Organic Light Emitting Device (OLED) technology is emerging as a leading next-generation technology for electronic displays and lighting. Universal Display Corporation, a leading technology developer, has spearheaded numerous breakthroughs in this field, as described throughout this Web site.

OLEDs can provide desirable advantages over today’s liquid crystal displays (LCDs), as well as benefits to product designers and end users. OLEDs feature:

• Vibrant colors
• High contrast
• Excellent grayscale
• Full-motion video
• Wide viewing angles from all directions
• A wide range of pixel sizes
• Low power consumption
• Low operating voltages
• Wide operating temperature range
• Long operating lifetime
• A thin and lightweight form factor
• Cost-effective manufacturability

Universal Display Corporation’s proprietary technologies promise to bring performance to monochrome and full-color displays in ways previously unimagined. Envision thin, lightweight displays that are bright and easy to read, that consume less power, that are flexible and, when turned off, even transparent. Or, think about a bright-white light panel that can replace today’s bulky and fragile incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes. These are a few of the possibilities that Universal Display Corporation’s proprietary OLED technologies may bring to light.

What Is an OLED and How Does It Work?

As this schematic shows, an OLED is a monolithic, solid-state device that typically consists of a series of organic thin films sandwiched between two thin-film conductive electrodes. The choice of organic materials and the layer structure determine the device’s performance features: emitted color, operating lifetime and power efficiency.

Active-matrix OLED displays provide the same beautiful video-rate performance as their passive-matrix OLED counterparts, but they consume significantly less power. This advantage makes active-matrix OLEDs especially well suited for portable electronics where battery power consumption is critical and for displays that are larger than 2” to 3” in diagonal, as shown in this ultra-thin Sony prototype above.

How Active-Matrix OLEDs Work

An active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display consists of OLED pixels that have been deposited or integrated onto a thin film transistor (TFT) array to form a matrix of pixels that illuminate light upon electrical activation. In contrast to a PMOLED display, where electricity is distributed row by row, the active-matrix TFT backplane acts as an array of switches that control the amount of current flowing through each OLED pixel. The TFT array continuously controls the current that flows to the pixels, signaling to each pixel how brightly to shine. Typically, this continuous current flow is controlled by at least two TFTs at each pixel, one to start and stop the charging of a storage capacitor and the second to provide a voltage source at the level needed to create a constant current to the pixel. As a result, the AMOLED operates at all times (i.e., for the entire frame scan), avoiding the need for the very high currents required for passive matrix operation.

Two primary TFT backplane technologies, poly-Silicon (poly-Si) and amorphous-Silicon (a-Si) are used today in AMOLEDs. Next-generation technologies such as organic TFTs (O-TFTs) are also under development. While still in the research phase, O-TFTs are beginning to show promise for use with OLEDs. For more information on our activities in O-TFT development, please link to Novel Organic Electronics.

Poly-Silicon TFT Backplane Technology

	Courtesy of Samsung SDI.

Poly-Silicon backplane technology is a technology-of-choice for OLEDs today because it provides excellent mobilities that meet OLED current drive requirements. Poly-Si technology also allows for the integration of the drive circuitry directly onto the substrate. There are several key challenges, however, to address: reducing threshold voltage non-uniformities of poly-Si, installing additional manufacturing capacity, and demonstrating commercially-viable manufacturing yields. With these issues resolved, poly-Si AMOLEDs should offer excellent performance as some early-stage prototypes and products suggest.

Amorphous-Silicon Backplane Technology

Amorphous-Silicon backplane technology, until recently, had been dismissed as an acceptable backplane technology for OLEDs because the mobilities of a-Si were considered too low to meet OLED current drive requirements. In large part due to the development of Universal Display Corporation’s high-efficiency PHOLED technology, a-Si is now considered to be a viable backplane technology for OLEDs. PHOLEDs’ lower current density requirement, on the order of a few microamps (mA) per pixel, makes this possible. In 2003, Universal Display Corporation and AU Optronics Corporation demonstrated the first full-color display combining AU Optronics Corporation’s a-Si backplane with Universal Display Corporation’s PHOLED materials and technology. The incorporation of red PHOLED pixels alone (with green and blue fluorescent OLED pixels) reduced the power consumption by 42% compared with an otherwise equivalent all-fluorescent device.

