So my previous trip to NYC yielded a follow up visit and an opportunity to hit up some more design-centric locations. First on my list was the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. They had a great exhibit on the history and modern interpretations of the Rococo style. Recent examples included Joroen Verhoeven’s crazy Cinderella Table, the Materialized Sketch Chair by Front, and the unreal Seduction poster by Marian Bantjes.
Other stops along the way included a rice pudding snack attack at Rice to Riches, perusing the irregular rack at the American Apparel store ($30 bucks for an irregular t-shirt—whatever), and a stop by the Kidrobot store to pick up some Dunnies for the Kyality Kids. (Yeah, I got one for me too.)
Thanks to Snizzle and Jess/Jon in the City for an awesome NYC weekend.
A couple of months ago my favorite magazine, Dwell, underwent a complete redesign. I wasn’t impressed at all. In fact I was disappointed enough to write a letter to the editor exclaiming my distaste for their design decisions. Apparently it was published in the latest issue:
"I've been a loyal reader for 5 years. I've always looked forward to every issue. And over the past few months I've been anticipating a redesign of the magazine. And to be honest, I'm very surprised at the choices that were settled on. I applaud you for reducing your environmental footprint by decreasing page size and switching to recycled stock. Though I will miss the texture and weight of the former design.
"What's really confusing me are the new typography choices and your new grid. I'm not sure what font you've chosen for your tagline and body copy, but it may as well be Cooper Black. It's very difficult to read and seems incredibly dated. The grid you've chosen is blowing my mind and not in a good way. I've always enjoyed your stories—but I've loved soaking in your photos even more. For me, Dwell is all about the photography. On my first perusal, I only saw one full bleed photo! A vast majority of them were framed by a half inch boarder on all sides. So you've reduced your page size and you've smooshed your beautiful photos even smaller to fit into this needless frame! Not to mention your folios now feel utterly crammed in the corners. It seems like an amateurish mistake.
"It honestly doesn't make any sense. You may as well cut the page size down to the photos themselves and save even more trees, since a half inch on all sides is being wasted anyway. Please let those photos breathe and for heaven's sake give us our beautiful, all-caps tagline font back! Your masthead was great, if you want to bump up the size, fine—but there's no need to mess with typographic perfection.
"I have to admit, if the overall design of the new Dwell doesn't improve significantly over the next few issues, I hate to say it—but I may be looking for another modern-stuff resource."
Okay, so maybe I overreacted a little. But honestly the first couple of redesigned issues we’re straight up fugly. Maybe my letter helped. I still love the mag, the subsequent issues have improved design-wise and I don’t plan on ending my subscription. So if any Dwell folks are reading this post (doubt it), I appreciate you applying some of my suggestions—keep up the good work.
For those of you who don’t know, along with my posts to Kyality, I’m also a frequent contributor to Stuck’s blog Deconstruckt. And we’ve just redesigned and relaunched it with an all new set of cutting edge features.
The new and improved Deconstruckt sports a variety of enhancements. The most apparent of these are the slew of custom backgrounds that load randomly upon refresh. These backgrounds are designed by multiple Struckers, on and off of the design teams. Other improvements include a state-of-the-art AJAX commenting system, author avatars, a Flickr stream, an RSS feed, and amazing downloadable Struck wallpapers.
The most important enhancement to the site is the inclusion of multiple channels. The new Deconstruckt is essentially three blogs in one. ‘Create’ is the channel where you will find the latest and greatest concepts, design, art, and techniques that flow from the minds of the Struckers. ‘Build’ is essentially a labs channel. Struck's interactives will be throwing down the hottest tips, trends and tech for the coder in you all. And ‘Play’ is a channel dedicated to the mischief and mayhem that continually plagues the studio. So check Deconstruckt often for next-gen blogcasting in triplicate.
In the 1960’s Japanese animation pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida created the exciting animated series Mach GoGoGo. It was insanely successful and was re-dubbed for US television in 1967 under the name that we’ve grown to know and love: Speed Racer. Luckily, throughout my high school years the Cartoon Network re-released the series to an entirely new generation of anime-lovin’ gearheads.
About six months ago, I scored the first season of Speed Racer on DVD. Now the Kyality Kids enjoy the adventures of Speed, Trixie, Spritle, Chim-Chim, and of course the Mach 5. And they love to sing: Go! Speed Racer, Go! Speed Racer, Go! Speed Racer, Go-oh! Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.
This summer, directing their first feature since the ridiculous Matrix sequels, Larry and Andy Wachowski are bringing Speed Racer to the big screen. And with rumors of an IMAX version, it may be hitting the really big screen as well. Even though the Matrix sequels were a joke, the Wachowski brothers did write and produce V for Vendetta last year—which was awesome—so I’m pretty excited for this. Not to mention, the trailers for this flick are off the hizzle.
