to form the Moon.

Over the next 4.4 billion years, the Earth"s tilt in relation to the sun was stabilised by the gravitational pull of the Moon, which provided regular relatively mild seasons over much of the planet"s surface – ideal conditions for life to form and evolve.

Without that cataclysmic event, we would not be here. You might say we are all Children of the Moon.

And no sooner did modern man start walking the earth than he stared up at the night sky in wonder and awe at the biggest and brightest orb in the heavens. Perhaps none more so than the inhabitants of Finland – including Stepan Sarpaneva – because the less romantic and less well-known counterpoise to the summertime Land of the Midnight Sun are extremely long nights in winter, which gives the population more time than most to study the moon and stars.

MOONMACHINE: While considerably less cataclysmic than the formation of our Moon, MOONMACHINE was also forged from the creative collision of two worlds: MB&F's HM3 Frog and independent watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva.

Before launching his own brand Sarpaneva Watches in 2003, Stepan Sarpaneva worked with some of the most prestigious Swiss brands including Piaget, Parmigiani – where he worked alongside Kari Voutilainen – Vianney Halter and Christophe Claret.

"Stepan has an incredible sense of design and a real sense of detail. His work and everything he surrounds himself with is extremely coherent." Maximilian Büsser

Stepan Sarpaneva: Stepan"s three signature themes are all celestial: his very distinctive moon face; the northern stars and constellations; and the crenellated form of his Korona case – the korona/corona is the plasma atmosphere of the Sun – and all three have been incorporated in MOONMACHINE. Sarpaneva's two moon faces indicate the phase of the moon through a Korona shaped aperture, while the mystery winding rotor is actually a blued 22k gold disc with laser-pierced stars forming stars and constellations visible in the northern sky.

"The visible movement at the top of HM3 Frog added a technical aspect that provided a serious counterpoint to the playfulness of the bulging frog-eyed indications. In covering the movement, the moon phase and sky hides this and makes the timepiece more poetic. With MOONMACHINE, HM3 is transformed into a fairy tale." Stepan Sarpaneva

You will find more information regarding the HM3 MOONMACHINE at www.mbandf.com/machines/performance-art/moonmachine

Australian Road Trains

2012-04-30T00:00:00Z

We"ve all at some time been stuck behind a "long vehicle", perhaps a car towing a caravan or a big truck and trailer. Overtaking on the motorway/highway usually isn't so difficult, but it's another matter entirely on smaller roads.

But imagine finding yourself behind one of these enormous beasts. This is an Australia road train comprising a very powerful truck, or tractor, pulling three and sometimes even four trailers at a time.

In Australia, they transport everything from livestock to consumer goods to fuel. The road trains pictured here are loading cattle at Helen Springs in Northern Territory, from where they will make the 1,125km /700-mile, 14-hour, non-stop journey to the port of Darwin for live export to Japan, south-east Asia and the US.

Time for a bit of maths to appreciate the enormity of what"s going on in these photos: There are 17 trucks loading cattle here, each with three two-deck trailers, making 102 decks. With roughly 28 cattle per deck (they load by volume, not weight as scales aren"t used in the outback) that totals 2,856 head of cattle.

Looking at it from less of a livestock perspective and more of a vehicular one, each trailer has 12 tyres plus a dolly with eight tyres making a total of 20, except for the truck and first trailer, which has 24. So each road train has 62 tyres (not including spares) meaning there are 1,054 tyres on the road here.

While most road trains run at night, some do operate during the day and rub shoulders with "regular" road traffic.

Although a road train might start out a dot on the horizon in a rear view mirror, it rapidly fills the entire viewing area as it approaches, most definitely asserting its presence.

And if you have one in front of you and you"re thinking of overtaking it, well, you had better have a fast car and a long wide straight stretch of road: Road trains in the Northern Territory can be up to 53.5 meters in length (about 175 ft) and there are road signs warning that the driver doing the overtaking must allow more than one and a half kilometres (one mile) – to pass!

Keep on truckin"!

These photos are - quite literally - out of this world.

2012-04-23T00:00:00Z

For over a year now, Alan Taylor"s discerning eye has been gracing the pages of theatlantic.com, the website of the celebrated American literary and cultural commentary magazine The Atlantic.

                        The Sun, seen in extreme ultraviolet wavelengths

Taylor joined The Atlantic to edit "In Focus", a photography blog featuring photo essays about, in his words, " . . . a range of subjects, from breaking news and historical topics to culture high and low".

With a burning passion for telling visual stories on the web, Taylor had previously worked at The Boston Globe where he created and presided over Boston.com"s acclaimed photo-essay feature "The Big Picture" for nearly three years, garnering eight million page views per month in the process.

When Taylor embarked on his "In Focus" journey in February last year, he said: "I have a lot of plans, some small, some big, not necessarily many more pictures or pictures that are much more gigantic, but just going to the next level with it."

                                                Partial solar eclipse

And the talented photo curator hasn"t disappointed, especially with his cosmic offering earlier last month (March 7th) entitled "A Trip Across the Solar System".

Taylor reflected that NASA"s robotic probes, the European Space Agency and others are all amassing data across the solar system and that there are currently spacecraft in orbit around several planets with some even leaving our solar system altogether.

And even though the Space Shuttle has been decommissioned, Taylor noted that astronauts are carrying out experiments aboard and sending back "amazing photos" from the International Space Station.

"With all these eyes in the sky, I [wanted] to put together a recent photo album of our solar system," says Taylor. "[It"s] a set of family portraits, of sorts, as seen by our astronauts and mechanical emissaries."

Featured in Taylor"s fantastic compilation is an excellent view of the Sun (top image), seen in extreme ultraviolet wavelengths by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly aboard NASA"s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Looping lines reveal solar plasma rising and falling along magnetic field lines in the solar atmosphere.

Taylor has selected another view of the sun (second image from top), a partial solar eclipse when the Moon moved in between it and NASA"s Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite near the end of February.

                                   Saturn's fourth-largest moon Dione

The sixth planet from the Sun, Saturn, has 62 known moons orbiting it and the fourth largest, Dione, can be seen here through the haze of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, in this colour photo chosen by Taylor and snapped from NASA"s Cassini spacecraft.

                                 A "Blue Marble" image of the earth

Closer to home now and this NASA photo shows a "Blue Marble" image of the Earth taken from the The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite instrument aboard NASA"s Earth-observing satellite, Suomi NPP. It is a composite image that uses a number of swaths of the Earth"s surface.

                   Swirling cloud formation capped by the green aura borealis

A swirling cloud formation and the lights of the Aurora Borealis are seen here from the International Space Station above the Gulf of Alaska.

                   Night-time view from the International Space Station

The International Space Station also captured this superb night-time shot of the USA"s east coast. In the foreground, a pair of Russian vehicles parked at the orbital outpost can be seen.

                                            Unpiloted ISS Progress

An unpiloted ISS Progress resupply vehicle approaches the International Space Station, carrying nearly three tons of food, fuel and equipment for the residents of the space station.

                                            Russian support personnel

Above, Russian support personnel work to help get Expedition 29 crew members out of the Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft shortly after the capsule landed outside of the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan in November.

                                         Russian cosmonaut

Meanwhile, Expedition 30"s flight engineer Russian cosmonaut, Anton Shkaplerov, here participates in a six-hour, 15-minute session of extravehicular activity to continue outfitting the International Space Station.

To see all these cosmic photos (and more) in a larger format and to find out more about Alan Taylor"s "In Focus" photography blog, please visit www.theatlantic.com/infocus/

New York's 'Inverted' Bike Shop

2012-04-15T00:00:00Z

Among the many bike shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn, 718 Cyclery stands out for its unique approach to doing business. The start-up, founded four years ago by Joe Nocella, is what could be described as an "inverted" bike shop.

That doesn"t mean 718 Cyclery sells upsidedown or backwards bikes, rather the whole bicycle creation process has been "inverted".

Instead of a customer going in to browse a range of factory-made and standardised cycles and then picking out the one that is the closest match for their needs, Nocella and his team create from scratch custom bikes that correspond exactly to the client"s requirements.

"We sit down with customers and ask them "what do you see yourself doing with this bike?"," says Nocella."We sit down with customers and ask them "what do you see yourself doing with this bike?"," "We sit down with customers and ask them "what do you see yourself doing with this bike?""

Following that chat, 718 Cyclery put together a parts list that will satisfy the customer"s needs, email it out to them and then the client can make changes online together with 718 Cyclery.

"It"s a very fluid process," says Nocella.

Once all the parts are ordered and ready, the client will come in and can actually build the bike with Nocella and his team.

"Some people want to do all the assembling themselves, while at the other end of the spectrum some people just want to watch and take photos," he says.

"This whole business is based around building bikes with people. Building your own bike is about being empowered to know more about the machine you"re on, to feel more confident about using it and fixing it."

And focusing on what the customers wants and providing it is good business. In just a few years founder Joe Nocella has gone from working part time from his garage to opening a small shop, to quickly expanding to much larger premises.

For a fantastic insight into 718 Cyclery, watch this short video entitled "The Inverted Bike Shop" created by Peter Crosby and Chauncey Zalkin from Show Love storytelling services and featuring some excellent ethereal music by The Album Leaf.

For more information on 718 Cyclery, please visit: www.718c.com/

Play soccer and create free and clean electricity with sOccket

2012-04-09T00:00:00Z

Four Harvard students have a come up with a brilliant way of providing kids in developing countries with the equipment needed to play their favourite sport while generating safe, clean and renewable electricity at the same time.

Born during a student project carried out by Jessica Lin, Julia Silverman, Jessica Matthews and Hemali Thakkar at the Ivy League university, sOccket is a football that harnesses the kinetic (motion) energy of a soccer ball during normal game play, storing it for subsequent power needs.

The name sOccket in fact has a triple meaning. It is a soccer ball; it acts as an electrical socket; and you "sock it one" to generate that electrical energy.

After being played with in a casual soccer match between friends, the sOccket can become an energy-efficient power source into which small electrical appliances are plugged. Kicking and throwing the ball for just half an hour generates enough electricity to power an LED lamp for three hours, for example.

It is estimated that more than one in five people in the world have no electricity and alternatives like kerosene lamps, diesel generators and wood burning stoves are harmful to the environment such that they are estimated to cause 1.6 million deaths each year.

It is also thought that resource-poor families can spend 10 to 30 per cent of their income on kerosene, while living with the fumes from one kerosene lamp can cause the same damage as smoking two packs of cigarettes each day.

As a portable source of clean, renewable energy, the sOccket therefore has the potential to make a massive difference to the lives of many families.

And of course it"s not just its credentials as an energy source that make sOccket a potential winner: Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, especially in developing countries where children will often play with substitutes like "ju-ju" balls made from tying plastic bags together since regular footballs – if they can get hold of them – wear out quickly because they are not designed to be played on resource-poor terrain.

However, with sOccket, these children get a high-quality, ultra-durable soccer ball that is only 140g heavier than a regular one. It is impossible to deflate and apparently has a three-year-plus lifespan meaning it can be passed down from sibling to sibling. What"s more, it"s eco-friendly being made with 95 per cent recycled material.

But how do these children end up getting their hands on a sOccket? Well, that"s where the likes of you and me come in. You buy a sOccket using the donate section of sOccket"s website, the sOccket team then coordinates with their partner organisations working in resource-poor communities and sends over the donated sOccket to be distributed to the child in need.

Donate $60 and a sOccket and a sOccket lamp will be shipped for free to a deserving family.

So far, the sOccket has made its way to Haiti, South Africa and Nigeria while in Spain platinum-selling recording artist Huecco and his charity Fundación Dame Vida! (The Give Me Life! Foundation) have brought out a Dame Vida! version of the ball endorsed by the Spanish national soccer team who are, of course, the reigning World and European champions.

In the meantime, the team are in the process of creating a sOccket basketball, due out next year.

For more information and to donate, please visit http://www.soccket.com/

Real Buildings, Surreal Images

2012-04-01T00:00:00Z

Computer Graphics Artist Victor Enrich has created some playfully surreal portraits of real-life buildings with his digitally enhanced photos .

The Barcelona-born artist recently put his architectural visualisation day job on hold to take stock of his professional situation. But in the process his imagination became unleashed and these images – or imaginings – are the stunning results of his highly-productive career break.

Buildings have always been an important for Enrich. His grandfather and great grandfather were both in construction and by the age of 18, Enrich already mastered Autocad, a software application for computer-aided design in 2D and 3D. He studied architecture at university and, on graduating, found work through his teachers.

"My teachers, all architects, became my first clients," he says. "I was on top of the world, being asked to do renderings, renderings and more renderings, getting fast and easy money by doing something that I had learnt before university."

Looping 2007 Riga - "View from the Latvian movie director Liga Gaisa´s window facing the River Daugava. The bridge bends upwards when reaching the energy of the water. In the other side of the river, the TV building. In those years, a big pharaonic highway bridge was being built 2 miles south. The budget of this bridge was 3 or even 4 times the original while the society of Riga was starting to suffer from the the beginning of a deep crisis."

But Enrich soon realised that the more he worked like this, the more dissatisfied he was becoming.

"I had become an expert technician but was using zero per cent of my imagination," he says. "I had to make a radical decision, so I stopped working, and lived on my savings, starting a process of reunion with myself through CG (computer graphics). It began as a simple technical exercise to see what my real skills were about. Then, slowly, all my imagination started to flow."

This process has seen Enrich live in Riga, Latvia and Munich, Germany, the settings for the above artworks, in addition to – and probably most influentially – Israel. Below, Enrich takes us through some of his work inspired from his time in the latter country.

Deportation: "The State of Israel considered that my being an artist was an activity that I couldn"t do with a tourist visa, so I had to leave. In this last project I transformed the three Aizrieli towers into three big sirens. Israel is a country of sirens, and on the special days like the Holocaust day or the Memorial Day, the sirens" characteristic sound takes your breath away."

Medusa: "The Orchid Hotel. The balconies try to reach the best view towards the sea. In those days, I was swimming in the beach every morning, and one day I got attacked by a giant jellyfish."

Mersand: "The left wing intellectuals of the city gravitate towards the Café Mersand. It is the maximum expression of the Tel Aviv bubble, apparently unaware of all the conflicts that are taking place with Palestinians just few miles away. I decided to implement this bubble concept by isolating the building on top of a rock, in the middle of a desert."

Shalom 2 Tel Aviv 2009: "Dedicated to the most emblematic, and tallest for many years, skyscraper of Israel. His shape always invited me to zip it up and down and what"s inside… This view is taken from the window of a 2 floor house located in the historical Neve Tsdek (Oasis of Justice) neighbourhood…the house is an astonishing private museum of Madkot, the Israeli beach tennis, with more that 1 hundred rackets."

For more information on Victor Enrich, please visit:victorenrich.com/gallery

Metropolis II - A Dynamic Scale City (and the Ultimate Model Train-Car Set)

2012-03-25T00:00:00Z

Chris Burden knows how to take his art to extremes. The Boston-born artist once had a friend shoot him in the arm in a gallery for his 1971 piece, aptly titled "Shoot". Three years later, Burden performed "Trans-fixed" where he was nailed to the back of a VW Beetle (as you do).

One of Burden"s latest offerings, "Metropolis II", is also car-related, though any personal distress that he has put himself through for this creation will simply have been down to the hours he has had to invest in, and the sheer scale of, what is being hailed as a mechanical masterpiece.

"Metropolis II" is an intense and a complex kinetic sculpture, modelled on a fast-paced, frenetic city that straddles the present and the future.

Steel beams form an eclectic grid interwoven with an elaborate system of 18 roadways, including one six-lane freeway, and HO scale rail tracks.

Miniature cars speed through the city along translucent roads at a scale equivalent speed of 386km/h (240mph). Every hour, the equivalent of approximately 100,000 cars circulate through the dense network of buildings made from glass, ceramics, wood and even Lego.

It took Burden and his chief engineer Zak Cook more than four years to create "Metropolis II" including research, development and construction in Burden"s California studio.

Burden confesses to no real interest in transport or urban planning – more toys in fact – but he wanted to embark on such a massive undertaking because he and Cook had spent so much time and effort on developing "Metropolis II"s forerunner.

"Metropolis I", which had a mere 80 toy cars bombing around on single-lane highways, was sold to a Japanese museum that exhibited it for six months before locking it away.

"Metropolis II", on the other hand, has been loaned to Los Angeles County Museum of Art for display over the next decade by a collector who bought the sculpture at the end of last year for millions of dollars.

Apart from the sheer size of the installation, there are intricate touches that reflect the detail and endeavour that has gone into designing the cars and the roads.

For example, traffic flow has been maximised and vehicular disasters minimised by using lane dividers that act as natural brakes for the cars on corners.

The cars have also been specially manufactured in China to Burden"s specifications, which include extra strong axles.

When the cars get to the bottom of a hill, magnets in the track catch on and pull them back up a slope to the top.

Despite all these refinements, "Metropolis II" still requires two full-time attendants while it"s running, one standing in the centre of it and one outside to monitor traffic flow.

"I"ve seen spectacular pile-ups involving cars that spill off the road and derail trains," says Burden of his creation. "Every hour, 100,000 cars circulate through the system, so you"re going to get some glitches. It"s not digitised."

In real life though, that is how Burden wishes all roads will be – digitised.

Indeed, "Metropolis II" is certainly no utopia; for a start green spaces are conspicuous by their absence and the landscape is more reminiscent of a city of the future conceived last century, rather than one thought up today (in fact, it is a little like that which features in the 1927 Fritz Lang film "Metropolis").

"Only in the speed of the cars is this the city of the future," says Burden. "The city of the future is that every car is going to be controlled. Rigidly controlled. Controlled by Google, not by a driver.

"It"s insane that somebody"s who"s drunk or having a heart attack or is a teenager on speed can drive a two-ton diesel projectile. It"s insane! My dream for the city of the future is that the cars go faster and be totally automated."

Burden adds: "Metropolis II is not about making a scale model of anything, it"s more to evoke the energy of a city, and the sound is a really important part of it. I love hearing that the cars are going at 230mph. It provides a tension, more than anything else. It"s not just seeing the cars go around, it"s the noise level.

"The noise, the continuous flow of the trains, and the speeding toy cars, produces in the viewer the stress of living in a dynamic, active and bustling city. We wanted to make it truly overwhelming. The noise and level of activity are both mesmerizing and anxiety provoking."

You can experience some of that noise and gain an excellent insight into the project by watching Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman"s documentary film (above) that followed the creation of "Metropolis II" in Burden"s studio.

For more information on Chris Burden"s work, please visit: www.lacma.org/video/directors-series-chris-burden

Book Surgeon Brian Dettmer carves books

2012-03-18T00:00:00Z

The English idiom "to do something by the book" means to "follow the rules" or "to do something as you are supposed to do it". American contemporary artist Brian Dettmer has spectacularly managed to turn this expression on its head: He does his art "by the book" – quite literally as you will see below – while at the same time flouting traditional notions of how books and other printed material should be used.

The 37-year-old from Naperville, Illinois, has carved out reputation for himself – again, quite literally – for his surgical-like alteration of pre-existing media such as old books, phone directories and maps to create new, transformed works of visual fine art.

Dettmer studied for a BA in fine arts from Columbia College, Chicago in the late 90s and it was there that he developed an interest in language and image and, in his words, "the dichotomy between the way language appears, the forms that it takes and what it actually represents".

Dettmer says: "I began ripping up newspapers and then phone books and then eventually books to apply the pages to the surface of the canvas.

"Of course, ripping up books made me feel really guilty about what I was doing and made me ask "what do books mean?", "why do we value them the way we do?" and made me look at the actual book as a material to start to working with."

And so Dettmer began working with books as his starting point around 2001 and carving into them in 2003, but it wasn't until 2007 that he began to combine multiple books while also pushing the forms of the single book.

Dettmer"s method is generally as follows. He begins with an existing book and seals its edges, "creating an enclosed vessel full of unearthed potential". He cuts into the surface and dissects through it from the front, using knives, tweezers and surgical tools to carve one page at a time, exposing each layer while cutting around ideas and images of interest.

"Nothing inside the books is relocated or implanted, only removed," he says. "My work is a collaboration with the existing material and its past creators and the completed pieces expose new relationships of the book"s internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception.

"In terms of inspiration, the title of the book is usually important, the actual design of the book, the paper type, the image quality, and then the content of the book definitely plays the most important role."

According to Dettmer, his work requires a lot of focus, a steady hand and a lot of patience and he admits that much of it is intuitive – chance plays a major role and he never knows where it will end up.

"I try to push the possibilities with every new piece or series I do," he says. "I would say the scale, the detail and the variety of approaches has really evolved over the past few years."

Dettmer's work has been published and exhibited widely around the world and is currently shown by a number of art galleries, including Kinz+Tillou Fine Art in New York, Packer Schopf Gallery in Chicago, Toomey Tourell in San Francisco, MiTO in Barcelona, and SALTWORKS in Atlanta.

And so how does Dettmer explain the seemingly broad appeal of his book transformations?

"I think because I am working with books and working with material that everybody is familiar with, everyone can bring something familiar to it," he says.

"It works on several levels. Some people may get caught up in its physical presence and get wrapped into the beauty or detail of the piece without considering my work's philosophical implications but I'd like to think it makes most people step back and look at books in a new way."

For more information on Brian Dettmer, please visit http://briandettmer.com/

Incredible Makeup Makeover

2012-03-11T00:00:00Z

While actor Johnny Depp has made many great decisions in his life, one he may regret was to get a tattoo of "Winona Forever" while he was engaged to fellow screen star Winona Ryder.

As it turned out, their relationship ended prematurely and Depp was left with a permanent declaration of love for Ms Ryder emblazoned on his arm which he managed to change – ingeniously or comically depending on your point of view – to a permanent declaration of love for a bottle of the good stuff: He removed the "n" and the "a" to form: "Wino Forever".

Had our Jonny known, he could have saved himself the trouble and the money and bought a tube of Dermablend Professional concealer make-up.

The American brand"s recent video – part of their "Go Beyond The Cover" promotional campaign – emphatically demonstrates the efficacy of their products designed to help cover up skin conditions such as birthmarks, bruising, dark under-eye circles, freckles, scars, spider veins, stretch marks and uneven skin tones, to name but a few. Oh, and tattoos of course.

Starring in their film is Rick "Rico" Genest, nicknamed Zombie Boy for being tattooed like a corpse across the majority of his body and face – tattoos which, when the video starts, are not at all visible thanks to the Dermablend Professional products that have carefully been applied.

But once Genest starts rubbing a bit of make-up remover into his chest, and then on his face, and grey and black motifs start to appear, we realise that all is not as it seems. Finally, after applying more make-up remover – coupled with a high-speed rewind of the initial make-up application process – the 26-year-old"s true colours are revealed.

To prepare for the one-day shoot, it took three make-up artists to transform the Montreal native using approximately four tubes of Dermablend Leg and Body Cover with Leg and Body Tattoo Primer and Original Loose Setting Powder. The subsequent video was shot in one take, with just one opportunity for Genest to reveal his true face. The behind-the-scenes film below is just as entertaining as the promotional video itself.

Genest burst on to the fashion and music scenes last year, firstly as a Paris catwalk model for fashion house Thierry Mugler before featuring in American songstress Lady Gaga"s Born This Way video.

Genest had been working as a doorman and a freak show performer in Circus Side Shows before being plucked from obscurity. Over the course of ten years, he has spent more than $16,000 on his tattoos and he is not done yet: He plans to continue adding to his unique body art to include his lower torso.

"When I was a kid I was a big fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I wanted to be a Ninja Turtle and live in the sewers," he says. "But as I got older I fell in love with zombies and wanted to become one. The closest thing I could get to becoming a zombie was to get tattooed like one."

Of his transformation for the Dermablend video, he says: "It looked the same to me after the make-up was on. I guess I am just used to being in my own skin. I"m sure that people I"m close to would have recognised me but if I was on the bus and saw some one, I think I would have gotten away with it. If I had any pranks to play, then that would have been the moment!"

For more information on Dermablend"s "Go Beyond The Cover" campaign, please visit: www.gobeyondthecover.com and for more information on Rick Genest please visit: rickgenest.com

The Patient Gardener creates Long Term Architecture

2012-03-04T00:00:00Z

Swedish architecture firm Visiondivision and students from the Politecnico di Milano have designed a quite incredible study retreat for the university"s campus that will take no fewer than 60 years to create.

The stunning design was born during a week-long workshop in which Visiondivision founders Anders Berensson and Ulf Mejergren, in their capacity as guest professors, introduced Politecnico students to design concepts where patience plays a key role.

The structural frame for the retreat will be 10 Japanese cherry trees planted in a circle. As they grow, the trees will bend inwards, forming a dome, because they have all been tied towards a six-metre high temporary wood structure in the centre acting as a "guide" tower. The trunks will then continue growing upwards and outwards, so that the final result is a remarkable hour-glass shaped retreat.

Four of the trees will form two pairs of natural stairs to the upper level, with the growth of their branches guided by wires to form steps. Branches will also eventually be grafted into the structure for added strength.

"If we can be patient when building, we can reduce the need for transportation, waste of material and different manufacturing processes, simply by helping nature grow in a more architectonic and useful way," say Berensson and Mejergren.

"There are different methods and tools to guide and control the growth of trees and plants: Bending, twisting, pruning, grafting, braiding and weaving. Controlling the amount of water and light the trees receive is another way.

"We used almost all of these techniques in our creation on the Politecnico di Milano campus, which involved creating a structural system for the building and stairs, as well as furniture all made out of trees, plants or grass."

Indeed, the ground floor of the retreat will boast two easy chairs made out of grass. These will be put together using a custom made cardboard structure, shaped for maximal relaxation and painted with a protective coating so that it can be filled with soil and draped with grass.

Of course, all that hard studying outdoors will sharpen appetites, and a dining table and chairs have been duly incorporated into the design.

The table is made out of slender wooden pieces with strings in the structure forming a skeleton through which hedras – wood-climbing plants – can grow and later take over the structure completely.

Plumb trees form the chairs; visitors will be able to sit down on the lowest fork of their branches, which in turn will be guided into canopies, so you can munch on the delicious fruit that the very "chair" produces.

In fact, different fruit trees will be grafted into the cherry trees as well so that students can sample a variety of fruits while relaxing in the canopy!

"Together with the students, we worked out a maintenance plan and simple instructions for future gardeners that should make the project work," say Berensson and Mejergren.

They add: "In about 80 years from now, the Politecnico di Milano campus will have a fully grown retreat and the students will hopefully have proud grandchildren that can tell the story of the project for their friends and family."

For more information on the Patient Gardener and other projects by Visiondivision, please visit: www.visiondivision.com/

Sensational Golden Cape made from Spider Silk

2012-02-26T00:00:00Z

Since the end of January, visitors to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London have been able to marvel at Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley"s wonderful exhibition: A superb, golden spider-silk cape.

The sumptuous garment took over three years to create, from collecting the 1.2 million female Madagascan golden orb spiders needed to make the naturally-coloured yellow silk, to the hand-weaving and hand-embroidering of the cape itself.

Peers and Godley, a Briton and an American who have lived in Madagascar for a number of years, also created the hand-operated machine for extracting silk from the spiders, based on a design from over a century ago.

"There was a certain madness in launching into something like this," says Peers. "In 300 years, the very few eccentric people who had tried it had fallen by the wayside because it's just too much really. The fact that it was such a huge challenge was part of the appeal."

The spiders were collected individually in the wild, kept alive, and then harnessed and milked. Each one produced between 30 and 50 metres of thread, taking 25 minutes to extract, before being released back into nature.

"We maybe had 60 to 80 people every day looking for spiders to collect," says Peers. "Then the whole process of extracting – "silking" or milking – involved a number of people.

"And there are another group of people involved with transforming the silk, plus the weavers and embroiderers and so forth. So there were a lot of people involved in this story."

The spiders are big enough to fill the palm of your hand, while their eyes are only able to vaguely detect changes in light, meaning they are almost blind. All varieties of Golden orb spiders, not just the Madagascan variety, produce the fantastic, yellow-coloured silk from which the cape was made.

"This is the invisibility cloak," says Peers. "You literally cannot feel it. It"s quite extraordinary. I think one of the reasons for that is that if you get a cross-section of the silk you can see it"s perfectly cylindrical, unlike that produced by the Chinese silk worm which has got an irregular, triangular cross-section."

But why make, specifically, a cape from this incredible material?

"The choice of the cape was because it"s a familiar garment, but at the same time it"s slightly unfamiliar because not many people actually put capes on," says Peers.

"In early childhood you read nursery rhymes which have spiders in. There is something of that fairytale aspect to this I think. There"s also a link to the comic book super heroes, the cape and the Spiderman; a sort of amusing nod in that direction.

"But then there"s also an element of ritual about it, a sort of dalmatic or chasuble of a priestly robe of some sort. So the cape lent itself to one"s imagination in terms of rights and rituals.

"The spider also features in a lot of mythology and a lot of ancient cultures saw the spider as the creator of the cosmos, so part of the idea is the spider creating a paradise, which is the garden represented by the embroidered flowering."

Peers adds: "This cape isn"t about fashion. This is about creating something extraordinary, magical and unique. It is a one-off and we"re privileged to have been part of something where you can say "no one else has done it"."

"Golden Spider Silk" is on display at the V&A Museum in London until June 5th, 2012 - admission is free.

For more information, please visit: www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/g/golden-spider-silk/

The Steilneset Witch Trial Memorial in Norway

2012-02-19T00:00:00Z

Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has designed the Steilneset Memorial, a stunning structure on the island of Vardø in the extreme northeast part of Norway.

The memorial commemorates 91 people convicted of sorcery in the 17th century who were subsequently burnt at the stake.

It consists of two parts, one designed solely by 68-year-old Zumthor and another housing the last major installation by the late French-American artist and sculptor, Louise Bourgeois.

The first structure sees a fabric cocoon containing a long oak-floored corridor suspended inside a 125m-long framework made of pine.

Light bulbs in the corridor hang behind 91 windows, each one representing those victims executed during the witch hunts. All the lamps have a plaque explaining how each individual met their fate.

Bourgeois"s installation is called "The Damned, The Possessed and The Beloved".

Housed in the second structure made of steel and darkened glass, it features a circle of seven mirrors that surround and reflect a flaming steel chair (fuelled by gas) inside a hollow concrete cone.

This stunning memorial to the 91 murdered 'witches' shines a modern light on the horrendous acts of cruelty that took place in the name of religion. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, 30,000 to 60,000 people were burnt at the stake for witchcraft in Europe, including 6,000 in Switzerland.

Three years ago, Zumthor won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture".

For more information on Steilneset Memorial and Peter Zumthor, please visit www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en/varanger/steilneset and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Zumthor

Labseed and venturelab: Implanting the seeds of success

2012-02-12T00:00:00Z

Entrepreneurship is at the very heart of MB&F and that"s why it is always heartening to learn about start-ups succeeding, often thanks to young, hungry and visionary talent.

The rise of Swiss medical engineering firm Labseed is one such success story.

Co-founders Hicham Majd and Dr Giorgio Pietramaggiore met when the former was researching cells responsible for wound repair for his thesis at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) while Pietramaggiore, from Italy, was training to be a surgeon at the University Hospital of Geneva.

"Our research projects were complementary," says Majd, who has Swiss-Moroccan nationality. "By putting them together, they brought about an interesting technology."

Contemporary medicine wouldn"t exist without implantable medical devices such as orthopedic, dental and breast implants or pacemakers, for example.

More than a quarter of all breast implants must be removed within four years, because neighboring tissues develop a rigid envelope of fibrous tissue to protect themselves from the foreign body.

On the left is an example of an implant that has contracted due to fibrous tissue growth, on the right is a Mycoat treated implant.

Labseed has developed a protective covering made up of a nanostructured surface and a layer of collagen that will prevent the body from rejecting the implant. Our bodies treat all medical or plastic surgery devices- things like breast implants, knee and hip replacements, pacemakers and insulin pumps - as foreign invaders. We are equipped with a complex surveillance system for recognizing and then eliminating them.

In the empty intracellular space between the device and neighboring tissues, special cells that are in charge of this reaction, called fibroblasts, assemble to deal with the intruder. In certain cases, sometimes even several years after the implant is placed, they surround it and cover it in a very hard capsule. In addition to its unattractive appearance, particularly in breast implants, this reaction can also prevent the implant from functioning properly, such that in a quarter of patients, implants must be removed within four years after implantation.

Labseed's Mycoat combines nano/microtechnology and biochemistry to render foreign bodies virtually "invisible" to cells that are watching out for invaders. Mycoat structures the surface of a medical device or implant at a nanometer-level precision. The implant is then coated with collagen. In this way, neighboring cells are no longer in direct contact with the foreign body but with the nanometer-structured, collagen-coated surface.

To the cells, this protective coating looks like just a new extracellular matrix, which they see as normal tissue. The fibroblasts will thus adhere quite naturally to the object, as if it was an integral part of the patient's body.

"We have developed a particular surface treatment, for which a patent has been registered, that can make implants more biocompatible, enhancing their acceptance and increasing their lifespan," says Majd. "We wanted to transfer this technology to manufacturers of medical implants and creating a start-up was the best solution to lead our technology to the market."

Heart pacemakers could also be coated making them less likely to be attacked by the boy's own defences.

To move from the world of research to that of entrepreneurship, Majd went to Boston in 2010 as part of the Venture Leaders Prize and Venture Challenge course, both organised by venturelab.

Financed by the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation, venturelab offers individual training for start-ups, including the know-how and contacts required to successfully launch your own company.

Priority is given to start-ups in high-tech fields such as computer science, life sciences and bio- or nanotechnologies and the courses offered are free of charge for anyone demonstrating an innovative and persuasive business idea.

For more information about Labseed, please visit http://www.labseed.com/ and to find out more about venturelab, please visit www.venturelab.ch

spnKiX motorised roller skates - imagine a mini Segway on each foot

2012-02-05T00:00:00Z

Peter Treadway is a design consultant based in Los Angeles and with a name like his you would think that he likes to walk places.

As it happens, he likes to glide. On wheels. On motorised wheels attached to his shoes.

Peter has developed a pair of battery-powered skates called spnKiX – a fancy way of writing Spin Kicks – which strap right on to your shoes and are hand-controlled by a wireless remote.

The remote, which is the size of a key fob and straps to your hand, allows you to vary the throttle while each skate has its own battery and motor, with the hardware and electronics cleverly integrated into the Nylon-fibre reinforced frame to create a sort of mini Segway for each foot.

"For most of my life, I have been interested in personal mobility and I have been asking the same questions all of you have been asking: Where are our flying cars? Where are the jet packs? Where are my motorised shoes?" says Treadway.

"Well, after spending five years researching, designing and developing a variety of different prototypes, the miniaturisation of certain technologies found in smart phones, laptops and radio controlled cars has finally made it possible for us to integrate them all into a pair of "shoes" so that you can go for a spin!"

To gather the cash necessary to go into a full scale production, Treadway used Kickerstarter.com, the online threshold pledge system that helps to raise capital for projects by harnessing the power of "crowd funding".

"Now the project is funded, we expect our first production run to arrive from the factory towards the end of February," he says. "So expect the first delivery in March."

Of course, if spnKiX use mobile phone-like technology, it is a good idea to keep an eye on the weather forecast the days you plan to use them – and not take them out for a spin in the middle of a tropical downpour. "Small rain or water puddles on the street shouldn"t be a problem, but spnKiX can"t be soaked in water, just like your cell phone," says Treadway.

The robustness of the design will also be challenged by the heftier among us – to the point that the spnKiX team recommend that users weigh no more than 80kg (180lbs) – ruling out most rugby players, American footballers and sumo wrestlers from using them.

To brake with spnKiX, there is a stopper, like on rollerskates. Otherwise, you just take your finger off the gas and you will slow down fairly quickly.

It might be, though, that you come to a complete halt a lot sooner than you wish: The rechargeable lithium battery – which takes 2 to 3 hours to fully load – lets you go about 2 to 3 miles (4.8 to 6.4 km) per charge depending on the angle of the surface you are rolling on.

So, with a top speed of 16 kmh/10mph, that will give you an autonomy of only about 20 minutes, which means you could find yourself taking a long walk or jog home, which, if that were the case, would certainly dispel any accusations that using spnKiX will make the lazy among us even lazier.

"SpnKiX are closer to rollerblades than any "upright, stand-on" vehicle and will not make anyone lazy," says Treadway. "People will be outside and more active than before – and with more speed and style. These are a range extender!"

For more information, please visit www.spnkix.com and www.kickstarter.com/

Incredible Lytro camera doesn't just shoot light, it shoots 'light fields'.

2012-01-29T00:00:00Z

Californian company Lytro have revolutionised the world of photography with their amazing light field camera.

Unlike conventional cameras, the Lytro light field camera captures all of the rays of light (angle/colour/intensity) in a scene, providing new photographic capabilities hitherto impossible – including the ability to focus a picture after it has been taken!

The terrific pocket-sized camera creates three-dimensional, interactive "living" images that can be refocused as many times you wish thanks to a light field sensor that records a far richer set of data than any previous photographic instrument – in terms of colour, intensity and the direction of every light ray that flows into the camera – about 11 million of them.

To process all this additional information, the camera contains a light field "engine" that allows users to refocus the images directly on the camera via an intuitive glass touchscreen.

And when the Lytro"s living pictures are shared online, this light field engine travels with each picture, so anyone can interact with them on virtually any device – web browsers, mobile phones or iPads – without having to download special software

The camera also offers a pretty powerful 8x optical zoom and f/2 lens – and you don"t need a degree to work out all its functions; it features just two buttons – power and shutter – that both activate instantly. It also performs well in low-light environments, so there is no need for a flash.

Another neat feature is the minimalist, rectangular design that, thanks to its anodised aluminum case, weighs in at approximately 225g/5lbs, making it an extremely light yet sturdy companion wherever you want to exercise your picture-taking skills.

Light field science was the subject of Lytro CEO and Founder Dr Ren Ng"s PhD dissertation in computer science at Stanford University, and was once only possible with 100 cameras tethered to a supercomputer in a lab.

This year Lytro plan to apply special light field algorithms to the pictures to enable viewing on any 3D display – where viewers will be able to shift the perspective of a scene. We can"t wait!

Interview with the inventors

And is the Lytro really any good as a camera? Well I'll let you know as I've just ordered mine!

For more information on the Lytro camera, please visit www.lytro.com/camera. And for a demonstration of the "living" pictures, visit the Lytro Picture Gallery at www.lytro.com/living-pictures (click anywhere inside a photo and watch that section come into focus).

Little Shining Man: A stunning kite as scuptural art

2012-01-22T00:00:00Z

Artists Heather and Ivan Morison have collaborated with architectural designer Sash Reading to create an amazing sculptural work that can fly like a kite.

Christened Little Shining Man, the sculpture has also been complemented by an equally impressive video which shows the spectacular creation take flight at sundown above the beaches of Jersey, the biggest of the Channel Islands (between Britain and France).

Elegant yet robust, Little Shining Man was commissioned by luxury property developers Dandara and manufactured by Queen & Crawford, a Birmingham-based Design and Fabrication Workshop.

Its structure is based around the tetra kites developed by Alexander Graham Bell, multiplied out into colliding cubes, the form of which is inspired by the natural cubic formations of the mineral pyrite.

There were several challenges involved in creating Little Shining Man, which contains 23,000 individual components overall and took 16 months to develop.

The structure had to be very strong yet as lightweight as possible to enable it to fly and return to the ground again with minimal damage so it could be installed as an artwork afterwards.

State-of-art carbon fibre rods were therefore chosen in addition to a hand-made composite fabric – Cuben Fibre – normally used for yacht sails, as well as specially designed, 3-D printed nylon connectors. The ensemble allows Little Shining Man to float across the sky as if weightless.

The flying sculpture in these photos is just one section of an arrangement of three pieces, forming a final piece of art which has been suspended in the atrium of Dandara's Castle Quay development in St. Helier, Jersey.

In addition to being a permanent piece of sculpture, it will also serve as a working kite and will be annually taken down from its display to be flown in nearby St Aubin's bay.

Ivan Morison was more than satisfied after witnessing his co-creation make its maiden lift-off.

"When we first took Little Shining Man out onto the beach, you could feel the sculpture come alive," he said. "It wanted to twist and tumble as we took it across the sands.

As the wind took hold, it rose slowly, bobbing just above our reach, until a gust caught its sails and lifted way up above us.

Standing there, watching this complex form that had taken us months to plan and build, rise high up into the sky was truly breathtaking.

We felt as Bell must have in his early experiments into flight – a time of true wonder and optimism."

The debut flight was captured in this beautiful short film, shot at sunset to create a truly beautiful backdrop of light with some great close-ups of Little Shining Man"s geometric structure.

Complementing the superb visuals is an intriguing audio track – the sounds of waves gently lapping and slightly ominous electro music that makes Little Shining Man"s floating upwards seem science-fiction-esque.

Coals to Newcastle

2012-01-15T00:00:00Z

You may have heard the saying "carrying coals to Newcastle", an expression sometimes used to describe a futile endeavour.

The phrase came about in the 16th century because the economy of Newcastle upon Tyne in north-east England was based on the mining and selling of coal.

Local supply and demand was such that attempts to sell coal to Newcastle were seen as being doomed to failure.

On a similar note, last year my London-based, Anglo-American parents – victims of the 1970s craze for fondue parties in Britain and the US – kindly asked me if I would like to take off of their hands one of the five fondue sets that they had amassed over the years.

I politely declined their offer as I live in Switzerland, the home of fondue.

But it got me asking myself what real-life examples exist of those people with a bit of initiative who have figuratively managed to "carry coals to Newcastle".

It actually turns out that the good people of Newcastle have themselves pulled off the unlikely trick of selling Champagne to the French.

Admittedly, it"s not Newcastle-cultivated Champers – the Tyneside climate isn"t exactly conducive to that.

Nevertheless, the Newcastle business Lovely Bubbly – set up in 2006 to give British drinkers access to quality Champagnes from independent French producers – struck a deal to supply Champagne to the French Consul in Edinburgh.

Perhaps even better is Fracino. Don't be fooled by their Italian-sounding name as the

award-winning Italian-style coffee machines manufacture is actually based in Birmingham, England, and was founded in the 1960s by the very un-Italian sounding Frank Maxwell, who was inspired by a coffee machine bought while holidaying in Italy with his family.

The small yet innovative manufacturer is not only the UK"s only coffee-machine maker, but it also now exports its cappuccino and espresso machines to over 25 countries – including Italy, the land of coffee connoisseurs if ever there was one.

Following Fracino"s lead is Scottish pizza kitchen Cosmo who, you"ve guessed it, sell their gluten-free varieties to Italy. The next thing you know, the Italians will be exporting haggis to the Scots.

It should be pointed out that Cosmo are slightly helped by the fact founder and chairman Cosmo Tamburro is an Italian himself, having emigrated to Edinburgh in 1958.

Meanwhile, the Central Australian Camel Industry Association have succeeded in selling 119 camels to none other than Saudi Arabia.

Australia has a sizeable population of camels – around 500,000 – the direct descendants of the 20,000 brought over in the 19th century from India and the Canary Islands, animals which were left in the wild once their use for exploration had finished.

Beside a means of transport, camels have often been an integral part of the traditional Muslim diet. Thousands are annually slaughtered during Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca.

The Saudis have traditionally got their camels from North Africa, but disease, drought and political instability have seen them turn to the Aussies for some hump-backed help.

Along very similar lines, Perth-based GMA Garnet managed to get the Saudis to buy Australian sand. The special alluvial sand is suited for sandblasting because it is free of silica, which creates dust that can cause lung cancer and silicosis in workers.

So the next time you hear 'Coals to Newcastle', don't laugh, it may just be an excellent business opportunity!

Amazing vanishing act from human chameleon Liu Bolin

2012-01-08T00:00:00Z

What started off as a protest against the authorities has become a career for Chinese artist Liu Bolin.

Born in Shandong in 1973, Liu has made a name for himself as the "invisible man", a master of camouflage – an exponent of "stage photography", as he likes to think of it, who paints himself so well that he blends in with his surroundings.

A graduate of theSuojia Village, a Beijing community where Bolin was based built specifically for artists.

"At the time, contemporary art was in quick development in Beijing," says Liu. "But the government decided it did not want artists like us to gather and live together. "

"The situation for artists in China was very difficult and the forced removal of Suojia Village was my direct inspiration of my series of photographs "Hiding In The City".

"I was filled with indignation," he adds. "I painted myself in the same colour as the pulled-down walls and tried blending into the demolished areas. I wanted to disappear!"

"It was a sort of self-defence mechanism because I think it was better than being overlooked. It represented my helpless mood and I achieved some balance in my heart after finishing this artwork."

A year later, a gallery curator from America went to the artist"s studio,and bought some of Liu"s works, which brought him worldwide attention.

For the last four years, Liu has branched out from his Chinese setting and created a series of photos where New York, Paris, Venice, Rome and London have been the backdrop for his human canvas.

To achieve the required effect, Bolin stands still for hours – at least five and sometimes as many as ten – to be painted and photographed.

When he started out, he asked friends to do the painting and photography but now employs assistants, most often art students.

He says: "My job is to choose a good background where I want to be "disappeared", and then stand there stationary until a design has been painted on me."

"My work sort of reminds people what the community we live in really looks like, and what kind of problems exist."

"Some people call me the invisible man, but for me it's what is not seen in a picture which is really what tells the story."

The video above shows the transformation that Bolin has to go through to create one of his artworks. Here he blends into the staircase of Paris" Grand Palais.

For more information on Liu Bolin, please visit http://www.liubolinart.com/

Videos: Blow the cobwebs away and launch into an adrenaline-packed 2012.

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

The word 'flying' brings to mind graceful images of flight high above the earth's surface. Altitude provides both plenty of time to enjoy the view as well as time to sort out any problems.

But on this 1st day of the New Year, it isn't the time to play it safe. It's a time to seize life by the scruff of the neck. A time to get your heart pounding so you know you are alive.

A sure-fire way of getting the adrenaline coursing through your veins is to fly. But not 'flight' as in wrapped in a hermetically sealed plane while reading a book and sipping champagne.

'Flight' as in feeling the air pulling at your body and roaring in your ears.

And not 'flight' high above the ground, but high-speed flight hugging the ground - and by 'hugging we mean close enough to caress it!

And if that sounds dangerous it's because it is so the only thing better than doing it yourself is finding someone else to risk their life so that we can experience the thrills vicariously (and safely).

So top up your glass, move a little closer to the fire, put your feet up and hit 'play'.

Danny Strasser - dubbed 'Rollerman' - is a German thrill-seeker with a penchant for rolling downhill - rolling extremely fast downhill with just a wheel-studded suit between him an the tarmac. In this video, Strasser speeds down the Alps, weaves through the traffic in South Korea, and launches down a bobsleigh track in Germany.

For more information (and videos), please visit http://danny-strasser.de/videos.php

Norwegian daredevil Jokke Sommer is one of the world's foremost wingsuit fliers, which entails him jumping from a plane, or base-jumping off something high enough, while wearing a wingsuit that enables him to glide - to fly. But what makes this vide really mind-blowing is that it was filmed with a 360° camera so you can use your computer arrow keys to look in any direction. It's like riding in Summer's back!

For more information, please visit http://jokkesommer.com/

We trust that has blown the 2011 cobwebs away and wish you all an excellent start to 2012.

A working scale model Ferrari: The perfect present

2011-12-25T00:00:00Z

It"s Christmas Day and all at MB&F hope that you have been having an enjoyable festive period and are looking forward to what the year ahead will offer.It is possible that you have already had the pleasure of opening a few gifts from those near and dear to you.

Perhaps you are now the lucky owner of new bottle of aftershave, yet another tie and a pair (or ten) of those socks you always wanted - remember it's the thought that counts.

However, just imagine finding this little gem under the Christmas tree. A superb 1:3 scale model of a Ferrari 312 PB, built by telecoms engineer Pierre Scerri who devoted no fewer than 20,000 hours over 12 years to create it.

The Ferrari 312 PB was originally introduced by the Italian high-end carmaker in 1971 as part of the Ferrari P series of Prototype-Sports Cars, but was re-designated as a Group 5 Sports Car for 1972, winning all of the World Sportscar Championship races it entered that season.

Scerri was smitten and set himself the task of creating a 100 per cent accurate scaled-down replica. "When I was younger, I saw Ferrari in many races, and my dream was to get this Ferrari sound – this music – at home," says Scerri of the inimitable Ferrari engine noise.

"I didn"t have the money to buy one so I had to make one.I wanted to make something
like a dream – a Ferrari which I could have in the dining room. That was the challenge I set myself and to achieve it I had to learn how to make everything in this car."

Scerri not only made every single part himself, but also had to make and design the mould for every single part. I took photos of the real car and made all my own drawings from these photoThat phase took three years. Then to build the actual car took me another 12 years."

A model car so long in the making is no ordinary model car, and one of the reasons it took so long was because under the body of Scerri"s Ferrari miniature is a scaled down version of the original engine that purrs like only a Ferrari can purr.

I made the engine all by myself because I wanted to get the right sound," he says. I needed a 12-cylinder, fuel-injected engine with a dry-sump. So I made everything myself down to the valves and the valve springs.

The engine in question is 100cc Flat-12, four-stroke internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, with 24 pistons.

If you want to know what it"s like to build a miniature version from scratch, watch this amazing video. Scerri took extra special time in tuning his engine so that it sounded like the full-scale model. And Scerri"s scale model even has a working gearbox that drives the wheels, boasting five forward gears and reverse.

"The car can run, we just need to find someone to drive it " says Scerri in reference to someone who will have to be no more than 50cm tall.

The Frenchman is now reportedly working on three new 1:3 scale models: A Ferrari 330 P4, another Ferrari 312PB and an engine for a Ferrari 250 GTO.

Time to start writing that Santa wish-list for next year!

Buckminster Fuller: Futuristic inventor of the Dymaxion car and the geodesic dome

2011-12-18T00:00:00Z

Those driving down 39th street and 1st Court in Miami over the past month or so could have not failed to notice two stunning additions to the Magic City.

Design Miami"s "Architecting the Future" exhibition has brought together for the first time in decades two iconic inventions from the great American systems theorist, designer and futurist Buckminster Fuller.

Sitting resplendently on a piece of downtown parkland for all to admire has been the only original prototype in existence of Fuller"s revolutionary, low cost, autonomous dwelling machine "The Fly"s Eye Dome" along with his sleek, omni-directional transport system the "Dymaxion" car, recently reconstructed by renowned British architect Norman Foster.

The Dymaxion car was designed by Fuller in the early 1930s. Its name was a composite of the words "dynamic", "maximum" and "ion" and it featured highly innovative, and ultimately influential, features compared with the common car of the day.

In 1928 he had conceived a flying car with inflatable wings which was modified in subsequent drawings into a streamlined road vehicle the rear of which would rise in an aerodynamic lift to "fly" steered by a rudder as the front rolled. In 1933 he presented his plans for the three-wheeled Dymaxion Car with rear steering and front-wheel drive powered by a Ford engine.

Success of the design was realised in its performance efficiencies: The car could transport up to 11 passengers, reach speeds of up to 145kmh/90mph, and ran 30 miles to the gallon (12.7km to the litre).

The aerodynamic shape, most closely related to high performance yachts, came partly from Fuller"s co-designer, the shipbuilder Starling Burgess. The rave reviews of the car"s styling, speed and manoeuvrability were tragically undermined when the first of three prototypes was rammed and overturned, killing the driver, outside the entrance to the 1933 Chicago World"s Fair.

Foster, who worked with his hero Fuller from 1971 until his death in 1983, borrowed it for inspiration from the National Automobile Museum in Nevade a few years ago when he decided to build Dymaxion No.4, the joint showpiece of the Miami exhibition which has also featured talks and films on Foster and his own design philosophies.

"A design classic may not be recognised at the time, but over time it may become timeless," says Foster. "I have driven the Dymaxion No.4. It"s just wonderful to drive. The experience of pivoting on itself, turning literally on a dime, is just extraordinary."

The external appearance of the Dymaxion was sensational; its streamline shape is still strong today and the design had an enormous impact on the future evolution of "horseless carriage."

After 1947, one invention dominated Fuller's life and career: The geodesic dome.

Lightweight, cost-effective, and easy to assemble, geodesic domes enclose more space without intrusive supporting columns than any other structure; they efficiently distribute stress; and they can withstand extremely harsh conditions.

Based on Fuller's "synergetic geometry" – Fuller coined the term "synergies" as we may use them today – the geodesic dome was the result of his revolutionary discoveries about balancing compression and tension forces in building.

In the 1950s, domes began to be used by US government departments as temporary shelters for expeditions by the military, for housing radar installations in the Arctic, for example.

And this type of dome structure was also successfully deployed as the American pavilion at the Montreal world fair, Expo "67.

"Bucky talked about the possibilities of plants and air movement, and that has been quite inspirational," says Foster. "I could talk about architectural projects we have done and are doing now that really develop those principles where you work with natural ventilation and you reduce the energy load of a building.

"His mission, his philosophy, his beliefs and, in many ways, his demonstration of the ability to do more with less have come true. He talked about satellites in the sky weighing a few kilos, for instance, compared to the thousands of tonnes of copper cable that were being used for communications."

