OccupyGeorge - “Money talks, but not loud enough for the 99%. By circulating dollar bills stamped with fact-based infographics, Occupy George informs the public of America’s daunting economic disparity one bill at a time. Because money knowledge is power.” Occupy George by Ivan Cash and Andy Dao got a lot of press when they created stamped dollar bills to circulate during the Occupy movements ~ they also received an Honorary Mention in Interactive Arts at Prix Ars Electronica 2012 and are on display at the OK CyberArts12 exhibition! This means they have huge prints of the stamped bills lining a hall way and a frame with 1$ bills stamped, along with a stamping station where you can stamp your own bills! So naturally shawn and i stamped through the US cash he had for fun… stamped some infographics on my arm… and Golan Levin happen to have a crisp 2$ bill in his wallet that ended up being perfect for the wealth stats stamp! Take a peek at the fun on the next page!

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More fun crazy inspiration i’ve run into in Linz that has been captured on my cell phone (all of these, once again, are on the HTC One S which i finally got unlocked, so some pics popping up on instagram/twitter while i’m here now!) The first batch of craziness can be seen here.

This time we have everything from subtle MUSTACHE building! To a peek at the behind the scenes set up of the F.U.C.K. Project… fun signage and typography… toy store adventures… the super bright colors of Ar Electronica at night… stamping my arm with infographics… the solar sintering contraption in real life… and more! See it all on the next page!

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From the best luxury hotel suites in Las Vegas to the world’s scariest bridges, this week’s roundup from NotVentures has it all. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

It has been amazing to witness the development of the Free Universal Construction Kit that NOTlabs’ own Shawn Sims and our friend Golan Levin created ~ and even more incredible to see the eye opening discussions it has sparked far beyond the interoperability of toy sets, but on patent/IP law, the future of 3D printing, open source physical forms, and much more around the globe… and now it has brought them (and me along with them!) to Linz, Austria for the Ars Electronica Festival, where the project has received the Award of Distinction in Hybrid Art from the Prix Ars Electronica. In addition to the award, Golan will be speaking tomorrow on the opening day of the festival, Shawn will be speaking on Sunday, and for the first time, the Free Universal Construction Kit can be seen in its entirety along with a selection of playful assemblages we created demonstrating various toys playing nicely together at the OK “Offenes Kulturhaus” CyberArts12 Exhibition! (Big thank you to the kind folks at Instructables for their support of the project! They produced the full set of pieces showing at CyberArts12!)

So, we’ve just spent the last day setting up the display for the exhibition ~ and i’m thrilled to give you an early sneak peek before tomorrow’s opening!

p.s.
If you need a refresher on the project: Toys (specifically Lego, Lincoln Logs, Duplo, Fischertechnik, K’nex, Krinkles, Tinkerytoy, Zome, Zoob, Gears Gears Gears, etc) + 3D printer + Free Universal Construction Kit = MORE ways to play with your toys! And all of the pieces are available for download (open source!) on Thingiverse, which you can either print on your own 3D Printer, or send them to a 3D printing service (like Shapeways!)

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So it all began when we were wandering Linz on the first day and turning a corner saw a strange group of well dressed businessmen in a tiny covered shopping walkway ~ each eating an ice cream cone with such a childlike fixation ~ and each cone was extra long, thin, and BLACK. I had to have one. In fact we wandered down a few random roads in hopes of figuring out where they were walking from, and luckily found the spot! Unfortunately we were late for something else and filed a mental bookmark for later. And then, the next time we tried to pop by, it was already closed! Argh!

So today, with a million other things to do (mostly get the whole Free Universal Construction Kit display up and ready!) ~ it was a high priority, and we finally made it over to Eisdieler between finishing set up and heading to our first real meal of the day (at 7:30pm!)… and it was DELICIOUS. And the design of the store ~ from the cheeky photography by Erwin Rachbauer to the graphic design to the incredible ceilings to the delectable ice cream (all made of natural ingredients) in unusual flavors and served in the much coveted long thin black sugar cones! There is so little i could find about the store online, that you have to see the details of the store and the delicious cone on the next page… and definitely stop by if you pass through Linz!

UPDATE: We went back for more, and took pics of the menu too!

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We’ve been spending a lot of time at OK “Offenes Kulturhaus” while here in Linz - especially today, since i was helping set up Shawn and Golan’s Free Universal Construction Kit project for the CyberArts12 exhibition (sneak peek coming in a few!) that opens tomorrow! In fact, spending all day there, both staring out the window and walking through the courtyard numerous times, we couldn’t help but be fascinated by the magical shipping container that at the push of a remote control, the corner lifts up and turns into a BAR! Take a peek at our view of it from the exhibition out the window on the next page!

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We just moved into the Spitz Hotel in Linz, Austria, which is a stone’s throw from Ars Electronica, and a spacious boutique designer hotel that i’m currently giddy about. Take a peek inside our room and you’ll see why… Also, i’ve never moved to a hotel in part because of their SPONGE and awesome branding… the use of the Spitz Hotel red star/burst is all over the room in tiny details that just give it a fun playful spark! And the details of their custom desks - with cut acrylic inlays for stationery and hotel information and a cutout of their burst logo in the powder coated steel of course too. Anyhow, must run off to help set up for the exhibition, but wanted to give you guys a peek into our new room first! See it all on the next page!