I’m most impressed with the production design of the Mach 5 itself. It’s dead on. I really don’t mind the filmmakers taking liberties with the time and place of the storyline. But they had to stay true to the design of the Mach 5—and they did. This car looks amazing and a working version wrapped in a massive set of Yokohama’s is making the rounds on the Auto Show circuit. Road & Track even test-drove this hot rod. I'm pretty sure that Normality and crew caught the Mach 5 at the NYAS.
I have a feeling this is gonna be a pretty good summer for movies. Look forward to several Kyality movie reviews. And in the meantime, if you really want to get excited for Speed Racer, just follow these simple instructions to watch its trailers in QuickTime’s amazing H.264 high definition codec:
1) Turn down the lights.
2) Crank up the volume on the speakers.
3) Click this link.
4) Select the proper QuickTime HD resolution.
5) Hit “Command-F” for Full Screen, grab some popcorn and enjoy.
While driving home last Friday, I got a call from my padre, Normality. He was calling from the New York Auto Show from driver seat of a Sedona Red BMW 135i. Normality, Snizzle, and Jon in the City went to the Auto Show and snapped a couple hundred pics including these. Click here to enlarge the pic below.
Since I was relatively jealous, Mrs. Kyality and I popped on over to our local BMW/MINI dealership to sneak a peek of the two rods that were apparently stealing the show: the 2008 BMW 135i Coupe and the 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S. Seeing these two cars in the flesh was amazing. The 135i is gorgeous, muscular, and most importantly classic. It’s a small car but the massive 18-inch rims just give it a menacing stance. The 135i is the spiritual successor of the 2002. It’s got a killer tagline that says it all: Distilled Not Diluted.
Then we wandered over to the MINI side of the dealership and caught our first glimpse of the Clubman. This car is tighter than tight. It’s double rear doors are elegant, piston-cushioned devices. The stretched-look is groovy rather than goofy. And with the right accessories, the car is downright rugged. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful beast.
As a car guy, at any given time, you need know what your “next car” is going to be. The “next car” can change and even change frequently, but there can’t be a question mark as to what that car is. So this weekend, after experiencing these two vehicles—I was dumbfounded. What was my “next car” going to be—the Bavarian Burner or the British Beast?
Well, Mrs. Kyality had a great insight. The 1 Series will become BMW’s new bread and butter vehicle—it’s gonna be around for a while. The Clubman is most likely a one-of-a-kind, unique machine that may have a short-run at best. So I’d like to announce that officially (for today at least) my “next car” is the MINI Cooper Clubman S. It is the perfect combo of form, function, performance, and personality. The 135i can always come later. And by the way, I call Hot Chocolate!
Diddo! Southern J's latest post perfectly summarizes my feelings on the matter of BMW's maniacal insistence on never bringing the great cars stateside. He found a killer WIRED article proclaiming the all-new Advanced Diesel 1 Series as the winner of the World Green Car Award. And of course—as soon as it was proclaimed winner—the car was promptly packed up and shipped on back to Deutschland. At least the 135i sports sedan is still on its way.
Now I raise my voice to the heavens (with the half dozen other doods who like kinda like hot hatches, and by heavens I mean BMW NA) that someone, anyone will just snap out of it and bring the great rods here! At least give us the option to upgrade our options! Sheesh.
PS: No, I do not regularly say "flippin'"—never actually—the title of this post is merely a quote from the WIRED article mentioned above. So thank you for listening.
When I was a kid, I’d seriously get giddy about flicks or shows that began with the subtitle, “In the not too distant future.” They were always movies that tended to have really cool vehicles and plenty of action. Today I’m here to say that the not too distant future is the here and now. I’m talking about the launch of Hulu.com.
Hulu is a joint web venture between some of the biggest networks and studios to deliver free, ad-supported content of you favorite shows and flicks with none of the guilt of watching ripped content. I’m literally watching the series premiere of Airwolf while I write this post. I haven’t seen the adventures of Stringfellow Hawke and his supersonic chopper since I was about 13 years old—and even those were reruns on the USA Network. Yet here I am, watching it for free with a fullscreen option.
I can honestly say if it wasn’t for people yappin’ about LOST the very next day, I’d never buy cable television again. Thanks to our 24-in iMac, which is just about the same size as our TV set, Mrs. Kyality and I have been plowing through the first 2 seasons of Friday Night Lights online. Yes, we're officially Panthers. And I’ve become a pro at sitting back on our couch and dual-wielding a Mighty Mouse and an Apple Remote. Unfortunately, when watching shows online, you can’t navigate single-handedly with just the remote as you can when in Apple’s Front Row app.
Wouldn’t it be sweet if the Apple Remote had a little scroll ball embedded in it that simply controlled your mouse movement? Ya know, just like a Mighty Mouse. In fact, they could call it a Mighty Mote. Check out my awesome Photoshop skillz:
Pretty good idea, huh. Eat your heart out Jony Ive!