"In a way he anticipated all the things we take for granted. He would say "I told you so"."

For more information on Buckminster Fuller, his ideas and inventions, please visit http://www.bfi.org/

Stunning Norwegian reindeer pavilion

2011-12-11T00:00:00Z

Oslo-New York international design agency Snøhetta has created a stunning observation and information pavilion in Hjerkinn, Norway for the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Foundation.

The spectacular site – called Tverrfjellhytta, which means "cross mountain" – is located on the outskirts of the Dovrefjell National Park, which coincidently overlook the Snøhetta mountains.

The main purpose of the 75m2 building is to provide shelter for school groups and visitors as mountain guides lecture about the unique wildlife and history of the Dovre Mountain plateau.

Dovrefjell is home to wild reindeer herds, musk oxen, arctic foxes and a variety of endemic botanical species. A long history of travelers, hunting traditions, mining and military activities have left their mark on this land.

Natural, cultural and mythical landscapes form the basis of the architectural idea behind Tverrfjellhytta.

The building design is based on a contrast between a rigid outer shell and a soft organic-shaped inner core.

The wooden core is placed within a rectangular frame of raw steel and glass that is shaped as though it has been eroded by wind and running water. The organic form creates a protected and warm gathering place, while still preserving visitors" access to spectacular views.

Considerable emphasis is put on the quality and durability of materials so that the building can withstand the harsh climate. The shelter's simple form and use of natural building materials reference local building traditions.

Tourism and recreation continue to shape the cultural landscape of the area and Dovrefjell holds significant importance in the consciousness of Norway. National legends, myths, poetry, music and pilgrimages celebrate the mystic, eternal and grounded qualities of this locale. The founding motto of the Norwegian constitution are "greed and faithful, until the fall of Dovre!"

The impressive design came is not surprising considering Snøhetta impressive track record. Among other successes, the company received the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture for their brilliant revival of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.

For more information, please visit Snøhetta

Take a Salvador Dali type power nap with Podtime's sleep pods

2011-12-04T00:00:00Z

We all know the benefits of a great night's sleep, but a busy lifestyle can sometimes get in the way of our recommended nightly amount of shut-eye.

Studies into the science of sleep have often revealed that a short sleep during the day can help to accelerate the recovery process our bodies go through when we"re out for the count.

Even as little as 15 to 20 minutes out of our busy day – or a power nap as it"s more commonly known – has been scientifically proven to restore us.

Benefits of a power nap include reduced stress levels, increased energy and stamina, reduced risk of heart disease, improved cognitive and reflex performance, better mood and emotional state, improved alertness, renewed motivation, greater capacity to learn as well as clearer thinking and acuity.

One way of catching up on some much needed 40 winks is Salvador Dali"s supposed way of getting in a sneaky snooze in the middle of the day. The story goes that the surrealist painter would put a metal pan on the floor and doze off in his chair holding a metal spoon above the pan. When he fell asleep, his hand would loosen, the spoon would drop and the clattering noise would consequently wake him up.

Dali apparently swore by this briefest of sleeps to get his creative juices flowing and, judging by his body of work, having plenty of dreams to inspire him didn"t seem to do the eccentric artist any harm (or then again, maybe it did).

But for those of you stuck in the office without an armchair, spoon and pan, the good news is that there is another way to help your body recover itself to its full potential, even if your ideal period of nighttime sleep is falling short.

Led by directors Jon Gray and Paul Grindrod, British company Podtime have developed a unique sleep pod that allows firms" staff and even their clients to enjoy the undoubted benefits of an afternoon nap.

Original and innovative, the Podtime sleep pod has a wide range of uses but essentially offers a sanctuary for rest in an otherwise busy environment.

Basically a cylinder with squared ends, the pod looks pretty modest from the outside but on the inside it"s a veritable haven for the sleep-deprived among us.

The stock model comes with a quality, fitted vinyl covered foam mattress or a standard single mattress as well as alarm clock, digital radio and iPod dock, headphones, coat hanger, storage shelf, storage rack and mirror.

Open ventilation at each end means every pod has good air circulation and a fresh and roomy feel inside.

The doors come in tinted, frosted or solid finish, and are lockable to keep your things safe whilst you relax.

In fact, the easy-to-assemble pods are designed for modular construction and can be stacked up to two levels high for economy of space. And if there is a large turnover of occupants, not to worry, the pods are easily cleaned and maintained as well as being strong and robust.

And for those that are looking for the five-star pod experience, additional options are available including TV, DVD and leather covered mattress.

And the cost? Well, depending on how much you value a good snooze, the price seems pretty reasonable: The standard pod is £1695 excluding VAT, though this reduces for multiple orders to be as low as £975.

So say goodbye to this and hello to . . . .

For more information on this great idea, please visit www.podtime.co.uk/

The world's lightest material is built like the Eiffel Tower

2011-11-27T00:00:00Z

Blow it from the palm of your hand and it will float gently to the floor like a feather. Squish it between your fingers and it will bounce back to its original shape. But look closely at it and the tiny nickel framework of tubes will remind you of the considerably bigger beams that make up engineering masterpieces like the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.

What is it? Nothing less that the world"s lightest material, which was unleashed earlier this month by HRL Laboratories who developed it in parnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California.

The new material redefines the limits of lightweight substances because of its unique "micro-lattice" cellular architecture, which is (unimaginatively) called: Ultra-light metallic micro lattice.

Using an innovative fabrication process – a self-propagating photopolymer wave guide technique, if you must know – the architecture of the lattice can be easily modified to make a material that"s stronger and stiffer than foams and aerogels of the same density and which used claim the title of lightest substances in the world.

"The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness of 100 nanometers – a thousand times thinner than a human hair," says lead researcher on the project Dr Tobias Schaedler in reference to the material that consists of 99.99% open volume with 0.01% solid.

"Our vision is to revolutionise lightweight materials by adopting principles of architecture into their design. If you look at the Eiffel Tower or Golden Gate Bridge, they're incredibly light and strong for their size by virtue of their architecture — the Eiffel Tower is taller and lighter than the pyramids because of its design."

"We want to achieve the same thing these modern buildings achieve by working on the structures of materials."

In addition to its ultra-low density, the material"s cellular architecture gives rise to unprecedented mechanical behaviour for a metal, including complete recovery from compression as well as an extraordinarily high energy absorption.

"Its energy-absorption capabilities might make it useful for acoustic-, vibration- and shock-damping," says Schaedler. "If we want to, we can control the architecture on the millimeter, micrometer and nanometer scales, to design materials with tailored properties for specific applications."

Still, the micro-lattice may yet be used for slightly grander purposes than just soundproofing your home studio; the research for the micro-lattice was conducted for the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Schaedler duly adds: "We"re also envisioning applications in structural components such as in aerospace."

For more information, please visit www.HRL.com

The 10,000 Year Clock: Tick -12 months later-Tock

2011-11-20T00:00:00Z

Ever heard the one about the visionary, the engineer, the philanthropist and the musician? Oh, and the clock…the very big clock?

Step forward the visionary, Danny Hillis. Inventor, computer engineer and designer. At the start of the 1990s, Hillis started to think about building a clock that marks the passing of a whopping 10,000 years: A clock that chimes once a day, ticks once a year, has a hand that advances once every century. Plus a cuckoo that comes once a millennium.

"When I was a growing up in the 1960s, people used to imagine what it would be like in "the future", what would happen by the year 2000," says Hillis.

"When the 1990s arrived, I found that people still perceived "the future" as the year 2000. I didn"t want "the future" to stop there, so I started to envisage a clock that would last for 10,000 years. Initially, it was just a personal project but then I realised the idea of the clock was making others think about the future and that the clock was inspiring long-term thinking."

As part of his goal to promote long-term thinking, Hillis helped establish the Long Now Foundation, an association of like-minded people unhappy with society"s short-attention span and interested in an expanded sense of time as symbolised by the clock – not the "short now" of the next quarter year, next week or the next five minutes, but the "long now" of centuries and millennia.

One of those people was seminal ambient musician Brian Eno, who actually coined the foundation"s name.

The first prototype of the clock began working on December 31, 1999, just in time to display the transition to the year 2000. At midnight on New Year"s Eve, the date indicator changed from 01999 to 02000, and the chime struck twice.

More prototypes followed and thanks to the philanthropy of Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, construction of the full-size clock started earlier this year in a remote mountain in the Sierra Diablos, Texas. Bezos has put a cool $42million into the project.

"I've been helping Danny with the 10,000 year clock project for the last half dozen years,". I hope the clock becomes an icon for long-term thinking and gets people considering more about the future.

"Over the lifetime of this clock, the United States won't exist. Whole civilizations will rise and fall. New systems of government will be invented. You can't imagine the world – no-one can – that we're trying to get this clock to pass through."

The monumental clock will be 60m (200ft) tall and rest 150m (500ft) into the mountain. Gears as high as 2.5m (8ft) tall weighing 450kg (1,000lbs) are being built and the clock will be "self-winding" thanks to a mixture of thermal power and weights as heavy as 9,000kg (20,000lbs).

Hillis adds: "The clock will keep ticking on its own but it won"t tell the time until someone winds it forward. If you walk away from it for a thousand years, it will keep on ticking."

One of the main challenges has been how to cut the stair access along the vertical tunnel where much of the clock mechanism will be.

The mountain will also house five chambers to mark one-year, 10-year, 100-year 1,000-year and 10,000-year anniversaries of the clock, but only the first two will be built and the rest left for future generations to construct.

And the clock"s bells will chime a different, never-repeating sequence every day for 10,000 years via a melody generator created by legendary producer Eno, making every visitor"s experience unique.

But many of those ditties may never be heard because visiting the clock will take some commitment: The nearest airport is several hours away by car, and the foot trail to it is rugged, rising almost 600m (2,000ft) above the valley floor.

Above is a time lapse of the building of one full size section of the Chime Generator for the 10,000 Year Clock. Eventually there will be 30 sections like this stacked vertically in an underground chamber leading up to the Clock face chamber. It will be several hundred feet tall. Also note the 'trilobe' gears, these triangular gears help flatten out the speed and torque curve of driving the mechanism. This version is made of steel, aluminum, and even wood while they sort out the engineering and scaling issues. The next versions will be ceramic, stone, and stainless steel.

For more information on the 10,000 year clock project, please visit: http://www.10000yearclock.net/

And if you have an idea for how to kit out the 10-year anniversary chamber, you can email it to 10-year-chamber@10000yearclock.net.

Akoya by Lisa Airplanes lands and takes off on land, snow and water

2011-11-13T00:00:00Z

Switzerland. Land of high-end watches, stunning mountains and beautiful lakes.

Spending the morning relaxing on, say, Lake Geneva on your yacht with a book and fishing rod is a pretty good way to start the day. Catching stunning views from on top of a snow-capped Swiss Alp in the afternoon is a nice way to follow that up.

But let"s say our peak of choice is not located in the nearby Mont Blanc massif but in the Albula Alps on the other side of the country. Getting from Geneva to Graubünden, from low down water to snow high up 280km/175 miles away in a matter of hours sounds like a near-impossible day out.

Not if you"re travelling using the super stylish Akoya by Lisa Airplanes. The French company"s flagship model is a sleek, top-of-the-range, two-seat aircraft and the only one able to take off and land on water, land and snow without any prior modification thanks to a combination of retractable landing gear, skis-in and hydrofoils.

The retractable landing gear is equipped with skis-in. If the pilot wants to land on snow, he or she presses a button and skis pop out on the wheels. The hydrofoils – wing-like structures under the fuselage – provide lift, raising the fuselage out of the water at low speeds and dispensing with the need for a step or hull.

The versatile plane is big on luxury and efficiency in equal measure – its aerodynamic shape generates relatively little drag in flight to ensure lower fuel consumption while its carbon frame is both strong and very lightweight.

The cockpit"s design and materials have been selected to blend aesthetics and comfort. The cabin is spacious and the seats ergonomic while the front window provides a 180° panoramic view.

What"s more, the engine and transmission unit are placed at the rear of the aircraft, distancing any engine noise and propeller-generated turbulence from the cockpit, making the Akoya"s interior quieter than a regular light aircraft.

So with the Akoya, taking off near your yacht is no problem. Flying to your private property – easy. Changing direction mid-flight and visiting a snowy peak – an absolute cinch. In fact, the Akoya"s 1,100km (685 miles) range means the pilot has plenty of destinations to choose from.

Oh, and of course if, by chance, the engine cuts out, the emergency landing strategies at your disposal include landing in a field, on a river or on a polar ice cap and if none of those seem viable, then the Akoya also has a built-in parachute which will take the whole plane and its passengers safely to the ground.

And once on back on land/water/snow, the Akoya can be easily stowed in a garage or on a yacht thanks to its cool folding wings.

The Akoya was developed with the aim of offering a totally different product on the market for light aircraft, combining high performance, comfort, design and energy savings while providing maximum freedom," say the Lisa Airplanes team. "It"s not just a product; it is a gateway to a new lifestyle."

First deliveries of the Akoya are planned for summer next year and the aircraft will set you back around €300,000.

For more information on the Akoya and Lisa Airplanes, please visit http://www.lisa-airplanes.com/

Concrete canvas has more applications than making cement overcoats

2011-11-06T00:00:00Z

A "cement overcoat" describes what might be termed a problem-solving technique supposedly favoured by mafia hitmen. Think The Godfather, think Dick Tracy.

Whether it is an elaborate real-life disposal method or just a Hollywood movie stereotype, the term "cement overcoat" is obviously a euphemism displaying the Cosa Nostra boys" jet black sense of humour.

However, the possibility of making an actual cement overcoat, i.e. one that you can create like a tailor and wear like a catwalk model, has been made all the more real thanks to the company Concrete Canvas.

Admittedly the British firm had slightly grander ideas in mind than a concrete overcoat when developing their amazing cement-impregnated fabric.

Called Concrete Cloth, their material consists of cement layered between fabric that can bond with water, backed with PVC.

The product can be formed into the required shape then allowed to absorb water, causing it to set after two hours.

Concrete Cloth can be used structurally and is fireproof as well as waterproof making its potential application in disaster relief, military and commercial environments extremely exciting.

So much so that two years ago, Concrete Canvas was awarded the inaugural prize for Material of the Year by materials consultancy Material ConneXion for developing Concrete Cloth.

The award recognised materials that demonstrated outstanding technological innovation and the potential to make a significant contribution to the advancement of design, industry, society and economy.

"With the simple addition of water, Concrete Cloth makes it possible to create safe, durable, non-combustible structures for a wide range of commercial, military and humanitarian uses," said Dr. Andrew H. Dent, Vice President, Library & Materials Research at Material ConneXion. "This innovation is especially remarkable for enabling the construction of rapidly deployable shelter and food storage structures in disaster relief situations."

Indeed, Concrete Canvas Shelters are basically buildings in a bag, coming in airtight, waterproof sacks. They can be erected by just two people in less than two hours.

An electric fan is activated which inflates the plastic inner to lift the structure until it is self supporting. The shelter is then pegged down with ground anchors around the base.

The shelter is then hydrated by spraying with water; the water doesn"t need to be drinkable and even sea water can be used, but not sewage water.

The Concrete Canvas then cures in the shape of the inflated inner and 24 hours later the structure is ready to use.

For more information on this ingenious invention, please visit www.concretecanvas.co.uk

Implanting the Seeds of Success

2011-10-30T00:00:00Z

Entrepreneurship is at the very heart of MB&F and that"s why it is always great to hear about start-ups succeeding, often thanks to young, hungry and visionary talent.

The rise of Swiss medical engineering firm Labseed is one such success story.

Co-founders Hicham Majd and Dr Giorgio Pietramaggiore met when the former was researching cells responsible for wound repair for his thesis at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) while Pietramaggiore, from Italy, was training to be a surgeon at the University Hospital of Geneva.

"Our research projects were complementary," says Majd, who has Swiss-Moroccan nationality. "By putting them together, they brought about an interesting technology."

Contemporary medicine wouldn"t exist without implantable medical devices such as orthopedic, dental and breast implants or pacemakers, for example.

However, regardless of function, location or surface material, implantable devices can induce the formation of a hard, fibrotic capsule around them, a capsule that can cause pain in addition to affecting the efficiency of the implanted device.

"We have developed a particular surface treatment called MyCoat that can make implants more biocompatible, enhancing their acceptance and increasing their lifespan," says Majd.

"We wanted to transfer this technology to manufacturers of medical implants and creating a start-up was the best solution to lead our technology to the market."

MYcoat doesn"t use foreign to the body materials, is 100% made of proteins, doesn"t cause any negative side effects, isn"t restricted to certain implants, can be used for all implantable devices, will be natural part of the body, doesn"t interfere with the implant production chain, can be applied at any stage, doesn"t treat symptoms, and completely avoids capsular contracture.

Applications include: silicone gastric bands, dental implants, orthopedic implants, implantable pumps (insulin and pain control pumps), post surgical adhesions, wound & nerve healing & regeneration.

To move from the world of research to that of entrepreneurship, Majd went to Boston in 2010 as part of the Venture Leaders Prize and Venture Challenge course, both organised by venturelab.

Financed by the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation, venturelab offers individual training for start-ups, including the know-how and contacts required to successfully launch your own company.

Priority is given to start-ups in high-tech fields such as computer science, life sciences and bio- or nanotechnologies and the courses offered are free of charge for anyone demonstrating an innovative and persuasive business idea.

"In Boston, I learned how others have turned an idea into a success," says Majd before adding: "Such courses were really interesting to learn the business side of entrepreneurship."

Please click links for more information about www.labseed.com/ and venturelab.

Not a House of Cards but a Crazy Hotel of Houses

2011-10-23T00:00:00Z

The Dutch town of Zaandam is undergoing a radical redevelopment of the town centre and the recently opened Inntel Hotel is first to be completed . . . and WOW!

The striking design by architect Wilfried van Winden has generated a flurry of attention thanks to its overlapping green wooden facade typical of traditional houses in the region

The twelve-storey hotel tower is an exuberant stack of traditional Zaanse Schans "houses", ranging from a notary"s manse to a worker"s cottage and it comprises 160 rooms, a swimming pool and a wellness centre.

The new hotel has generated quite a stir around the globe. British architecture critic Jonathan Glancey devoted a full-page article to the hotel in The Guardian, describing it as "a stupefying, funny, delightful building". The international edition of Spiegel Online hails the hotel as "a guaranteed window-shopper stopper"

The hotel"s opening also grabbed the attention of the local Dutch media. "Repetition, spatial and functional ambiguity, and design it is all played with skill and pleasure," purred Piet Vollaard on the Archined website.

Van Winden envisaged the hotel as a "temporary home" boasting "a combination of transience and domesticity" with the lively stacking of almost 70 little houses finished in four shades of Zaanse Schans green

But particularly eye-catching in the top corner is the "The Blue House" which is, you"ve guessed it, not green but blue and is inspired by the eponymous artwork that Claude Monet painted in Zaandam in 1871.

The hotel is an excellent example of the "fusion architecture" championed by van Winden. In this case the "fusion" stands for an inventive manner of interlinking the present and the past, coupling tradition and innovation, and blending high and low culture.

So on you next trip to the Netherlands take a deep breath and book into the Inntel Hotel. It"s a lot more solid than it appears!

For more information, please visit www.wam-architecten.nl

Building a Better Mousetrap (in fact, quite a few better mousetraps)

2011-10-16T00:00:00Z

There must be a fair few designers or engineers in the Western world that were first bitten by the creative bug while playing the board game Mouse Trap as child.

For those of you who missed out on this family entertainment gem, Mouse Trap saw players firstly co-operate to build a mouse trap and then, upon its completion, use the device to trap opponents" mouse-shaped game pieces.

The main thrill of the game was to watch the mouse trap in motion: It was what might be termed a Rube Goldberg device, i.e. a deliberately over-engineered machine that performs a simple task in a complex fashion, often involving a chain reaction.

In the case of Mouse Trap, the player turned the crank, which rotated a vertical gear, connected to a horizontal gear… and so on until a cage was shaken free from the top of a pole to fall down and trap the mouse. Fantastic!

Crucially, the mouse – albeit a plastic one – merely became trapped without meeting a grisly demise.

With a similar ingenuity and humane approach to mice catching, Spanish artist Roger Arquer has designed a series of real-life mouse traps which, apart from cleverly putting to use everyday household objects, also trap the mouse without killing it.

"It"s up to the catcher to decide the future of the mouse," says Roger.

Quite the opposite of a Rube Goldberg device, Arquer"s traps are elegant, efficient and simple rather than over-elaborate. And below they are capably demonstrated by the Barcelona-born designer"s gerbils, Manolito and Felipe.

"Mouse in a Pint" is a beer glass turned upside down with a breadstick attached to a spring that keeps the glass elevated so the mouse can get in. Once the mouse nibbles the breadstick, it breaks and the glass collapses, keeping the mouse inside.

"Mouse in a Bottle" is a medium size soy sauce bottle, which is positioned horizontally with a tapered spring in the neck. The mouse squeezes in, expanding the tip of the spring, and is able to get inside the bottle. Once inside, it cannot go back out since the spring cannot be expanded from the inside, working a bit like Chinese finger trap.

"Mouse in a Light Bulb" is a big light bulb cut with a heavy weight in the bottom. The container is positioned horizontal with the nut. Once the mouse steps in, the nut is released and the light bulb tilts straight up, catching the mouse inside.

"Mouse in a Planting Pot" is a planting pot which has a long spring attached on the top going down outside. Once the mouse climbs up to the end of the spring, this bends in and the mouse falls inside the container. The mouse gets trapped inside the pot since the spring has returned to its original position.

All are great concepts and a much nicer alternative to the traditional spring-loaded trip traps that are more mouse killers than mouse traps.

For more information, on Roger Arquer and his works, please visit: www.rogerarquer.com/

Jeb Corliss: Flying on a wing(suit) and a prayer - through a mountain!

2011-10-09T00:00:00Z

Last month Jeb Corliss became the first human ever to fly through a mountain. That"s right, through a mountain. Not over it. Not around it. But through it.

The mountain in question was Tianmen Cave (pictured above) near Zhangjiajie City in China, nicknamed the Gateway of Heaven and regarded as the highest elevated natural arch in the world at 1,500m (5,000 feet).

Oh, and Jeb was flying on his own?

Not "on his own" as in a solo flight in an aeroplane, helicopter or airship, or even just alone with a pair of glider wings and jet pack strapped to his back.

No, "on his own" as in "he was flying by himself" – no machines, no glider frame, no engines.

What the 35-year-old did have at his disposal was a wingsuit, a high-performance body ensemble that transforms you into something like a flying squirrel.

"You have nylon wings between you arms, nylon wings between you legs," explains Corliss. "As you"re flying, instead of going straight down, you move forward three feet (0.9m) for every foot (0.3m) you fall. It gives you a glide angle so you"re no longer flying directly towards the ground, you"re flying on a slope."

"Flying across Tianmen Mountain was the most challenging task in my life. I have visited and investigated many places, but there's no place like Tianmen Mountain."

Jeb"s "investigations" have seen him BASE jump – i.e. deploy a parachute after leaping from a fixed object – from the Seattle Space Needle, Venezuela"s Angel Falls, the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Earlier this summer in Switzerland, Corliss became the first man to fly through a waterfall wearing a wingsuit as he engaged in some white-knuckle "proximity flying" – the risky yet spectacular technique of gliding close to the face or ridges of hills and mountains.

In China, Jeb started his Tianmen Mountain flight by jumping from a helicopter before eventually deploying a parachute to land – currently the sole method available of bringing a wingsuit outing to a safe conclusion.

But that will change if Corliss gets his way. The Wingsuit Landing Project is the Californian"s ongoing quest to be the first human to leap from an aircraft and land without a parachute.

"The attempt is to jump from an aircraft, reach terminal velocity and then make a non-parachute landing," he says. "The hard part is to survive uninjured."

"A wingsuit landing will only be successful if you can do it 10 times out of 10 without being injured. I"m talking no broken toes, no broken anything."

A wingsuit could potentially slow a vertical descent, albeit briefly, to about 50km/h (30mph) – a massive reduction on the usual 180-225 km/h (110-140 mph).

But the pilot would still be moving forward horizontally at 120 km/h (75mph) at least – more likely at a considerably faster speed – meaning any faulty movement would lead to a fatal crash.

So what does Jeb have in mind to increase the likelihood of a soft landing?

Well, he"s fairly tight-lipped about his plan as he isn"t the only one obsessed with making history. Other wingsuit pilots around the world – Frenchman Loïc Jean-Albert and Brazilian Luigi Cani, for example – are also plotting to perform the first ever non-parachute landing.

But Corliss has hinted at constructing a custom-built runway while also talking about attaching his helmet to a rigid-framed exoskeleton

Writing on science and technology website Popular Mechanics, journalist James Vlahos has made a good stab at guessing how Corliss might pull off the stunt and it"s worth checking out here: www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/diy-flying/how-to-land-in-a-wingsuit-sans-parachute

Vlahos reckons he will most likely try to land like an Olympic ski jumper, matching the angle of the slope as closely as possible, though Corliss will be hurtling along at nearly twice the speed and will try to land on his front, not on his legs.

"This is something people have wanted to do since the story of Icarus," says Corliss. "In this day and age it"s hard to do something that has never been done before."

"This will be the first time a human being has reached terminal velocity and landed on their face at over 110mph (180km/h) and gotten up and done it again. That"s a very special thing."

Indeed it is, as is the cost of constructing such a runway: about two million dollars.

Corliss adds: "Everyone thinks this is so impossible, you can"t do that. Well, the only reason you think it can"t be done is because you haven"t done it. I believe I can and that"s probably why I am going to."

Watch the video above for an idea of what it's like to fly along the ground. Landing without a parachute is the hard bit!

MB&F Presents Legacy Machine No.1

2011-10-06T00:00:00Z

Wild, extreme, outrageous, unrestrained: all might be used to describe MB&F's futuristic Horological Machines, but traditional, classical… round? With its monumental central balance; superlatively finished movement; completely independent dual time zones; unique vertical power reserve indicator and elegant annular case, Legacy Machine No.1 (LM1) is a tribute to the great innovators of traditional watchmaking; and above all, an authentic three-dimensional MB&F Machine.

Legacy Machine No.1 was conceived when Maximilian Büsser started fantasising: "What would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? In the early 1900s the first wristwatches appear and I would want to create three-dimensional machines for the wrist, but there are no Grendizers, Star Wars or fighter jets for my inspiration. But I do have pocket watches, the Eiffel Tower and Jules Verne, so what might my 1911 machine look like? It has to be round and it has to be three-dimensional: Legacy Machine No.1 was my answer."

In fidelity to high-quality 19th century pocket watches, LM1 features a sedately oscillating (2.5 Hz), large diameter balance with traditional Breguet overcoil suspended from majestic twin arches; its enigmatic regulating mechanism in full view, but without apparent connection to the movement. Both the hours AND the minutes on each of the two sub dials can be set completely independently of each other – dual time zone complications usually do not allow independent adjustment of the minutes – their domed dials further reinforcing visual references to the golden age of watchmaking (1780-1850).

Looking like a miniature sextant, a world-first vertical power reserve indicator keeps track of available power while providing a visual three-dimensional counterpoint to the graceful arches supporting the balance. Gazing down through Legacy Machine No.1's crystal clear bubble sapphire dome to the micro-mechanical fantasy below, it's easy to imagine Jules Verne"s Captain Nemo looking upon the mythical underwater city of Atlantis.

Legacy Machine No.1's transcendental in-house movement bears testimony to the enormous talent of its creators. Jean-François Mojon and his team at Chronode (Best Watchmaker Prize at the 2010 Grand Prix d"Horlogerie de Genève) met the considerable challenge of developing the calibre for LM1 from a blank sheet, while acclaimed independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen took responsibility for the aesthetic design and for strictly ensuring the utmost respect for tradition and finish.

Immaculate Geneva waves, highly-polished gold chatons and bridges with impeccably executed bevels following deliberate internal angles (which cannot be finished by machine) showcase the movement's absolutely peerless fine-finishing. The movement of Legacy Machine No.1 proudly bears the names of both its creators, and is the first calibre other than Voutilainen's own to bear his name.

Kari Voutilainen, Maximilian Büsser and Jean-François Mojon

With Legacy Machine No.1, MB&F has majestically reinterpreted traditional 19th century watchmaking excellence to create a contemporary, three-dimensional objet d'art.

For more information, please click link for the Legacy Machine No.1 press release www.mbandf.com/_i/downs/press/lm1/txt/Legacy_Machine_EN.zip

Investing in Jelly(fish)

2011-10-02T00:00:00Z

Alex Andon wants everyone to have their own pet jellyfish. Fair enough, he"s a Biology and Environmental Science graduate and is somewhat of a marine life nut.

What"s more, Alex appreciates these free-swimming creatures" aesthetic qualities and reckons their "mesmerizing forms and soothing movement" create living works of art.

The thing is, until recently there was no economically viable method of keeping a jellyfish in your own home because of their inability to live in a regular fish tank where they would get sucked into the filtration system.

But when Andon was laid off from a biotech company in 2008, the San Franciscan decided to start his own business by making a tank that allows you to keep a couple of Medusas floating in your living room or, even better, on your desk.

After successfully retrofitting existing tanks to make them suitable for jellyfish, Andon, set up jellyfishart.com through which people could buy these first-edition aquariums.

Despite their popularity, Andon desperately wanted a tank design he could control from the bottom up, without the need to tinker with existing models.

And so after spending a year developing prototypes, he came up with the Desktop Jellyfish Tank, the first affordable aquarium designed specifically for jellyfish, fitted with remote-controlled, colour-changing LEDs and as easy to maintain as a regular fish tank.

Great, right? Well, yes, however it"s one thing coming up with a prototype, but something really quite different taking that template into mass-production to make it available for purchase.

Andon was finding that to secure a factory run of his design, some were asking for orders costing at least $50,000 – money he simply didn"t have.

Rather than go to the loan officer, Alex found a more novel method to raise the cash: Kickstarter.com.

Kickstarter is an American online threshold pledge system that helps to raise capital for projects by harnessing the power of "crowd funding". It has generated the funds for a variety of endeavours – from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.

You and I could go to the website, browse the projects and pledge money to help the various project creators achieve their target.

And the return on your investment? Well, Kickstarter is not so much about an investment or lending.

As a one of the financers, you don"t get a stake in the project – in fact, the project creators retain 100 per cent ownership and control over their work.

Instead, the creators offer products and/or experiences that are unique to each project as an incentive to invest in it, based on the belief that many of us enjoy limited editions, one-of-a-kinds and uniquely fun experiences.

In the case of the Andon"s Desktop Jellyfish Tank, he was looking to raise $3,000 to get production up and running, a target that he successfully reached – and then some. So far 515 backers have mustered almost $163,000 dollars. Impressive!

And they were drawn to this fishy project by the following bait (pun intended): Backers who pledged $50 got a limited-edition jellyfishart t-shirt. For a pledge of $200 you got the t-shirt and a limited-edition hoodie. And a pledge of $350 got you the guarantee, through a certificate, that you"ll be the first to get your hands on one of the new tanks once the initial batch has been manufactured.

"If you took Kickstarter out of the equation, we"d be very low on cash, and I"d be very stressed out and worried the tank wouldn"t sell," says Andon.

Safe to say how he hasn"t got that worry now and plans to "go all in" with a mass production. Good luck to him – and time to start clearing a tank-sized space on your desk… .

For more information please visit http://www.jellyfishart.com/ and www.kickstarter.com/

Lords of the Rings - Toroidal Vortices

2011-09-25T00:00:00Z

Have you ever heard of Toroidal Vortices? No? Well neither had we until recently. Don"t worry, it"s not a tropical disease that you should see your doctor about. Neither is it Real Madrid"s new South American striker. Nor is it the name of some obscure 1970s prog rock band.

Toroidal Vortices is the plural of Toroidal Vortex, or more simply, a "vortex ring". It"s an area of rotating substance that moves through the same or different substance, where the flow pattern takes on a doughnut-like – or toroidal – shape. A good example is a smoke ring, as amply demonstrated below by silver screen legend, Jack Nicholson.

Jack has had some recent competition in the smoke ring department by good old Mother Nature when Mount Etna stirred this summer to produce a giant version, a rare occurrence which had previously only been documented in 1970 and 2000.

However, MB&F"s attention has been caught not so much by the smoke-air version of toroidal vortices, as by the air-liquid ones.

Of course, if they try hard enough, humans can make some artistically aquatic patterns when scuba diving. Yet when it comes to making water-based circular air bubbles, it"s dolphins who have really got this trick down to a fine art.

Dolphins are well known for their echolation – their biological sonar – as a way of communicating. But these supremely social animals also communicate through playfully creating toroidal vortices, by either blowing a near-perfect ring out of their blowhole or by flipping a dorsal fin quick enough to make a water vortex.

Vortex rings are believed to be part of the sonic tool-kit of dolphins and other cetaceans – aquatic mammals such as whales and porpoises. They can play with these rings by bouncing them off walls, stretching them with their flippers into large, long spirals, and by swimming through them before breaking them up into little bubbles.

The ring of air as well as the nearby water spins "poloidally" as it travels through the water, like a flexible bracelet might spin when it is rolled onto a person"s arm. The faster the bubble ring spins, the more stable it becomes.

Vortex rings were first mathematically analysed in 1867 by the German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz in his paper On Integrals of the Hydrodynamical Equations which Express Vortex-motion.

But that's enough reading, time to sit back and relax watching this compilation of toroidal vortices including dophins playing and one the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, the Tsar Bomba, tested by the Soviets in 1961.

The Pink Panther's car could be yours!

2011-09-18T00:00:00Z

We are unashamed film buffs at MB&F and when it comes to classic comedy, it"s difficult to beat The Pink Panther series – the original set of movies that is. That combination of Blake Edward"s direction, Henry Mancini"s iconic music and Peter Sellers" superb interpretation of the bungling Inspector Clouseau hits the spot every time.

But many, especially those born after the first of those funny films were made, may be even more familar with the TV cartoon spin-off series that did the rounds in the 1970s and 80s.

The Pink Panther Show was as memorable for its opening titles as it was for the actual cartoons thereafter. Why? Well, firstly it involved some pretty catchy music – not a patch on Henry Mancini"s offering, admittedly, but a groovy tune all the same.

And secondly because it featured a spectacularly funky, futuristic pink car boasting a panther-like nose that, if the opening credit sequence is to be believed, was driven by a teenage boy – a definite inspiration to fledgling car fanatics at the time – who casually parks it at the roadside to let cartoon incarnations of Inspector Clouseau and the Pink Panther saunter out from under the gull-wing door.

As you read this, that very same vehicle is being auctioned online to coincide with the car"s appearance at the Chelsea Auto Legends Show, bidding closes –on Friday October 14th.

A true rarity, this one-of-a-kind automobile was created in 1969 by Hollywood"s master vehicle designer Jay Ohrberg, best known for having produced many of the world"s most coveted movie and television cars including KITT from Knight Rider, the DeLorean in Back To The Future, the Batmobile from the 1960s Batman series, the Batmobile from the more recent Batman films, the Dodge Charger from Dukes of Hazzard as well as Starsky and Hutch"s Ford Gran Torino among others.

It"s believed that Ohrberg owned the Pink Panther car until it was auctioned in 2007 when it was bought for £88,000 by the current owner. It is in totally original condition, though the seller says it would "benefit from some sympathetic restoration" as it is now 42 years old.

Interestingly, the engine was believed to be working when the vehicle was sold four years ago, but it"s apparently not running any more. Neither is the car street-legal. So if you know a good mechanic, have access to a private circuit and can find the £50,000 to £100,000 that auctioneers Robson Kay are expecting the vehicle to fetch, then you"ll be able to experience a drive that will literally tickle you pink.

For more information, including how/where to bid, please visit www.pinkpanthercar.com

It's COOL! Super Fast Ice Vehicle from Lotus

2011-09-11T00:00:00Z

Our European and American fans who have been experiencing Summer heatwaves might particularly appreciate this week"s A Parallel World, which features a decidedly cool – in both senses of the word – form of transport.

For those of you dreaming of escaping to colder climes, imagine joining up with the Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition team who completed the first there-and-back vehicle crossing of the Antarctic continent at the end of last year, covering nearly 4,000km (2,485 miles) while travelling for 20 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes.

Three vehicles were used for the expedition, which was co-led by entrepreneur Andrew Regan and former City lawyer Andrew Moon. And one of those vehicles was the iconic, unique Bio-Inspired Ice Vehicle (BIV) by Lotus, which became the first bio-fuelled vehicle to reach the South Pole and was one of the reasons for the team getting there so quickly.

With just one driver, the BIV performed as an agile route-finder for the expedition"s two Science Support Vehicles (SSVs) which carried the other ten members and acted as mobile laboratories for the expedition.

Designed by former Formula One chassis engineer Kieron Bradley, the BIV is ultra-light (700kg/1540 lbs) and has a top speed of 135km/h (84mph). At 4.5m (14.75 ft) long by 4.5m wide, it has a minimum possible number of moving parts and its three skis have independent suspension and a spiked brake for efficient stopping.

Equipped with a three-blade, variable-pitch propeller, the BIV was originally developed with an 1150 BMW engine adapted to run on E85 bioethanol, but that was changed in the run-up to the expedition to a Rotax 914, which is better suited to lower temperatures and higher altitude as well as delivering more horsepower.

While the BIV has been engineered to counter anything that the coldest, driest, windiest place on earth can throw at it, it is still light enough to be man-hauled, if necessary, over the unforgiving sastrugi (eroded snow) terrain. Just imagine trying to do that with a BMW Sedan.

For more information on the BIV and Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition, please visit: http://www.transantarcticexpedition.com/

'Gulp': the World's Largest (not longest) Stop-Motion Film

2011-09-04T00:00:00Z

Will Studd and Ed Patterson - directors at Sumo Science (and Aardman Animations) - have taken the stop-motion genre to another level with their latest filmic venture, 'Gulp'.

Last year, the pair wowed audiences with "Dot", a short film employing the old-school animation technique dating from the 19th century, shot entirely on a Nokia N8 as part of a promotion campaign.

"Dot" was awarded the Guinness World Record for the smallest stop-motion animation character in a film and it also scooped the Epica d'Or Award.

For the British duo, who have also worked on the stop-motion tour de force Wallace and Gromit, as well as several TV adverts, when it came to out-doing 'Dot', the only way was up – literally.

To shoot "Gulp", Patterson and Studd attached remotely-operated Nokia N8s to a crane suspended 36m (118ft) above a beach in south Wales. They then used sand sculptures and nautical props to tell the charming tale of a fisherman on his daily catch.

Sand artists and art student volunteers pitched in to create the huge sand drawings according to an extremely tight schedule governed by the spring tide. The team shot as many as 75 frames a day over a week and the sand was raked over for each shot to create a blank canvas for the new frame.

With the largest scene in the film stretching over an area roughly the size of two tennis courts, Gulp can safely claim the Guinness World Record for the "World"s Largest Stop-motion Animation Set' – not surprising given that the fisherman is not merely a cartoon character – he"s played by a real human!

This "making of" video (above) helps you appreciate all the hard work that went into this cinematic treat.

And if that isn't enough stop-motion for you, here is the delightful Dot.

For more information, please visit Sumo Science and Aardman Animations

New ‘Core’ for Apple in Stunning New Campus

2011-08-28T00:00:00Z

Last week signalled the end of an exhilarating era for technology giant Apple, after its charismatic CEO Steve Jobs stepped down and handed over the management reins to Tim Cook.

Jobs is widely credited as the man who single-handedly turned round Apple"s fortunes after the company was on its knees in the mid-1990s. The likes of iTunes, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad – all launched since Jobs returned to the company he co-founded 14 years ago – have totally revolutionised the computing, communications and music industry.

But Jobs" departure is not all doom and gloom. For one thing, staff at Apple"s existing headquarters in California have the prospect of a stunning new nearby campus to look forward to – though they still have to wait four years until this wonderful structure will be ready to use.

Designed by acclaimed British architects Foster and Partners, the impressive four-storied, hoop-shaped office building located in Cupertino will comprise 260,000 square metres of office space housing up to 13,000 employees, an auditorium accommodating 1,000 people, a corporate fitness facility a and a cafeteria that will feed 3,000 people at one sitting.

The round shape has also been cited as an important part of the campus" security (better perimeter control) and to improve internal circulations. Two further buildings will provide additional research facilities, while there will be energy self-sufficiency thanks to an onsite power plant.

Nearly all parking space will be moved underground?to allow for 6,000 trees and a network of footpaths. Indeed, there is no shortage of uplifting green space for the employees to enjoy, including the central courtyard defined?by the naturally-ventilated circular building. Its height has been kept low to maintain a human-scaled sense of space.

« It"s a pretty amazing building. It"s a little like a spaceship landed. It"s got this gorgeous courtyard in the middle… It"s a circle. It"s curved all the way around. If you build things, this is not the cheapest way to build something. There is not a straight piece of glass in this building. It"s all curved. We"ve used our experience making retail buildings all over the world now, and we know how to make the biggest pieces of glass in the world for architectural use. And, we want to make the glass specifically for this building here. We can make it curve all the way around the building… It"s pretty cool. » - Steve Jobs

"We do have a shot at building the best office building in the world," Jobs told the Council members, "Architecture students will come here to see this." Ideally Apple wants to move into the campus in 2015.

For more information, please visit www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/16186/foster-partners-new-apple-campus-design-revealed.html

When the car industry saw through to the future – in 1939

2011-08-20T00:00:00Z

It"s always a pleasure to lift up the bonnet/hood* of a car (*British or American English users delete as appropriate) and have a peek, especially when we"re talking about a vintage set of wheels.

However, those attending a recent car auction in Michigan didn"t even have to go that far to gawk at the inner workings of a 1939 Pontiac sedan going under the hammer – that"s because its body was made entirely from the transparent material Plexiglas.

The amazing see-through car, labelled "the Ghost Car', was a collaboration between General Motors and chemical company Rohm and Haas (who first marketed Plexiglas) at a cost of $25,000 for the 1939-40 New York World"s Fair, where it understandably caused a major stir at GM"s 'Highways and Horizons' pavilion before touring dealerships across America.

Billed as a vision of the future, only two of the Deluxe Six Ghost Cars were ever made, though this one – the first transparent full-sized car to be made in the US – is the only one known to have survived.

Before this extraordinary motor went under the hammer, representatives of the auction said: "The car is in a remarkable state of preservation. It's a testament to the longevity of Plexiglas in an era when automotive plastics tended to self-destruct within a few years.

"Although it has acquired a few chips and cracks, it is structurally sound and cosmetically clear, showing off the Ghost Car's innards just as well as it did back 1939.

"This motor still turns heads as much as it ever did. It is not, obviously, suited for touring but as a unique artefact from automotive and cultural history."

But despite plenty of hype and the auctioneers" expectations that it would sell for as much as $475,000, the Pontiac fetched only $308,000 in the end – still not bad for 70-year old a car with a mere 138km (86 miles) on its odometer.

For more information on the 1939 Pontiac Plexiglas Deluxe Six "Ghost Car", please click http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=SJ11&CarID=r102&Currency

The SmartBird: a Flock of (one) Seagull

2011-08-14T00:00:00Z

"I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away," crooned Portuguese-Canadian songstress Nelly Furtado.

Now, we admit it might be an ever-so-slightly tenuous link, but these titular lyrics from the 32-year-old"s debut hit could plausibly serve as the slogan for German company Festo"s latest "Bionic Learning Network" project.

The industrial automation firm has succeeded in deciphering and then replicating one of the oldest ambitions of humankind – to be able to fly like a bird.

Festo"s SmartBird is an ultralight but powerful flight model with superb aerodynamic qualities and extreme agility that mimic – almost uncannily – a real bird.

It can take off, fly and land autonomously, with no additional drive mechanism. Its wings not only beat up and down, but also twist at specific angles, made possible by an active articulated torsional drive unit, which, in combination with a complex control system, attains an unprecedented level of efficiency in flight operation.

Markus Fischer, Head of Corporate Design at Festo, says: "We built SmartBird because we are a company in the field of automation and we"d like to make very light-weight structures that are energy-efficient, and we"d like to learn more about pneumatics and air-flow phenomena."

"The objective of the project was to construct a bionic bird modelled on the herring gull. The fascination of building an artificial bird that could take off, fly and land by means of flapping wings alone provided the inspiration for our engineers."

As it stands, however, there are no explicit plans for the SmartBird and Festo has no intention of going into mass-production.

"We don"t want to produce a swarm of SmartBirds," says Fischer - who presumably meant to say, "flock" of SmartBirds (or perhaps a swarm of IntelligentBees are next). "But we"re trying to transpose the knowledge gained on topics like energy efficiency and lightweight construction to other products from Festo and those of our customers."

For more information on Festo and SmartBird, please visit www.festo.com/

A Fantastic Video in the Woods for the Sharp Touch Wood

2011-08-07T00:00:00Z

It is not easy working out which is the more impressive: The "back-to-nature" design of the new Sharp Touch Wood SH-08C for DoCoMo, which has a natural wooden body crafted from timber culled during forest-thinning operations or the equally "back-to-nature" ingenious wooden instrument created for the video promoting the phone.

Each kidney bean-shaped handset features a curvaceous cypress timber body will have a unique grain and colour of wood and boast excellent durability thanks to special three-dimensional compression moulding. A modest 15,000 units will be made which are sure to be snapped up at lightning speed, especially the way this video is spreading like wildfire.

The artistic commercial tracks a wooden ball trickling down a kind of natural xylophone in the middle of Kyushu woodlands in Japan to create – quite remarkably – Bach's Cantata 147, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", complete with the delicate background sound of a flowing stream and the image of darting deer.

The idea to promote the Touch Wood"s natural credentials in this way came from Drill Inc"s creative director Morihiro Harano, while the wooden instrument was put together by Kenjiro Matsuo. No music was added afterwards – only the background levels were tweaked in places for effect.

The "making of" video shows the immense efforts that went into creating the advert.

Your Chance to Discover the Discovery Space Shuttle

2011-07-31T00:00:00Z

NASA"s final space shuttle mission ended recently when Atlantis rolled to a stop at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the 21st of July 2011.

The American space agency"s space shuttle lifted off on the 12th of April 1981 with launch of Columbia, and continued with Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour.

The shuttles were the first reusable spacecraft and they repeatedly carried people into orbit, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the largest structure in space, the International Space Station.

NASA has no confirmed replacement for the shuttle program, so it"s a good time to take stock and appreciate the genius of the space shuttle.

And what better way to start than with photographer Jook Leung"s jaw-dropping 360-degree spherical images of the Discovery cockpit on 360vr.com.

Discovery was operational from its maiden flight on August 30, 1984 until its final landing during on March this year. It flew more missions than any other shuttle and was used to launch the Hubble Space Telescope.

Jeung"s panoramic tour lets us literally discover all the goodies packed into the "glass" cockpit – the Multifunction Electronic Display System (MEDS) - with its the easy to read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators which replaced scores of outdated electromechanical cockpit instruments and gauges at the turn of the millennium beginning.

But as brilliant as this interactive panoramic photo is, it is a shame it won"t actually let us push any of the buttons!

To take a 360° voyage of discovery in cockpit of the Discovery, please click 360vr.com/2011/06/22-discovery-flight-deck

A "Touch" of Genius

2011-07-24T00:00:00Z

Boffins working at a Tokyo research laboratory have developed a fantastic "Palm Touch Panel" that allows the user to transmit tactile information through a screen onto the palm of their hand.

Scientists at the Kajimoto Lab, part of the University of Electro-Communications, recently unveiled a prototype touch panel with the potential to revolutionise our computing experience.

By holding the panel in the palm of your hand and touching the front, an electrical tactile display at the back conveys an electrical touch at the same spot, which can in turn be felt by the palm of the hand.

And there's more. A layer of gel contained behind the screen lets the panel conform to the shape of the hand so that the electrodes follow the contours of the palm and making the sensations even greater.

"This means that while you are actually touching the front screen, you have the feeling that the touch is going through the screen and being traced on your palm," explains one of the Kajimoto Lab researchers. "So if there are icons or graphics on the screen, they can also be felt on your palm."

This ability to receive screen information as tactile sensation allows for more accurate touch panel operation, meaning this sort of technology could eventually be harnessed to help visually-challenged computer users.

And of course, it could also open up a whole new world of possibilities for computer game designers and players.

The Kajimoto Lab researcher adds: "It will even be possible to create content for entertainment that evokes the feeling of insects or ants crawling on your palm." (Only scientists could think that would be a good thing)

A tactile remote kissing machine

A few of Kajimoto Lab"s other projects, include a bilateral device allowing you to remotely simulate a French kiss with an online sweetheart, as well as a distance tickling interface for iPhones users. (So there is an app for everything!)

Remote tickling device (but where do you put it?)

For more information on Kajimoto Lab projects, please visit kaji-lab.jp/

Create Fully Functioning Light Circuits Simply by Doodling

2011-07-17T00:00:00Z

Polish designer Jacek Ryn's Doodle Lamp creation caught our eye with a concept he exhibited at the recent DMY International Design Festival in Berlin.

A graduate of the the Gdansk University of Technology, Ryn"s invention lets the user place lamps and switches as they wish on a wall and then join them all up by literally drawing or doodling the connecting electric circuits with silver paint.

The painted circuitry, which can be applied in whatever pattern takes your fancy – hence the "doodle" in the title – carries the electric current. The set consists of LED light sources that can be attached to the wall, power supply and conductive point.

As an added bonus - assuming a modicium of artistic talent by the painter - the drawn circuitry becomes a design feature in its own right.

Ryn, who frequently works in collaboration with architect Paulina Krauz, says: "The main theme in our work is the retrieval of simplicity and simplifying the environment, finding seemingly invisible, but obvious, connections. These ideas can be seen in our projects in both the formal qualities as well as structural and functional ones."

Now I wonder how long it will be before we can create functioning timepieces by simply 'doodling' them?

For more information - and an oppotunity to do little interactive creative doodling of your own - please visit razy2.com/

Travel in Luxurious Style … Underwater!

2011-07-10T00:00:00Z

Friends of MB&F looking to unleash their inner Jacques Cousteau might consider one of these U.S. Submarines" underwater gems - there's one to suit every multi-millionare's budget.

The American company claims to have developed the world's first luxurious personal submarines, capable of taking you and your entourage in perfect comfort to unchartered regions of the deep ocean and take in the spectacular views of the undersea world.

Most of these submarines have large, panoramic viewports providing mesmerizing views of the fascinating denizens of the deep, all while relaxing in an interior that smacks of a luxury yacht, including a fully equipped galley (so don't forget the personal chef) and, in their larger vessels, deluxe staterooms!

The higher end vessels are powered by turbocharged marine diesels on the surface and most have an extended surface range and are capable of diving to depths of 305m/ 1,000'.

So if the champagne is spilling due to choppy seas on the surface, just baton down the hatches and dive down far below those pesky waves to cruise in air-conditioned comfort.

What"s more, battery capacity and air support systems are such that the makers claim you can stay submerged for days at a time.

So, if you want to join the likes of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, movie director James Cameron or Russian oil magnate and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich – who all reportedly have personal submarines – it"s just a case of finding the petty cash needed to own of these deep sea pearls.

The luxury submarine series starts with the the Triton 1000– a snip at around $2.5 million and the vehicles gradually get bigger and more luxurious up to the flagship the Phoenix 1000, which would set you back a mere US$78 million. So you know what to ask Father Christmas for this year.

For more about U.S. Submarines" luxury range, please visit U.S. Submarines and Triton Submarines.

Airbus's Flight of Fantasy

2011-07-03T00:00:00Z

After one of Airbus" superjumbo engines caught fire and blew apart in midair on a Sydney-bound Qantas flight from Singapore at the end of last year, you wouldn"t think too many of their future passengers would be keen to fly in a transparent cabin with a panoramic view so they can witness all the, er, action, unfolding below.

Nevertheless, the European aircraft manufacturer has recently unveiled the Airbus Concept Cabin, which reveals some of the innovations and technologies that they think will shape onboard passenger experiences in the future.

According to Airbus, by 2050 "personalised zones" would replace traditional cabin classes, while passengers could join an interactive business conference, enjoy a game of virtual golf, read the kids back home a bedtime story, and recharge in a "vitalising seat" while watching the planet – or engines – unfurl beneath their feet.

The conceptual aircraft"s bionic structure would mimic the efficiency of bird bone, providing strength where its needed, and would allow for an intelligent cabin wall membrane which controls air temperature with the added capability of turning transparent to give passengers open, panoramic views.

An integrated "neural network" would create an intelligent interface between passenger and plane, identifying and responding to passenger needs while enabling personalised features such as morphing seats that change to your exact body shape.

And new personalised zones would replace the traditional cabin classes to offer new tailored levels of experience.

The "vitalising zone" would be all about well-being and relaxation, allowing you to proactively recharge your batteries with vitamin and antioxidant enriched air, mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments while taking in the view of the world around you.

The virtual pop-up projections in the central "interactive zone" would transform you to whichever social scene you wanted to be in, from holographic gaming to virtual changing rooms for active shoppers, while the "smart tech zone" would meet individual needs ranging from a simple to a complete luxury service, all allowing you to continue life as if on the ground.

