If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Mercedes-Benz Designs A Wicked Car Inspired By A Video Racing Game: The AMG Vision Gran Turismo.

For the new PlayStation® 3 racing game Gran Turismo 6, released just last month, the Mercedes-Benz designers have developed the visionary concept of a super sports car – and created one in full scale: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo.

Extreme proportions, sensual contours and intelligently implemented high tech blend to form a breathtaking body.

Using the theme "Vision Gran Turismo", the world's leading automotive manufacturers and design studios were to develop concept models which give a unique insight into the further development of the automobile.

Kazunori Yamauchi, Head of Games Development and President of Polyphony Digital Inc., called for a look into the future. Under the basic idea of "Vision Gran Turismo", leading car manufacturers and design companies worldwide were asked to fashion pioneering design models. As virtual vehicles that nonetheless function just like a real car, the visionary concepts will be gradually unveiled in and integrated into the new game Gran Turismo® 6 through online updates.

"With its proportions and its expressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo embodies that design philosophy of sensual clarity which is characteristic of the brand. The design of this concept car clearly shows the perfect interaction of emotive, sensual shapes with intelligently placed technologies," said Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG.

As a 1:1-scale model, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo celebrated its world premiere at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Research Development Center in Sunnyvale, California and debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

above: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo at the Los Angeles Auto Show

During the design development of the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, the same standards were kept and the same processes followed as for any other concept car or series-production model. All the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios around the world prepared initial design drafts of their visions. Finally, the best ideas were further developed at the Advanced Design Studio in Sindelfingen as part of a digital design process, and then perfected in a physical 1:1 design process. The interior design was created at the specialised Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy.

Also, the sound designers of the concept car have integrated an elegant, specially developed sound for the eight independent exhaust pipes integrated into the rear lamps (shown below).

Muscuar Bodyshell:

The sports car proportions that are a typical Mercedes-Benz feature have been reinterpreted: the long bonnet has a flowing transition into a compact greenhouse offset to the rear, which takes the form of an aerodynamically efficient water drop to descend slightly at the rear, where it rests on the rear end with broad shoulder contours. The dynamic aura is accentuated by an extended, dramatic side contour and a pronounced bulge to the wheel arches, which blend into the low-slung, muscular bodyshell. The angled headlamps, with their colour scheme and determined look, convey a sense of sportiness and readiness to leap forward.

LED Grille:

Another eye-catching feature is the radiator grille – a reinterpretation of the wide Mercedes-Benz sports car grille with central star. Its shape is reminiscent of the legendary 300 SL racing car of 1952. However, instead of classic louvres the grille of the show car features exclusively LEDs. The variable LED grille with different light patterns is a further development of the diamond grille introduced with the new A-Class.

The Game: Gran Turismo 6 - Standard Edition

• The Gran Turismo® series, recording sales over 70 million* worldwide, reinvents its core game engine in its newest edition for PlayStation®3. Gran Turismo®6 brings with it 1,200 types of car and 76 courses across 37 locations.
• With powered-up online competition, brand-new community functions, the product of collaboration with the world’s automotive manufacturers “Vision Gran Turismo” and more, Gran Turismo®6 is at the forefront of racing game technology.

Gran Turismo
Mercedes Benz

For The Love of Movies and Dogs: Wrigley At The Movies 2.0

above: Wrigley and his owner recreate a scene from John Hughes' Sixteen Candles

I came upon this adorable set of images where redditor mmsspp posted pics of their boss, Chris Naka, with his dog Wrigley recreating famous movie scenes compared to the original movie stills.

above left: as originally posted and above right: an example of my alteration

The 13 images were adorable BUT... and I hope they are not offended... I couldn't stand the way they were laid out nor how poorly the colors and looks matched in some, so I took it upon myself to put them side by side or above and directly below and adjusted the colors a bit so they really look similar.

Here are the improved images of "Wrigley at the Movies":

Dirty Dancing:

Top Gun:

Brokeback Mountain:

Spiderman:

Sixteen Candles:

The Graduate:

Hunger Games:

The Notebook:

Titanic:

Ghost:

Ryan Gosling:

Say Anything:

To see the original post, go here

The World's First Interactive Print Ad (For The Moto X) Breaks In This Month's WIRED magazine.

To drive home the 'customization' concept behind Motorola's Moto X Mobile phone, Digitas, with some help from T+Ink Technology, has created the very first interactive print ad. Select copies (only 150,000 distributed in Chicago and New York) of the January edition of WIRED magazine will feature a print ad that allows you to begin designing your own Moto X phone by simply pressing on colored buttons to change the color of the back of the smartphone's case.

This animated gif (courtesy of FastCoCreate) gives you a peek at the technology:

Then the viewer is directed to a site where they can complete the customization process and order the smartphone, if they so desire.

See how it works in the video below:

Motorola

The 20 Most Incredible Photos Of Living Creatures From 2013.

National Geographic's 2013 Year in Review is a beautiful interactive site on which one could spend hours and hours exploring many of the most incredible scientific findings, technological advancements, space exploration, geopolitical stories, travel images, adventure scenarios, ancient worlds, human cultures, environmental happenings, animal photography and more from 2013.

This award winning rechargeable time piece was initially designed by Gusztav Szikszai two years ago, sparking a lot of interest, with many people in various forums asking how they could get hold of one.

And That's A Wrap, Folks. Here's What Mattered To You In 2013.

Here's how the world 'searched' in 2013, broken down by categories, courtesy of... Google, of course. These are based on search topics with the largest global search volume.

Trends:                    People:

Events:                    Athletes:

Consumer Electronics: Hashtags:

Movies:                    Performing Artists:

TV Shows:                YouTube Videos:

And here's how the U.S. searched in the categories that really mattered:

Apparel:                   Beer:

Books:                     Blogs:

Cars:                       Dating Sites:

Deaths:                   Dogs:

Internet Animals:     High Fashion Brands:

Memes:                   Movies:

Popular Gifs:            Reality TV Stars:

Restaurants:            Shoes:

Songs:                    Sports:

Tech Gadgets:          Toys:

TV Shows:               Video Games:

What Is...:               Workouts/Exercise:

I hope your 2013 was everything you wanted it to be and that 2014 is even better. Happy New Year!

What Ballers Are Drinking Tonight: Moët's $6200 Luxury Leopard Methuselah Of Rosé Champagne.

As you're toasting the new year tonight with your $20 bottle of champagne from the local liquor outlet, the hip crowd at the most exclusive night clubs and a select number of the elite (or perhaps, extravagant) will be sipping something from a bottle they don't dare to trash once it's empty.

Moët & Chandon Nectar Rose has presented 60 huge fancy schmancy bottles of bubbly - the Luxury Leopard Methuselah: a six liter bottle (the equivalent of eight regular sized bottles) hand-decorated with 22 carat gold leaf.

The majestic six-liter bottle of Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé Leopard Luxury Edition's exterior is finely covered in a luxurious layer of 22 carat golden leaves, delicately adorned with the design of the leopard's noble rosettes:

For this new coat, Moët & Chandon called upon the expertise of renowned French jewelers and engravers Arthus-Bertrand.

Only 60 bottles were produced worldwide, a rarity available only in the most select nightclubs or through Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits in New York for $6,200.

Moët Nectar Impérial Rosé distinguishes itself by its extravagant fruitiness and delightfully crisp finish. The refined and sophisticated richness of Nectar Impérial Rosé is a champagne crafted to please the senses.