So I’m home today with the Kyality Kids. Mrs. Kyality was in the hospital for most of the night with some awesome stones. Unfortunately, I’m not talking the old, British rocker kind; I‘m talking the prenatal, labor-inducing kidney kind. So after a long night, it was refreshing to wake up to a sweet little blast from the past. Apparently, General Mills and Target (of course) have teamed up to re-release and market a limited edition of vintage cereal boxes.
The line includes classic editions of Kix, Lucky Charms, Wheaties, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Golden Grahams. But the "Corn Kix" box is by far my favorite. The custom typography is unique, clean, and bold. The muted blue and burnt orange color combination oddly enough works extremely well. Luckily the cereal itself doesn’t taste too vintage. But best of all, it perfectly complimented my delicious glass of lemon-lime Airborne placebo. I don’t care what you say, that stuff still works.
So I figured it out. Yep, that’s right. I’ve got it all figured out. Let’s just say that it’s all about Desmond—and he’s been sent to “save” everyone. Well I've done some research and apparently this is a sneak peek at the LOST season finale:
I’m kidding. This is however Henry Ian Cusick playing Christ in 2003’s The Gospel of John. Anyone who’s kept up with LOST Season 4 knows: so far—so, so, so good. But this week, they upped the ante yet again with another mind-blowing, Desmond- centered episode. I won’t give anything away, but needless to say, it once again confirms that Desmond is without a doubt my absolute fave LOST character. I've mentioned this before, but Desmond is just smooth—Jesus hair and all.
But seriously, are Damon and crew taking the Messiah route with Desmond or what? I mean, he’s basically immortal, he can foresee the future, he’s got tons of brotha-ly love, and I’ll admit, sometimes I do find myself asking: What would Desmond do?
If for some reason you haven’t been soaking in the Season 4 goodness, get with the picture and catch up with ABC.com’s Full Episode Player. And remember: WWDD?
How do they do it? Seriously. Last night they took home yet another Oscar. And let’s face it, they totally deserved it. Pixar is without a doubt the most successful movie studio of all time. And to honest, their insane success can be attributed one simple thing. It’s all about the story. If it doesn’t service the story—it’s gone. Just watch the behind-the-scenes disc for the Incredibles and you’ll get it.
I think there are two additional strengths that make them so unreal: free reign exploration and unbelievable attention to detail. A perfect example is this retro series of exploratory screenprinted posters for their next feature: WALL•E. This is a simple, beautiful yet completely potent way of capturing and promoting the stylistic essence of the flick. It’s also a killer way to entice wannabe, design-savvy Pixar fiends to blog about their up and coming release.
Rarely do I actually cheer out loud for a movie trailer—but last summer when the preview simply titled 01.18.08 hit the big screen—I wasn’t the only one cheering. Finally, for our little Valentine’s Day date last night we had the chance to catch J.J.’s latest project that eventually came to be known simply as: Cloverfield.
The first question that I’m sure you’re asking yourself is: does it live up to the hype? In a word: yes. It is what you think it is—a monster movie captured YouTube style. But the standout feature is definitely the utterly seamless integration of digital animation and shaky, handheld camera action. Believe me when I say, you buy it.
Several critics have significantly knocked the design of the creature itself. I have to say I disagree with them completely. I totally felt it was designed in a way that made it feel as though it was from this planet. It wasn’t too spacey, or too surreal. It had just enough animalistic references for me to accept that it was some displaced creature from the deep.
The best choice the filmmakers made was the casting of several non-big-name actors to carry the storyline. This once again helped sell the YouTube, everyman nature of the concept. And frankly, it put just about anyone at risk of getting the axe. You gotta figure if someone like, oh say, Ashton “The Kutch” Kutcher was cast in it for some bizarre reason—you’d automatically think—well, he’s not gonna die.
Bottomline, if you’re up for a nail-biter, Cloverfield will do the trick. Just make sure you knock back a couple of Dramamine and get there early enough to sit in the back row of the theater. Well, I’m definitely in the monster mood still, I think Korean filmmaker Joon-ho Bong’s The Host is next on my list!
For those of you that haven’t heard, the greater SLC area has been pounded this winter with snowstorm after snowstorm. Luckily for me and my MINI’s Pirelli runflat performance tires, a majority of those storms have hit on the weekends when I didn’t have to necessarily drive the MINI and could get away with rolling in our other mini (van, that is). After half a winter of winning Russian Roulette, I felt it was time to stop taking chances and get some moon boots for the rod.
Since it’s already halfway through the season, I was able to score a deal on a solid set of slosh-eating Bridgestone Blizzaks. I was hoping to apply a more rugged look with a simple pair of black steel rims, but apparently there’s a "nationwide shortage". So, I chose the cheapest pair of alloys I could find—MB Seven X’s. And I have to admit, I’m pretty stoked on the results. ("Nationwide shortage", I'm such a sucker!)
