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A PIG OF DEATH

HTC Touch Diamond officially unveiled

HTC Touch Diamond
(Credit: HTC)
As expected, HTC officially took the wraps off the HTC Touch Diamond at a press conference in London Tuesday and great googly moogly, does this thing look hot! Not only does it look sexy from the outside with its sleek, black casing, but the Touch Diamond also features a revamped TouchFlo 3D interface that gives you a more animated and easier way to access your contacts, messages, and other content. You can do all this via the Diamond's gorgeous 2.8-inch, 680x480 VGA (yes, that's right, VGA) touch screen; plus, there's a new touch-sensitive control below the display to help you out.

The Touch Diamond is a lot more than just looks, though. The quad-band smartphone runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, and HSDPA support. HTC also noted that it will ship the Touch Diamond with a customized mobile Web browser that provides an optimized view of pages and lets you zoom and pan sites with one hand. In addition, the page orientation will automatically go from portrait to landscape mode when you turn the device sideways (hmm, sounds familiar. *cough, iPhone, cough, cough*) Other goodies include a 3.2-megapixel camera, 4GB internal storage, 256MB flash memory, and 192MB RAM.

The HTC Touch Diamond will start shipping in European markets this June, and then later in the quarter for Asia and the Middle East. As for us, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that we're actually getting our own version but unfortunately, we, as well as Latin American markets, will have to wait till the second half of 2008. Now, while the Touch Diamond certainly looks like a gem (sorry, had to do it), we're hoping it's more than just flash. And we couldn't help but be reminded of a similar-looking smartphone from Velocity Mobile. Mmm hmm, things just got interesting. Check out CNET UK's hands-on examination and our photo gallery of the HTC Touch Diamond.

CHUB CITY

Interactive toy vehicles which dance to your tunes! Simply plug in your CD/MP3 players and listen to the music flowing through the inbuilt speakers. The sleek looking cars also provide entertainment - they actually move up and down and dance to the music. I personally loved the look and feel of these cool cars - they are great to look at and are sure to be a hot item with the boys and girls of today. If you're looking for a gift this holiday season for someone who likes music and who is into cool stuff, whether young or old, these Chub City Playaz cars from Jada Toys are perfect. You can pick up a VW Beetle or a Chub City character, sit back, relax and ENJOY!Jada Toys - Chub City i-Playaz "HYPE" Interactive figure

STARBUCKS BACK TO BASICS

(Photo: Powerbooktrance via Flickr)
After 37 years, Starbucks has gone back to its roots with their new "Pike Place Roast" and redesign of the iconic cup. The retro logo showcases a modified version of the original "siren" logo designed by Terry Heckler. (You'll notice that this one is a bit more PC).

Although, is it still a redesign if it's an old design? The design is part of a back to basics campaign focusing on the history of the brand, and establishing their place as coffee experts - but is only a temporary move. So if you're a fan of the green logo, have no fear, it will return.

So what do we think? I personally like the return to their roots. I like the brown color-scheme and the historical reference. If nothing else, it really makes you look twice, as we're so conditioned to seeing the Starbucks green. It's no secret that Starbucks sales have been down lately... they've rapidly opened stores, created drive-thru windows, and have started offering all kinds of food and beverage options, that have diluted their original brand. They also have a lot of competition from the likes of Dunkin' Donuts and McDonalds, which all now offer coffee and espresso drinks. Perhaps this marks the beginning of a return to what Starbucks does best - good coffee.

Click here for a brief history on the Starbucks logo.