	Courtesy of AU Optronics.

While the long-term stability of a-Si TFTs needs further enhancement for use with OLEDs, a-Si technology offers several potential advantages over poly-Si technology. Existing a-Si capacity is significantly larger because the a-Si process is more mature and less costly. A-Si also currently supports larger substrate sizes (approaching 2 meters x 2 meters) compared with poly-Si capacity that today supports less than 1 meter x 1 meter substrates. Given these factors, a-Si backplanes may lead to less expensive AMOLED displays, particularly for larger size applications. A-Si also requires lower processing temperatures than poly-Si. This may help pave the way for building AMOLEDs on polymer-based flexible substrates earlier than is expected with poly-Si technology.

“The heritage of tea is laden with ritual and meaning that dates back thousands of years and spans the globe.”

There is another competition on they way. You need to design tea-kettle for this competitions. I really like this one because possibilities are wide and great . Can`t wait to see entries for this one.

LINK

EXTRUDED Polystyrene more known as BlueFoam, PinkFoam. Industrial designers favorite prototyping material. In this post, I will try to give you all needed informations about foam materials.

Polystyrene

Polystyrene sometimes abbreviated PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the aromatic monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. Polystyrene is a thermoplastic substance, normally existing in solid state at room temperature, but melting if heated (for molding or extrusion), and becoming solid again when cooling off. Polystyrene is commonly recycled, and has the number “6″ as its recycling symbol. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used kinds of plastic. Pure solid polystyrene is a colorless, hard plastic with limited flexibility. It can be cast into molds with fine detail. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to take on various colors. Solid polystyrene is used, for example, in disposable cutlery, plastic models, CD and DVD cases, and smoke detector housings. Products made from foamed polystyrene are nearly ubiquitous, for example packing materials, insulation, and foam beverage cups. Discarded polystyrene, which does not biodegrade, is often abundant in the outdoor environment, particularly along shores and waterways.

Extruded polystyrene foam

Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), which is often incorrectly called by the trademarked name Styrofoam, has air inclusions which gives it moderate flexibility, a low density, and a low thermal conductivity. Familiar uses include packing “peanuts” and molded packing material for cushioning fragile items inside boxes.

Extruded polystyrene foam’s insulating properties make it important as a construction material, and it is therefore sometimes used in structural insulated panel building systems. It is also used as insulation in building structures, and as non-weight-bearing architectural structures (such as ornamental pillars).

Extruded polystyrene material is also in crafts and model building, particularly architectural models. Foamed between two sheets of paper, it makes a more uniform substitute for corrugated cardboard, and has the trade name of Foamcore.

Types of extruded foams

Foamboard
Foamboard is a superb building model material that consists of a thin sheet of foam sandwiched by two layers of paper (or other laminate). The result is a very lightweight but stiff section of material that can be cut cleanly with a sharp knife yet remains durable and rigid.
Foamboard is commonly called “Fome-Cor” (or Foam-Core) as well as a variety of other tradenames and generally comes in thicknesses of 3mm and 5mm.

Blue/Pink foam
The “Holy Grail” of modeling: you can do almost everything with this material. Lightweight, tough, durable, ideal for crafting terrain such a hills and cliffs, making gaming boards, even buildings and bases. It doesn’t warp, is relatively light and can be worked easily with a hot-wire cutter, hot-knife, sawn and even cut with a sharp knife. When heated and even when sanded vigorously these materials will give off toxic and noxious fumes. As such always wear a fume-mask or work somewhere very well ventilated. Breathing in the powder after sanding is also a hazard.
People have terrific difficulty getting hold of these materials almost entirely because of them traditionally being called “Pink or Blue Foam” which is, sadly, now an obsolete term.
Pink/Blue foam is actually EXTRUDED Polystyrene. This is a closed-cell extruded form of polystyrene that is commonly known by the trade name of “Styrofoam”. Just as most people call a vacuum-cleaner a “Hoover” Extruded Polystyrene is called “Styrofoam”.

