Das Keyboard

Think you're geeky? Prove it.

RugBag

RugBag is a lovely modern take on a picnic basket. There are no individualized compartments for all of your pieces of china, but it does do something much more useful... it folds out into a blanket. This great idea was created by designer Demelza Hill. (Found through The Style Files).

Starbury Shoes

Most brand name shoes endorsed by professional athletes cost $100-200, sometimes even more. NBA All Star Stephon Marbury has taken a different approach. All the shoes in his Starbury lines cost only $14.98. His marketing tactics have cleverly been based around the fact that some families can't afford to spend the equivalent of a weeks worth of groceries on shoes. I have my doubts that $14.98 shoes will ever be a status symbol to kids the way other basketball shoes are, but they must be doing something right because over 2.2 million pairs of Starburys have been sold in the past year.

Stephon Marbury insists that Starbury shoes are the same quality as other brands. To prove this, the Knicks Point Guard has worn Starbury shoes for the entire 06-07 basketball season. I guess that goes to show the power of a professional athlete's endorsement. Way to put yourself out there Marbury! (Thanks Brett).

Emergency Money

This Emergency Money Box, designed by Becky Miller, made me laugh because it so perfectly reflects how people treat their piggy banks. It's funny because it's true. Available through Suck UK.

Adobe Labs Knowhow

I was teaching a Photoshop course last week and one of the students asked me if Adobe products have a roll-over help feature. I said no, but I'm glad to find out that I was (mostly) wrong. Adobe Labs is working on a feature called Knowhow. It is currently only available in the English version of Illustrator CS3. What it does is provide single-click contextual help. Basically you just click on any tool you would like to know more about and it gives you access to not only Adobe help but also community based resources collected through del.icio.us. I think this is a hugely significant step for help menus. Embracing the help and tutorials created by independent users will give people a reason to use the help menu in a program, instead of just going straight to Google. (Found through urlgreyhot)

Spark Talking Bug Identifier

See kids, science IS fun. The Spark Taking Bug Identifier helps kids identify different kinds of bugs. When I first saw this, I assumed it would just magically spit out the species name, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it demands a bit more interaction and learning than that. The budding scientist has to look at the bug through the magnifying glass and answer a series of yes or no questions to help analytically determine the species. An alarm sounds if the bug identified is potentially dangerous... otherwise I guess you you are free to capture/eat/torture it (this part isn't clearly defined in the product description). (Found through Babygadget)

Look-a-Like Kitties

How super cute is this. I'm not normally SUCH a sucker for cuteness, but this is cute combined with brilliance. If you send Electric Luna of Ploesie Poesies a picture of your cat she will make a plush cat replica for you. This isn't just a cheesy stuffed toy, it's a stylin' kitty work of art. All the cats get a special numbered label. Check out the archive of all the 151 look-a-likes that have been created so far. Some of them are really amazing. (Found through The Style Files)

Ribcap

I like how Ribcap has decided to show off their hats on the web. They have overlaid them on top of sketches, instead of the traditional photographs. It adds a level of interest to the images and allows the hats to be focal point.

GOOD's Weights and Measures

I've recently become addicted to GOOD Magazine. One of the articles in their most recent issue looks at weights and measures. It features this astounding graphic depicting countries that have not adopted the metric system.

Martin Klimas' Temporary Sculpture

Martin Klimas' photography is meant to capture an image of an object in a state that it only exists temporarily. By photographing objects at their breaking point or at a point in motion, he is able to show them with new character and meaning. My favorite is this series of breaking porcelain statues. Captured just as they hit the ground, the formally still statues take on a sense of action.

Humunga Tongue

So, we all know that dogs like to play fetch, but what is in it for their owners? If you are playing with this Humunga Tongue then the answer is pretty clear - pure amusement. This dog toy is shaped like a big panting tongue. It comes in 3 sizes for small, medium and large dogs. Haha!