By offering different levels of experience within each zone, airlines would apparently be able to achieve price differentials and give more people access to the benefits of air travel with minimal environmental impact.

Showcasing the design, Charles Champion, Airbus Executive Vice President of Engineering, said: "Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment. The Airbus Concept Cabin is designed with that in mind, and shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination."

So the next time you find yourself having lost all circulation (and feeling) in your legs while packed in cattle class, cheer up – in a few decades flying will be so much better and those transparent walls will make it so much easier to see the flying pigs whizz by.

To find out more about the Airbus Concept Cabin and The Future by Airbus visit www.thefuturebyairbus.com

Hoverbike: a Flying Motorbike with Explosive Parachutes - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

2011-06-26T00:00:00Z

If you tell someone you"ve just seen a flying motorbike, they probably think you"ve witnessed some local Valentino Rossi wannabe getting briefly airborne at the top of the lane. Either that or you"ve had one too many during happy hour after work.

But if you live near Sydney in Australia, it might just be that you have caught a glimpse of mechanical design engineer Chris Malloy"s pet project: A bike that hovers off the ground.

The idea came to the 32-year-old from North Ryde after Malloy"s helicopter instructor told him he thought a Robinson R22 chopper was a bit like an aerial motorcycle. Disagreeing, Malloy decided he would actually try to create something closer to a flying motorbike.

So after work and at the weekends over the past two years, Malloy has been beavering away in his garage designing and building a hoverbike that he claims can – in theory – reach speeds of 278 kmh/ 173 mph and an altitude of over 3,048m/ 10,000" thanks to the machine"s generous thrust-to-weight ratio.

The bike seats one pilot on a Kevlar-reinforced, carbon-fibre foam main frame, which sits between two horizontal propellers made from Tasmanian Oak with carbon-fibre leading edges.

The handlebars form the main controls: left grip for making the hoverbike go up or backwards, right grip for increasing thrust. Just like a traditional motorcycle, turning the handlebars allows you to turn the hoverbike.

The vehicle is 2.95m/ 9"8" by 1.3m/ 4"3" by 0.5m/ 1"8", that's slightly shorter than a standard car, and weighs in at 105 kg/ 231 lbs with a maximum take-off weight of 270 kg/ 595 lbs, meaning that you don"t have to be an anorexic ballet dancer to lift off.

But before you start getting thoughts of ditching your terrestrial bike, scooter or car for one of these babies, it"s worth noting that at the moment the hoverbike is going nowhere. Well, at least it"s going no higher than three feet in the air while tethered to the ground during the testing phase.

"Because we don"t know 100 per cent what might happen, the tether straps are there to cover the unknown," says Malloy.(Personally I'd be more concerned about something else a little more important than the prototype if things went wrong, i.e. the rider/pilot!)

A wise move, and while Malloy also plans to cover the propellers to avoid potential injury and include a computer-override to help pilots avoid toppling the bike, we"re slightly more concerned about what happens if one or both of the propellers decide to splutter or cut out midair.

Hoverbike creator Chris Malloy

"We"ve given as many components as possible triple redundancy but the current prototype doesn't feature adjustable pitch propellers so the hoverbike can"t autorotate in the case of engine failure," says Malloy. "However, you have the choice to wear an emergency parachute and have two explosive parachutes attached to the airframe."

'Explosive parachutes'? What could possibly go wrong?

All the same, Malloy hopes to get the hoverbike into limited production within a year, and then full production another two years after that, with a run of at least 100 units per year selling at around the US$40,000 mark, though that could lower significantly if Malloy is able to boost production.

While Malloy continues perfecting his audacious creation, if you want to get your hands on a prototype, get involved with the building of the hoverbike or just find out a little bit more about the project, then please visit www.hover-bike.com

Solar Impulse to fly at the Paris Air Show

2011-06-19T00:00:00Z

The Paris Air Show has been the world's leading aviation and space event for over a century. The 49th edition will kick off tomorrow (Monday 20th June) at Le Bourget exhibition centre just outside the French capital, lasting until June 26th., with the first four days exclusively devoted to members of the industry and the three remaining days open for the general public.

As many as 140 aircraft will be on display at the showpiece and one of the biggest attractions will be Solar Impulse, the sun-powered brainchild of Swiss duo Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg.

André Borschberg (left) and Bertrand Piccard

After seven years of intensive work, calculations and tests by a team of 70 people, the prototype single-seat plane is designed to fly both day and night without refueling and (it goes without saying, without producing carbon emissions.

Solar Impulse has a similar wingspan to the giant Airbus A340 (63.4m/ 208"), but its weight is that of a family car, making it the largest aeroplane of its weight ever to have been built.

A total of 12,000 solar cells in each wing supply four 10cv electric motors, which charge the 400kg/ 880 lbs lithium polymer batteries during the day, allowing the aircraft to fly at night.

The project is eventually aiming to achieve the first circling of the earth with a piloted fixed-wing aircraft using only solar power while also highlighting the importance of clean technologies for sustainable development. Picard, who co-piloted the first balloon to circle the world non-stop, says: "Our goal is to create a revolution in the minds of people, to promote solar energies, not necessarily a revolution in aviation."

After making a maiden test flight in Switzerland on the 3rd of December 2009, Solar Impulse first flew on pure solar power, charging its batteries in flight, on the 28th of May last year. Just over a month later on the 7th of July 2010, the plane, piloted by Borschberg, accomplished a 26-hour solar journey, reaching a maximum altitude of 8,700 m/ 28,500" making it the longest and highest flight by a manned solar-powered aircraft.

The project reached a further milestone on the 13th of May this year when it completed the first international flight by a solar-powered aircraft, reaching an average altitude of 1,829 m7 6,000" during the 13-hour journey between its Swiss base and Brussels (Zaventem) airport in Belgium, covering a distance of 630 km/ 391 miles, with an average speed of 50 kmh / 31 mph.

"Nothing can prevent us from another day and night and the myth of perpetual flight," said Piccard afterwards, before telling Borchberg: "When you took off it was another era. You land in a new era where people understand that with renewable energy you can do impossible things."

Weather permitting, Solar Impulse will fly each morning at the Paris Air Show. For more information about the Paris Air Show, please visit http://www.paris-air-show.com/en.

For more information about the Solar impulse project and the Paris Air Show, please visit www.solarimpulse.com and www.paris-air-show.com

Can a 1,000 mph car really lead to safer air travel?

2011-06-12T00:00:00Z

Between now and 2013, the British-backed Bloodhound Project are out not just to beat but to obliterate the world land speed record with the world"s first 1,600kmh/ 1,000mph car.

             Project manager Richard Noble (left) with pilot Andy Green

As part of a mission led by Richard Noble, Bloodhound SCC (Supersonic Car) will be driven by RAF pilot Andy Green who set the current record of 1,227kmh/ 763mph at the controls of Thrust SSC in October 1997.

                                        The Bloodhound SSC team

At 12.8m/42' long and weighing 6,422 kg /14,128 lbs when fuelled, the new blue and orange jet- and rocket-powered vehicle will be more advanced than most spacecraft – and faster than a bullet fired from a handgun, accelerating from 0 to 1,690kmh/1,050mph in 40 seconds. At maximum velocity, it will cover more than four soccer pitches every second – that means 50m/165' in the blink of an eye!

Noble, who was himself the holder of the land speed record between 1983 and 1997 and was also the project director of Thrust SSC, the predecessor to Bloodhound, says: "The primary objective of the Bloodhound project is to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in science, engineering, technology and maths by demonstrating how they can be harnessed to achieve the seemingly impossible."

A "noble" aim indeed. But there could also be an equally significant benefit for the fledgling space tourism industry – a safer rocket engine.

Daniel Jubb, chief rocket engineer for the Bloodhound SSC, toyed with several rocket engine designs before settling on a hybrid with a nitrous oxide based motor.

But after three of commercial spaceflight company Scaled Composites" rocket engineers were killed during an explosion in 2007 while testing how liquid nitrous oxide flows, the 26-year-old decided to look for an alternative and plumped for concentrated hydrogen peroxide, otherwise known as high-test peroxide or HTP.

Unlike nitrous oxide, HTP is liquid at room temperature. According to Jubb, that makes HTP less likely to build up high pressures that can lead to an explosion.

And Jubb reckons that a version of his team"s HTP motor could power the commercial space vehicles of the future. To that end, he is already working on a liquid-fuelled engine for a civilian spaceflight company.

            London now offers the choice of bus, taxi or supersonic transport!

Bloodhound are hoping to shake down their SCC on a runway in the UK at the end of this year. If those tests go smoothly, the car will be transported to a dried up lakebed known as Hakskeen Pan in the Northern Cape of South Africa to start its assault on the world record.

The record is judged as the average speed of two runs in opposite directions held within an hour. Bloodhound SSC should go through the sound barrier as it passes 1,200kmh/750mph and then complete a measured mile at 1,600kmh/1,000mph. The car will be stopped with the help of airbrakes and parachutes, cooled, refuelled and prepared for another run in under 60 minutes. According to their calculations, the Bloodhound team hope to reach a top speed of 1,680kmh/1,050mph.

We wish the Bloodhound team a safe, low-level flight and the very best of luck.

For more information about the Bloodhound project, please visit www.bloodhoundssc.com.

Insane jet boating in New Zealand!

2011-06-05T00:00:00Z

Like a jet aircraft, a jet boat has no external propeller: instead, it squirts a high-speed jet of water out of a movable nozzle below the surface behind the boat. This allows the boat to operate in depths of only a few centimetres while providing superb manoeuvrability..

The jet boat was developed in the 1960s by New Zealand farmer William (Bill) Hamilton, to allow navigation of the shallow Canterbury rivers.

However, enterprising New Zealanders soon realised its potential as an adventure activity. And when Kiwis say adventure, they mean ADVENTURE!

While jet boating takes place on many rivers in New Zealand, on of the most exciting is the ride through the Shotover River Canyons near Queenstown in the South Island.

The Shotover 'Big Red' jest boats are powered by two Buick 3.8 litre V6 supercharged engines producing 520 horse power. Propulsion, steering and control is provided through two Hamilton 212 Jet Units thrusting 760 litres of water per second. This unique combination of design and configuration enables "Big Red" to hit 85kph/53mph in as little as 10cm/4" of water and do full 360° spins! Hang onto you hat . . . and your lunch!

For more information, please visit http://www.shotoverjet.com/

A Flying Panda Soars Free on an Enchanted HM4 for Only Watch 2011

2011-06-02T00:00:00Z

MB&F returns to the Only Watch charity auction with another emotionally charged piece, this time in collaboration with Chinese artist, Huang Hankang. The HM4 Only Watch featuring a miniature flying panda bear is a magical synthesis of children's dreams and cutting-edge haute horlogerie.

While we dream throughout our lives, there is one specific dream that children experience more frequently than adults: the ability to fly! It isn"t known why dreams of flight diminish from adolescence; however, it may be that adult imaginations become more constrained as they are rooted in the realities of everyday life. Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy suffer from progressively diminished mobility leading to paralysis; however, while their bodies may be trapped, their young spirits can escape in their dreams and imaginations. HM4 Only Watch offers children a flight of fantasy, a reason to smile, and a wild ride through time and space!

This MB&F piece for Only Watch transports us to a fantasy dream world with a friendly panda piloting a unique space-age HM4 jet. While visiting an art gallery a few years ago, MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser noticed a painting of a panda flying on a rocket that lifted his spirits so much that he bought it. That painting was by Paris-based Chinese artist, Huang Hankang, and for Only Watch, Huang used HM4 as his canvas to convey a childlike liberation of the spirit.

Artist Huang Hankang

When Huang was asked if he was interested in collaborating with MB&F on the Only Watch project, it only took one glance at HM4 Thunderbolt for him to realise that while this was an artistic medium he had not considered before—or even knew existed—he relished in the challenge and the cause. Huang first imagined and then painted a delightful, carefree panda bear flying free on top of HM4 and MB&F set about transforming Huang"s painting into a horological expression. Huang"s original painting accompanies the HM4 Only Watch.

As Huang relates, "I saw MB&F"s work as art, not watchmaking. It comes from unfettered imagination, just like my paintings."

HM4 Only Watch features the dream-world scenario of a solid gold panda bear riding on top of the HM4 jet, which he controls with reins made of twisted gossamer filaments made of gold. The panda was hand-carved and then cast in 18k white gold using the "lost wax" technique. And while the HM4 Only Watch is a celebration of the fantasy of children"s dreams, there is also a feature for those obliged to ground their feet in reality from time to time: the panda and his reins have been micro-engineered to be completely detachable so that HM4 transforms from a flying machine into a Horological Machine.

For more information, please download the press release by clicking HM4 Only Watch

Virgin Galactic Spaceship Two's first feathered flight (with video)

2011-05-29T00:00:00Z

Re-entry into the atmosphere has been one of the biggest challenges of space flight. Virgin Galactic uses an innovative system called "feathering" in which the wings on the craft rotate 90 degrees upward to achieve more aerodynamic drag on reentry.

Early on Wednesday 4th May 2011, in the skies above Mojave Air and Spaceport CA, SpaceShipTwo, the world"s first commercial spaceship, demonstrated its unique reentry "feather" configuration for the first time. This test flight, the third in less than two weeks, marks another major milestone on the path to powered test flights and commercial operations.

"Now we now have an entry vehicle – now we can come back from space," said Matt Stiemetze, Program Manager at Scaled Composites

SpaceShipTwo went airborne attached to WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft, and after a 45 minute climb to 17,000m/51,500', SS2 was released from VMS Eve and established a stable glide profile before deploying.

The feathering configuration is achieved by rotating the tail section of the vehicle upwards to a 65 degree angle to the fuselage. During the test flight, it remained in this configuration with the vehicle"s body at a level pitch for approximately 1 minute and 15 seconds while descending, almost vertically, at around 5,000m/15,500 ' per minute, slowed by the powerful shuttlecock-like drag created by the raised tail section. At around 11,000m/33,500' the pilots reconfigured the spaceship to its normal glide mode and executed a smooth runway touchdown, approximately 11 minutes and 5 seconds after its release from VMS Eve.

SpaceShipTwo (SS2), named VSS Enterprise, has now flown solo seven times since its public roll-out in December 2009 and since the completion of its ground and captive -carry test program.

George Whitesides, CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, said: "This morning"s spectacular flight by VSS Enterprise was its third in 12 days, reinforcing the fast turnaround and frequent flight-rate potential of Virgin Galactic"s new vehicles. We have also shown this morning that the unique feathering re-entry mechanism, probably the single most important safety innovation within the whole system, works perfectly. This is yet another important milestone successfully passed for Virgin Galactic, and brings us ever closer to the start of commercial operations. Credit is due to the whole Scaled team, whose meticulous planning and great skill are changing the course of history."

For more information, please visit www.virgingalactic.com.You can even book your flight into space online at at www.virgingalactic.com/booking/

Ralph Lauren's legendary car collection on display in Paris

2011-05-22T00:00:00Z

Among the major car collections in the world, there is one that stands out more than any other as synonymous with excellence: that of iconic American fashion designer Ralph Lauren.

A selection from Lauren's collection of the most prestigious sports cars from the 1930s to present day is on view for the first time in Europe at the Paris Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

McLaren F1 LM 1996

Seventeen outstanding cars, chosen by curator Rodolphe Rapetti, and put on display by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, outline the main phases of European automobile history.

With this collection, Ralph Lauren shows that the automobile is a major art form created by the industry"s biggest names: Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche and of course, Ferrari, the high point of this unique collection.

Jaguar XKSS 1958

A visual timeline of the evolution of European automobile design through the 20th Century, the cars on display are among the most exceptional in the world and have been infrequently shown to the public.

Each car stands as a masterpiece of both technological innovation and impeccable design.

Bentley "Blower" 1929

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing" 1955

Ferrai 250 Testa Rossa 1958

Bugatti 57 S(C) Atlantic 1938

Ferrari 375 Plus 1954

To commemorate the exhibition, a limited run book features each car, its historical and technical significance and an explanation by Lauren himself on what guides his passion for car collection. The book will also showcase many of the same images seen here, all exceptionally shot by renowned automobile photographer Michael Furman.

The show runs through 28 August 2011 and is open to the public.

You can can see the full 17 cars on display, learn more about their facinating histories and even listen to their engines purr and roar at http://ralphlaurencarcollection.co.uk/.

Six strange and unusual houses

2011-05-15T00:00:00Z

Quirky homes may be eye-catching and fun, but they can be difficult to sell in a generally conservative market place. One man's dream can easily translate as an expensive folly to most.

But in an age when the majority of homes are carbon copy clones of their neighbours, when the price is attractive enough the quirkiness factor can quickly tip from crazy to fun as buyers of houseboats, castle and even a volcano dwelling can attest. Here are a few of the unusual homes available in the USA recently.

This futuristic ensculptic house in Minnesota is nicknamed the "mushroom house," and is constructed of chicken wire, burlap and polyurethane with curved walls with round windows. It appears to have been left out in the hot sun too long.

Crantzdorf Castle in Tennessee was inspired by the alacio Dela Magalena in Spain and it took a decade to build.

Nestled in the forested mountains of New York's Adirondack State Park is a retrofitted an Atlas F Missile site, in other words, a former nuclear missile storage facility. On the surface it looks like an ordinary 2,000-square-foot log cabin mountain home, ordinary except perhaps for the private airstrip.

Descend the kitchen's spiral stairs and you'll find two luxurious stories of nuclear apocalypse-resistant living space tucked inside three-foot-thick concrete walls reinforced with steel mesh."It's an 18,000-square-foot vault underground that you can live in, like a 007 secret tower underground," explains co-owner Bruce Francisco, who insists its former warhead tenant left behind no radioactive contamination.

This home in Dallas, Texas is was formerly St. Johns United Methodist Church and features 11 bedrooms, stained glass windows, choir loft-turned-theater and a kitchen centered around the former grantite-topped alter.

Calecho House in Colorado is a 19th-century mining era-inspired abode made of recycled metal and barn wood flooring. A mine shaft elevator operates between levels adding a touch of period realism.

Cave Palace Ranch peeks out from the base of a towering Utah mountain. The creators transformed the mountain's natural red rock cave into a three-bedroom home that is naturally insulatedso it is warm in the cold months and cool in the hot ones.One note: you may have to clean up after "the occasional minimal dust" shed by the ceiling.

For more information, please visit www.forbes.com

A Fallen Angel - Augmented Reality

2011-05-08T00:00:00Z

An angel moves among commuters at London's Victoria Station in an augmented reality advertisement for Lynx deodorant.

And Lynx should be happy with the result as their new deodorant became their second-best-selling variant after just a few months on the market, large thanks to this innovative advertising campaign.

The campaign was called Angel Ambush and the 'interactive' fallen angel at Victoria Station is Kelly Brook. Commuters who walked across a specific spot suddenly appeared on a large video screen next to the departures board and, as they watched the screen, they soon discovered that they had company.

An angel, generated using augmented reality technology, fallsl to earth and appears to interact with the unsuspecting commuters. The result was a priceless marketing buzz and YouTube clip that went viral and is fast approaching a million view.

Augmented reality creates a fantasy or enriched experience that people can interact with in real time.

Becca Sawyer of Mindshare, the advertising agency that came up with the Angel Ambush idea, said."We didn't know if it would work, either technically or in terms of how people would respond to it. We just thought it would be fantastic if an angel could seem to appear in real-life. Augmented reality is all about creating a fantasy experience that people can interact with."

And despite appearing to be cutting-edge technology, the Fallen Angle was actually a relatively simple application of augmented reality. Some experts have commented that Angel Ambush was not 'real' augmented reality at all, because the virtual angel was just a layer of video manipulated by a human operator, rather than an independent 3D object.

"We know that the longer somebody touches a product, the more likely they are to purchase that product. So by giving them a virtual product, it can drive and uplift sales." according to Myles Peyton, UK Sales Director at tech firm Total Immersion. "We're seeing augmented reality move from being a gimmick, to being a trend. It's going to explode."

The reason for such confidence in the future of augmented reality lies not from major leaps in the technology itself, but from the emergence of the smartphone . . . so stay tuned and don't believe what you see.

Mind blowing optical illusions

2011-05-01T00:00:00Z

Although we might be less likely to believe everything that we see these days, it is still worth reminding ourselves just how the mind can distort the reality of what the eyes see to better fit the brain's internal model of how things really should look.

An optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give aperception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source.

There are three main types: literal optical illusions that create images that are different from the objects that make them, physiological ones that are the effects on the eyes and brain of excessive stimulation of a specific type (brightness, tilt, color, movement), and cognitive illusions where the eye and brain make unconscious inferences. They can also be known as "mind games".

This illusion is known as the Fraser spiral, the false spiral, or the twisted cord illusion. The overlapping black arc segments appear to form a spiral; however, the arcs are a series of concentric circles and there is no spiral drawn at all.

Rotation of the "wheels" occurs in relation to eye movements. Fixing your gaze should stop the rotation effect.

White"s illusion is an optical illusion illustrating the fact that the same target luminance can elicit different perceptions of brightness in different contexts. Although all of the gray rectangles are all of equal luminance, the ones seen in the context with the dark stripes appear brighter than the ones seen in the context with the bright stripes.

One type of motion illusion is a type of optical illusion in which a static image appears to be moving due to the cognitive effects of interacting color contrasts and shape position. To properly view this effect, click the image above to see the full sized version.

The Kanizsa triangle is an optical illusion first described by the Italian psychologist Gaetano Kanizsa in 1955. In the image above, a white equilateral triangle is perceived, but in fact n triangle is drawn.

The Hermann grid illusion is an optical illusion reported by Ludimar Hermann in 1870 while, incidentally, reading John Tyndall"s Sound. The illusion is characterised by "ghostlike" grey blobs perceived at the intersections of a white (or light-colored) grid on a black background. The grey blobs disappear when looking directly at an intersection.

The Orbison illusion is an optical illusion that was first described by the psychologist William Orbison in 1939. The bounding rectangle and inner square both appear distorted in the presence of the radiating lines. The background gives us the impression there is some sort of perspective. As a result, our brain sees the shape distorted.

The image shows what appears to be a black and white checker-board with a green cylinder resting on it that casts a shadow diagonally across the middle of the board. The two squares A and B are identical but appear very different as a result of the illusion. The black and white squares are actually different shades of gray.

The Jastrow illusion is an optical illusion discovered by the American psychologist Joseph Jastrow in 1889. In this illustration, the two figures are identical, although the lower one appears to be larger.

The café wall illusion is an optical illusion, first described by Doctor Richard Gregory. He observed this curious effect in the tiles of the wall of a café at the bottom of St Michael"s Hill, Bristol. This optical illusion makes the parallel straight horizontal lines appear to be bent. To construct the illusion, alternating light and dark "bricks" are laid in staggered rows. It is essential for the illusion that each "brick" is surrounded by a layer of "mortar" (the grey in the image). This should ideally be of a color in between the dark and light color of the "bricks".

The Necker cube is an ambiguous line drawing. It is a wire-frame drawing of a cube in isometric perspective, which means that parallel edges of the cube are drawn as parallel lines in the picture. When two lines cross, the picture does not show which is in front and which is behind. This makes the picture ambiguous; it can be interpreted two different ways. When a person stares at the picture, it will often seem to flip back and forth between the two valid interpretations (so-called multistable perception).

The Poggendorff Illusion is an optical illusion that involves the brain"s perception of the interaction between diagonal lines and horizontal and vertical edges. It is named after Johann Poggendorff (1796-1877), a German physicist who first described it in 1860. In the image above, a straight black and red line is obscured by a grey rectangle. The blue line appears, instead of the red line, to be the same as the black one, which is clearly shown not to be the case in the second picture.

Tired after all of those illusions? Here is a good place to sit down and relax for a while.

In honour of the royal wedding . . .

2011-04-24T00:00:00Z

If all goes according to plan later this week, Prince William and Kate Middleton will exchange marriage vows in Westminster Abbey, London on the 29th of April.

In this era of constant change, high-tech toys and machines, and always-on communication- you can follow the wedding on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter - a British Royal wedding is about as tradional as it gets.

And while no Royal wedding is complete without tradional commemorative plates; this series of (unofficial) plate designs commissioned by London communications and creative agency KK Outlet, is anything but conventional.

What do you get the couple who have everything?

his plate echoes the thoughts of many ladies (and men) the world over

A royal wedding memorial plate for the facebook generation

The Prime Minister decreed that we should all have the day off in celebration of the Royal nuptials. For this and so much more we thank Wills and Kate.

For more information on these plates and KK Outlet, please visit www.KKOutlet.com and for more information about the Royal Wedding, please visit www.officialroyalwedding2011.org

"War Horse" by the Handspring Puppet Company

2011-04-17T00:00:00Z

Wheras human actors try to minmise their breathing onstage and screen, "Puppets always have to try to be alive," says Adrian Kohler of the Handspring Puppet Company. Beginning with the tale of a hyena's subtle paw, puppeteers Kohler and Basil Jones build to the story of their latest astonishment: the wonderfully life-like Joey, the War Horse, who trots (and gallops) convincingly onto the TED stage.

The realism of the animal's movements and the coordination of the actors operating the puppet are astonishing.

The Handspring Puppet Company was founded in 1981 by four graduates of the Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town, South Africa. Two of the co-founders, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones, continue to run the company. Originally they created shows for children and then expanded into works for adult audiences.

The Handspring Puppet Company is now one of the greatest puppetry companies in the world, collaborating with a succession of innovative South Africa directors including Malcolm Purkey, Barney Simon and artist William Kentridge.

Apart from seasons throughout theatres across South Africa, Handspring has been presented at many international festivals including Edinburgh, the Avignon Festival, the Next Wave Festival at BAM in New York, The African Odyssey Festival at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, Theatre d' Automne in Paris, Theatre der Welt in Germany, as well as in Hong Kong, Singapore, Adelaide, Zurich and Bogota.

This video really highlights the uncanny realism of the large puppet's movements

For more information, please visit http://www.handspringpuppet.co.za/

Yannick Sire is an adult toy designer who creates cars with attitude!

2011-04-10T00:00:00Z

Yannick Sire creates incredible muscle cars and hot rods and, while in itself that might be enough to feature him on A Parallel World, what really attracted our attention is that Sire has a true rebellious attitude that resonates with MB&F.

Sire began building muscle cars for the racetrack and cut his teeth on the L.A. car scene in a heavily modified 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle while working for a car performance company.

That led to Sire opening Sire Custom Performance in Inglewood, California and his imagination went wild

But this passionate documentry video explains more than we ever could in words and images. Enjoy!

For more information, please visit www.sirecustomperformance.com

Quadcopters: Toys for Boys

2011-04-03T00:00:00Z

A quadrotor, also called a quadrotor helicopter or quadrocopter, is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by four rotors. Quadrotors are classified as rotorcraft, as opposed to fixed-wing aircraft, because their lift is derived from four rotors.

The De Bothezat Quadrotor flew for 2 minutes 45 seconds in 1923

Quadrocopters can also be classified as helicopters, though unlike standard helicopters, quadrotors use fixed-pitch blades, whose rotor pitch does not vary as the blades rotate. Control of vehicle motion can be achieved by varying the relative speed of each rotor to change the thrust and torque produced by each.

Bell Boing Quad Tiltrotor concept. Pending approval, first flight of a full-scale prototype aircraft is slated for 2012

Because having to adjust the speed of four spinning blades is a fairly complex operation, especially when under stress, manned quadrocopters haven't really hit the mainstream. However, the latest generation of quadrotors are commonly designed to be unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and use an electronic control system and electronic sensors to stabilize the aircraft. With their small size and agile maneuverability, these quadrotors can be flown indoors as well as outdoors.

And that's where the fun begins!

The advantages of the current generation of quadrotors, versus comparably-scaled helicopters, are as follows:

First, quadrotors do not require mechanical linkages to vary the rotor blade pitch angle as they spin. This simplifies the design of the vehicle, and reduces maintenance time and cost.

Second, the use of four rotors allows each individual rotor to have a smaller diameter than the equivalent helicopter rotor, for a given vehicle size, allowing them to store less kinetic energy during flight. This reduces the damage caused should the rotors hit any objects.

For small scale UAVs, this makes the vehicles safer to interact with in close proximity. Finally, by enclosing the rotors within a frame, the rotors can be protected during collisions, permitting flights indoors and in obstacle-dense environments, with low risk of damaging the vehicle, its operators, or its surroundings.

How they fly. Note that Yaw = left/right, Pitch = up/down

Each rotor produces both a thrust and torque about its center of rotation, as well as a drag force opposite to the vehicle's direction of flight. If all rotors are spinning at the same angular velocity, with rotors one and three rotating clockwise and rotors two and four counterclockwise, the net aerodynamic torque, and hence the angular acceleration about the yaw axis is exactly zero, which implies that the yaw stabilizing rotor of conventional helicopters is not needed.

Yaw is induced by mismatching the balance in aerodynamic torques (i.e., by offsetting the cumulative thrust commands between the counter-rotating blade pairs).

Angular accelerations about the pitch and roll axes can be caused separately without impacting the yaw axis. Each pair of blades rotating in the same direction controls one axis, either roll or pitch, and increasing thrust for one rotor while decreasing thrust for the other will maintain the torque balance needed for yaw stability and induce a net torque about the roll or pitch axes.

This way, fixed rotor blades can be made to maneuver the quad rotor vehicle in all dimensions. Translational acceleration is achieved by maintaining a non-zero pitch or roll angle.

But that's enough of the technology, now let's play (music)! .

Dr Anthony Atala explains printing human organs on TED Talks

2011-03-27T00:00:00Z

Surgeon Anthony Atala demonstrates an early-stage experiment that could someday solve the organ-donor problem: a 3D printer that uses living cells to output a transplantable kidney. Using similar technology, Dr. Atala"s young patient Luke Massella received an engineered bladder 10 years ago.

Anthony Atala is the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, where his work focuses on growing and regenerating tissues and organs. His team engineered the first lab-grown organ to be implanted into a human -- a bladder -- and is developing experimental fabrication technology that can "print" human tissue on demand.

In 2007, Atala and a team of Harvard University researchers showed that stem cells can be harvested from the amniotic fluid of pregnant women. This and other breakthroughs in the development of smart bio-materials and tissue fabrication technology promises to revolutionize the practice of medicine.

This technology has the ability to print cells and biocompatible materials at the same time. The hope is that one day it will be used to print tissues and organs. This demonstration, in which a kidney-shaped mold is printed, shows how the technology works:
• Cells and bio-materials are inserted in the printer cartridges.
• A CT scan from a patient would be used to create a "map" to guide the printer.
• The printer "prints" biocompatible materials that form the kidney shape.
• While this mold has the shape of a kidney, it is not functional with today's technology because it has none of the vessels or internal structures.

Please note that Dr. Anthony Atala highlighted where the technology is today to give an indication of what might possible in the future. He did not print a functioning kidney at the TED conference, but demonstrated a new type of technology to print a kidney-shaped mold and explained how one day – many years from now – the technology might be used to print actual organs.

"Anthony Atala bakes things that will make you feel good inside, but we're not talking cakes and muffins."

Poncho the Crocodile, (One) Man's Best Friend,

2011-03-20T00:00:00Z

Chito, a Costa Rican fisherman, made friends with a crocodile he called Poncho, after finding him with a gunshot wound on the banks of the Central American state's Parismina river 20 years ago.

Poncho had been shot in the left eye by a cattle farmer and was close to death. But Chito enlisted the help of several pals to load the massive reptile into his boat and take him home.

"When I found Poncho in the river he was dying, so I brought him into my house. He was very skinny, weighing only around 70kgs/150lb I gave him chicken and fish and medicine for six months to help him recover. I stayed by Poncho's side while he was ill, sleeping next to him at night. I just wanted him to feel that somebody loved him, that not all humans are bad. It meant a lot of sacrifice. I had to be there every day. I love all animals - especially ones that have suffered." Chito explains. Chito is now over 450kgs/1000lb

Chito says: "Poncho is my best friend. This is a very dangerous routine, but we have a good relationship. He will look me in the eye and not attack me. It is too dangerous for anyone else to come in the water. It is only ever the two of us."

It took years before Chito felt that Poncho had bonded with him enough to get closer to the animal. He says: "After a decade I started to work with him. At first it was slow, slow. I played with him a bit, slowly doing more. Then I found out that when I called his name he would come over to me."

At one point during his recovery, Chito left the croc in a lake near his house. But as he turned to walk away, to his amazement Poncho got out of the water and began to follow him home. Chito recalls: "That convinced me the crocodile could be tame." But when he first fearlessly waded into the water with the giant reptile his family was so horrified they couldn't bear to watch. So instead, he took to splashing around with Poncho when they were asleep.

Four years ago Chito showed some of his tricks to friends, including getting the animal to close his eyes on command, and they convinced him to go public with a show. Now he swims and plays with Poncho as well as feeding him at the lake near his home in the lowland tropical town of Sarapiqui.

American crocodiles, which inhabit North, Central and South America, can live to around 70 years old. It is estimated that Poncho is around 50 - almost the same age as his owner. They are also said to be less aggressive than their Nile or Australian counterparts. Chito, whose real name is Gilberto Shedden, was given his nickname by friends, who also call him "Tarzan Tico" - Tico being a familiar word for a Costa Rican.

Chito says: "Poncho is my friend, I don't want to treat him like a slave or exploit him. I am happy because I rescued him and he is happy with me because he has everything he needs."

MB&F March 2011 Newsletter

2011-03-16T00:00:00Z

Dear Friends,

Only a week before Baselworld 2011 and at MB&F it's all hands on deck! The rebellious Laurent Picciotto, renowned watch guru and famed Parisian retailer, is helping us to launch the new HM3 ReBel - Right hand, Black case - a Horological Machine for the right wrist. Most, if not all, MB&F owners are rebels in one way or another, but those who are attracted to the HM3 ReBel are likely to tend towards the 'dark side'.

James Dean was a Hollywood Rebel Without a Cause; Billy Idol had a Rebel Yell; Star Wars had its Rebel Alliance; and now MB&F pokes the watchmaking establishment firmly in the eye with the HM3 ReBel.

And like all true rebels, nothing on the HM3 ReBel is quite as it first appears, especially when you take a closer look behind its nonchalantly cool facade. Under the ReBel's open black leather jacket - or to be more precise, its black PVD treated white gold case - charcoal coloured movement plates and bridges form a darkened backdrop to the resplendent flash of the 22k gold rotor as it speeds by, while white gold clover-head screws on top of the black case resemble rivets in an upmarket biker's leather jacket.

We think James Dean would have liked it; Billy Idol would have yelled about it; and the Rebel Alliance would have fought for it.

The HM3 ReBel is a very limited edition of 18 pieces available exclusively - to those who are fast enough - in just 13 cities around the world. You can download the full press release and images from here.

Charris Yadigaroglou, MB&F's new Head of Communication

On a lighter and brighter note, we are very pleased to announce that Charris Yadigaroglou has joined our horological rebellion as Head of Communication. Charris is a very welcome addition to our little dream team in Geneva and he will be with us at Baselworld March 23rd to 31st. The Game is afoot!

For the second year, Urwerk, Christophe Claret, Peter Speake-Marin and MB&F are very happy to be presenting our new creations together as the Dream Factory at Baselworld from March 23rd to 31st.

If you are in Basel then, please do not hesitate to come and discover us at the Palace Hall (opposite the Ramada hotel). To make an appointment please contact info@mbandf.com

The MB&F rebellion continues - in both state of mind and in unbridled creativity. Please stay tuned because we have much more in store!

Please click here to read the full Newsletter

Russian Mars mission 'lands' on the red planet (well not quite)

2011-03-13T00:00:00Z

In June 2010, six cosmonauts - three from Russia, one from France, one from Italy and one from China - entered a cramped sealed simulated space capsule for a voyage to Mars.

After 257 days of 'flight' they 'landed' and two of the team - Russian physiologist Alexander Smoleevskiy and Italian engineer Diego Urbina - donned space suits and conducted a 40-minute walk on a mock-up of the surface of Mars.

The simulator comprises a landing module, an research module, a residential segment, a storage, a greenhouse, along with a separate module imitating the surface of Mars with a volume of 1,200 cubic meters.

The Mars500 project is an attempt to simulate the experience of a manned trip to Mars, with an international team of researchers locked in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half -- time required for a round trip to the next planet out in the solar system.

Organizers at the European Space Agency and Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems hope the project will shed light on the physical and psychological effects of the long isolation that future Mars astronauts will experience.

The earth-bound cosmonauts communicate with Mission Control via the internet, with occasional disruptions and a 20-minute delay to imitate the effects of space travel. They are performing tasks similar to astronauts at the international space station, such as maintenance and scientific experiments, but for a longer period of time.

They follow a seven-day week with two days off, except when special and emergency situations are simulated. The crew will also drive a rover on the simulated Mars surface and use its robotic arm to pick up rocks and sensors,

Speaking at a press conference at Mission Control on Monday before the walk, Vitaly Davydov, deputy head of the Russian Space Agency, said that the "main task of the project is to determine the list of problems" that real space crews flying to Mars might be encountering.

He said such a manned flight to the planet could take place in two decades. "Twenty years is a good time to prepare for such an expedition. I think it is quite realistic."

A human mission to Mars with current-day propulsion requires only 180 days in transit each way. The Mars500 crew will have endured isolation for a period significantly longer than that.

When the Mars500 mission is complete, it will be the longest high-fidelity spaceflight simulation in history.

3D printing shifts up a gear - anyone for a Stradivarius?

2011-03-06T00:00:00Z

Printing, even 3-D printing, isn't the sexiest of topics; however, recent advances in technology have opened up an incredible range of possibilities. Producing solid objects, even quite complex ones, with 3-D printers is gradually becoming easier and cheaper. Some predict that it will not be too long before such devices are as widespread as document printers?

Apparently it plays well

At the moment the process is possible only with certain materials (plastics, resins and metals) and with a precision of around a tenth of a millimetre. As with computing in the late 1970s, it is currently the preserve of hobbyists and workers in a few academic and industrial niches. But like computing before it, 3D printing is spreading fast as the technology improves and costs fall. A basic 3D printer, also known as a fabricator or "fabber", now costs less than a laser printer did in 1985.

Some of these printers are becoming small enough to be desktop devices. They are making their way not just into workshops and factories, but also into the offices of designers, architects and researchers, and are being embraced by entrepreneurs who are using them to invent entirely new businesses.

It works like this: first you design the object to be printed on your computer . . . and then you press 'Print'. A 3D printer gradually builds up the object, either by depositing material from a nozzle, or by selectively solidifying a thin layer of plastic or metal dust using tiny drops of glue or a tightly focused beam. Products are built up by progressively adding material, one layer at a time, which is while the technology is also referred to as, additive manufacturing. Eventually the object in question—a spare part for your car, a lampshade, a violin—pops out.

This additive approach to manufacturing has several major advantages over conventional techniques. It cuts costs by eliminating production lines. It reduces waste enormously, requiring as little as one-tenth of the amount of material. It allows the creation of parts in shapes that conventional techniques cannot achieve, resulting in new, much more efficient designs in aircraft wings or heat exchangers, for example. It enables the production of a single item quickly and cheaply—and then another one after the design has been refined.

For many years 3D printers were used in this way for prototyping, mainly in the aerospace, medical and automotive industries. Once a design was finalised, a production line would be set up and parts would be manufactured and assembled using conventional methods. But 3D printing has now improved to the point that it is starting to be used to produce the finished items themselves (see article). It is already competitive with plastic injection-moulding for runs of around 1,000 items, and this figure will rise as the technology matures. And because each item is created individually, rather than from a single mould, each can be made slightly differently at almost no extra cost. Mass production could, in short, give way to mass customisation for all kinds of products, from shoes to spectacles to kitchenware.

Imagine the following: You design or modify a pair of trainer shoes to to exactly the right size, style and colour you want on a computer, or downloading a design from the web and customising it. Then press print and a device on your desk manufactures them (perhaps one first) for you. Presto, but not quite right. So you make a few minor modifications and print a new pair of perfect shoes.

The 3D printers currently available use a variety of technologies, each of which is suited to different applications. They range in price from under $10,000 to more than $1m for a high-end device capable of making sophisticated production parts. Depending on the size of the object, the material it is made from and the level of detail required, the printing process takes around an hour for a relatively small, simple object that would fit into the palm of your hand, and up to a day for a bigger, more sophisticated part. The latest machines can produce objects to an accuracy of slightly less than 0.1mm.

Jay Leno, an American television celebrity and car collector, bought a Stratasys printing machine to help keep his large collection of old cars on the road. He can scan a broken part that is no longer available into a computer, or design a missing one from scratch, and then print out a copy made of plastic. This can be fitted to a vehicle to check that the design is correct. After any adjustments, a final plastic copy can either be used by a machinist to make an exact copy from metal, or the model"s numerical data can be fed directly into a computer-controlled milling machine. Mr Leno"s 1907 White steam-driven car is now back on the road thanks to his 3-D printer.

For more information, please read The Economists series of articles on 3D printing at How a new manufacturing technology will change the world

Presenting the HM3 ReBel

2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

James Dean was a Hollywood Rebel Without a Cause; Billy Idol had a Rebel Yell; Star Wars had its Rebel Alliance; and now MB&F pokes the establishment firmly in its conservatively-focused eye with the HM3 ReBel.

Whereas James Dean was the epitome of movie star bad boy, MB&F is the wild child of haute horlogerie; the lone biker in a black leather jacket when everyone else is wearing grey suits and driving Volvos. And unlike Dean, the HM3 ReBel knows exactly what its cause is: horological anarchy!

ReBel: R for right (hand), B for Black (case). The black-coated ReBelis a distinctive, rock 'n roll mirror-image of the HM3 designed to be worn on the right wrist, as a few individualists out there want to do.

And like all true rebels, nothing on the HM3 ReBel is quite as it first appears, especially when you take a closer look behind its nonchalantly cool façade. Under the ReBel's open black leather jacket - or to be more precise, its black PVD-treated white gold case - charcoal-coloured movement plates and bridges form a darkened backdrop to the resplendent flash of the 22K gold rotor as it speeds by.

We think James Dean would have worn one; Billy Idol would have sang about it; and the Rebel Alliance would have fought for it.

HM3 ReBel is a limited edition of 18 pieces in black PVD-treated white gold, blackened movement and 22K gold rotor.

For the full press release please click HM3 ReBel and high resolution images and press texts in many languages can be downloaded from www.mbandf.com/download/press/hm3-rebel

Watson the computer wins Jeopardy game show

2011-02-27T00:00:00Z

Watson is an artificial intelligence computer system capable of answering questions posed in natural language, developed in IBM's DeepQA project by a research team led by principal investigator David Ferrucci.

Watson, named after IBM"s iconic founder Thomas J. Watson, is a project seven years in the making. Its DeepQA software powers its hundreds of simultaneous algorithmic calculations, which help the machine parse human speech patterns, check them against its vast database of knowledge, and provide a most likely answer and a confidence level for that answer. To run all those algorithms, Watson is powered by 90 32-core IBM Power 750 Express servers and 16 terabytes of memory.

In 2011, as a test of its abilities, Watson competed on the quiz show Jeopardy!, in the show's only human-versus-machine match-up. In a two-game, combined-point match, broadcast in three Jeopardy! episodes February 14–16, Watson bested Brad Rutter, the biggest all-time money winner on Jeopardy!, and Ken Jennings, the record holder for the longest championship streak.

Jeopardy! is an American quiz show featuring trivia in topics such as history, literature, the arts, pop culture, science and sports. The show has a unique answer-and-question format in which contestants are presented with clues in the form of answers, and must phrase their responses in question form.

Dr Ferrucci and his team have been using search, semantics and natural-language processing technologies to improve the way computers handle questions and answers in plain English. That is easier said than done. In parsing a question, a computer has to decide what is the verb, the subject, the object, the preposition as well as the object of the preposition. It must disambiguate words with multiple meanings, by taking into account any context it can recognise. When people talk among themselves, they bring so much contextual awareness to the conversation that answers become obvious. "The computer struggles with that," says Dr Ferrucci.

Watson consistently outperformed its human opponents on the game's signaling device, but had trouble responding to a few categories, notably those having short clues containing only a few words. For each clue, Watson's three most probable responses were displayed by the television screen. Watson had access to 200 million pages of structured and unstructured content consuming four terabytes of disk storage, including the full text of Wikipedia.

Watson was not connected to the Internet during the game.

When playing Jeopardy! all players, including Watson, had to wait until the host spoke each clue entirely, then a light was lit as a "ready" signal; the first to activate their buzzer button won the chance to respond.Watson received the clues as electronic texts at the same moment they were made visible to the human players. It would then parse the clues into different keywords and sentence fragments in order to find statistically related phrases.

Watson's main innovation was not in the creation of new algorithm for this operation but rather its ability to quickly execute thousands of proven language analysis algorithms simultaneously to find the correct answer. The more algorithms that find the same answer independently the more likely Watson is to be correct.

Once Watson has a small number of potential solutions it is able to check against its database to ascertain if the solution makes sense.

Because Watson's basic working principle is to parse keywords in a clue while searching for related terms as responses, the system offers several strengths and weaknesses when compared with a humanJeopardy! player.

Watson has deficiencies in understanding the contexts of the clues. As a result, human players usually generate responses faster than Watson, especially to short clues. Unlike a human player, Watson's programming prevents it from using the popular tactic of buzzing before it is sure of its response.

Watson has consistently better reaction time on the buzzer once it has generated a response, and is immune to human players' psychological tactics. Also, Watson could avoid the time-penalty for accidentally signalling too early, because it was electronically notified when to buzz, whereas the human contestants had to anticipate the right moment.

Does this that mean the end of the line for human dominance over mmachines? "Absolutely not," says Oren Etzioni, director of the Turing Centre at the University of Washington in Seattle. But it does mean, he notes, that computers will be able to achieve vastly more than they can today. For a start, super-smart machines capable of answering questions in English (or any other natural language) will change search engines out of all recognition.

Long term, Watson"s progeny could help people sift through the thousands of possibilities they confront in their public and private lives, and come up with handfuls of appropriate recommendations—whether in medical diagnosis and treatment, legal precedents or investment opportunities. But we wil belive thatwhen we see it!

A City on Rails: A Rolling Master Plan by Jagnefalt Milton

2011-02-20T00:00:00Z

Swedish architecture firm by Jagnefalt Milton has recently been awarded third prize for 'A Rolling Master Plan', for their proposed development for the idea competition organised by the Norwegian city of Andalsnes and the National Association of Norwegian Architects.

"We are really happy that the jury took our proposal serious, its not only a good proposal which we are very proud of, it´s also fully doable," says Carl Jägnefält one of the two founders of Jägnefält Milton.

The design utilizes new and existing train tracks to create a diverse system where buildings roll through the city on rails. This allows for the option to reorganize resources and layout in relation to the urban space required. The mobile flexibility allows the city to adjust for uses such as concerts, festivals, markets and seasonal changes.

The integration of mobile structures - including a rolling hotel, public bath and concert hall - has the potential to transform the city into a continually changing scenography.

Temporary, small-scale structures sets the 'city in motion', providing an important connection between the land and the sea.

The jury was impressed by the Swedish firm's proposals that did not propose new city blocks, public squares, boardwalks etcetera, but instead focused entirely on the existing rail road network and created something unexpected from it. They were also moved by the presentation material, which they thought had a surreal mood with a magic and Tarkovsky-esk atmosphere that contrasted well with the sober and technical plans and axonometric drawings.

For more information, please visit http://www.jagnefaltmilton.com/Site/Index.html

Skylifter: A UFO-like lighter-than-air heavy lift transporter

2011-02-13T00:00:00Z

Talk of a revival in lighter-than-air transport has been in the air for decades and while there have been a few concepts that have managed to get off the ground, the skies are still relatively clear of such craft.

Skylifter is one of the more interesting concepts being floated at present and two proof of concept models have already been successfully tested, with a third in development.

Based in Perth, Australia, Skylifter is intended to take over where helicopters leave off, with vertical pick-up and delivery capability of fragile or bulky items up to 150 tonnes.

The symmetrical discus UFO shape is designed so that Skylifter does not have to face into wind to be stable.

Lift is provide by envelopes of lighter than air gas like helium and propulsion comes from Cycloidal propellers look like paddle-wheels. As they turn the blades pitch in a synchronised way under collective control (similar to helicopters). This enables the resulting thrust to be quickly vectored in any radial direction under full power. The main benefit is rapid response for precision control in any 360 degree direction.

Advantages of Skylifter over large helicopters include higher payload, flight durations of days not hours, minimal energy use when hovering and no noise/dusts/downdraft.

Skylifter is basically an aerial crane that can transport large self-contained accommodation modules, equipment, freight and loads that are currently impossible to pick up and fly.

Later plans include a flying SkyPalace for luxury air-cruising. SkyPalace promises guests "a unique air cruising experience over land, flying at a comfortable low altitude and slow speed with minimal drama." says their website "There is even an outdoor roof terrace, ideal for an evening promenade before dinner to sample the perfume of the night air."

Skylifter should be able to take building or loads like these to the most remote and inaccessible locations.

SkyLifter performance goals:

    • Able to pick up or set down a payload of 150 tonnes directly with vertical lift (as a crane) essentially unaided, without landing
    • Free flight operation for periods typically not less than 24 hours
    • Cruise airspeed 45knots (83 km/h)
    • Therefore normal range of operation at least 2000km (no wind)
    • Positions for 2 pilots, although single pilot operable
    • Able to operate in confined spaces (minimum circle 3x SkyLifter diameter)
    • Able to takeoff and land at its operational site without complex ground infrastructure
    • Able to transit directly without external assistance
    • Able to withstand storm conditions whilst moored under gusting winds of 80knots (148 km/h)
    • Able to be assembled, inflated, setup and maintained at an operating site without a hangar
    • Environment-friendly and able to operate in most environments (hot/cold, wet/dry)

For more information, please visit http://skylifter.com.au/index.php

Antrepo shows that Less can be More in Design

2011-02-06T00:00:00Z

A simple definition of design agency Antrepo might be changing perceptions with a dose of minimalism; however they describe themselves as being a design warehouse providing new formulas for a better tomorrow.

One of Anthrepo's latest projects was all about simplicity and trying to find alternate minimalist versions of internationally recognized products.

Which of the three options do you prefer?
1. Original variation
2. Simple variation
3. Even simpler variation

You can have your say on which designs you prefer on the Antrepo Blog

And looking how Antrepo promotes their team (above) on their website, we cannot but be reminded of the MB&F Friends

For more information, please visit www.antrepo4.com/

What happens when you pop a balloon full of water with a pin?

2011-01-30T00:00:00Z

Edward Horsford describes himself as a creative, a designer, a photographer and a technologist living in London, who likes to hack, break, and make.

And Edward likes to take photos of water-filled balloons bursting.

The photos are snapped at the point of explosion when the balloon's skin breaks open.

The result appear to show the impossible of a hand or hands holding an obedient ball of gravity-defying water.

Horsford explains that the camera is the least important part of the shots, the trick is in the timing of the flash.

He sets a timer on his camera, which takes a relatively long exposure of around two seconds and then hopes that his sound-triggered flash fires within that time.

When it all come together the results are sensational.

We cannot help but image where all of that water ends up once gravity reasserts itself!

For more images and information, please visit http://edwardhorsford.com/

A Walk on the Wild Side of Motorcyles

2011-01-23T00:00:00Z

The AMD World Championship of Custom bike building is the Olympics of hand-made motorbikes and boasts some of the most creative designers and engineers on the planet.

These bikes are the two-wheeled equivalent to MB&F's Horological Machines!

Here are the top three laureates of the 2010 World Championship

                                 Veon set as long wheelbase cruiser

1st (by quite a long way) the "Veon" by Krugger Motorcycles from Belgium.The Veon features a unique electronically adjustable frame system that, at the flick of a switch, the V-Rod engined bike can be transformed from a low-riding cruiser with long rake to sport bike mode with a shorter wheelbase and steeper rake.

The radical machine even has two sets of foot controls to match each style of riding.

                               Veon transformed into short wheelbase racer

                          Video showing how the Veon adjusts modes

                                                    The Sniper

2nd the incredible "Sniper" by Thunderstruck by Custom Bikes from the USA. The Indian Powerplus motor used in the bike has had the inlet and outlet ports reversed with the heads welded and machined to allow the correct sized valves to be operated by the reverse grind cam.

3rd "The Machine" by Yuri Shif from Belarus. Yuri Shif, the proprietor of Yuri Shif Customs took inspiration from German '30s race cars for the styling of his long, low bike and then took the German influence even further by joining two early BMW Boxer engines at the cranks.


Not satisfied with the engineering needed to achieve that feat he then reversed the rear pair of heads to allow him to feed all four inlet ports via a supercharger.

                                                      The Missing Link

But a bike that really grabbed our attention took 10th place in 2009: The Missing Link by RK Concepts from Texas. The Missing Link uses its engine as a stressed component of the frame and massive welded chain links as the backbone of the frame.

         But do you really want your seat this close to that massive spinning wheel?

For more information, please visit http://www.amdchampionship.com/

Horological Machine No.2 - The Final Editions

2011-01-15T00:00:00Z

First launched in 2008, Horological Machine No2 revolutionized the world of haute horlogerie with its distinctive rectangular shape, flying buttresses, dual portholes and modular construction. The crystal-clear sapphire case of HM2-SV then took the revolution even further by offering unprecedented visual access into the meticulously hand-finished, 349-component engine powering the indications on HM2's iconic twin dials.

