There’s a show called Cool Tools over at DIY networks featuring uh… cool tools.

Innovative products in the power tools industry only found in US of A.

Episodes are also on itunes for 17.99 for thirteen of 20 minutes eps.

“Did you know there’s a device that lets you carry a sheet of plywood with one hand? How do you use your drill for cleaning ducts or snipping sheet metal? And just what does “WD-40” stand for anyway? DIY Network’s Cool Tools answers these and other questions offering an insider’s look at the tools you may not yet know about. Innovative new products, funky gadgets, technological advancements and improvements to old stand-bys — we take you behind-the-scenes for a look at design, development, demonstrations and testing. Stay on top of the changing tools marketplace as you see new tools in action and get tips on how to use them. If it’s cool, you’ll see it on DIY’s Cool Tools!”

Found on CORE 77, a response to the Beijing Olympics opening, Italian police on motorcycles in unison.

Great Italian Motorbike Display - video powered by Metacafe

1 World 2 Wheels are challenging everyone to make a difference in saving the world by going “two wheels”. They created a pretty sweet web widget that calculates how much gas you would save, and how many baby seals you will save.

via tech digest tv

Need to type and eat at the computer at the same time, but you are worried about getting your precious computer dirty. If you are one of those people, this would be perfect for you!

I thought this glass design was pretty interesting, I’ve seen some stuff like this before, but they show you the fabricating technique. - Julian Kan

Excerpt from designboom.com:

‘botanical martini’ glass by benjamin hubert studio has recieved the runner up prize in the UK
bombay sapphire designer glass competition. the 10 UK finalists were on display at this years
new designers exhibition.

See the design process and the prototyping process here

IMPORTANT!! Please respond via email to Matt Kressy at mkressy@designturn.com BY MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008

Dear Students,

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

If you are planning to take the Babson Studio this fall, must sign up now, because this course starts 1 week earlier that normal RISD classes.

This year we have made some exciting changes.  The most significant is the addition of Olin School of Engineering to our student body.  Now you will be working side by side with business students as well as engineering students.  This studio is now renamed “Babson-Olin Studio”.

Here are some highlights:

1. work with Babson business students and Olin engineering students, in a team-based environment for learning how to take a new product idea to alpha prototype as well as launching it into the marketplace.
2. projects are student generated.  If you have a product idea, you must attend class from the start (classes start September 4th!)
3. all projects receive a $500 budget
4. classes will be held at all three schools only on Thursdays (4 sessions at Babson, 4 sessions at Olin, 4 sessions at RISD with the final presentations at RISD)
5. access to cool prototyping tools at Olin, like water jets, CNC, laser cutters, FDM machines, etc.

Here are the cons:
As I mention above, the course starts 1 week before the RISD semester starts (I know this could put a damper on your summer, but the course ends 1-2 weeks early as well).  The first class is Thursday, September 4th, where we will set you up for your presentations of your product ideas the following week.  If you want to present an idea, you must attend the first class.  Alternatively, if you can not show up the first week, you can still take the course, but you will not be able to present a project idea.  Instead you will choose from the selected ideas.
You will have to make frequent trips to Babson and/or Olin in Wellesley, MA (Babson and Olin are neighbors).  Transportation will be arranged for you, and there will be a lab fee to cover this expense.

If you are interested in this course, please get in touch with me ASAP so that Sebastian (the awesome Babson professor), Paul (the awesome Olin professor) and I can plan everything.

Lastly, I have attached the draft schedule so you can see all the exciting topics that we will cover.

Best Regards,
Matt Kressy

via Core 77

John Muhlenkamp and Spencer Nugent, uber-contributors to Core77, have launched IDSketching.com, a new site featuring videos and video tutorials on everything you need for design drawing, sketching, and rendering. The site is really well put together, with tons of content already up, and a sweet “sketchbook” section that should inspire novice and pro alike.

This thing comes just in time for the start of the new school year, of course, so if you’re a teacher, send out the link; if you’re a student, well, you might just want to keep it to yourself.

Congrats to John and Spencer on the site!

Theo Jansen has been creating kinetic sculptures since 1990. What was at first a simple concept has slowly evolved into a generation of machines that are able to react to their environment: “over time, these skeletons have become increasingly better at surviving the elements such as storms and water and eventually I want to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives.”

continue reading "Theo Jansen’s Kinetic Sculptures"

Title adopted from CORE 77 very well describes the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics. The multi-million dollar Ceremony involving over 20,000 performers and 2 years in the making, without doubt is the most spectacular ceremony that the world have ever seen.

Using state-of-the-art technology and near impossible coordination, I have left wondering how did they do this and who in the world first conceived such an idea it their heads. If you have any ideas how they did it, comment on this page.

- Written by Tino Chow, Chair

See more photos at Boston.com