I’ve noticed a growth in mainstream “Create-It-Yourself” products. Usually I’d only see these options in a hobby store, but it’s nice to see some hitting the mainstream with style. It’s a definite question of “mass customization”, success or a mess. Are consumers willing to pay more for a blank canvas and a sense of individualism? Do they want to do more?(Betty Crocker Egg Cake Case)

Puma Mongolian Grill (Desgin your own shoe)
Bytrico Chalkboard Shirt
Adicolor Shoes, via SneakerFreaker
Timbuk2 Artist Canvas Bags
Sketch On Munny Vinyl, Kidrobot

Did it fool you? It fooled me! It’s amazing how the smallest details trigger your perceptions. These cute pincushions by Alesina Design appear to be inflated by air, but are in fact filled with polyester fibers. Can simple elements within a design, such as these air valves, entirely change your perception of an object? For sure! I’d love to see more examples of visual triggers like this one. As far as I know, these colorful soft objects might be hard painted pieces of concrete, but who knows.Alesina Design

update: seems you can buy these through this company, kikkerland.

I recently picked up a box of Eggology at the local market…. made a few breakfast plates and am hooooked! Eggology is simply fresh egg whites, and no yolk. At first, it was a bit odd, holding an entire container of egg whites, but it taste great and fresh!!… check out their website for fun recipes and facts.

Eggology

I love it when design integrates opposites together. Molodesign brings to us “felt rocks”, the soft and pliable rocks that are irresistibly playful. It’s great how kids today are hugging ugly dolls, talking sponges, and now theses soft rocks! I’d buy a truck load of theses felt rocks to throw around my office for brainstorms!via notcot
molodesign

NuScup is a simple and beautiful solution to those many measuring spoons you have stashed in your kitchen. Pollen Design in nyc worked on this project awhile back.Pollen Design

You think Google Earth is cool? Well, get ready to be blown away by Spore, a PC game by Will Wright, creator of The Sims and Sim City.
I’m not sure what kind of cpu power this game will require, but you pretty much create and affect every single element within a galaxy and let time happen through “procedural” content development.
The magnitude of this game is ridiculous and you feel like a god of a god! Check out the video of Will presenting Spore at the 2005 Game Developer’s Conference!Google Video of Spore
GameSpy Article

Fashion designer Alexander McQueen has a collaborative partnership with PUMA to bring out a refreshing line of men and womens shoes. The line-up includes a series of shoes inspired by the human DNA. Go to ‘hotspot’ in Pumas website to get the full story on the design methodology. The series will be available at select retailers Spring 2006.

AlexanderMcqueen.Puma Site
eLuxury

Yugo Nakamura creates some of the most facinating, inspiring, and amazzzzing interactive systems in digital and networked environments. His artwork spans from engaging interactive interfaces to breathtaking displays of pure creativity and ridiculous coding.
I’d keep typing, but his work speaks for itself.Yugop
Interactive Lines (use your cursor)

Tokyo Plastics at it again with some great animated videos to promote their new “Opera Dude” Vinyl. Check out their website, have your sound on, and get mystified.Opera Dude Video
Buy Opera Dude
Tokyo Plastic

If your seeking a physical materials collection of the coolest and most innovative mechanisms, electronics, and materials to get your hands onto, then check out Inventables! Their wonderful quarterly sample kits are filled with several inspirational objects that will likely wow you.
Inventables

If you need inspiration, get these books!!! All of them have a rich variety of material descriptions, applications, and photos along with information to get your hands on some remarkable materials.

Transmaterial
Books by Chris Lefteri (6+)
Materials Connexion

update: Transmaterial 2 is out!

Ursus Wehrli presented at the TED conference recently and I have to admit, his book on “Tidying up Art” is a virus. The basic principle is to take great masterpieces in art and destructure them to the simple elements that they are mad up of. A signiture becomes 30 broken branches, a painting of a person becomes 15 fruit shaped objects, etc. After seeing him lecture and glancing through his book, I’ve been infected and try to tidy up everything I see now.

Buy here