But all good things come to an end and, after three very successful years, Horological Machine No2 takes one last bow on center stage with two final limited editions of 18 pieces each, both featuring sapphire cases: HM2-Black SV and HM2-Red SV close the HM2 collection, thus ensuring its exclusivity.

HM2-Black SV features a sapphire case, black dials and a black PVD titanium baseplate that makes a strongly contrasting backdrop for the unique architecture of the HM2 Engine inside, which is framed by an electric green rubber gasket clearly visible through the transparent top. Turning the watch over reveals yet another splash of colour from the vivid green 22K gold winding rotor.

HM2-Red SV has its sapphire case black dials mounted on a regal red gold baseplate. The black dials, black rubber gasket and the rich red of the caseback provide a stunning juxtaposition with HM2's silver Engine. Turning the watch over rewards the viewer with the sight of MB&F's signature 22K red gold battle-axe rotor complimenting the red gold of the caseback.

Synthetic sapphire watchcases are extremely rare for good reason. While sapphire retains its strength at high temperatures, has zero porosity and (below 300°C) does not react to acids, the very properties that make it so attractive also make it extremely difficult to mill, requiring sophisticated (and expensive) diamond tools to machine, followed by careful polishing to turn the opaque freshly cut or drilled surface transparent. The complex, three-dimensional form required for HM2-SV's case, with its bevels, mounting holes, porthole cut-outs and embedded gasket track, pushed the limits of sapphire technology beyond what was thought possible. No less than 55 hours of milling, drilling and polishing are required just to create each sapphire case.

While both new final models are derived from the original HM2-SV, each has its own very distinctive identity. HM2-Black SV and HM2-Red SV are limited editions of 18 pieces (each)

For more information, please click here or visit www.MBandF.com

The Mind Blowing Campagna T-Rex

2011-01-09T00:00:00Z

While there is no denying that we love high-tech gadgets and fast vehicles here on A Parallel World, the quest for the latest and greatest does mean that some of the dreams we feature are just that, 3D computer virtualisations of - at least as yet -unrealised dreams.

But the Campagagna T-Rex isn't just a computer model or a prototype, it has been in production for more than a year now. It's REAL!

The Campagna T-Rex is a 2-seater, 3-wheeled motorcycle created by Canadian auto/bike builder Campagna Corporation in Quebec. It features a Kawasaki 1.4L, 4-cylinder engine produces 197 bhp enabling it to accelerate from 0–97 km/h (0-60 mph) in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 253 km/h (157 mph).

Although classified as a motorcycle, the interior accommodates two passengers side-by-side, with adjustable seat backs, foot-pedal box, and 3-point retractable safety belts.

With modern Formula Racing inspired design, lightweight fiberglass body panels, low center of gravity, wide stance, long wheelbase, sequential six-speed transmission and even a reverse gear, the Campagna T-Rex appears to have it all, despite its hefty $53,000 price tag, but as the video below shows, the trike does have a few limitations.

While it may have its flaws, the world of fast cars and bikes is richer for Campagna T-Rex existing at all. Grab your helmet and go!

For more information, please visit www.campagnamotors.com

Zeal's High-Tech Ski Goggles with Heads Up Display

2011-01-02T00:00:00Z

This winter has barely begun and already much of the world has suffered due to usually large snowfalls. But while those of you stuck in airports may missed, every snow-laden cloud has a silver lining, and in this case, the silver-lining is what is shaping up to be a truly great ski season.

Now that snowboards and carving skies are mainstream and the iPad is better left in the chalet, the gadget-obsessed having trouble finding something suitable for the slopes need look no further than Transcend goggles from Zeal Optics. The world's first GPS sensor rich eye candy logs speed, distance (horizontal and vertical), stopwatch, altitude, temperature and time.

And, if the wearer wishes, all in real time . . . although hopefully while paying more attention to reality than virtual reality. Naturally a USB port enables all data to be overlaid on a map and shared with friends.

They didn't even have anything like this on Star Trek!

For more information, please visit www.zealoptics.com

We wish you a very Happy New Year in 2011!

2010-12-31T00:00:00Z

To all our Friends and their families we wish you a wonderful, creative, passionate and very Happy New Year from all of the MB&F team!

click image for larger photo

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

2010-12-26T00:00:00Z

The power of the word "passion" is diluted these days because it has too often been used in the context of things that are anything but.

However, true passion shines through and - luckily for us - can be found in some surprising places, including an apparently simple cup of coffee.

Sipping a great espresso is one of life's gastronomic pleasures. And that pleasure is amplified many times over when the coffee has been prepared by a truly passionate barista who not only knows every intimate detail of his craft, but is also willing to share his knowledge with us.

This video was created for Intelligentsia Coffee and featured on The Department of the 4th Dimension

35 year old Apple computer sells for $210,000 at Christie's auction

2010-12-19T00:00:00Z

$210,000 for a 35 year old computer with a less-than-mind-blowing 8K bytes of RAM memory (not even enough for a one page Word document file) seems a bit steep. Especially as, while it was advertised in its day as being only "personal computer" on the market with a fully assembled motherboard, that did mean that the user still had to purchase separately a keyboard, power supply, case and display.

And believe it or not, this was consider a turnkey computer in its day as the only other options available for home computing at the time were to completely assemble everything from scratch, including the motherboard.

The computer sold at auction wasn't just any number cruncher however, this was one of the original Apple 1 personal computers, hand built in 1976 by Apple founders by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and it was designed, manufactured and sold from the garage of Steve Jobs's parents.

The $210,000 computer came complete with its original packaging and a letter answering technical questions about the computer, which was signed by Apple co-founder and current Chief Executive, Steve Jobs.

The packaging comes with a return label showing Steve Jobs" parents address, whose garage was the first Apple Computer Inc. registered headquarters and the invoice shows "Steven" as the salesman.

It originally sold for $666.66 (excluding keyboard, power supply and screen)

Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs in the garage of Job's parents

Present at the auction was none other than Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer. "Today my heart went out as I got to see things auctioned off like the Turing documents and the Enigma machine and the Apple I," Woz told journalists right after the auction. "It really was an important step – I didn"t feel that way when I designed it. … I"m very delighted for the gentleman who purchased it." The Turing documents he speaks of are writings by British mathematician Alan Turing, and the Enigma is a historic German code-making machine.

It is believed that 30-50 of the original Apple 1 computers may still exist today.

So now you have another excuse not to throw out all of that rubbish under the stairs and remember, if you receive a new Macbook, iPhone or iPad this Christmas, don't through away the old one!

The miniature art of Willard Wigan is so small it can fit inside the eye of a needle

2010-12-12T00:00:00Z

Willard Wigan"s micro-sculptures have been described as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" and have proved that in the art world something very small can be very big News. These extremely detailed micro-sculptures are so small that they cannot be seen without the use of a high-powered microscope.

There may be many rich men who are happy to see camels passing through teh eye of a needle

The journey to becoming a micro-sculptor began in Wigan"s childhood, where he struggled with his schooling because of dyslexia. Wigan wanted to create something that would allow him to escape the harsh criticism of his teachers (he still has trouble reading and writing). As his works evolved, Willard gained respect and notoriety from fans and critics alike.

The subjects of Wigan's work range from popular culture to architecture and the sculptor often refers in his work to other artists and historical events. Amongst his most famous works are a minute reproduction of Michelangelo's David, carved out of a single grain of sand and a miniature version of the Lloyd's Building in London.

On average it takes Wigan about eight weeks to complete one sculpture and there is an enormous personal sacrifice involved in his working process. Because the works are so minute, the pulse of the artist's finger could easily destroy the entire work. Wigan therefore has to control his nervous system to ensure he does not make even the tiniest movement. Wigan, when working, enters a meditative state in which his heartbeat is slowed, allowing him to reduce any hand tremors and work between heartbeats.

To carve his figures, Wigan uses surgical blades or hand-made tools, (some of which are custom made out of a sharpened microscopic sliver of Tungsten), which he makes by attaching a shard of diamond to a pin. The sculptures themselves are made of a wide range of materials. Wigan uses for instance nylon, grains of sand, dust fibres, gold and spider's cobweb, depending on the demands of the piece he is working on. To paint his creations, Wigan often uses a hair from a (naturally) dead housefly, stressing that no flies are killed for or during the artistic process.

Wigan has recently created a miniature sculpture representing the Obama family and has carved a statue of astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the eye of a needle, in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the lunar landing.

Works can be as small as 0.005 mm (0.0002") and some of his most recent works do not exceed the size of a human blood cell. In July 2007 Willard Wigan was honoured by HRH the Prince of Wales with an MBE for his services to art.

Private owners of Wigan"s work include Prince Charles, Sir Elton John, TV star Simon Cowell, and Mike Tyson.

For more information, please visit http://wiganart.com/

Move over Hawkeye, Ctrus is coming

2010-12-05T00:00:00Z

While we prefer actual over virtual inventions here on A Parallel World, there are times when an idea is just too good to wait for. This high-tech soccer ball called Ctrus, which takes the guess work out of refereeing, is one of them.

Winner of the prestigious, Red Dot Award for design, Ctrus is a sensor-rich football that lights up in different colours when it"s out of bounds, scores a goal, or falls victim to a foul.

Ctrus also has a camera, plus speed and positioning sensors to add to the games statistics.

The concept ball is full of GPS and RFID chips in a skeletal structure, which is covered in a reinforced-elastic mesh having the same bounce characteristics of a standard soccer ball . . . all without air.

Ctrus has the potential to substantially change soccer for the better as the referring is often passionately disputed

While Ctrus would not eliminate the role of referees altogether - RFID and GPS cannot determine whether a player deliberately pulls another's ponytail - it can significantly minimise error.

Might Ctrus manage to make "The Beautiful Game" even better looking?

For more information, please visit http://destroyafteruse.com/ctrus/gallery

Andreas Verheijen engineers flowers

2010-11-29T00:00:00Z

Andreas Verheijen is a certified Master Florist and accredited member of AIFD, the American Institute for Floral Designers.

But he is much more than a talented florist, Verheijen is a "Flower Engineer".

Verheijen was born and raised in Zundert, a major Dutch flower centre, so studying and working in botany was natural to him.

After working in Great Britain for 16 years as the floral sales executive for Harrods" in London, as well as having had his own flower shop, Verheijen returned to The Netherlands where he now works as a freelance floral designer and flower engineer.

Verheijen sculpts botanical displays in the same fashion as a sculptor working with wood or clay, i.e. by revealing the natural beauty of the medium. But with his flower engineering, Verheijen goes much further than nature, by crafting what looks like colourful genetically engineered hybrids. Verheijen sees engineering as an ongoing project to create flowers, not simply arrange them.

For more information, please visit www.andreasverheijen.com

Turning waste plastic into oil by Blest

2010-11-21T00:00:00Z

When we first came across a report earlier this year about inventor Akinori Ito's machine that turned waste plastic into oil, we were skeptical. Since then, Ito has licienced his technology to Blest, a company that is now making the machines, and they have successfully demonstrated a number of different sized machines.

While transforming lead into gold was a quest that eluded alchemists for centuries, turning scrap plastic into oil is a worthy modern day substitute and it is likely to be just as rewarding, cetainly ecologically if not financially.

Blest is a Japanese company manufacturing a range of machines that recycle plastic and transform it into oil. In a process that uses mainly heat and pressure, the machines take the waste plastic and in a few hours produce unrefined oil, which is composed of kerosene, diesel, gasoline, and heavy oils.

This oil can be either used immediately for industrial machinery, incinerators, etc. Since the oil resulting from the machines is unrefined, Blest also manufactures machines to refine the oil for use in other applications, e.g. running your car.

To put the enromity of the plastic problem into perspective, it is estimated that up to 7% of the world's total annual oil production is used to produce and manufacture plastic - that's equivalent to the fuel consumption of the entire African continent for one year.

Blest claims that their machines can turn one kilo of plastics into one liter of oil with approximately 1 kW of electricity.

Blest" conversion technology is claimed to be very safe as it uses electric heater with temperature control rather than heating with a naked flame. The machines can process polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene (2-4); however, can not yet convert PET bottles back into oil yet.

Blest's current tabletop model can convert one kilo of plastic into one liter of oil, and sells from $9,500.

For more information, please visit www.blest.co.jp/englishcatalogue.html

MARS - Maggen Air Rotor System - generates high-flying power

2010-11-14T00:00:00Z

"There is enough energy in high altitude winds to power civilization 100 times over; and sooner or later, we're going to learn to tap into the power of winds and use it to run civilization." Says Ken Caldeira, Professor of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Wind energy in itself isn't a novel concept, but the MARS Turbine (Maggen Air Rotor System) literally puts a new (high altitude) spin on conventional wind turbines.

Designer Fred Ferguson (pictured above) created MARS as an energy source for remote areas that need consistent power but lack resources to build a large wind turbine. MARS is essentially a rotating blimp with fins, flying at altitudes of 300m/1,000' and connected to the ground by a tether/energy conductor.

MARS uses magnetic induction to produce energy, just like conventional wind turbines, but the difference comes with increased altitude. Catching wind 250m/800' higher than conventional turbines where there is greater wind speed, provides MARS with more energy. Another advantage of MARS is that it works from speeds as low as 12km/hr (7mph) and as high as 100km/hr (63mph) compared to convential turbines that have to shut down at speeds of half that.

MARS is a lighter-than-air tethered wind turbine that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, generating electrical energy. This electrical energy is transferred down the 300m/1000' tether for immediate use, or to a set of batteries for later use, or to the power grid. Helium sustains MARS and allows it to ascend to a higher altitude than traditional wind turbines. MARS rotation also generates the "Magnus effect" which provides additional lift, keeps the MARS stabilized, and positions it within a very controlled and restricted location.

The Advantages of MARS over Conventional Wind Turbines is that it removes placement limitations. High altitude winds means that coast-line or off-shore locations are not necessary and the generation can be placed closer to teh grid. MARS is mobile and can be rapidly deployed, deflated, and redeployed without the need for towers or heavy cranes.

A new solution to providing clean reliable energy and the more option we have, the better off we will be.

For more information please visit www.magenn.com

Shinya Kimura, creator of Zero bikes and Tony Stark's motorbike in Iron Man

2010-11-07T00:00:00Z

To download the film in full HD click shinya kimura @ chabott engineering

Director Henrik Hansen created this short film about artisan motorcycle maker Shinya Kimura, founder of Zero Engineering and the Zero-Style bike, known for its rigid gooseneck,pre-'84 Harley engine, bare metal, spoked wheels and springer front.

Kimura's bikes are inspired by the Japanese wabi sabi philosophy of austere refinement. Kimura left Zero to launch his new design studio, Chabott Engineering in California, and his bikes were featured in the 2008 Iron Man film.

In his 25 year career in the motorcycle world, Kimura started his own small repair shop named Chabo in 1992, then launched Zero in Japan. Chabo means "bantam rooster" in Japanese and, to Kimura, it means "back to basics".

With the rebirth of Chabott engineering,Kimura continues his exploration of metal and rubber, not merely building custom motorcycles but creating functional art by infusing his philosophy and aesthetic values into his sculpturally unique and rolling designs.

For more information please visit www.chabottengineering.com and their Blog shinyakimura.blogspot.com/

ARES, the first plane designed to fly on another planet!

2010-10-31T00:00:00Z

The science and technology of developing a new airplane these days are fairly well understood. Computer simulations of the surfaces, materials, shapes and atmosphere can pretty much guarantee that how a plane flies in the program will not be far off how it flies in real life.

But imagine designing a plane to fly on Mars. Well the ARES project is doing just that. While the acronym ARES - Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey of Mars - looks more than a little forced, the name is appropriate as "Ares" was the Greek God of War and "Mars" was the Roman God of war (who the Romans identified with Ares)

ARES is planned to expand upon the Viking, Mars Global Surveyor, Odyssey, Mars Express, and Mars Exploration Rover discoveries, by providing a window into the structure and evolution of the Mars atmosphere, surface, and interior. ARES is designed to return critical science data across up to 610 km of diverse terrain in one of the most scientifically intriguing regions of Mars: the Southern Highlands.

ARES has three science goals:

Crustal Magnetism: ARES enables an improved understanding of the detailed nature of crustal magnetism on Mars and modeling of Mars' crustal evolution, tectonic history and the chronology of its dynamo.

Atmospheric Boundary Layer Composition, Chemistry and Dynamics: ARES enables an improved understanding of the near-surface atmospheric composition, chemistry and dynamic behavior, and the chemical coupling between the surface and atmosphere, with unprecedented accuracy and range.

Near-Surface Water: ARES enables an improved understanding of water equivalent hydrogen abundance and its relationship to inferred near-surface water and hydrated minerals.

From its unique vantage point 1.5 km above the surface of Mars, ARES will target and explore up to 610 km of diverse terrain in the Southern Highlands. Science data will be returned to Earth on the day of flight for immediate scientific review and public dissemination.

ARES' airplane has been developed to autonomously complete a pre-planned science survey. It accommodates Mars environment uncertainty through its robust stability and control performance. The ARES mission implementation strategy includes flight-proven systems, large margins, and a successful, ongoing airplane deployment assurance program to achieve both mission flexibility and low risk.

A 50% scale model has already flown from a 30,000m/100,000' high altitude balloon

Full video of Joel Levine, planetary scientest and the Ares project's principle investigator, explaining on TED why we should go back to Mars, highlighting intriguing new discoveries, craters full of ice, traces of ancient oceans, and some compelling hints of life in the presence and the past.

For more information, please visit http://marsairplane.larc.nasa.gov

Pianist Liu Wei wins 'China's Got Talent'

2010-10-24T00:00:00Z

While there doesn't appear to be anything unusual about a pianist winning a musical talent show, it becomes a more impressive feat when you lean that the pianist in question has no arms and plays with his feet.

While playing hide and seek with friends when he was 10 years old, Liu was accidently electrocuted and had to have both arms amputated. His mother pushed him to do as much for himself as he could, because she realised that there would not always be somebody around to help Lui.

At 18, he decided to teach himself the piano because he had a dream to be a professional musician. A year later a piano teacher quit saying it was impossible and while there are pieces that Lui cannot play because his toes cannot span octaves, he has well and truly proved that teacher wrong.

At his audition in August 2010 for "China's Got Talent", Luis played a perfect performance of French pianist Richard Clayderman's "Mariage D'amour" and became not just a Chinese but an international hero.

And recently Liu won the entire competition with a tear-jerking and inspiring performance of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful"-complete with English-language singing-in front of a capacity audience at Shanghai Stadium.

"For people like me, there were only two options. One was to abandon all dreams, which would lead to a quick, hopeless death; the other was to struggle without arms to live an outstanding life," he said.

Liu's decision to live an outstanding life has enriched our own.

Super Mamika! by photographer Sacha Goldberger.

2010-10-17T00:00:00Z

In December 2006, French photographer Sacha Goldberger found his 91-year-old grandmother Frederika feeling bit lonely and depressed. The cure he suggested was that he shoot a series of photos of her in unusual costumes, poses, positions and locations.

While initially reluctant, Frederika blossomed into a wonderful humorous muse and the resulting images are both touching and crazy!

Goldberger's portraits not only cheered up Frederika no end, they led to an exposition titled Super Mamika at the Wanted Gallery in Paris running until November 30th 2010 and to a book called Mamika.

For more information, please visit www.sachabada.com

Warning: we strongly encourage you to try something like this yourself at home, without adult supervision

Paris 26 Gigapixels: Paris as you have never seen it before

2010-10-10T00:00:00Z

Shot on September 8th, 2009 (after 16 months of waiting for the right weather), Paris 26 Gigapixels is the name of the biggest assembled panoramic image of the world. A gigapixel is 1 billion pixels! The image is a stitching of more than 2000 individual photos.

On the Paris 26 Gigapixels website, everyone can visit Paris and see all of the famous monuments of the French capital: the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, Beaubourg, Notre Dame de Paris, and many more. And that's to the incredible high-resolution of the image, you can zoom in and marvel at the smallest details.

Step 1: Setting up the equipment

Making this incredible image possible were: Arnaud Frich, one of the most famous panoramic photographers in France; Martin Loyer who travelled throughout the city taking photos that the main camera could not see; and Kolor, a young innovative French company that has become the reference in the image-stitching solutions.

The video above shows what is possible on the Paris 26 Gigapixels website, but it's much more fun to try it our for yourself.

Website http://www.paris-26-gigapixels.com/index-en.html

Click to learn: how he did it by photographer Arnaud Frich learn more about the project and/or visit the project's Blog

Hopefully other cities will follow.

The World's Scariest Job?

2010-10-03T00:00:00Z

Antennas and aerials are usually placed as high as possible so that their transmissions are distributed as far as possible with the fewest masts and towers.

To get as high as possible for the least amount of work and expense, engineers usually make full use of existing tall buildings, hills and mountains, or the topography of the countryside.

But sometimes you have any of the above and have to create attitude with a high mast.

Sometimes you need a very high mast.

Sometimes you need a very, very high mast.

And sometimes somebody has to go up the mast to fix something.

324m/1063' = The Eiffel Tower
443m/1453' = The Empire State Building
539m/1768' = the mast in the video below

An elevator takes the two climbers to 488m/1,600', which leaves a short assent of only 51m/167'.

How hard can an 8 minute climb of just 51m/167' possibly be?

We recommend you grab yourself a cup of coffee and find out. It is well worth watching to the very end.

Thru Religion: A Shadow Cloud

2010-09-26T00:00:00Z

Thru Religion is a Shadow Cloud by the Swiss team of Drzach (architect/designer) & Suchy (crytographer/software engineer).

A shadow cloud is a three-dimensional object consisting of multiple shadow-casting elements seemingly-randomly arranged in three dimensions so that, depending on the direction of illumination, the shadow of the cloud displays various images encoded in it.

The idea of shadow clouds can be summarized as the changing shadow cast by flat, thin elements with the changing direction of illumination. Elements perpendicular to illumination cast clear shadows, while the shadows of elements parallel to illumination are practically invisible.

Moreover, the elements perpendicular to the illumination can be shifted along the illumination without changing the overall shadow cast by all the elements allowing for a random, cloud-like placement of elements in space.

A video explains more than words.

More on how shadow clouds work

It will be interesting to see how Drzach & Suchy extend and apply the idea. Apparently they are working on a larger installation that will display an entire three-word message and they are also considering using tiny solar panels as building blocks to allow the clouds to turn and adjust to the light source.

For more information, please visit www.drzachsuchy.ch

Umbrellas. Now why didn't we think of that?

2010-09-19T00:00:00Z

We like to provide you with an eclectic mix of art, technology and humour here on A Parallel World and over the years we have covered a great many subjects, but one. Yes, you guessed it: umbrellas. For some reason this fascinating, compelling and extremely practical device has completely escaped our attention.

But never fear, thanks to The Cool List, we are in a position to rectify our omission with more interesting brollies than you can shake a wet stick at.

The umbrella can be traced back thousands of years, but we do not know where it was invented it; perhaps Rome, Egypt, China or the Middle East. It's been depicted in historical texts, images and carvings 1000s of years old and while we may take it for granted in this high-tech age, when it is raining what would we do without the humble umbrella.

But as you will soon see, the humble umbrella doesn't always have to be humble.

The LightDrops umbrella was designed by Sang-Kyun Park and it turns rain into light by using a conductive membrane called PDVF that converts the kinetic energy of the falling water into electricity . So while you're singing in the rain, you are also generating renewable energy that makes you more visible to cars

On seeing the Tandem Umbrella we immediately thought, "Why didn't anybody think of that before?" Two people under a normal umbrella and one of you is going to get wet. The Tandem solves this by adding two handles and two canopies that are joined together to allow a rain-bound couple to have equal protection. Great idea, but how does it fold up?

The problem with having an umbrella at home is that you often never know if you might need it or not. Imagine then if your umbrella could let you know if it might be a good idea to take it along when rain is likely? The weather forecasting umbrella can by connecting to your wi-fi connection for real-time weather data, which is displayed by an illuminated translucent handle that glows blue when rain is approaching. Forget, "Red sky at night . . ." and look out for "Blue handle in the morning."

While they are usually effective even in heavy rain, even the largest umbrellas have trouble keeping you dry when it is both windy and rainy. That's the time to call on Superbrella, which is made of five clear umbrellas with rain-proof patches providing a bit of fresh air. With a long pair of boots you will be home dry no matter what the conditions.

The Senz smart umbrella has no frills and no smart technology, it's just simple and clever and just works better than your average umbrella. While traditional umbrellas are symmetrical, the wind, rain and your movement are all uni-directional. The Senz smart umbrella points itself into the wind like a windsock so it does not blow out and automatically positions itself to keep you as dry as possible.

At MB&f we salute innovation in all of its forms, especially those that help keep us dry!

Pixels: short film of New York being invaded by 8-bit creatures

2010-09-12T00:00:00Z

Pixels is a short animated film by Patrick Jean for One More Production about New York being invaded and attached by digital creatures.

One More Production is a Paris-based full-service visual effects company founded by English producer/director Benjamin Darras and partnered with Artistic Director Johnny Alves. The company specialises in supporting or creating visual effects for commercials and films and from time to time they create something for themselves to highlight their work.

Pixels has generated over 10,000,000 views in less than one month!

For more information (and more interesting films), please visit www.onemoreproduction.com

Stunning video of worldwide air traffic in 24 hours

2010-09-05T00:00:00Z

This is a 24 hour observation of all of the large aircraft flights in the world, condensed down to 1:11 minutes.

Seen from space, earth looks like a bee hive of activity. This video displays a satellite's view of air traffic flying around the world in a 24 hour period - the yellow dots are airplanes.??

Daylight moves from the east to the west as the Earth spins on its axis. You will see the flow of air traffic leaving North America and travelling through the night to arrive in the UK in the morning. ?

Then the flow changes as planes leave the UK in the morning to fly to America during daylight. The day commences in Australia.

Giant traffic-straddling bus

2010-08-29T00:00:00Z

Good public transport benefits everybody in big cities with dense populations. However, reconciling the trade-off between fast efficient mass-transit and ensuring car traffic moves smoothly isn't easy.

Bus lanes are a great idea . . . if you are in the bus. To the motorist, an empty lane - and they are usually empty - is just a waste of space.

Bus lanes speed up buses at the expense of cars, thus making bus travel more attractive while annoying millions drivers for whom the car is their only practical method of transport. Without bus lanes, cars have more of the road real estate at their disposal, but public transport becomes slower/less attractive so choking the roads with even more cars.

But imagine having it both ways, i.e. buses unhindered by cars, cars able to use the entire road? Well the Chinese Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment is developing a 3D Express coach that straddles the traffic lanes enabling cars to drive underneath it.

The 6m (20') coach will be powered by a combination of electricity and solar energy, and will be able to travel up to 60 kms/hr (35mph) carrying 1200 -1400 passengers.

A major benefit of the straddling bus is its short construction life cycle. It should only take a year to build 40 km compared with at least three years for a subway system. And the bus will not need the large parking spaces to load/unload passengers as it can stop virtually anywhere without impeeding traffic.

The first 200kms of track is set for construction in Beijing's Mentougou district in late 2010. The Chairman of the Huashi Future Parking Equipment company boasts it will take only a year and (and $73 million) to build the futuristic transportation system.

A tip of our hat to an innovative transport solution that should make (nearly) everyone happy.

Haruo Suekichi - Steampunk Watchmaker

2010-08-22T00:00:00Z

Steampunk is an oft abused term these days as every man and his gadget tries to jump on the fashionably retro-futuristic bandwagon; however, there is no doubting Japanese watchmaker, Haruo Suekichi's steampunk credentials. His timepieces are steampunk defined.If you are are sure what steampunk is, Suekichi's watches are it.

"Steampunk" is a sub-genre of the speculative science fiction popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in a world where steam power is widely used—usually the 19th century and often set in Victorian era England. Incorporating retro-futurism styles of fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells.

Leather, copper, technical-looking parts, tubes, dials, usual curves and impractical designs.Haruo Suekichi's watches have it all!

From an interview in Ping magazine, " . . . I made a watch for a guy with only one arm who couldn"t wear a watch at all before. When you slid in your arm, the watch on the arm snaps closed by itself. From that experience, I realised a watch can be any shape and it just opened up so many creative possibilities. I"m so spontaneous that whenever I think of something, every watch has an impulse behind it. The idea comes to me and I end up just forgetting about it because I"ve made so many."

Flashes of Jules Verne, influenced by Japanese manga comics, Suekichi"s finely crafted timepieces are the epitome of the futuristic vintage style that is steampunk .

Horiyoshi III: The Skin Carver

2010-08-15T00:00:00Z

Horiyoshi III is Japan"s undisputed tattoo master. He found his calling when, as a young boy at a public bathhouse, he first saw a Yakuza (Japanese gangster) sporting a full body tattoo—or "suit". He was inspired to have his own tattoo and visited the studio of his later master, Horiyoshi I, and at 25 became his apprentice.

Based in the suburbs of Yokohama, Horiyoshi works from a secluded, quiet atelier, crammed with skulls, Japanese Noh theater masks and even a dragon-print umbrella from Vivienne Westwood. His status as the most respected tattoo artist in Japan is confirmed by his adoption of his master"s honorific title, which he aims to pass down to his son, Kazuyoshi Nakano.

Horiyoshi considers each symbolic figure, dragon or floral motif as a component of one great masterpiece—for which clients will pay tens of thousands of dollars, making weekly, hour-long visits over the course of several years to obtain an indelible, corporeal artwork.

Horiyoshi for the most part draws the tattoos freehand on the body, using an electric needle for the outlines and traditional bamboo tools for filling in color.

"It"s important to remember that "Hori" means "to carve,"" says photographer Johnnie Shand Kydd, who made the film below about the living legend for NOWNESS. "They are called skin carvers because the process involves] sharpened bamboo being pushed again and again into the skin, creating gradations like you would in a brush stroke on a painting."

The designs stop sharply at the wrist and ankle and often a gap is left down the middle of the torso so that clients are able to entirely cover their bodywork, even when wearing a traditional kimono.

You can view a higher resolution version of the film on NOWNESS Skin Deep: Horiyoshi III

New T.27 city car by McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray

2010-08-08T00:00:00Z

Gordon Murray, world renowned car designer and the man behind the McLaren F1, has launched his latest creation, the T.27. In line with the times, the T.27 is no 1000bhp supercar, but an all-electric city runabout. There will also be a T.25 petrol version.

Said to represent a breakthrough in terms of weight, safety, useability and efficiency, the T.25 is a three-seater with a footprint that is considerably smaller than the likes of the Smart fortwo or Toyota IQ, a point reflected in its 575kg kerb weight.

Like the Smart car, the T.27 can be forward parked in spaces, its small dimensions - at 1.3m wide it's 26cm narrower than a Smartcar - meaning three can fit in the space it would take one conventional car to parallel park.

A unique single door design means that it is possible to get in and out of the car even when it is parked in close proximity to another, opening up the possibility of fitting two T.27s into one conventional single garage.

This tiny width also means that - in theory - two T.27s can drive side-by-side in the same direction in one traffic lane. That should be interesting.

Despite such diminutive dimensions the T.25 is said to be incredibly strong thanks to the use of materials and technology derived from Formula One racing.

Top Speed: 105kph
0-100kph: Less than 15 seconds
Range: 80 – 100 miles

"The iStream process used to produce the T.25/T.27 is a complete re-think on high volume materials, as well as the manufacturing process and offers a significant reduction in CO2 emissions over the lifecycle of the vehicles produced using it, compared with conventional ones," said CEO Gordon Murray. "The simplified assembly process means that an assembly plant can be designed to be 20% of the size of a conventional factory. This could reduce capital investment in the assembly plant by approximately 80%."

The T.25 is scheduled to go on sale in 2012, with the T.27 to follow.

For more information, please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com

MB&F celebrates its 5th birthday!

2010-08-04T00:00:00Z

In July, MB&F celebrated its 5th anniversary !

5 years of unbridled creativity. A fantastic human adventure with 4 amazing Horological Machines to prove to date what teamwork, passion and craftsmanship can do.

So here is a very cool logo created by GVA Studio to celebrate the occasion.

When you reach for the stars, the sky is the limit !

The playfully artistic world of Lomo photography

2010-08-01T00:00:00Z

We don't like to take ourselves too seriously at MB&F - we save serious for our watchmaking - and the same could be said for Lomo photography.

In 1991 a group of Viennese students discovered the Lomo Kompakt Automat when on holiday in Prague. This mass-produced Soviet camera was so cheap and easy to use that they shot rolls of film, ignoring the established rules of "serious" photography. The resulting snaps were often strange to look at, out of focus and, due to the character of the Lomo lens, garishly coloured. But they were wonderfully fresh and thanks to some clever marketing, the craze for Lomo spread worldwide.

Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, "happy accidents," and alternative film processing are often considered part of the "Lomographic Technique" Lomo photographers are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography document everyday life.

The Lomo LC-A's small size, simple controls, and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage, and following the 10 Golden Rules, with particular emphasis on No.10.
1. Take your camera everywhere you go.
2. Use it any time – day and night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.
4. Try the shot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don"t think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don"t have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
9. Afterwards either.
10. Don"t worry about any rules.

Since the introduction of the original Lomo LC-A, Lomography has produced and marketed an entire line of cameras, most designed to produce just a single photographic effect. For example, the Lomography Fisheye camera features a built-in wideangle lens and shoots fisheye-distorted photos.

Similar to the "Kodak moment," the Lomography motto of "Don't think, just shoot" presumes spontaneity, close-ups, and ubiquity, while deemphasizing formal technique.

Typical lomography cameras are deliberately low-resolution and inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks.

Today the Lomographic Society has embassies across the globe with Lomography.com as its base. Hundreds participate in international Lomo events and add to the ever-growing LomoWorldArchive.

Visit the Lomographic Society website to find out more about Lomo.

Can you help with "The Impossible Brief"?

2010-07-25T00:00:00Z

Challenges don't come much bigger than this. BBR Saatchi & Saatchi Tel Aviv have called upon the advertising community to help solve what could be the most difficult brief in the world: to end 60 years of conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The advertising world is used to tough demands from challenging clients - but none can quite top this brief from the Tel Aviv-based agency. Through the website theimpossiblebrief.com they are asking people worldwide to put their creative minds to good use and submit ideas on how to unite the Israeli and Palestinian communities.

"We are not naïve enough to think that The Impossible Brief will solve all the problems in the Middle East," explain creatives Eran Nir and Tomer Gidron, "however, what excites us about creativity is that one brief can lead to many different perspectives and creative solutions. In our agency group, the team includes both Israeli Jews and Arabs. Together, we wanted to create something we felt passionate about. We share the common vision of wanting to bring our two nations together and decided to open it up to the creative community to consider creative solutions on how to do this."

The initiative was launched at the Cannes Festival and grew from frustrations that, after six decades, political leaders have still failed to reach an acceptable diplomatic remedy. But after so many failed solutions, what do Nir and Gidron believe the ad industry can offer? "We view advertising as creative problem-solving," they say, "and the advertising community is home to some of the most creative minds in the world. We want to channel the creativity, innovation and the 'give-it-a-go' fearless attitude that is so characteristically found in this industry and see what the fresh perspective can bring."

The agency is looking for any "out of the box" inspiring ideas that have the potential to bring the two communities closer. Submissions can take any form - be it a written description, multimedia presentation or hand-drawn sketch - and the best will be presented to the Palestinian and Israeli parliaments. And if the thought of receiving a Nobel Peace Prize for your efforts isn't enough, the overall winner will also bag a free delegates pass to next year's Cannes Lions Festival.

You can follow the progess and take part in the discussion on Facebook and contribute your own great idea at theimpossiblebrief.com.

The Hotelicopter. Point to Point luxury

2010-07-18T00:00:00Z

In early April last year, the Blogosphere year bloomed with the announcement of a new super-luxurious mode of transport: Hotelicopter, the world's first flying hotel.

Based on a a giant Soviet Mil V-12 helicopter, of which there were only two made, the Hotelicopter featured 18 luxuriously-appointed rooms for those seeking a truly unique and memorable travel experience . . . and rich enough to afford a room.

The soundproofed rooms were equipped with a queen-sized bed, fine linens, a mini-bar, coffee machine, wireless internet access, and all the luxurious appointments you would expect from a flying five star hotel. Even room service was available between one hour after liftoff to prior to landing.

The very professional website was full of information, video and photographs, and informed that the Hotelicopter was due to fly its maiden journey on the 26th of June 2009.

There was even the tour program!

Inaugural Summer Tour - 14 days (Friday, June 26th, 2009 - Friday, July 10th, 2009)

California Tour - 14 days (Friday, July 17th, 2009 to Friday, July 24rd, 2009)

Bay/Jamaica, European Tour - 16 days (Friday, July 31st, 2009 to Sunday, August 16th, 2009)

And if there was any doubt that this baby didn't have the space or the power, the detailed technical specifications put those to rest.

Dimensions Length: 42 m (137 ft)
Height: 28m (91 ft)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 105850 kg (232,870 lb)
Maximum speed: 255 km/h (137 kt) (158 miles/h)
Cruising speed: 237 km/h (127 kt) (147 miles/h)
Original Mi Range: 515 km (320 mi)
Our augmented Mi Range - 1,296 km (700 mi)

Well if it all looked too good to be true, it was. Hotelicopter was first presented on the 1st of April, with the website url http://aprilfools.hotelicopter.com/ (two clues that most Bloggers missed) and was in fact a brilliant viral marketing campaign by Yotel, an short-stay airport hotel chain.

We doff our hats to Yotel for entertaining publicity, superbly executed.

For more information, please visit http://aprilfools.hotelicopter.com/

Presenting Horological Machine No. 4 Thunderbolt

2010-07-14T00:00:00Z

A traditional wristwatch has a relatively straightforward role: to tell the time. All that is needed is a hand for the hours, another for the minutes and perhaps a power reserve indicator to keep track of running time. Horological Machine No4 Thunderbolt has a hand for the hours, another for the minutes and a power reserve indicator. HM4 Thunderbolt tells the time.

HM4 Thunderbolt is not a traditional wristwatch.

The aviation-inspired case and engine of the Thunderbolt are one. Neither would, nor could, exist without the other, yet each is so transcendental as to be able to stand alone as a work of art in its own right.

The Thunderbolt's engine is the culmination of three long years of development. Each of the 300-plus components – including the regulator and even the screws – was developed specifically for this anarchistic calibre. Horizontally configured dual mainspring barrels drive two vertical gear trains, transferring power to the twin pods indicating hours/minutes and power reserve.

But describing HM4's engine through its mechanical functionality is like describing Renoir's work through the chemical composition of his paint. Only careful contemplation enables full appreciation, and the sapphire case section and display panels top and bottom allow full access to the flawless fine finishing of HM4's intricate and vibrant micro-mechanics.

The sleek aerodynamic form of the Thunderbolt's titanium and sapphire envelope has its roots in Maximilian Büsser's childhood passion for assembling model plane kits, though none looked remotely as futuristic as this. The striking transparent sapphire section of the case requires over 100 hours of machining and polishing to transform an opaque solid block of crystal into a complex, exquisitely curved panel allowing the light to come in and the beauty of Thunderbolt's engine to stand out. Every component and form has a technical purpose; nothing is superfluous and every line and curve is in poetic harmony. Articulated lugs ensure supreme comfort. Highly legible time is a fringe benefit.

To download the full press release, please click hm4_english.zip and for more photos and information, please check out the HM4 Thunderbolt section of our website

pCubee: showing you 3D . . . in 3D

2010-07-11T00:00:00Z

When we nomally watch something in 3D, we are generally viewing a flat 2D display like a screen or TV and seeing the image in 3D.

Engineers at the Human Communications Technology Lab at the University of British Columbia have developed pCubee, a three dimensional cube - from two dimensional flat LCD screens - that adjusts the 3D images based on your position. And motion sensors allow you to interact with the subject.

"Most people think 3-D is all about stereo and having alternating frames to help the brain perceive depth," says Sidney Fels, who leads the Human Communication Technologies Lab at the University of British Columbia, where the project was designed. "What we wanted to offer is a fish-tank-like experience in a handheld device."

"Our brains are wired to perceive motion parallax and interpret it as 3-D. "It"s one of the reasons why even if you have just one eye, you can do reasonably well with depth in the real world."

pCubee is only a research project at the moment, so you can't buy one just yet, but looking at the demonstration it appears to work well. The box has five flat display panels, each of which shows a different perspective of a 3D image. By rotating the box, you can see above, behind, or to the side of whatever's being shown, and even interact with the image using a stylus. The effect is achieved through a combination of motion detection and perspective-corrected images.

The pCubee has three graphics feeds that drive the screens on the sides of the box. A motion tracker monitors both the pCubee and the user"s head. The software that powers the device ensures that the user"s view of the box and the rendered perspective on each screen are in sync.

Cutting edge 3D technology and somebody thought that shaking cows around was the best way to demonstate it?

For more information, please visit http://www.cubee.ca/

Magic Wave kinetic sculpture by Reuben Margolin

2010-07-04T00:00:00Z

At MB&F we have an affinity for kinetic sculpture - just look at any of our Horological Machines - and we like our dynamic art in all sizes: from wrist wearable to museum installations.

An excellent example of teh latter was exhibited at the Swiss Center of Technorama near Zurich. Artist Reuben Margolin worked with museum staff to suspend 450 aluminum rods by 256 wires and connect 3,000 pulleys and sliding bars.

The resulting specimen is one of the most complex kinetic sculptures in the world and uses pure mechanics—not computer-controlled servomotors—to create almost limitless figurative shapes.

A net of 450 aluminium bars is transformed into a dynamic wave landscape powered by a marvellous mechanical mechanism that turns 4 circular movements into 4 sine waves of different wavelenghts, amplitudes and frequencies.

Reuben Margolin creates totally singular techno-kinetic wave sculptures using everything from wood to cardboard to found and salvaged objects. Reubens sculptures range from the small to the large, from motorized to hand-cranked and he focuses on natural elements from a single water droplet to a powerful ocean wirlpool.

For more information, please visit www.reubenmargolin.com

Force Dynamics 401 - the ultimate car simulator!

2010-06-27T00:00:00Z

Force Dynamics 401 uses motion simulation techniques that have been well-known for many years, but delivers forces with incredible performance and realism.

To provide any motion cues, the platform has to move. To accomplish this, multiple linear actuators are driven by a networked 3-axis digital servo drive. The actuator motors provide 3hp peak and 500lbs of peak thrust each; each actuator has 18" of travel. The trapezoidal strut shape, provides bracing, bridge-style, against the large lateral loads experienced during fast moves, allowing the machine to move faster and more reliably over time than comparable machines with standard tubular struts.

In the 401, the transfer of information is direct, and much closer to what you'd feel in a real car. And the large range of rotation, something you won't find even in extremely expensive 6DOF platforms, lets that rotation get closer to the amount you'd feel if you were actually driving, and by extension lets you feel problems even sooner.

The additional range also means a slower 'wash out' - the gradual return to center that keeps the machine from winding up like a tether ball - and so you're far less likely than in machines with 30 degrees or less of yaw to feel like you're spinning while heading down the straight.

So far so go, but what Force Dynamics found when they started testing the 401 was this: Not only is it important to feel the rotation of the car when you've broken the rear end loose, or in a four-wheel drift, but it makes an incredible difference even when the car's glued down to the road. The ability to feel the rotation of the car through the corner means that you know where you are in space; that sense of turning tells you even more than your eyes how close you are to the apex.

And what's it like to drive? See for yourself below.

You know you want one, I know I do!

For more information, please visit www.force-dynamics.com

The Beauty of Paper Art

2010-06-20T00:00:00Z

Paper used to be considered to be the primary medium for a writer's artistic expression; however, thoses times are long gone. These days scribes use computers and even e-ink to develop, record and distrubute their ideas.

There is though something very special about using "physical" paper that digital methods cannot replicate canvas - doodling just isn't the same unless its on paper.

But we should never forget just how flexible medium paper is. I isn't only writers who can use it to express their ideas, but painters and sculptors as well.

This incredible installation by Japanese artist Itou, the result of over four years of hard work,is complete with electrical lights and a moving train - all made of paper! Called, "The Castle On the Ocean", it is on display at Umihotaru, between Tokyo City and Chiba Prefecture

The Golden Swan by le Creativ Sweatshop

For more images and information, please visit /www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/29/the-beauty-of-paper-art/

The Deep Exhibition at the British Natural History Museum

2010-06-13T00:00:00Z

The British Natural History Museum is running an exhibition called The Deep about life in the very deep oceans.

Visitors enter the weird and wonderful world of life a depths down to 11,000 metres, which is less explored than the surface of the moon.

Many of the bizarre creatures, astonishing images and real specimens are on display for the first time

If you lived down here, you would look wierd too!

Microscopic animals rule the deep ocean in terms of numbers. Tiny and soft bodied, they are hard to see and to preserve and also to display in a realistic way. In the late 1800s Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka began making glass models of sea creatures. Some of these exquisitely delicate and acclaimed Blaschka models are on display.

One of the exhibition highlights is a life-size model of a walk-in submersible for visitors to investigate.

The largest of the deep sea giants is the giant squid, the biggest ever recorded is nearly 17 metres/56 feet long! The biggest Japanese spider crabs can have a leg span of up to 4 metres/13 feet.

In a fight between a giant squid and a sperm whale, who would win? Suspended up high in the gallery ceiling are models of both in simulated battle. No one has ever seen a battle between a giant squid and a sperm whale, but scientists have found evidence for these clashes.

The Deep exhibition runs from the 28th May to the 5th of September 2010. For more information, please visit www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/thedeep

MB&F June 2010 Newsletter

2010-06-06T00:00:00Z

Every new creation at MB&F is an occasion for celebration and the HM3 "Frog" serves to emphasise that rule! But we have many other reasons than the highly successful launch of the Frog to celebrate this month, including our presence in the Financial Times and the opening of our 16th retail partner, Manfredi in Greenwich (Connecticut).

HM3 Frog Unveiled
I have just returned from a hectic but incredibly successful 2-week world tour presenting the HM3 Frog and was humbled by the positive reaction and appreciation for this highly unusual piece. While this may be hard to believe, in early 2008 when I first held the prototype of the original HM3 in my hand, I truly thought it a very elegant timepiece and then and there I had a strong urge to morph it into a "wacky" version. HM3 Frog is pure fun, pure haute horlogerie, and pure Horological Machine.

The bulging eyes of the (amphibian) frog enable it to see in many directions without having to turn its head. In a similar, but opposite, way, the HM3 Frog's bulbous domes enables the wearer to be easily see the time from many angles without having to turn the wrist. The Frog differs substantially from HM3 in that it is the aluminum domes that rotate under the sapphire crystals in the Frog, whereas on HM3 it is the hour and minute hands that rotate around their stationary cones.

The Frog's unusual method of indicating time necessitated the development of a new gear train for the HM3 engine. This was for example because the aluminum hour dome of the Frog rotates in 12 hours compared to the 24 hour revolution of the HM3 hour hand. And as the oversized date wheel is driven from the hours, the gearing driving the date had to be reworked as well.

HM3 Frog is available in Grade 5 titanium with blued rotor and a limited edition of 12 featuring black-coated titanium with green rotor. For more about the HM3 Frog

MB&F in The Financial Times
The FT is one of the world's most respected and influential newspapers so it was a very important day for our niche Concept Lab when the Financial Times devoted a full page article on MB&F. Haig Simonian, a seasoned economics journalist, who has interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs and CEO"s, appeared genuinely impressed and I highly recommend reading his article. Read the article (PDF 102 Ko)

MB&F at Manfredi
Roberto Chappeloni, the owner of Manfredi, is known as one of the most important retailers in the USA and as one of the nicest men in our Industry.
We are therefore extremely honoured and very pleased to have MB&F featured in his Greenwich (Connecticut) store from this week onwards. Manfredi becomes our 16th retail partner in the world. www.manfredijewels.com

5.300+ Fans on Facebook
For those who are interested in more informal information on a regular basis and becoming part of our vibrant circle of international Friends, please do not hesitate to join us on Facebook. There you can keep up with and discuss the latest news and see what others think and feel about our Horological Machines. Join MB&F on Facebook

While the first six months of the year will soon be over and has already seen MB&F present the HM2-SV, HM4 Engine and HM3 Frog, we intend to make 2010 a seminal year for our Horological Concept Lab, so please stay tuned for many more surprises to come!

With our very best regards,

Transformer apartment provides 24 rooms in one.

2010-05-30T00:00:00Z

Architect Gary Chang has lived in his small 32sqm (344 sq.ft) Hong Kong apartment for 30 years now, ever since he was 14 years old.

Because of severe space restrictions apartments in Hong Kong are small and expensive. Chang decided to design his apartment so that by sliding panels and walls it is able to change into 24 different designs.

He calls it the "Domestic Transformer."

The swinging hammock is in the center of a huge home theater setup

Virginia Gardiner described the apartment in the New York Times: "The wall units, which are suspended from steel tracks bolted into the ceiling, seem to float an inch above the reflective black granite floor. As they are shifted around, the apartment becomes all manner of spaces -- kitchen, library, laundry room, dressing room, a lounge with a hammock, an enclosed dining area and a wet bar."

Chang explains that his key idea is that everyone could look into their home more carefully and into how better to optimise their resources, because space is a resource. There is no use making your home as if it is a perfect show flat but at the same time never using the space.

Gary Chang has now written a book about his experiences in the apartment; he has lived in it since he was 14 and has renovated it five times. It's called My 32m2 Apartment, a 30 Year Transformation.

The Hornby Eagles - Reality TV at its best

2010-05-23T00:00:00Z

Even its most passionate fans would have a hard time describing Reality TV as anything more than mindless entertainment, and the word "webcam" is more often a synonym for voyeurism than education. But that changed in 2004, when Doug Carrick, of Hornby Island, BC, Canada, received permission to install - while the birds were away - a video camera for scientific and educational purposes.

Carrick first edited and distributed the footage via video tapes, then in 2006 he began streaming live.

View the live webcam of Hornby Island Eagles in nest (if screen is black it is probably night time).

It has been said that these are among the most watched live Internet streaming webcams anywhere.

The Hornby Eagles of Hornby Island, British Columbia are year-round residents of the island, leaving only to follow the salmon runs in late August; they return to their territory by early October.

This is the eagles 20th year of nesting. They have produced 17 eaglets to date. Assuming they were 6 years of age before their first year of nesting, they are now approximately 26 years of old. The oldest recorded age for eagles in the wild is 30 years.

Hornby Island is a small island on the west coast of British Columbia. It is located at the northern end of the Georgia Strait, a wonderful climatic zone between the 8,000-foot Coast Range Mountains and the 6,000-foot Vancouver Island Range – a trough providing a rain-shadow of lower precipitation. The Island Range also provides protection from Pacific storms.

For more information: www.wildearth.tv/static/wildearth/channels/we_hornby_eagles.html, www.hornbyisland.net/eagles.html, www.facebook.com/pages/Hornby-Eagles/

Xirrou - a robot that paints your walls to suit your mood

2010-05-16T00:00:00Z

Imagine, winter is over and you are bored with warm look of your lounge or bedroom. It's summer now and you would like something lighter and brighter to suit your mood. You vocalise a few ideas and perhaps show a few photos of what you have in mind to a scanner and from a hidden corner a strange high-tech spider-like creature hums into life and elegantly scuttles slowly across the scampers across the wall.

This is Xirrou, the painting robot, which is the brainchild of Austrian industrial designer, Christian Gumpold.

Xirrou is a 2-part artificial intelligent robotic system. The first component features a stamp on its lower side that measures 16 square-centimeters, allowing it to print artwork to the walls and ceilings. The second component of Xirrou carries 8 ink cartridges on its back and is hooked to the first half via an ink-supplying cable.

Xirrou is envisaged to be either autonomously creative or paint with external input. A choice or idea for a pattern or picture can be uploaded or you can throw caution to the wind and let Xirrou come up with something.

Each of Xirro's two components has 5 feet mounted around the central ring and each foot has 3 servo motor powered joints. Special adaptable plates are attached to each foot that enables climbing on the wall and ceiling (hopefully drip-free).

While Xirrou is just an idea for the present; however, another of Christian Gumpold designs, this one a 18m/58' motor yacht called the Sentori 58R, is actually under construction.

Blending art and technology is central to MB&F so here's hoping that it isn't long before we see Xirrou climbling and decorating walls in teh not too distant future.

For more information, please visit www.motioncodeblue.com

Lamps as Art

2010-05-09T00:00:00Z

It is easy to take the everyday objects we see around us for granted. Familiarity may not bring contempt;but it certainly can imbue an aura of invisibility. And the ubiquitous reading lamp is as familiar as they come - usually noticed more for the light they provide rather than as interesting objects in their own right.

But happily there are artists who have created lamps that express a statement, make us think, and that are interesting in themselves.

Icelandic designer Kristín Birna Bjarnadóttir has created a lamp she calls Illuminant, based on the idea of, "What goes around comes around."

The lampshade is made of reflective material normally used for safety clothing and hangs from the ceiling by fine fishing line. The ethereal threads hanging under the shade are cut from the same reflective material as the shade and give a good impression of a fluorescent jelly fish.

