this blog is a visual notebook of inspirations for a group of bandit bloggers. we post things we see and like. our lives don’t revolve around singular topics and neither does our blog. sorry! nothing is in-or-out of context here. enjoy xx
these are some of the things the ever-ingenious swedes at teenage engineering told us they thought about when making these speakers. playful accents throughout.
a timely addition to the smokey summer to come!
that’s not brautwurst and mergez you’re smelling, it’s miles of canadian black spruce burning to a crisp and sauntering down to burn your eyes and choke your cats. i don’t buy into urban outdoors activities as it stands, unless it’s a bistrot in paris or a brownstone stoop back in 2014 with a box of sunrise mart sashimi in my claws. i’ll bike home and strengthen my lungs as i look forward to blasting “all the things she said” on my 7.2. surround array of ob-4s with the windows open. clapping for the essential workers and yelling “hate has no home here” and “what’s your number, sweetheart” to every cutie that walks by.
nice styling from the modern japanese bellami-HD1 camera with a modern chinon lens – but a total throw-away as a digital camera disguised in “super model” 8mm camera… lame!
real-real… kodak’s latest backtrack on corp stupid decision making – super 8 film and a modernized super 8 camera are back, a pleasant surprise.
camera designed by our friend yves behar at fuse project for kodak
nice stealth detailing on the side
sporting a real super-8 cartridge
and now for some of the old giants… above the dieter rams designed braun super-8 camera for vitsœ
the french beaulieu 4008 super-8, standard issue for all you nouvelle vague enthusiasts
my personal camera which i have owned and cherished for many years, the notorious canon XL-1014 super 8
and my best friends camera which i often use as a b-roll the nikon R-10 with nikkor lens sister to the R-8 (below)
and finally below one of the many renditions of the infamous pistol-grip from the berrics skate mafia
ok so we owe this yet-to-be-issued kodak camera a blind review. note that we have not tested the camera as its still in production and we will post another once we get our hands on one. but top-line we are uber excited to see this amazing tool make a come back, and more importantly to see kodak supporting, and hopefully supplying, the super-8 cartridge films on a regularly available basis.
the good: its a super 8. it takes real film, and hopefully the film will not cost you your entire weekly allowance. its new and using the latest technology. keeping what worked and adding what wasn’t available. like a proper rechargeable battery that will last you the entire shoot. the design is simple and clean. we especially love the kodak revised minimal logo on the side. kodak can now process, scan, and deliver your film in one shot. love the yellow and off-white colors reminiscent of dieter rams iconic choice with braun, bringing back some of that 70’s nostalgia. usb plugs in the back. simple usability making it easy for newbie millennials… don’t forget, like em or hate em, we need those ding dongs if we are to bring some cost efficiency to the film cartridges.
the bad: it looks like a toy. the camera in its design is a reference to more of the 70’s or late 60’s units rather than the early 60’s which we personally prefer. 70’s was the era of plastics but also the era of textures which this camera has chosen to dodge at least. but the casing does not appear to be metal (again this is not factual)… if plastic, knowing mister behar, it is the finest plastic available.
the ugly: wholly shit, where is my pistol grip? how can we shoot super 8 without the pistol grip, so beloved by film fans. we even rigged one on our old hi 8 camera at some point. that said, unlike the old narrow cameras of the 60’s, this little cute baby can be held like a basket-ball for those long smooth hand-held shots, like the ones in “i am cuba” directed by mikhail kalatozov and his genius DP sergey urusevskiy.
in the end we cant wait to get our hands on one and put it to the test. thank you kodak for bringing this art back and mister behar for making it famous. by dd
ok here’s another rant on apple. yes its still better than most things out there (thanks to steve that is). and no they have not invented anything new, that is useful ever since steve left us (ok, in fareness they did change the name of iphoto to photos. that was major! and they did add the “selfie” feature/folder to the latest OS. now that’s wow, i’m sure it fooled the millennials into thinking innovation). now all this we can live with. but somehow it appears as if a bunch of complacent idiots have taken over the asylum at apple breaking things that worked, and ruining the most basic principles of product design and UI. our latest grievance is about the iphone 6s. i mean what sort of an idiotic design intern would place 2 alternate functioning buttons on the opposite sides of a phone, or any product? the sleep button was always on the top right, it worked, they now moved it across the volume button. so now each time we try to turn up or down the volume the counter force pressure on the exact opposite side puts the phone to sleep and vise versa. i mean this does not require a genius like steve jobs to be there. i’m assuming jonathan ives approved this, or worse even came up with it, but to let the product go into production and not see this basic principle is daunting and shameless, especially from a company like apple who invented modern intuitive UI/UX. i simply can not forgive them for this. i know how hard it is to keep up with apples legacy of greatness, so ok don’t, but at least don’t fuck the shit that was already working guys.
