http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:04:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/top-5-music-videos-in-china.html Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:25:13 +0000 While we frequently write on the alternative music coming out of China, including punk and “chinagrass,” there is no denying the the power and overwhelming popularity of Mandopop. Take a look at China’s current top 5 music videos and see if you can hear any similarities… Jerry Yan – Say I Love You at KTV Evonne Hsu – Sleepless Richie Ren – Good Medicine Tastes Bitter Penny Tai – Dilemma Jackie Chan & Zhou Hui – Film of Myself [via ChinaMusicRadar]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/one-night-in-beijing-video-made-in-12-hours-with-dslr-camera.html Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:39:27 +0000 The Guardian’s Dan Chung shot and edited “One Night in Beijing” in a total of twelve hours starting directly after purchasing a Canon EOS5DmkII DSLR camera from a Beijing camera store and charging the battery. The result is a stunningly beautiful video of the people and street scenes of Beijing. [via todayandtomorrow]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/video-li-nings-chinese-shadow-puppet-basketball-commercials.html Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:36:26 +0000 Li Ning, the leading Chinese sportswear and shoe company, produced a series of TV commercials that feature traditional Chinese shadow puppets playing basketball. The commercials are set to traditional Chinese shadow play music and each player is endowed with super-human basketball abilities. [via LRB]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/where-i-write.html Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:24:48 +0000 An interesting look into the creative spaces of fantasy and science fiction authors, including multiple Hugo and Nebula award winner Joe Haldeman, novelist Margaret Weis, and two-time Nebula recipient Samuel Delany.  See more here. [via Super Colossal]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/competition-changes-the-game-games-in-everyday-life.html Tue, 26 May 2009 17:27:32 +0000 Clive Thompson at Wired reports on how the competitive nature of games can be injected into everyday mundane tasks making them more fun and more interesting. You are probably already familiar with the way Nike Plus injects game-like qualities into your everyday cardiovascular workout, but Thompson highlights some other examples including; digital gas mileage readouts in hybrid cars being used for hypermiling games, Dennis Crowley’s pub-crawling based Foursquare, and, get this – a “game” built into corporate email aiming to reward a reduction in email volume. Every employee is given virtual tokens — say, 100 a week, — that theyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/to-get-rich-is-glorious-trend-report-on-luxury-in-china.html Tue, 26 May 2009 14:23:00 +0000 A new report breaks down Chinese luxury consumers into four types - Noveau Rich, Understaters, Connoisseurs and Spirituals - based on social background, luxury experience and income level.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/katya-fords-fashion-photography.html Mon, 11 May 2009 12:02:55 +0000 Katya Ford takes fashion photographs and replaces the garment or human element with images of the ‘cosmos’.  The Moscow-based photographer / illustrator is currently studying fashion design. You can see some of Ford’s amazing images via her Flickr stream and Live Journal page. katya ford – the galaxy within]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/05/contemporary-take-on-traditional-mexican-crafts.html Mon, 04 May 2009 14:20:56 +0000 Tony Moxham and Mauricio Paniagua are the creative heads behind DFCasa, a Mexican-based design studio reworking the traditional styles and techniques of Mexican crafts into contemporary home furnishings.  Moxham, an Australian art director / journalist, and Guatemalan painter Paniagua first met whilst living in New York.  Working with local Mexican artisans, DFCasa creates products from a range of materials including aluminium, hand-blown glass, traditionally-cast ceramics, silver and fur. The sculptures pictured above were inspired by the traditional hand-applied beading of the Huichol, an indigenous ethnic group of western central Mexico. [via Lost at E Minor]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/04/japanese-juice-box-packaging-mimics-the-skin-of-the-fruit.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:22:36 +0000 CScout Japan points us to some innovative juice box designs that mimic the skin of the fruit inside, giving the consumer an instant visual cue as to the flavor of the juice. Designed by Naoto Fukasawa, the Takara Banana is the only one to go into production.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/04/james-jarvis-x-nike-animation.html Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:33:04 +0000 Wooster Collective points us to a great animation made by James Jarvis for Nike. Wooster’s title says it all: “Sometimes Brands and Artists Get It Right… This Is One Of Those Times.”  Jarvis’ take on the collaboration: I had become interested in the idea of characters that were less referential and more iconic and abstract. I particularly wanted to do something with a potato-headed stick-man that I had been drawing at that time. The film was inspired by certain personal experiences in running – a favourite run over Blanchland moor in Northumberland, being attacked by a crow in Singapore –Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/04/geely-ge-the-ultimate-chinese-made-luxury-car-knock-off.html Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:40:45 +0000 For the ultimate in China-made luxury cars, GEELY has introducted the GEELY GE, which has a striking resemblance to the Rolls Royce Phantom. One of the most distinctive features of the 17.5 foot long GE is a 2+1 seating arrangement with a single seat throne for the rear passenger.  