I’m blown away by the grip on these bad boys. In the snow, the thing’s a tank—yet there’s minimal impact on daily performance. Granted I can’t take the curves like usual, but I suppose that gives me something to look forward to this spring. In the meantime, I’m sure I’ll enjoy both the added cold-weather control and peace of mind that this little MINIzilla now has to offer. These pics were snapped up at Snowbird at Struck’s Annual Manager’s Meeting this morning. Enjoy!
Modern propagandist, Shepard Fairey, recently designed this stunning limited-edition screenprint poster of potential presidential candidate Barack Obama. I guess Andre and his posse could only satisfy him for so long. What’s fascinating about this piece to me is the All-American patriotism that’s communicated through a medium typically associated with movements, oh like, Communism. It’s inspiring, progressive and classic all at once. Apparently there was an original run of 350 and those were all gone within the first day of its release.
No matter what the outcome of this year’s election is—there’s no doubt that this poster perfectly captures a remarkable moment in American history. And you better believe that thing will be worth some serious casheesh at some point in time! Check out obeygiant.com for more quality dissent coming to a neighborhood lawn near you.
When I was about six years-old, I remember one Friday night, goin’ to the Sev with my dad to score some blue and red lensed classic 3D glasses. Tons of people were there on the same mission—all getting glasses for some 3D version of King Kong or something like that on television. That was my first 3D experience and luckily it wasn’t my last.
The National Geographic production of U23D premiered at Sundance this year and we had the chance to catch a showing last night. With tickets for the best seats in the house in hand, we sat down with high-tech grandma-style glasses in a giant IMAX theater. As soon as the opening credits appeared off the screen with beautiful typography floating right before our eyes—I knew this was going to rock.
Now I’ve been to my share of U2 concerts, but this was something else entirely. This was like being at a concert except you’re in Buenos Aries, as part of the audience, and at the exact same time you’re on the stage, and you're in the band. There’s definitely a major audience draw to this film due to the sheer spectacle of the 3D experience, but we’re not talking about Terminator 3D at Universal Studios—there’s something far more emotional going on here.
Seriously, when the Edge shoves the neck of his Gibson Explorer right in your face, or when Bono sings about drying tears then reaches out to dry yours—trust me—you feel something. Granted you get a hi-def glimpse of Bono’s plugs, but frankly it doesn't even matter, you’re just lovin’ it all anyway.
The real star of the show is in all actuality the concert-going, Argentinean audience. Somehow, someway you’re joined to them. At times you’re one of them—wishing that chick in front of you would just get off that dood’s shoulders. Other times you’re right in their face sharing in their excitement, passion, and at times, frenzy. Let’s just say South Americans know how to party, crowd-style.
I’m not going to give away everything, but I can confidently say that for anyone who likes movies, music, (or typography in motion)—U23D is without a doubt an absolute must-see event.
So I just got back from an NYC new biz trip. Check out some photos from my MoMA trip with the sibs, here on the Struck Blog. Thanks for the good times you guys!
UPDATE: A comment on my post came in on the Struck Blog in regard to the correlation between Braun and Apple design with a link to this Gizmodo article. Check it out, great stuff!
My padre—let’s call him, Normality—is considering the addition of a BMW 1 Series to his automotive repertoire in the next year or two. And apparently he was fairly impressed by my garage that, thanks to the former owner, now sports heavy-duty lighting, serious amounts of insulation, and an industrial heating unit. Now he’s considering amp-ing up his own garage in preparation for a possible new play toy.
There are a couple of cool garage solutions out there, such as a sweet FLOR arrangement or a classic tile deal. But it wasn’t until recently that I discovered the ultimate garage set up. In the preview for The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s up and coming sequel to Batman Begins, we catch a glimpse of sexy, modern carport-like-none-other. Now we don’t know where this “garage” actually is just yet. It may be part of the Batcave—but to me it looks more like it’s some secret location for the Batmobile—perhaps beneath Wayne Enterprises.
What we do know is that the art direction and production design for The Dark Knight is off the hook. Talk about attention to detail. Obviously, Heath Ledger’s makeup is sick, which in this case means awesome. And though “The Tumbler” version of Batmobile hasn’t really been updated for this installment—the coolest new addition to the Bat’s arsenal seems to be the Batpod.
Word on the street is that at Macworld this year, Jobs is going to announce that the aforementioned Batpod will apparently play both mp3's and movies.
Last year I began my annual faves list—my top 3 favorite examples in each of the categories I blog about. And I have to admit, even though it’s been a fun year for Music, Movies, TV, Cars, and Design, there didn’t seem to be that many solid standouts (accept in the music category). So remember this isn’t necessarily the “Best of 07” or anything like that. These are just a few of my favorite things…
Top 3 Favorite Albums
3. In Rainbows: Radiohead—This smooth, laid back album is all about the groove. It is more or less a collection of refined jam sessions. Now with most bands this would probably be a bad thing. But anyone knows that with Radiohead this is nothing less than a jem. Not to mention In Rainbows has single-handedly pronounced the record industry dead on arrival. Standout track: All I Need.