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This week’s delectable roundup from Tasteologie and Liqurious includes Angry birds pig macarons, Dark Chocolate And Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls and Vermontucky Lemonade. To find out more about each tasty post, click on its individual image.

I’ve tagged along with Shawn Sims and Golan Levin to Linz, Austria as they showcase the Free Universal Construction Kit in its entirety and accept their award at Ars Electronica Festival. It’s been quite the journey to get here (i’ve never blown a tire as we pulled away from the gate, which led to 2 hours on the tarmac waiting to get a tire changed… which of course resulted in missing our connection… and a few bonus hours of Frankfurt lounge time)… and running around, wandering, exploring, and relaxing, which inevitably means a slew of random pictures (perfect excuse to properly test out my HTC One S camera)… See the inspiration of the last day or two on the next page!

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Washable keyboards, water wigs and dynamite cupcakes all feature in this week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

We bounce around a lot of phones here at NOTCOT ~ but my primary phone has been an HTC for some time now (from the G1 to the hero to legend to the sensation) and others at NOTCOT have been loyal iPhone users as soon as newest models launch. Something about the iPhone UI and design i’ve yet to completely give in to ~ and HTC has always created lustworthy hardware that feels inexplicably good in my hand… and their HTC Sense OS built on android is always so slick and intuitive and customizable, for a while i actually started to think i just liked android, but the last few weeks we’ve given up both an iPhone 4S and the HTC Sensation and Shawn and i have been side by side trying the Samsung Galaxy S III and the HTC One S, only to have me realize while i like Android, i really like Android the way HTC Sense handles it… the Samsung Galaxy S III doesn’t feel nearly as good physically, and the subtle differences between what’s possible in their UI/UX makes quite a difference. The color handling in the camera is great, and it’s definitely at a level where random cell phone shots are becoming good enough for blog posts when i don’t have a proper dlsr with me… Anyhow, take a peek at the unboxing of the HTC One S and a few of my favorite UI details on the next page! Their attention to detail on the design and packaging is impressive!

p.s.
Nearly all of the recent NOTlabs instagram pics are from the One S!

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First there was the Pictorial Webster’s: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities By John M. Carrera that is 5-3/4 x 7-1/4 in; 512 pp. Now, there is a mini! The Pictorial Webster’s Pocket Dictionary just arrived in the mail and is a mere 3-1/2 x 5-1/2 in; 208 pp! You could fit nearly 4 of these in the original! It’s quite adorable, and playfully inspirational and pocket/purse/little-kid sized… also tempting to color in. Take a peek at it on the next page!

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Been smitten by these MetroDeck upcycled NYC MTA Subway cards into playing cards ever since seeing them on Collacubed. They are so beautiful and detailed! They are hand silk screened with enamel ink - “Printed on found and repurposed New York City subway fare cards, Metro Deck attempts to visually capture the common thread between commuters, public transportation, and chance. Every card has been gathered at random, after having been purchased, used, and discarded by either a visitor or resident of New York City. Some have been signed or otherwise marked, making each card unique with its own narrative potential. Appropriating the language of playing cards, the work asks us to consider our intimate connection with the subway and the city. The face cards are inspired by landmarks across the five Boroughs, referencing the tremendous reach of the subway system.” I love the Ace of Spades man hole cover… and the city inspired details of the face cards so lovely! WOW - “Designing, collecting, and printing the cards has been my official after-hours pastime for almost two years. Each face card needed four colors to print—approximately 8 hours work.” Additionally, “The deck comes packaged in a custom 2-color, die-cut and letterpressed tuck box printed by Mama’s Sauce Print shop.” WOW - “A total 2,268 cards were printed, wih over 4,000 pulls.” That’s 43 decks?

Each deck will run you 750$, but you can also order just the 4 kings, etc.. It’s too bad that “Given the nature of the materials, these cards are not intended for play.” See the making of and full set of beautiful cards on the next page!

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This week’s roundup from NotVentures includes everything from LA’s hottest tables to escapes to Bora Bora. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Firstly, let me just put it out there that i’m no runner. I’ve tried a few times, still trying to get in to it… and i’ve been loving the Nike Frees for a while now. When Skora’s designer, Richard Kuchinsky, reached out to me, i wasn’t sure i was the right person to try out their new shoes… then he told me they had amazing packaging, and i was hooked. What’s the story behind this new Portland based minimal running shoe line? “At SKORA, we look at things differently. We believe that running shoes should be built to encourage running performance that is as biomechanically correct as possible, with minimal interference. Our footwear lets people run naturally. Run Real is our philosophy and we stand by it.” Beyond the way these new running shoes help your running performance, there are a lot of beautiful patterns in the packaging and on the shoes, as well as nice clean branding! Check out the unboxing and a peek at all the details of the women’s Skora Base and Form running shoes on the next page.

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