Important notes

• WARNING - styrofoam and all other extruded polystyrene sheets are capable of giving off toxic fumes when heated. That heating can be achieved when hot-wire cutting, vigorously sanding (even by hand) and also by application of hot glue. The fumes given off are of a serious toxic nature (Hydrogen halides) and as such styrofoam’s should never be worked in an enclosed environment or without wearing a graded fume-mask with a filter capable of removing the appropriate fumes or preventing their inhalation.
• Remember that Polystyrene, the plastic from which Styrofoam is made, has a glass transition temperature of almost exactly 212 Fahrenheit (100 Celsius). Temperatures of around boiling water can start to produce unwanted side effects such as melting and production of fumes. Cutting styrofoam by electric saw will also melt and produce fumes.
• Always use appropriate glues such as UHU Por or Foam-2-Foam to stick styrofoam together.
  White or yellow emulsion glues such as PVA (elmers) and aliphatic resin (wood glue) will only stick styrofoam where they have contact with the air, where air cannot reach the glue then the glue will NOT set and remain liquid.
  Glues such as “No More Nails” (which I think is also known as Gorilla glue in the USA) will also not set where air cannot reach them. (remember that some styrofoams are NOT air-permeable and some are - this changes from brand to brand and individual density and thickness of the sheets. On the whole styrofoam that is dense enough to be used for war game terrain making is NOT air-permeable and is thus not suited to being glued with air-dry glues. You will need to experiment with your own local type of styrofoam to discover whether or not such air-dry glues will work though - do not rely on seeing if the glue has dried at the edges; instead take two small sections about 200mm x 200mm and glue them flat one on top of the other. Leave for 24 hours and then pry apart the two sheets - if the glue is still liquid in the center of the sheets then you know that you should not use that glue as it will never set))
• Dust produced when sanding or cutting styrofoams with a saw are also hazardous and should be avoided by wearing a dust mask and using appropriate ventilation and other safety measures.
• The safe maximum use temperature of styrofoam is 75 degrees Celsius.

Finishing

In the United States, environmental protection regulations prohibit the use of solvents on polystyrene (which would dissolve the polystyrene and de-foam most of foams anyway).

Some acceptable finishing materials are

• Water-based paint (artists have created paintings on polystyrene with gouache)
• Mortar or acrylic/cement render, often used in the building industry as a weather-hard overcoat that hides the foam completely after finishing the objects.
• Cotton wool or other fabrics used in conjunction with a stapling implement.

more to come …

These machines are coming from the HOTWIRE DIRECT

Hey guys something new on INDSIDER.com , this time something totaly diffrent from us. Enough about “design” we are going now to this incredible Music Band called “Naturally 7″. When they sing, you think you are listening to band with many instruments but then you realize it is all in their voice! When I heard them I was in shock for couple of minutes . Very talented people - worth of watching.

Watch Video No.1

Watch Video No.2

History

The origins of the group date back to New York City in 1999 when Roger Thomas started the group with his brother, Warren, and five other talented singers they had come to know over the years from singing around the city. Having been in and out of several traditional male groups over the years, Roger developed an affinity for a cappella sounds and a unique ability to create distinct harmony arrangements. When invited to sing at a major a cappella competition in New York, they won the competition, moved onto the nationals and took away two more wins.

Riding the wave of this newfound success and still unable to decide if Naturally 7 were ging to be an a cappella group or a traditional band, Roger had a novel idea: they could be both.

He remembered as a child, his brother Warren always wanted a drum set but their mother always told him no because it was just too noisy. So Warren learned to make true drum sounds, with different ways of making the kick, toms, snare, cymbals, and other drum sounds, to compensate for not having real drums to play. Roger approached Warren with the idea from their childhood, and asked if he could become the band’s drummer, so to speak, to accompany Naturally 7 on up-tempo songs.

The idea evolved, and the other band members found unique aspects of their own voices to determine which members would BE which instrument. After all, Roger thought, if the human voice truly was an instrument, it should not matter which instrument it needed to be. And for Naturally 7, it really didn’t matter: “Vocal Play” was born. What is the difference between Vocal Play and a cappella? A cappella is defined as singing without instruments. Vocal Play is singing AS instruments, and BECOMING an instrument with the voice.

What makes Naturally 7 special is that every instrument sound that they sing is created from the human voice. There are no actual drums, guitars, horns, flutes, or any other instrument that is heard when listening to them perform; it’s the and members playing each of their vocal instruments.