2. Sky Blue Sky: Wilco—The first time I ever heard this album, (Upto12 had given me the CD that came with his gorgeous LP set) we were on our way to a reunion in Tahoe. That couldn’t have been a better intro to this throw back of a rock and roll album. Yeah that’s right, rock and freaking roll. You can’t help but melt to its sassy steel guitar. No joke, you’re actually bummed when the guitar solos are over. Sky Blue Sky is Americana, albumified. Standout track: Impossible Germany.
1. Neon Bible: Arcade Fire—So this is a no-brainer. Ever since this album was released (actually since before its release, hehe) I’ve probably listened to it at least once a week, if not more. In fact, I listened to it yesterday and I’ll probably listen to it tomorrow. I’d have to say it’s near perfect, and seeing them live has made it all the more listenable. I’ve realized that Arcade Fire has basically been raised with my same musical education as far as what was popular through our teen years and the effect things like MTV have had on us. The sounds of Neon Bible have totally confirmed that fact to me. Standout track: This one’s tough, but I’m goin' with Intervention.
Top 3 Favorite Movies
3. Hot Fuzz—Is it an action movie or a satirical comedy? Is it an homage or a slasher flick? In a word, yes. From the dudes that brought us Sean of the Dead—comes the movie that glorifies flicks like Bad Boys II and Point Break. The irony is that this satire is a better movie than the films it’s supposedly honoring. It’s better written, more entertaining, and in the end is an all out better action flick. Standout moment: the biting ginger kid.
2. The Bourne Ultimatum—During a time in filmdom when every action movie and its dog were doing knockoffs of the Matrix’s slow-mo, Bullet-time effect—The Bourne Identity came along with rapid-fire, real-time fight sequences. The extreme shaky-cam follow-up The Bourne Supremacy was next, directed by Paul Greengrass. The final installment, The Bourne Ultimatum, brings Greengrass back with what seems to be the perfect balance of stunning, real-time action sequences, captured by not-too-shaky handheld camera movement. They seriously put cameras in places I’ve never seen them be placed before. Which easily made this flick one of my faves of the year. Standout moment: Babco™’s VW Touareg commercial that actually uses Edgar Ramirez from the movie.
1. Juno / Dan in Real Life—For the first time in Kyailty history I have a tie for favorite picture. Here are two flicks both with intriguing twists on real life situations. They’re dramadies that once again fit my profile for the ideal Kyality-style movies: tight scripts, high levels of production design, and killer soundtracks. These flicks had tons in common, they’re both brutally uncomfortable, laugh-out-loud funny, and extremely emotional all at the same time. The attention to detail is off the hook in both cases, for example Dan is still wearing bowling shoes long after the fiasco at the lanes and if you look hard enough you can see a hamburger phone in Bleeker’s room too. The dialog and delivery works so well thanks to acting chops of Ellen Page and Steve Carell. And both had great tunes that end up stuck in your head the next day—in the good way. Standout moments: acoustic guitar / vocal duets by Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Steve Carell, and Dane Cook.
Top 3 Favorite TV Shows
3. Chuck—From the guy that brought Cameron Diaz shakin’ her booty as one of Charlie’s Angels comes the spy series for the rest of us. Just when you were through with thinking your way through stuff like LOST and 24, Chuck is just plain old fun. It eliminates all of the stretching of the imagination and the need to have seen all the previous episodes of most spy-like shows. Plus there’s great music, biting humor, and hot chicks, need I say more? Standout moment: Black Friday at the Buy More.
2. The Office—Everyone knows that Season 3 rocked the house down, but most people kind of seem to think that Season 4 hasn’t rocked as hard. I’m here to officially say that it rocks even harder. Yes, corporate Ryan is freaky, but Jim and Pam have held their own, Kelly has cranked it up, and the coupled-up Michael and Jan are an unreal-in-a-good-way pair. Not to mention, Moes is my new hero. When you look at this series’ entire story arch, you’ve got to admit when many series crumble, Season 4’s had all the right twists in the right places. Standout moment: The that’s-what-she-said deposition debacle.
1. Pushing Daisies—So I’ve talked this series up quite a bit. But once, you’ve seen an ep your hooked. And I haven’t known anyone who’s seen the thing who wasn’t become a fan. Simply put, it’s infectious. This ultra-complex premise proves that the right writers feeding lines to the right actors can provide for a totally compelling series, no matter how intricate the storyline. Standout moment: Chuck’s super-cute mod dot dress.
