audio-electronics

the august smart lock designed by yves behar

August-smart-lock-iphone-blackAugust-smart-lock-iphone-

install is simple and only requires a pre-k or higher degreeAugust-smart-lock-iphone-silver

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

CATEGORIES: audio-electronics, design, objects

bootleg x-ray vinyl

x-ray_vinyl

xray_vinyl_2

xray_vinyl_3

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

CATEGORIES: album covers, art, audio-electronics, design, objects

some heavy heavy sh#%t

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

CATEGORIES: audio-electronics

TOP 10+ GIFTS of 2013: our gift to you, great gift ideas for the holidays

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

plumen low energy light bulbs

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

andy warhol polaroid self portrait

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

paris de nuit paul morand photobookfirst 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

happy holidays from everyone

at ts

CATEGORIES: art, audio-electronics, books, design, earth related, foot fetish, fragrance, must see films, objects, perfect gift, photography

pxl-2000

the pxl-2000 was a rare gem. It used an audio tape to record, what we may now call, low-fi video. poke around the internet to find a few examples of the amazing images it was able to record. if you want to find out more, check it out here. by bw

CATEGORIES: audio-electronics, clips

Dunlavy SCIV loud speakers: customized and altered

just over 500 pounds a pair, here are the legendary pair of dunlavy SCIV loud speakers in oak that i wrote about earlier (original article)

like most of the amazing audio designers, john dunlavy had no patience for aesthetics, and while the speakers, are world renowned for their sound, their cosmetic design cues belonged to the likes of raymore flanagans.

some cosmetic intervention was necessary before blessing them into the house of god.

this started with stripping the speakers and taping off the front panel for protection. several coats of epoxy paint was applied. enough layers to mask the wood with out hiding the oak grain.

the final result was a gorgeous lacquered white ash finish including the vertical wood grains on these over 6 feet tall speakers

next was the question of what to do with the base planks?

we thought of discarding them and using a straight edged plank of wood sans the curvature but at the end we decided to keep them and modify them.

what we did was that we sand-blasted and stained them into dark walnut to contrast the white speakers and blend into the hard-wood floors below.

next, what about the aging black grills? white of course was the way to go, but what material could we use that was acoustically transparent yet visually opaque to hid the metal structure and the drivers?

when in doubt call france. we sourced these white sturdy acoustic fabrics from texaa in france with thanks to flow labs, and had them shipped. next was the issue of stretching them and adhering them to the metal structures.

 this proved to be the hardest part, as the fabric has no elasticity. on round one the fabric was stretched and adhered to the metal bars using super 77 and tack glue on the edges. it was held into place with micro clips to dry. it worked great at first. but a month on, the stretch is losing its grip and the super 77 is proving not to be very super. another solution must be out there and well come back once we find it. until then. by dd

CATEGORIES: audio-electronics

Dieter Rams TP1

this beautiful object by 50’s designer dieter rams is really something to look at. the record player was a portable 45rpm braun named TP1 and designed in 1959 for mass distribution. they simply don’t make them that well. great gift for a hobbiest record lover. by dd

CATEGORIES: audio-electronics, perfect gift