The light source is an LED on the floor with four coloured filters - red, violet, blue, brown - selected according to the mood you wish to convey.

For more information, http://www.kristinbirna.com/

Taking a more industrial approach, David Benatan, who is with the Demo design clinic in Tel Aviv, has designed a series of lamps called KOZO using plumbing parts.

The lamps are made of galvanised iron and are switched on and off using the tap.
The KOZO parts come from around the world and each bares the trademarks of its origin country. The materials are left raw and alive, with little authentic rust at the joints and the marks from hand tools that were used in the assembly process.

The DEMO / design clinic is a cooperation of 5 designers sharing a studio in Tel Aviv. Their ethos is to use ready made materials to and try to reduce manufacturing to zero. DEMO's basic assumption is that there are so many things at hand that everything that you need must have already been made for you, and sometimes it is "built in" another product.

For more information, www.kozo-lamp.com and www.demo-design.com

MB&F presents HM3 Frog

2010-05-05T00:00:00Z

MB&F presents Horological Machine No3 Frog. Haute horlogerie is (usually) a very restrained and serious business; however one of Maximilian Büsser main goals in creating MB&F was to bring a child's sense of awe and sense of playfulness into high-end watchmaking. There is no doubting that with the HM3 Frog, MB&F have certainly achieved that aim . . . and more!

The protruding eyes of the (amphibian) frog enable it to see in many directions without having to turn its head. The bulbous domes of the HM3 Frog have the opposite, but no less important, feature of enabling the time to be easily seen from many angles without having to turn the wrist. The Frog differs substantially from HM3 in that it is the aluminum domes that rotate under the sapphire crystals in the Frog, whereas it is the hour and minute hands that rotate around their respective stationary cones on HM3.

Rotating domes of this size and shape posed MB&F with a number of technical challenges. The hour and minute domes are machined from solid aluminium - chosen for its optimal strength to weight ratio. The domes weigh in at just over 0.5g. They are milled first from the outside and then the inside to arrive at a paper-thin wall thickness of just 0.28 mm, which reduces their energy requirements to an absolute minimum.

Even the fabrication of the semi-spherical sapphire crystal domes was incredibly demanding and only recently even possible at all. This is due to the fact that any slight imperfection in the sapphire might introduce a disconcerting magnification effect. The sapphire has to be shaped and polished to be perfectly uniform.

The Frog's unusual method of indicating time necessitated the development of a new gear train for the HM3 engine. This was because the aluminum hour dome of the Frog rotates in 12 hours compared to the 24 hour revolution of the HM3 hour hand. And as the oversized date wheel is driven from the hours, the gearing driving the date had to be reworked as well.

The Frog may portray the time in a playful manner, but there is nothing but serious and meticulous attention to detail and care regarding the fine hand-finishing of the high-tuned engine purring within its lightweight high-tech titanium case. A close inspection of the case is rewarded with carefully thought out detailing including a figure 8 engraved around the domes that mirrors the form of the display back(revealing dual ceramic bearings); distinctive clover-head white gold screws; and an engraved arrow discreetly indicating the easy to read over-sized date.

If the viewer's gaze manages to break away from the obiculate indications, it is likely to be arrested by the brightly-coloured 22K gold battle-axe winding rotor or the intricacies of the thoroughbred movement beneath.

The HM3 Frog is available in Grade 5 titanium with blued rotor or a limited edition of 12 featuring mark-resistant black-coated titanium with green rotor.

HM3 Frog: Don't jump to conclusions!

For more information, please download the HM3 Frog press release

International Sand Sculpture Festival

2010-05-02T00:00:00Z

Every year 250 tons of sand are transported to Rorschach, by Lake Constance/Bodensee in the north of Switzerland, for an international sand sculpture festival.

Ten international teams of two artists compete against each other and form the sand into impressive, enormous sculptures. The teams are selected from official quailfying competitions held all over the world.

It's seldom that viewers are able to get such an in-depth glimpse into how such works of art are made. After 6 days when the sculptures are finished, a jury makes its decision and awards the prizes.

Only the provided sand and water can be used for the sculptures. No power tools, binding agents or molds/forms/templates.

Depending on the weather, the sculptures remain standing for about 4 weeks after the competition.

The Rules of Sand Sculpting - and yes, there are strict rules

1. SAND: Sculptors are required to spray to protect their sculpture prior to judging. Sculptors are allowed in the plot to spray the finished sculpture at any time. (weather screen will be provided). Materials are sand and water only. No decorative materials or binders may be added. Only sand within the sculptor´s assigned plot may be used.

2. WATER: Water troughs and buckets will be provided. Buckets may be filled prior to the start but must be set outside the plot.

3. PLOT: Sculpture must remain inside the designated plot boundaries. Plots will be assigned to sculptors in advance of the event. All trash must be disposed of and each sculptor is responsible for cleaning up their own site. A minimum public thoroughfare of six feet / two meters must be maintained at all times around your site.

4. FORMS: *ll forms must be removed prior to judging. No sculptured form of any kind may be used. The entire sculpture must be finished 360 degrees in the round . All formed sand must be altered by hand. Forms can be placed and left on the plot prior to start. Forms will be provided by the event.

5. TOOLS: No powered equipment of machinery is allowed in the plot.*Sculptors must provide their own sculpting tools. Shovels and rakes will be provided. (Tampers will be in short supply). Please bring your own shovels and rakes, if possible. No templates or sculptured forms of any kind may be used.

6. HOURS:*Work start and stop times are not flexible. .

7. SIGNAGE: You must display a Title Sign of your piece prior to judging.(It can be prefabricated or carved in sand). Sculptors cannot display advertising, personal marketing, or sponsorship signage. Sculptor team names and nationality signs will be provided. Flag Etiquette is to be followed. The top flag on your tallest pole will be that of your host country.

8. HELPERS: Helpers cannot enter the sculptor´s plot except to assist with placing the forms.

Rorschach International Sand Sculpture Festival 7th - 14th August 2010. Exhibits until approx. mid-September 2010

For more information: www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch www.worldchampionshipofsandsculpting.com

Stunning Microscope Photography from Nikon's "Small World" Photo Competition

2010-04-25T00:00:00Z

Inaugurated in1975, the Nikon International Small World Competition is an annual international photomicrography contest dedicated to offering excellent photography taken through microscopes for ordinary people and heralding in the latest cutting-edge scientific technology.
This image of the male sex organ of a flowering plant took first place in Nikon"s 2009 annual Small World photomicrography competition. Courtesy of Nikon Small World.

Chosen for both its scientific and artistic qualities from among a record 2,000 entries, this image was captured by Estonian scientist Heiti Paves. "As part of my work as a research scientist, I have been taking photographs through the microscope for almost 30 years to observe the processes in living cells," Paves explained.

Winning the 2009 popular vote online out of 137 finalists was the image above of a bundle of fluorescent actin protein filaments captured by Dennis Breitsprecher of the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry at Germany"s Hannover Medical School. Courtesy of Nikon Small World

2008 winner above: Pleurosigma (marine diatoms) (200x), Darkfield and Polarized Light by Michael Stringer, UK. Courtesy of Nikon Small World

Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. For 35 years, Nikon has rewarded the world's best photomicrographers who make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science.

For all of the winners over the last 35 years: 35 Years of the World"s Best Microscope Photography

For more information www.nikonsmallworld.com

Message from the Gyre: Powerful and disturbing images from Chris Jorden

2010-04-18T00:00:00Z

Although the phrase "A picture is worth a 1000 words" often used, rarely has been so apt in this series of images by photographer Chris Jordan.

While many of us may now be aware of the the vast problem pollution causes in the oceans, especially plastics, "out of sight, out of mind" is perhaps anothe accurate adage. Chris Jordan brings the issue into sight with these very moving images.

These photographs of albatross chicks were made in September, 2009, on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young.

On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

To document this phenomenon as faithfully as possible, not a single piece of plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 3200kms/2000 miles from the nearest continent.

For more information, please vist www.chrisjordan.com

The incredible UK pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo

2010-04-11T00:00:00Z

Construction of the exterior of the sensational UK pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo has been completed. The Seed Cathedral is the centerpiece, with its 20-meter-high cube-like structure covered by 60 thousand slim, transparent acrylic rods, extending outward and quivering in the breeze.

Each rod contains seeds, symbolizing the UK's contribution to the Expo theme of "Better City, Better Life." Visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says the Expo aims to demonstrate the UK as a creative, innovative and advanced technological nation. After the Expo, all of the seed-encased acrylic poles will be given to China as a symbol of continuing friendship between Britain and China.

The Shanghai World Expo 2010 is due to run from May 1 to Oct 31, with about 70 million visitors expected to attend.

Developed by one of the UK's leading creative talents - Thomas Heatherwick - the UK pavilion provides a dramatic demonstration of creativity and innovation in the UK.

The UK pavilion building is a six storey high object formed from some 60,000 slender transparent rods, which will extend from the structure and quiver in the breeze. During the day, each of these 7.5m long rods will act like fibre optic filaments, drawing on daylight to illuminate the interior, thereby creating a contemplative awe-inspiring space.

At night, light sources at the interior end of each rod will allow the whole structure to glow. The pavilion will sit on a landscape looking like paper that once wrapped the building and that now lies unfolded on the site. The landscape provides an open space for public events and shelter for visitors making their way into the pavilion structure.

The Seed Cathedral is the centerpiece, with its 20-meter-high cube-like structure covered by 60 thousand slim, transparent acrylic rods, extending outward and quivering in the breeze.

Inside the pavilion building is a unique visual representation of the UK's leading role in conservation worldwide - Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership - the largest collection of wild plant seeds in the world. By encasing tens of thousands of seeds into the ends of the transparent rods, visitors will be able to view examples of seeds of plant species that contribute to national and global conservation programmes.

The seeds have been sourced from the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences in China - a partner in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank Project. The seeds being used are taken from stocks that are both plentiful and readily available.

After the Expo, all of the seed-encased acrylic poles will be given to China as a symbol of continuing friendship between Britain and China.

For more information, www.ukshanghaiexpo.com

New Mobile Hospital Concept

2010-04-04T00:00:00Z

This new concept for a flexible modular mobile hospitals by Monarch Systems has the merits of (relative) simplicity and the ablity to get first class medical car quickly to where its needed.

MONARCH™ (MObileNOmadicARCHitecture), the joint venture formed by SPEVCO (specialist vechicles) and Hord Coplan Macht (archetecture), is offering a finished structure quantum leaps above any previous attempts at modular healthcare. The MONARCH System will, for the first time, produce a fully-specified healthcare facility, able to open its doors with significantly less investment of resources.

In this Monach design, 58 trailers provide a fully operational, fully mobile 48-bed hospital. The trailers include every aspect of a hospital – from waiting gift shops, to surgical suites with 4 O.R.s, pharmacies and labs. The design is the future of how westernized health care will travel abroad. It is a system that effectively transforms health care for entire regions and countries over time, letting the hospital and care come to the patient.

Different trailers cater to different medical needs. For instance, a single unit trailer (or 5-unit suites) would be specifically oriented to some aspect of patient care, such as a Women"s Health Clinic. This 5-unit clinic could be shut down in one location, mobilized, and re-opened in about 2 to 3 days. Thus, it would serve as an outreach model for major health care systems.

Other trailers may be outfitted for an imaging suite (including resources to perform an MRI, Mammography, CT Scan and X-Ray scanning, with a supporting nurse station and waiting area), a mobile health clinic ( for general health care including blood draw stations) and even an emergency suite (complete with 2 trauma bays with 8 urgent care beds and an ambulance bay to expand emergency care services for existing facilities).

Another model is the "flagship hospital", a teaching hospital that is sponsored and supported by a university level teaching hospital, educating the local medical population abroad to provide westernized health care.

The trailer complex has been designed to allow the entire hospital to be disassembled, moved to a new location, and re-opened in a mere 2 weeks.

Her's hoping we see this concept become a reality in teh not too distant future.

Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise First "Captive Carry" Flight

2010-03-29T00:00:00Z

Virgin Galactic brings Space Tourism yet another step closer with the recent successful captive carry flight of the VSS Enterprise.

Virgin Galactic is a company within Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital missions and orbitallaunches of small satellites. Further in the future Virgin Galactic hopes to offer orbital human spaceflights as well.

On Monday 22nd March, 2010, Virgin Galactic announced that VSS Enterprise has completed her inaugural captive carry flight.

This very first captive carry was a huge success and both the mothership and spaceship looked stunning against the blue back drop of the Mojave skies.

Commenting on the historic flight, Burt Rutan (designer of Spaceship One) said: "This is a momentous day for the Scaled and Virgin Teams. The captive carry flight signifies the start of what we believe will be extremely exciting and successful spaceship flight test program."

The VSS Enterprise test flight programme will continue though 2010 and 2011, progressing from captive carry to independent glide and then powered flight, prior to the start of commercial operations.

SpaceShipTwo will fly higher than SpaceShipOne, to a height of 110 km in order to go beyond the defined boundary of space (100 km) and lengthen the experience of weightlessness. The spacecraft will reach around Mach 3 (1000 m/s), which is faster than current fighter jets are capable of attaining; however, the spacecraft will not be able to sustain that speed for long periods of time. It has double the crew (2) and can carry triple the passengers (6) of its predecessor.

In honour of the science fiction series "Star Trek", the first two ships are named in honour of the fictional starships "Enterprise" and "Voyager". To re-enter the atmosphere SpaceShipTwo folds its wings up, and then returns them to their original position for a smooth and gentle glide back onto the runway.

The craft has a very limited cross-range capability and until other planned spaceports are built worldwide has to land in the area where it started. Further "Spaceports" are planned in Dubai and elsewhere, with the intention that the spaceline will have a world-wide availability and commodity in the future.

Interested? Tickets start at $200,000 with refundable deposits from $20,000. Make sure you get a window seat!

For more information, www.virgingalactic.com

MB&F at Baselworld 2010

2010-03-23T00:00:00Z

Baselworld - in Basel, Switzerland - is the world's largest watch and jewellry fair and runs from the 18th of March to the 25th of March 2010 (that's right, it is on now).

MB&F is please to be presenting at Baselworldat the Palace hall in "The Dream Factory", with URWERK, Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret.

The full collection is on display, including HM2 SV and . . .

. . . the movement of HM4 is there also.

The team at MB&F hope to see you at Baselworld.

You know it's cold when Niagara Falls freezes

2010-03-14T00:00:00Z

This is how Niagara Falls looks on a clear sunny evening; however when the temperature drops way below freezing, the cold can even stop - in a fashion - this thunderous flow in its tracks.

These images were taken in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

As you can just see, the river isn't frozen solid. What happens is that a crust of ice forms over parts of the falls, and the spray freezes into fantasic natural sculptures.

And the freezing of Niagara is not just an historical event: this photos was take in 2008!

Bring on Springtime!

MB&F is proud to present the Engine of the HM4.

2010-03-11T00:00:00Z

At MB&F we have always considered our movements to be much more than simply out-of-sight-out-of-mind mechanisms to be hidden away inside a case.

Our movements are the high-performance Engines that power our three-dimensional Horological Machines and as such deserve their own place under the spotlight.

It is for that reason that we offer for your appreciation the latest Engine to come out of the MB&F garage, that for Horological Machine No. 4.

A lifetime of experience; three years of development; and untold blood, sweat & tears; however, we think that the results speak for themselves. Ladies & Gentlemen we give you the Engine of HM4.

Live Long & Prosper!

"Women are Heroes" exhibition in Paris

2010-03-07T00:00:00Z

Women in Paris 3 October – 2 November 2009

Having presented his portraits of women in Brazil, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, India, Belgium, Britain and other countries, young French artist, JR, is showing the whole of his «Women» exhibition for the first time.

The exhibition has been conceived as a journey through Paris in the open air. Visitors can see it on foot, on bicycle or by riverboat.

After «Portraits of a Generation», inspired by events in the suburbs of Paris, and «Face 2Face» (featured on A Parallel World), which was displayed in the Middle East, «Women» is the third phase of the 28 Millimetre project, taking its name from the wide-angle lens that requires the photographer to be only centimetres from the model in order to take the portrait.

WOMEN grew out of many pictures and few words. JR"s words were necessary, of course, to convince more than 70 women around the world to take part in the project. JR went to meet those living in the shadows, the real pillars of their societies despite daily violence, wars or simply discrimination. His desire to shift certain limits by using unusual places allows him to deal with subjects in the news in an innovative way. From 3 October to 2 November, through thiis exhibition and a book, people will learn all about this adventure that took JR to ten countries on four continents.

Trailer for the film, "Women are heroes"

For more information, please visit www.womenareheroes-paris.net

Standard Time - A very unusual way of displaying time.

2010-02-28T00:00:00Z

At MB&F we love "Time" in all it's forms and we especially enjoy genuinely innovative ways to indicate time - after all that is what we do! But while we have seen time displayed using everything from the shadows cast by the sun to hands, cones and even satellites on watches and clocks, we have never heard of time displayed by men using planks of wood . . . until now that is.

Standard Time is an video artwork concept of Mark Formanek, realized by Datenstrudel.

"Standard Time is a performance lasting exactly 24 hours and recorded on film. However, this film is much more than just the recording of an action, the recording of something that has taken place in the past; it is also a clock. A clock for use right now and in the future which, as each day goes by, extends further into the past, but is still up-to-date and punctual". Mark Formanek

70 workers are building a wooden 4 x 12 m "digital" time display in real time: a work that involves 1611 changes within 24 hour period. The action was seamlessly documented and shot on HD video and a 24 hour movie or clock of the project was created.

The spectator looking at Standard Time does not only see the time, but also people constructing it. People who, with a stoic sense of duty, are wasting time on an apparently useless activity that fulfills only one function: to display time. Even though the workers are trying hard to construct every single minute, they are constantly on the verge of failing.

For more information www.standard-time.com

MB&F February 2010 Newsletter

2010-02-24T00:00:00Z

Dear Friends,

2010 is already in full swing and is shaping up to be a seminal year for MB&F. January began strongly with the launch of the amazing HM2-SV at our Geneva exhibition and we are busy preparing for our exhibition at Baselworld 2010 in March. In this newsletter we are very pleased to welcome Lussori as our 14th retail partner and Friend of MB&F; we introduce Horolobot, our new mascot; and our Blog - A Parallel World - features the incredible NASA Puffin.

Click to read the full newsletter

HM2-SV
During the Geneva Watch Fair we unveiled the incredible HM2-SV ! SV for Sapphire Vision. HM2-SV is a very limited edition of just 25 pieces, with a transparent sapphire case that allows the owner to discover the intricacies and subtleties of the hand-finished movement and the construction of the titanium case. Honestly, when you have the piece in your hand it is simply astounding. Revealed in its naked three dimensionality, the movement looks just like a futuristic city suspended in space.

Why did we take so long to develop HM2-SV, and why only 25 pieces? Well the major difficulty lay in creating the 3.6mm thick sapphire top plate. This was a true technical achievement and only one sapphire manufacturer, Stettler in Lyss (Switzerland), was brave enough to attempt the challenge … and actually managed to do it! Each sapphire base plate takes at least 55 hours to machine and polish . . . even then, three out of four pieces break during the process! The rejects are mainly due to the drilling of the holes for the screws (near the edge) which induces tension and cracks.

The bright blue water resistance gaskets were developed specifically for the HM2-SV and match the hue of the blue disks and the 22k winding rotor on the back.

New Retail Partner, Lussori

It is our great pleasure to have Lawrence Kosick and his store, Lussori, as Friends of MB&F. Our Horological Machines are currently available at their beautiful location on the main street of Carmel, California, and soon to be at their new store opening in Los Altos, Silicon Valley.

Horolobot

Might 2010 see the Rise of the Machines? At MB&F the answer is a resounding yes! Alban Thomas from GVA Studio in Geneva surprised us with this amazing Robot created with our first three Horological Machines. He immediately became our official mascot and was named HoroloBot! You can download him (yes he is a him) in high-resolution or as a wallpaper.

MB&F on Facebook and Twitter

To stay up-to-date with everything happening in the world of MB&F, we invite you to join our nearly 4,000 friends and become a Fan of MB&F on Facebook and you can also follow us on Twitter.

MB&F is pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at Baselworld 2010 March 18-25 with 'The Dream Factory' - a collaboration of MB&F, URWERK, Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret - at the Baselworld Palace (opposite the Ramada hotel). To arrange an appointment please contact Estelle Tonelli.

We hinted in the last newsletter that 2010 would be the most creatively exhilarating year to date. So please stay tuned as we will be unveiling one amazing project after the other.

Thank you so much for following us and till next time, all the very best,

With our warmest regards,

The NASA Puffin - Will rotors replace our dreams of jet packs?

2010-02-21T00:00:00Z

The NASA Puffin is a one-man (or woman) tilt-rotor electric aircraft imagined by aerospace engineer Mark Moore. Moore came up with the design for the electric powered, 3.7m/12' long, 4.4m/14' wingspan personal air vehicle as part of the coursework for his doctoral degree.

It all started with an email from a reporter who was pursuing a story on electric aircraft propulsion for "a couple of websites associated with space.com." As the former manager of the former Vehicle System program's Personal Air Vehicle sector. Moore is a nationally recognized expert on that and other small aircraft systems.

"We're not trying to replace the car or the airplane," Moore said. "Cars are great at what they do, which is go a couple of miles at relatively slow speeds. Commercial air carriers are great at going long distances at faster speeds. But what happens when we want to go 100 or 200 or 300 miles? We have to take this very long drive."

If the Puffin gets off the ground, and it has to be admitted that is still a big IF, the theoretical technical details are very interesting.The Puffin would be small and very lightweight -- about 136kg/300 pounds empty weight, plus another 45kgs/100 pounds of battery and 91kgs/200pounds for the pilot or payload. The design would be powered by a total of 60 horsepower through electric motors, which are designed to be able to fail any two powertrain components on either side and still produce the required power to hover. It has a cruising speed of 241kms/hr or 150 mph, but cruises more efficiently at lower speeds The range with current battery technology would be about 80kms/50 miles.

"There is a huge gaping hole in our transportation system," Moore added. "We're trying to come up with another alternative."

NASA has spent about $500,000 on the Puffin, which was developed in partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the National Institute of Aerospace and M-DOT Aerospace.

While there are no plans yet for the Puffin's first manned flight, NASA expects to finish a one-third size demonstrator by March and see how well it transitions from cruising to hovering.

"The intent is not to be a viable product. NASA doesn't develop products; we develop new technologies that can provide industry with the ability to generate new products," Moore said.

For more informatiuon, please visit www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/puffin

Flying Boat Mirabaud LX designed by Thomas Jundt

2010-02-14T00:00:00Z

As the 33rd America's Cup is currently underway in Valencia between the giant multihulls of the Swiss defender Alinghi and their American challenger, BMW Oracle Racing, we thought it may be a good time to introduce another revolutionary high-speed boat from Switzerland, the Mirabaud LX.

The flying boat Mirabaud LX foiler was designed by Swiss engineer Thomas Jundt. The boat start to fly on the foils with 9 knots and has sailed faster than 23 knots.

Conceived around a structure of carbon fiber tubes, this boat is a concentrate of high technology. Every single element has been optimized in order to reduce the overall weight and allow it to fly on its foils as quickly as possible. As of today, it is the only "hull less" boat on earth. While marginal floatability remains, it is only to prevent the boat from sinking until it reaches flying speeds at approximately 8 knots.

The boat has been described as having 'no hull', but more precisely, it has no need for a traditional floating hull in the right conditions: a claim given solid credibility when the boat was sailied on its hydrofoils with no buoyancy - no hull - at all.

Jundt's concept was further proven when Mirabaud LX won the classic 2009 Geneva-Rolle race on Lake Geneva in a record breaking time and in front of a very competitive fleet of high-tech sailing boats.

Mirabaud LX"s crew comprises Antoine Ravonel, helmsman and boat captain, Thomas Jundt, project manager and crew member, and Eric Gobet, no1. Other members of the project include the coach and former Olympic sailor Jean-Pierre Ziegert, sail designer Jean-Marc Monnard, boat designer Sébastien Schmidt and French engineer Hugues De Turkheim, consultant for the foils.

Sportdome architecture by Willem Van der Sluis

2010-02-07T00:00:00Z

How does one design a space for a user who does not really want to be there?

The mission Dutch prison architect Willem Van der Sluis was tasked with was to create an outdoor excerise/sport space for the prisoners at the prison boats in Zaandam.

The decision to use geodesic domes was a solution to the balance between the demands of justice, i.e. not allowing anybody to escape, and delivering the maximum regarding the needs of the prisoners.

The space had to be easily built and easily dismantle; prisoners had to be able to see the outside world, but outsiders should not immediately recognize the structure as a prison.

The conjoined geodesic domes do not look like cages at all. But, these spaces, designed for playing sports, prevent inmate soccer or basketball players from escaping.

Van der Sluis' major contribution is the view afforded to teh inmates. Instead of regular prison yards with walls that only afford a view upwards, the domes allow prisoners to see and experience much more of the outside world.

Pierced with smaller holes at the base creating a contrast not unlike Venetian blinds, the advantage is that from within the prisoners can look outside, but do not have to worry about being viewed by passersby.

Higher up the holes get bigger, allowing more daylight in. "I tried to give it the feel of light falling through trees in a forest," Van der Sluis explains.

The structure consists of just 15 triangles that are replicated form the whole dome. It is a design that can as easily be constructed as dismantled. If the boats the structures are on are relocated, the domes will move with them.

The domes are an innovate solution to a potentially difficult problem.

Pavegen: Energy Generating Pavement

2010-01-31T00:00:00Z

A UK company called Pavegen has developed a system to generate renewable energy by harnessing the footsteps of people in busy pedestrian areas.

They have developed a new concrete slab to be placed in areas that see heavy foot traffic and every time someone steps on the slab it generates a small amount of kinetic energy that is captured and stored. In a busy area that means regular energy generation every few minutes or seconds. Many slabs in busy locations could generate a significant amount of energy.

The high traffic areas in subway systems are an idea location for the slabs

The pavegen slab moves about 5mm (1/4") from each footstep. The kinetic energy of that movement is converted into electricity via a patented Piezo electronic systems, and that electricity is stored in the slab to power a variety of applications.

The design of the slab makes it quite versatile and pleasant to step on. The upper layer is a 5mm soft, flexible material, and inside the slab a battery can be used to store the energy. Alternatively they can be connected to devices to directly use the energy, for example, street lights.

The slabs can be located anywhere there is space to lay one; so locations where you can guarantee regular foot falls, such as entrance stalls at a subway station or the entrance of a shopping mall, could guarantee a reliable source of power. In terms of how much energy is generated Pavegen rate a single slab at 2.1 watts per hour in a busy area.

For more information, please visit www.pavegen.com

Ultra Modern Homes

2010-01-24T00:00:00Z

dornob.com is an excellent Blog featuring art, design, architecture and more. Here are a few ultra modern houses that they recently posted which which caught our eye.

Rabtilla Residence by Michael Rantilla

As is often the case, difficult terrain and space restrictions can be a powerful catalyst for innovative design and that's certainly true here with the building lifted out over the ground around it. As this was the architech's own home, creativity was at the fore.

A vertical concrete mass in the center allows for the three flooors to be cantilevered over space, which creates sheltered open spaces below. On the inside, it appears that the rooms grow out into the forest, creating a connection with nature. The central core allows easy circulation and access.

http://dornob.com/ultramodern-cabin-creative-modernist-forest-home/

Shell Villa by ARTechnic

Lying stark white amoung the surrounding vegitation, this curvy tubular villa looks to have been dropped from space. But while it contrasts sharply with its surroundings, the stunning structure sensually weaves itself into its environment in an elegent way.

Each room and space flows into the next. The two predominant colours are white (for the exterior and some furniture) and wood for virtually everything else and these ensure that the design works as a whole.
http://dornob.com/shell-house-design-spectacularly-curved-architecture/

Hilltop home in Malaysia by the TYL Design Group

This massive home in Malaysia took five long years to design and build and drawfs the more modest scale of the surrounding residential neighborhood. Not surprisingly, the owners are real estate professional who have shaped city skylines, and it appears they have taken the same approach to shaping their neighbourhood.

The impressive architectural curves and generous size are fully translated from the exterior to the interior design, as do the curvilinear forms and other distinctive features of the outer facade. High ceilings, large windows and a mixture of warm and cool tones are seen throughout.
http://dornob.com/huge-private-home-dominates-small-residential-landscape/

For the latest and most interesting trends in design, please visit dornob.com

MB&F presents HM2-SV (Sapphire Vision)

2010-01-18T00:00:00Z

Horological Machine No.2-SV features a room-with-a-view crystal-clear sapphire case with titanium back. With its totally transparent case, HM2-SV offers unprecedented visual access to the painstakingly hand-finished, 349-component engine powering the indications on its iconic twin dials.

Sapphire's hardness is second only to diamond, which makes the whole top half of the case (the most exposed half) extremely scratch-resistant. This is a timepiece that will keep its good looks for a very, very long time.

While wristwatches have long featured synthetic sapphire crystals, its use in watchcases has been much more limited, and with good reason. Sapphire retains its strength at high temperatures, has zero porosity and only reacts with acids above 300°C. However, the very properties that make it so attractive as a potential case material also make it immensely difficult to work, requiring sophisticated diamond tools to machine, and then it needs to be very carefully polished to turn the naturally opaque surface transparent.

The process would have been very difficult for even a plain plate of this size, but the complex, three-dimensional form required for HM2-SV, with its bevels, mounting holes, crystal cut-outs and gasket track, pushed the extreme limits of sapphire crystal technology way beyond what was thought possible.

Surprisingly, because it is largely unseen, the sapphire is a substantial 3.6mm thick. Thanks to anti-reflective treatment on both sides - in itself no small technological feat to uniformly apply - the case becomes virtually invisible and allows for full appreciation as the eye is drawn into appreciating a myriad of sublime nuances that are revealed in the intricate movement. Eight mounting bolts, traversing the sapphire plate like pillars and passing through the bright blue gasket sealing the two case halves adds to the architectural nature of the three-dimensional case. The eye-catching blue of the gasket is echoed in the hour disk and moon phase, and also the blued 22k gold Battle-axe automatic winding rotor is arrestingly visible through the display back.

To ensure maximum light and visibility through to the movement, the two dials - minutes and date - are also in sapphire, sapphire disks lightly brushed to a perfect translucency ensuring full legibility of the polished silvered numbers while allowing maximum light through to the engine beneath.

The engine, developed by award-winning master watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, features the world's first mechanical movement offering: Instantaneous Jump Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon Phase and Automatic Winding. One highlight (of many) of the HM2 complication is the highly energy-efficient Jump Hour/Retrograde mechanism developed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, which uses his exclusive (and patented) asymmetrical-tooth gear wheels to ensure high precision and play-free functionality.

While Horological Machine No2-SV is a highly engineered 21st century timepiece in every sense, the quality and execution of the hand finishing showcases the very best in traditional craftsmanship. It is craftsmanship that is brought to the fore as the sapphire case allows uninterrupted light to enter, bounce and scintillate off the highly polished surfaces and perfectly hand-bevelled edges, bringing vivacity to the rich combination of colours, materials, shapes and textures.

Horological Machine No.2-SV is a limited edition of 25 pieces only

The Mission One 240 km/hr Superbike

2010-01-10T00:00:00Z

The three men behind the Mission One superbike are Forrest North, Edward West and Mason Cabot

Forrest North first dreamed of building an electric motorcycle when leading the Stanford University Solar Car Team in 1998. Seven years later, he joined Tesla Motors working with many of his old Solar Car teammates to build the world's first performance electric sports car.

Edward West first met Forrest while working on the Yale University Solar Car. Later, the pair worked together building laboratory robotics for a small bay area startup, before Edward left to earn his MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.

Mason Cabot was an electronics guru with 10 years of experience at Intel. Forrest introduced Mason to motorcycling, and within a few months, Mason was hooked. It wasn"t long before he gave up owning a car completely.

The three founders set up offices in Mason's garage, blocks from the historic Mission Street in San Francisco. In July 2007, they bought the company"s first motorcycle, a 1994 Ducati 900 and began stripping out the engine and converting it to electric drive.

Two months later, the three founders had turned that classic Ducati into one of the highest performing street legal electric motorcycles in the world.

The prototype proved the team's claims. Every rider who got on the bike was enthusiastic, saying it was unlike anything they had ever ridden before. Armed with their first business plan and the prototype, the team placed 2nd in the Cleantech Open.

The Mission One creates a whole new level of rider control. With a fully equipped data acquisition system and wireless communication capability, riders can capture and analyze real time ride data. Riders have the power to adjust throttle maps, tune regenerative braking, and create multiple ride settings, all from their laptop computer.

World renown Swiss designer Yves Behar and his team were responsible for the iconic design in which they tried to convey in esthetics the feeling of 'riding the wind'. Designed to express speed and efficiency in its overall sharp lines, the Mission One also is highly detailed with special attention to a rider's needs, bringing a high level of product design and ergonomics to a new generation of performance transportation.

The Mission One represents a revolution in motorcycle and electric vehicle performance. Mission Motors" advanced electric powertrain makes the Mission One the first electric sportbike to power wheelie at 110 km/hr and powers the Mission One to a top speed of 240 kms/hr.

The Mission One integrates a custom-built chassis with suspension elements selected for race level handling and performance. The 2010 model Mission One comes equipped with: Ohlins inverted front forks, Ohlins fully adjustable shock, Brembo 4 piston monobloc calipers, Marchesini wheels, and race compound tires.

On September 1, 2009, the Mission One claimed the national AMA top speed record for an electric motorcycle, with an unprecedented 240 km/hr (150.059 mph) two-pass average run sustained for one mile at the Bonneville Speedway. Lead up runs saw one-way speeds across the mile stretch at 260 kms/hr (161mph).

For more information, please visit www.ridemission.com

Spoof Hyundai Assurance advert

2010-01-03T00:00:00Z

The last year has been a difficult one for car brands in the USA (and elsewhere), as many of their potential clients worry about taking on a car loan when they do not feel secure in their jobs.

Hyundai implemented an innovative scheme that has proved to be very popular, whereby the brand promises to let buyers return their vehicles, at no cost in most cases and with no penalty to their credit rating, if they lose their job or income within a year.

in the month it was launched, the guarantee led to sales of Hyundai's full-size sedan jumping 85%.

But what if they offered even more?

Warning, strong language at the end. Don't watch if you think you may be offended.

A very Happy New Year to all of our Friends from MB&F

2009-12-31T00:00:00Z

2009 was a turning point in many people"s lives and for many companies. It was a defining year due to the global economic uncertainty and difficulties; a year that helped us better understand what is important for each of us and on whom we could count.

Clearly it is in tough times that you recognize your real friends and for a company that incorporates the word "Friends" in its name that was very important.

I learned last month in South East Asia that MB&F was often referred to as "My Brothers and Friends", which truly conveyed the spirit.
Indeed, we all worked much harder, we stuck together, we battled side by side, and because of that we finished the year stronger and more serene. 2010 sees MB&F prepared to launch the most exhilarating creative year of our existence.

We wish you all a 2010 filled with a festival of amazement, smiling complicities, strong brotherhood and crazy dreams coming true !

With our warmest regards, Max Büsser

Kinetic Art using Balls on Strings

2009-12-28T00:00:00Z

The German company ART+COM specializes in developing interactive media and their projects are to be found on the internet, in museums, showrooms, visitor and science centres as well as trade fairs and events.

What sets ART+CO's exhibitions apart is that they attract the eye and make the viewer think.

The project featured here was one of many developed by Art + Com for the BMW museum in Munich and shows what can be achieved with a fertile imagination coupled with some farly sophisticated technology.

The concept behind this mechatronic installation is a spatial representation of the form-finding process in art and design.

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas with an unusual version on Jingle Bells

2009-12-20T00:00:00Z

Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.

Stockings were hung
by the chimney with care,
as the microwaves' thrum
was filling the air.

The above video was made by the digital idea company, AKQA using 49 pre-selected for 'bing' microwave ovens with their timers set so that they play Jingle Bells

Wishing all of our Friends a very Happy Christmas.

Swimming in the Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls, Zambia

2009-12-13T00:00:00Z

Nothing says 'Location, location, location.' better than the Devil's Pool, a natural water hole precipitously perched on the very edge of the Victoria Falls.

This ultimate infinity pool is created each year when the dry season reduces water levels sufficient for the underwater ledge to offer protection against being swept over.

Hundreds of thrill-seekers descend on the falls, on Zambia's border with Zimbabwe, clambering across rocks and wading through shallows across the precipice to reach the pool.

Although it's not for faint hearted, swimming in the Devil's Pool isn't as dangerous as it appears in the photographs. A natural rock ledge reduces the current and stops swimmers from being swept over the edge. However, the pool is only safe to use at times of the year when water levels are comparatively low. When the water level rises, the ledge does not offer enough protection for swimmers.

MB&F's December 2009 Newsletter

2009-12-08T00:00:00Z

Dear Friends,

With a generally difficult 2009 drawing quickly to a close it"s time for us to reflect on how fortunate we are to have developed such a strong network of friends and partners. You have all enabled MB&F to not only survive, but to power from strength to strength. In this, our last newsletter for the year, we feature our latest creation, the HM2.2 "Black Box". I have just come back from a two-week tour in Asia presenting it with my friend Alain Silberstein and the looks of wonder and the smiles generated by this creation were heart-warming.

We welcome Marcus in London as the latest retail Friend of MB&F and this Newsletter also features Laurent Picciotto wearing his HM3 with panache; MB&F"s Concept Lab on Facebook (3000+ fans!); and what can be done with imagination, a few friends... and a herd of sheep!

You can read it all this and more by clicking MB&F December 2009 Newsletter

The three-dimensional printed buildings of Enrico Dini

2009-12-06T00:00:00Z

Enrico Dini dreamt of buildings, construction and impossible shapes and was particularly inspired by Gaudi's architecture. He became a Civil engineer and later branched out into making machines, but all the while dreaming of creating impossible shapes.

Traditional building methods tend to reel in dreamers outlandish dreams because building with concrete and brick requires scaffolding and a lot of manpower, which creates constraints that limit the way in which buildings can be constructed and limit the shapes and forms that architects can use.

His D_shape technology makes it possible to 3D print 6m x 1m sections at a time.

Rather than accept these constraints, Enrico decided to completely remove them and in 2004 he invented and patented a full scale 3D printing method that uses epoxy to bind sand. This process enables him to print buildings in practically any form he can imagine.

The d_shape system works with a rigging that is suspended over the buildable part. The system deposits the sand and then the inorganic binding ink. No water is necessary. Because the two components meet outside the nozzle, the machine does not clog up and can keep up its accuracy of 25 DPI. Enrico and d_shape are currently talking to lots of construction & engineering companies and architects about their technology.

A rendering of a 3D roundabout sculpture in Pisa Italy that Enrico is working on.

The d_shape technology allows a level of precision and freedom of design unheard of in the past. The human limitations of master builders and bricklayers will no longer hamper architects" visions.

d_shape has been designed to make the Construction Industry more environmentally friendly as well as providing low-cost access to building for people in need around the world. The system uses environmentally friendly materials and very low levels of energy.For more information please visit www.D-Shape.com

A flock of sheep, a few good men, innumeral LEDs and lots of imagination.

2009-11-29T00:00:00Z

To promote its new range of TVs, Samsung recruited Welsh national sheep herding champion Gerry Lewis and a team of Welsh sheep herders to guide flocks of in imaginitive ways.

Over a millon viewers watched this video within four days of it going online.

Matt Smith, the co-founder of ad agency The Viral Factory said: The people on camera are real farmers and they were really controlling the sheepdogs. Rather than trying to fake it all we did it for real. The sheep herding bit is straight up – no trickery but there is a fair amount of computer trickery and post production work. We thought the Mona Lisa was the big wink to people – once they saw that we thought they would realise it was not all real. But we have been quite surprised that there is still a debate about whether it is all real and people have been coming up with various theories.

Follow the action as they play a game of Pong, create sheep fireworks and the Mona Lisa.

The main problem on the shoot was not herding the sheep, but getting enough of them because it was lambing season and they could not disturb or stress the sheep that were lambing.

Different sheep were used over the two day shoot so the sheep were not tired out.

Photographer Paul Nicklen befriended by enormous leopard seal in Antarctia

2009-11-22T00:00:00Z

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen (who we first featured on APW in 2007) traveled to Antarctica to take underwater photographs of leopard seals. When he arrived, he and his guide were greeted by the largest leopard seal (4 metres long) either of them had ever seen.

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

Leopard seals are the only known seals to regularly hunt warm-blooded prey

When he entered the water, the savage seal immediately took Paul's camera and entire head into her mouth . . . but then something changed. The video below tells the fascinating story.

For more information on stunning images of Paul Nicklen's encounters in Antarctia, plase visit ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/11/leopard-seals/nicklen-photography

The Patrouille de France pays homage to the world's most famous Gaul

2009-11-15T00:00:00Z

On the occassion of the 50th annivesary of Asterix, which was created in October 1959 - written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo - one of the world's premier precision air- acrobatic teams, the Patrouille de France, paid homage to Gaul's most famous sun by making a short film.

Asterix's adventures have had him touring France, visiting Britain, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Egypt, the Near East (looking for oil), Greece, Corsica, Rome, America (unwittingly) and even India, so it is only fitting that he finally gets himself some fast transport.

While the video is in French, we hope you will agree with is in that the visuals speak all languages.

The Patrouille de France is only a few years older that Asterix, having celebrated their own 50th annivesary in 2003.

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix and www.patrouilledefrance.com

Imagine that a building could dream?

2009-11-08T00:00:00Z

"How it would be, if a house was dreaming?" Well Urbanscreen, a company specializing in putting architecture on stage did just that. Urbanscreen projects large scale images and video onto urban surfaces and the results can be spectacular.

The project above derives from its underlying architecture - the theoretic conception and visual pattern of the Kunsthalle in Hamburg .

The basic idea of narration was to dissolve and break through the strict architecture of O. M. Ungers "Galerie der Gegenwart" to uncover different interpretations of conception, geometry and aesthetics, which are expressed through graphics and movement.

For more information, please visit www.urbanscreen.com

Why: A Wally Hermès Yacht with a difference.

2009-11-01T00:00:00Z

WHY yachts is a combination of Wally yachts - known for their ultra-modern minimalism - Hermès- standing for understated classical elegance. One might be forgiven for thinking that those two worlds are more likely to collide than blend; however, Why loos to be the very best of both.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Artistic Director of Hermès says : "When we met, in autumn 2007, Luca Bassani Antivari, President of Wally had thought about asking Hermès to accessorise the interior of one of his boats. I was impressed by the daring of his projects. My instinct was to get on board with him and go and seek out new territories in yacht design, but I had no interest in speed."

Luca Bassani Antivari explains: "What I"ve always liked about Hermès, aside from its intrinsic quality, is its audacity and radicalism; its desire to go beyond trends, to make no compromises and to maintain the authenticity of the house. Wally shares the same values, "Hermès-on-Land", "Wally-on-Sea": inevitably our paths had to cross."

Why settle for oceanfront estate when you can have a mobile multiple-oceanfront estate?

While most yachts, whether racing, crusing or luxury are long and thin, Why is 58 metres long by a massive 38 metres wide. But Why's USP isn't its stunning looks or 25 metre pool, it is its eco-friendliness.

Thanks to its specific hull, Why 58x38 requires less power at cruising speed than a boat of equal size. Its diesel-electric propulsion is the most efficient motorisation today, and the surface of the photovoltaic panels, almost 900 square metres, covers most of the boat"s auxiliary system needs.

"We are very interested in creating a yacht that will have a low environmental impact", says Pierre-Alexis Dumas. "Its relationship with the sea must be respectful and easy. Why intends to offer a new way of moving over water by creating an innovative way of managing and recycling its sources and uses of energy." "If you want to go totally ecological, the only solution is sailing. The reality is that today, 90 % of the market is powerboats, echoes Luca Bassani Antivari. Our aim is to reduce diesel consumption per year and per yacht: 20 to 30 % for propulsion and 40 to 50 % for generation."

For more information, please visit www.why-yachts.com

Swedish photographer Erik Johansson creates images that that make you think

2009-10-25T00:00:00Z

                                                Go your own road

Erik Johansson is a photographer based in Gothenburg, Sweden who manipulates his images to create entirely new - and often mind-boggling - art.

                                        Roadworker's coffee break

Eric's goal is to make his pictures as realistic as possible, but at the same time impossible. He often uses humour to convey a message, but usely he wants the viewer to interpret the photos themselves.

                  Ironing out some kinks in the character – Stryktalig (2008)

Erik draws inspiration from artists including M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte, as well as photos and drawings he sees on the Internet. "I think the most important thing is to make a note of every idea, otherwise it might be gone in a few seconds."

For more photos and information, please visit www.alltelleringet.com

eniCycle: a fun electric unicycle (or one-wheeled Sedgway)

2009-10-18T00:00:00Z

The eniCycle is one-wheel self-stabilizing unicycle, created by Slovenian inventor Aleksander Polutnik.

This unlikely looking form of personal transloprt is powered by a electric motor and features a self-balancing gyroscope system. The speed of eniCycle is controlled by leaning forwards/backwards like the Segway.

To ride the eniCycle, you sit on the seat and place your feet on foot rests on the both sides of the wheel.

Electronic gyroscope measures vertical angle of eniCycle. If you lean forwards, this is detected by gyroscope and the electronic accelerates the speed of the motor to put the eniCycle back in balance. In case you lean back, the speed is decelerated.

To turn left, you simply press the left foot rest. The wheel leans to the left and eniCycle turns left. To turn right you press the right foot rest.

Enicycle tested on The Gadget Slow. Think you can get the hang of it in 10 minutes?

For more information, please visit www.enicycle.com

Soliloquy, a supergreen superyacht

2009-10-11T00:00:00Z

Alastair Callender, a 24 year old British graduate, has designed the world"s greenest superyacht. It is so energy efficient that it can create surplus power that can be sold to the nation power grid (or a neighbouring power hungry boat)

Soliloquy is a conceptual collaboration between a prize-winning British marine designer, Alastair Callender, and Solar Sailor, an Australian company that specializes in integrated sun- and wind-energy systems for ships

Callender designed Soliloquy for his final-year project at Coventry University and - following this year"s Monaco boat show where a small-scale prototype of the Soliloquy (selling for up to £40m when built) attracted the attention of several potential buyers - he is now in talks to build Soliloquy for a client looking to exchange his conventional boat for a greener vessel.

Photovoltaic cells on the 219 square-meter, or 2,360 square-foot, sail surface are designed to drive the yacht at speeds of up to eight knots. Under wind alone, it can clip along at up to 10 knots, while a back-up hybrid electric-diesel motor will be able to generate speeds of up to 18 knots.

The sails, developed by the Australian company Solar Sailor, which sponsored Callender"s project, can rotate 360 degrees to face the sun or wind, and fold away like the blades of a penknife when not in use.

Eco-features will include a cold-molded hull built with wood from sustainably managed forests, and an on-board gym with treadmills that will help charge the main batteries. "Yacht design and helping the planet are things I"m very passionate about," Mr. Callender said.

It is emission-free at up to 10 knots but can reach 18 knots with the help of a diesel-electric motor. It can also store energy for when there is no wind blowing.

For more information, please visit www.callenderdesigns.co.uk

The Only Watch HM2 has found a home in Hong Kong

2009-10-04T00:00:00Z

Dear Friends,

On Thursday September 24th evening, after a pretty Homeric but swift battle between a Hong Kong and a Thai collector on the Net, and an American collector on the phone, our HM2 piece unique created with artist Sage Vaughn went for 85'240 USD at the Monaco Only Watch auction ! It's new home is now Hong Kong !

The Only Watch charity auction, which has been created to fund research against muscular dystrophy, collected over 2,3 million Euros during this exceptional sale !

The Piece Unique HM2 created with Sage Vaughn featured a bright blue butterfly trapped in a movement surrounded by barbed wire. The timepiece also features the full gamut of HM2's indications: Instantaneous Jumping Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon-Phase plus Automatic Winding.

This emotionally charged piece, a one-of-a-kind interpretation of Horological Machine N°2, was signed by famed American artist Sage Vaughn. I wanted to work with Sage on this project because his paintings of gaily dressed children and bright birds or butterflies against bleak urban backgrounds had the tension between affirmation of life and a sense of desperation that I thought important and wanted to convey. Sage, a young artist whose solo shows have won widespread critical acclaim, has fought and conquered his own demon – a seven-year heroin addiction – and the pain of that struggle is felt in the emotional power of his work. Sage not only immediately agreed to work with us on this project; his enthusiasm and dedication were a driving power to its completion.

We owe a big thank you to Sage for having contributed his precious time, energy and creativity to this amazing project. And of course special thanks to all the Friends of MB&F who made the crafting of this special piece possible.

The MB&F adventure continues, so get ready for many more surprises to come !

With our very best regards,

The Philips Interactive Cinema Experience

2009-09-27T00:00:00Z

This internet video for Philips, called 'Carousel', took a top prize at the Cannes film festival in a category that is traditionally awarded to a TV advertisement. The video Cinema 21:9 introduced the "world's first cinema proportion TV." Viewers can click hot-spots to make it feel as if they control the film about a botched armed robbery at a hospital. The website www.philips.com/cinema has already had more than 1 million unique visitors.

"It has a lot of different elements," said David Lubars, chairman, chief creative officer, BBDO, North America and the jury president for film. "It's an example of showing the way forward."

The video runs for two minutes and 19 seconds, an intentional length in order to promote the set's 21:9 display proportion. People can toggle between the aspect ratios and activate the set's signature Ambilight feature, backlighting on the set that makes it feel more like a movie theater.

"We wanted people to experience the difference between 16.9 and 21.9 TV and we wanted them to experience between having Ambilight on and Ambilight off," says Gary Raucher, head of integrated marketing communications for Philips consumer lifeystle.

The production agency wanted to created something memorable and used a dark setting, eerie music and dead robbers in clown suits to demonstrate the product.

"We wanted to create something cinematic, action packed and heart-stopping that would get the audiences attention," said Chris Baylis, executive creative director, Tribal DDB Amsterdam. We were still discussing the masks two days before the shoot. The crazy evil clown masks are the ones we went for because it made Ambilight look great. "

If you have a fast broadband connection, I highly recommend downloading the ultra high definition version for maximum experience. www.cinema.philips.com

Easyglider: a fun new way to skate/ride/drive

2009-09-20T00:00:00Z

Made in Switzerland, Easy-Glider is basically an electric motor attached to a wheel attached to a handlebar. It is a fun new method of transport, a cross between a motorbike (the controls are similar) and a skateboard or chariot.

Easy-Glider feels safer than a skateboard or roller skates because you have three 'legs', not two.

Easy-glider has a top speed of 20 km/hr and, under normal conditions, fully charged batteries should last up to an hour.

In Switzerland, Easy-Glider can be registered for the road and driven with a moped licience.

Is Easy-Glider Switzerland's answer to the Sedgway? For more information, please visit www.easy-glider.com

Walking BigDog robot by Boston Dynamics

2009-09-13T00:00:00Z

Boston Dynamics robots feature remarkable mobility, agility, dexterity and speed. They use sophisticated sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the capabilities of complex mechanisms.

BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics robots. It is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads.

BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like an animal"s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next.

In tests BigDog runs at 7km (4 mph), climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, climbs a muddy hiking trail, walks in snow and water, and carries a 150kgs (340 lb) load. BigDog set a world's record for legged vehicles by traveling 12.8 miles without stopping or refueling.

LittleDog is a quadruped robot designed for research on learning locomotion. Scientists at leading institutions use LittleDog to probe the fundamental relationships among motor learning, dynamic control, perception of the environment, and rough-terrain locomotion.

For more information, please visit www.Boston Dynamics.com

The Only Watch HM2: A Piece Unique to Support a Cause

2009-09-08T00:00:00Z

To view this Newslatter full size, please click Only Watch HM2

Dear Friends,

There are times in life when we must cease to look only for ourselves and find the time to help others. And there is perhaps no better cause than alleviating the suffering of children. With that in mind, over the last 16 months MB&F has been creating, developing and crafting an amazing piece unique to help combat muscular dystrophy.

There is a butterfly trapped in the movement of this very special Horological Machine. It has no hope of escaping and its plight is intensified by the barbed wire enmeshing the complicated movement. This emotionally charged piece, a one-of-a-kind interpretation of Horological Machine No2, is signed by its designer, the famed American artist Sage Vaughn.

It will be auctioned at Only Watch, the charity auction to benefit research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, to be held in Monaco on 24 September 2009 under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II.

Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disorder affecting boys. It causes a progressive weakening of the muscles that becomes fatal as the child gets older. The Monegasque Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (AMM) is a leading force in the drive to find a cure.

I was determined to work with Sage Vaughn for this special project. His paintings of gaily dressed children and bright birds or butterflies against bleak urban backgrounds had the tension between affirmation of life and a sense of desperation that I thought important and wanted to convey. Sage, a young artist whose solo shows have won widespread critical acclaim, has fought and conquered his own demon – a seven-year heroin addiction – and the pain of that struggle is felt in the emotional power of his work. Sage not only immediately agreed to work with us on this project; his enthusiasm and dedication were a driving power to its completion.

