Neon Boneyard

Where do all the Las Vegas signs go? Here.

via notcot

Mars Rovers

Mars Sunset taken by Spirit Rover

I just have to acknowledge the amazing job that the Mars Exploration Rover project has done. Launched January 25, 2004, the Opportunity rover has operated for 2332 days – over 20 times its planned 90 day lifespan. It is still operating and sending back photos & data. Even the Spirit rover (launched June 3, 2003) which has been stuck in soft soil since May 2009 is still operational.

It’s hard enough to make things work on this planet – hats off to the design team!

Sugru Silicon Modelling Putty

I always like to have some epoxy putty on hand. It’s easy to use, hardens quickly and can be machined easily. It’s an awesome thing to have on hand. Unfortunately, it only comes in one color (gray) and you have to mix it by kneading two parts together. Unless you’re wearing rubber gloves this will leave a stinky residue on your hands which can get all over other parts if you are not careful.

Now it seems there is another option:

Sugru is a new product that is the lovechild of Play-Doh and epoxy putty. It is supposed to air-set and be dishwasher safe. Who & where it comes from is best taken from their website:

This is Jane. She’s from Ireland and she’s lovely. Jane was studying product design at when she had an idea: “I don’t want to buy new stuff all the time. I want to hack the stuff I already have so it works better for me.” So she phoned some clever materials scientists called Ian and Steve and together they invented an interesting new material for hacking things better. It’s called sugru and is a little bit brilliant.

If this stuff is as good as they say it is it could be a game changer (I wondered if it might be useful in aid packages to poor countries – how great to be able to fix your broken water bucket and not have to buy a new one!)

I haven’t tried it yet but I will let you know once I get my hands on some.

via wired

Xavier Lust Bench

Nicely done. The new Gun Metal bench by Belgian Xavier Lust creates strength with gentle bends in the surfaces.

via designboom

Happy Saturday

Even working on the weekends is rewarding with a view like this.

Wood Sports Car from Japan

hand-crafted in Japan to achieve speed! If you can read Japanese check it out here.

via designboom

gilbert13 Fold Shelf

For a recent project that I’ve been trying to work out in my mind, I’ve been thinking of how to use curves for strength along several axes. So my interest was piqued when I saw this. UK designers Angela & Mark Gilbert of gilbert 13 made this shelf that is made from a single sheet of steel, laser cut to guide the folds that define the finished shape.

via designboom

Studio Lim’s Sound Pot

Studio Lim conceived these gorgeous speakers. They turn on when you touch the knob. Volume is controlled by rolling them around on your table. To turn off you put it face down. But the best thing is – they are made from Porcelain! Nice shape, too. And they look wireless from the pictures.

via notcot

Tool Jewelry

Just looks good, right?

via designboom

USB Power from the Wall

Here’s a good idea from Fastmac i found on Notcot– the TruePower UCS Power Outlet. It is a USB charger that is integrated into a wall outlet. Pretty cool idea but in my world I am never close enough to the wall outlet for this to be convenient. I prefer this: