360 DEGREES Weblog

Retailers may be having a tough time moving inventory, but they’re not using a Dreamoc to advertise. RealFiction’s latest blend of holographic technology, 3D imagery and mind-blowing eye candy has resulted in the device you see above. Hailed as a 3D display system designed “especially for high profile brands in a competitive retail environment,” this box possesses the innate ability to “mix free-floating animation and video images with physical objects.” We can only imagine how lovely this would be if removed from that chamber and utilized as a tabletop HDTV, for instance, but until the company works that idea into its product line, have a look at the current incarnation (in video, no less) after the break.

Created by Ignacio Pilotto, the Rubitone is nothing more than your run-of-the-mill Rubik’s Cube that’s had the standard colored stickers replaced by swatches from the Pantone color matching system. Unfortunately since the Rubitone has no official affiliation with either Pantone or Ideal Toys there are no plans for it to go into production, but I’m sure you could easily give your own Rubik’s Cube the Pantone treatment with an afternoon of careful cutting and pasting.

Soak under the winter sun in style lounging comfortably on this stunning Zull chair that comes with a 360-degree revolving seat to accommodate v sitting patterns with ease. The Sunbrella wrapped seat is weatherproof and comes in 10 different color options to match any mood or occasion. The frame is constructed in solid stainless steel and the seat is made of sunbrella fabric. The edgy design will add a glamorous feel to your pool area all for $2,500.

The value of a great interface is underrated. Many online shops look more like a spreadsheet than a pleasurable retail experience (I’m looking at you, iTunes). That’s why I’m really excited by a new front-end Amazon has created for their site, called WindowShop.

You can see it above – it’s a massive fullscreen grid of recommended products, which you can navigate by keyboard or mouse (though keyboard works better, I found). It’s perfect for touchscreen PCs and living room PCs attached to big televisions. Clicking onto each product will launch a preview – a trailer for a movie, or a song sample for a band.

The new Sonos Controller app for the iPhone and iPod touch is able to manage the same audio hardware and music libraries as the CR100 unit. Whether it’s controlling your music library, switching/linking zones on the fly, or adjusting the volume, the iPhone app can do everything it’s bigger brother can. If you want to quickly search for an artist on Pandora or listen to your MP3 library in another room, the touchscreen interface of the iPhone really makes the whole process more intuitive and easier to manage. In addition to your music library on your computer, NAS or Time Capsule, Sonos brings Pandora, Sirius, Rhapsody and Napster control right to the iPhone, plus support for 15,000 new radio stations and Last.fm. Wow, and I just wanted to buy an additional controller!

Alexander McQueen’s design for Samsonite’s Black Label Collection has recently added a new holiday look in silver for the Hero Al1 and Travel Al2 pieces. The unique ribcage design of the Hero bag was inspired by the human torso which protects our precious internal organs and is complete with a backbone on the opposite side of the bag. Prices on the original pieces range from $775 to $900 but perhaps the metallic shell will increase the price…I’m not sure. This limited edition version will be released in November at all Samsonite stores.

With winter just around the corner, it’s time to pack away your air conditioner and bust out the humidifier. Luckily, the Japanese seem to have a small obsession with moisture and have produced several devices we wouldn’t mind keeping out all year. The latest to join this lineup is the Middle Colors humidifier, which is not only attractive and available in a range of colors but will help save your pennies in this economic crunch with its hybrid design of steam and ultrasonic capabilities. Designed by Takashi Hiroshi Tsuboi, the tear-drop shaped humidifier can produce moisture for up to ten consecutive hours and boasts a relatively small footprint.

Office furniture and snowboarding have nothing to do with each other, but good folks over at Burton Snowboards seem to think differently. The Burton’s new CO2 snowboard bindings are inspired by Herman Millers’ famed Aeron Chair. The two hardly look different at the first sight. It looks like the chair has been moulded from here and there to create the snowboard binding. Retailing for $390, Burton’s 2009 CO2 board bindings tout spine inspired by Aeron’s Y-shape back design. Aeron chair is known for the adjustability it offers and on the same notes, Burton fixed a dial to help riders study their own angle of forward lean. The iconic Aeron chair has lead to the development of an advanced snowboard binding

Rejoice – fans of geocaching. Google Earth is now available on Apple’s iPhone. Several Google apps are already available on the platform, and the inbuilt mapping application uses Google maps data, but until now there was no access to Google’s archive of 3D terrain data. That’s just changed.

The app also makes good use of the touchscreen and accelerometer. Multi-touch works just as you’d expect it to for zooming and panning, and you can tilt the phone around to tilt the view around, to look up, down or around. GPS integration is also present, so you can view and track your location in the software.

This residential project by Amsterdam architectural studio i29 is situated by the city’s new cultural hotspot, the Overhoeks area. The 150 sq. meter space is all about long sightlines and maximizing the spatial experience, with an open concept made more intimate when necessary by sliding doors that slide through the width of the house (10 metres). A floor-to-ceiling glass wall sets off the kitchen without cutting down on the sightlines. The same wood is used throughout, adding to the continuity, along with the backdrop of white, punctuated by black pieces of furniture.