VANISHING LONDON EYE; ONE EARTH 20XX

inspiration POSTER by iCelldESIGN

POP

Theatre of Tragedy - Machine

Awesome

In An Absolut World

Ay caramba! Absolut Vodka has found a surefire way to put its US sales figures in a downward spiral. This map, used in a Mexican ad campaign, shows what the US-Mexican border would look like in an ‘absolut’ (i.e. perfect) world: a large part of the US’s west is annexed to Mexico.
Needless to say this map made its way to ‘El Norte’, annoying and upsetting many Americans – even leading to calls for a boycott of the Swedish-made vodka. What must be particularly annoying is that this map has some basis in fact.
Large swathes of the western US used to be part of Mexico. In 1836, American settlers proclaimed the independence of Texas, formally a Mexican territory. The US annexation of Texas in 1845 prompted the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), after which Mexico was forced to cede 525,000 square miles of territory (42% of its pre-war territory, 12% of the US’s current territory).
Mexico didn’t have much choice: a US army occupied Mexico City, and the alternative was total annexation. The Mexican Cession consisted of the territories of Alta California and Nueva Mexico, out of which were eventually formed the US states of California, Nevada and Utah, and parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.
In this ‘absolut’ version of the world, the US and Mexico are about the same size. As gratifiying as it might be for Mexicans to see the loss of Texas and the Mexican Cession be reversed, this map managed to offend so many Americans that it prompted Absolut Vodka to release a statement:
“We are sorry if we offended anyone. This was not our intention. We will try to explain. Though you may not agree, I hope you understand.”
“We have a variety of executions running in countries worldwide, and each is germane to that country and that population. This particular ad, which ran in Mexico, was based upon historical perspectives and was created with a Mexican sensibility. In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor doesjavascript:void(0) it reflect immigration issues. Instead, it hearkens to a time which the population of Mexico may feel was more ideal.”
“Obviously, this ad was run in Mexico, and not the US — that ad might have been very different.”

Here’s a link to it at the LA Times

咖啡益

每天喝一杯咖啡或可保護腦部，預防阿滋海默氏症（俗稱老人癡呆症）。美國北達科他大學以兔子做實驗，發現咖啡因確可阻隔危害人體的膽固醇，降低罹患阿滋海默氏症的風險。

這項發表於《神經發炎期刊》的實驗，每日餵食兔子高膽固醇的食物，有些兔子每日還喝到一杯咖啡，有些兔子則未餵食咖啡。十二周後，這些每日喝一杯咖啡的兔子，其「血腦障壁」與未喝咖啡的對照組兔子，結構功能皆更完整。

英國專家表示，北達科他大學此一試驗，乃截至目前為止有關咖啡益處的「最佳證明」。「血腦障壁」就像一個過濾器，可保護腦部中樞神經不受血液中有害化學物質的可能傷害。

Peace & Love, Music Promo

This is an animated promo for Quasi (domino records) for their track 'peace and love'. It was directed and produced by Big Red Button. Illustrated by Trevor White, and animated by a swarm of us. Check out their channel here..

Kochi Architects Studio

kochi architects studio is a tokyo based firm which works on a variety of architectural projects from residences
to stores, as well as furniture and lighting products. the studio sent us some images of two of their project's,
'house kn' and 'atelier for a calligrapher'.

'house kn' is located in the suburban prefecture of kanagawa, japan. it's design began with a box that was sliced
to create a large void, allowing the garden to be enveloped by the house. an outdoor patio on the second floor is
also strategically placed to make use of this unique slice.

'atelier for a calligrapher' is a studio and residence for a calligrapher in ymareshi, japan. it is situated on a hill
overlooking rice fields below. the slopped design of the building was inspired by a ship's hull. it also allows the
client to look down on the view of the rice fields and serves as an awning for the entrance.

22STUDIO

經過幾番波折，studio22要參加五月份在紐約的designboom mart了！
距離上次去東京已經快要半年了，從東京回來到目前都在忙著將水泥戒指推銷出去，在戒指的品質上面也有些許的提昇，這次去紐約目標是在把我們的戒指介紹給更多的洋人們，並且感受一下以參展設計師的身份去紐約的感覺，很期待很開心。

在新的設計方面，新款戒指目前還沒有生出來，因為我們希望新款戒指能夠在製造或是概念上能夠更上一層樓，跟之前的設計比要有進步的感覺，所以我們一直在避免新款戒指只在造型上做改變，希望至少去紐約前可以有一款新的戒指。
另外我們最近也在著手設計戒指外的產品，目前自己看起來是相當有趣的設計，也希望去紐約前能夠曝光。

