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

Okay, so it's not news that Apple's eagerly anticipated 3G iPhone (or iPhone 2.0) goes on sale tomorrow. Many thousands of people will be anxiously awaiting their new gadget and signing up for phone plans as though they've never before had a phone.

So, how do you make yours more hip than everyone else's? Customize that sucker! And here are a few ways to do it and links to all the places:

Make it a fun color at Colorware:

Colorware

Or buy from Continetal Mobile's Vivid Color Collection:

Continental Mobile's Vivid Collection

Make it 18k yellow, white or rose gold:

Continental 18k gold iphones

Or yellow or rose gold plated from Gold Genie:

Goldgenie

Or 24k gold plated iphones:

Goldstriker

more 24k plated iphones:

icandy phones

Paul Knight of Knight Creations has a special technology that coats the iPhone casing with a layer of TiN and TiAlN (Titanium-Nitrogen, and Titanium-Aluminum-Nitrogen) through a process known as "plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition."

What you get is an anodized iPhone casing (matte black to match the black plastic cover) and an Apple logo finished in the TiN or TiAlN. The TiN coating gives the Apple logo a shiny Gold presence, while the TiAlN coating gives the logo an understated, stealthy look.

Knight Creations

Even Platinum iphones can be had:

also at Goldstriker

Epilog Laser sells an engraving device that allows you to engrave your iphone:

Etchstar will custom laser engrave your iphone for you:

etchstar
As will ETCHamac
Appletattoo will gold plate, crystallize or laser etch your iphone.

And of course, blinged out iPhones, with real diamonds or with Swarovski crystals will separate your iPhone from the crowd.

Austrian jeweler Peter Aloisson's custom diamond iPhone with princess cut stones has a total diamond weight of between 16.50 – 17.75 carats:

He also has one with brilliant cut (round) stones only weighing 6.42 carats:

Peter Aloisson

Bling King Alexander Amosu's diamond iphone:

Amosu

Bling My Thing has many custom Swarovski Crystal iphones to choose from:

Bling My Thing

Can't afford gold plating or special custom colors? Then try one of the many protective 'skins' on the market.

istyles has several inexpensive ones:

istyles

And Gelaskins offers amazing artist designed removable skins for the iphone (yes, for the new one) that comes with matching wallpaper.

And even one by Jason Freeny whose art I featured here:

Gelaskins.

So go ahead, buy that iPhone, but then turn into into something that's uniquely yours, so you can identify it from the thousands that will undoubtedly be sold tomorrow!

baumraum, based in Germany, designs and builds treehouses.
But not the types of treehouses I grew up with. The are actual arborial dwelling spaces that are nicer than many homes! Various sizes, styles and venues, they build all over the world. Small, large, split level...you name it. And every single one is a sight to behold.

As they say on their website:
"we transform your individual ideas and wishes into ingenious and inspiring dwellings that combine versatility with craftsmanship of the highest quality and maximum safety standards. A major objective thereby is to handle the trees and their surroundings with the utmost care, ensuring their protection and preservation."

And they do an amazing job. Here are just a few of their international treehouses, both the exterior and interior images:

New York residence:

a meditation room:

Treehouse Apulien:

Treehouse Wencke:

Treehouse Osterreich:

Magnolia and Pine Treehouse:

Brazil Treehouse:

Alder and Oak Treehouse:

Stadtjugendring Wolfsburg und den Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen:

Station Karnten:

Treehouse Louisa:

The Distler Family Treehouse:

contact info:
Andreas Wenning
dipl.-ing. architekt
roonstr. 49
28203 bremen
germany
tel. ++ 49 (0) 4 21. 70 51 22
a.wenning@baumraum.de

To see more many more images and learn more, go to the Baumraum site.