The band has now recorded four albums - “Non Fiction” the aptly titled “What is it” which spawned the #1 German hit “Music is the Key”, a duet with German singer Sarah Connor, “Christmas—it’s a love story” and “Ready II Fly”. The latter contains the radio and You Tube hit “Feel it (In the air tonight)”. Naturally 7’s now famous Paris subway performance of the song, has received over two and a half million hits on You Tube and the number of people discovering the group, adds to that figure daily.

With their rich harmonies, an unbelievable ability to replicate instruments and a stage presence that can be felt in every seat of the house, Naturally 7, the first vocal play group ever, are amazing, charming fans where ever they perform.

Today Naturally 7 are Roger Thomas (musical director, arranger, 1st baritone, Rap), Warren Thomas (percussion, guitar, clarinet, 3rd tenor), Rod Eldridge (1st tenor, scratching, trumpet), Jamal Reed (4th tenor, electric guitar), Dwight Stewart (2nd baritone), Garfield Buckley (2nd tenor, harmonica) and Armand “Hops” Hutton (bass).

They spawned two Hit-Singles, a cover of Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” which was an international Top-Twenty song (France, Italy) and “Music Is the Key” with German singer Sarah Connor which hit the number 1 in Germany and the Top-Ten in Switzerland, Poland and Austria.

On July 12, 2007, they performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, together with artists like Al Jarreau and George Benson. In July 2008 they performed at Quincy Jones’ 75th Birthday concert in Montreux and the audience’s reception of them attracted the notice of Tavis Smiley, who subsequently invited the group to perform on his television. show.^[1]. In May they made their national U.S. Television debut on Ellen and joined Michael Bublé for a guest appearance on The Today Show. More recently the opened for Jay Leno in Las Vegas and performed at NARM.

Since fall 2007 they are touring with internationally acclaimed singer Michael Bublé and Naturally 7 were met with standing ovations nightly in Europe, the UK, Canada, Australia and the U.S.

Passion has never been this colourfull!

Inspired by the passion for colour and the natural love affair with the beauty of gemstones and innovation, ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements Passion Topaz ® genuine gemstone collection was created to bring colour and an added touch of something special to design.

Precision cut specifically for the luxury market the Passion Topaz ® gemstone collection is enhanced by a patented permanent colour process that offers an environmentally friendly means of transforming genuine white topaz into an array of colours that will remain durable for daily wear. Passion Topaz® is reflective of quality and the wearers’ enthusiasm for fashion and obsession for fine jewellery, blending both a luxury look with high fashion colours, to create a collection of beautifully enhanced genuine topaz gemstones in a blooming array of colours such as: bright Turquoise Blue, deep Infinite Blue, vivid Paraiba, Blazing Red, cheerful Poppy, romantic Pink, earthy Khaki, natural Complexion, sweet Honey, delicate Baby Pink, and tropical Rainforest.

1. Subject Matter
The ENLIGHTENED™ - Swarovski Elements Passion Topaz® Jewellery Design Competition is set to bring innovative and new ideas to create a fresh palette of breathtaking jewellery designs incorporating our Passion Topaz® genuine gemstone collection.

Two design directions for jewellery and bejewelled eyewear have been chosen to challenge the extremes of our daily lives.

Basic Passion
Suddenly Passion returns to the basics, simple styles that win our hearts. These designs are for the fashion enthusiast and to satisfy the obsession for fine jewellery, a timeless style that can create and change every personal look to reflect a persons mood and situation; what one wears, the roles played, and the things they like to do is ever changing, and so are the elements of beauty that mark style. Passion Topaz® affords beautiful gemstone cuts and colours set in fine jewellery designs, which reflect a flair for fashion that will evolve as the wearer does. Your challenge is to design basic fine jewellery and bejewelled eyewear creations for everyday wear to stimulate the market. Designed to take your look from the office to a night on the town.

Passion De Luxe
Indulge in experimental design with tones and shades of passionate colour, a passion for the ultimate luxury, where elegant opulence, and extravagance leaves nothing to be desired. Your challenge is to design luxury creations for fine jewellery and bejewelled eyewear to stimulate these markets to reach for the true meaning of luxury.

Participants will have the possibility to either, upload their own Fine Jewellery and/or bejewelled eyewear design(s) or use the toolkit to virtually configure a pendant of expression, style and imagination.

