360 DEGREES Weblog

While car fans will recognize the Italian design firm Pininfarina for their hyper-cool automotive creations like the Enzo Ferrari, who knew that they also have a division that designs all kinds of other cool stuff. New from them is the Xten office chair, developed at a cost of over $1.5 million.

The seat uses a cushioning material called Technogel that’s said to reduce fatigue by 60%, and Dynatec, a fabric developed for Olympic athletes to wick moisture from the body. Clearly, the Xten is designed to remain comfortable throughout a long day in the saddle.

The Xten is currently available in a range of colors for about $3000

The 3G iPhone has a lot of (very passionate) fans, but for business purposes the Blackberry has always been on top thanks to its QWERTY keyboard. HSBC, however, have decided that their workers really need multitouch and are considering transitioning their staff over to iPhones.

If they approve the decision then it’ll mean a huge order of iPhones – up to 200,000. Considering that there’s still a shortage of iPhones in some places, your best hope if you’re still trying to find one might be to get a job at HSBC!

Fans of Microsoft’s Surface multitouch table now have another set of venues at which to paw over it, as the company rolls out the interactive touchscreen device in several Sheraton hotel lobbies.  As of today, select hotels in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle will all be getting Surface together with a suite of customized applications that includes music, guidance about the city and travel information.

Not long ago, Polaroid discontinued their iconic instant print camera, presumably due to the fact it was old-fashioned and not making them enough money. So, they’ve done what any sensible company would do, and come up with a different product.

This product is a digital camera, but it’s got something very special integrated – a printer. So, that’s a camera with a printer, then. Much like the Polaroid cameras they just discontinued, then.

Saudi Arabia has threatened a boycott of Nissan after the car company aired the following commercial on Israeli TV.

The new campaign by Renault-Nissan caused an uproar in the Gulf when it showed a group of Saudi oil barons screaming and attacking the Renault-Nissan vehicle.

The Saudis are shown leaving a hotel and encountering the new, fuel-efficient vehicle. One man pounds his fists on the car and is then held back by his companions as he shouts at it, “Hawks should peck at you day and night.”

At the end of the commercial, the voice-over says, “It’s clear the oil companies won’t like you.”

“It’s my opinion that Nissan made a huge error by igniting these [racist] instincts,” official Hani al-Wafa told MBC TV, a Saudi-run station headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “We need to apply punishments… against these things. In order for Nissan to keep its interests in the region, it must apologize.”

Got an iPhone 3G that needs protection? Then grab yourself a SwitchEasy CabsuleRebel ($25). This form-fitting hybrid case combines a soft ADSP shell with a hard Lexan outer spine that adds stability to the soft case and helps protect against shock. Available in a variety of colors, the CapsuleRebel also includes two screen protectors, a custom Universal Dock insert, a video stand, a Dock Connector protector, and more — basically everything you need to keep your 3G looking as good as the day you got it.

This 12V In-Car Microwave Oven proves that you can never make ‘em too small, or too black for those travellin’ treats. Plug it into your cigarette lighter socket and roast that hog on the hoof. €115.

Meals on the move! · Compact and portable · Fast cooking speeds · Powered via 12V cigarette lighter socket or direct to car battery – both leads supplied · Robust steel construction with heavy-duty handle · LED screen with touchscreen operation · Up to 660W power via direct to battery connection and 175W via cigarette lighter socket

Breaking rules and forms has been the mantra of success in the designing field. But here’s one modern basin that has simply straightened out to create ripples in the world of bathroom décor. Being the first bathroom product by designer Will MacCormac, it certainly scores over the run-of-the-mill bowl shapes for its debut design. Christened as Follo, the designer dedicates his creation to his childhood obsession with water. Exclusively handcrafted, it features shallow grooves to reduce standing water. Also since the basin extends in to flat sides, one can place their toiletries on the sides which in turn are easy to wipe clean. The free-flow design incorporates a generous bowl area to reduce splash, combining with a unique integrated drainage system within a slimline unit that measures less than 7cm in height.

Zürich’s Dolder Grand Hotel has recently re-opened after a major over-haul. According to the Coolhunter “Someone has finally understood how the ultimate suite should look and feel,”  and the pictures below proof it.

Designed in 1899 by Jacques Gros, the famed health spa/hotel has a perfect city location overlooking Lake Zürich and the Alps. The grand old hotel has been re-imagined as a modern luxury hotel by a star team of professionals — architecture by London’s Foster and Partners, interior design by United Designers, also of London, and the spa concept by spa-industry visionary, Arizona-based Sylvia Sepielli.

The star power continues in the four top-level suites inspired by four famed guests. The topmost, 4,300 square-foot (400 square-meter) Maestro Suite channels the style of Herbert von Karajan. The sweeping two-level suite with dashing classical undertones features red leather chairs, dark timbers, a circular tower dining room, pale-marble bathrooms with whirlpools and steam showers (and one with a sauna), massive windows and a lounge-style terrace.

The late Swiss surrealist painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti inspired the Carezza Suite on the top floor of the spa wing. Sculpturally inspired furnishings and organic shapes create a peaceful lounge feel, enhanced by the neutral colors and the modern fireplace. The two-bedroom suite has a separate living room, TV lounge and marble bathrooms.

Also on the top floor of the spa wing, the Masina Suite gets its dramatic inspiration from Giulietta Masina, actress and wife of Federico Fellini. Night-blue and soft white evoke a feel of elegance and smoky glamour. A large Fendi sofa and a flat-screen TV are perfect for film noir nights. Floor-to-ceiling windows add further drama. Orange sofas, dark wood panels and pink furniture adorn Suite 101 created to reflect the legacy of the Rolling Stones. The decor has a retro vibe and an edge with distinctive, casual luxury. The suite includes a bedroom, living room, dining room, an ensuite kitchen and meeting room for 10.

When you gotta go, you gotta go – but what if you have to poop in the middle of nowhere and you forgot your Bumper Dumper? Well, fret not with this lightweight portable cardboard toilet, aptly named the Sh-t Box, made by The Brown Corporation.