Category: WWWhat?

Posted in Fashion Sparks, WWWhat?

Green sleeves

Posted on by Cate

The Ecouterre website is all devoted to the future of sustainable fashion design. And there are some very interesting things there. I tend to use the word ‘interesting’ a lot when I am not sure of the right word to use to properly articulate my thoughts. And so I present to you this interesting fashion innovation: Egle Cekanaviciute’s Plant-Filled Couture Doubles As Wearable Planters. Uh huh. There are so many puns that I could insert here, but I’ll limit it to one true thought: I wasn’t sure at first, but the idea is growing on me.

I have previously written about wearable planters as necklaces in the early days of this blog, here. So I’m not opposed to the idea. I mean, why shouldn’t we use our empty pockets and otherwise pointless jacket sleeves to grow plants?

Peckish on the bus? Break off some basil from the herb garden at your elbow, whip out the tomato slices in your shoe & the mozarella in your handbag – hello, Caprese salad on the go! Or if the person next to you in a meeting has not-so-fresh breath, you could offer them a mint leave from the patch at the back of your frock.

And every bride wants to look her best from all angles – why not have a bouquet at the front and an ivy plant climbing up your back? Not sure how you’d sit down or avoid birds and bugs getting up close and personal with you on your special day, but I just put the ideas out there – you can work out the details.

You can see more of the Lithuanian designer’s wares here. Just in time for planting bulbs if you’re in the southern hemisphere…keep an eye out for me around Sydney in a few months in my daffodil jacket and hyacinth trousers…

Posted in Sparks in the wild, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Whale of a time

Posted on by Cate

Struggling to find a gift for that man or woman who has everything? Searched all the usual gift shops and online retailers? Want something unique, that will impress and make you stand out from the crowd? Then allow me to introduce The Killer Whale Submarine. For a lazy $100k, your friends (well, two of them at a time) can hop on board this “watercraft that breaches and submerges just like the Orcinus orca after which it is designed”.

The pilot (let’s call him Cap’n Ahab) pulls the levers to roll and dive, apparently “enabling realistic behaviors such as porpoising or skyhopping”. This “whale” can hydroplane up to 50 miles per hour over the water’s surface and cruise up to 25 miles per hour while submerged. The “dorsal fin” includes a snorkel that ensures air supply (to a limited depth) and also features a built-in camera, whose images are displayed on the LSD screen in Cap’n Ahab’s cockpit.

I am still not sure that this isn’t a cruel April Fool’s joke from the good people at Hammacher Schlemmer, but if you have $100k spare and have always wanted either a whale or a submarine, you can investigate further here.

Posted in Sparks at work, WWWhat?

Party people (on a bus)

Posted on by Cate

I’m not sure about posting this as I don’t want you to think less of me. But I found this in a very innocent way, I assure you. I was looking for a design collection called Funbus and that brought me to the FunBus service offered in Sydney and Melbourne and that brought me to Butlers in the Buff – the male order company. And there I stopped.

Now, back to the Sydney and Melbourne FunBus(es). Apparently, the owners have converted Mercedes vans into an alternate universe, which can seat up to 14 people and accommodate people standing. And poledancing, if you choose to have the removable dance pole mounted in the centre of the disco floor. Some other inclusions that I just can’t fathom are: silver top bars with built in eskies and laser and LED lighting plus a smoke machine. Seriously? Laser and LED lighting and a smoke machine in the back of a van? Somebody call Shaggy and Scooby, THIS is a van.

In the ‘packages’ page on the FunBus site is the link to Butlers in the Buff. Yes, really. Apparently, whether you are looking for naked butlers to greet your guests or a discreet cocktail waiter to gently enhance the ambience of your event, a group of hunky waiters to raise the roof, or a topless butler to spice up your birthday, we have the perfect solution for any occasion. Well, any occasion except, I’m guessing, wakes after funerals or bah mitzvahs. The website provides further information on the company and its Australian franchises (yes, the Butlers are global) under the heading “The brains behind the bums”. Then there is a photo of a naked man checking on something wrapped in foil in a BBQ (fear not, he is wearing a short apron around his waist, so that should resolve any health & safety concerns).