The passion for design knows no boundaries except the beauty of our ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements Passion Topaz® genuine gemstone product assortment. Available in various shapes, sizes and colours let your imagination and creativity carry you away and challenge the boundaries of fine jewellery and bejewelled eyewear design. Participants may also actively participate in the competition by voting for the best designs of other contestants, thus helping to select the winners of the competition.

The Elements of Passion Jewellery Design Competition is conducted by Signity AG, in cooperation with HYVE AG. Signity AG is a subsidiary of Swarovski and is the world leading company for the sale and distribution of precision cut genuine gemstones and created stones. For more information please go to www.enlightened.swarovski.com. HYVE AG is an innovation agency, specialized in the integration of customers into the product development process. For more information, please go to www.hyve.de.

2. Competition goals
Passion Topaz® and design innovation in colour using our ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements genuine Passion Topaz® gemstones is the main focus of this competition. The designs will be used to inspire the use of our Passion Topaz® assortment and stimulate the market through future insights of jewellery and bejewelled eyewear design. The submitted designs will not be produced in series, but Signity AG reserves the right to realize the winning designs as prototypes, include any and all design sketches in our communication tools and present them during various ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements Branding activities.

3. Eligibility
The competition targets admirers of jewellery and lovers of design, as well as those who are interested in innovative materials and want to showcase their own creativity. International designers and design enthusiasts are welcomed to participate in the competition. The minimum age for the participation is 18 years of age at the time of submission. Prospective entrants must first register and accept the competition conditions before submitting any of their designs. Groups are not allowed to participate in the competition. Employees of Signity AG, Swarovski and HYVE are excluded from the awarding of prizes.

4. How to participate
There are two possibilities to participate in the Design Competition:

A. Upload your own computer generated or freehand jewellery and/or bejewelled eyewear design(s)
Designs may be either created by computer-generated programs or drawn freehand. They must then be converted to JPG, GIF or PNG format for uploading to the website with a minimum resolution of 300 .dpi. The file size must not exceed 2 MB. Only one file is accepted per concept, however it is possible for participants to submit any number of independent designs. Jewellery and bejewelled Eyewear designs may take any format but must incorporate the creative use of our Passion Topaz® genuine gemstone product assortment.

B. Creation of jewellery designs with the configuration tool
It is possible to create an own pendant and to assemble it with genuine Passion Topaz® elements with the help of a special configuration tool based on an assortment of selected pendants and colour variations.

Design Criteria

• Entries must address innovation and creativity in jewellery and bejewelled eyewear design
• Entries must be submitted by individual designers only, no groups are accepted
• Designs should not already be in production
• Previously published or submitted designs are prohibited
• Sketches, renderings, and descriptions are required

5. Evaluation of designs
For those who decide not to submit their own design, it is also possible to participate in the competition by evaluating and commenting on the submitted works of the other participants. Enjoy opportunity to participate in the selection of the best designs!

There are no limits to the number of submissions by registered participants. Each submitted design must include a title and a short description.

6. Prizes
All submitted freely created designs have the opportunity to win cash prizes amounting to a total of 6,000 Euros:

First prize overall: Euros 3.000

Category Basic Passion
First prize: Euros 1.000
Second prize: Euros 500

Category Passion De Luxe
First prize: Euros 1.000
Second prize: Euros 500

A professional jury comprised of international experts and designers will determine the winning designs.

Those who participate and submit their designs prior to November 30th, 2008 have the chance to have their design presented at BASELWORLD, the world’s largest jewellery & watch fair, held in Basel, Switzerland, from March 26th – April 2nd, 2009, and/or in our annual trend book Gem Visions.

The top five designs created using the configuration tool will be awarded a Swarovski USB Memory Key Set with our ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements CZ Mint innovation valued at 150 Euros.

The best three configured designs are determined by the voting of all users. The winners will be those designs that have registered the highest number of positive evaluations at the time of the contest deadline. Should more than one entry receive the same number of votes, the winner will be decided by a draw.
7. Timelines
November 30th, 2008: Last day for submission of designs to be taken into consideration for exhibition at Baselworld 2009.
March 26th to April 2nd, 2009: Presentation of the best designs at Baselworld 2008 at the ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements exhibition platform.
December 31st, 2008: Closing date for the online competition.
End of January/beginning of February 2009: Announcement of winners.