最近真的覺得作設計是一條很奇怪的路，因為以我自己為例常常都是idea來找我，不是我找到idea，真的要我針對一個題目在一星期內交出草圖我還真的不是很行，所以我也一直覺得目前的我很幸運，碰巧想到的水泥戒指還蠻受歡迎的，拜它之賜我還可以找到名目作個自由設計師，不用每天加班，也可以藉機出國旅遊增廣見聞。

加油加油！！上次去東京的時候遇到很多台灣的同胞跟我們加油打氣，感覺很溫馨，希望五月剛好有要去紐約旅遊的台灣同胞，別忘了去icff看看我們阿～～跟我說國語或台語就是最大的鼓勵！！

Cafe Branding

EXPLODING CARS

The idea of bringing beauty to something as horrific as a car crash seems impossible. Artist Cai Guo-Qiang has achieved the impossible. His installation Inopportune, featured at MASS MoCA in Massachusetts presents a virtual ballet of individual cars as they twist, revolve and flip in sequence making their way through the motions of a car crash. Long transparent rods radiate from the car, pulsing with dazzling multi coloured light as the vehicles appear in stop motion. Suspended from the ceiling with transparent cables the vehicles takes us through the contorted journey of an experience we would otherwise not want. Described as as "an explosive momentum expanded in time and space as if in a dream Cai Guo-Qiang's work is dramatic, severe and frighteningly beautiful.
To see more, log onto www.caiguoqiang.com

World's best-known protest symbol turns 50

BBC News

It started life as the emblem of the British anti-nuclear movement but it has become an international sign for peace、and arguably the most widely used protest symbol in the world. It has also been adapted、attacked and commercialised.

It had its first public outing 50 years ago on a chilly Good Friday as thousands of British anti-nuclear campaigners set off from London's Trafalgar Square on a 50-mile march to the weapons factory at Aldermaston.

The demonstration had been organised by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) joined in.

I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair、with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad

Gerald Holtom
Gerald Holtom、a designer and former World War II conscientious objector from West London、persuaded DAC that their aims would have greater impact if they were conveyed in a visual image. The "Ban the Bomb" symbol was born.

He considered using a Christian cross motif but、instead、settled on using letters from the semaphore - or flag-signalling - alphabet、super-imposing N (uclear) on D (isarmament) and placing them within a circle symbolising Earth.

The sign was quickly adopted by CND.

Holtom later explained that the design was "to mean a human being in despair" with arms outstretched downwards.

US peace symbol

American pacifist Ken Kolsbun、who corresponded with Mr Holtom until his death in 1985、says the designer came to regret the connotation of despair and had wanted the sign inverted.

Anti-Vietnam protesters at a rally in New York
"He thought peace was something that should be celebrated," says Mr Kolsbun、who has spent decades documenting the use of the sign. "In fact、the semaphore sign for U in 'unilateral' depicts flags pointing upwards. Mr Holtom was all for unilateral disarmament."

In a book to commemorate the symbol's 50th birthday、Mr Kolsbun charts how it was transported across the Atlantic and took on additional meanings for the Civil Rights movement、the counter-culture of the 1960s and 70s including the anti-Vietnam protests、and the environmental、women's and gay rights movements.

He also argues that groups opposed to those tendencies tried to use the symbol against them by distorting its message.

How the sign migrated to the US is explained in various ways. Some say it was brought back from the Aldermaston protest by civil rights activist Bayard Rustin、a black pacifist who had studied Gandhi's techniques of non-violence.

Vietnam

In Peace: The biography of a symbol、Mr Kolsbun describes how in just over a decade、the sign had been carried by civil rights "freedom" marchers、painted on psychedelic Volkswagens in San Francisco、and on the helmets of US soldiers on the ground in Vietnam.