Top 3 Favorite Cars
3. The New, New MINI Cooper S—For 2007, MINI completely redesigned their Cooper and Cooper S models without a single screw carried over, though you might never notice. In order to comply with new EU pedestrian safety codes, the MINI Cooper is wider and longer, but not taller. All of these changes were made merely to accommodate a few extra inches of height on the nose. In the process the S went from a supercharged model to a turbocharged engine, which apparently means more horsepower, more speed, and better gas mileage. At first I hated this thing, it looked like a deformed MINI to me. In fact I opted for a 2006 because of it, but for some strange reason it’s totally grown on me and in many ways it now seems like a killer update to an already damn good looking car. And as SouthernJ can attest, the turbo can out-spool the supercharger on the tarmac. Standout feature: available JCW 18” R105 matte black rims.
2. The Fiat 500—Where the Smart Car can feel like a soulless deathtrap, the all-new Fiat 500 comes off like a hip, economical micro-car with a Synchronicity-style Vespa for a mom and a Monte Carlo rallye car for a dad. When it all boils down to it, green technology will only get you so far. At some point every SUV driver with a soul will have to realize that more mass = more energy to move it. Micro-cars are the future and if they’re actually this cool, bring it on. Standout feature: Fiat’s amazing “Video Configurator”.
1. The BMW 3.0 Biturbo Engine—Okay, so this isn’t a car per se, but it is inside of several Bimmers and will be inside of many more. BMW has built what’s being called the perfect engine. It’s lightweight, it’s fuel-efficient, and it’s brutally fast. Essentially the wizards in Munich have taken BMW’s classic straight six from a very respectable 230 horsepower to a bit over 300 horsepower. Best part—no turbo lag. There are two, count them two turbo units; the second is timed to compensate for the lag that inevitably comes from the first. They’ve already dropped the new biturbo into the 335i and 535i. But we’re all anticipating the 135i to set the new benchmark for modrodding in 2008. Standout feature: Audi S5 killing power.
Top 3 Favorite Designs
3. beonlineb.com—Music videos can take a hike. This thing changes it all. Coming from working in the interactive design industry day in and day out, this site actually cuts through the clutter and made my job feel cool again. So many sites these days are merely marketing tools to the max. This one on the other hand turns the medium into art, using it to enhance, entrance, and entertain. Props once again to the kids from Montreal for taking Neon Bible to the next level. Catch Upto12’s post on the topic here. Standout feature: Embedded Flash Video assets used in a totally new way.
2. Sky Blue Sky Album Art—There’s gotta be some reason why two of my top music picks are showing up in my top design picks this year too. The collision of media will continue to happen more and more. And in a world where you’re interfacing with your Album Art more and more, you’ve got to appreciate the guys that are taking the time to seriously do it right. When Mrs. Kyality and I saw this cover, we actually considered turning it into wall art for our living room some how. Standout feature: it looks fantastic sitting next to the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album art.
1. The Apple iPhone—I’ll be honest, when I was watching Steve Job’s unveiling of the iPhone a year ago. I looked at it and thought: I guess it’s cool, doesn’t look very Apple. What I didn’t realize was that I was looking at the future of Apple’s design. Jonathan Ive’s changed the world, yet again. Function and form have never looked or felt so good. And when this thing is paired up with the new, new iMac—everything sorta clicks and you get it. You can see precisely where Jony is heading with Apple design aesthetic in the next three to five. And talk about the collision of media, never before have you been able to interface with your music, movies, TV shows, and album art in such a ridiculously seamless and tactile way. Use one for a week and you’ll be a believer too. Standout feature: uh, the fact that I’ve rigged the Cooper S so that I can dock the iPhone in the cup holder.
Bonus: Favorite Ad Campaign of the Year: Lauren Wallace—Geico (It’s Lauren not Warren, trust me.)
Mrs. Kyality rocked the house down this Christmas with the definitive Kyality-style publication: MINI The Book by Peter Würth. This book starts out by describing the first decade of the new millennium as the age of design—where disciplines intersect into cross-genre art that fuses fashion, music, media, design, architecture and narrative into a single product family.
The book chronicles the cultural impact of the old and new MINI and interweaves all kinds of products that jive with the MINI lifestyle and its design principles. These products include things like the iPod, the Loftcube, and the Lecia Camera.
MINI The Book is a gorgeous must-have for any MINI owner and/or design buff. Well played Mrs. Kyality, well played. PS: Look for my 2007: Year in Review post, coming soon to an internet connection near you. Just gotta get a couple more flicks in!
So, not many people know this little fact about me, but other than Upto12, I was the first person I knew of to actually own an iPod. And at the time, Upto12 was living in P-town (so he didn’t count anyway). It was a 10 gigger super-brick complete with a remote control, the first track wheel, and a full FireWire hook up. I nearly filled it up with hundreds upon hundreds of my favorite songs, but with only a few choice tracks per album. I had everything on there, from Kyality classics like R.E.M.’s Drive to one hit wonders like Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles.