8. Judging
Judging is private and the jury is composed of an international group of experts and designers that has been selected by Signity AG. The jury is responsible for the selection of the two best freely created designs in each category, Basic Passion and Passion De Luxe, and one overall winner based on the following evaluation criteria: originality, innovation, realization, presentation and creativity in the utilization of the ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements Passion Topaz® genuine gemstones.
The jury’s decision is final. The evaluation of the individual designs as regards to the evaluation criteria will not be published. The participants have no claim to individual feedback or any explanation concerning the jury’s decision.

The judges will award designs and concepts, which are innovative in terms of jewellery and bejeweled eyewear design. Both idea and presentation are key so no vague submissions please.

9. Copyright and right of use
The intellectual property rights will remain with the designer/participant.
With the submission of a design to the competition the participant grants Signity AG free of charge the exclusive, irrevocable, transferable and with regard to content, duration and area (territory) unlimited right of use to duplicate, disseminate, send, perform, make available to the public, including but not limiting to present the designs at exhibitions and fairs, in publications, in promotion- and PR materials, in printed material and in the World Wide Web. For this purpose the participant of the winning designs must provide the design as high-resolution graphics (300 dpi). In addition, Signity reserves the right to produce the winning designs in prototype format, which will not be used commercially.

10. Originality of the designs
The participant confirms that the designs submitted must be original and emanate from the participants themselves. They must also be unpublished and produced expressly and solely for the competition itself. All submitted designs must not be protected by copyright- or other rights and/or infringe on the right of third parties. This includes copyrights, logos, trademarks, trade names or proprietary rights. The copy of designs from other sources is not allowed. Any form of copy will lead to immediate disqualification. The participant shall indemnify and hold harmless Signity AG and Swarovski AG in case of any third party claims.

11. Publication of designs/ideas
Participants who contribute their ideas to this online platform accept that all submitted ideas, designs and comments will be published in the World Wide Web and will be available to an infinite number of users. All personal data will be strictly confidential.
The organizer of the competition reserves the right to edit or delete contributions on the website without any explanation, for example, if they include any racist or sexual content or if they are considered harmful to young persons.

12. Data protection
Personal data concerning the submission of designs will only be used for administration purposes and for the evaluation of the results. All personal data will remain confidential and will not be revealed to any third parties. The personal data will be stored at the HYVE AG and will be handled according to the regulations as stated by the German data protection law. We guarantee that all customer data will be handled as confidential and we demand the same in writing from any contractors and/or cooperation partners. It is possible to contact HYVE AG (Schellingstraße 45, 80799 Munich, Germany) at any time to request the deletion of all personal data.

13. Information and contact
HYVE AG
Schellingstrasse 45
80799 Munich
E-mail: info@hyve.de

Imprint
Swarovski AG
Dröschistrasse 15
FL-9495 Triesen
Principality of Liechtenstein

Managing Director:
Dipl. Ing. Bernhard Pleschko

Commercially registered in the Principality of Liechtenstein:
FL-0001.026.972-4

VAT number in Liechtenstein: 51200

Website Design and Programming

HYVE AG
Schellingstr. 45
80799 Munich
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)89 189 081-100
Fax: +49 (0)89 189 081-400
E-mail: info@hyve.de
WWW.HYVE.DE

Managing Board:
Dr. Michael Bartl
Dr. Johann Füller
Michael Schmidt
Magistrate’s Court Munich
UID-Nr.: DE 2144 399 34 – HRB 135611

Resource: Enlightened Jewellery Design Competition

Banana juice - Designed by product designer Naoto Fukasawa.

Amazing packaging design, it’s so simple - only the Japanese could pull something like this so perfectly.

This product and others are featured in the book Designing Design by Kenya Hara.

Miami: South Florida Road Racer

$10,000 cash prize!

Submission Deadline: June 17, 2008

Whether it is cruising South Beach in a drophead on A1A, dragging musclers on alligator alley, drifting with the fast and the furious, tailgating with the Wide Right rabble-rousers at a ‘Canes game, handing over the keys to a valet at Coco Walk, or simply cruising down 95 for a little Joe’s Stone Crab, Miami is an auto enthusiast mecca.

