Paul Timmer an Amsterdam-based designer crafted this solid ash vibration absorbing wooden bike. This bike is made from solid ash and has no veneer or plywood enchantments. It weighs about 24 lbs and this is due to its timber frame. Since it absorbs vibrations you can expect that it is an exceptionally comfortable ride. This bike has an unusual fork construction which, is going through the frame, and is fixed by outside bearing. The design is also extended to the handlebars, which keeps the grain intact and makes it much stronger than if it was in two parts. It also uses a lighter and more durable belt instead of a chain. Check out below on a few words from the designer.
‘I don’t use wood for some kind of temporary solutions, wood is the best construction material available. it is the only construction material made by mother earth. this bike can be as strong as a steel one. but it has to be designed better than a steel bike. as always, the challenges are in the details.’ said Paul Timmer.
So what do you think about the bike and the design?
Who would have thought that a mattress could be this smart. Well, Luna announced their Smart Mattress Cover ($249-$289), which is a smart cover that includes built-in sensors and controlled by using your smartphone. The sensors allow for separate temperature zones for you and your partner, sleep tracking data and integrate with your smart home. It also has monitors and evaluates your sleep quality and cycles. It even has a built-in smart alarm, which wakes you at the right moment of light sleep, so you can say goodbye to those groggy mornings. You can pre-order now and get 20% off and free shipping in the US. Due to ship in August 2015. Watch the video below for more information.
This checkup makes sure your account recovery information is current, asks you to review recent sign-in activity, and lets you see which apps and devices can access your account. (Which is good practice anyways). It's worth it since Google will gift you with extra storage.
The company says it’ll give qualifying Google Drive accounts the boost on February 28 and you’ll get an email confirming the change.
UPDATE: Google Apps for Work and Google Apps for Education users are not eligible for the bonus storage but should still consider taking the Security Checkup.
A new tech startup called Pixie is looking to give objects a digital presence with the help from little sensors called "Pixie Points." The senors, which communicate via bluetooth are packed into thin tiny tags the size of a guitar pick. They can be attached and tucked into whatever needs tracking. This means if you lose your wallet, you'll be able to power up the Pixie app (for iOS or Android) and see the precise location of where it was when it went out of range (about 150 feet from your mobile device).
Pixie Points can be tracked down to a few inches of their actual location. If an item is lost outside of the 150 foot range, the Pixie app offers a "last seen" feature, which alerts the user of the last logged location of their Pixie Point. In addition, the app creates an augmented reality map of all your stuff, so you can visually see where things are hanging out. Anything with a Pixie Point attached can "talk" to other items with a tag, essentially forming a network of all your things. There's also an augmented-reality map component of the app, making it possible to visually see where all your tracked items are at one time.
The tags will need replacing every 18 months, luckily they're relatively cheap: A pack of four will cost you $39.95. Shipping starts this summer.
Welcome to The Collective Loop Playlist-70. We are now in February, the time of the cold. So why not heat up the ears with some new music by Modest Mouse, Purity Ring, RAC and more...
If you want to check out any of the other Playlists then click on TCL Playlists in the menu.
Cover Art by: Damion S.
Tracklist
1. Monophobia by 12th Street Social Club
2. Strong People by quantum Keys
3. Lampshades on Fire by Modest Mouse
4. Lake Song by The Decemberists
5. Inside Out (Tycho Remix) by Spoon
6. Are You Happy by The Outdoor Type
7. Big Girls Cry (ODESZA Remix) by Sia
8. Dreams (Ft. Pink Feathers) [The Cranberries Cover] by RAC
Japanese design office Nendo has created 9 different types of chocolate. While each are the same size, not a single piece from the Chocolatexture collection look alike. That’s because Oki Sato, who leads the Tokyo and Milan-based firm, rethought the concept of chocolate by focusing on texture.
“There are many factors that determine a chocolate’s taste,” says Sato, referring to factors like the origin of cocoa, the percentage used, and the various different flavors.
Each of the 9 chocolates were inspired by an onomatopoeic word from the Japanese language that describes texture. The chocolates correspond with words like “toge toge” (sharp pointy tips), “sube sube” (smooth edges and corners) and “zara zara” (granular, like a file). Chocolatexture was created for the Maison & Objet trade fair that took place last week in Paris. 400 limited edition Chocolatexture sets were created and were sold during the event in Paris at what’s being dubbed the “Chocolatexture lounge.” (syndicated from Spoon & Tamago).
This is something that you don't see very often and I would consider it to be unique artwork. Chinese artist Li Hongbo transforms and carves out metal sculptures in knives and he has a huge collection of beautiful works of art. What do you think?
I'm a big fan ofGhostly International and was excited to see them providing a FREE download of their new Ghostly Swim 2 album courtesy of Adult Swim and Ghostly International, which was released on Dec 23rd, 2014. So if you missed this in the hustle of the holidays, then no worries The Collective Loop has got you covered. You can listen to a sampler of the album below and download here.
So while you're listening to the sampler below read a little bit further about Ghostly International or visit them to find all the cool stuff and good music.
Legend has it that Brian Eno’s concept of ambient music came to him while laid up in a hospital bed after an automobile accident in the ’70s. A friend brought him some records, playing them too low to be properly heard, and Eno couldn’t get out of bed to adjust the volume. While the record spun softly, Eno’s idea for music you could ignore as easily as you could give it your full attention, like a sort of sonic wallpaper, was born. It’s in that spirit of quiet isolation that Ghostly International, in association with Adult Swim, shares Ghostly Swim 2, our way of giving listeners a space to get away from the manic holiday bustle.
For those keeping track at home, Ghostly is wrapping up its 15th anniversary as an Ann Arbor/Brooklyn-based indie. 2014 has seen the company soundtracking video games (Playstation’s Hohokum), collaborating with awesome companies like Warby Parker and VOID watches, and clearing 300 releases of forward-thinking music with records from Tycho, Com Truise, and HTRK. What better way to end this banner year than to revisit one of our favorite partnerships from the past decade and a half?
Released in 2008, Ghostly Swim was praised for its adventurous survey of exploratory dance and pop music. Our curatorial focus has shifted this time around, moving further inward (spiritually) and outward (as far as our roster goes) to reflect the electronic underground in all of its hazy and vibrant experimentalism. Ghostly Swim 2 is a document of textured ambient zone-outs and woozy, granular house and techno that will help you find some downtime away from The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. So sit back, lower the volume, and enjoy our selections.
When you think about thumb drives over the years they have gotten bigger in storage size but have shrunk in size. So it makes you think? Why hasn't the external hard drive been made smaller for travel? Well it has, let me introduce the Seagate Seven Hard Drive($100). It doesn't refer to the capacity of the drive. Instead, it refers to the size. This is being revered as the thinnest 500GB portable hard drive in the world. It measures just 7mm thin, with a precision-crafted steel enclosure that highlights the look of the bare drive while offering protection for your data. It is powered by a USB 3.0 cable and weighs just over three ounces, it's a perfect way to lighten the load for those that travel while still giving you storage on hand.