The only setting I ever used, and I mean ever, was Shuffle. I’d hit play and let that thing rock from one artist’s track to the next. The goal was to create the unskipable playlist. I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of The Gash by The Flaming Lips backing right up into the opening strums of Paradise City by GNf’nR. I’d actually pump my tunes into the airwaves at work—it was like I was the DJ of my own little radio station—unabashedly mixing and mashing tracks from one genre to the next.
I honestly don’t know what’s different now but unless I’m working out—there’s no way I can do the Shuffle anymore. Nowadays, it’s all about the album. I’ve been trying to figure out what’s exactly changed over the past five years of my digital music life. Why have I ceased all Shuffling and have since insisted upon rockin’ the album side of things?
Here’s what I’ve come up with. First, my digital music library has probably quintupled in size over the past few years—so albums have become a way to organize my vast amount of music files. They function kind of like “Events” in the new iPhoto. Second, album art has become a part of my digital lifestyle. Whether its Apple’s iTunes Artwork screensaver or scrolling through Cover Flow, I’m interacting with album art on a daily basis.
Finally, I’ve noticed that several of my favorite artists—most likely due to the fact that their tracks don’t even get played on the radio—aren’t making “singles” anymore. They’re actually composing albums once again. Like The Beatles and Pink Floyd before them, artists are bringing back the album in full force. Take for instance Arcade Fire's Funeral, you just can’t listen to Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) without listening to Neighborhoods #1 and #2 first, (Tunnels) and (Laika) respectively.
In fact due to this new wave of album-centric artists, I’ve disabled the Shuffle function on all of my iGear, whether it’s Tunes, Pod, or Phone. Though I admit, I haven’t yet disabled the Shuffle on my Shuffle. I guess I still like my Deee-Lite mixed in with a little bit of The Killers when I’m hittin’ the elliptical.
In October of 2005, Steve Jobs described to TIME Magazine a phenomenon he called the Parable of the Concept Car: "You know how you see a show car, and it's really cool, and then four years later you see the production car, and it sucks? And you go, What happened? They had it! They had it in the palm of their hands! They grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory!
“What happened was, the designers came up with this really great idea. Then they take it to the engineers, and the engineers go, 'Nah, we can't do that. That's impossible.' And so it gets worse. Then they take it to the manufacturing people, and they go, 'We can't build that!' And it gets a lot worse."
Last year MINI fans were stunned and excited by the unveiling of the super cool MINI Traveller Concept. It was rugged yet sporty. It was MINI but not Cooper. It was fun but also functional. Basically it seemed like a great way to extend the MINI product offering without treading on the Cooper—which was already working so well. In fact, I’d bet that most current MINI owners were just like me when they looked at it and thought: Yeah, I’d rock one of those too!
MINI just announced the release of their new 2008 model based on the MINI Traveller Concept. Apparently it’s called the MINI Cooper Clubman. Okay, so granted it's really just a Cooper with some serious junk in the trunk, but it’s by no means a bad looking rod. The problem is the classic phenomenon that Jobs described—none of the innovations that made the Traveller so amazing were carried over to the production version! It’s seriously just a longer version of the Cooper—exact same design, exact same engine options.
And why? Why tempt us with the multiple fogs, a cool spare tire solution, gear compartments and extra-wide doors? Why tempt us with a vehicle that could complement the current MINI, then just come out with a dumbed-down, additional body style instead!?! I honestly just don’t get it.
Last week, MINI updated their corporate site with a Build Your Own section for the Clubman. And I’m glad to report that with the addition of the right accessories, you can actually get the Clubman looking quite a bit like a Traveller. But again, even with that degree of accessorizing, I guarantee you’ll never see anyone rollin’ with both a Cooper and Clubman.
Other stops along the way included a rice pudding snack attack at Rice to Riches, perusing the irregular rack at the American Apparel store ($30 bucks for an irregular t-shirt—whatever), and a stop by the Kidrobot store to pick up some Dunnies for the Kyality Kids. (Yeah, I got one for me too.)
Thanks to Snizzle and Jess/Jon in the City for an awesome NYC weekend.
The most important enhancement to the site is the inclusion of multiple channels. The new Deconstruckt is essentially three blogs in one. ‘Create’ is the channel where you will find the latest and greatest concepts, design, art, and techniques that flow from the minds of the Struckers. ‘Build’ is essentially a labs channel. Struck's interactives will be throwing down the hottest tips, trends and tech for the coder in you all. And ‘Play’ is a channel dedicated to the mischief and mayhem that continually plagues the studio. So check Deconstruckt often for next-gen blogcasting in triplicate.
This summer, directing their first feature since the ridiculous Matrix sequels, Larry and Andy Wachowski are bringing Speed Racer to the big screen. And with rumors of an IMAX version, it may be hitting the really big screen as well. Even though the Matrix sequels were a joke, the Wachowski brothers did write and produce V for Vendetta last year—which was awesome—so I’m pretty excited for this. Not to mention, the trailers for this flick are off the hizzle.