Please visit the dedicated Only Watch section on our website, and if you are interested in helping research into finding a cure for this debilitating desease, by bidding for this amazing piece, you are invited to register at www.patrizziauction.com

The MB&F piece unique will be one of 32 timepieces by other renown brands including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin and you can learn more at the Patrizzi & Co website. We owe Osvaldo Patrizzi a debt of thanks for dedicating his time and resources to orchestrate this unique charity auction.

Beautiful horology is very worthwhile but a child's smile is priceless.

With our very best regards,

Deadline- amazing Stop Motion video using Post-It notes.

2009-09-06T00:00:00Z

The following video was produced by Bang-yao Liu as a senior project for his degree at Savannah"s College of Art and Design.

Deadline is a 2 minute video stop motion video featuring Bang-yao"s thought process as he is busy meeting his various work deadlines.

I feel that I am not fighting with my workload, I am fighting with those post-it notes and my deadline. By manipulating the post-it notes to do pixel-like stop motion, I have managed to create interactions between the person and the post-its.

Deadline

3 months planning, 4 days shooting, 6000+ post-it notes.

The making of DeadlineWatching how much work was involved gives a real appreciation for the final result.

When it comes to art, the canvas is only limited by the artist's imagination.

Mesmerizing high-definition slow motion from the SprintCam v3

2009-08-30T00:00:00Z

It is all to easy to forget when watching films or TV that the motion we are seeing is, in reality, a series of still photographs.

The number of images per second, or frame rate, of standard TV and film varies between 24 and 60 images per second. And that is fine in most cases, but in sports, the fast motion of the subject can result is a noticeable jump between their position from one frame to the next and this is especially noticeable when the action is slowed down and we are seeing much fewer frames per second.

As a result, slow motion photography is shot with high-speed (high frame rate) cameras and the present king of high-speed cameras is the I-Movix SprintCam V3 HD, which can shoot at an incredible 2,500 frames/second in HD. (I-Movix also has an 8000 frames/second model used in the Olympics).

The above video is the first SprintCam v3 showreel, which was made for the NAB 2009 exhibition. It was shot mainly at 1000 frames per second (FPS) at a rubgy competition in the Stade de France, Paris. Click to view in full high-definition.

The SprintCam system has been instrumental in providing some of the most arresting slow-motion footage from recent broadcasting events, including the Beijing Summer Games in 2008, at which SprintCam was the official ultra-slow-motion solution. SprintCam V3 HD features a combination of exceptional image quality and light sensitivity, instant replay, broadcast integration and out-of-the-box operation with no requirement for special training.

Bouncing jelly has never looked so good!

Take a model car, a mobile phone, a F1 car and . . . .

2009-08-23T00:00:00Z

Imagine: a couple of tech-savvy young guys, let's call them Simon and Steve, decide to program their mobile phone to control their radio-controlled model cars.

They then upload a video of themselves playing to YouTube, where it was seen by somebody at the McClaren F1 team, who asked them to get in touch.

Our boys are then invited by McClaren to a race test track in Portugal ,where Lewis Hamilton proceeded to drive a McClaren F1 car by remote control using a similar phone.

Watch the video above to see how it all panned out.

Wow, what a story! If only it was true . . . and this one isn't.

It is actually a guerrilla marketing campaign by Vodafone for the BlackBerry Storm. A very successful marketing campaign in terms of viewer numbers, but it must have been frustrating that many viewers thought it was an iPhone!

Guerrilla Marketing: thought provoking posters

2009-08-16T00:00:00Z

Guerrilla marketing is the art of catching and grabbing the viewer's attention by placing the unexpected in common places. The unconventional can deliver a powerful message as the following images show.

These disturbing images placed in the bottom of shopping carts by Feed SA, a South African charity dedicated to feeding disadvantaged people, resulted in both a large increase in donations plus a big boost in website traffic from people wanting to learn more.

Tired of people spray-painting graffiti on their buses and trains, the Australian Public Transport Authority targeted the "graffidiots" with this ad campaign reminding would-be vandals what the consequences of their actions could be.

A blank set of elevator doors features two sets of fingers peeking out from the seam, as if someone inside is trying to escape. Inside the elevator the owner of those fingers: a man in a prison jumpsuit and leg-cuffs. Witness Against Torture, a human rights group, used this ad to campaign for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

With creativity, powerful emotions can be created with teh most simple of tools.

Thanks to WebUrbanist.com

Elephants in the lobby at the luxury Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia

2009-08-09T00:00:00Z

For most of the year there is little to distinguish Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia from similar luxurious game park accommodation in the region, but every November that changes . . . it changes BIG time!

When the lodge was constructed, nobody realized that it the nearby patch of mango trees was visited in November each year (when the fruit was ripe) by a family of elephants.

The open plan construction was built directly on the elephants habitual path and, as they were there first, they saw no reason to make a detour. Every November they walk straight through the lobby up to four times a day.

The matriarchal of the herd is 'Wonky Tusk', and she brings the nine others through to the mangos. They then come and go as they please for four to six weeks.

Guests are kept at a safe distance, but still more than close enough to see what is going. The elephants are completeéy wild and have not been tamed but there have been no problems.

For more information, please visit www.mfuwelodge.com

Shhhh! Switzerland's Top Secret Drum Corps

2009-08-01T00:00:00Z

In celebration of the 1st of August Swiss national Day, I would like to let you in on a secret, a top secret.

The Top Secret Drum Corps is a precision drum corps based in Basel, Switzerland. With 25 drummers and colourguard members, the corps became famous for its demanding six-minute routine performed at the Edinburgh Tattoo in 2003. With its invitation to Edinburgh, Top Secret became one of the first non-military, non-British Commonwealth acts to perform on the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh 2006

Since its success in 2003, Top Secret was invited to return to Edinburgh in 2006 with a new and improved routine. 2009 they have been invited a third time. Under the leadership of Erik Julliard, the band is also responsible for the founding of the military tattoo show similar to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, now held annually in Basel.

Edinburgh 2003

Top Secret has its roots in the rich drumming traditions of the band's home city, Basel, Switzerland, which is known for its annual carnival called Fasnacht. The city is said to have over 3,000 active drummers at any one time. These drummers perform at traditional events such as Fasnacht, the Vogel Gryff, Charivari, and various parades associated with the city's guilds. A Trommelkonig (Drummer King) competition is also held every year by the city's Fasnacht Committee.

To learn more, please visit Top_Secret_Drum_Corps and www.topsecretbasel.ch,  but please keep it to yourself, afterall, it's a secret.

The incredible mechanical animals of photographer/designer Andrew Chase

2009-07-26T00:00:00Z

Photographer, sculptutor, designer and artist Andrew Chase has crafted the most incredible realistically articulated animal from the most mundane of components.

And he has also created his own imaginary world where the cheetahs are the couriers of small objects and run treadmills to generate power. Along with the Cheetah, Chase's world also includes the Giraffe and the Elephant.

Chase's primary artstic medium is photography and he has constructed these animals to be able to take photos of them for a book project.

The Cheetah measures 61cm (24") high and 127cm (50") nose to tail and is crafted from Chase's favourite materials of electrical conduit, transmission parts and 20 gauge steel.

The lifelike motion of Andrew Chase's Cheetah

This incredible Elephant was crafted from transmission parts, electrical conduits, plumbing pipes and 20 gauge cold rolled steel. It is 36" X 36" X 18" and weights about 85 lbs. All the joints move and lock in place, turning a gear on the elephant's side winds a cable around a shaft which raises and lowers the trunk and the ears move back and forth and can fan out. For more images.

Chase's Giraffe is crafted from transmission parts, electrical conduit, and plumbing pipe. All the joints rotate and lock. Turning a removable crank on the Giraffe's side raises the neck. Lifting the tail releases a catch and lowers the neck. It's about 2m (6') tall. For more images.

And Andrew Chase is making a 50-page picture book (extract above) about the Robot TME - short for "Trionic Morphatractable Engineer".

For more information, please visit www.andrewchase.com

Igarashi Design's incredible single seat helicopter

2009-07-19T00:00:00Z

By day, Yutaka Igarashi reportedly works in a Japanese sawmill. By night, he creates remarkable designs using 3D modelling software.

Igarashi Design has introduced a single seat helicopter with truly amazing looks.

While the helicopter is (theoretically) equipped with everything required to give the machine high reliability, the single seat means that the pilot had better be very qualified before starting it up, because there will be no instructor holding his/her hand on their first flight.

Imagine how much easier and more fun the daily commute would be in this little baby!

And Igarashi's talent and imagination is not just limited to avant-garde helicopters.

V-Twin motorcycle

Chopper-style bicycle

Turbine-powered snowmobile

Robot contolled GP racing motorbike.

We can only hope that somebody puts some of these incredible designs into production.

For more information, please visit IgarashiDesign

Movbox reinterprets the mobile restaurant

2009-07-12T00:00:00Z

Located in Montreal"s Old Port, Müvbox offers a variety of dishes featuring lobster from Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Created from an old shipping container powered by solar energy, this concept is a modern-day reinvention of the old-fashioned canteen which creates an experience that"s environmentally-friendly, ethical and affordable.

Every night, Müvbox vanishes back into its cube, redeploying early the next morning in less than two minutes, at the touch of a button! Whether you are an Old Port regular or simply passing through, stop by and grab a bite in a modern, refined setting in a box that has been all over the world.

Over 25 years ago, founder and owner of the Pizzaiolle restaurants Daniel Noiseux brought the first wood stove pizza to Montreal. He is now breaking new ground with Müvbox. Passionate about all things extraordinary, this business man/restaurateur takes pride in bringing his wildest ideas to life for the greater dining pleasure of food lovers.

But to be honest, the best thing about Müvbox for thoses not living near Montreal is their excellent video!

Technical details:
Deployment: 1.5 minutes
Complete installation: 15 minutes
28 places, 14 of which are seated
3-4 employees when in use
Up to 40% energy self-sufficient, due to two solar panels

For more information, please visit www.movbox.com

The Oympus PEN story

2009-07-05T00:00:00Z

This is the Oympus PEN Story in stop motion video.

60.000 pictures; 9.600 prints and over 1.800 pictures reshot.

No post production! This is one of the most detailed stop motion video ever seen.

Olympus' new E-P1 "Pen" camera sports a 12.3 megapixel resolution, handles micro four-thirds lenses, and shoots high-definition video. It's not exactly a DSLR, but you can change lenses.

The PEN story" is dedicated to the comeback and the 50th anniversary of the Olympus PEN. It starts in 1959 where the first PEN was released and ends with the new digital Olympus PEN.

The PEN E-P1 isn't featured here because if features a 12.3 megapixel resolution, 3-inch LCD viewscreen, in-body image stabilization, dust reduction system, and Olympus's new TruePic V image processor . . .

It is on A Parallel World because the video uses art to convey emotion very, very effectively and we salute all those who push the envelope.

Thank you to Peter Chong for bring this to our attention on Facebook.

For more information on the camera, please check out the comprehensive review at http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusep1/

Microsoft Imagines Technology in 2019

2009-06-28T00:00:00Z

When Microsoft images technology of the future, they have a head start on the rest of us in that they are very likely to be working on much of it right here in the present.

In the cinema quality video below, Microsoft's Office Labs has produced their vision of what we may be doing in 2019.

Some of the new technologies demoed including a "transparent wall" between two classrooms around the world, animated drawings, realtime conversation translations, surface displays, electronic boarding cards, transparent displays, mini projectors, electronic newspapers among many others.

As long as its all not running on Vista!

For more information and insights into the future, please visit www.officelabs.com.

Manned Cloud by Jean-Marie Massaud

2009-06-21T00:00:00Z

Manned Cloud is a flying hotel proposed by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud, who has been working on the project since 2005.

Manned Cloud is an alternative project around leisure and travelling in all its form, economic and experimental, still with the idea of lightness, human experience and life scenarios as the guiding principles. The spiral of Archimedes is the driving force of this airship in the form of a whale that glides through the air.

The airship, developed with French national aerospace research body ONERA, will be able to accommodate 40 guests and have a range of 5,000 km. Cruising speed is anticipated to be 130 km/h with a top speed of 170 km/h. The two-deck cabin will contain amenities including a restaurant, a library, a fitness suite and a spa. There will also be a sun deck on top of the double helium-filled envelopes.

The scientific partner of the project, ONERA, has begun research and analysis into the feasibility of the project.

We hope that this graceful and enviromentally friendly alternative form of transport will be floating quitely in our skies in the not too distant future.

Massaud was voted 'Designer of the year 2009' by Now! Design à vivre.

For more information please visit www.massaud.com

Amazing Barreleye fish with transparent head

2009-06-14T00:00:00Z

OK you may think, a deep-sea fish with a transparent head is unusual, but then many, if not most, deep-sea fish are unusual.

But look closely at the barreleye's eyes and there is a good chance you are looking at its nose. What appear to be eyes, those small round objects just above his mouth, are actually olfactory organs. They are basically fish nostrils.

The eyes are actually those green demi-spheres inside the top of its head. Its eyes are shaped like barrels and thus its name. Spherical eyes are not as well adapted for the dark deeps in which it the barrel fish lives and its eye can swivel inside its head to look up, forward, or and even to backwards through the top rear of its cranium to see if there is anything coming from behind and above.

The name 'barreleye' drives from the fact that because their eyes are tubular in shape. Barreleyes typically live near the depth where sunlight from the surface fades to complete blackness. They use their ultra-sensitive tubular eyes to search for the faint silhouettes of prey overhead.

Although such tubular eyes are very good at collecting light, they have a very narrow field of view. Furthermore, until now, most marine biologists believed that the barreleye's eyes were fixed in their heads, which would allow them to only look upward. This would make it impossible for the fishes to see what was directly in front of them, and very difficult for them to capture prey with their small, pointed mouths.

The barreleye (Macropinna microstoma) is 15cms long (6"), lives at depths of more than 600 meters (2000') and, although it was first discovered in 1939, the transparent nature of its head wasn"t known as the only specimins examined were caught in nets and dead, and when dead the transparent nature of its skull disappears so it was thought that the fish could not see forwards.

It was not until recently that a team from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Insitute sent remotely operated vehicles to the ocean floor to study the Barreleyeand make the remarkable discovery that the fish had a transparent skull and could rotate its eyes through many angles. They also managed to capture a live specimen, and over several hours observed the fish rotating its eyes.

There are more things in heaven and earth (and underwater), Horatio, . . . .

For more information, please visit news_releases/2009/barreleye/barreleye.html

MB&F's Only Watch HM2 piece unique by artist Sage Vaughn

2009-06-07T00:00:00Z

There is a butterfly trapped in the movement of the latest watch to emerge from MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends). And it has no hope of escaping, because the complicated movement is wrapped in barbed wire.
This emotionally charged piece, a one-of-a-kind interpretation of MB&F"s Horological Machine N°2, is signed by the American artist Sage Vaughn.

It will be auctioned at Only Watch, the charity auction to benefit research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to be held in Monaco on 24 September 2009 under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II.

Sage Vaughn was born in Jackson, Oregon and now lives and works in Los Angeles.

As a child he developed his talent for art in the company of his father, the artist Richard Smitty Vaughn Junior. His hippie parents had little money for toys, but they encouraged him to draw and to develop his own style. Later, he became an avid participant in the graffiti culture.

Today he favours painting, but the city of his graffiti days is ever present in his work.

"I try to utilise animals in the same way that Aesop did in his fables"say Vaughn

Sage Vaughn"s paintings question the human condition and the difficulty of living in a contemporary environment. The bright birds and insects serve as an affirmation of life, but they also remind us of our strategies for survival in a modern society.

Maximilian Büsser said that he and his team were "shocked into" participating and were determined to work with Sage Vaughn. His paintings of gaily dressed children or bright birds or butterflies against bleak urban backgrounds had the tension between affirmation of life and a sense of desperation that they were seeking.

Vaughn, whose solo shows have won widespread critical acclaim, has fought and conquered his own demon – a seven-year heroin addiction – and the pain of that struggle is felt in the emotional power of his work. He immediately agreed to contribute his time and talent.

You can see parallels between Vaughn's 'State Penn' painting above and the HM2 only Watch.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disorder affecting boys. It causes a progressive weakening of the muscles that becomes fatal as the child gets older.

The Monegasque Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (AMM) is a leading force in the drive to find a cure.

The barbed wire is handcrafted in blackened gold, the butterfly in blued gold and the scene has all the emotional impact of the first rough by the artist.

For more information and images, please check out the dedicated Only Watch section on www.MB&F.com

Wearable Motorcycle Concept by Jake loniak

2009-05-31T00:00:00Z

Jake Loniak designed Deus Ex Machina while studying for a Transportation Design degree at the Art Center College of Design. It would use nano phosphate batteries and artificial muscles to give a theoretical limited top speed of 129 kms/hr (75mph).

"I never envisioned this as a commuter," says Loniak. "This is a sport bike."

It would stand vertically when parked, so that the rider can step in and strap the bike on like a full-body suit. A computer would interpret the rider"s body movements, translate those into directional commands for the motorcycle, and steer the bike using 36 pneumatic muscles (artificial muscles made by the German company Festo that inflate or deflate to change the direction).

Deus exists only as computer illustrations and animations, but Loniak is confident that it can be built. "I believe a working prototype could be made, but it would take a great deal of time and engineering," he says. The basic technology already exists; the Watertown, Massachusetts, start-up A123 is already selling the lithium-ion batteries Loniak wants to use, and a number of companies are developing ultracapacitors for electric cars and hybrids. "This isn"t fantasy," he says. "It"s a green vehicle, and all of the numbers are based in the real world."

Bring it on!

Adam Grosser and his sustainable fridge

2009-05-24T00:00:00Z

By applying modern science and technology to an old idea, Adam Grosser has developed an efficient refrigeration system powered by fire or heat that has the potential to revolutionise food (and medicine) storage in the third world.

For more 'Ideas worth spreading' videos featuring riveting talks by remarkable people, please visit www.ted.com

Susan Boyle and Paul Potts: Unlikely stars with immense talent.

2009-05-17T00:00:00Z

There cannot be many now with an internet connection who have not heard of Susan Boyle. Her performance on Britain"s Got Talent TV show has attracted over 11 million views (and growing) on just one clip on YouTube . . . and there are many!

If you have not seen Susan Boyle"s performance click on the image above, and if you have it is well worth another look as much to see the surprise on Simon Cowell"s sceptical face as it is to hear her amazing voice.

This is how Minette Marrin describeb Boyle"s performance in an article in The Times.

"An unsympathetic person, by contrast, might have sneered slightly, but the derision and jeering contempt that actually met this poor woman, seconds later, when she appeared on stage was quite shockingly brutal, especially for these sentimental times. She might as well have been a martyr in a Roman arena. As she clumsily answered a few questions, and said she wanted to be like Elaine Paige, TV cameras filmed open contempt on the faces of the young audience and there were audible boos and jeers. Worse still, the judges were also laughing at her, Simon Cowell rolling his eyes in affected disbelief and Piers Morgan openly sneering. All this because a plain and middle-aged lady, the living antithesis of youth and cool, had the effrontery to enter a talent contest.

Yet Miss Boyle, with her strange serenity, seemed oddly untroubled. . .

As a nation, as individuals, we don"t sing enough. We should be inspired by the surprising Susan Boyle."

You can learn more about the sensational Susan Boyle on wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Boyle

Paul Potts stunned the judges and audiences in a similar fashion on the same show. Paul was a manager at a Carphone Warehouse store who went on to win Britain's got Talent in 2007 and released a No.1 in the classical charts.

Potts also said in a recent interview that he would like to sing a duet with Susan Boyle.

For more information on Paul Potts wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Potts

It just goes to show, you really can't judge a book by its cover.

MB&F launches new HM2s on Facebook

2009-05-13T00:00:00Z

MB&F is not only a Horological Laboratory, it is also a community of friends and passionate fans, so it was only natural to enter the digital social networking revolution.

MB&F is therefore pleased to offer you a warm welcome to the new MB&F page on Facebook.

And in what may be the first new watch model ever launched on Facebook, MB&F presented a new version of HM2 in red gold/titanium or white gold/titanium, featuring black dials and metallised moonphase and hour rings on the sapphire glasses.

HM2 in red gold/titanium with black dials and metalized moonphase and hour rings

HM2 in white gold/titanium with black dials and metalized moonphase and hour rings

You can also follow the MB&F Parallel World Blog from the Facebook page as it is mirrored under Notes.

We are looking forward to seeing you on Facebook and you can receive the latest MB&F news and updates by following MBandF on Twitter.

MB&F April 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-10T00:00:00Z

The 2009 Basel Fair finished three weeks ago and we are still reeling from the incredible enthusiasm generated by our presence in The Watch Factory (a group of 12 independent horological creators exhibiting together, many presenting for the first time).

Now that the hectic period that is Baselworld is past MB&F has just published their April 2009 newsletter to keep all of their Friends up to date with the latest news.

Max Büsser reported that in 18 years of exhibiting at the Basel Fairs he had never seen and experienced such positive energy and drive. MB&F exhibited their range at Baselworld and the "Final Editions" of Horological Machine N°1.

In the Newletter there are details on downloading an excellent 16 page feature on MB&F by GMT magazine for those that really want to print off a

Recap of the fascinating HM1 Engine.

To view the full newsletter, please click MB&F April 2009 Newsletter

GM and Segway launch the PUMA

2009-04-26T00:00:00Z

The new PUMA - Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility - from GM and Segway shows one way that auto companies could shift over to being transportation companies (if they wanted to).

Segway market it as, ' A digital solution to an analog problem.' The PUMA values less over more; taking up less space, using less energy, produced more efficiently with fewer parts, creating fewer emissions during production and operation, all while offering more enjoyment, productivity and connectivity.

The battery-powered PUMA is functional. Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway Inc. said that with two wheels, you get "unparralled" maneuverability.

The zero-emissions vehicle is powered by a lithium-ion battery and dual electric wheel motors. It features all-electronic acceleration, steering, and braking; vehicle-to-vehicle communications; digital smart energy management; two-wheel balancing; and a dockable user interface that allows off-board connectivity.

With a top speed of 60 km/hr (35 mph), a 60km (35-mile) range, and the ability to recharge for 35 cents (so GM says), there's got to be a market for city dwellers who think bikes are a good idea, but just too sweaty.

Now if only they could make it look good!

For more information, please visit www.segway.com/puma

My Baselworld Highlight: La Machine à Ecrire le Temps

2009-04-19T00:00:00Z

Baselworld 2009 has just finished and, amongst the flurry of new horological creations, the timepiece that really impressed and amazed me wasn't a wristwatch at all, but an incredible horological machine in its own right.

Jaquet Droz's 'La Machine à Ecrire le Temps' - The Machine that Writes the Time.

Manuel Emch, president and head of artistic creation at Montres Jaquet Droz, has done a superb job in reinventing the brand over the last 8 years.

18th century automates from Jaquet Droz: the Draftsman, the Musician and the Writer

Jaquet Droz was one of the most celebrated creators of automatons in the past and in developing this modern time writing machine, they have created one of the most amazing "horological sculptures" to date, as well as added to the brand's rich heritage.

The project was the brainchild of Manuel Emch who had, amongst other objectives, the idea to create an automaton that relates to the 21st century. The result is as impressive as it is poetic. La Machine à Ecrire le Temps is an incredible blend of tradition, kinetic art, high-tech horology . . . and magic.

The development and construction of La Machine à Ecrire le Temps took the best part of a decade. It contains more than 1,200 components, including 84 ball bearings, 50 cams and 9 belts, and took thousands of hours to construct and regulate.

The masterpiece is housed in an unusual cage, whose aluminium frame is fitted with a liquid crystal glass, allowing the owner to mask or unveil the whole movement at will. A light touch activates the mechanism and a stylus writes the time in hours and minutes.

Contemporary horology as we love it !

Karl Lagerfeld redefines paper as pure luxury.

2009-04-12T00:00:00Z

At Chanel's Spring 2009 Couture Collection, Karl Lagerfeld showed the world that you could still have pure luxury without ostentatious displays of wealth.

His inspiration for the collection was very simple: "The idea was a white page," Lagerfeld revealed. The paper theme was seen everywhere from the set design to the clothing and accessories, and they drove home the message that true luxury is in the details, in the materials and in the thoughts and ideas behind it all.

The beautiful pieces were also made from paper by Katsuya Kamo, the Japanese hair stylist, and their detail is incredible. Kamo created these works of art using just plain paper (and a team of nimble fingered asssistants). Now working as a hair and makeup artist Kamo originally thought his career would be in fashion design (isn't it still?).

Kamo's creations, designed with Lagerfeld, were reminisient of whipped confections and birds in flight, reflecting his love of creating ambitious and breathtaking feathered pieces.

In fact, with their intricate details demanding so much attention, the headwear and ambitious set almost eclipsed the clothing itself.

Karl Lagerfeld talking about the economic crisis and the Chanel collection.

Dance Mania Marketing

2009-04-05T00:00:00Z

Saatchi & Saatchi injected a burst of high-energy entertainment into the daily commute at Liverpool Street Station when 350 dancers broke into a spontaneous routine to launch T-Mobile's "Life's for Sharing' campaign.

Saatchi & Saatchi planted hundreds of dancers and ten hidden cameras throughout the station's rush hour crowds to film the dance spectacular.

In a style reminiscent of "flash mob' events, music pumped through the loudspeakers at Liverpool Street Station as a single commuter began to dance. As the music changed, the dancing quickly spread through the morning travellers until hundreds of people were seen moving in unison. Then, as quickly as it began, the performance ended and the dancers dispersed into the crowd. The event, choreographed by one of Britain's leading choreographers, Ashley Wallen, left commuters stunned, surprised and delighted.

Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Partner Paul Silburn said: "The idea was to create a feeling of spontaneity - an event so memorable that people can't help but join in and share it."

Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Partner Kate Stanners said: "Across the whole campaign we've looked for ways to really engage with people through the notion of "Life's for Sharing'. We hope that "Dance' will connect with people in a bold and dynamic way, inspiring them to create and share their own memorable moments."

The event followed months of preparation including auditioning T-Mobile staff to join the dance corps, secret midnight rehearsals in freezing conditions, numerous meetings with Network Rail and negotiating the rights for eight classic music tracks.

It just goes to show that with imagination, marketing can be interesting, fun and very effective.

Branding the hairy-nosed wombat

2009-03-31T00:00:00Z

'Branding the hairy-nosed wombat', now that's a headline you will not see very often!

A native of Australia, the hairy-nosed wombat resembles a cross between a dog, a bear and a koala and while they are popular good looking little creatures, they are an endangered species facing extinction.

But Swiss mining company Xstrata - wombats dig too- - has come to the rescue with an innovative branding partnership. In return for millons of $$$ of conservation funding for the wombat,company's name will appear on everything related to wombats: websites, educational DVDs, wildlife workers' shirts.

Xstrata top management will also star in documentaries about the animals and speak at media events. By standing up for the little marsupials, Xstrata hopes to enhance its "green" image.

You can learn more by reading the Time magazine article, Branding for Wombats

Festo - lifelike robotics

2009-03-22T00:00:00Z

Festo is a German-based family company that has become a worldwide leading supplier of pneumatic and electrical automation technology.

And they have quietly gone about their business generally unknown to to the wider world . . . and that all changed when they developed the gracefully ethereal Airjelly.

The question Festo asked themselves was, 'Can the jellyfish"s motion through water serve as a propulsion principle for an airborne object? Is it possible to glide through the air as a jellyfish swims through water?'

Propulsion of a ballonett by means of peristaltic motion is as yet unknown in the history of aviation. AirJelly is thus the first indoor flight object with peristaltic drive. Observation of models from nature gave rise to this new propulsion concept for the airborne
jellyfish.

AirJelly is a remote radio-controlled airborne jellyfish with a central electric drive unit and an intelligent adaptive mechanism. It consists of a helium-filled ballonett with a diameter of 1.35 meters, yielding a filling volume of 1.3 cubic meters of helium.

One cubic meter of helium provides buoyancy to lift approximately one kilogram so the total weight of AirJelly could be no more than a feather light 1.3 kilograms.

Controlling AirJelly"s motion in three-dimensional space is effected by weight displacement. For this purpose, a pendulum is set in motion by two actuators in the X and Y directions.

Technical data
Diameter: 1.35 m
Height: 2.20 m
Total weight: 1.3 kg
Propulsion: coreless motor, 3 V
Reduction ratio: 262:1
Power supply: lithium-ion polymer accumulator
batteries; 8 V and 400 mA

And Festo do more than graceful giant jellyfish, their robotic arms also do some fairly wild DJing!

And in a not to distant Humanoid future ....

For more information, please check out www.festo.com

The (Flying) Car of the Future?

2009-03-15T00:00:00Z

City-to-city, door-to-door travel takes a step closer, with the Terrafugia Transition flying car.

And while functionality appears to have dominated the styling, hopefully it will hopefully look less like an ugly duckling and more like a swan when it spreads its wings and soars.

Terrafugia was founded in 2006 by award-winning MIT-trained aeronautical engineers and MBA's – who also happen to be passionate private pilots. The company"s mission is to provide innovative solutions to the challenges facing personal aviation.

The Terrafugia Transition uses normal unleaded fuel, will fit into a garage and can transform itself from a two-seater road car to a plane in 15 seconds.

The Transition is powered by the same 100bhp engine on the ground and in the air.

Terrafugia claims it will be able to fly up to 800 kms on a single tank of petrol at a cruising speed of 190 km/hr. Up to now, however, it has been tested only on roads at up to 145 km/hr.

There are still one or two hickups to overcome: getting insurance may be a little difficult and finding somewhere to take off may not be straightforward as the the only place in the USA in which it is legal to take off from a road is Alaska.

Performance

Cruise: 100 kts (115 mph)
Rotate: 70 kts (80 mph)
Stall: 45 kts (51 mph)
Range: 400nm (460 mi)
Takeoff over 50' obstacle: 1700'

Fuel burn: 5 gph
Fuel tank: 20 gallons
Useful Load: 430 lbs
On road: 30 mpg, 65 mph
Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)

Convenience
Front wheel drive on the ground
Automotive-style entry and exit
Two place, side by side
Automated electromechanical folding wing
No trailer or hangar needed
Cargo area holds skis, fishing poles or golf clubs

Safety
Drive in case of inclement weather
Proven 100 hp Rotax 912S engine
Full vehicle parachute available
Modern glass avionics
Automotive crash safety features

The Terrafugia Transition is expected to land be commercially available mid-2010.

For more information please visit www.www.terrafugia.com

'The Watch Factory' at Baselworld 2009 - 12 cutting-edge horological creators.

2009-03-12T00:00:00Z

MB&F is very pleased to announce that this year they will be exhibiting at Baselworld for the very first time.

MB&F will be presenting as a member of the nascient 'The Watch Factory' (TWF). TWF is a group of 12 creative and passionate watchmaking brands (including two manufacturers), who will be presenting together at the 'Palace' Hall (opposite teh Ramada hotel) at Baselworld 2009 at the express invitation of Baselworld.

The TWF brands are: Alain Silberstein, Beat Haldimann, Cabestan, Fabrication de Montres Normandes, Les Artisans Horlogers, MB&F, MCT, Rudis Sylva, Speake-Marin, Steinway & Sons Watches and URWERK.

Baselworld 2009 is just the first of many exhibitions by The Watch Factory so watch this space!

The JETLEV-FLYER.

2009-03-08T00:00:00Z

The JETLEV-FLYER employs a powerful 4-stroke engine and water nozzle reaction force to achieve stable, controlled flight. The unique design helps to make flight controls very simple, light and intuitive. It can accommodate pilots of 1,50 - 2,00 m in height and 40 - 120 kg in weight.

Depending on pilot weight, a standard JETLEV-FLYER could reach an altitude of 10 m, top speeds of 65 km/h and has a cruising duration of 1 - 2 hours.
For special applications, future designs could achieve higher altitudes and top speeds, extended range of up to 300 km and even travel both above and below the water´s surface.

Unlike conventional aircrafts and jetpacks, the innovative Jetlev concept greatly improves thrust-to-weight ratio by locating the propulsion engine, fuel and related systems on a separate vessel tethered behind the jetpack, and uses water as the jet propulsion medium because its high density can carry vast amounts of power at much lower velocities, and generate nozzle reaction forces much more effectively, than gases.

Traditional designs of airplanes suffer from low thrust-to-weight ratios which limit their performance and agility. Even F/A-18 E/F fighter jets can barely overcome the force of gravity. To achieve a dramatic improvement in this ratio, we decided to locate the propulsion source on a separate boat-like unit, and transmit low pressure, high flow water to the jetpack through a supply hose and generate thrusts by nozzle reaction force.

Besides the obvious recreational and entertainment applications, there are many potential practical applications of Jetlev technology including beach patrol, search-and-rescue, offshore services, marine/bridge inspection and maintenance, maritime safety, harbor security, anti-piracy missions, and the military.

And you thought jetskis were a nuisance! JETLEV-FLYER, coming to a lake or river near you.

For more information, please visit www.jetlev-flyer.com/

Extreme Wingsuit BASE jumping

2009-03-01T00:00:00Z

As if BASE jumping - freefalling off stationary objects rather than a plane - was not exciting enough, these thrill skeers have pushed it to a whole new level.

When the earth isn't close enough, even at high speed, get closer!

This is truely amazing flying. Please click here to view larger higher quality video.

For more adrenalin rushes without the danger, please check out the following videos as well.

Some thrills are best appreciated vicariously!

Interesting furniture designs- Part 2

2009-02-22T00:00:00Z

As we reported last week in Part 1, design Blog Mocoloco is one of our favourites and is always up to date with the latest in the world of design.

In this post we share a few more of their recent selections.

Above and below: Textile designer Hanna Nyman has the interior design industry"s attention with her intricately-designed wallpapers. Hanna works mostly with patterns that change shape, as she enjoys the tension when something beautiful transforms into something new or acquires an unexpected function.

Floral patterns emerge from the paper's surface and her wallpapers become three-dimensional. Even better, the wallpaper is designed so that each user peels back a select section of the wall allowing customization of the the pattern and giving each wall its own identity.

Hanna also designs origami sculptures and lights to enhance texture and interactivity within a space. For more images and information, please check out www.coolhunting.com/archives/2008/09/hanna_nyman.php and www.hannanyman.se/

Atlason, a new design studio based in New York, has introduced the Victoria Butler coat rack (above). The rach is a seemingly random arrangement of dowels, but in effect put together in perfect order and is as glossy as a grand piano.

They have also responsible for the slipcast porcelain Bomb Vase (below), which it looks like like something from a cartoon!

The new Ripple table (above) from Jason Phillips Design is a smooth and inviting design that is bound to be a conversational centrepiece. For more images to see how the table works, please visit www.behance.net/Gallery/Ripple/

UrBonfire (above and below), by Michael Hilgers for for Rephorm, is a campfire for the apartment - a bio-ethanol fire in a framework of borosilicate and stainless steel.

London textile designer Kathy Schicker's light-reactive woven textiles appear to be beautiful white jacquard fabrics, but when they are exposed to sunlight, the light brings out colour and pattern. At the same time, the sunlight charges the fabric, causing it to glow in the dark. The effect is usually quite subtle, but will vary depending on the time of day and season.

And to stay up with the latest from the world of cutting edge design, please visit www.mocoloco.com/

Interesting furniture designs- Part 1

2009-02-15T00:00:00Z

Design Blog Mocoloco is one of our favourites and is always up to date with the latest in the world of design.

We looked at some of their architectural picks earlier in the year and now we would like to share with you a few of their selection from the wild world of contemporary furniture design.

The Liquid Lamp (above) comes from designer Kouichi Okamotoat Kyouei He creates playful twists to ordinary objects. Each of his Liquid Bookmarks (below) is a hand made one-off by the designer himself.

Catwalk (above) from Minim is a modular, LED-illuminated outdoor & indoor walkway system, providing "A more dramatic alternative to your standard brick walkway to the front door".

In daylight the modular steel and white polycarbonate structure has a clean rectilinear profile and resembles raised stepping stones over water, while at night the catwalk is self-illuminated by low power-sipping LED lights creating a ribbon of light with a subtle interplay of focused and diffused points of light.

Pool Table from FreshWest has a serene and calming quality. The coffee table is from 50mm acrylic with a miniature diving board and reflects and refracts light in such a way that it resembles a small, but real, swimming pool.

Zaza's Kitchen by Francis Rollin illustrates the breadth of his talent. A mix of wooden cabinets is carefully crafted to preserve and highlight the unique wood grain and features a solid metal "track" lighting system, stone counter tops and custom molded drawer fronts that indicate what's lurking inside.

For more on the latest in funiture design, please visit Mocoloco Funiture

Wing-in -Ground Effect Wingships

2009-02-08T00:00:00Z

There has been more and more interest in personal aviation over the last few years, and that is likely to continue as prices come down and the quality and quantity of flying machines on offer increases.

One of the more interesting concepts, all the more so in the present economic climate as it is cost efficient, is ground effect technology.

Ground effect wingships are particularly suited to remote regions (like Alaska), where there are few roads and much water, which limits transport option to air travel (fast, but expensive) or water travel (slow, cheaper, can be uncomfortable). Ground effect wingships can offer fast and comfortable transport at a more reasonable price than air travel.

Ground Effect is the name given to the dramatically improved aerodynamic performance of a wing when it operates close to a ground plane.

Video: The principles of Wing in Ground Effect

Wing in Ground Effect (WIG) is the official term adopted by the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for a marine craft using ground effect as a means of lift.

Ever since the beginning of manned flight pilots have experienced something strange when landing an aircraft. Just before touchdown it suddenly feels like the aircraft just doesn't want to go lower. It just wants to go on and on due to the air that is trapped between the wing and the runway, forming an air cushion. The air cushion is best felt in low wing aircraft with large wing areas. This phenomenon is called (aerodynamic) ground effect. The Wright brothers probably had not even flown out of ground effect in their early flights, they benefited from ground effect without even knowing it existed.

One of the most well known WIG planes was the mighty Russian 'Ekranoplan'

In the Second World War pilots knew that when they lost an engine on the way back from the enemy that they could reach home by flying just a few meters above the sea, thus needing less power. The very well known Spruce Goose, the largest aircraft ever, never even left ground effect in its only 90 second flight! When an aerodynamic wing is close to a ground plane, such as water, lift is increased by as much as 45% and induced drag decreased by up to 70%.

This is vastly different to normal operation of an aircraft wing in free flight away from the ground. The main benefits when a craft is operating within ground effect are that speed, payload and fuel economies are considerably more efficient than with traditional boat, plane and helicopter transport.

Ground Effect Sea Eagle

For more information about Wing in Ground Effect principles and craft:
The WIG Page
www.Seacraft.com
wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle
Bentley Yachts- The Future of Yachting

MB&F's HM2 awarded the 2008 'Unique Design' prize in Japan

2009-02-05T00:00:00Z

MB&F is honoured to announce that the prestigious Japanese horological magazine, World Wristwatch Time Spec, has awarded their 2008 prize for most 'Unique Design' to MB&F's Horological Machine No.2.

MB&F's mechanical sculptures are as much works of art as a testimony to incredible craftsmanship.

Design is an intrinsic part of the MB&F creative process, where every element from case to engine is designed as a piece of mechanical art, so, for one of our avant-garde three dimensional horological machines to be recognized by the world's most demanding market is high praise indeed.

Thank you again to the judges at World Wristwatch Time Spec.

For more on MB&F's HM2 please check out the HM2 section on this website.

MB&F's first Newsletter of 2009

2009-02-01T00:00:00Z

MB&F hits the new year running with the first newsletter of 2009 and it is full of both exciting and interesting news.

MB&F not only hit all of their objects for 2008, but surpassed them! While 2009 is sure to be a challenging year, it will also see yet more exciting creations, amazing developments and impressive craftmanship from MB&F's creative lab.

The stunning HM2- Ceramic was recently unveiled to widespread appreciation.

Ceramic: there is nothing quite like it. In fact, nothing even comes close! From exquisite 5,000 year old pottery to 300 km/hour brake disks on Formula One racing cars; from the aqueducts of ancient Rome to 1,600°C heat shields on the space shuttle, ceramic"s extreme versatility is complimented its incredible ability to shrug of time and adversity.

MB&F revealed the first of the "Auxiliary components" line. The cufflinks are available in 18k red gold or 18k white gold and feature black mother-of-pearl on which is displayed the iconic MB&F battle-axe in 18k gold. Both colours are limted to just 50 pairs each.

The MB&f website vistor numbers continue to increase month by month, driven perhaps by fresh content such as the articles on In the Press. There are over a hundred informative and interesting articles about MB&F from all over the world. A search function allows you to select by topic, country and language.

An example is this recent article by James D. Malcolmson in the Robb Report (January 2009) featuring interviews with enthusiastic and knowledgeable watch collectors about their favourite timepieces - and a great choice of watch to open the article!

For all of this and more, please click here to read the full MB&F January Newsletter.

The Strange Machines from the Island of Nantes

2009-01-27T00:00:00Z

Les Machines de l'île de Nantes- The Machines of the Isle of Nantes- is an artistic, touristic and cultural project based in Nantes, France.

Two artists, François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice, visualised a travel-through-time world at the crossroads of the "imaginary worlds" of Jules Verne and the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci and created it in the warehouses of the former shipyards in Nantes.

The exhibition opened to the public in July 2007 and the three major Machine projects are: The Great Elephant, the Marine Worlds Carrousel (opening Spring 2010) and the Heron Tree (opening 2014).

Video: Elephant walking through the crowd.

The mechanical elephant is 12 meters high and 8 meters wide, made from 45 tons of wood and steel. It can take up to 49 passengers for a 45-minute walk. It is a replica of The Sultan's Elephant, which toured the world from 2005 to 2007.

Video: Giant Squid

You can learn more about this fascinating exhibition by visiting www.lesmachines-nantes.fr

Jumbo Hostel - A hotel in a 747-200

2009-01-25T00:00:00Z

Oscar Dios, the founder of Jumbo Hostel, was looking to expand his hotel business when he heard about a grounded 747 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dios purchased the defunct 747 (abandoned by a bankrupt carrier in 2002) and has since transformed it into a hostel at the Stockholm airport.

Jumbo Hostel offers 25 rooms, most of which have three beds. All together, the hostel offers 72 beds - one relatively luxurious on the upper deck. The rooms are approximately six square meters with three meter to the ceiling.

All rooms have a flat screen TV where you can, among other things, watch the times of departure for all flights. Everywhere in the jumbo jet you have access to wireless broadband. All rooms offer a shower and toilet in the corridor, except for cockpit suite upstairs which boast its own shower and WC.

The cockpit has converted into a luxury suite with a panoramic view of the airport.

Brief facts about Jumbo Hostel
Airplane type: Boeing 747-200
Year of manufacture: 1976
Number of rooms: 25
Number of beds in total: 85
Room size: about 6 square meters

For more information, or making a reservation, please visit www.jumbohostel.com

'11': the Beautiful Game, on a Beautiful Table.

2009-01-18T00:00:00Z

If, like me, your youth involved hours and hours of pleasure playing table football you will applaud this new design-led approach to the classic table game by a collaboration of two Dutch companies - GRO design and Tim modelmakers. It's called simply '11' after the number of players on each side.

"For many of us, table football is a game that is close to our hearts, holding cherished memories of our childhood and youth. Its popularity also reflects the passion and love that millions of people around the world share for 'the beautiful game' of football. " That sums it up for me!

As an object the football table has lacked serious design attention in recent years. While new football stadiums built in recent years have a strong architectural and sculptural beauty, football tables remain less desirable objects as their cost-drive appearance no longer fits in with the designed landscape of modern interiors.

"11" breaks with this tradition by creating atmosphere through form, colour, material and subtle use of light, bringing a heightened sense of drama and excitement to the game. The table"s flowing lines express the dynamic aspect of football, while reducing unnecessary detail to allow the raw energy of the game to come to the fore.

The lines of players proved challenging. Machined from solid brass, the weight of each rod required the right bearing mechanism to allow the rods to rotate smoothly. Finished in bright-silver chrome required hours of polishing to achieve a perfect mirror finish, before finally ink filling the graphic details.

The model of the football table incorporates a number of lighting effects. This required not only finding the best lighting solution, but also writing software to enhance the experience of playing the game – showing the winning goal or restarting the game. Machining and polishing 22 players to a bright-silver chrome finish, incorporating working electronics and applying unique ink-filling techniques were just a few of the many challenges that required expertise and intense teamwork.

For more information, please visit www.eleventhegame.com

I want one!

Update 13th June 2009: '11 the Beautiful Game' is now in production and could be all yours for 38,500 euros.

Mocoloco's Best Architecture of the week

2009-01-11T00:00:00Z

Design Blog Mocoloco has many interesting catagories, but one that is always of interest is their picks of the week in architecture section.

Here are just a selection but you can see and learn more at mocoloco/architecture

Elemental's Quinta Monroy project at Arch Daily, social housing that grows over time, "when the given money is enough for just half of the house, the key question is, which half do we do. We choose to make the half that a family individually will never be able to achieve on its own, no matter how much money, energy or time they spend."

BrightBuilt Barn at Jetson Green, a net-zero energy home with a trademark feature; an "exterior LED lightskirt, which was designed to change color depending on the home's energy use."

MOS' Floating House at Arch Daily, "The location on the Great Lakes imposed complexities to the house's fabrication and construction, as well as its relationship to site."

Modern Green Cabin Kits at Jetson Green, "The cabins are built with SIPs and steel and can be customized in an endless manner to suit the needs of a future cabin owner."

ZeroEnergy Design's Truro Residence at Jetson Green, "a 6,200 square foot second home that acts a lot smaller that it actually is. The client wanted something to accommodate a large and fluctuating number of family members for weekends and holidays. As a result, ZED split the home into a "living bar" and "sleeping bar." It's an interesting idea that creates impressive results".

For more on the latest in architural designs and trends, please visit Mocoloco's best of the week in architecture

Adaptive Eyecare- A Liquid Revolution in Eye Glasses

2009-01-04T00:00:00Z

British inventor Josh Silver, a former professor of physics at Oxford University, has come up with a life-changing for millions design with his water-lensed glasses.

The water-filled lenses can be produced by the millions and adjusted on-site by the users themselves, many of whom stand less than a one in a million chance of ever visiting with an optometrist.

In Ghana, Silver met a man who had been forced to retire as a tailor because he could no longer see to thread the needle - he was about 35 years old- "We put these specs on him, and he smiled, and threaded his needle, and sped up with this sewing machine. He can work now. He can see!"

The starting point for the development of Adaptive Eyecare's technology was the astonishing statistic that according to the World Health Organization there are currently around one billion people - including 10% of school children - in the world who would benefit from vision correction, but are as yet uncorrected.

Most of these people live in the developing world, and the problem arises principally because the numbers of personnel trained to deliver vision correction in the conventional way are simply inadequate to meet the needs of the people. These statistics have profound implications - they mean that hundreds of millions of adults do not have the vision correction they need to be socially and economically active, and many children are educationally and socially disadvantaged.

The approach of Adaptive Eyecare has been to develop a completely new ophthalmic lens technology which permits them to manufacture revolutionary new spectacles which are universal, in the sense that one pair may be used to correct the vision of over 90% of people requiring correction.

The special feature is that the wearer can adjust the power of each lens to his or her own requirements - this is particularly useful for developing world populations in areas which do not have adequate numbers of those specially trained personnel normally associated with the provision of vision correction.

Adaptive Eyecare's adaptive lenses are fluid- filled and the power is changed by varying the amount of fluid in the lens. The power range of our lenses is +6 to -6 Dioptres, and the optical quality is similar to that of the typical human eye.

For more information please visit www.adaptive-eyecare.com/

National Geographic 2008 International Photography Contest

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

A splash colour to launch the new year!

The National Geographic magazine hold an international competion each year to select what their judges deem to be the best photos in a number of catagories.

Photo and caption by Matthew Parker. Places: Honorable mention

This is a shot of the traditional fishing boats on Phi Phi Island, Thailand. They are now turned into taxi boats, after the increased popularity of the island after the movie "The Beach" was filmed there. I like how the boats still maintain their traditional vividly colored ties.

Photo and caption by Cabell Cox. Places: Winner

On a recent visit to a small town on the Brazilian and Bolivian border, I found this man tending to a field of burning debris and vegetation at dusk. Something as mundane as this may seem a daily, routine chore for one man, while offering a symbolic portrait of tranquil repose to another.

Photo and caption by Stephen Oachs. Nature: Winner

The incredibly beautiful snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is indigenous to the mountains of Central Asia. Their dense coats and snowshoe-like paws are ideally suited for their cold, dry, rocky native environment. These shy, elusive cats, when fully grown, weigh up to 120 pounds and nose to tip of their very thick, furry tails measure up to 7 and a half feet long. Sadly, these phenomenal cats are an endangered species. This photograph was taken on a private reserve in Kalispell, Montana.

Photo and caption by Andrew Wong. Nature: Honorable Mention

Dolphins are known to jump out the back of big waves as they break against the shores. This pod of bottlenose dolphins was leisurely surfing in the waves as the offshore wind blew against the incoming waves, creating an atmosphere that was most unique and magical. At a place called Waterfall Bluff in the Transkei, South Africa.

You can view all of the results in a larger size at National Geographic 2008 photo contest winners.

2009 Seasons Greetings from MB&F

2008-12-29T00:00:00Z

All of us at MB&F wish you all of the best for 2009 - May your star shine even brighter!

New website for Chronopassion

2008-12-21T00:00:00Z

Laurent Picciotto of Chronopassion in Paris was one of MB&F's very first 'Friends' and I am happy to say that he is not only an original Friend of MB&F, he is also a longtime personal friend as well - see 'The new Gerald Genta Gefica Safari brings back a few memories' to learn just how far we go back.

Laurent is truly passionate about watches, and that passion shines through in his new website www.Chronopassion.fr

When you click on any of the 'Machines' - now where did that moniker come from? :) - you can see and hear Laurent talking about the timepiece in a video at the bottom left of the window.

Please visit www.chronopassion.fr to see for yourself.

The Bloodhound - Super Sonic Car

2008-12-14T00:00:00Z

The BLOODHOUND SCC Project aims to break the world land speed record by achieving over 1,000mph/1,600kmh. Construction of the car is due to be completed by the end of 2009 and a record attempt may happen in 2011.

The Thrust team behind the project has held the World Land Speed Record for 25 years, and were first through the Sound Barrier on land.

Because FIA rules restrict only the number of wheels in the land speed record to four or more, with two or more steering, the cars are totally different - any technical advantage one team has will most probably have no relevance to competitors.

The Bloodhoond SCC is powered by both a jet and hybrid rocket. The rocket scores for its raw power and lack of draggy air intake, but the downside is that the rocket is an on/off device - with rocket power alone it would be difficult hitting and holding selected Mach numbers for the aerodynamicists to gain their data. And at these speeds, the team has tread very carefully, increasing the Mach numbers in small, careful steps.

So the car has a Falcon rocket for raw power and a more controllable Eorojet200 for finesses. Auxilary poer is delived by a V12 800 bhp race engine in the middle of the BLOODHOUND SSC, which doubles as the APU delivering hydraulic power as needed. It also starts the Eurojet200 jet engine and pumps the High Test Peroxide (HTP) through to the Falcon rocket.

The team is headed by Project Director - Richard Noble; driver - Wing Commander Andy Green; and Engineering Director - John Piper.

We wish them the very best of luck.

For more information please visit www.bloodhoundssc.com

MB&F's November newsletter

2008-12-07T00:00:00Z

If you have not seen or read the latest MB&F newsletter, then please check it out as it has been an eventful and exciting last few months.

Max Büsser has just returned from an extremely successful world tour presenting Horological Machine No.3 (HM3) and the reaction of both press and public alike has been overwhealmingly positive.

Please click on the following link or the image above to read the MB&F November Newsletter.

Stargazing: Horological Machine No. 3 from MB&F

2008-12-01T00:00:00Z

Jack Forster, horological journalist par excellence - and occasional contributor to Parallel World - has written and published an excellent in depth article on MB&F's newly presented HM3 in the latest issue of Revolution magazine titled - Stargazing: Horological Machine No. 3 from MB&F.

The article opens with with . . .

MB&F –Maximilian Büsser and Friends –might have as its motto, "The Impossible Is Our Business.
" Since the advent of the first Horological Machine three years ago, it"s become increasingly clear that the man behind some of the most inventive watches ever seen (including some of the most successful of the Harry Winston Rare Timepieces "Opus" series) has hit on a winning combination of unique vision and dynamic collaboration.

There are so many reasons for expecting what MB&F does to not work –after all, the technical challenges alone in building what are essentially entirely new three dimensional, horologically themed kinetic works of art every year might be expected to result in the sort of delays or worse, vaporware product announcements which have become all too frequent an inevitable sequel to many of the most highly touted new complications.

In at least one instance in Maximilian Büsser"s own career, the iceberg of technical challenge was one upon which a much-lauded and highly anticipated project ran aground: Opus 3, which was created under Büsser"s auspices at Harry Winston, indeed proved to be a Watch Too Far, and though there have been persistent rumors over the years of its imminent completion, so far a successful implementation of Vianney Halter"s vision and Maximilian Büsser"s daring has yet to emerge.

