Clare Graham is a man on a mission. The Los Angeles artist has made it his life's purpose to awaken people to the potential of consumer refuse, proving that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. From his Highland Park studio, Graham creates large-scale art and design works from discarded soda-pop cans, Scrabble tiles, yardsticks, dog tags and jigsaw-puzzle pieces. The......read more
With its newly unveiled Light Touch product, UK company Light Blue Optics envisions a total revolution in the way people interact with personal media. By freeing multimedia content from the confines of the small screen, it has the potential to do just that. Using holographic laser technology, Light Touch is said to transform any flat surface into a touchscreen, making the applications almost......read more
In her new capsule collection for Incase, San Francisco artist Clare Rojas applies her signature nature illustrations and bold patterns to a limited selection of Incase products. Included in the series is this daily carry-all, featuring exclusive Rojas artwork applied to durable cotton canvas. The bag includes a colorful padded sleeve designed for a 13" MacBook, with multiple organizer pockets......read more
Apolis is pleased to release it's reusable Market Bag, handcrafted in Bangladesh and finished in California. The waterproof lining and natural vegetable-tanned leather straps, reinforced by antique nickel rivets, make it the perfect bag for trips to the farmer's market or the grocery store. Measures 13" in width, 18" in height, and 8" in depth, with a 6" x 7" inside pocket. Learn more about......read more
Linus Bikes are inspired by French bicycle design from the mid-20th century, with classic frames optimized for modern comfort and reliability. Same goes for the Venice, CA company's range of bike accessories, like this waxed cotton Market Bag, which has a definite vintage vibe with contemporary city biking in mind. Available in navy or army green, the sides roll up when not in use. When you hit......read more
ON Friday we humans observed V-E Day, the end to one part of a global catastrophe that cost the planet at least 60 million lives. But if we were fish, we would have marked the day differently — as the beginning of a campaign of violence against our taxonomic classes, one that has resulted in trillions of casualties. Oddly, the war itself was a great reprieve for many marine species. Just......read more
Good news for clean energy advocates, as Obama used his Saturday address to announce almost $2 billion in conditional loan guarantees to two solar energy companies. The beneficiaries are Abengoa Solar, whose planned Arizona solar plant will be one of the largest in the world, and solar panel manufacturer Abound Solar, which will build advanced panels at two new plants in Colorado and Indiana. Not......read more
According to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 2012 will be the year that sustainable energy goes worldwide. This week, Ban launched the UN's International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, urging businesses and governments to quicken the adoption of energy efficiency standards, increase use of renewable energy, and help achieve universal energy access by......read more
This week, the New York State Assembly approved a temporary moratorium on the controversial natural gas exploration technique known as "fracking." Combining hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling, fracking uses large quantities of water and chemicals to blast through the earth's surface and uncover natural gas reserves. The moratorium is aimed at the Marcellus Shale field,......read more
Scientists from the U.S. government said this week that the blown BP well in the the Gulf of Mexico gushed an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil, making it the largest accidental offshore oil spill in history. The word "accidental" is an important qualifier; the largest offshore spill in history was an intentional release of 5-10 million barrels of oil by Iraqi troops during the Gulf......read more