All posts filed under: Things for Fun

My Favorite New Products Now Available at the MoMA Store

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Last week I got to get a sneak peek at the new products available at the MoMA store in New York City and through its online shop. Here, in no particular order, are my five favorite new gifts, gadgets, and gear now available through the store. 1. Amish Scooter This scooter-bicycle hybrid has been crafted by the Stoltzfus family, an Amish family in Pennsylvania, since 1978. This substantial scooter lets adults move on two wheels without worrying about balance and knee strains. It comes with a kickstand, basket, and rear brake and handbrake with black or orange powder-coated steel frame and fenders. I’m partial to the orange myself. Black, $360, Orange, $320. 2. Porthole Infuser Designed by the Chicago-based design firm Crucial Detail, the shape of this table-ready infusion vessel was inspired by submarine portholes. It can be used to create and hold 13 ounces of cocktails, infused oils, dressings, or whatever you want to conjure. Made of tempered glass, ABS, stainless steel, and silicone, the Porthole Infuser is dishwasher safe and comes with four recipes to get you started.  2” wide x 7″ …

Morpher Helmet

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Designer Jeff Woolf knows the importance of having a helmet on when biking — he nearly smashed his head open on a curb after getting hit by a car. Woolf created the Morpho Helmet after noticing that folks using bike share programs (such as in London) tend not to use helmets because they were too cumbersome to carry around all day. It was a design problem he wanted to fix — he knew if he could create a helmet that could fold flat, then he could save lives. According to the makers of the Morpher Helmet, the number one reason people don’t wear helmets when riding a bike is that the helmet is too bulky to carry around all day, and while 92% of bike scheme cyclists don’t wear a helmet, 83% say the reason is due to lack of portability. Woolf’s new folding bike helmet design will let you ride to work or school safely, and then easily slip your brain-saving helmet into laptop bag or backpack. Although Morpher folds and unfolds quickly, it was also designed to surpass all relevant safety standards. Currently aimed at all cyclists, the …

Tattoo You Temporary Tattoos

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  I’ve always wanted a tattoo. Not some grand statement across my back or sitting on my shoulder like a guardian angel, but a subtle design hidden under my wrist that wouldn’t be too obvious. But tattoos are permanent. Tattoos hurt. Tattoos are fashion statements that you can’t throw out with the season. So for these reasons and more (my husband doesn’t like them, I don’t want to give my daughters an excuse to get one at 15, etc.), I’ve never gone down that road. And probably just as importantly, I’ve never found any design that was so amazing that I wanted to have it permanently drawn on my body. That’s where temporary tattoos come in — and I’m not talking about the ones that come in a Cracker Jack box or those little plastic eggs at the grocery store. I’ve written about temporary tattoos before — and probably will again — because they are truly in the middle of a design revolution at the moment. Joining brands such as Tattyoo and Tattly is the Calgary-based company Tattoo You, which recently sent me a few pieces to …

Portguese Cork Surfboard for the MBoard Project

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Mercedes-Benz Portugal has produced a new surfboard in collaboration with Corticeira Amorim for Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara made almost entirely of Portuguese cork. The new board was recently presented toMcNamara by Mercedes-Benz Portugal CEO, Joerg Heinermann and Commercial Manager of Amorim Cork Composites, Alberto Batista. The MBoard Project, started by Mercedes-Benz in 2013, resulted in the production of four boards designed by BBDO Portugal and developed in partnership with McNamara for the North Canyon Project and the Mercedes-Benz Design Studio. As part of this joint effort dozens of design, research, aerodynamics, and materials development specialists helped manufacture the ideal board to surf big waves in Nazaré, Portugal. Cork seemed the natural next step. According to McNamara, “Since Portugal is the world’s largest cork producer, it makes perfect sense to use this material to make high-performance surfboards for surfing in Nazaré. When we surf big waves, we need a flexible board, although resistant enough not to break.” McNamara currently holds the record for the biggest wave ever surfed, securing himself a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The athlete used boards designed by Mercedes-Benz …

Halloweeny Things: Luxury Chocolate Skulls, Ghosts, and Pills from FIKA

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Handcrafted by master chocolatier Håkan Mårtensson for the Manhattan-based coffee shop chain FIKA, these edible ghoulish skulls, pills, and ghosts are definitely not for handing out to the kiddies tomorrow. FIKA, which was named after the Swedish expression for coffee break, was opened in 2006 by founder and co-owner Lars Åkerlund, who wanted to create a menu heavily inspired by Swedish heritage and flavors but with a modern twist. I just love skulls so I’m a fan of these dark desserts, even when it’s not Halloween. All images courtesy of FIKA.

Zipbuds Earbuds

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There is an episode of the indie hit show Portlandia, where a couple is buying a housewarming present for a friend and ends up in a trendy “knot store” that literally sells different kinds of knots. The salesperson (played to quirky perfection by Jeffrey Goldblum) convinces them to buy some tangled earbuds in a glass vitrine as a piece of  home decor. Explains Goldblum, “an artist we work with makes these by jamming them into his pocket.” He then purrs inexplicably. The makers of Zipbuds have a new solution to avoid the inevitable pocket-stress on your earbud wires. Zipbuds are tangle-free earphones with a patented zipper technology that allow you to literally zip-up the wires together so that they can’t get tangled. This “vertebrae design” is lightweight and uses high-performance military grade cabling to reduce fraying or distorted cables. The earbuds are made to minimize ear pressure and fit comfortably, and include three custom-fitted ear tips. They are compatible with Apple, Android, Windows Phone, and other media devices that accept traditional 3.5mm headphone input and come in black, …