On another note, jony boy fancies himself to be dieter rams reincarnated:
braun T1000 radio (1962) and the mac pro (2006)
braun T3 pocket radio (1958) and first-generation iPod (2001)
braun infrared emitter (1970’s) and the isight camera (2003)
but you know what, you can’t just copy greatness and end up with great things. the shits gotta work jony, pretty will only get you so far… by xy
not sure why jony ives gets on my tits so much, maybe it’s his poor rendition of that david attenborough like voice, or his calculated “poor little me… i’ve been working all day and night to solve human kinds problems” stubble and hair cut, or maybe it’s the way he makes the most basic things sound so complex and self important? but he does annoy me much. jony doesn’t just think about things like you and i, instead he “incubates notions”… what ever he does it’s a pivotal shift in the cosmos. the truth is apple has come up with less usable innovations and more jargon. i can’t recall how many times philip schiller used the word innovation before they got to the most amazing feature on the iPhone 6S… the most astonishing selfie button!
this pivotal shift in the evolution of human kind is right up there with apples previous engineering intervention in iPhoto. the iPhoto has not been anything like the old iPhoto… because they brilliantly changed it to simply “photos”… i mean that really changed my life. what seems simple to common folks is actually a very complicated process at apple… well thanx! that was brilliant search optimization guys, now try and search “i have problems with photos” to fix your latest kinks and you now end up with prescription eye glass stores near you. but joking aside, and there are some nice things about the 6S like the 3D touch etc. but apple has messed up really bad in the most basic areas ever since jobs passed. issues that mac users never experienced and where the exclusive domain of PC users have since found their way into apples. perhaps apple should focus on fixing some of these before fiddling with the letter “i”… all of these OSX problems listed below, i have personally experienced first hand, so these must be just a few of the mac OSX problems of the late…
1- the spinning ball of death when you try to shut down OSX yosemite, only to come in the next morning and have to force shut down.
2- iTunes playlist playing in reverse order when you’re using apples own remote app?
3- updating apple software… getting an unknown error on apples own “app store”
4- slow motion videos shot on apples iPhone, and transferred to apples iPhoto (sorry p h o t o s), and back onto your iPhone no longer plays in slow motion?
5- unable to delete some “photos” in “p h o t o s”… now that sounds just wrong!!! let’s see how was it before…. unable to delete some photos in iPhoto. better. thanks for that ingenious idea guys.
6- syncing problems with iTunes and photos… where things do not actually sync. you have to shut down apps, sometime restarting your computer, detach iphone attach again etc. until it finally syncs (never had these issues and i’ve had apple for ever, every mac and iPhone in the past).
7- transferring photos from your iPhone to apples photos and clicking on “delete after export” leaves a bunch of photos on your iPhone.
and this is just what i can remember at the top of my head, fuming after watching the apple september 9th keynote. by dd
jack nicholson will now demonstrate the new august smart lock
come on in… well, not alla youz!
we just received our august smart lock and are very excited to put it to work. the installation is supposed to be quite simple and should fit “any standard deadbolt lock”
once installed that’s all you see on the inside of your door
our august smart lock (a $250 cylinder you install on the inside of your door) is here and awaiting to mate with our lovely door. whats great is that we don’t actually need to remove our lock, because it only replaces our deadbolt’s inside module. once placed in and turned on well have a bluetooth-connected, motorized deadbolt that can remotely lock and unlock the door when we press a button on our phone… or automatically lock as we leave, and unlock as we approach the door… nice! but the best part is you can give temporary keys to anyone you choose, and disable them when you want. you can also schedule access, for say, cleaning lady, baby sitter, or your neighborhood dominatrix to set up. but there are a few caveats; 1- don’t forget, there is some effort required here; i.e any user must first download the app, register an account, take a picture of themselves, then verify their email address and phone number before they can open your door. bit of a hassle? yes. but you don’t want just anyone to get access now? 2- although august claims idiot-proof installation, the install does require a few logical considerations. a) if you have double locks you need to be aware that august only controls one (duh!). also b) the mechanism in the electronic lock has its limits. if your deadbolt is not smoothly operating or it was installed during the dark ages, it could affect the performance of the lock by causing difficulty for the august motor to push the deadbolt through. so be mindful that the assumption is that your deadbolt is in tip top shape, if it isn’t (as was the case with ours) you may want to amend the issue before install.
so what’s so great about all this? why would i want to change my current lock? here are a few good reasons that convinced us as to why we would need a key-less entry lock like the august smart lock;
– well firstly it’s designed by the swiss industrial designer yves behar. we were told you should just get one, to have one.
