One of the very best ways to come up with new ideas is by using the concept of ‘random association.’ By combining two or more apparently unrelated ideas, you come up with a third that really makes you think. That’s just what the folks at Vitamin T have created for us when it comes to creating a new start-up. By dragging a selection of two or three different attributes into their magic venn diagram Starter Upper, you not only get to jog your imagination about a random start-up idea (mobile + game mechanics + geo-location = Foursquare)… they even give you a catchy title for your new venture (catchiness does vary). Try it for yourself! [Read more...]
Perfect Caricatures of the Rich & Famous
Each of these impressive caricature illustrations has an uncanny resemblance to the famous star they portray… Stan Chow really has this down. Check out his James Bond tribute below for example: each martini drinking Bond is there, a perfect copy of their real life counterpart. A freelance graphic designer, Chow’s work is in high demand from periodicals around the globe and his inexpensive prints are hot sellers over at bigcartel.com. For more of his work, check out stanleychowillustration.com or Flickr, then get frequent updates through Twitter and Facebook. Can you identify everyone here? [Read more...]
Snap Shots: The Voices of Young China
Going to Adrian Fisk’s site is like jumping through a portal to another world; a world that will leave you more enlightened. Today we bring you his ‘iSpeak China’ series: “I have just returned from a 12500 km journey through China to find an answer to this question. I looked for young Chinese aged from 16 – 30 years, gave them a piece of paper and simply told them they could write what ever they wanted to on the piece of paper, I then photographed them holding the paper.” Make sure to visit his site adrianfisk.com, and while there check out his documentary about the human hair trade. It is absolutely fascinating. [Read more...]
Famous Scientists Get Psychedelic
Like early experiments with LSD in the 1950′s, these colorful illustrations combine scientific pursuits with mind altering states of mind. “Science vs. Delirium” a series of illustrations by graphic designer Simon Bent, was created to re-popularize some of the greatest scientific figures from history, ranging from Marie Curie to Sigmund Freud. The designs focus heavily on the hair and grooming of each individual, playfully mixing in psychedelic patterns reminiscent of the 60′s. See more trippy scientists at volume2a.com. [Read more...]
Kickflips on Water: Taking Wakeskating To New Heights
One of the most exciting new sports, this teaser will introduce you to the new and free world of wakeskating. An evolution of wakeboarding, wakeskating uses a specially designed board free of the constraints of bindings, enabling a skilled rider to pull wild skateboard like maneuvers. Water born kickflips anyone? [Read more...]
The Lion King: Original Concept Art
Last week Lion King 3D hit theaters, so we wanted to bring you some of very cool concept art from the original production. So far the new rendition of the film has earned a whopping 29 million on it 3D release, greatly surprising executives at Disney who where estimating it would make around 10 to 12 million. You can see Lion King like never before, from Setempber 16th to October 1st. [Read more...]
A park on top of the world.
Are you afraid of extreme heights? Are you comfortable with lounging in a beach chair on top of a skyscraper? Do you trust a giant swimming pool that is perched at over 600 feet above the ground? These are all questions that you should be asking yourself if you want to spend some of your R & R time at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. [Read more...]
Visual Bits #94 > South African Rugby Culture
Stroll through your daily links after the jump!
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The Heaviest Map Ever?
Looking like a bleached version of Google Earth, the level of detail and accuracy in this tiny re-creation of Manhattan island is truly astounding. The fact that it was hand carved out of a huge block of marble makes it even more impressive… and at two and a half tons incredibly heavy too. Recently put on display at the David Zwirner gallery in New York, the piece titled ‘Little Manhattan’ was meticulously carved by artist Yataka Sone using photographs, many helicopter rides and yes, Google Earth to reproduce the islands towering buildings, canyon like streets and famous bridges. [Read more...]
Vintage Maps Trace the Meandering Mississippi
For anyone obsessed with beautiful maps, these colorful and informative examples tracking the many paths of the lower Mississippi are a dream come true. The monumental collection was produced in 1944 by Harold N. Fisk, who drew in a rainbow of colors the path of past and current flows as the mighty river changed course and flooded over time. For a full size .zip file (197MB!) of the maps, head to the ERDC. It’s useful information, beautifully displayed. [Read more...]