US Election Candidates on the Issues

When it comes to voting for one political party or another, one candidate or another, my opinion is this: Choose one or two issues that are important to you personally, and vote for the candidate/party who best represents your views on these issues. If you are a US citizen, 2decide.com has helped make your research quick and easy. They've created a chart showing each presidential candidate's view on the top issues. Check out the full chart here.

New Balance Snip Hem

I'm not exactly what you would call a domestic goddess, which is probably why I see the genius in these New Balance workout pants. The pants have 3 built in hems. To shorten the legs, all you have to do is choose a length and cut. Wow, these pants are the total archetype of a modern woman. No time to sew... I'm late for my spinning class.

The Complete Manual

The folks at Knock Knock never cease to amaze me with their witty stationary products. One of their latest products cracked me up. It is the Complete Manual of Things that Might Kill You: A Guide to Self-Diagnosis for Hypochondriacs. Haha!

Google Earth Sky View

The latest version of Google Earth (4.2) includes a feature that they they have been promising for a while, called Sky View. It is an awesome astronomy resource which allows you to navigate the universe, as well as the Earth. It is still Google Earth as you know it, but with a little button that allows you to switch from a view of the Earth to a view of the sky. The Sky View feature includes constellation labels, images and information from the Hubble Telescope, star names, and animated planetary orbits. Watch a video demonstration here. Or better yet, to experience it yourself, download it here.

Tylenol Cool Burst

I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I took a Tylenol Cold, and instead of being greeted with a horrible, bitter, disgusting, face distorting taste, my mouth was filled with a burst of mint. Tylenol calls it 'Cool Burst' and has added this pleasantry to a bunch of their products. I know there are lots of valid arguments as to why making medicine taste bad is a good thing, but for big babies like me I say, bring on the minty cool burst!

Thiriving Office

If you work at home it is sometimes hard to get the respect you deserve. Put a stop to those questions about whether or not you work in your pajamas by using the Thriving Office CD. It's the soundtrack of an office in full swing. The CD has two tracks, 'Busy' and 'Very Busy'. Both are 39 minutes long and feature the sounds of phones, voices and computers. They will never know it's just you and your cat... I mean assistant.

Phat Beets

I hate beets. However... if there was ever something that would make me consider changing my mind about beets, it would be calling them Phat Beets. I'm such a sucker for clever marketing. Available for purchase at Rick's Picks.

Net Disaster

I don't know why this is so fun, but it is. Net Disaster is a website that allows you to inflict catastrophes on your favorite (or least favorite) websites. Just type in the target site's address and choose the type of damage you want to inflict. Disasters to choose from include; wasp stings, spilled coffee, throwing tomatoes, sending in protesters, spray paint graffiti and much more. A great stress reliever. (Found through the always fabulous Swissmiss).

Braille CD-R

The fact that CDs and DVDs are the same shape and size comes in handy for a lot of reasons, but isn't quite so helpful if you are visually impaired. Mitsubishi Japan has released a line of recordable CDs and DVDs with braille labeling. Good idea and a great reminder to all designers about the importance of physical differentiators. I'm not visually impaired, but I'd love to be able to tell the difference between a CD and DVD without reading the fine print. (Found through Cool Hunting).

My Cuppa

These My Cuppa mugs have been featured on a lot of blogs lately, but they are such a good idea that I had to write about them myself. Designed by Suck UK, these mugs were created to help you make the perfect cup of tea or coffee. They have a little color matching guide on the side to help you add just the right amount of milk. This is perfect if you are into experimenting with milk, and even more perfect if you are trying to instruct someone on how to make your tea/coffee. 'Make it a Builder's Brew would ya luv'. Available for purchase on the Suck UK website.

Filippa Smedhagen Sund

I like the portfolio of Swedish Makeup Artist Filippa Smedhagen Sund. It contains some gorgeous photography of her work. What I like most about the site is the interface. Upon entering the site you get quick instructions on how to navigate, and then off you go. The interface is simple enough that you could probably figure it out yourself but I like the courteous idea of just showing people what to do up front. It makes users much more receptive to new interface styles. The site was designed by the Berlin based company, Mocoro.