360 DEGREES Weblog

Hi, the bloggers are on leave and are back on October 3th.

In this incredible night shot above, Eric Darnell throws his latest creation, a foam boomerang called the Scimitar outfitted with LED lights.

In addition to cameras, binoculars and other consumer level electronics Olympus is also well known for their line of high-end medical equipment like microscopes. Recently though the company found themselves losing market share to cheaper competitors and in an attempt to reconnect with their high end users they created a unique survey that was actually printed on a specimen slide and could only be read with an actual microscope.

The questionnaire slides were sent to a select handful of clients in a special package that mimicked how a real specimen slide would be sent through the mail. While I doubt they received many completed surveys back the company’s website did see a 24% surge in traffic over the period when the slides were sent out.

The slides are also currently under a review process to be included in the Guinness Book Of World Records as the world’s smallest questionnaire.

Combining three unremitting consumer trends—convenience, organics and health—YoZone by YoNaturals is a vending machine dedicated to organic products. Based in San Diego, YoNaturals offers an alternative to vending machines that are typically stocked with junk food.

YoNaturals offers a wide range of items, from fresh fruit to products by well-known brands like Tazo (tea), Clif Bar (energy bars), Vitamin (beverages) and Horizon Organic (dairy). Operators and location managers can choose from more than 150 natural and organic foods and beverages, order through an online ordering system, and have the products delivered in less than three days. YoNaturals is actively seeking locations such as schools, shopping centres, offices, hospitals and fitness centres for placement of YoZone machines, seeking to cater to consumers on the go who are interested in healthier food options.

According to the USDA, sales of organic foods in the U.S. have been increasing 20 to 25 percent annually since 1990. Mark Trotter of YoNaturals explains: “We’ve studied the business models of Whole Foods, Wild Oats and many other healthy retailers, which have demonstrated that consumers are willing to pay two or three times for brands that they want, and believes that a similar healthy foods program can be developed for the automated vending space.”

AG4 and GKD Metal Fabrics, a German architecture and design company and a woven metal fabric company, respectively, have designed Mediamesh and Illumesh—an LED technology to turn regular building sides into gigantic colorful ads. These two new methods of cabling and lighting let developers place LEDs even over windows—which was verboten before—thanks to the fact that it’s sleek enough to still be transparent and not obscure views.

Designers have realized the effect that colors have on our senses and have thus redefined their products. It is an accepted fact that in different cultures too, various colors have been tagged with results they have on a person’s feelings. Utmost care is taken to color public places, work places, educational institutions and even hospitals, accordingly. I-Beam Design, a New York based architecture and design firm, founded by Azin Valy and Suzan Wines, have created an impressive desk that’ll set the mood for you, no matter where it is placed.The I-Beam table is constructed from frosted, polycarbonate, honeycomb surface, with a sequence of LED lights fixed beneath it. The LED’s, when lit, emanate a seductive, soft and soothing glow. You get the liberty to choose colors from a range of 7 different shades of LEDs, that can be altered with the help of the desk’s control dial.

Ever asked why the Netherlands are one of the highest taxed countries in Europe? Well now you know, look at their tax office.
The Walter Bos complex was originally built in the 1960s and consisted of four drab offices surrounded by even drearier parking bays. As part of the renovation they decided to connect the four blocks with an adjoining one. But instead of lumping a load of concrete onto each side to stitch the towers together, they sunk it deep underground. The result is a huge sunken structure covered by an expanse of water with individual cones breaking the surface.

Below ground, lie two large sunken gardens supplemented with light by the jagged shapes you see above ground. The water, although aesthetically pleasing, acts as a cooling system for the tower and security from intruders trying to fiddle their taxes.

The effect is a startling contrast of severe and brutal steel squares, and a more natural, organic feel permeated with softer circles and earthy hues. Who knew filling out your tax form could lead to such inspiring design?

H&M, the Swedish low-cost clothing giant, celebrates its 60th birthday this weekend, with the group a leader in its industry and one of the strongest brands in youth fashion.
From humble beginnings in Vasteras, a small town in the west of Sweden, H & M has expanded continually since 1947 and now operates 1,400 stores in 28 countries.

The company is guided by a philosophy of producing fashionable cheaply-made clothing, but adapts its clothing lines to each country and ensures that stores are permanently restocked. (AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE)

Read the article

Artist Giancarlo Neri has filled the Circo Massimo, sight of the first Roman Games, with LED orbs. During the day, the installation looks like this famous Roger Fenton photograph of cannonballs, but in the evening the orbs glow disco pink, purple, green, and blue. He’s called the installation “Maximum Silence,” which we hope encourages visitors to walk through it quietly.

Australian Markitcart has developed an award-winning alternative to the traditional steel shopping cart, aimed at improving the concept not just for consumers but also for retailers and advertisers. Made of UV-stable and fully recyclable plastic, Markitcarts are available in 12 colours that can be matched to a retailer’s brand palette. The carts weigh less yet hold more than traditional carts. They also feature larger, easier-to-control wheels, and their lower center of gravity makes them less likely to topple when children climb aboard.

For advertisers, Markitcarts feature large, easily interchangeable side panels that function as mobile billboards with exposure right at the point of sale. Advantages for retailers? Besides the carts’ improved durability, safety and aesthetic appeal, Markitcarts are also RFID-compatible, so that when RFID technology is rolled out in retail—allowing an entire cart’s worth of shopping to be scanned at once—the carts will be ready. Markitcart also offers maintenance service with fortnightly cleanings and safety checks, sourcing and changing of adverts, and a recycling program. Pricing is “much the same” as that for conventional carts, Markitcart chairman and CEO Mark Fraser says.

Markitcart was founded in 2001, but is just now in the midst of its global launch. The carts are already available in Australia, and the next batches are due to begin shipping to Germany, Iceland and the US later this month. The cleaning and ad-changing service operates as a franchise, and Markitcart is in the process of organizing licensees and distributors worldwide, who typically serve as country licensees or territory development agents and need to be experienced in either selling advertising or providing a support service, Fraser says. While they’re not the first plastic shopping carts to be launched, Multicart’s highly integrated approach sounds promising.