This years TED prize wish went to a very gifted and caring chef Jamie Oliver. Watch the video above and be in awe for what we all know yet seem to ignore to some extent. Is it our fault or our surroundings? Why don’t we grow up knowing how to cook as children and depend on fast food or processed food. His talk left my mind in disruption and anger to better our society for a food revolution NOW. Watch the video above, then sign his petition. Yes, sign his petition here!
While in Hong Kong I was told about some Coca-Cola soda bottle that created ice just by shaking it. These soda bottles are stored in a special vending machine throughout Hong Kong. When you open it, then shake it a bit, the inside liquid creates ice! I didn’t have the time to fetch one of these bottles, but I found a few video clips (here, here, and the above video) .
From my knowledge, the soda is the same as regular soda, but the temperature is a bit more chilly. When you shake the soda after opening it, carbon throughout the bottle fizzes up, creating ice crystals, hence making ice. It’s just the right temperature to turn some of the of the liquid to slush, but not freeze the whole bottle. I’m making a guess about how this all works based on this “Beer magic trick video” though it seems to also work with plain water. I’m going to have to give this trick a try.
As the Thanksgiving holiday nears, tables full of food, drinks, and discussion with family from afar gather to learn about each others lives and news. If you have nothing new to say, here’s a video trick ya’ll can share while eating wings…. how to eat a wing correctly…or at least how to perfect deboning it.
““Every year, global design and merchandising company Felissimo produces a series of charitable plates that traditionally feature the illustrations of present-day icons. This year, as part of Felissimo’s mission to promote better design for the greater good, the company extended the project to designers across the globe by hosting Happiness: The Tribute 21 Plate Challenge on DESIGN 21: Social Design Network. Felissimo is now proud to unveil its selection of winning plates, whose designs communicate a wish, inspiration or message for children and future generations about seeking happiness in harmony with our surroundings. A portion of the proceeds from plate sales will benefit the UNESCO/Tribute 21 DREAM Center Fund, which provides arts programs to children in post-conflict regions.
Giving designers a chance to share their work with the world, DESIGN 21 posted all submissions for the Tribute 21 Plate Challenge to the competition site. After reviewing 732 entries, based on originality, relevance, aesthetics, and ranking in an online public voting poll, representatives at Felissimo headquarters in Japan have chosen seven winners. According to DESIGN 21 Founder Haruko Smith, “Whether symbolic, literal or euphoric, all of the designs represent hope for a better future.”
The “Reminiscent Innocence” plate by U.S. designer Jody Boyce was selected as the “Most Popular” design as well as a DESIGN 21 “Judges’ Pick.” According to Boyce, “My goal was to try to capture those feelings we all felt as children; the innocent, naïve and green ideas we had about the world before we were thrown into it head first.”
The other six top designs chosen as “Judges’ Picks” include: Giorgio Cattano (Netherlands) for “Happy Forest”; Eugene Gu (China) for “TRUELOVE”; Arlene Birt (U.S.) for “Water Cycle: For Life”; Jeong Seok Oh (South Korea) for “Public Bath”; Alexandre Esteves Neves (Brazil) for “Soap Bubbles of Happiness”; and nen (Spain) for “How to be happy without.” Honorable mentions were also given to Ji Yeon Yoo (South Korea) for “The Blooming Happiness” and Bonnie Jordan (U.S.) for “Happy Harmony.”
Gadgetoff 2009 unleashed an intense series of kabooms, zaps, chomps, and kerplurks rattling 400 attendees on the beautiful 83 acre Staten Island grounds September 25th while slinging Lenovo laptops with a trebuchet, cooking hot dogs with Telsa Coil Towers, riding jet fueled 5g merry-go-rounds, writing code drunk for autonomous cars legally, and thrashing a series of incredible lectures and demos throughout the day! Welcome to the Gadgetoff 2009 Experience: Boom!
Robots rumbled in every corner ranging from dancing tai chi robots to tiny micro toy hex bugs that jittered their way into everyone’s pockets. The gigantic mechanical Mondo Spider chomped it’s way through the lunch gardens while on lookers enjoyed delicious alcohol infused sorbet. Dean Kamen of DEKA brought his breathtaking and ingeniously engineered “luke” arm (video) and toy inventor Brian Walker tinkered with large crossbows and rockets made to launch humans 20 miles across the air! Invisible inks, toys, gadgets, art, fire, illusions, magic, and disruptive ideas scorched the island while participants roamed in excitement and curiosity!
Just as I experienced last time, Gadgetoff invited the coolest hand’s on creatives to celebrate the Smart and Useless for an unforgetful day in disruptive goodness!
My adventure brief after the jump! (lots of pictures and videos)
I’m quite familiar with the manufacturing world, but I’ve never seen a smart robot arm made for picking up pancakes for stacking! (FLexpicker). Seriously this robotic arm is quite impressive. Let’s yank this arm out and use it as a poker dealer, street trash picker, or something like a burger flipper! Keep the idea flowing with fast smart automated robots, just like the fun Robocoaster!
Student Designer Noémie Cotton brings to us a very simple double sided bag used to both contain and trash something, such as whole peanuts. I’m craving to find olives-to-go after seeing this, same goes for Wings, or other likes. If I had this bag when I was younger, I’d be eating just the peanuts minus shells. I’ve grown up learning to eat the whole peanut with shell making life a bit easier.
Chow.com has a great video interview with John Nese of Galcos incredible soda pop store of more than 500 sodas. Very insightful video briefly talking about history in flavors, bottles, ingredients, politics, experiments, and just plain great to watch!
I’ve been following our friend Heidi Swanson’s delicious blog 101 cookbooks for awhile now and every time I glance at her photos my mouth drops and eyes widen in jealous curiosity wanting to try everything she cooks up and creates.
Heidi’s also an incredible photographer which makes her food flare just as much as her insight. Above is the result in making Buckwheat Cheese Straws. I’m not sure how she has the patience to capture her creations before diving but I’m glad she has the time to share it with the world to drool over. If I were to describe a digital visual meal to anyone, go to 101cookbooks and be prepared for some great tips, tricks, and recipes from Heidi!
The TED conference has transformed dramatically over the years thanks to the launching of TEDtalks which I’ve posted on several times. This past year, TED launched another brilliant event called TEDx which allows individuals to host their own local unofficial TED like events. Since March 2009 several events have taken place around the world. How awesome!
A few weeks back, I attended the TEDxBoston event which I wanted to post about, but had no videos to share. As of today, TEDx videos from around the world can be viewed and shared on the TEDx YouTube Channel as well as play lists from each location like TEDxBoston. I’ll post the TEDxBoston videos after the jump, and make sure to watch the last video with our favorite Ben Zanders conducting the Youth Orchestra of Americas.