The GE is being unveiled at this week’s Auto Shanghai Exhibition. [via Jalopnik]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/04/shuhei-endos-latest-project-guangzhou-culture-center.html Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:12:20 +0000 Arch Daily points us to images of Japanese architect Shuhei Endo’s newest project, the Guangzhou Culture Center.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/04/asias-first-solar-thermal-plant-to-open-in-china.html Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:48:35 +0000 Next month, construction on the first large scale, solar-thermal power plant in Asia will begin near the Great Wall in China.  The Chinese-designed, 1.5MW ‘Dahan’ plant is projected to power 30,000 households by 2010 and “will serve as a platform for experiments on different solar-power technologies.” [via Treehugger]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/transportation-in-china-slideshow.html Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:04:15 +0000 While only 5% of Chinese own cars, a growing middle class is fueling car sales that increased by 28% in 2008.  Documenting this and other rapid changes, Treehugger has put up a slideshow showing China’s modes of transportation from the lowly bike repairmen to policemen on Segways. Treehugger: From Recycling Tricycles to Super Trains, How China Moves: A Slideshow]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/wheat-paste-jesus-attracts-religious-pilgrims.html Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:14:34 +0000 Wooster Collective points out a powerful example of street art that has caused quite a commotion in New England. Artist Maki105 put up a wheat-paste poster titled  “Peek-A-Boo Jesus” on the side of a video store in New Bedford Massachusetts, and it’s getting a lot of serious attention by religious pilgrims. The Boston Herald reports: Tears welled up in Angela Sampaio’s eyes as she beheld the Lund’s Corner Jesus through her car windshield Wednesday, reports today’s Standard-Times. “I am really, really, really moved by this,” she said. And she wanted reassurance that the photographs of this Jesus are on theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/remixing-paranoid-propaganda.html Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:36:08 +0000 Boing Boing had an image remix challenge this week that tackled the over-the-top “anti-terrorism” posters created by the London police. The paranoia inducing ad campaign got a very funny remixing by the blog’s readers. The Original: The Remixes: Boing Boing has a bunch more here.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/using-bio-feedback-to-customise-amusement-park-rides.html Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:18:07 +0000 Engineers in the UK are working on a “fear detector” that will make amusement park rides tailored to the level of excitement riders want to experience. A video below shows more. New Scientist explains: A human operator can see a person’s heartbeat and facial expression and hear their reaction via a display, and use that information to control the motion of the ride. The team is studying how the physiological data correlates with the emotions a person reports experiencing during a ride. Knowing how to tell when a person is having fun, bored or fearing for their life could makeRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/want-fake-retail-encourages-saving-money.html Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:05:15 +0000 WANT is an interactive (anti) retail experience created by the the University of Washington’s Environmental Design class. The exhibit is designed to make learning about saving money a pleasurable experience. Actual goods are replaced with lookalike objects that preach the benefits of thrift. It’s an interesting subversion, encoding a message at-odds with the  inherent nature of the retail environment. More at Core 77]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/humble-telescope-brings-the-universe-down-to-earth.html Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:17:25 +0000 The “Humble Telescope allows users to point it anywhere in the sky and view a changing 3D simulation of that particular area of space. Designed by Melbourne based interactive designers ENESS, the Humble is an public sculpture that invites people to learn more about our vast universe in a new way. See it in action below. [via Electroplankton]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/on-demand-musical-instruments.html Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:25:36 +0000 Boing Boing lets us know about a fantastic DIY project by Nathan Freitas and NYC Resistor. Using a sheet of plywood, some wood glue and the magic of a laser cutter, they produced a Ukulele in a very short time. It’s not fully functional, but it is a great example of rapid on demand production of a more complex item. [via Boing Boing]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/a-different-truth-can-be-hiding-behind-statistics.html Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:21:29 +0000 Journalist Michael Blastand has written an interesting, simple but eye opening article that explains the correct way to think about all the scary “statistics” thrown around haphazardly in the news so often. He explains just how percentages mean nothing unless put into proper context. Revolutions Explains: We see risk statistics in news articles every day. “One extra unit of alcohol a day increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer by 12%.” “Bacon increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 20%.” But what do those numbers really mean? (Beyond wide-eyed alarmism from the news media, I mean.) Michael Blastland (BBC) suggestsRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/science-and-tech-ads.html Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:15:49 +0000 Bustbright has put together an impressive collection of science and tech ads from magazines of the 50s and 60s.  