Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Coto

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDieline/~3/kX5uc9I7A58/coto.html

Jar-in-moss2c
Coto is a luxury fashion accessories company in NYC. Their slender, well-made neckties and hand made cuff links are stylish and understated. Their products are packaged in unique packaging. The cuff links are packed in tiny glass vials sealed with a cork and branded with the Coto logo. When they are shipped, they come nestled in a bed of reindeer moss. The ties are in round 'capsule' boxes that were also shipped in the moss.

(photo credits: Reuben Miller)

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Here's some background info that Dominick Volini of Coto was kind enough to share with me: 


"[about the cuff links] We are big collectors of curiosities. Our friend and industrial designer, Greg Buntain, made us bamboo vials when we first started the brand. We loved them. We played off of this vial theme to encase our links. Our cufflinks are specimens of nature – made from coconuts, tagua nuts, horns, briar root, etc... We also needed a durable case to house the delicate "fly" links which are made out of natural feathers.   The glass vials and natural cork presented the links very well – like a message in a bottle washed up on the beach...relics from a distant island. The COTO laser engrave adds a nice clean branding detail.

[about the neckties] Playing off of the round-end necktie and sustainable components of our products, we wanted to create packaging that integrated these unique features. We fused two cases that we constantly use – tea containers and an old fly fishing reel case. We loved the round capsule aesthetic of the tea containers and the proportions of the reel case. Using recycled paper with a linen texture gave it the enviro piety and aesthetic we were looking for.

We wanted the exterior of the capsule to be clean – we are big fans of ample white space on web/print so we used....white. The interior needed to pop with our signature orange-yellow color we call 7AM (a good time to check the surf and see the beautiful sun rising). The branding is simple and understated as well – a tonal emboss/deboss "O" logo on the top and a small "COTO" wordmark print on the interior top."


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"We use reindeer moss to buffer the capsule and vial in their shipping containers. It is a nice detail when opening the package – instead of finding packing peanuts we surround the cases with soft, sponge-like, natural moss. Full disclosure, we are also addicted to the woodsy smell of it."

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More about Coto: COTO is rooted in a philosophy of self expression. It is a simple idea that penetrates everything we create – to be forward-thinking in our own unique way. We view the building of COTO through an artistic lens that provokes thought and, we hope, inspires others in our creative niche. 

Our inspiration is pulled from a passion in art, sport, nature and travel. Nomadic surfers, isolated artists and culture-seekers ourselves, we embody the freedom and authenticity of a left-of-center attitude.

The COTO product offering is our platform of expression. Utilizing nature-borrowed, sustainable materials, we create a limited collection for those who appreciate the details. By using carefully selected components, each product reveals a familiar, almost vintage quality in character and craftsmanship. They complement a style of understated sophistication – for the sartorial and sustainably minded.

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Nikon Coolpix S230: Nikon's Less Pricey Touchscreen Digital Camera [Digital Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/wOWvpzB2f4c/nikon-coolpix-s230-nikons-less-pricey-touchscreen-digital-camera

The touchscreen S230 differs from Nikon's first touchscreen camera, the S60 in a few big ways: It has real buttons where it needs them, the touchscreen works better (supposedly), and it's over $100 cheaper.

On the other hand, it's got a slightly smaller 3.0-inch screen, and it's not the slim wedge of sexy that the S60 was, either. It has most of the other software features though, like a paint application for doodling penises on people's heads, along with Nikon's fairly standard point-and-shoot kit, like auto scene-selector and image stabilization. Not bad for $230.

NIKON UNVEILS NEW S230 TOUCH SCREEN DIGITAL CAMERA

Playback and Zoom Controlled with the Swipe of a Finger

MELVILLE, NY (February 2, 2009) – Hot on the heels of the successful COOLPIX S60 camera, Nikon today introduced the new S230, which incorporates Nikon's innovative touch screen LCD, offering the cutting-edge of elegant design and intuitive operation. The S230 combines a 3.0-inch high-resolution touch panel LCD design with a new graphic interface that lets users switch modes, view and edit images and change camera settings with the touch of the screen.

"Touch technology is one of the hottest things in consumer electronics today and our new S230 is no different," said Bill Giordano, General Manager Marketing, COOLPIX for Nikon Inc. "With the S230, our touch screen brings a new level of sophistication and interaction to consumers, by putting the power of the camera right at their fingertips."

Touch controls also give users a fun, creative way to do more with their pictures. The camera comes equipped! with a stylus that brings an element of personalization and expression. With the Draw Function, users can write or draw on their pictures. The S230 also has the Paint Function, which enables users to add fun frames and stamps to their pictures. The camera saves the images as copies, so the user always has access to the original picture.

In addition to the Touch Screen LCD, the S230 includes several innovative features introduced across the entire COOLPIX line. The S230 incorporates Nikon's world-class NIKKOR lenses, which deliver extremely accurate and high-speed focusing, and Nikon's EXPEEDTM digital image processing concept, which ensures high-quality pictures with stunning color and sharpness.