To read on, you can access the full article on www.horomundi.com by clicking Stargazing: Horological Machine No. 3 from MB&F.

Banksy- Street artist/Graffiti artist

2008-11-25T00:00:00Z

Banksy is a well-known pseudo-anonymousBritish graffiti artist. He is believed to be a native of Yate, South Gloucestershire, near Bristol and to have been born in 1974, but there is substantial public uncertainty about his identity and personal and biographical details.

His identity was supposedly outed in 2008 by a British newspaper, however, that was not confirmed by other sources

His artworks are often satirical pieces of art on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His street art combines graffiti writing with a distinctivestencilling technique and his art (though not all call it that) has appeared in cities around the world.

Banksy does not sell photos of street graffiti or mount exhibitions of screenprints in commercial galleries. Art auctioneers have been known to attempt to sell his street art on location and leave the problem of its removal in the hands of the winning bidder.

There is a Banksy shop, where nothing has been produced or endorsed by Banksy, but he states that the store is for personal amusement only.

For more information:
Banksy entry on Wikipedia
Banksy article in the New Yorker magazine
Photogallery

Humerous Advertising Videos

2008-11-16T00:00:00Z

The one thing these videos have in common is that they leave you guessing until the end. . . that and the fact that they should make you smile.

Above and below are clips we have featured before, but are so well done we think that they are worth watching again.

An Incredible Dynamic Tower for Dubai- others to follow.

2008-11-09T00:00:00Z

The visionary Italian architect Dr. David Fishery has announced the launch of a revolutionary Dynamic Tower, the world's first building in motion, to be constructed in Dubai. Another in Moscow will follow, with others being considered in New York, Milan and Paris.

The rotating tower in Dubai will have 80 floors and be 420 meters (1,380 feet) tall.

That the second Dynamic Tower planned for Moscow is now in the advanced design phase.

"Our intention is to build the third Rotating Skyscraper in New York," Dr. Fisher stated. "Additional Dynamic Towers will be built around the world, following an expression of interest from developers, governments, and public officials to construct a Dynamic Tower in Canada, Germany, Italy, Korea and Switzerland".

The Dynamic Tower offers infinite design possibilities, as each floor rotates independently to create a building that constantly changes shape, resulting in a unique and ever evolving architectural structure.

Residents will have the possibility to drive directly into the building were a special elevator take their car to their floor and park at the entrance to their appartment/villa.

"The Dynamic Tower is environmentally friendly and the first building designed to be self-powered, with the ability to generate its own electricity, as well as for other nearby buildings, it achieves this feat with wind turbines fitted between each rotating floor, An 80-story building will have up to 79 wind turbines, making it a true green power plant," Dr. Fisher stated.

The Dynamic Tower is also the first skyscraper to be built entirely from prefabricated parts that are custom made in a workshop, resulting in cost savings, this approach known as the Fisher Method, also requires far fewer workers on the construction site, thereby dramatically lowering construction costs.

"Each floor of the building can be completed in only seven days. From now on, buildings will be made in a factory," Dr. Fisher said.

By combining motion, green energy and efficient construction, the Dynamic Tower will change architecture as we know it, and herald a new era of Dynamic Living.

Fisherh as spent more than 30 years working to redefine the technical and technological extremes of buildings in cities like London, New York, Moscow, Hong Kong, Paris and Dubai.

"From now on, buildings will have four dimensions, the fourth dimension is "Time' to become part of architecture," Dr. Fisher added. "Buildings in motion will shape the sky line of our cities.

For more information please visit www.dynamicarchitecture.net/

La Princesse wakes up

2008-11-02T00:00:00Z

La Princesse is a 13-metre (50') mechanical spider designed and operated by French performance art company La Machine.

La Princesse came out of "hibernation" in Liverpool on the 5th of September - 'awoken' in a hail of fireworks and smoke, before striding up and down in front of the cheering crowd. She crawled down The Strand before heading to her resting place at the Cunard building.

La Princesse was the opening show in a 5-day Captial of Culture event.

The spider is made out of steel and poplar wood, weighs 37 tonnes, has 50 axes of movement and is operated by up to 12 people strapped to her frame.It was built in Nantes before being shipped to Merseyside and assembled in a secret location.

The

Princesse was designed by La Machine's François Delarozière, who also designed the mechanical elephant and the giant girl for Royal de Luxe's performance of The Sultan's Elephant which visited London in May 2006.

ICON- A Revolution in Recreational Flight

2008-10-26T00:00:00Z

In 2004, the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), working closely with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), created what has been called "The biggest change in aviation in 50 years." They created an entirely new category of aircraft, 'Light Sport Aircraft' (LSA), as well as a new category of pilot license (Sport Pilot), both aimed specifically at consumer recreational flying.

Since LSA are targeted to recreational pilots who primarily fly for fun, LSA are designed to be affordable, lightweight, and easy to operate.

ICON was founded in 2005 by Kirk Hawkins to build aircraft to cater for this new catagory of pilot and planes. Hawkins, a graduate from the Stanford Business School, is an accomplished engineer, a former U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot, and long-time motorsport enthusiast. ICON"s engineering and development team came from Burt Rutan"s famed Scaled Composites, which created such record setting projects as Voyager, Global Flyer, the X-Prize winning SpaceShipOne, and Virgin Galactic"s SpaceShipTwo.

ICON Aircraft"s sole purpose has been to bring the freedom, fun, and adventure of flying to all who have dreamed of flight. With these ground-breaking FAA rules solidified, ICON believes that consumer-focused sport aircraft can do for recreational flying what personal watercraft did for boating.

ICON"s sport aircraft are not only designed to deliver an amazing and safe flying experience, but also to inspire us the way great sports cars do. After years of development with some of the world"s best aerospace engineers and industrial designers, ICON Aircraft has released the first of its line of sport planes, the ICON A5.

- 1,320 pounds (600kgs) maximum takeoff weight (1,430 pounds for seaplanes)
- Maximum airspeed of 120 knots (138mph/220kmh)
- Maximum two-person seating capacity (pilot + passenger)
- Single, reciprocating engine
- Fixed or ground-adjustable propeller
- Non-pressurized cabin
- Fixed landing gear (retractable gear allowed for seaplanes)
- Maximum stall speed of 45 knots (52mph/80kmh)

The ICON A5 looks like great fun and, with prices starting at around $140,000 is realtively affordable. We can only hope that the calibre of the pilots is on a par with the quality of the aircraft and it does not become an annoying jet ski of the sky.

For more information (and how to order), please check out www.iconaircraft.com

Launch of MB&F's HM3 kicks off in New York

2008-10-19T00:00:00Z

Max Büsser started his world tour to present MB&F's third watch, Horological Machine No.3 (HM3) in new York with a private launch party attended by some of the East Coast's most prominent collectors as well as MB&F USA President Steve Hallock, myself (Jack Forster) and Revolution's Matthew Morse.

By now many of us know Max well and Steve Hallock is a longtime fixture among internet watch cognoscenti so the party did not have the feel of a "brand event" but rather of a conclave of true comrades and enthusiasts coming together to congratulate a good friend on another wonderful achievement.

I cannot pretend to be objective when it comes to MB&F: I like Max too much personally and admire his work and what he's doing with horological design too much emotionally to offer a dispassionate view of the man or the brand. So I won't .

We gathered at Manhattan's Restaurant Teodoro, a private room had been set aside for us and after a convivial cocktail hour, with many an enthused welcome for Max whose annual trip through New York has become one of our most anticipated events, we sat down to dinner and the man of the hour described his new creation to us.

The position of the lugs and beveled profile of the case makes HM3 an extremely comfortable watch to wear despite its impressive dimensions. As a matter of fact I had the Starcruiser on for at least an hour towards the end of the night and it was AMAZINGLY comfortable to wear. Visually it has huge punch and a satisfying heft, but it's phenomenally easy to live with, super comfortable and even matches very well with business attire.

And the conclusion of the nights comments? Max's designs are always polarizing and provoking and HM3 is no exception. However, In this idiom of watchmaking I think that MB&F has few competitors. Much of the new wave in watchmaking in my opinion is much more successful at creating novelty than successful designs. MB&F's work appeals to me because behind the technical innovation and superb construction there is a very classical sensibility at work, in an interesting way -put HM3 together with a 3 piece suit and you get a surprisingly successful combination which to me speaks volumes about the well integrated design effort behind the watches.

As I have said elsewhere Max and Friends are really doing something interesting in that they are re-inventing the whole notion of what "complication" means and the results are pieces which I think will look as fresh and have as much appeal in fifty years as they do today.

Note: this is an excerpt of a post I originally published on Horomundi. You can read a full pictorial review of the evening by clicking The MB&F Launch Party in New York.

Is this the world's first Sat Nav?

2008-10-17T00:00:00Z

Called the Plus Fours Routefinder, this little British invention was designed to be worn on your wrist, and the "maps" were printed on little wooden rollers which you would turn manually as you drove along.

The tiny scrolls show the route as you motor along, winding continully to display the bit of the road you are on. There's even a little "Stop" instruction at the end of the route.

OK, it doesn't use satellites so it's really just a Nav, but as it was invented in 1920"s this could well be world"s first personal navigation system.

It was a great idea, but as there were so few cars on the roads in the 1920s, the device never really took off.

Now consigned to the scrap heap of history, the Routefinder is one of many gadgets patented by inventors who were hoping to strike it rich with their bizarre contraptions.

It"s part of a collection of weird and wonderful inventions, all conceived between 1851 and 1951, which have gone on display at the British Library in London.

The Time Eater Clock unveiled

2008-10-05T00:00:00Z

The unusual Time Eater clock was unveiled at Cambridge University's Corpus Christi College by Professor Stephen Hawking. Its creator John Taylor said he "wanted to make timekeeping interesting".

One of the strangest clocks in the world, the Time Eater features a giant grasshopper or "Chronophage" and has 60 slits cut into its face that light up to show the time. It has no hands, instead it relies on a mechanical monster – part demonic grasshopper, part locust – that rocks back and forth along a golden disc. By a complex feat of engineering, its movement triggers blue flashing lights that dart across the clockface.

Around 1.5 metres/4' in diameter, the clock is made from discs of stainless steel plated with 24-carat gold. With each slackening of the monster"s jaw, and release of its claws, another second is devoured. Each new hour is signalled by the rattle of a chain on an unseen coffin to remind passers-by of their mortality.

The clock was conceived as a tribute to another British inventor, John Harrison. Harrison invented the grasshopper escapement in the early 18th Century, which resulted in extremely accurate mechanical time keeping and was instrumental in solving the Longitude Problem.

Taylor said that he wanted to depict that time is a destroyer, 'Once a minute is gone you can't get it back' he said. 'That's why my grasshopper is not a Disney character. He is a ferocious beast that over the seconds has his tongue lolling out, his jaws opening, then on the 59th second he gulps down time.' It also (purposely) only tells correct time once every five minutes.

For all its apparent eccentricity, the clock is based on solidly traditional clockwork. It has taken seven years" research and construction, incorporates six patented inventions.Engineer Stewart Huxley refuses to reveal the secret of its tricks, which include the pendulum occasionally apparently catching and stopping for a heartbeat, and then swinging faster to catch up.

MB&F Newsletter September 2008

2008-09-28T00:00:00Z

The latest MB&F Newsletter has been published and its contents include:

Serge Kriknoff (above right), joins as Chief Operational Officer in charge of technical development and production, and as a partner in MB&F.

A new HM1 Genesis section has been added to the MB&F website. You can turn the pages of a diary full of drawings and images that trace the development of HM1 from initial sketches to Horological Machine.

MB&F has taken the significant step of opening MB&F North America, managed by Stephen Hallock.

The prestigious Parisian concept store, Colette, has chosen Horological Machine N°2 (HM2) as one of their Iconic Timepieces of the New Millennium.

MB&F reports that the development and production of HM3 has gone well and will be presented late October.

To read more about any on these topics, please click MB&F Newsletter

The Flare Interactive Facade

2008-09-21T00:00:00Z

The FLAREkinetic ambient refelction membrane by WHITEvoid interactive art & design from Germany. is a modular system that creats a dynamic hull for facades or wall surface.

Acting like a living skin, FLARE allows a building to express, communicate and interact with its environment and passers by.

The FLARE system consists of a number of tiltable metal flake bodies supplemented by individually controllable pneumatic cylinders.

Due to the developed pattern, an infinite array of flakes can be mounted on any building or wall surface in a modular system of multiplied Flare units.

The system is controlled by a computer to form any kind of surface animation. Sensor systems inside and outside the building communicate the buildings activity directly to the FLARE system which acts as the buildings lateral line.

Each metal flake reflects the bright sky or sunlight when in vertical standby position.
When the flake is tilted downwards by a computer controlled pneumatic piston, its face is shaded from the sky light and this way appears as a dark pixel.

By reflecting ambient or direct sunlight, the individual flakes of the FLARE system act like pixels formed by natural light.

View the video to see how FLARE brings the building to life.

For more information, please check out www.flare-facade.com/

A Three Dimensional Exploration of Pablo Picasso's Guernica by Lena Gieseke

2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

Pablo Picasso"s most famous painting, Guernica can now be "explored" in three dimensions thanks to the German artist Lena Gieseke.

Picasso unveiled Guernica in 1937 during the International Paris show and stands among the worlds most well known paintings. It is oil on canvas measuring 782cm by 351cm and is presently on display in Madrid.

The black and white painting represents the bombardment suffered by the Spanish town Guernica on the 26 of April 1937 by the Nazis.

Picasso, then living in Paris, learned of the massacre through the newspapers and decided to eternalize the destruction and suffering of the people as he imagined it.

German artist Lena Gieseke has created a 3D interpretation of the painting. The result is fascinating, it allow the viewer to visualize details otherwise not be perceptible, and reveald a technique that may allow further interpretation of this and other paintings by great masters.

After growing up in Osnabrück, Germany, Lena finished a Bachelor in Computer Graphics at the University of Koblenz, Germany in 2004. With the support of a DAAD-scholarship she transferred to the University of Georgia, USA and there she completed a Master in 3D Computer Animation in May 2007. 'A 3D Exploration of Picasso's Guernica' was part of her thesis.

For more information on the artists and the painting:
www.lena-gieseke.com/guernica/index.html
Guernica: Testimony of War
wiki/Guernica_(painting)
wiki/Picasso
lena-gieseke.com/

The Slowest Computer in the World . . is a Clock!

2008-09-08T00:00:00Z

The idea to build a monument scale, multi-millennial, all mechanical clock as an icon to long term thinking came from computer scientist Danny Hillis in 01995 (that's not a typo).

Hillis reasoned that by actually building a remote monument, the discussions around long term thinking would be far more focused. And it would lend itself to good storytelling and myth, both essential requirements of anything lasting a long time.

In 01996 a group of friends led by Stewart Brand incorporated a non profit around the idea of long term thinking and responsibility. This group became the founding board of The Long Now Foundation. One of the members, Peter Schwartz, suggested that 10,000 years be the time frame, as it was about how long humans have had a stable climate and technological progression.

Danny Hillis began to design the first prototype of the 10,000 Year Clock. This prototype was completed in 01999 on New Year's Eve, where it bonged very slowly... twice. This prototype is now at the Science Museum in London in the Making of the Modern World exhibit.

Hillis, who developed the 'massive parallel' architecture of the current generation of supercomputers, devised the mechanical design of the Clock and is now building the second prototype (the first prototype is on display in London at the Science Museum).

The Clock's works consist of a binary digital-mechanical system which is so accurate and revolutionary that we have patented several of its elements. With 32 bits of accuracy it has precision equal to one day in 20,000 years, and it self-corrects by 'phase-locking' to the noon Sun.

The next project undertaken was an Orrery, (above). The Orrey is a planet tracking display and uses the same mechanical computer as the Long Now clock and was completed in 02005.

The Foundation is now looking to scale up the designs with lessons learned from these first two efforts into a monument sized version. They have purchased high desert mountain top property in eastern Nevada as the site for the public 10,000 Year Clock.

I would like to propose a large (think Stonehenge) mechanical clock, powered by seasonal temperature changes. It ticks once a year, bongs once a century, and the cuckoo comes out every millennium. Danny Hillis

For more information visit The story of the Clock of the Long Now and the Long Now Foundation

Livescribe - A notetaking computer in a pen.

2008-08-31T00:00:00Z

The Livescribe paper-based computing platform by Pulse, consists of a smartpen, paper, software applications, and developer tools.

Despite its inherent lack of digital connectivity, pen and paper endures because it is incredibly well-suited to the unstructured, spontaneous, flexible nature of our lives and work styles. A simple pen and paper gives people contextual cues and perspective, supports collaboration in live groups, and allows for very easy navigation, reference and comparison of information.

But paper and pen present serious limitations in an increasingly digital world. Paper documents are static and difficult to share. Written notes are susceptible to loss and damage. What"s missing is a way to maximize the freedom of expression and rich context afforded by pen and paper while delivering the connectivity, archiving system and "capture" capability of a computer.

That's where Livescribe comes in. With Livescribe, people will no longer have to settle – they can have the best of both the paper and digital worlds.

A high speed infrared camera (over 70 images/sec) records every move over the specially mapped paper.

The smartpen is about the size and weight of a large Montblanc pen, and comes equipped with a removable ink cartridge, a microphone to record audio, a speaker for playback, a small OLED display, and an internal computer chip that captures handwritten notes and drawings. When someone writes with the smartpen on Livescribe paper, the recorded audio is automatically linked to the written notes.

The paper is an integral part of the smartpen package. Imagine a piece of paper the size of Europe and Asia, where every 3 square millimeters is covered with a unique pattern of dots practically invisible to the human eye. The pattern of simple, micro-dots enables a patented dot-positioning system to precisely track the smartpen"s movement on paper. As a result, anything you write – words, numbers or drawings – can be stored, recognized, and intelligently responded to by the Pulse smartpen

For more information, visit the Livescribe website and/or watch a Video.

Worldometers - world statistics updated in real time

2008-08-24T00:00:00Z

Worldometers is managed by an international team of developers, researchers, and volunteers with the goal of making world statistics available in a thought-provoking and time relevant format to a wide audience around the world.

The counters that display the real-time numbers are based on Worldometers" algorithm that processes the latest and most accurate statistical data available together with its estimated progression to compute the current millisecond number to be displayed on each counter based on the specific time set on each visitor"s computer clock.

Many of the statistcis are eye-opening and the rapidly increasing numbers on some of the subjects can be shocking.

Check out Worldometers for yourself to see real time statistics of things including how big the world's population is (approx 7,000,000,000) and how quickly it is increasing, how many computers sold worldwide this year, how many lightning strikes have hit earth so far this year (2,000,000,000 and counting), and how many cumulative hours waited for web pages to download this year (approx 20, 000,000,000 to date).

Taking photos with grass.

2008-08-17T00:00:00Z

Art can come in many forms, but grass? This year at the 2008 Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Grass Art took center court in a new kind of art installation. UK artists, Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey used grass as a photographic paper by projecting a black and white image onto a large panel of grass in a dark room.

They are acclaimed for their ground-breaking work with the light sensitivity of seedling grass and its ability to record complex photographic images, creating unique works that articulate the seductions of time and visibility.

Ackroyd and Harvey stumbled onto this technique after producing an installation that involved covering an indoor wall with living grass. A ladder was leaning against the wall, and the artists noticed that after it was removed a faint outline of the ladder remained on the grass.

They set about experimenting with ways of enhancing this effect, and soon they were using a slide projector as an artificial light source for growing their unique photographs. A typical exposure time is just over a week, with the image projected for 12 hours a day.

Unfortunately, the images don"t last for too long without continued maintenance. Once exposed to natural light, the grass begins to grow more evenly and the images fade away.

Ackroyd and Harvey have received numerous awards including the Wellcome Sci-Art Award, NESTA Pioneer Award and the L'Oreal Grand Prize for the Art & Science of Colour.

Click for more of Ackroyd and Harvey's work.

All images courtesy of Creative Review

In depth article on Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor in iW magazine

2008-08-11T00:00:00Z

There is an excellent article on Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and his company Agenhor by Elizabeth Doerr in the July 2008 edition of iW (International Watch) magazine.

Although he has been a highly respected and prominent figure in the Swiss horological industry for decades, Wiederrecht and his company Agenhor were practially unknown to the general public a year ago due to the fact that they worked for brands (who usually preferred to take all credit for themselves).

That all changed late 2007 when two major events served to bring Wiederrecht the notice of a much larger audience: the first was being awarded the inaugural prize for best watchmaker at the prestigious 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève - you can see more of that here - and the second was the unveiling of MB&F"s Horological Machine No.2,a project in which Wiederrecht was the principle watchmaker (and you can learn more about that here)

Click "Agile_Agenhor.pdf" to download the iW article and "Friends" behind Horological Machine No.2" for the complete list of people involved in the project.

Extreme kayaking gets ever more extreme!

2008-07-28T00:00:00Z

Over the last few years extreme kayakers have started paddling free-falling over ever higher vertical drops.

Professional photographer Lucas Gilman took this breathtaking picture of professional US kayaker Pat Keller plummeting straight over the cliff face at La Paz Waterfall in Costa Rica at high speed. Mr Keller escaped with only a broken hand - fractured when he hit the water at the bottom of the 120ft (36.5m) fall.

Extreme kayaker Tao Berman setting a world record drop.

"When these professionals are freefalling they want to be in the Oregon Tuck, with a curved back," says Paul Robertson, brand manager of Dagger Europe. The paddle presents another potential liability. "It should be parallel to the kayak so that it isn't blown out of their hands - and doesn't break their nose or dislocate their shoulder on impact."

Impressive stuff indeed, but we'll leave it to the pros thank you!

For more information on Extreme kayaking (tempted?) please check out
BBC news magazine
Telegraph article
Photographs by Lucas Gilman

Comedian Eddie Izzard and the Lego Death Star routine

2008-07-21T00:00:00Z

Eddie Izzard is a very successful cross-dressing British stand up comedian, actor and scriptwriter.

A talented and enterprising video-poster named Thorn2200 (who identifies himself as a 15-year-old) has created nearly a dozen Lego-animation videos to correspond with Eddie Izzard's stand up routines. One of our favourites is the video below of Deart Vader in the Death Star's canteen.

You can see more of the Lego/Izzard animations from Eddie Izzard & Legos and learn more about Eddie Izzard by clicking www.eddieizzard.com

3D animation and film from Cheoptics360

2008-07-15T00:00:00Z

Dane Peter Simonsen has developed a new three-dimensional display technology called Cheoptics360.

The Cheoptics360 uses four 3D projectors to project and reassemble the moving images inside a transparent pyramid shaped chamber.

The result 3D images and videos floating in mid-air. You can move around and view the image from anywhere in the room.

The Cheoptics360 system can be built on a scale from 1.5m to 30m and be viewed outside as well as in.

For more information please check out their website at http://www.vizoo.com (click ‘showreel’ for more cool videos)

GINA: A flexible automobile 'skin' developed by BMW.

2008-07-07T00:00:00Z

BMW recently presented GINA, a fresh new look at design, innovative materials, and hitherto unheard of flexibility. GINA replaces the traditional ridged (usually) metal automobile panels with a textile fabric skin that is stretched tight around a (strong) metal frame incorporating carbon fibre wires. This frame allows the shape of the car to change. This is a car can WINK at you!

GINA - for "Geometry and Functions in 'N' Adaptations"- allowed designers from both BMW and BMW Group DesignworksUSA to throw out the rule-book. The skeleton of the car is controlled by electro-hydraulic devices and can actually move and change shape beneath the fabric skin.

This GINA concept extends to the interior, where BMW's designers have made visible only those instruments that are required at a certain time, while the rest of the time the same fabric interior "blinks" them out of view. At present there is no suggestion of GINA appearing in a production car, but with luck we may see elements of BMW's out-of-the-box thinking in a decade or so.

Theo Jansen – creating mechanical 'life'

2008-06-26T00:00:00Z

Theo Jansen blends the line between art and engineering, this Dutch visual artist creates kinetic sculptures: "life" in the form of "animals" that walk the beach. For the last 17 years, he has been creating and evolving a series of wind-powered animals made of plastic tubes. Powered (fed) by the wind, they start moving and turn eerily mobile creatures Jansen calls "beach-animals".

image courtesy of Loek van der Klis

Jansen explains how his creatures operate: Self-propelling beach animals like Animaris Percipiere have a stomach . This consists of recycled plastic bottles containing air that can be pumped up to a high pressure by the wind. This is done using a variety of bicycle pump, needless to say of plastic tubing. Several of these little pumps are driven by wings up at the front of the animal that flap in the breeze. It takes a few hours, but then the bottles are full. They contain a supply of potential wind.

Take off the cap and the wind will emerge from the bottle at high speed. The trick is to get that untamed wind under control and use it to move the animal. For this, muscles are required. Beach animals have pushing muscles which get longer when told to do so. These consist of a tube containing another that is able to move in and out.

There is a rubber ring on the end of the inner tube so that this acts as a piston. When the air runs from the bottles through a small pipe in the tube it pushes the piston outwards and the muscle lengthens. The beach animal's muscle can best be likened to a bone that gets longer. Muscles can open taps to activate other muscles that open other taps, and so on. This creates control centres that can be compared to brains.

When asked, "What will be the next steps?" in an interview with Sebastian Campion, Jansen replied, "I think the next steps will be their brains. Now they have stomachs and can walk on air. But the brains are something, which they really need. Right now, I can only leave them alone for 5 minutes and if I want to extend that period they really must learn to think for themselves."

For the full interview please click http://www.artificial.dk/articles/theojansen.htm

image courtesy of Loek van der Klis

You can learn more about Theo Jansen on his excellent website http://www.strandbeest.com

Stephen Wiltshire - A living camera and a superb artist.

2008-06-19T10:53:52Z

Stephen Wiltshire was born mute in London to West Indian parents on 24th April, 1974. At the age of three he was diagnosed as an autistic and expressed an interest in drawing at school when he was five. He began to use his drawings to communicate and his teachers at Queensmill School encouraged him to speak by temporarily taking away his art supplies so that he would be forced to ask for them.

Stephen responded by making sounds and eventually uttered his first word - "paper." He learned to speak fully at the age of nine.

Wiltshire's incredible ability is that he can look at a target once and then draw an accurate and detailed picture of it. He once drew the whole of central London after a helicopter trip above it.

In May 2005 Stephen produced his longest ever panoramic memory drawing of Tokyo on a 10-meter long canvas. After a brief helicopter ride, it took him seven days to paint. Since then he has drawn Rome, Hong Kong and Frankfurt on giant canvasses, and is in the process of drawing Madrid, after taking a 30 minute helicopter ride on Saturday February 2, 2008.

When Wiltshire took the helicopter ride over Rome, he drew it in such great detail that he drew the exact number of columns in the Colosseum!

You can learn more about Stephen Wiltshire by visiting www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk

The world's largest drawing?

2008-06-13T09:13:28Z

This drawing created a big buzz on the internet recently. Apparently, an 'artist' called Antti Laitinent shipped a briefcase with a GPS tracker around the world with DHL with precise touting instructions and this drawing was the result.

Unfortunately, that was not quite true - well the story was, but not the drawing.

Antti Laitinent (an advertising student) did send this GPS tracking equipped briefcase around with DHL . . . as a publicity campaign for DHL.

The resulting image, a self portrait, turned out like this.

Still, it was a great idea which worked: it did generate a lot of noise about DHL and it must be the world's biggest self portrait.

The sensational Pilobolus shadow dance troupe

2008-06-06T07:44:32Z

The word 'Pilobolus' initially referred to a sun-loving fungus, however, since they performed at the "2007 Academy Awards" and on "Oprah", 'Pilobolus' has become synonomous with inventive and provocative shadow dancing.

While Pilobolus has attracted a lot of high-profile media attention in the last couple of years, the Washington-based dance troupe was formed in 1971 and is approaching its 4th decade.

Today Pilobolus is recognized as a major American dance company of international influence.

The company remains a deeply collaborative effort with an executive director, three artistic directors and seven dancers contributing to one of the most popular and varied repertoires in the field.

Their many decades of consistent artistic activity stand as a testament to the group's remarkable fruitfulness and longevity.

For more information please check out www.pilobolus.com

MUTO: an incredible stop-motion animation video by BLU

2008-05-30T07:48:57Z

Italian artist Blu has already made an impressive reputation for himself with his massive wall murals. With his MUTO project, he has now brought his drawings to life!

For MUTO, Blu has created a sophisticated stop-motion animation video using only wall paintings. This was done in Buenos Aires and Baden.

The result is a seven minute animated film with a surreal cast of - sometimes disturbing - characters moving around walls, across the ground and interacting with many of the objects they encounter along the way.

For more information of this talented artist, please check out his website at www.blublu.org

The Provocative Art of Zhang Huan

2008-05-23T11:25:40Z

The Giant

I recently received the following email from Max Büsser: Hi Ian, I saw an exhibit by Zhang Huan New York. It was truly impressive. The ash painting which must be 30 meters long and the Giant is covered in cow hides. Both are jaw dropping!

You can see Zhang Huan's 'Blessings' exhibition at the Pace Wildenstein gallery in New York until the 25th ofJuly, 2008.

Zhang Huan was born in Anyang, Henan, China. He began his work as part of a small artists’ collective known as the "Beijing East Village" located in a rural outpost of the city. The group of friends from art school pioneered this particular brand of performance in China and Zhang was often reprimanded by officials for the perceived inappropriateness of his actions.

Zhang’s performances always involve his body in one way or another, usually naked, occasionally involving masochistic actions; he cites the body as a primary method of communication, describing it as the only means by which people experience the world and vice versa.

By using quasi-religious ritual, he seeks to discover the point at which the spiritual can manifest via the corporeal. He uses simple repetitive gestures, usually regarded as meaningless work-for-work’s-sake chores. Buddhism, with its temple music, sculptures and philosophy are a prevalent theme in Zhang Huan’s work. Wikipedia:

Ash Head bust

Zhang Huan's often traumatic performances are memory retrievals, recollections of suffering. A 1994 performance in a public toilet in an impoverished area of Beijing referred to the abortions and female infanticides that occurred under the Chinese government's one child policy.

The artist covered himself with honey and fish oil, sat motionless for several hours attracting flies and ants before emerging himself in a nearby river.

Canal Building (ash painting)

To Raise the Water Level in a Fishpond, 1997.Performance at Nanmofang fishpond, Beijing. Photograph by Robin Beck.

Huan's group performances, involving nine or more people, use logic to defy logic and culminate in rigid formations: a pyramid of naked bodies, people standing motionless in water, figures face down on the ground. While paralleling the rigidity and alienating effects of social structures, these formations give further expression to the trauma of the collective.

Altered States: This video shows a broad overview of Zhang Huan's as well as an interview with the artist himself.

You can learn more about this amazing artist at www.zhanghuan.com

On the edge Baume & Mercier video advertisment

2008-05-10T17:31:00Z

It must be both the best of times and the worst of time for brands commissioning video advertisements and the publicity companies and directors making them.

They both know that an advertisement has to be very interesting and surprising to attract the viewers attention, but that the 'shock' should highlight the message, not overwhelm it.

Imagine how the pitch by the ad agency selling the following video to Baume & Mercier finished' ". . . and don't worry, even though the clip features two men at a urinal, it will be done with taste and convey luxury."

We applaud Baume & Mercier for having faith, and the skill of the director in conveying a message of luxury in an unusual setting.

Is it Swiss?

An interview with photographer Tim Flach about his incredible Equus project

2008-05-04T10:55:00Z

Animal photographer Tim Flach's 'Equus' photographic book is a groundbreaking work of equestrian art.

To shoot a large variety of horsey, all against a huge canvas that he carried with him, Flach travelled to India, Utah, Iceland, Moscow and the UAE, and beyond, to explore the origins of the horse. He shot Mustangs in the deserts of Utah, Haflinger's high in Austrian Alps, Arabians in expansive deserts, Icelandic Horses against glacial backdrops and racing Thoroughbreds in the pristine confinement of their training environments.

As a photographer who focuses primarily on animal imagery, Flach is extremely interested in the anthropomorphic qualities of his subjects, and especially in the human reaction to the imagery. Much of the work he produces is ambiguous; the nape of a horse's neck could easily be mistaken for the rise of a mountain range.

All the photos published in the book differentiate themselves completely from the tradition of the equestrian photography genre. Flach excluded man from Equus, choosing to show the horses alone or at least with other equines.

Click for a superb slideshow of images from the Equus project.

For the interview of Time Flach by Rachel Hulin for her Photoshelter Blog, please click Interview with Tim Flach

Also check out Hulin's Cats in advertising article

Provocative car advertisments from BMW, Audi, Suburu and Bentley

2008-04-28T12:01:00Z

You don't often see famous brands sarcastically congratulating each other in the press so these advertisements by BMW, Audi, Subaru and Bentley caught our eye.

It all started when BMW released an advertisment for its new 3-series and congratulated Audi for winning the South African car of the Year award.

That was certainly an esteemed honor in it's own right, however, BMW signed the congratulations with the line, "From the winner of the world car of the year award 2006." Ouch!

Audi's PR team were quick to react and fought back superbly. They parried BMW's thrust with an ad proclaiming that the "world car of the year award" was OK, but we have won the Le Mans 24 hour race for six consecutive years. Touché!

Then, out of the blue comes Subaru. Sensing that the public spat was generating considerable attention, Subaru ran an ad proclaiming, "Well done to Audi and BMW for winning the beauty contest. From the winner of the 2006 International Engine of the Year Winner." Clever.

And just to stress that some are above the childish fray (by joing in?), Bentley, who are under the same VW umbrella as Audi, told the world what they thought by running their their own provocative advertisement. We bet that it took a few high level management meeting to get this passed!

All in all it made for quite entertaining advertising and we are all for that.

The mind blowing Trirod F3 Adrenaline

2008-04-20T14:01:00Z

Out of TriRod’s workshop has emerged possibly the most disruptive technology to hit the motorcycle world in decades.

Here's how the company defines itself:

Some live life on the sidelines, watching others take chances. Others seem to just fall in line and do what is asked of them. We at Trirod aren’t those kinds of people. We are designers, engineers, and gearheads from Southern California that have issues with authority and aren’t afraid to cross the line.

Our vision is to combine the passion of motorcycling with the shear exhilaration of racing into provocative and compelling products. We are driven to redefine how people experience ‘the thrill of the open road’.

Our design philosophy centers on form and function having an equal and symbiotic relationship. It’s a matter of combining art and engineering so that neither has to compromise. We believe that is accomplished best by a minimalistic approach that highlights the core mechanical components as design features.

The F3 Adrenaline™ was designed with the kind of forward thinking normally reserved for concept cars and the racetrack.

From the fully adjustable Penske Racing shocks to the soft compound – low profile tires, every component is designed to make this vehicle go faster, stop sooner, and corner harder.

The F3 Adrenaline™ is geared for those who live life full throttle and love the thrill a machine and the road can offer. Now that's something we can relate to here at Our World.

For more information, please check out www.trirodmotorcycles.com

Strato Cruiser airship concept.

2008-04-12T13:25:00Z

When a large luxury yacht just doesn't cut the mustard, this Strato Cruiser 'lifestyle zeppelin' concept by Tino Schaedler and Michael J Brown may be just the thing.

The luxury helium-filled airship contains a gourmet restaurant, a spa, a swimming pool, a resident DJ and more.

The Concept:

Merging the soothing ride of an ocean cruise with Richard Branson’s futuristic visions of space travel, the Stratocruiser offers short, regenerative journeys for the cosmopolitan traveler.

The project aims to bring lifestyle and health into travel routines, which have become increasingly compacted and frenzied.

Like modern nomads we can again enjoy travel, arriving more refreshed than we left, thanks to incredible views of the worlds most exciting landscapes and cities.

The Experience:

As a fictional partnership with the SupperClub, Stratocruiser adds a new experience to the chain’s clubs, restaurants, ‘On location’ and ‘Cruise’ boats. Guests depart for a full day of spa treatments—massage, personal trainers, yoga classes and beauty care are on offer.

The Stratocruiser offers “medium-haul” transits between the Supperclub hubs: transatlantic, transpacific, trans-american or Europe-Middle East routes.

With spa, library, and private mini-offices available, the contemporary traveler who seldom has time for a cruise can transform an otherwise exhausting and ordinary journeys into a positive experience.

As one would expect from the SupperClub, guest DJs inject a club flare after dinner with the option to party the night through or retire to ones private cabin to awake refreshed in the morning at ones origin.

The Structure:

With its carbon fiber skin, sectional helium chamber design and photovoltaic cells, the Stratocruiser’s construction brings new levels of safety, speed and ecology to travel.

Its “doughnut hole” atrium reinvents the zeppelin concept with a sky lounge on top, the earthward viewing restaurant on the underside and a recreational climbing wall in between.

Private suites are sheltered away from public spaces on the ship’s belly, while an advanced propulsion system more than doubles the cruising speed of conventional blimps.

Thank you to de zeen design magazine for bringing the Strato Cruiser concept project to our attention.

CERN's Large Hadron Collider

2008-04-01T17:21:00Z

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a particle accelerator and hadron collider located at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland.

The LHC will become the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator.[2] The LHC is being funded and built in collaboration with over two thousand physicists from thirty-four countries as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories.

When activated, it is theorized that the collider will produce the elusive Higgs boson, the observation of which could confirm the predictions and 'missing links' in the Standard Model of physics and could explain how other elementary particles acquire properties such as mass

Just one superconducting solenoid (CMS) in CERN's Large Hadron Collider contains more iron than the Eiffel Tower. CERN's structure is a contender for the title "the most complicated thing that humans have ever built".

At a glance:
- 20-year work-in-progress
- A team of 7,000 physicists from more than 80 nations
- 27 kilometers in circumference, 175 meters underground
- facilitating head-on collision of protons, travelling very near the speed-of-light
- each tunnel is big enough to run a train through it.
- temperatures generated: more than 1000,000 times hotter than the sun's core
- superconducting magnets are cooled to a temperature colder than in deep space

To better appreciate the enormous scale, consider that it runs 30kms miles across the border of France and Switzerland and has detectors in four locations the size of buildings housed in huge caverns.

MB&F presents the Limited Edition HM1-Ti

2008-03-25T16:58:00Z

HM1-Ti (click on image for larger file)

MB&F introduces Horological Machine No.1 - Titanium

HM1-Ti is an extremely sophisticated timepiece on many levels: visually, technically and emotionally. As much, if not more, art and sculpture as micro-engineering.

HM1-Ti is an avant-garde three-dimensional timekeeping machine broken free from constraints imposed by traditional horology.

(click on image for larger file)

The relatively light weight belies the architectural volume of HM1-Ti's grade 5 titanium case; a case whose complex modular construction enables every part to be independently
refurbished.

The radical three-dimensionality of the case construction may turn heads; however, the
totally original and highly intricate movement inside, with its 376 parts and 81 functional jewels, ensures that HM1-Ti will turn minds as well.

The challenge of applying a variety of multi-faceted fine finishes to the difficult-to-work titanium has been rewarded by the vibrant juxtaposition of light reflecting off the contrasting highly polished and matte-satin surfaces.

An extra-wide custom tapered strap, complemented by a bespoke white gold and titanium folding buckle, completes the timepiece and reinforces the highly technical nature of the case.

(click on image for larger file)

Exclusive is hardly the right word for an extremely limited edition of just 10 pieces.

For more information you can download the press releases by clicking:
HM1-Ti.pdf,
HM1.pdf,
MB&F Concept.pdf, or
Read More for the HM1-Ti technical specifications.

High Flying at the the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas

2008-03-21T14:05:00Z

When we first saw photos of the vertigo-inducing rides atop the Stratosphere skyscraper over a year ago, we thought 'Photoshop'.

Since then we have found out that the 100 story Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino not only exists, it has tallest observation tower in the USA as well as the tallest - and scariest- fun park rides.

Rides include:
Big Shot - Shoots passengers straight up 50m at 75km/hr (over 4 Gs) until they are 350m above the Strip.
X-Scream - A giant teeter-totter that propels you 9m over the edge of the Tower, 300m above the ground.
Insanity, the Ride - A massive mechanical arm extends 20m over the edge of the Tower and spins you at a force of 3 Gs for a truly mind-bending experience.

I am sure that it all has been engineered and built to the very highest standards . . . aren't you?

To learn more go to www.stratospherehotel.com and if you visit, or have visited, please let us know if the rides are as heart-stopping as they look.

MB&F in the local and international press

2008-03-15T11:43:00Z

The International Herald Tribune publish an excellent article on MB&f recently.

Click on the image above for larger file

And for the French speakers among you, Swiss business magazine Bilan ran an interesting interview with Serge Kriknoff who recently joined Max Büsser as a partner in MB&F.

Click on the image above for larger file

Battle of the Sexes - Blockbuster Advertisment

2008-03-08T10:12:00Z

The Mail on Sunday released an interesting - and completely not-politically-correct - blockbuster advertisement last year, in the form of a Braveheart style epic film featuring a battle between stereotypical men and women.
It made us smile and we thought it worth sharing here.

Note: The film may not play with Firefox, but its worth trying another browser.

Solar Islands

2008-03-01T18:11:00Z

Ras al-Khaimah — one of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) — is installing a floating solar island.

Due to the lack of land in the tiny country, Ras al-Khaimah has contracted the Swiss Center for Electronics and Micro-technology in Neuchâtel (CSEM) to develop the island which will be approximately 100 meters wide with a peak power generation of roughly 1 megawatt.

The plant will produce energy by concentrating solar power onto pipes containing water. The water will boil, and be used to spin turbines. Once shipped off-shore, the islands could be used to convert seawater to hydrogen, allowing them to be autonomous and untethered to the shore. The hydrogen could be picked up by barges, instead of having to transport the electricity to shore via a physical connection.

This pilot project is being designed mostly to test the feasibility of the solar islands; CSEM says that the islands so far look like they will be cost-effective as long as they are deployed in areas with more than 350 days of sunlight that are near the equator. The U.A.E .fits the bill perfectly

For more information check out the website of Solar Islands

Ever wonder what it's like being a supermodel photographer?

2008-02-24T13:17:00Z

Just imagine travelling to an exotic location like the Grand Cayman Islands and spending the day photographing somebody like Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Daniella Sarahyba.

Well thanks to a highly innovative and original viral advertisement by Taco Bell . . . YOU CAN!

You first choose the location on Grand Cayman- Governor's beach, Rum Point or Smiths Cove - and then direct Daniella into doing what you wish to shoot (within reason), e.g. play volleyball, talk to a parrot, lie in a hammock.

Then grab your camera and point and shoot.

It was a tough assignment but nothing is too much trouble for Our World. I recommend that you go now while the weather is good.

One word of advice, look carefully where the light is falling if you are looking for good shots.

It is all at directdaniella.com

Alex Ghotbi shares the thoughts of a recent HM2 owner.

2008-02-17T14:41:00Z

In a recent post on PuristS Pro, Alex Ghotbi shares with us the thoughts and a few photos from the new owner of a Horological Machine No.2 aka HM2.

Text in italics below are selected quotes from the post.

Ever since the day I saw the Opus III (2003) and even though he is not a watchmaker I had dreamt of having a watch which Max Büsser was involved in. The Opus III was an eye opener and the Opus V a jaw opener. It was a difficult project launching a brand where all elements of design and brand recognition would be reinvented for every new creation but I had faith and impatiently waited the unveiling of the HM-1.

It was a very interesting piece but unfortunately not up to my means. I was happy to hear that MB&F would be switching each year between a new model with a fully developed in-house movement and another on a base ebauche which would invariably lower the price range.

I was more that intrigued when I first saw the movement for the HM-2, it looked like anything but a watch movement but my heart was beating fast because I knew that this one was maybe the ONE. When I saw the 1st photos I knew that I wanted it and badly and based only on these photos I placed an order at my AD.

For the past days many who have seen it on my wrist have commented on it. They wonder what the object I have on my wrist is! No one actually imagined it could be a watch!!

It’s an object which I can’t stop staring at. It is anything but tactile (unlike the HM-1 which was all in curves) but I can’t stop touching it. The case construction is full of subtleties which I discover over time and the mix of titanium, rose gold and grey ruthenium dials give the watch a fantastically contemporary look without it being gimmicky in any way.

Our World would like to thank Alex Ghotbi and the HM2 owner for generously allowing the use of their text and images.

You can read the full post on PuristS Pro with many more comments and images by clicking A recent HM2 owner shares his thoughts and click here for more images of the HM2 presentation case.

The making of Sony Bravia ad

2008-02-11T07:11:00Z

Just what can you you with . . .
* 2.5 tonnes of plasticine
* 40 animators
* 3 weeks
* 189 x 2ft bunnies
* 150 1ft cubes
* 10ft x 20ft purple wave
* 1 x 30ft giant rabbit
* 6 cameras.

The making of the advertisement

For one section, it took 40 animators 4 hours each to generate just 4 seconds of footage. Having 40 animators working on the same scene had never been attempted before. All in all, the 60 second spot was constructed from around 100,000 still photos.

The advertisment

For more behind the scenes about this amazing piece of creativity, plase have a look at www.behindthebuzz.com

Artist Sage Vaughn introduced by Eric Giroud

2008-02-05T07:11:00Z

I discovered Sage Vaughn’s work in April 2007 during his inaugural European exhibition at the Bertrand & Gruner gallery in Geneva.
The exhibition’s title, “Wish you were here”, triggered an immediate flashback to the Pink Floyd album of the same name which had been so important to my teenager years.

Sage Vaughn

Sage’s work is really somewhat mysterious. A theme running through his art appears to be the tension between childhood innocence in the harsh reality of the real world; a tension enhanced by strange children in disguise. Sage creates an intricate and all encompassing world which amazes and captivates the viewer.

Playboys Sparrows, 2007, mixed media on canvas,
83 x 93 cm

I was much moved not only by Sage's creations but also by the questions they trigger. His phenomenal mastery of colour provides a rare depth and strength to his art.

Ruby Throats, 2007, mixed media on canvas, 83 x 93 cm

How can you not get lost in deep skies criss-crossed by butterflies, helicopters or even birds with LA Gang tattoos ?! It is an amazing mix.

'Sophie' 2007 Oil on paper, 122 x 68 cm

The last time Sage was in Geneva I had the good fortune to meet him and discovered a very endearing man in complete synchronicity with his art.

Sleepwalker, 2007, mixed media on canvas, 174 x 93 cm

You can download an excellent introduction and interview of Sage Vaughn by Jordan Tappis from Interview_Sage_Vaughn.pdf

Our World would like to thank Sébastien Bertrand and Romain Gruner of the Galerie Bertrand & Gruner in Geneva for their help in securing permission to publish the interview.

Skyscraper Airport of the Future?

2008-01-30T07:22:00Z

The future as envisaged by new York artist Nicolas DeSantis.
The future as envisaged way back in 1939 that is!

After a 5-year study, DeSantis came up with a 200 storey building 8 blocks long and 3 blocks wide - long enough for an airsrtrip on top and a docks for lighter-than-air dirigibles as well. The idea being that commuters living over 150kms away would probably be flying planes to work.

With space for 250,000 private cars as well, this transport hub could conveniently cater to all types of transportation.

While we may not have reached 200 stories just yet, the Burj building under construction in Dubai will soar to 160 stories and with helicopters landing on many roof tops and train and subway stations underneath, DeSantis' vision is not far off . . . even airships look to be making a comeback!

DeSantis idea was publish in Popular Mechanics in 1939 and brought back to life by the always interesting Modern Mecanix Blog.

You can see the original Popular Science article by clicking skyscraper-airport-for-city-of-tomorrow

The mindblowing GG-Quad.

2008-01-24T10:16:00Z

Switzerland is usually viewed as a country of reliable and conservative people and companies, but there are quite a few who break the mould: MB&F (watches) is one and Grüter + Gut (motorbikes) is another.

Grüter + Gut stared in Ballwil/Switzerland in 1983 selling BMW and Moto Guzzi motor bikes but soon started modifying them . . . radically modifying them and the GG-Quad is their latest toy.

With prices starting around $50,000 the high-tech Quads are not cheap, but they sure look like fun!

For more information check ot their website at www.gg-technik.ch

The incredible (and exclusive) Everland Hotel

2008-01-17T08:00:00Z

Thank you to Cool Hunting for bring our attention to the new Everland Hotel perched on top of the contemporary art space Palais De Tokyo in Paris.

Designed by Swiss artists Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann, the Everland Hotel cannot really be classified as a hotel, nor just as an exhibition space: it is both and neither at the same time.

The function is intertwined so strongly with the concept that is is impossible to make them apart: the Everland really works like an hotel and retains all its functions.

Consisting of one single green and white container, it houses a comfortable room with a king size bed, a fully working bathroom beautifully tiled in blue mosaics, a large lounge and even an over-stuffed mini-bar.

However, unlike a regular commercial establishment, guests are allowed to stay only one night in the year and it's open to museum visitors during the day.

The room costs between €333-444 to book for the night and bookings happen on-line exclusively. To give everyone a fair chance, bookings can be made only two months in advance and new booking slots are opened every week.

For more information please check out www.Everland.ch (good views from the webcam) and the article on the Everland Hotel on Cool Hunting

Photography - The Hyena and Other Men by Pieter Hugo

2008-01-11T08:07:00Z

Pieter Hugo is a South African-based photographer who has produced three monographs: Looking Aside (2006), Messina/Musina (2007) and The Hyena & Other Men (2007).

Pieter was a member of ReGeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow, 2005-2025 (Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, and Aperture, New York), an exhibition identifying 50 young photographers who will be considered great by 2025, accompanied by a book published by Thames & Hudson. He won first prize in the Portraits section of the 2006 World Press Photo competition, and was selected as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art 2007, with an exhibition touring South Africa until July 2008.

Pieter Hugo created the series The Hyena Men while travelling throughout Nigeria with a troupe of animal charmers and their collection of tenuously domesticated hyenas, monkeys and snakes. The portraits feature groupings of men and animals surrounded by the barren urban centers of Northern Nigeria, which were taken during quiet moments between the spectacles of street performances.

For more information:www.pieterhugo.com

How to drop a raw egg from 20 meters/60' without breaking it.

2008-01-05T15:13:00Z

Just drop the egg onto an amazing shock absorbing product called Alpha GEL and the egg does not break. The unique elasticity of the special silicone gel disperses energy like ripples in water.

Alpha GEL was developed by Mr. Nakanishi who is now advisor to the Taica group who markets the gel. Mr. Nakanishi was doing research into vibration damping and shock absorption and getting nowhere, then one day he had a headache from a cold. His daughter placed cooling gel pads on the his forehead to ease the pain and when she threw him a new pad he realized how shock absorbent it was.

The headache disappeared instantly and Mr. Nakanishi hurried to a local supermarket to purchase products like raw eggs, tofu (bean curd), natural jelly, pudding, and many others. He then sliced all the gel-like material and arranged them on the floor. With no measurement apparatus available, he use dropped eggs for testing. After one month and over 1000 eggs (all eaten afterwards) the results looked promising.

Great ideas can come from the most unusual sources!

The MB&F team wishes you a wonderful and happy New Year filled with energy, creativity and friendship !

2007-12-30T11:10:00Z

Stunning wildlife photographs from Nick Brandt.

2007-12-22T14:53:00Z

Nick Brandt was born and raised in London, and studied Film and Painting at St. Martins School of Art.

He started photographing in December 2000 in East Africa, beginning the body of work that is his signature subject matter and style. He is now devoting himself full time to his fine art photography now.

Brandt's first book of photographs, "On This Earth", was published in October 2005, by Chronicle Books, with forewords by Jane Goodall and Alice Sebold (author of "The Lovely Bones").

Nick Brandt has had numerous one-man exhibitions between 2004 and 2006, including London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Santa Fe, Sydney, Melbourne and San Francisco. He now lives in Topanga, California.

For more stunning images please visit the Nick Brandt Photo Gallery

Harry Tan shares his first views of HM2 on Goldarths Review

2007-12-16T10:09:00Z

With stunning photographs and insightful commentary on his Blog WatchingHorology.com, Professor Harry Tan is well-respected resource among watch enthusiasts worldwide.

In this article, Harry shares his first impressions and beautiful photographs of MB&F's HM2. Please click HM2- First Impressions or the image above for Harry's article.

Professor Harry Tan is a respected legal academic working with organizations including ASEAN and the UN in matters of IT law and policy. Harry is also a consultant with a technology law firm and he heads a think tank at a Singaporean university. A modern day renaissance man, his passion for watches, photography and web-design are evident through his popular blog

HM2 watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht hosts a ''thank you' cocktail.

2007-12-10T07:47:00Z

In celebration of winning the inaugural Best Watchmaker award at the 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and his team at Agenhor hosted a very well attended 'thank you' cocktail party.

Max Büsser had just returned from a successful month touring the world presenting Horological Machine No.2 - a watch inspired and largely created by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht - and it was a chance to catch up and say hello to friends.

There was quite a crowd of friends and clients - many, if not most, were both.

Agenhor is an independent family affair. On the right Jean Marc's wife Catherine and son Nicolas.

Jean-Marc's speech was warmly received.

From left to right: Max Büsser, Véronique Benoit-Pequignet and Xavier Delange (from Agenhor's HM2 team), and MB&F's project and business manager, Estelle Toni.

