GeekSugar

Contour Cases Make Silicone and Plastic Appealing

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:41 -0800

When I wasn't checking out the new Apple goods at Macworld, I had my eye out for new accessories; mainly, I'm eager to see what new spin on iPhone cases there are. The Contour Cases' booth managed to change my mind a little about silicone cases by showing off bright colors and slimmer profiles.

It seems like the vast majority of iPhone and iPod Touch cases are silicone right now, and knowing its durability, it's no shocker, but I hate putting my hand in my bag and touching something that feels like a tire tread.

Contour's cases fit a little close to the device, felt great in my hand, and the color family (lots of greens, blues, and blacks) is modern and cool. Likewise, the hard plastic cases didn't feel like they'd shatter if you dropped them on the asphalt.

Some of the shown styles are on their website already, but I'm looking forward to new cases being added soon.

Nintendo DS Teams Up With Shiseido Makeup

GeekSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:03:22 -0700

My Nintendo DS knows the contours of my thumbs very well - why shouldn't it know the contours of my face? In late November, when Project Beauty launches, it will. Project Beauty, the result of a collaboration between Shiseido and Nintendo DS, is a DS game that will recognize your face from a scan, and will then make beauty product recommendations for you (probably Shiseido products).

Wouldn't it be great if you could get cell-phone apps like this, too? It would certainly make your morning a little easier, even if it's just to tell you, yes, you do look toe-up today.

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Behind the Scenes at ILM: The Making of Indiana Jones

GeekSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:00:40 -0700

It's been 19 years since we last saw Indiana Jones - who just so happens to be one of my favorite heroes in film - so I was stoked to see the latest installment to hit the big screen. However, I'm even more excited to take home my own copy of the film tonight to add to my collection. Not only to relive the adventure, but to see the extras that come with the DVD!

During my visit to the ILM studios, I was not only treated to some juicy behind the scenes info on the making of Iron Man, but also got the inside scoop on the making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We chatted with Visual Effects Supervisor Pablo Helman and Art Director Christian Alzmann here in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and talked about the challenges of movie making, and how visual effects really enhance film. To see what they offered up, just read more.

Scenes for the film were shot in Hawaii, Russia, Brazil, and New Mexico.
Although there were a lot of special effects used in the blockbuster, Pablo Helman (Visual Effects Supervisor) wanted to use real landscapes and location shots whenever possible - usually he used at least 50 percent of actual footage, with the rest being visual effects.

The nuclear bomb scene in the first half of the film was shot using miniature models - the entire town was scaled down, except for the one house Indy ran into to hide from the bomb.
The chase scene through the jungle contained a huge number of visual effects. The road they were driving on was in Hawaii, but the cliffs were pieced in from shots they took in Brazil.
The attacking ants were programmed with artificial intelligence, so the animators didn't have to animate every single ant's path.
To get the special effects right for the Maccupiccu scenes, a photographer was sent on location to photograph the landscape for three days. Later, animators and visual effects designers could match the light, contours, and backgrounds to the photos, since the Maccupiccu scenes were shot on a set.
Interesting, but obvious: George Lucas prefers working with special effects, whereas Steven Spielberg likes to work with actual film and footage.

Will you be getting your copy of the DVD today? You know where I'll be after work!

Cell Phone Inspired By A Fruit Tray, Looks Chic

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:30:56 -0700

We've seen a lot of wacky concepts, but Timo Wong's CELLS phone deserves special recognition for its unusual inspiration and tactile body. The design of the phone looks a lot like the contours of a typical fruit tray and the number keys are separated by alternating contours on one single surface. It reminds me of a quilted Marc Jacobs bag, so naturally, I love it.

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Pebble : The MP3 Object

GeekSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 09:08:50 -0700

A few weeks ago I shared that Industrial Designer Branko Lukic is working to develop and license products that will be "treasured not because of their specifications, but because they make the owner happy to own it." The idea, which Branko details in his upcoming book "Nonobject," is about the "space between you and the object" and while it may seem esoteric to some, points to an exciting, interactive and deeply personal trend in technology. This week, a preview of Lukic's book hit the web and gadget lovers have been fawning over his ideas.

"What if products could take on the diversity of nature?," asks Lukic. "What if products embodied twists and contours, and off-colored spots? What if a line of MP3 players, say, could be designed to resemble an array of pebbles scattered along an ocean's shore? Or like a basketfull of heirloom tomatoes at a farmers' market? Imagine the possibilities of mass customizing with such diversity in mind How would it change the way we interact with devices? How would it change the experience of consumption? How would it impact the human-product relationship?"

Do you think gadgets should be more reflective of the natural world? Check out the gallery of images from Lukic's book and then leave me your comments. read more

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For more about Lukic's work check out his website.

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Photo Tips: Check Light Source, Strike Pose

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:12:52 -0800

Ever whip out your camera, line up your friends for a photo and suddenly realize you don't know where to stand with the camera? I have. When it comes to the direction of light, there are 360 degrees of possibilities, so when the natural or artificial light source isn't working for you, it's best to change it by moving your position, your subject's position, or the light itself. Knowing how each angle will affect the final photo is the first step to becoming the next Annie Leibovitz.

High front light (sunlight)
We are trained early on that high front light is the best type of light, and often it is. The pro of high front light is the fact that the scene will be well lit and that the colors of the scene will be extra bright. The negative aspect of lots of sunlight in a picture is that your subject may squint and very high sunlight (seen at noon) will create deep shadows under eyes and chins, unless you use fill flash.

For more about lighting angles, just read more

Front light
Front lighting illuminates the portion of the subject facing the photographer. Your camera's flash is the most common type of front lighting. It's great because it provides the most information to the camera by lighting the entire scene. It's also the easiest type of light to deal with photographically because there are fewer shadows to confuse the camera's light meter. The trouble is textures and details are minimized and scenes appear flat with few shadows.

Side light
Side lighting is great when you want to emphasize texture, dimension, shapes, or patterns. Side lighting sculpts a subject, revealing contours and textures. Use side lighting to exaggerate dimension and depth. At a 45-degree angle to the side, it's one of the most flattering types of portrait lighting. It can separate the subject from the background. Problem is, it may be too severe for some subjects, creating some areas that are too bright, and some that are too dark.

Back light
Light that comes from behind your subject is by far the trickiest to use, but the dramatic results may be worth the effort. Back light is great because it simplifies a complicated scene by emphasizing the subject, as in a silhouette, it also provides a flattering halo of light in portraits. You do have to be careful as it can cause lens flare resulting in low contrast and strange light spots across the picture.