The S230 camera also includes new shooting modes, which Nikon has seamlessly integrated into the camera's interface. These include:
• Scene Auto Selector, which automatically recognizes the scene in your camera and adjusts the camera settings:
o The camera will select between six common scene modes: Close-up, Portrait, Landscape, Backlight, Night Portrait, and Night Landscape.
• Smart Portrait System, which integrates the following to make it a snap to capture stunning portrait photos of friends and family:
o In-Camera Red-Eye FixTM, which automatically fixes most instances of red-eye.
o Enhanced Face-Priority AF, which can detect up to 12 faces from a variety of angles, including straight on, from the side, or even in a multitude of three-quarter positions.
o Smile Mode, which automatically detects when your subject smiles and releases the shutter.
o Blink Proof, which automatically takes two shots and saves the one in which the subject's eyes are open.
• 4-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization, which helps enable blur-free pictures, even in low light or unsteady conditions with the following features:
o Electronic VR, which compensates for camera shake within the image processing, which minimizes blurriness in photos and helps ensure crisp, cl! ear imag es.
o Motion Detection, which automatically sets a faster shutter speed and higher ISO if the camera detects movement from camera shake or if the subject moves.
o ISO 2000 Capability, which makes it easy to take sharper, more natural-looking photos in lower light conditions.
o Best Shot Selector (BSS), which takes a maximum of 10 sequential shots while the shutter button is pressed, and saves the sharpest image, making sure photos are crisp, clear, and detailed.
The new S230 camera will be available nationwide beginning February 2009 and will retail for $229.95. The camera will be available in five colors: Plum, Jet Black, Night Blue, Gloss Red and Warm Silver. The new S230 is one of four new S-series cameras introduced by Nikon today. Other cameras include the S630, S620 and the S220 (for more information, please see press release, "NIKON UNVEILS S630 NEW POCKET-SIZED 7X ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA," Feb. 2, 2009)
For more information about the new COOLPIX cameras, please visit www.nikonusa.com.



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Give Your Eee PC 900HA a Touchscreen [Touchscreen Eee]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Ew-3cVz5D0g/give-your-eee-pc-900ha-a-touchscreen

As one of the few tablet lovers here, I'm going crazy waiting for the Eee tablet netbook. Maybe instead, I ought to just make my own out of Eee 900HA like these guys.

A member who claims to have "very little knowledge on computer things" managed to take about his 900HA and turn it into a touchscreen notebook. All you need is a screwdriver, some tape, a plastic card, a solderless touchscreen kit and some extra wires.

Pretty neat, if it works! A 900Ha is only $320-ish on Amazon and this method doesn't seem to add more than another $100 to the cost. Maybe if Asus hasn't released the T91 in the next month, it'll be time for me to get my screwdriver out. [Eee User Forum - Thanks Shoangore!]



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Apple Tablet Described in Patent [Apple]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lH02aU7lyWE/apple-tablet-described-in-patent

Hidden within the usual litany of claims in a patent awarded this January—titled "Display Housing for Computing Device", which covers their current portable displays—Apple describes a tablet display, with the display housing the computer device.

The patent describes several forms for these displays—most of them already in use in current Apple laptops—, and one of them describes the display as a "housing for a computer device", which includes the computer electronics within the display housing, sandwiched between front and back shells.

[0015]As a housing for a computer device, one embodiment of the invention includes: a front shell; a back shell coupled to said front shell to produce said housing, electrical components for the computer device being internal to said housing; and a foam stiffener provided internal to said housing to substantially fill unused space internal to said housing, thereby providing stiffness to said housing.

Like always, patents don't have to materialize into products, but it's always comforting to see Apple thinking about creating such a device. Or at least, contemplating the possibility and covering all bets in a patent. [USPTO via Electronic Pulp]



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ClearCam for iPhone Stitches 2MP Photos Together Into 4MP Ones [IPhone Apps]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/z8JSIqGDDjg/clearcam-for-iphone-stitches-2mp-photos-together-into-4mp-ones

ClearCam is the latest iPhone app to go live on Cydia, home for the jailbreak apps, and turns your 2MP photos into 4MP ones by stitching 6 normal photos into one super photo.

Similar to the manner in which Gigapan created the 1474MP image of the inauguration, Occipital's ClearCam works its magic by creating a composite image using 6 iPhone photos taken in succession. This allows the photo to have the resolution of a 4MP image. And since the UI has infinite multitouch scale, you can zoom in as far as you want (a bit gimmicky, yes, but I did the zoom gesture 50 times, and it took 50 pinches to get the photo back to original resolution).

Essentially, you choose to snap a photo, then it runs off 6 of them into a directory. Then there's a two step process for enhancement. First you hit the button to align the photos, then you hit the button to enhance photos. It takes about 30-40 seconds in total.

Though the resolution is larger, it's worth noting that the image quality does not appear to increase substantially when viewed normally. Instead, the image—especially text—appears a little sharper and readable when zoomed in, and any obnoxious blur is eliminated for the most part. Files sizes are around 2x bigger than the normal image taken with the iPhone camera. Occipital says there's still room to improve as far as enhancement goes, but they need to work on keeping the file size low, first.

In addition to creating 4MP photos, you can also select quick capture mode, which fires off 6 images in 2.5 seconds, selects the best looking one, and discards the rest.

As for dec! iding to release in Cydia as opposed to the App Store, Occipital felt like the rapid shot mode would be rejected, and they didn't want to remove the feature from the app. So they've turned to the jailbreak community instead.

As mentioned earlier, ClearCam is available now through Cydia, and after a 15-day trial, the full version can be purchased for $15. [Occipital]



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