Just got myself a pair of the grey-green Nike Maxsight contacts. Nike teamed up with Bausch & Lomb to create contact lenses to aid with blurriness during outdoor sports. They cover the whole pupil eliminating glare and enhancing contrast while blocking specific wavelengths of light for clearer details. They come in two shades, grey-green for golf, running, and training and amber for soccer, tennis, football, rugby, and baseball. Go to your eye doctor and give him this coupon, he’ll give you a pair for free. I’ll post more once I try them on the golf course.

Kind of old news but Joost has finally given invites to all the beta members, so for those of you who don’t have one, which may be unlikely because I know so many of you have been dying to get one, shout out.

Static! is a collaborative project out of Sweden’s Interactive Institute that promotes energy awareness through technology and design. Through prototypes, concept designs, and use scenarios, they create real-time visualizations of energy use to encourage recognition of behavior and offer opportunities for change. Some projects include the Appearing Pattern Wallpaper, which slowly changes the walls from a solid color to a pattern through a UV-sensitive ink in order to show the effect of energy over time, and the Power Aware Cord, which has glowing wires that intensify as increased amounts of energy pass through them.

Visit Static! at: http://www.tii.se/static/index.htm

Although probably old news to some, I thought a posting on the Phillips Simplicity Event 2006 in London couldn’t be passed by. The expo introduced some concept products meant to simplify our lives through design and smart functionality. Examples include the Chameleon, which is a lamp shade that sets the mood of the room by changing colors to the one you ’show’ it, and the Aqua Duo, an all-included water treatment system that purifies water, heats/cools it, and dispenses it through a glowing thermos on your counter. There seems to be heavy use of calming, ambient lights in each of the products that give the high technology a soft edge and inviting feel. Definitely worth checking out.

YouTube | Phillips Press Release