Fabrizio Cavalca (left) from Steinway & Sons Watches talks to Grégory Pons, journalist and spokesman of the Grand Prix jury.

Max Büsser congratulating Jean-Marc Wiederrecht

An elusive wrist shot of MB&F's HM2

It was a very pleasurable evening with 'Friends' and rewarding to see an extremely talented watchmaker recognized.

Abu Dhabi is aspiring to become one of the world's new culture capitals

2007-12-04T07:40:00Z

Star architects have been commissioned to build the world's most spectacular museums on an island just off the Arab metropolis.

In 1791, two events occured that don't seem to have much to do with one another -- at least at first sight. The Bani Yas, a Bedouin tribe, discovered a freshwater spring by the Persian Gulf and founded a small settlement that eventually became the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Several thousand kilometers away, in Paris, the constituent assembly of post-revolutionary France issued a decree nationalizing the royal art collection and announced the opening of a public museum in the Louvre. Now, 216 years later, the Louvre and Abu Dhabi suddenly have a lot in common. (writes Heiko Klass in Spiegel Online

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has commissioned no less than four of the world's most famous architects to create what promises to become one of the world's most important cultural destinations: Frank O. Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Tadao Ando and Zaha Hadid.

As in Bilbao, where the Guggenheim museum turned a crumbling port city into an international tourist destination, Abu Dhabi's authorities hope the investment will transform the emirate into a cultural hub.

The museum is envisaged as one of the anchors of a new $27bn (£14.5bn) financial district, which is expected to include luxury hotels and golf courses, and several museums, a theatre and a park.

Abu Dhabi's national Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) promises "a cultural asset for the world" and a "beacon for cultural experience and exchange," in the words of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi. The first tourist attractions will be available for viewing in 2012, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in 2018.

ENV - the first hydrogen fuel-cell powered motorcycle

2007-11-28T06:54:00Z

The ENV began its life as a fuel cell technology demonstrator by Intelligent Energy and was launched to the world in March 2005. The subsequent global reaction to seeing a purpose-designed fuel cell application was overwhelming and the bike is undergoing intensive evaluation and development with a view to commercializing the technology.

ENV is the first bike designed from the ground up to use a fuel-cell. It is suitable for both on and off-road applications and can reach speeds of 80kms/hour with a range of around 4 hours or 160kms.

It should be an ideal virtually zero-emission form of flexible and fun commuter transport.

The detachable Core is a 1kw fuel-cell generator that provides power on demand and chargers a battery. The latter provides up to 6kw when needed e.g., hills or heavy acceleration.

The Core also incorporates the hydrogen storage as well as the feed/flow mechanisms.

Intelligent Energy, in collaboration with Boeing, have announced that they will develop and test the world's first fuel-cell powered aeroplane Fuel-cell powered flight

For more information please check out www.envbike.com and www.intelligent-energy.com

A few of Max Büsser's steel pocket watches featured in QP

2007-11-22T07:43:00Z

Our friend Mitch from the popular horological Blog The Watchismo Times has his own regular column in the premier British watch magazine, QP

In a recent issue Mitch talked about a few vintage blackened-steel pocket watches in Max Büsser collection.

Simple looking dial with a surprising full triple calendar on back.

Jumping hour on green enamel dial.

This inconspicuous watch belies the fact that it boasts a 7-day power reserve.

You can download a pdf of the article by clicking on the image above or Watchismo's Timewarp - Vintage Watching: Max Büsser

Jean-Marc Wiederrecht wins the inaugral prize for Best Watchmaker at the 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève

2007-11-16T07:44:00Z

Jean-Marc and his team at Agenhor developed the complication for MB&F's innovative Horological Machine No.2 and we are delighted to see him recognised by this prestigious award.

Jean-Marc Wiederrecht with his wife (and business partner) Catherine.

You will find more information about the ceremony at Photo Essay: 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève and to learn more about Horological Machine No.2 and what Jean-Marc has done to make it so special, please chaeck out Jack Forster's excellent article: Max Büsser and Horological Machine No.2

Flying in Zero G

2007-11-13T07:30:00Z

Experiencing weightlessness used to be the preserve of trainee astronauts and jet-pilots.

Now , a private American company called ZERO G is offering an unforgettable (and sometimes stomach turning) experience

ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flights for the general public; The ZERO-G Experience™ launched in October 2004. ZERO-G has since successfully flown more than 2,500 passengers aboard 100 flights. In April 2006, ZERO-G became the first commercial company to gain permission from the Kennedy Space Center to use the shuttle runway and landing facilities, to operate its weightless flights.

ZERO-G conducts its weightless flights aboard G-Force One – a specially modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft. Able to accommodate up to 35 Flyers and six crew members, G-Force One is licensed at the highest levels of safety with the FAA following extensive testing and evaluations in coordination with the FAA. G-Force One flies a parabolic flight manoeuvres – a controlled ascent and descent of that creates temporary weightlessness or reduced gravity. This is the identical weightless flight experience used by NASA to train its astronauts and used by Ron Howard and Tom Hanks to film Apollo-13.

The ZERO-G Experience, which includes training led by a professional astronaut, a flight of 15 parabolas (zero-g experiences), flight suit, complimentary merchandise, awards, a post-event party, photos, and a DVD of the flight, is offered at a price of $3,500 per seat.

For more information contact ZERO-G

MB&F presents . . . Horological Machine No.2

2007-11-07T07:00:00Z

After much anticipation, it gives us great pleasure to present Horological Machine No.2

HM2 is the world's first mechanical movement offering: Instantaneous Jump Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon Phase and Automatic Winding.

The innovative movement was developed by the master of Jumping Hour and Retrograde indicators, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and constructor Maximilien Di Blasi team at Agenhor in Geneva, with input from Patrick Lété of Les Artisans Horlogers.

To discover a little more about the horologically gifted Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, please click Jean Marc Wiederrecht - Perhaps the best master watchmaker you have never heard of.

You can read Jack Forster's excellent article on Horological Machine No.2 on www.horomundi.com by clicking Max Büsser and Horological Machine No.2

First image of MB&F's Horological Machine No.2.

2007-10-30T17:20:00Z

Please click on the image above for a larger photo.

Horological Machine No. 2 is to be unveiled by Max Büsser in New York on Wednesday the 7th November.

Presenting the 'Friends' involved in the Horological Machine No.2 project

2007-10-25T08:30:00Z

MB&F stands for Maximilian Büsser & Friends and one of the principle tenets is to give full recognition to the many people involved in the complex development of a radical new timepiece.

Proudly presenting the Friends of HM2:

Please click on the image above for a larger version.

Horological Machine No.2 will be unveiled on Wednesday the 7th of November. Stay Tuned!

"About Time" rotating clock by Buro Vormkrijgers

2007-10-24T08:06:00Z

Thank you to Mitch at Watchismo for bringing this rotating concept clock "About Time" by Dutch designer Buro Vormkrijgers to our attention.

"About Time" reveals the passing of time by rolling around your desk and telling time in one long continuous sentence i.e., "It's about six o'clock" or, "it's almost seven now".

The idea comes as a reaction to our stressed lives where we tend to plan our daily activities to the minute - this clock simply tells you, "It's about . . . . "

While rolling around your table, the slow but constant, almost meditative, motion allows you to relax and maybe even forget about time for a few minutes. The concept of telling the time by a rotating object is similat to the Vinta clocks which we highlighted in August.

Buro Vormkrijgers is an innovative Dutch design studio, founded by Sander Mulder and Dave Keune and you can discover more about their work by clicking BuroVormkrijgers.nl .

The new Gerald Genta Gefica Safari brings back a few memories.

2007-10-18T07:43:00Z

Gerald Genta has just re-launched the iconic bronze Gefica Safari from the eighties. Kudos to the design team, and how wonderful to have a watch with a material which “lives” on the wrist. The bronze will acquire a patina with time, and the owner can see it evolve over the years. In a year or two, that Gefica will have a pattern unique to the owner.

But more than that, for me the new Gefica brings back some pretty amazing memories…

I was a 22 year old engineering student trying to finalize a market analysis for Audemars Piguet. Steve Urquhart (then joint MD of the company) had hired me for a six week project in between university terms, and I went off to Paris to question the AP subsidiary and a few retailers in " la Capitale".

The head of AP's Paris subsidiary, Monsieur Aubert, surprisingly did not direct me first to an AP boutique, but to a very small retailer on Rue St Honoré, called Chronopassion, which had only recently opened. Monsieur Aubert told me, "This man can tell you everything you need to know about high-end watchmaking."

And there I met for the first time Laurent Picciotto - pictured above twenty years ago wearing two Geficas on a bad hair day! - the founder and owner of Chronopassion, who many of you know as one of today's most pe-eminent specialists in complicated timepieces. He had just opened his retail store, and only carried one brand... Gerald Genta !

Laurent was probably the most passionate and enthusiastic connoisseur of timepieces I had met at that time (and still is ). He spent over two hours taking me through his vision of horology and gracefully answering my questions. The more we spoke of horology, the more I felt ashamed looking at my Tissot, "I needed to buy a 'real' timepiece now.".

As a penniless student, if I scraped everything I had put aside over the last 22 years I could have probably afforded a bronze Gefica. So my attention got more and more focused on this piece. I can still remember the horrible feeling that one gets when we want something so badly but, at the same time, know very well it is totally and utterly unreasonable.

I finally left without having bought the Gefica (or any other watch), but the dream of that Gefica stuck with me for over a year.

I never did buy a Gefica, or even a Gerald Genta for that matter, but I can still remember that chronograph with the slate dial and the bronze case today.

There is no doubt that Laurent Picciotto and that Gefica played a serious role in my being where I am today. And I find it fitting that Laurent was MB&F's first European retailer.

From what I have seen from the images Bernard Cheong has posted on ThePuristS, this new Gefica is a wonderful interpretation of my fond memories.

Dr. Bernard Cheong's Horological Machine No.1 and Gefica Safari

For more information please have a look at the Gerald Genta Gefica Safari on ThePuristS

Paul Nicklen - A Very 'Cool 'Photograher.

2007-10-12T08:18:00Z

Paul Nicklen grew up on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada where his family was one of the few non-Inuit families in the small settlement of 140 Inuit. The Inuit taught him how to survive in the Arctic, read the weather and, most of all, they taught him patience.

After earning a degree in Marine Biology, Paul worked as a wildlife biologist for four years in the Northwest Territories, working with species such as lynx, grizzly bears, bison, caribou and polar bears.

Then,he went on a three-month solo expedition into the high arctic to live on the open tundra with the bears, wolves and open sky. That trip helped to confirm to Paul that he could better serve wildlife populations by becoming a nature photojournalist rather than being a biologist or just a wildlife photographer.

Paul's goal is to continue bridging the gap between excellent scientific research and the public by producing stories for magazines such as National Geographic.

Since 1994, Paul has been fortunate to have been published in hundreds of magazines around the world and has had seven stories recently appear in National Geographic Magazine, all working towards this common goal.

To learm more about this dedicated and talented man and to see more of his stunning images, please visitPaul Nicklen Photography

Papervision - A New Way of Manipulating Images

2007-10-06T07:36:00Z

Papervision3D is an open source 3D engine for the Flash platform.

While that may, or may not, mean much to you, clicking on any of these images and moving your mouse around the page that loads should give a glimpse of where this technology may lead.

Please note that the image files are large so please allow a couple of minutes to load after clicking.

For more information, please check out the Papervision3D wiki

From Sketch to Machine: The Story of MB&F's Horological Machine No.1

2007-09-30T09:39:00Z

If you are curious to learn more about the process of how an initial sketch or idea (like the image above) develops into a sophisticated and complex timepiece (image below),

then you may enjoy this article on www.Horomundi.com entitled From Sketch to Machine - The Storyboard of a Passion.

The Eco One Sports Car - A 240km/hr Salad on Wheels!

2007-09-24T07:26:00Z

The Eco One sports car was built by student Ben King from a design by Dr Kerry Kirwan, a researcher at the Warwick Manufacturing Group.

As Ben King explains, "If we can build a high-performance car that can virtually be grown from seed, just imagine what is possible for the average family car."

Eco One is 95 percent biodegradable or recyclable, although its steering-wheel, seat and electrics comprise conventional materials. All of the plastic components were made from plants, while the chassis is made from steel, an easily reusable metal. The Eco One uses an engine from a Triumph Daytona motorbike.

Eco One has not been raced competitively because, the designers say, it is in a class of its own.

For more information, please check out the the Gizmodo Article on Eco One

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

2007-09-18T10:19:00Z

To Fly Free in Space. Credit: STS-41B and NASA. Please click on the image for a larger version.

At about 100 meters from the cargo bay of the space shuttle Challenger, Bruce McCandless II was further out than anyone had ever been before. Guided by a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), astronaut McCandless, pictured above, was floating free in space. McCandless and fellow NASA astronaut Robert Stewart were the first to experience such an "untethered space walk" during Space Shuttle mission 41-B in 1984.

The MMU works by shooting jets of nitrogen and has since been used to help deploy and retrieve satellites. With a mass over 140 kilograms, an MMU is heavy on Earth, but, like everything, is weightless when drifting in orbit. The MMU was replaced with the SAFER backpack propulsion unit. Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)

Tentacles of the Tarantula Nebula. Credit & Copyright: WFI, MPG/ESO 2.2-m Telescope, La Silla, ESO. Please click on the image for a larger version.

The largest, most violent star forming region known in the whole Local Group of galaxies lies in our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Were the Tarantula Nebula at the distance of the Orion Nebula -- a local star forming region -- it would take up fully half the sky. Also called 30 Doradus, the red and pink gas indicates a massive emission nebula, although supernova remnants and dark nebula also exist there.

The bright knot of stars left of center is called R136 and contains many of the most massive, hottest, and brightest stars known. The above image taken with the European Southern Observatory's (ESO's) Wide Field Imager is one of the most detailed ever of this vast star forming region. ESO has made it possible to fly around and into this detailed image by clicking here.

South Pole Lunar Eclipse. Credit & Copyright: Robert Schwarz (South Pole Station). Please click on the image for a larger version.

The Moon was up continuously for 14 days in August -- when viewed from the South Pole. But during the total lunar eclipse on August 28, it circled only about 10 degrees above the horizon. For Robert Schwarz, the resulting long line-of-sight through the atmosphere that blurred his images was a minor problem when he recorded this four hour long lunar eclipse sequence. A more severe problem was the outdoor air temperature of -68 C (-90 F).

The extreme cold required him to make the series of exposures through a slit in a window from inside a heated room. Though the heat produced convection and further blurring, it was the only way to keep the camera at a reasonable operating temperature for an extended period of time. Still, he was rewarded with this impressive record of August's lunar eclipse from a unique perspective on planet Earth.

For more information on these images and the technology involved, please click on the images and/or visit the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive

The Kakorama website takes us back to the past.

2007-09-11T12:28:00Z

www.kakophone.com is an online search engine that can tell us what was happening in the past.

What were the big events? Which song was number-one in the charts on the day you were born ? Who got the Oscar of the best picture this year ?

Check out Kakorama to find out.

Basis crafts turntables like MB&F crafts Horological Machines.

2007-09-04T13:03:00Z

Basis do not build “price-point products” where the reason for being is to fill a necessary product category at a certain price. Their goal is to provide music-lovers with products that will perform as highly as possible, identically in every environment, year after year.

The turntable is the foundation —the basis—of any phono system and the phono system is the basis of any audio system.

The purity of any audio system is limited by the integrity of the input signal - as they say, garbage in, garbage out - and the turntable is where it all starts. Without proper engineering at the source, the battle is lost. Information missed or distorted at source cannot be corrected further along the chain.

Isolating the turntable from the listening environment is crucial for maximum reproduction. Anything less than total isolation reduces the turntable to an expensive tone control, with the sound coloured by feedback and inefficient transfer of energy between turntable and tone arm.

The self-contained Resonance Annihilator on the Basis turntable isolates it from vibration - in fact it neutralizes the vibrational energy by transforming it into heat energy which is efficiently and effectively dissipated.

The movement of MB&F's Horological Machine No.2 shares design cues with the stunning Basis turntables. Perhapsthat should not be surprisingly as both are high performance machines.

Basis have been making state of the art turntables for over 20 years and if there was ever any doubt of just how stunning the form follows function philosophy can be, Basis lays it to rest.

www.basisaudio.com

An excellent article on MB&F by InSync magazine.

2007-08-29T07:01:00Z

The article provides insights into Max Büsser's motivation to create MB&F, the involvement of Peter Speake-Marin and Eric Giroud and the development of Horological Machine No.1.

To download a pdf of the article please click MB&F InSync.pdf

The stunning Clos Apalta Winery & Lodge in Chile

2007-08-23T18:45:00Z

The Apalta valley, just two hours southwest of Santiago, in the southern portion of the famous Rapel valley, is a premier Chilean winemaking area where many of the best Chilean wine producers have vineyards and bodegas (wineries).

The façade has 24 wooden vertical beams of differing heights to represent the number of months required to make each bottle of the wine. The facility will be dedicated exclusively to making Clos Apalta, Casa Lapostolle?s icon wine.

The Clos Apalta Winery & Lodge is the culmination of the dream of Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband, Cyril de Bournet, to create a world-class winery in Chile.

The complex was designed by architects ,Roberto Benavente, Bernd Haller and Luis González and it was necessary to excavate 25 meters (82 feet) into a hill in the Apalata vineyard to insert the 6-level construction. The special gravity-flow design allows the entire wine-making production process to flow from top to bottom without the use of pumps: reception of the wine on the top level, down to fermentation, the first-year barrel room, the second-year barrel room, the blending room, and bottling on the lowest level.

For more information, please check out their website at www.closapalta.cl

Is it a Boat or is a Plane? It's the incredible Hydroptère!

2007-08-17T18:46:00Z

Alain Thébault is the skipper and pilote of the Hydroptère. He is reported to be half-mad or half-wise - depending on the tide - but Alain Thébault had a dream: to create a flying boat.

In the sailing world, there are many Ulysses: Sailors who know how make it through the tempest and to use a bit of cunning with the technical and human elements to arrive safe and sound.

But Alain Thébault is the only living Icarus among the oceanic skippers. He has an inventive fever and a burning desire to fly close to the sun . . . an he is very close to achieving that aim with Hydroptère.

The goal is to break 50 knots under sail and the 'boat has already been clocked at over 47 knots.

Hydroptère is already the fastest sailing boat in the world over one nautical mile with a recognised average speed of 41.69 knots. (Interestingly, the previous record holder was Bjorn Dunkerbeck’s who managed a very impressive 41.14 knots on a sailboard!)

For more information about this amzing project, please visit www.hydroptere.com

Rice as Art? Rice is Art!

2007-08-11T11:50:00Z

In a Japanese version of the Nazca lines of Peru, the residents of Inakadate have been drawing pictures with rice since 1993. Each year, farmers in the town of Inakadate in Aomori prefecture create works of crop art by growing a little purple and yellow-leafed kodaimai rice along with their local green-leafed tsugaru-roman variety.

This year’s creation — a pair of grassy reproductions of famous woodblock prints from Hokusai’s 36 Views of Mount Fuji — has begun to appear and will be visible until the rice is harvested in September.

Inakadate 2006

And this is how it looks up close.

While Inakadate is Japan’s most famous rice paddy decorating town, there practice is spreading further 'afield'.
For more images please click Read More

Stunning wooden clocks from Vinta Japan.

2007-08-05T09:19:00Z

Thanks to our friend Mitch at Watchismo for bringing these elegant and serene Japanese designed Vinta wooden clocks to our attention.

As the Vinta website explains: We wanted to express the idea of "feeling the time", not "measuring the time". Time can be shown from the sculpture revolving slowly on its own axis once every hour with an ambiguous change in its inclination. And we used the preciseness of a Japanese craftman's technique to make this delicate shape to revolve smoothly.

Things we see and feel during our daily lives do not last only for that moment, but there is a certain significant instantaneous memory that we recall when things come in contact with ourselves. Even though VINTA's creations are nothing but concrete, our mission is to inevitably provoke such fluid, momentary memories.

For a short video of hour the clock works, please click here

Max Büsser interviewed on Channel News Asia.

2007-07-30T06:59:00Z

July last year, Max Büsser heard from The Hour Glass in Singapore that CNA - Channel News Asia - wished to do a feature on MB&F and Horological Machine No1 . . . and that they needed footage of the movement being manufactured and assembled.

So Peter Speake-Marin, Max and a film crew went up to Tramelan, where the parts for HM1 were being produced, to shoot the work in progress.

We hope to show more of that footage in the near future; however, for now we hope you enjoy this interview with Max, which took place in Singapore, and is interspersed with clips from Tramelan.

Solar Impulse: Bertrand Piccard's quest to fly around the world in a solar powered plane.

2007-07-24T07:05:00Z

Bertrand Piccard

I was listening to a presentation by Bertrand Piccard little more than a year ago and was completely smitten with his concepts and ideas.

This was before the whole “renewable energy/save the earth” wave hit the media. In fact his presentation sounded somewhat anachronistic at the time. Piccard's point was simple: you cannot entice people into respecting the planet by making them feel guilty.
Look at smoking and smokers. Cigarette packs are covered with stickers proclaiming, SMOKING WILL KILL YOU! - yet smokers continue to smoke.

Piccard feels that the only way for renewable energy to be adopted and pursued, is by making it financially interesting AND by making everyone feel PROUD (not guilty) of adopting this new approach to energy conservation and generation.

Solar Impulse is the perfect example of what can make us proud: it is a totally utopian project with enough panache to catch everyone’s awareness around the globe.

Solar Impulse will develop much more for the science of renewable energy than any marketing campaign or nannying by governments.
For this, and for daring what seems impossible: “Bravo Monsieur Piccard !”. And bravo to the Hayek family for having taken the financial risk of backing this project !

For more information, please check out Ian Skellern's article on Solar Impulse published on www.Horomundi.com and visit www.SolarImpulse.com

Artist Koka Ramishvili paints Horological Machine Number 1

2007-07-18T09:49:00Z

The Story Behind The Artwork

As with most creations around MB&F, this painting originated with an encounter.

Eric Giroud (watch designer and MB&F Friend) spoke to Koka about MB&F when he interviewed him for Our World.
To read that interview please click here.

Koka then spent sometime analyzing the website, reading the brochure and articles, and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about everything he had read about us.

To follow the painting process, please click Read More

Mr. Masanori Wakae has an interesting way to ride to work . . .

2007-07-12T19:13:00Z

This amazing picture was featured in my friend Tomoko Kayama’s new magazine, Tom Sawyer.

We do not have much information on this unique unicycle, which was given to Mr. Wakae, by a Chinese Acrobatics Team. It weighs over 60 kg and has a diameter of 2 meters. According to the article, Mr. Wakae, who is 71 years old, is the chairman of the International Unicycle Association.

If anyone has any info on this amazing machine, please do not hesitate to send it to info @ mbandf.com (remove spaces)

How to become invisible by Dutch artist Desiree Palmen

2007-07-06T10:33:00Z

Concern about the increasing use of identity based electronic information systems and the frequent use of surveillance cameras is one of the impulses for Desiree Palmen to create her work, which uses camouflage, as it's main focus.

In photo works, videos and site-specific actions, Palmen explores the possibilities of letting people 'dissolve' into their surroundings or to let them disappear against the background. The manipulation of clothing plays a crucial role. A shirt covers the body and then extends to cover the tabletop, confusing the contour of the body of the person wearing the shirt with the table itself.

In another work, a suit is painted in such a way that when the model is in a very specific position, he/she disappears into the background. Palmen then takes pictures of these situations she creates from the ideal viewing perspective for her audience. In the actual situation, if the viewer moved one step away from this ideal view, then the function of the camouflage seizes to exist.

For more images please click Read More

Wall Climbing Robots

2007-06-30T07:49:00Z

Researchers have created a robot that can run up a wall as smooth as glass and onto the ceiling at a rate of six centimeters a second. The robot currently uses a dry elastomer adhesive, but the research group is testing a new ultrasticky fiber on its feet that should make it up to five times stickier.

And the inspriation behind the technology? The Gecko.

Geckos are able to stick to surfaces thanks to very fine hairlike structures on their feet called setae. These angled fibers split into even finer fibers toward their tips, giving the gecko's foot a spatula-like appearance. These end fibers have incredibly weak intermolecular forces to thank for their adhesiveness: the attractive forces act between the fiber tips and the surface they are sticking to. Individually, the forces are negligible, but because the setae form such high areas of contact with surfaces, the forces add up.

Other research teams are trying different technologies including vacumn pads and sharp claws; however, the Gecko approach is looking very promising.

I am not sure I would like them crawling around the house though!

Prometheus: The future of Our World?

2007-06-24T16:56:00Z

Prometeus - The Media Revolution?

In 2022 Google launches Prometeus, the Agav standard interface. Amazon creates Place, a company that replicates reality. You can be on Mars . . . or maybe not. You decide after viewing the Prometheus video.

War of the Roses . . . Part 2!

2007-06-24T16:43:00Z

War of the Roses starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner was, with good reason, one of the hit films of 1990. For those who missed the original or might like a recap on what it was all about, here is an entertaining 60 second remake.

Cousteau mini-submarine mimics great white shark

2007-06-18T07:04:00Z

The grandson of famous oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau believes that the best way to learn about sharks is to become one.

Fabien Cousteau, inspired as a child by the comic book Red Rackham's Treasure, where the main character, Tintin, adventures underwater in a shark-shaped submarine, decided as an adult to build his own.

"It's the same thought process as Jane Goodall or Diane Fossey. You don't want to separate yourself from the animal. You want to be part of the animal's realm," Cousteau said.

The sub-shark's designer, Eddie Paul, has a history with the Cousteaus. Back in 1989, he was commissioned to build a robotic shark for Jean-Michel (Fabien's father) and Jacques. The robotic shark "Allison" was tethered to a shark cage and contained a hidden camera to better observe the sharks in action.

On the last day of shooting, the shark was made to list to one side and move erratically as though it were injured, causing the alpha female great white to "decide to end the poor robot shark's tortured life by taking a death blow to its gills, crushing it into a million pieces," said Fabien Cousteau with a mock sigh.

For more information, please check out this article on www.Wired.com and another on DeeperBlue.

For a National Geographic slideshow, please clickhere

I cannot help but wonder if they thought to make the model deliberately unattractive. An amorous suitor might easily cause as much trouble as an agressive one!

The first ever fashion shoot with the Horological Machine No1.

2007-06-11T20:28:00Z

I was honoured when Isabelle Cerboneschi, the editor in chief of
Le Temps supplements, kindly asked to borrow a Horological Machine N0.1 for the cover page of her stunning yearly watch supplement.

The very talented photographer Denis Hayoun spent the day in a surrealist car demolition warehouse to capture the images he and Isabelle had in mind.

It was a cold day and the warehouse was poorly heated (if at all) so the poor model was frozen. Despite this, the result of the photo shoot is pretty dramatic, and I love the cover page image.

Below are a few shots of what the photo shoot looked like - as you can see it was far from glamorous!

To download a full sized slideshow of the day, please click here (warning: the file size is 6mbs). When the file has loaded you can either use your scrolling wheel to browse through the images, or save the pdf file to your computer and then double click on it.

For the complete Le Temps Supplement (in French), please click here , and do check out more of Denis Hayoun's stunning photography
by clicking here.

The Deep: Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss by Claire Nouvian

2007-06-06T07:21:00Z

On dry land, most organisms are confined to the surface, or at most to altitudes of a hundred meters—the height of the tallest trees. In the oceans, though, living space has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: with an average depth of 3800 meters, the oceans offer 99% of the space on Earth where life can develop. And the deep sea, which has been immersed in total darkness since the dawn of time, occupies 85% of ocean space, forming the planet’s largest habitat. Yet these depths abound with mystery.

Please click 'Read More' for the rest of the article.

Respected watch journalist Alex Ghotbi

2007-05-31T20:44:00Z

has published an excellent article about MB&F on the French language horological website www.horlogerie-suisse.com.

Now, while this may be interesting news for the French speakers among you, it does present a not inconsiderable comprehension barrier to the rest.

However, do not despair! For those of you have not yet sampled the delights of on-line automatic translation software such as Google Translate, this may be may be a golden opportunity.

You can either copy/paste the text into the 'Translate' box (not forgetting to choose the languages), or even easier with a page like this, simply copy/paste the url of the article url - into the Translate a Web Page box (again, not forgetting to select the languages).

I predict that you will not only learn something from the article, you will also have a smile on your face from a few of the 'Lost in Translation' words and phrases. :-)

Wake up!

2007-05-26T10:55:00Z

With Clocky the runaway alarm clock.

A persistent sleeper asked herself, 'Why does my alarm do such a terrible job of getting me up?' and then decided to do something about it.

The result is Clocky. Clocky gives you one chance to get up and then runs away. It will jump off your nightstand and scurry around the room finding places to hide, and all the while not forget to beep you awake at a loud 80db.

Horomundi features an interview with Max Büsser,

2007-05-20T12:27:00Z

where they discuss 'The Future of Watchmaking.'

As Josh from Horomundi explains, "While we had originally posted this story in collaboration with Time Zone, we liked it so much that we thought we'd re-post it here (on Horomundi).

I think that it offers fascinating insights into the rich period of creativity that watchmaking has experienced over the past 7 years. And brings to mind the question of what we know about the birth of modern horological art"

To read the interview, please click on either of the images above or here.

Guido Mocafico

2007-05-15T12:16:00Z

The famous French photographer Guido Mocafico contacted me last year asking if he could shoot an image of our HM1 movement. I was flattered and of course looking forward to it; unfortunately, on discovering the shape of our first creation, Guido came back to me apologizing because his first opus would focus on round movements only.

You can discover the superb images of his first series of movement photographs at the Hamiltons Gallery - one of London's foremost Photographic Galleries - where Guido has an exhibition running until the 2nd of June.

Who said horological movements lack soul ?

Face2Face: A Project of Peace.

2007-05-10T08:18:00Z

We do not intend for Our World to get into the heated and decisive waters of politics or religion; however, the Face2Face project really hit me hard as an extremely worthwhile project.

My first contact with Face to Face was seeing enormous photos of Israelis and Palestinians laughing side by side on the infamous wall around Jerusalem. They encouraged me to learn more.

This artistic project is independent (not sponsored), intelligent, witty and carrying a wonderful message of peace.

Please click 'Read More' for the rest of the article.

Le Labo: Custom Fragrances

2007-05-04T11:20:00Z

Our World could - with some justification - be accused of weighing our content more towards the testosterone side of the estrogen/testosterone equation.

While we don't intend to swing in completely the other direction, a little balance time to time should both broaden our outlook and widen our horizons.

So today we bring you Le Labo, a company offering custom made and bespoke fragrances for both women (and men) who are searching for something special.

The opening lines on Le Labo's website go:
In a world where luxury perfumes are mass-produced and sold in places that look like supermarkers, where advertising campaigns try to fool consumers into thinking they are unique even though their 'one of a kind' frangrances are worn by millions across the globe, we belive there is another solution. As a result, Le Labo has decided to take matters - and perfume- back in hand . . .

Le Labo offers ten (lovingly) hand-made and (comparatively) reasonably perfumes that would make excellent special gifts - especially as they are only made to order. You can see these by clicking here.

Their bespoke fragrances will set you back around $40,000 and the company honestly states that the quality is no better than their custom made scents. The value comes from the fragrance being a real one-off and the result of the creative process between the client and the creator.

They even offer an Olfactionary set.; a miniature wine cellar of smells with 40 little bottles of scents to train your nose.

Le Labo's website is well worth exploring just to learn more about the exotic world of luxurious odours. Be warned though, after reading and learning, it is extremely difficult to resist a peek into their e-store . . . bring your credit card!

The incredible Carver One.

2007-04-29T09:40:00Z

The Carver One is the closest experience you can get to flying a fighter jet while staying firmly on the road, and Michael Lutolf, who lent me his Carver One, knows what he is talking about: he is a fighter pilot in the Swiss Airforce.

The Carver originated in the early 1990s when the Dutch Anton van den Brink wondered whether it really should take 2.5 tons of steel to transport just one person of, say, 100 kg.

An enthusiastic group of engineers then teamed up with Anton with the aim of developing transport that gave the driver (rider?) the best of both the car and the motorcycle.

Please click 'Read More' for the rest of the article.

Mosaic: A Moment on Earth

2007-04-23T10:13:00Z

Jereme Axelrod had a dream that started like this. . .

A Dream Develops: The first time I had the day-dream that led to the making of this film was in the summer of 1997. I was 17 and at the bottom of a latrine I’d dug in Honduras while working with a group called Amigos de las Americas. I could not have been happier anywhere else. I was in a small community of no more than 500 people, with no electricity or running water. Everything we ate was grown within the community and I had a wonderful host family there.

Sometimes though I would begin to miss family and friends and would think about where they were and what they would be doing at that time, in worlds that seemed so far away and so different. Some of my friends were on the bustling streets of New York and others were windsurfing on Maui. It was hard for me to imagine all of us doing what we were doing in our respective worlds all at once, but it was captivating to think about, and at night I would lie there doing just that. I thought maybe one day I would make a film called “Wednesday 3:00pm” and film moments all around the world at that one time. I wrote it down in a book of ideas.

Please click on Read More for the rest of the article.

A few images and a few thoughts about HM2 and Art.

2007-04-18T19:32:00Z

I have recently turned 40, and even though I have been previously married, I do not have any children. So when most of my friends around me in the last 10 - 15 years are oohing and aahing about how phenomenal it was to have your own child, and how incredibly awed they felt when they first received their baby in their arms, I would politely nod and smile … sighing inwardly and wondering how was it that father- or motherhood could transform what seemed like intelligent, balanced individuals into emotionally overflowing and blubbering marshmallows.

However, something very disconcerting and analogue is happening to me. I now find myself the gushingly proud father of two: two Horological Machines. Certainly, I have been involved in creating many wonderful timepieces at Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston; but it is just not the same.

But why? Why, when I first saw the initial assembly of the HM2 movement was I so in awe? Why did I want to run and show it to everyone, to send photos through the Internet to every person in my Outlook registry (and trust me there are a lot in there !) ?

How come such a normally self-controlled individual - as I feel I usually am -just loses it?

So when Ian Skellern asked me to write a few words to introduce the Horological Machine No2 movement, I had to step back for a moment and try to get to the core of my reactions. My first reasoning would have to come from the fact that I have been throughout my whole career a workaholic, adrenalin-addicted, control freak.

Control … that was what allowed me to create, to develop and to deliver.

Presenting Caparo's awesome new supercar: the T1

2007-04-14T16:01:00Z

Those of you who have been following my postings on Our World, have probably well understood that I have a real soft spot for courageous entrepreneurs who share a common passion for creating incredible (driving, diving, ticking, …) machines.

Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead, two engineers who helped develop the iconic, and probably unsurpassed, McLaren F1 road car 14 years ago, have teamed up to reinvent the supercar concept. Their recently founded company, Caparo, released the first designs of the T1 in Car Magazine over a year ago.

While most brands are adding horsepower, gadgetry, electronics and therefore weight, these engineers have followed the path Colin Chapman had first advocated many decades ago: cut the weight and develop a superb chassis.

The result will surely be phenomenal: 500 bhp for 500kg in a road-legal car, with cornering and brakingcapability of 3G! To put that in some perspective, that is nearly double the power to weight ratio of the Bugatti Veron.

The Caparo T1 is announced to be tested for the first time at the Goodwood festival of speed in June. I wish the creators the incredible success they so largely deserve.

No guts, no glory !

For more information on this mind-blowing machine, please check out www.caparo-t1.com and/or the excellent on-line article at www.gizmag.com.

Video interview with Mitch a.k.a. Watchismo on Cool Hunting.

2007-04-07T18:23:00Z

I have been a big fan of Mitch's Watchismo Blog ever since discovering his eclectic taste in very interesting - and usually, very quirky- timepieces.

Eclectic is perhaps the wrong word because it soon becomes apparent that Mitch is tightly focused on the quirky and unusual.

In the wise words of Yoda from Star Wars, 'Mainstream wristwatches Watchismo is not.'

To learn about one extremely interesting watch collector's thought-provoking journey, and have a peak at an incredible watch collection, I highly recommend watching this video interview of Mitch, hosted by Cool Hunting.

The URWERK 201 aka “Hammerhead”:

2007-04-02T13:27:00Z

the Baumgartner-Frei tandem create another masterpiece!

Felix Baumgartner (left) and Martin Frei

In a few years, I predict that one will look back and see that the world of high-end horology is divided into two periods: 'before URWERK' and 'after URWERK'. I was fortunate to meet Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei during Basel 2003 when they presented to me the first prototype of their UR-103 (at the time I was managing director of Harry Winston Rare Timepieces)

It hit me hard. . . very, very hard!

I felt it was a truly incredible timepiece. Although not many others appeared to share my perspective at the time, URWERK had clearly opened a door that no one had even thought existed before.

That initial amazing meeting was the beginning of a formidable adventure which culminated in URWERK making the sensational Opus 5 for Harry Winston: a timepiece which made a huge impact on contemporary high-end watchmaking; and a watch which, I have admit, I am very proud of.

Today, two years later, the URWERK duo bring us the 201 “Hammerhead”. An amazing creation which mixes the DNA of the 103 and the Opus 5 and indicates the time in a (literally) revolutionary way with revolving and rotating satellites featuring retractable telescopic minute hands.

Eric Giroud, watch designer and crucial member of the MB&F team,

2007-03-29T16:48:00Z

has recently launched his new website at www.ericgiroud.com

The website gives an excellent feel for Eric Giroud the man, an insight Eric Giroud the designer, and he shares with a breif overview of the design process.

Eric has been Max Büsser's right-hand man from the very inception of the MB&F project and has spent countless hours with Max pouring over every tiny detail of the Horological Machines.

The Reference section of the website gives a just a small indication of the wide scope of Eric's talent and his passion for art.

Click on www.ericgiroud.com and enjoy!

The Poseidon Underwater Mystery Hotel.

2007-03-25T12:41:00Z

For lovers of diving and snorkeling , the jewel-like islands of the Maldives, with their incredible underwater landscapes of trippingly coloured coral populated with kaleidoscopic fish just a stones-throw from the hotel room, are hard to beat; it doesn't get much better than that.

Well it didn't, until . . .

Bruce Jones, the president of U.S. Submarines, is best known for building ultra-luxurious bespoke submarines for the rich and famous. You may have thought he had spent enough time underwater; however, helping people to visit the watery realm is no longer enough, Bruce now wants to help you live there! His next project is the Poseidon Mystery Island: the world’s first major underwater hotel resort which is due to open (launch?) in Fiji late 2008.

Instead of stepping into the elevator and going up to their rooms, guests at the resort head down to the opulent suites, revolving restaurant and spa treatment rooms.

Naturally from a man who builds submarines for a living, there will be a 16-passenger luxury submersible for those that wish to explore the ocean life closer up without getting wet.

Poseidon is already taking bookings for the $1,500/night suites, and if don't want to share you can always book the whole place for a week for a cool $3,000,000. I wonder if that includes all you can drink?

Rock stars are warned that they throw TV's through the window at their own risk!

Check out your Visual DNA

2007-03-20T07:29:00Z

When I first came across this webpage of images called Art Is (or so I thought) I found it addictive; however, I also thought it strange that somebody went to so much trouble to show off such an excellent and interactive collection of photographs without leaving any details about themselves. Where was the 'About Me' page?

What I did not realize until I went back for another look was that the photos were part of a more ambitious website called Imagini, which gives you a profile of your visual dna according to which images you select.

Click here to see an intriguing collection of images then check out Imagini to discover your Visual DNA.

How To Spend It (as if we need help), the FT's monthly weekend magazine,

2007-03-15T12:20:00Z

discussed a number of exciting new watches in a recent article written by Nick Foulkes and illustrated by Bill Butcher. The article was titled,, 'To Boldly Go Where No Watch has gone Before'. Naturally, Max Büsser and MB&F (and the rotor of HM1) got a mention . . . in fact, they received more than a few mentions.

The article is about those companies and watches stretching, or even breaking, the limits of haute horlogerie. Brands such as Hautlence, URWERK, Vianney Halter, Richard Mille, Greubel Forsey and MB&F, are dragging traditional watchmaking and watch design by the hair into the 21st century.

Click here to download a pdf of the article.

Exomos Cutting Edge Submersibles.

2007-03-10T15:59:00Z

Hervé Jaubert is the creator of Exomos, which makes some of the most technologically-advanced submersibles on the planet. As a naval and mechanical engineer from the French Naval Academy with extensive diving experience, Hervé has always been attracted by the sea. He is driven to create innovative submarines that open up an ocean of possibility and deliver childhood wonder to 21st century grown-up men, and delivering childhood wonder is a goal MB&F salutes and encourages.

The Stingray for one person

Exomos is a pioneering company with one vision - to create the most technologically advanced submarine accessible to anyone for unforgettable experiences in shallow waters, the submarines are backed by extensive testing and research, and brought to life with unprecedented ingenuity.

The Mantaray for two people

Or the Adventurer for three . . . in comfort!

And Exomos do much much more. Check out www.exomos.com to see their complete range of submersibles and to choose the colour you want yours in.

Gas Turbines are incredibly powerful . . .

2007-03-06T07:27:00Z

so it was only a question of time that somebody put one in a motorbike . . .and it's street legal!

Introducing the MTT Turbine Superbike from gas turbine specialists MTT

Put a 320HP Rolls Royse-Allison turbine engine on two wheels and you have the world's most powerful production motorcycle. A top speed of 250mph or 400km/ also gives you (unsurprisingly) the fastest streel-legal production bike in the world.

Jay Leno- a passionate motorbike collector and MTT owner-decscribed it as, "It's like the hand of God pushing you in the back. . . I've ridden a lot of fast bikes but nothing pulls like this."

The downside? A price tag of $150,000. That and the risk of an extremely nasty accident.

It is worth checking out the MTT website just to click on their logo (top right), turn your speakers up and listen to the sound of raw POWER!

Click here to download a pdf of the brochure and for more information about turbines, please read on . . .

The International Herald Tribune

2007-03-01T13:14:00Z

published an excellent article on MB&F late last year.

In the article, the sensitive subject of who does what behind the scenes for the big watch brands is discussed.

For those of you who missed it the first time around, you can read the full article by clicking on International Herald Tribune article

Serge Kriknoff, one of our very important “Friends”, wins the French GT car C2 championship !

2007-02-25T00:00:00Z

Serge has been the Managing Director of G.F. Châtelain, MB&F's case maker, for over 4 years and is one of the most competitive persons I know. I have had the privilege of working with him at Harry Winston between 2000 and 2002. His drive, allied with his exceptional skills, allow him to achieve virtually everything he sets his mind to. Serge is a great example to many of us !

Sport has always been a crucial part of Serge's life. In his twenties he set his mind on competing in the World go-kart championship … and he did. In his thirties he took up triathlon and finished in the first quarter in his category of the triathlon of Nice long distance (today considered as an Iron Man). Recently, on turning forty, Serge thinks, "Well, why not take up motor racing?"
Serge entered the 2005 C2 GT car championship at the middle of the season with his 1995 Porsche 993 SuperCup and finished Champion at the end of the year. In 2006, he did it again having won 6 out of the 7 races he entered in!

Now knowing a little of Serge's background, you can imagine the flame in his eye when I put the first four Horological Machine projects on his table! He just cannot resist a challenge!

Amazing science videos

2007-02-20T06:53:00Z

They say truth is stranger than fiction. Now while I am not convinced that is always the case, these three videos go a long way in substantiating the claim.

I suggest start at the bottom video and working your way up. From bottom to the top the science involves: Sulfur Hexafluoride gas, Ferrofluids and cornstarch.

Click image above for videos

Artist Koka Ramishvili interviewed

2007-02-14T07:48:00Z

by Eric Giroud and Catherine de Charrière

Koka Ramishvili was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1956. Since 1985 he has been working as a free-lance artist and is now lives in Geneva. Ramishvili's works use a variety of media and draw on the tension between politics and art.

Koka Ramishvili is interested in codes and what their forms convey beyond the obvious. As he plunged deeper into that realm in the early 19 90s, it appeared that he had abandoned traditional painting for good. It was surprising therefore to see new water-colours by the artist appearing around 2002.

MB&F's designer Eric Giroud and friend Catherine de Charrière caught up with Ramishvili in Geneva and share this fascinating interview with us.

Tony Blair makes influence on his partner. Oil on canvas.

Watches as investments? Not according to Declan and Wei.

2007-02-10T07:35:00Z

Revolution magazine's editor Wei Koh and his friend Declan Quinn give us some humerous advice on Investing in Horology. It is a must read!

Wei and Declan's hilarious story puts in perspective the habit of (some) brands passing off their timepieces as serious investments and new "designer" brands selling recased ETA movements at insanely high prices.

Please click here for the article.

Having a problem with a short-sighted fly?

2007-02-01T10:53:00Z

In the world of horology we are use to working with small components; however, not this small. German micro-machining firm, Micreon, specializes in using ultra-fast lasers to fabricate minuscule components with extremely high precision.

To prove a point they made these reading glasses for a fly. In fact, if anything,they look too small for the fly!

Etro, the luxury Italian fashion and couture company,

2007-01-25T19:28:00Z

has created a product for another company for the very first time.

That company's name? MB&F!

Among the many friends of MB&F, we are happy to include the Etro family and their couture brand. Etro embodies the same values as ourselves, i.e. highest levels of craftsmanship and a non-conformist and unbridled approach to creativity.

Etro and MB&F walk down parallel paths in different domains. With this in mind, I met up with Fabio Gnocchi, marketing and sales director of the brand, back in 2005 with a very special request, "Would Etro craft an exclusive carry bag for the MB&F presentation case?" Fabio consulted the Etro family who said yes and told me, "It will be the very first time that we design and craft a product for another brand. . . but let's do it !"

Read on . . .

What is the biggest problem with toasting bread?

2007-01-16T17:53:00Z

To paraphrase Goldilocks, getting it, 'not too white, not too black, but just right.'

My toast sea-saws every day between plain raw bread and burning charcol; every morning is a lottery!

It appears that I am not the only one needing a bit of help with breakfast because a very clever company called Inventables has come up with a toaster with glass sides so that you can see exactly when to stop the heat.

The concept is based on transparent heating glass; however, there's the rub. Unfortunately, for the moment at least, it is just that: a concept. They have not yet managed to get enough heat out of the glass to brown toast so you can put your credit cards away for a while. And you will want to wait until they can do two slices of bread; who ever has just one piece of toast?

There are few things in life a woman appreciates more

2007-01-15T10:05:00Z

than a nice warm bubble bath.

There are few things a (Australian?) man appreciates more than an ice cold beer.

Put them together and they disprove the theory that opposites attract . . . as this video of an Australian beer advertisment highlights so well.

Click here for the clip.

While Google may well be the best search engine,

2007-01-11T18:01:00Z

it is a bit boring.

If you would like to search with a smile on your face, try asking the very capable, sometimes impatient, always interesting, Ms Dewey.

Ms. Dewey is a more interactive way to search and she is fairly good at it too.

Click here see if she can answer your questions. It is even interesting not to ask a question just to watch her reaction.

Luxury on-line magazine, Goldarths Review,

2007-01-06T19:54:00Z

not only has a taste for the finer things is life, they are also big fans of MB&F.

Click here for their comments on MB&F and the HM1 and spend some time checking out the rest of their excellent site.

And no, that is not a typo, it's Goldarths not Goldarth's.

Jetman lays to rest any rumours that the Swiss are boring.

2007-01-02T18:25:00Z

Man can fly; well at least one man can with the aid of a small pair of wings and four jet engines. Swiss pilot Yves Rossy has flown most of his life: as a professional fighter pilot in the Swiss airforce; as a commercial 747 pilot; and even as a skydiver with over 1000 jumps. However, his dream was to really fly so for the last six years he has been making that dream come true. Now with the aid of a stubby pair of wings and four small jets engines he really is flying . . . and fast! At the moment he drops out of a plane before starting his mini jets; however, his aim is to be able take off from the ground. An ambitious goal that makes me wonder just how fast he can run.

His web site www.jet-man.com is in French but is easily navigated and has has a number of interesting and exciting videos.

There is a good article The Times here and this video here will give you a flavour of what he gets up to.

Apparently Rossy's biggest problem getting airborne was not technical but getting permisson from the authorities. They did not know whether to categorize him as a bird, a plane or . . . .

We wish you a very happy New Year

2006-12-29T12:00:00Z

Peter Speake-Marin, a key player

2006-12-27T11:09:00Z

in the HM1 project, has written an very interesting article in Goldarths Review. In it Peter shares his views on the future of watchmaking in this age of high-tech machinery.

For the article please click The Future of Watchmaking

Move over jet skis, here is a boat that swims like a dolphin!

2006-12-20T11:12:00Z

Run out of ideas for last minute Christmas shopping? Innespace may have just the thing for the waterlover who is happy in the water as on it.

For more information, images and even a short video, check out www.Innespace.com

Romain Gauthier, a story of entrepreneurship and horology.

2006-12-16T14:58:00Z

Romain Gauthier

I met Romain Gauthier by chance a few weeks ago, and was curious to confirm my - very favourable - first impressions. To that end, I recently drove up to Le Sentier in the Vallée de Joux to meet both Romain and his watchmaker, Sebastien, in their newly refurbished atelier.

Is this perhaps the inspiration for the Honda advertisment?

2006-12-13T00:00:00Z

Famed French photographer, Guido Mocafico, visited A Parallel World last week and seeing the Honda advertisement we featured below, Guido wrote to shed light on the original video which (apparently) inspired the Honda 'Cog' video advertisement.

Two Swiss - yes Swiss!- artists, Peter Fischli and David Weiss created this film. The link between the two styles impossible to ignore. Merci Guido !

Article on MB&F and HM1 published in Revolution magazine and on TimeZone.

2006-11-26T16:00:00Z

I originally wrote this article for - the aptly named - Revolution magazine, who kindly agreed to allow TimeZone to post it on on their popular horological website.

TimeZone has also posted insightful interviews of both Max Büsser and HM1 designer, Eric Giroud, by Revolution magazine's editor in Chief, Wei Koh.

The interviews can be found here (Max Büsser) and here (Eric Girod).

The name's Bond, James Bond.

2006-11-26T15:59:00Z

click on the above image for the article

With the recent launch Casino Royale, which is shaping up to be one of the most popular Bond films ever,The Watchismo Times has taken an interesting look back at some of the watches 007 has worn over the years.

Rolex, Breitling, Pulsar, Seiko and Omega have all had exciting moments on 007's wrist.

wmv
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Maximilan Büsser gets an adrenaline boost with Marcos

2006-11-26T15:58:00Z

Early in 2005, while reading a short article about the future relaunch of a mythical UK sports car brand, Marcos, I discovered a small image of the first prototype called the TSO. Curious to learn more about such a daring venture I sent off an email requesting a little more information. What a surprise when the new CEO of Marcos, Tony Stelliga, replied personally !

Watch designer Eric Giroud explains his passion for the works of Artist Vidya Gastaldon.

2006-11-26T13:20:00Z

Designer Eric Giroud has been working closely with Max Büsser on the Horological Machine No.1 project since its inception. Eric is an architect by training and a designer by profession. Here he shares with us his thoughts on one of his favourite artists, Vidya Gastaldon. Vidya was born in France and now lives and works in Geneva.

ThePuristS' Jack Forster interviews Maximilian Büsser

2006-11-26T12:30:00Z

and delves into the philosophy behind MB&F

The PuristS are one of the premier internet watch forums in the world and here,

Jack Forster (pictured) asks Maximilian Büsser 20 probing questions in a pre-launch interview.

click on the above image for the article

Is this the ultimate wine cellar?

2006-11-26T10:47:00Z

These days it is not just the price of fine in restaurants that is expensive. Those bottles you have tucked away at home in your cellar or wine cabinet can quickly add up to a fairly substantial sum.

And what do you usually do with valuable items?

Professor Harry SKTan has published

2006-11-26T09:15:00Z

a superb slideshow featuring MB&F's Horological Machine No.1 on his Watching Horology Blog.

Harry Tan is Singapore based professor teaching law and specializing in: Regulation, Policy & Legal Issues of Electronic Commerce, Internet and Information Technology law, Cybercrime & Security . . . and watch lover!

click on the above image for the slideshow

Welcome to Our World

2006-11-26T09:10:00Z

Welcome to 'Our World'. Here we hope to share with you a broader - a much broader- view of MB&F: Maximilian Büsser and Friends. Yes, there will be occasional articles and information about MB&F's horological machines; however, our primary purpose with this Blog is to share with you what makes all the “friends” tick; what are our other passions; the interesting creators or artists we meet and what catches our eye in the media, etc....

For those of you not familiar with the concept behind MB&F, it is a Creative Label based around one very simple and fundamental ideal: to assemble dedicated collectives of talented horological artisans, artists and professionals to design and craft each year a radical and totally original horological masterpiece.

Each machine will have its own dedicated collective of 'Friends' and it is this world of passion and creativity we wish to share with you in 'Our World'.

We welcome you to share Our World

Fantastic Honda advertisment

2006-11-26T00:00:00Z

This Honda advertisment may be a few years old but we think it's well worth another look, or even a first look if you missed it when it came out.

The advertisment was filmed in real time with no computer graphic tricks.