Great packaging from Bellroy, a small carry brand based in Australia: “Bellroy’s whole reason for existence is to improve the way we carry. We think wallets can be done much better, and so we’re trying to prove that before moving into other carry areas.

It’s easy to dismiss a simple table when there’s a superfluous design element, but I like the architectural form of this Side Table. The randomly placed rails also constitute the legs. There’s a fluidity in the design, emphasized by the softly curved wood surfaces. What appears to by unnecessarily complex makes total sense.

Designers: Stefan Jäger & David Laudert

This Life After Corkage stool and ottoman give life to 2,500 old corks after their respective wine has been consumed. The corks sit inside a breathable mesh fabric so you can take note of what you’re sitting on. The ottoman can also be used as a stool or side table.

It’s a problem so many people face every time they visit the optician to choose some new glasses – just how do you see yourself in a pair of new frames when you can’t see without your own glasses? Now thanks to the power of the iPhone and a new app, spec-wearers need struggle no-more.

Developed by Total Immersion, Atol les opticiens (you guessed it, it’s French) uses face-tracking technology to enable users to try on new frames and see the results on-screen. Developed for French optical retailer Atol, the app is the first of its kind to find its way into Apple’s App Store.

According to Total Immersion..

This is the most fully realized mobile commerce application ever to use augmented reality, and the first AR app in the m-commerce space featuring face- tracking technology, newly available on mobile,” said Bruno Uzzan, co-founder and CEO, Total Immersion. “Face tracking is ideally suited to purchases like eyeglass frames, where it’s essential to try before you buy. In this environment, the m-commerce experience is both more convenient and more satisfying for consumers and merchants alike. Product selection is virtually unlimited – and those with corrective lenses can keep them on through the AR fitting.

Head on over to the App Store to try the app (FREE) for yourself!

via Redmond

Apple just unveiled their latest MacBook Pros (Starting at $1,200) and finally the full line lives up to the “Pro” nomenclature. The 13” models finally leave the Core 2 Duo architecture behind for dual-core 2.3GHz Core i5 and 2.7GHz i7 processors. The 15” models gain quad core processor options from the Core i family and all Pro models now feature Intel’s high-speed “Thunderbolt” I/O technology. Other features include Facetime HD cameras, a new SDXC-compatible card slot, and AMD Radeon graphics technology with up to 1GBs of RAM. Link

We’re not sure what took them so long, but Incase’s popular Perforated Hardshell Case ($60) is finally making its way to the MacBook Pro. And just in time for the new hardware refreshes that are expected tomorrow. Link

These are some insightful and thought-provoking lessons from Wieden+Kennedy’s Executive Creative Director, John C Jay: 10 Lessons for young designers.

1: Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do.
2: Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort.
3: Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral.
4: Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough.
5: Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know.
6: Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world.
7: Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them.
8: Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them.
9: The Golden Rule actually works. Do good.
10: If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.

AMEN!

(via johnmaeda, via Edwin Himself)