Bintoy is one of dozens of objects that this designer has created that makes new uses of everyday objects. many of the experiments are brilliant, like the bintoy. Many concepts fall flat. But the key here is experiment, prototype, and release to the world.

Lesauskas.lt | Projects.

Have you ever heard of a Rolly Polly? I don’t know the scientific word for this bug, but it takes its segmented plates and unfurles them in such a way as to form a protective coat that cannot be breached. This is the basic concept for the very smart design by Spanish designer Marc Graells Ballve.

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DesignBoom is so good. They always point me towards where I want to go. Even if I didn’t know I wanted to go there. Today, they pointed me to the Mini Pedicab (DesignBoom calls it a rickshaw, but I always though rickshaws were pulled on foot). This is essentially a modified Mini Cooper in the form of a bicycle. The detailing and design of this human powered vehicle is pure luxury and the fuel consumption on this beauty is a very low zero gallons per mile.

mini rickshaw in beijing

I’ve been trying to spend more and more time looking at things that are in the unattainable category simply because its so damn fun to imagine me and all my friends and family enjoying whatever the incredibly expensive item is, and basking in the glory of its opulence. Quite frankly, nothing has piqued my imagination as much as this boat. This boat makes me want to use curse words, it’s so spectacular.

This is the Wally Power 118 super yacht. The boat at first looks as if it’s a high speed cigarette boat used for racing, and in a sense it is a racing boat at it’s core. But don’t let the shape fool you. Inside the boat are three modern staterooms. Above the state rooms sits a glass encased living space that includes gourmet dining facilities and one of the sexiest living spaces on a boat ever. If that’s not enough, the bow of the ship also contains an al fresco dining area sunken into the bow of the ship that makes me dream of the parties I could throw on the French Riviera.

I know nothing about the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, but quite frankly I don’t have to. (If you’re a car freak, you’ve come to the wrong place, unfortunately). Still I feel compelled to feature a couple of pictures just to allow people to dream. Sigh… Can you feel the beauty?

Not to make anyone jealous, but I’ve had the opportunity to spend a month in Italy four out of the last seven years. And over that period of time, I’ve had the opportunity to see many things that are completely Italian phenomena. One event is the Italian equivalent of a Harley-Davidson rally, but instead of Harleys replace them with classic Alfa Romeos. In Italy, the Alfa is sort of the everyman’s sports car. You will not see a Lamborghini rally, you would rarely see a Ferrari rally, but an Alfa rally? Every weekend during the summer is guaranteed (at least in central Italy). It’s accessible beauty, but beautiful none the less.

I’m not sure why I’m attracted to the MP3 by Piaggio. I just am. I think it has something to do with the fact that it’s a scooter with three wheels, but three wheels instead of two means that it can stand upright without assistance. I have two quick points about this machine, and then I’m done. First point is I don’t know if I’m excited or baffled by the two wheels on the front of the scooter. As far as I can tell, the two wheels are simply for balance at low speeds to stop. At high speeds, three wheels slow you down because the added wheel adds friction. When this vehicle turns, the wheels have to twist in and out to properly maintain contact with the road. Surely, all this technology was expensive to develop and for what? To add an extra wheel seems pointless when two wheels are already so perfect.

And then there is the name. The MP3. I just don’t think it’s very inspiring. It seems to me that Piaggio is hoping to get sales from the MP3 by unsuspecting music listeners clicking on the wrong search result. At least MP3 sounds better than its Italian name which is Fuoco. In Italian, Fuoco means fire, but here in the U.S. it sounds too close to the name Buttafuoco, as in “Joey Buttafuoco“. I think this fact alone would keep me away from a product named fuoco.
called fuoco in italy

Have you ever wanted to feel like an important character in a 1960s Godzilla film? Maybe you don’t know why the hell I’m asking this question. But some of you are saying “Hell yes!”. I know I would have loved to live this life. It would involve me wearing square horned rimmed glasses ala Run DMC, and riding in a Toyota Century, one of the finest luxury vehicles on earth. What I find amazing is this vehicle has not changed aesthetically since the 1960s, and yet is still being produced and cherished as the vehicle that says you’ve made it as a Japanese businessman. This would be the ultimate Pimp-My-Ride vehicle! Hey, Lil’ John: if you read, and you happen to see this blog post, please buy one of these and trick it out. Then send me some pictures.

Please don’t hate me because I love muscle cars. I know the Ford Shelby gets an estimated 13mpg, but it is hot. Mind you, I do not even own a car, and I haven’t for the past ten years. I’m what you might call a granola cruncher when it comes to fuel consumption. But when the logo for the car you’ve designed is a deadly serpent, the cobra, you have to give props to Ford for making such a manly car in times of falling consumption and higher gas prices.

But why I really like it is it takes me back to when I test drove a Ford Shelby at sixteen years of age. I was with my dad. We were buying my first car which was a necessity in Texas (don’t get me started). One of the cars we found was an old ford Shelby. I get in this car to test drive it, and I could immediately feel the power. This particular model required that I allow it to idle up to a certain speed or the tires spun and “burned rubber”. How cool is that? That you can’t even go without burning rubber. Feel the power!

Back in 1999, a friend of mine an I were commissioned to design a temporary landscape to promote an automobile which was to sit within the landscape. The auto was the Maybach, and the location of the landscape was the terrace of a 19th century casino in Monaco. The event was an annual rich person’s convention, and this car was one of their centerpieces of the convention. This is a world I never knew existed until we got this project.

So what’s so special about this car? First, it’s built like a custom home. The buyer goes to the design studio and chooses dozens of options for the car. Second, the car uses innovative technology. For instance, the roof is almost completely glass. To shade the passanger from the sun, the glass is polarized so that the glass turns translucent or opaque with the flick of a switch. Third, It’s safe and comfortable as hell. It weighs several tons and is built like a train, so the passengers stand a relatively good chance in an accident. I also like it because it’s one of those products that no one has heard of except billionaires which I find weird.

get images at work!

Object: The 2007 Tesla Roadster

Designer: Tesla

URL: http://www.teslamotors.com/

Category: Automotive

Price: $92,000 +/-

Lust Factor: Hot

Description: Tesla Motors has done something remarkable. They have made an electric car that people will actually want to buy. There is no doubt that the Tesla is a beautiful car, but for you speed fiends it has the stats you want: 0 mph to 60 mph in 4 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. Admittedly, the car is on the slow side, but the acceleration is amazing and almost imperceptable because there are no gears. Oh, did I mention that the equivalent gas mileage is 135 miles per gallon? You will spend about a penny a mile to drive this car. Also, since there are much fewer moving parts, in theory, your maintenance cost will go way down (we’ll see). I haven’t done the math yet, but this car might end up being a bargain at nearly $100,000.