– need to allow temporary access for your most recently acquired boyfriend/girlfriend with out the awkward key exchange… and retrieval
– your pet monkey is really smart… but not that smart
– need to allow scheduled access to your fancy cleaning crew who own an iphone (don’t they all? besides it works on android)
– need to cut down on key and lock replacements due to fast turn-around of lovely “associates”
– forgot your 5lbs key chain at work
– your “roommate” lost his key again
– pierre and marilou are gonna crash in your ski chalet in graubünden, and you haven’t been there for “like weeeeeeks”
– need to let your guest/air b&b into your apt but cant leave work (will require the $50 august connect wifi plug)
– your super called and said there is fire in your study (that’s where you’re supposed to keep your damn books, which you don’t have)
– finally, how can you trust the kids with a key… when you cant trust them with a f#@kin’ plastic bag?
there you have it…if your still not convinced… then i suppose you don’t need one. stay tuned we’re gonna report back with a proper field test… photo credit: jack nicholson in stanley kubrick’s film the shining written by stephen king. by uh
8 bay drobo unit and the 3rd generation drobo 4 bay unit
as you can imagine all this data, material and clips are stored somewhere. that somewhere was a drobo. we’ve been huge fans of drobo from day one. our current 3rd generation drobos served us well for years, and it was a genius solution. they allowed easy upgrades on drives and gave us dual protection we desperately needed with their proprietary RAID software. everyone we knew in the fashion and creative industry used them and swore by them. what we all didn’t know was the nightmare that was awaiting us.
i remember the day we bought our first of 3 drobo’s we now have, i asked the salesperson, “so you guys will continue to be around for some time, right?” i was concerned from day one that this proprietary RAID software could become an issue, simply because its proprietary. for those of you who don’t understand what that means, here it is, the layman’s version:
your drives can be read by your drobo, but once removed from the drobo they become expensive bricks, and your data is forever unreadable. unlike other drives were your data is simply accessible by any enclosure, with your drobo only drobo software can read the data. this is fine as long as drobo stays current with Mac and PC OS updates and continues to solve issues. it’s a problem if they don’t. they kept it running smoothly for years but apparently no more. calls, emails to drobo support have left us with no solution.
were not sure if drobo was originally the brainchild of some wiz who built this great brand, and sold it or left and now the current company couldn’t give a toss about its products that they’ve sold to us all, but its simply a horrible outcome. this is not some tech gadget you can throw away. your life’s work resides here and if you care about your data you should seriously reconsider where you’re going to store it off of the drobo.
drobo known problems and issues: (and you can google this and read others who are pulling their hair out now) – here’s what happened. your drobo icon on your desktop suddenly “greys” out or ghosts. in a few weeks the drobo icon disappears, gone missing from the desktop. drobo simply doesn’t mount. we managed to tap into the data by jerry-rigging it and could see it in apples disc utility but you could not get it to mount. now don’t bother telling drobo about the issues. a) they say they never heard of this and are not aware of it, meaning its an isolated case and b) even when we explained the issue and forwarded them the links to others having the same problem they could not give a damn. we’ve spent over 7 weeks trying to address this with drobo management and since no one but drobo can access the software code or understand it we have no other means to remedy the problem.
the initial calls to support resulted in nothing and we were eventually passed on to higher support via email ticketing.
drobo: “i know this may sound silly but on a new install of a Mac OSX the the connected server drives are hidden until re-enabled through the finder prefs.” we responded by: “yes, naturally this is checked as “on/ active’ in finder”
8 days later pass-the-buck and delay tactics:
drobo: “sorry for the delay. you are not connected to both firewire and Iscsi ? the drobo can only be connected with one option only. how is your IP managed DHCP or static ? whats the subnet mask ? can you tell me the version of your java?” we responded with: “connection: -we are only connected with firewire. IP: – we do not have a static ip for our internet, if that is what you are asking. but i can’t see how this relates to drobo, if the drobo have an ip, please let us know how to check. subnet mask: – we have googled this, but not sure how to find this out, please let us know what to check for and we will do so. java:- we have java 7 update 45”
no response to the above answers that we gave, they then asked us to switch firewire to usb and restart drobo even though we explained that we had our IT on the case and all standard tests were done. then it took them another week in between emails to respond. we had to send an email a week after asking what happened. finally they sent us this response:
drobo: “have you attempted to start from scratch (erase your data) and reconfigure your drop or at least revisit the steps? i would skim through the online users guide to match up screens” (they gave us a link to the drobo manual!!!!! unbelievable)”