I’m most impressed with the production design of the Mach 5 itself. It’s dead on. I really don’t mind the filmmakers taking liberties with the time and place of the storyline. But they had to stay true to the design of the Mach 5—and they did. This car looks amazing and a working version wrapped in a massive set of Yokohama’s is making the rounds on the Auto Show circuit. Road & Track even test-drove this hot rod. I'm pretty sure that Normality and crew caught the Mach 5 at the NYAS.
Since I was relatively jealous, Mrs. Kyality and I popped on over to our local BMW/MINI dealership to sneak a peek of the two rods that were apparently stealing the show: the 2008 BMW 135i Coupe and the 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S. Seeing these two cars in the flesh was amazing. The 135i is gorgeous, muscular, and most importantly classic. It’s a small car but the massive 18-inch rims just give it a menacing stance. The 135i is the spiritual successor of the 2002. It’s got a killer tagline that says it all: Distilled Not Diluted.
Pretty good idea, huh. Eat your heart out Jony Ive!
The line includes classic editions of Kix, Lucky Charms, Wheaties, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Golden Grahams. But the "Corn Kix" box is by far my favorite. The custom typography is unique, clean, and bold. The muted blue and burnt orange color combination oddly enough works extremely well. Luckily the cereal itself doesn’t taste too vintage. But best of all, it perfectly complimented my delicious glass of lemon-lime Airborne placebo. I don’t care what you say, that stuff still works.
I’m kidding. This is however Henry Ian Cusick playing Christ in 2003’s The Gospel of John. Anyone who’s kept up with LOST Season 4 knows: so far—so, so, so good. But this week, they upped the ante yet again with another mind-blowing, Desmond- centered episode. I won’t give anything away, but needless to say, it once again confirms that Desmond is without a doubt my absolute fave LOST character. I've mentioned this before, but Desmond is just smooth—Jesus hair and all.
I think there are two additional strengths that make them so unreal: free reign exploration and unbelievable attention to detail. A perfect example is this retro series of exploratory screenprinted posters for their next feature: WALL•E. This is a simple, beautiful yet completely potent way of capturing and promoting the stylistic essence of the flick. It’s also a killer way to entice wannabe, design-savvy Pixar fiends to blog about their up and coming release. 
The first question that I’m sure you’re asking yourself is: does it live up to the hype? In a word: yes. It is what you think it is—a monster movie captured YouTube style. But the standout feature is definitely the utterly seamless integration of digital animation and shaky, handheld camera action. Believe me when I say, you buy it.
Since it’s already halfway through the season, I was able to score a deal on a solid set of slosh-eating Bridgestone Blizzaks. I was hoping to apply a more rugged look with a simple pair of black steel rims, but apparently there’s a "nationwide shortage". So, I chose the cheapest pair of alloys I could find—MB Seven X’s. And I have to admit, I’m pretty stoked on the results. ("Nationwide shortage", I'm such a sucker!)
I’m blown away by the grip on these bad boys. In the snow, the thing’s a tank—yet there’s minimal impact on daily performance. Granted I can’t take the curves like usual, but I suppose that gives me something to look forward to this spring. In the meantime, I’m sure I’ll enjoy both the added cold-weather control and peace of mind that this little MINIzilla now has to offer. These pics were snapped up at Snowbird at Struck’s Annual Manager’s Meeting this morning. Enjoy!
Modern propagandist, Shepard Fairey, recently designed this stunning limited-edition screenprint poster of potential presidential candidate Barack Obama. I guess Andre and his posse could only satisfy him for so long. What’s fascinating about this piece to me is the All-American patriotism that’s communicated through a medium typically associated with movements, oh like, Communism. It’s inspiring, progressive and classic all at once. Apparently there was an original run of 350 and those were all gone within the first day of its release.
What we do know is that the art direction and production design for The Dark Knight is off the hook. Talk about attention to detail. Obviously, Heath Ledger’s makeup is sick, which in this case means awesome. And though “The Tumbler” version of Batmobile hasn’t really been updated for this installment—the coolest new addition to the Bat’s arsenal seems to be the Batpod.
Word on the street is that at Macworld this year, Jobs is going to announce that the aforementioned Batpod will apparently play both mp3's and movies.
Mrs. Kyality rocked the house down this Christmas with the definitive Kyality-style publication: MINI The Book by Peter Würth. This book starts out by describing the first decade of the new millennium as the age of design—where disciplines intersect into cross-genre art that fuses fashion, music, media, design, architecture and narrative into a single product family.
So, not many people know this little fact about me, but other than Upto12, I was the first person I knew of to actually own an iPod. And at the time, Upto12 was living in P-town (so he didn’t count anyway). It was a 10 gigger super-brick complete with a remote control, the first track wheel, and a full FireWire hook up. I nearly filled it up with hundreds upon hundreds of my favorite songs, but with only a few choice tracks per album. I had everything on there, from Kyality classics like R.E.M.’s Drive to one hit wonders like Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles.
