Posts Written by Paul Strauss

Urbanspoon’s iPhone app works like a virtual magic eight ball, except it brings up restaurant suggestions and reviews. Awesome: a map showing people shaking their phones.

There can never be too many food websites. Open Source Food remixes progressive copyright attitudes with yummy in my tummy. True to form, recipes come with a Creative Commons license.

Graffiti doesn’t get much respect as an art form, but it looks pretty cool as furniture. These pieces are by industrial designer Luis Alicandu, who is also an editor at design blog MoCoLoCo.

Just like the name says, Droplets are drop-shaped collectibles. Sold blindboxed, they’re hand-signed and hand-numbered, each with their own personality. Black is the hardest to find.

Above: snapped by a weather balloon shortly after it popped, 18.5 miles up. Tethered to it were several Lego projects built by students, profs and hobbyists. The projects parachuted back down.

The 2009 BMW M3 sedan gets minor face buttlift with updated taillights. Both coupe and sedan also get Le Mans Blue (sweet!), rotary AC controls and an optional, larger 8.8″ navi.

Traveling? Duracell’s PowerSource Mini (1 USB, 1 mini USB) and Xantrex’s Mobile100 (2 USB, 1 AC outlet) are backup Li-Ion batteries for laptops, MP3 players and cellphones.

Joystiq has an awesome trailer of Wolfenstein up (just click the pic above). It’s being developed by Raven, the same crew that brought us Jedi Knight II and Quake 4. Warning: gore.

WebUrbanist has a creepy collection of abandoned buildings from around the world. It’s like a horror movie director’s wet dream: insane asylums, condemned theme parks and crumbling hospitals.

The Toy2R Forums are running a 10″ Bart Simpson Qee customs auction until August 25th. There are 49 dolls in all, and they cost from $100-$1000; the proceeds go to the Red Cross.

The Samsung INNOV8 is a camera masquerading as a slider phone. We love the 16M color 2.8″ display, quad-band GSM and FM radio, but it’s all about the camera: 8 megapixels.

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has a DIY for making your own Fraction Adding Machine out of a Rice Krispies Box, glue and tape. It’s based on an actual 1952 calculator.

Lee J Rowland is an aerospace engineer who makes really, really cool furniture on the side. His Ripple series of tables are made from chrome plated steel using 3D CNC machining.

It’s been a long time in the making, but Delicious 2.0 has finally launched. The social bookmarking service has added *gasp* graphics and more colors! It’s more intuitive, too. Aww yeah.

Toyota is testing personal transport robots a-la Segway at local airports and resorts. They’ll come in three versions with increasing levels of freedom, from “practical” to “hands-free sporty.”

It’s tough to go wrong with a name like Lucky Luciano. These kicks by Creative Recreation have a sweet two-tone and color combos that hearken back to adventure serials from the 30s and 40s.

We’ll never own Hysek’s Abyss Tourbillon. Only thirty will ever be made, and chances are it’d cost a kidney or two. Unabashedly modern, this watch’s exposed moment shows it has nothing to hide.

We actually own several of postdesigner’s digitally printed monster plushes, and boy do they spiff up our office. Be warned: once you start buying these beasties, it’s hard to stop.

FujiFilm’s FinePix Z200fd camera finally comes to the US this September. While 10 megapixels is impressive, its “Couple Timer” can detect faces and their proximity to each other. Eww, cooties.

We don’t mean to have back-to-back tshirt posts, but Design By Humans has a one-year anniversary sale until midnight, tonight. Many tees start at only $12, so stop by before the sale’s over!

Brock Davis’ Animals with Eyepatches tee is, well, pretty self explanatory. Pastel colors generally aren’t too manly, but they work well with a dark shirt. That, and patches are manly. Arrrrhhhh.

The aptly named Rare & Prestige Collection is to whisky connoisseurs what Bentley is to car collectors. In all, there are four aged scotches (1965-1977) scattered across the globe.

It seems a bit tacky, but BackDrop’s inflatable headboards can quickly transform your bedroom at half the cost. Included: a microsuede, twill or faux leather slipcover and air cushion.