The peace sign was adopted by the counter-culture movement
"The sign really got going over here during the 1960s and 70s、when it became associated with anti-Vietnam protests," he told the BBC News website.

As the combat escalated、he says、so did the anti-war protests and the presence of the symbol.

"This、of course、led some people to condemn it as a communist sign," says Mr Kolsbun. "There has always been a lot of misconception and disinformation about it."

As the sign became a badge of the burgeoning hippie movement of the late 1960s、the hippies' critics scornfully compared it to a chicken footprint、and drew parallels with the runic letter indicating death.

In 1970、the conservative John Birch Society published pamphlets likening the sign to a Satanic symbol of an upside-down、"broken" cross.

While it remained a key symbol of the counter-culture movement throughout the 1970s、it returned to its origins in the 1980s、when it became the banner of the international grassroots anti-nuclear movement.

Power

The real power of the sign、its supporters say、is the reaction that it provokes - both from fans and from detractors.

In the UK、the sign is still associated with the Ban the Bomb movement
The South African government、for one、tried to ban its use by opponents of apartheid in 1973.

And、in 2006、a couple in suburban Denver found themselves embroiled in a dispute over their use of a giant peace sign as a Christmas wreath. The homeowners' association threatened them with a daily fine if they didn't remove it.

The association eventually backed down because of public pressure、but a member told a local newspaper it was clearly an "anti-Christ sign" with "a lot of negativity associated with it.".

Commercial

A US soldier patrols a village outside Baghdad

CND has never registered the sign as a trademark、arguing that "a symbol of freedom、it is free for all". It has now appeared on millions of mugs、T-shirts、rings and nose-studs. Bizarrely、it has also made an appearance on packets of Lucky Strike cigarettes.

A decade ago、the sign was chosen during a public vote to appear on a US commemorative postage stamp saluting the 1960s.

The symbol that helped define a generation of baby boomers may not be as widely used today as in the past. It is in danger of becoming to many people a retro fashion item、although the Iraq war has seen it re-emerge with something like its original purpose.

"It is still the dominant peace sign," argues Lawrence Wittner、an expert on peace movements at the University at Albany in New York.

"Part of that is down to its simplicity. It can be used as a shorthand for many causes because it can be reproduced really quickly - on walls on floors、which is important、in say、repressive societies."

And can its success be measured? Fifty years on、wars have continued to be waged and the list of nuclear-armed states has steadily lengthened.

But the cup is half-full as well as half empty.

"There are many ways in which nuclear war has been prevented," says Mr Wittner. "The hawks say that the reason nuclear weapons have not been used is because of the deterrent. But I believe popular pressure has restrained powers from using them and helped curbed the arms race.

And the symbol of and inspiration for that popular pressure、says Mr Wittner、is Mr Holtom's graphic.

NOTE:

The peace sign is actually a Hopi Indian sign for unification between tribes、derived from the footprint of a crane、the Bird of Heaven. Here in the San Luis Valley 、where I live the Cranes migrate every spring in March.
Christine Chandler、Crestone Colorado

The logo was in use long before 1958 - as an SS regimental symbol、for instance.
John、London

What a nice story. Unfortunately the sign was in use rather earlier、notably on the graves of SS soldiers in WW2. Presumably Holton was not a very aware designer.
Di、Bristol、England

In 1968、we painted a bright white in colour peace sign on a mountain in the Las Vegas valley. With a diameter of 110 feet is was visible from miles away. It is still visible (barely) when viewed on Google earth.
Glenn、Las Vegas USA

It is fascinating to know the meaning and history behind the symbol.

As a Vietnam veteran、I never wore it during the war、only afterwards、next to my badges and medals、a peace sign. Only a soldier knows the true cost of peace.

Every citizen of the world should live in peace. Every person in the world must play their part. In the words of the late、great John Lennon、"Give peace a chance"!
Conrad、Atlanta、Georgia - USA

Seeing the Light

Gucci Limited Edition for China Olympics 2008

The Gucci Limited Edition for the 2008 Olympics is called 8-8-2008.

Web Trend Map 2008