Check out the full Flickr set here.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/onlives-on-demand-video-games-could-mean-the-end-of-consoles.html Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:50:01 +0000 Onlive is a video game on demand service that could kill the console-based gaming system as we know it. With no-lag gameplay, high quality graphics, a potentially unlimited catalog and host of bonus features Onlive looks like a real game changer. GameDaily reports: What’s so revolutionary about the OnLive Game Service? As long as you have a decent broadband connection, you can play essentially any game, no matter how complex. This editor, quite frankly, has shied away from PC gaming for the majority of his life because of the large investment needed in high-spec computer equipment and continual upgrades toRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/roll-up-chair-by-uros-vitas.html Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:25:07 +0000 Curbly points us to the ingenious Miesrolo Chair, designed by Uros Vitas. It’s made out of a series of wood slats that are attached to a synthetic elastomer. It’s all put together in such a way that the cantilevered chair supports the weight of an adult sitting on it, but can also be rolled up into a compact shape for storage. [via Curbly]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/flux-location-based-computer-lighting-control.html Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:59:33 +0000 Designed to help moderate the negative effects of constantly staring at a bright computer screen, F.lux is software that will change the brightness and temperature of your monitor to be appropriate for your location, time of day and ambient lighting situation.  It was created to help soften the biorhythm disrupting nature of the computer screen – if you’ve ever stayed up late doing computer work and had trouble getting to sleep, or waking up in the morning, F.lux could help. The F.lux creator explains: During the day, computer screens look good–they’re designed to look like the sun. But, at 9PM,Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/moben-self-heating-food-container.html Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:38:21 +0000 MO:BEN by Alex Cheong is a sleek food container that has a built-in heating element to warm your food. The compact reusable container was inspired by the functionality and simplicity of Japanese bento boxes. The MO:BEN also contains two utensils, and comes apart for easy cleaning. A very nice design that eliminates disposable packaging waste, and could be a great help when there are no nearby options to heat up food. [via Tuvie]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/swedish-magazine-is-published-as-a-tattoo.html Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:41:48 +0000 Taking the notion of limited edition to the extreme, Swedish magazine Tare Lugnt have released their third issue as a tattoo. You can see the magazine being “published” below. [via shu and joe & Selectism]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/study-illustrates-the-effectiveness-of-in-game-ads.html Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:08:02 +0000 Though the results are far from conclusive,  a noteworthy recent study is showing just how effective in-game video advertising can be. TechCruch explains: Preliminary results of the study, which will conclude at the end of this month, seem to indicate online gaming audiences are more inclined to remember and positively percieve brands who experiment with pre, mid and post-roll video advertisements inside Web-based games. …According to Vicki Cohen, Executive Vice-President at Frank Magid Associates, the preliminary results show a 5x increase in unaided brand awareness over TV advertising where a game included a Zappos.com ad. Other key findings according toRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/sunseeker-ii-a-manned-solar-powered-aircraft.html Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:43:47 +0000 Inhabitat reports that Sunseeker II, the only manned solar-powered aircraft in the world will be taking off on an epic journey over a large chunk of Europe (Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia) on April 5th. The lightweight plane uses battery power during takeoff, and solar while in the air. It’s an improved, second generation version of the Sunseeker I, which in 1990, crossed the U.S. in 21 flights, with 121 hours in the air. Inhabitat: “Sunseeker II Solar Powered Plane Takes Off”]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/cassette-tape-portraits-dead-media-remixed.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:50:35 +0000 In a brilliant recycling of an archaic media format, artist iri5 transforms cassette tapes into stark portraits of famous musicians. Check out iri5′s Flickr page for more dead media remixes, including a Marylin Monroe portrait made out of cut up film. [via Neatorama]]]>