All of the material on the website (photos and copy) is protected, so I can’t share it with you here, but you should have a look if you have any further questions. (NB, don’t be fooled – the butler in this photo is clearly not a Butler in the Buff.) Perhaps the section entitled “Using your butler” will assist with some ideas, or “Butler Outfits”, which explains the “trademark outfit” and suggests boxer shorts or trousers (for the Butlers, that is) if you’re after a more modest catering experience. Or perhaps you’re looking for some casual work – in which case, a career as a Butler or Butlerette might be just the thing.

You can check out the FunBus here and Butlers in the Buff here. Or perhaps this glimpse has already been more than enough for you!

Posted in Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Say cheese!

Posted on by Cate

If, like me, you’ve ever looked at Maxwell Smart or James Bond or Inspector Gadget and envied their clever spy toys. Or if, like me, you’ve ever suspected that someone is actually stealing the choc chip cookies from that jar at work. Or if, like me, you’ve ever wanted to expose a fraudulent worker’s compensation claim. (Actually, that last one may just be me?) Anyways, if those, then this: The High Definition Video Pen. Tucked into your jacket pocket or left lying on the desk or bench, this clever device looks just like a run-of-the-mill stationery item. But prepare to be dazzled: the ball-point pen actually has an in-built video camera, “capturing HD videos or still images with a click of its button.”

Whatever kind of creeping you’re planning, this trusty “pen” captures up to five hours of video. In colour. With sound. Uh huh. And, according to the experts, the lens and microphone are “inconspicuous enough to avoid detection”. Unless of course there is some malfunction and your pen starts beeping or flashing – in which case, ABANDON THE MISSION. I REPEAT, ABANDON THE MISSION. Be aware that the battery life is two hours, so you’ll need to recharge for your tougher investigations. And of course, you may also want to flick through the relevant privacy legislation for your jurisdiction. EverydaySparks just puts these ideas out there – I take no responsibility for where your “pen” leads you…

Or maybe you’re a jaded gumshoe and think the “pen” is nothing to (ahem) write home about? Then I challenge you not to be amazed by this: The World’s Smallest Camera. Measuring just over one inch in all dimensions, this camera is apparently “reminiscent of devices employed by Cold War-era operatives for intelligence gathering”. Uh huh. With the click of a button, the auto focus provides you with a great shot on your teeny tiny camera. Priced at under $40, this wee camera will make a great (if slightly creepy) addition to your collection. Collection of what? I don’t want to know.

If you would like to find out more about these magical recording devices, you might like to have a look at Hammacher Schlemmer.

Posted in Home sparks, WWWhat?

Sit down, pet

Posted on by Cate

Sometimes mainstream furniture doesn’t quite cut it. You’re looking for more of a statement piece – something that you won’t see in the lounge rooms of all of your nearest and dearest. Or perhaps you’re just no good with an allen key, which rules out the array of flat-packs that magically turn into real-life furniture (give or take a few extra screws). Or maybe you fancy a life like Old McDonald, rather than a cramped studio apartment in the city. Or you’re bored with your pet mouse and want the company of a new furry friend. Whatever the reason, you should check out this range of animal chairs/stools from Japan.

There are a range of different animals in the collection (from the farm to the jungle, via the forest) and they hold up to 80kg in weight. So you could sit on a donkey, giraffe, zebra or elephant (and a deer…at least I think it’s a deer). But I like this cow – it is cute and the Fresian markings are actually a map of the world, which is pretty cool. However, please note that, as in real life, adults shouldn’t sit on the small cow stools – it will not end well.

Want to moove (sorry, couldn’t help it) some of these into your home? Check out the collection on the Matomeno site here.