Nike Music Shoe is an awesome ad for the Nike Free Run+ shoe. In the video you can see Hifana doing a live performance by using the shoes as controllers. By bending the flexible sole of the Nike Free Run+, they can control different sounds. Tomoaki Yanagisawa of 4nchor5 la6 was responsible for the hardware part. He added flexible and accelerometer sensors to the shoes. Daito Manabe of rhizomatiks did the sound programming with Max.
They were both commissioned by Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo for this project.

Via Today and Tomorrow. Watch the video here. 

Kia just unveiled their new Ray plug-in hybrid concept car at the 2010 Chicago autoshow. The new car is part of Kia’s ecodynamics sub-brand which focuses on more sustainable cars like hybrids and plug-ins. The Ray is one of the first cars released under this brand and focuses on aerodynamics to maximize its efficiency. The car has a lithium ion polymer battery pack under the base to supply electric power, while a roof-top photovoltaic cell helps power the air conditioning system inside.

Photos Autoblog.

Via Designboom.

Images of the Stile Bertone designed Alfa Romeo Pandion have been released prior to the upcoming Geneva autoshow. While other companies focus on sustainability and green initiatives, Alfa Romeo continues to focus on speed and performance. The car has lots of aerodynamic styling details that are intersected with see through elements made of clear plastic. These window panels give the car a very unique profile that isn’t the typical divide between the windows and the paneling. The rear of the car is also very unusual with a variety of pieces sticking out, like a stack  of threads. The design of the new car was lead by Jason Castriota and details of the power train and other specifications will follow when the concept car is released at the 2010 Geneva auto show.

Via Designboom.

Vincent Callebaut visionary behind the Lilypad has created a whale-shaped floating garden designed to drift through the world’s rivers while purifying their waters. The Physalia is a self-sufficient ecosystem that generates all the power it needs from the sun and works to reduce water pollution. Physalia was inspired by the Physalia Physalis jellyfish, whose name translates roughly to “Water Bubble”. This water bubble is meant to navigate the major rivers of Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East, traveling along the Danube and Volga, between the Rhine and Guadalquivir, and through the Euphrate and the Tiger. Completely self sufficient and incredible looking, the Physalias would turn heads wherever it floated.

At a concert in London last week rock band Ok Go performed with guitars customised by London designer Moritz Waldemeyer featuring LEDs and lasers. Originally created as part of a design performance for fashion brand Fendi at Design Miami in December, the instruments use lasers to create imagery on a video screen in response to the music. Bringing together the creative worlds of industrial design, rock music, installation art and haute fashion, Waldemeyer has customized a selection of Gibson guitars, outfitting each instrument with laser lights, interactive LEDs and off-cut FENDI materials. When the guitars are played, the lasers engage a video wall and leave traces that illustrate the music in real time.

The 118 Wallypower yacht is a sleek design merging high technology and tradition made by the Monaco based boat maker Wally. The boat has a vertical bow and aerodynamic styling that is almost military like. The sides of the boat are characterized by large faceted air intakes that give the boat its unique profile. On board the boat is capable of traversing rough waters at up to 60 knots with luxury comfort that rivals the most high end yachts. The bow and stern both feature wooden decks. Under the hood the boat has three gas turbine engines providing 16,800 horse power. There is seating and dining space at the front and back and a covered cockpit also features a conference table, lounge and access to below the deck. There are a total of five cabins, accommodating 6 guests and six crew members. If you are thinking of spending the next summer on the 118 Wallypower yacht you might want to start saving now since the boat sells for 24.83 million USD. 

Food Design Probes is a research project by Philips. They developed ideas how we will eat and source our food in the future, like in 15 to 20 years. There are 3 products we might have in our homes by then:
The Food Printer. The machine brings molecular gastronomy to your kitchen. “Feed” is with some ingredients, pick a shape, let it print … and voilà your amazing 3D dish is ready. I can’t wait to see all the opensource 3D recipes that will be available!

The Nutrition Monitor. It basically has 3 parts, a sensor which you have to swallow, a scanner which can measure the nutritional value of food and a display device. So you’ll exactly know what your body needs and what kind of effect your food will have on it.

Biosphere Home Farm. It’s a 21st century aquarium crossed with stylish shelving unit, it contains fish, plants and other mini ecosystems. 

An assortment platter from left, papaya sorbet with yogurt crust, grapes of foie, chicken and sweetcorn chowder, mojito mis en bouche.

Papaya sorbet with a yoghurt crust.

Bird’s nest soup.

Death by chocolate.