getting nowhere with their uninterested staff and delayed tactics, we finally called drobo back via phone. we explained that the physical unit is in perfect condition and that there is clearly an issue now with the OSX updates and drobo proprietary software. we inquired if they were going to update the dashboard software and/or firmware any time soon? and if so in how long? we obviously cant wait for months with this problem… the gentleman told us that as of “yesterday” (i guess they finally realized the problem is wide), drobo will no longer issue updates for this unit and they recommended that we just buy a new one… which of course they will no longer support at some point! really great strategy guys, especially the “as of yesterday we no longer support your unit” line. we will surely spend our next hard earned $1,000+ on your product!!! really disappointing for a company that was so welcomed in our community. we’ve given up on drobo and will be on the search for a simpler system/enclosure. by ts
install is simple and only requires a pre-k or higher degree
the august smart lock, designed by fuse projects yves behar, is finally out. you can unlock your door with your iphone or a key, the unit sits inside the space so outsiders will not notice it but the best part is you can send an electronic key to any mobile device user so they can unlock your unit with out ever having a key in their possession. this will be of great use for house keepers, nanny’s, one night stands, and temporary employees you plan to ditch. you can monitor who enters, and when they entered the unit, and can reject entry with one click. the design is simple and well produced. we saw samples last night. only criticism visually is the “a logo” on the front which looks more like a manufacturing defect than a logo, but hell we are design geeks… most people won’t even notice that. but then again, who cares about most people. the goal is to impress us. by uh
vinyl was so scarce in the old ssur, that some brilliant minds came up with the idea of using leftover radiographs as a replacement in the pressing process. apparently the center hole was often made by burning it with a cigarette. may we suggest banning vinyl world wide. by kt
stereophile 101: ok we all know that the weight of a speaker and its components/equipment can substantially alter the sound coming out of them. this occurs mainly due to lack of jitter and aided resonance, creating a tighter base and minimizing vibrations… but hell, i had never seen a stereo system made out of pure marble, now that’s pretty awesome to look at and it can only sound just as sweet… by uh
redrum… blood red designer kitchen cutting board. fits in any psychotic kitchen including mine. $22.54 – xy
can le labo get any better? maybe. here’s le labo rose 25 in collaboration with opening ceremony. i like the printed glass… i think! $80 – ac
i guess it is light that we need after all, not fire. stay plugged in with this environmentally and aesthetically pleasing lightbulb. get it at plumen. $28.95 – kd
if you have a rich woman or a man, read on…. nero mkii bike from bandit9. very exclusive wheels, price available upon request. look it up here. – kt
everyone loves a polaroid, especially an andy warhol selfie polaroid via christie’s. just $15-20K supplies limited!– bw
dd would love this. anyone reading can start saving up… fifty years of essential art house films from janus films. $764.96 ooooouch! but do it again, please. – sv
i wear these at home when i feel like michael j fox. supra tk society black satin high-tops $150 – nk
who doesn’t want “a very dark affair”? sign me up. 12.29 candles $150 for this lovely candle, which is a bit steep. the good news is you can keep the glass, and the refill candles are only $75 – dd
unless you’re in the business of jacking bikes off the street, this is the best deal in town. just pick your size and receive a mystery bike from state bicycle co. $299. we got a great fixi and we are lovin it. – lil
navajo inspired pendleton water blanket. does anyone know what a water blanket means? anyhow, this one is available on pendleton’s own site. $298. – cm
i bet you don’t have a tote yet… if you do, trash it and get this. beautifully oversized portfolio tote from everlane. $450 – wm
jungle fever. the original martinique wallpaper. prices and samples upon request. $5 samples login to view price per foot. –kc
if you are looking for earphones that “stay-in” these etymotic research in-ear headphones are the ones. these are my favorite low budget noise-isolating earphones; designed by an otolaryngologist and intended for sound engineers and audiophiles in constant motion. mc-3 s are around $80 and the er4pt’s are around $300. you can google it… – uh
house-shaped house key; inventive and practical, just the way we like it. via fancy. $8. –kd
first edition of the evocative and iconic paris photography book. found at bauman rare books $6,200 perfect gift for rich folks who dont read. –bh
and for those that still need to know the time, here’s the verbarius electronic clock, around $160-250 – kv
a visual collective outlet of inspiration
who doesn’t want “a very dark affair”? sign me up. 12.29 candles $150 for this lovely candle, which is a bit steep. the good news is you can keep the glass, and the refill candles are only $
i bet you don’t have a tote yet… if you do, trash it and get this. beautifully oversized portfolio tote from everlane. $
if you are looking for earphones that “stay-in” these etymotic research in-ear headphones are the ones. these are my favorite low budget noise-isolating earphones; designed by an otolaryngologist and intended for sound engineers and audiophiles in constant motion. mc-3 s are around $
house-shaped house key; inventive and practical, just the way we like it. via fancy. $
first edition of the evocative and iconic paris photography book. found at bauman rare books $
