Suck UK Gets Creative And Builds SantaBots For Their Clients' Christmas Gifts

Here's a fun example of a creative corporate Christmas gift. In an effort to send a big thank you to their favorite partners and distributors, Suck UK of London took the chance to send out Christmas gifts with a difference.



This year they decided to send a present that demonstrated the fun, creativity and interaction users have with Suck UK products. Taking a break from sending typical chocolates and wine, they used one of their own new products as inspiration: the Robot Nutcracker!



The office became a real Santa’s Grotto as staff sanded, painted and prepared the robots by hand, transforming each into a Nut Cracking Santa-bot.




The robots were given beards, shiny red coats and topped with Santa hats; creating a bright red army of festivity.



Along with a special gold-sprayed walnut, each Santa-bot was placed inside a black gift box and tied up with red ribbon- ready to send in the Christmas post!





Once delivered, the recipient is invited to follow Alice in Wonderland-style notes like ‘Crack me’, to twist the nutcracker key and break the Willy Wonker-esque golden walnut. Inside the walnut shell is a miniature USB stick with a note to ‘Watch ME’, enabling the receiver to view their video Christmas card with a difference:



Well Done, Suck UK!

Anki DRIVE. Hot Wheels With A Brain Take Gaming To A Whole New Level.

Anki DRIVE is a racing game like no other. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics to take the best of video games and combine it with the best of physical games. It's a video game in the real world. It's real. It's tangible. You hold the cars in your hand, and the track rolls out on your living room floor.



The company was founded in 2010 by Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute graduates who sought to create new consumer experiences using technology that was once confined to robotics labs and research institutes. Its first product, Anki DRIVE, is now on sale in the United States and Canada.

Anki DRIVE was first introduced to the public in June at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), seen in the video below:


Named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2013 and featured on Fast Company, HuffPo, Mashable and Barron's, it's been heralded as a literal game-changer.



Anki DRIVE uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver the first video game in the real world. Each car has been engineered to think: It knows where it is, makes decisions, and drives itself. Using your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or iPad mini you can take control of a car to play against friends or AI cars. But watch your back. Anki DRIVE AI cars have been designed to take you out.


above: the $199.99 starter kit comes with the two cars shown above

To experience Anki DRIVE each player must have an iPhone 4S or later, iPod touch (5th generation) or later, iPad 3 or later, or iPad mini or later.


above: Anki DRIVE can be controlled with the iPhone, iPad, iPhone Touch and iPad Mini

With slight aesthetic and technological changes since last June, you can now play Anki DRIVE against your friends, or against an AI-enabled opponent. The more you race, the more points you earn, which you redeem to upgrade your cars' weapons and capabilities. Each one starts with unique skills. Your upgrade choices further customize the car to make it your own.



Highlights:
• You can play Anki DRIVE against your friends, or against an AI–enabled opponent.
• The AI cars own the road; they know your every move—and the more you drive, the more they evolve.
• Similar to a video game, your character evolves over time. The more you race, the more points you earn, which you redeem to upgrade your cars' weapons and capabilities.
• Up to four vehicles can play at once; you and friends use iOS devices to control one to four of the cars. AI controls any cars you don't control.
• Anki DRIVE includes a physical track that rolls out to 3.5 by 8.5 feet and is intended for use indoors.
• You can place the track on any flat surface, though flooring or a low-pile carpet works best.
• Anki DRIVE is suitable for all ages capable of navigating an iOS device.

WHAT'S INSIDE THE STARTER KIT:



• 2 Intelligent Cars + Charging Cases
• 3.5’ x 8.5’ Race Mat
• Fast Charger

To take control of a car, download the free Anki DRIVE app with one of the following:
• iPhone® 4s or newer
• iPod touch® 5th generation or newer
• iPad® 3 or newer
• iPad mini

$199.99, buy it here

Learn more about Anki technology at www.anki.com and stay tuned for more Anki DRIVE™ updates by liking them on Facebook  and following them on Twitter (@anki).

To get the free iPhone app and take a closer look at Anki DRIVE™, go to: www.appstore.com/ankidrive

Owen Wilson in The Killers' Christmas In LA , a 5 Minute Melancholy Mixed Media Music Video.

The Killers have shared their latest charity Christmas single, Christmas In L.A., whose proceeds will benefit the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. This is the eighth year that the Killers have partnered with (RED), the AIDS awareness organization founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, to produce a Christmas single.



Directed by Kelly Loosli (who is the program director of BYU's animation program) , the mixed media five minute and 12 second music video casts Owen Wilson as a melancholy out of work actor who is dreading December 25th in Los Angeles. I'm not sure if this is odd or perfect casting given Wilson's suicide attempt in 2007 , which everyone seems to have forgotten. The lonesome video also features actor Harry Dean Stanton (below with Wilson) and animation by Loosli's students at Brigham Young University.




Watch the video below, and head over to iTunes to purchase "Christmas in L.A.," which features supporting vocals from Dawes.



The Killers

Alessi Turns The Nativity Into Cutest Christmas Ornaments Ever.

I must confess I never thought I'd see a baby Jesus ornament that I thought was cute. I was wrong. Italian company Alessi has created a line of 12 new Christmas ornaments, 10 based on the old testament's Nativity scene and 2 decorative ones, that include everything from an adorable Baby Jesus to a darling Donkey.

Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, a ram, a cow, a donkey, the Three Wise Men, an Angel, an Elf, and a Shooting Star and are individually hand decorated blown glass ornaments designed by Marcello Jori for Alessi.













The 12 ornaments are available individually or as the following 4 different sets.

Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, donkey and cow:


The Three Wise Men:


Angel and Shooting Star (or Starlight):


Elf and ram:



buy all 12 of them here

or the 10 Nativity ornaments here

Christmas Nutcrackers For Nerds. Robot Nutcrackers by Matthias Zschaler for Suck UK.

Designed by Matthias Zschaler for Suck UK is a fun twist on the traditional Christmas Nutcracker. Two Robot nutcrackers, one large and one small, are made of beechwood and painted in bright retro colors.




Using the 'wind up key' to break the nut, any nut, placed in their belly they are both fun and functional and make great gifts for the holiday season.

Large Blue Robot Nutcracker:




The large Blue Robot Nutcracker measures: Width 125mm x Height 330mm x Depth 60mm
price: $40

Small Red Robot Nutcracker:




The small Red Robot Nutcracker measures: Width 140mm x Height 220mm x Depth 50mm
price: $30



Buy them here

Hip Up That Holiday Tree With 6 New Artist Designed Christmas Ornaments From Lladro.

As part of Lladro's Guest Collection, artists and designers Jaime Hayon, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup and Devilrobots designed 6 Christmas ornaments based on Jaime Hayon's head silhouette for the Valencia, Spain company.

Plain white porcelain ornament by Jaime Hayon for Lladro:



Plain black porcelain by Jaime Hayon for Lladro:


Jaime Hayon decorated porcelain ornament for Lladro:


Gary Baseman decorated porcelain ornament for Lladro:


Tim Biskup decorated porcelain ornament for Lladro:


Devilrobots decorated porcelain ornament for Lladro:



The six available hand-decorated porcelain ornaments are brand new for 2013 and will add a funky artsy touch to your holidays.

The ornaments are a new offshoot of Lladro's Guest Collection from 2012 that featured large and small plain and decorated figures by the same artists:



dimensions: 10 x 8 cm (4 " x 3 ¼")

Buy the Lladro Guest Collection Christmas Ornaments here or here