South Florida at large is a racing destination. Whether it is on the old Air Base routes of Sebring or the streets of St. Petersburg, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) has been rattling cages and scorching the pavement of this state for almost a decade. In fact the GT racing class of this series is inspired by the very type of car we love. Fast enough to race; real enough to buy. Names like Aston Martin, Ford GT-R, Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, and Viper are all familiar to this paddock.

For those of you lucky enough to spend time in our featured city, you know the beauty that abounds and the smell of the late afternoon thunderstorms. The beautiful people - sun tanning, strolling or rollerblading - are always a sight to behold. The deco architecture of Collins Avenue is what most people often think of when then they envision the built environment, but outlying areas are best known for the classic one-story South Florida bauhaus.

The port of Miami with its flotsam of cruise ships and cafe racers and jetsam of manatees and caimans is often known as the “Gateway to the Americas”. It is an enormous site to behold and on a calm day you can see the distinctive skyline reflected in its waters.

Whether the Crockett and Tubbs with which you associate are the Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas or Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx duo, this city has been cool in every decade since the railroads of Henry Flagler plumbed the coast.

Bottom line, in the South Florida sun, all cars look good and good looking cars look UNREAL! Share with us your vision for the ultimate Miami vehicle.

The description above is meant only as a guide, take the project where you wish, and find your own inspiration. The gold in this pot goes to the guayabera who can cloak a vehicle in the hottest “South Florida Skin”.

Resource : Local Motors

Indsider team is presenting Sand & Birch Design Studio, on of our favorite. The products that come from this studio are products of elegant lines, made in modern materials with sophisticated look. Just like poesy of forms.

About studio

Sand & Birch Design Studio was founded in 2003 when Andrea Fino and Samanta Snidaro decided to join their different cultural backgrounds and experiences together for a unique project: to re-interpret the concept of furnishing and to bring other meanings, other senses and other lives to Objects.

The Diamond Sofa is an example of how this project has become reality by turning a sofa into a piece of jewellery without losing its original functions.

Andrea Fino has studied law and at present is working in the field of Communication for Government Institutions and has gained experience in Visual Communication for the realization of social events.
Samanta Snidaro has studied architecture in Italy and Spain and has had various experiences in the fields of Photography and Graphics.

Together they began to focus on shapes and design, devoting their efforts mainly to take other natures, hidden or sacrificed for the production demands, out of ordinary objects.

They participated in different national and international contests such as NuoviSegni (Il Sole 24 Ore) with a design of a multifunctional centre for suburbs, the Mitsubishi contest with the design of a concept car and the Nespresso contest with the design of a coffee stick.

In the field of food design they have created products that are still in progress.
Their next project is a sustainable-energy-supplying concept house.

This bewitching velvet ribbon sofa - “Velvet” - is a spiral shaped sofa upholstered in a sensual and luxurious smooth velvet. Its wooden frame is covered with a thin layer of polyurethane.

Designers: Andrea Fino and Samanta Snidaro

The Diamond sofa thought by Samanta Snidaro and Andrea Fino of Sand & Birch design studio is entirely realised in mirror-like aluminium. On the wide stripe 160 crystals of Swarovsky will be disposed creating images. The lamp on its side is a fluorescent or a led one.
The Diamond sofa was thought not only for sitting, but also as an object of very provocative design. It has been studied for entering houses and, at the same time, for inspiring pure luxury.
Sand & Birch is bringing forward a project in which the objects lose their proper primitive functions and acquire other meanings. In this way, the Diamond sofa becomes an expression of predominantly aesthetical value: from just a sofa it becomes a jewel.
The Diamond sofa is produced in numbered limited edition (100 sofas)
Dim: L 150, H 90 (190), P 100 cm

Resource: Sand & Birch Design Studio

Interesting time piece with all over display lines that shows the current time. Design is simple and modern with use of hi-technology. Bracelet just like it should be, clean, shiny and with attitude. Girls will like it. This project is work of young and very talented Serbian designer, Djordje Zivanovic - Djo:Djo, currently student of industrial design on IAAD, Torino.

Lines are all around watch, every line is attached to one time size, hours, minutes and seconds. This bracelet watch is coming in two different color modes, black and white and time lines could change the color over the software. There`s also one gemstone for time adjustment, working on a finger touch. Very cool and impressive design piece.

If you like this design give support vote to Djo:Djo on the Signity Design Competition