Book As Art

Ever since the days of Book Fairs at my grade school, I've been interested in the design of book covers. Even today, cover art has a decisive factor in my purchase and reading of a book. Cover art can be one of the most clever forms of graphic design, and it always aims to impress.

With that said, I recently stumbled upon an awesome website called Covers.

Covers is dedicated to the appreciation of book cover design. The blog is updated and maintained by Fwis, a design firm based out of Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR. The Fwis designers review a recent book by its cover each week, and comments are open to the public. The site is interesting and pretty inspirational. There's also a link on the fwis website to read book reviews on any book that visually entices you to learn more.

Check them out @ www.covers.fwis.com

-S

Book As Art

Ever since the days of Book Fairs at my grade school, I've been interested in the design of book covers. Even today, cover art has a decisive factor in my purchase and reading of a book. Cover art can be one of the most clever forms of graphic design, and it always aims to impress.

With that said, I recently stumbled upon an awesome website called Covers.

Covers is dedicated to the appreciation of book cover design. The blog is updated and maintained by Fwis, a design firm based out of Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR. The Fwis designers review a recent book by its cover each week, and comments are open to the public. The site is interesting and pretty inspirational. There's also a link on the fwis website to read book reviews on any book that visually entices you to learn more.

Check them out @ www.covers.fwis.com

-S

"Revelation" By Karim Rashid

Superstar designer Karim Rashid has designed a collection of five spirit bottles for Bombay Sapphire in conjunction with jewellers Garrard and crystal brand Baccarat.

Called "Revelation", the bottles are made of hand-cut crystal and decorated with sapphires and diamonds. They cost $200,000 each.

Reflecting the global popularity of Bombay Sapphire, the limited edition Revelation bottles will be launched at five major international airport locations – starting with London Heathrow airport on March 27th, to coincide with the opening of the new terminal five and subsequently New York, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney. One Revelation bottle will be exhibited at each of the five international airports for two to three months before being securely transported to its new owner anywhere in the world.

Profits from Revelation will benefit the travel retail industry’s chosen charity, The Smile Train, which provides life-enhancing cleft surgery to children in poor countries.

"Revelation" By Karim Rashid

Superstar designer Karim Rashid has designed a collection of five spirit bottles for Bombay Sapphire in conjunction with jewellers Garrard and crystal brand Baccarat.

Called "Revelation", the bottles are made of hand-cut crystal and decorated with sapphires and diamonds. They cost $200,000 each.

Reflecting the global popularity of Bombay Sapphire, the limited edition Revelation bottles will be launched at five major international airport locations – starting with London Heathrow airport on March 27th, to coincide with the opening of the new terminal five and subsequently New York, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney. One Revelation bottle will be exhibited at each of the five international airports for two to three months before being securely transported to its new owner anywhere in the world.

Profits from Revelation will benefit the travel retail industry’s chosen charity, The Smile Train, which provides life-enhancing cleft surgery to children in poor countries.

FIAT 500: My Next Car

2008 Fiat 500

Just in time for $3 gas, Fiat dreams of an American comeback.

Retro is still cool, according to Fiat, which has already tapped into its past for a new badge and created a fashionable range of merchandise featuring its logo style from the 1920s.

The latest Fiat 500—cinquecento in Italian—is also about reestablishing Fiat's Italian pride. Five years ago, Fiat was in dire straits and seemed certain to fall into the arms of General Motors under an agreement made in 2000. Sergio Marchionne, a Canadian-Italian businessman, was appointed CEO of Fiat in 2004 and given the freedom to do whatever it took to turn the company around. His first action was to negotiate a divorce settlement with GM, which ended up costing the General $2 billion. A jubilant and now cash-rich Fiat put ads in newspapers throughout Italy proclaiming, "Fiat is Italian again."

Small cars are Fiat's specialty, and a range of new ones—starting with its cheapest model, the Panda, and following with the Grande Punto—has improved Fiat's sales. Following the success of the modern-day Volkswagen New Beetle and Mini Cooper, Fiat presented the Trepiuno concept at the 2004 Geneva auto show. The concept borrowed the design of the 1950 Nuova Fiat 500 but was built on a modern Panda platform. Three years later, and 50 years to the day after the first appearance of the iconic original, a party that involved the whole city of Turin welcomed the debut of the '08 500. -BY RAY HUTTON

FIAT 500: My Next Car

2008 Fiat 500

Just in time for $3 gas, Fiat dreams of an American comeback.

Retro is still cool, according to Fiat, which has already tapped into its past for a new badge and created a fashionable range of merchandise featuring its logo style from the 1920s.

The latest Fiat 500—cinquecento in Italian—is also about reestablishing Fiat's Italian pride. Five years ago, Fiat was in dire straits and seemed certain to fall into the arms of General Motors under an agreement made in 2000. Sergio Marchionne, a Canadian-Italian businessman, was appointed CEO of Fiat in 2004 and given the freedom to do whatever it took to turn the company around. His first action was to negotiate a divorce settlement with GM, which ended up costing the General $2 billion. A jubilant and now cash-rich Fiat put ads in newspapers throughout Italy proclaiming, "Fiat is Italian again."

Small cars are Fiat's specialty, and a range of new ones—starting with its cheapest model, the Panda, and following with the Grande Punto—has improved Fiat's sales. Following the success of the modern-day Volkswagen New Beetle and Mini Cooper, Fiat presented the Trepiuno concept at the 2004 Geneva auto show. The concept borrowed the design of the 1950 Nuova Fiat 500 but was built on a modern Panda platform. Three years later, and 50 years to the day after the first appearance of the iconic original, a party that involved the whole city of Turin welcomed the debut of the '08 500. -BY RAY HUTTON

Manned Cloud: Cruise Airship

Living in the sky, watching the Earth from above. Rediscovering the marvel of traveling, experiencing contemplation. Exploring the world without trace.

Manned Cloud is a flying hotel proposed by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud & French national aerospace research body ONERA.

This 40 passenger airship will take a 3-day cruise in 170 km/h which permits man to explore the world without a trace: to re-experience travelling, timelessness and enhance the consciousness of the beauty of the world - and to experience spectacular and exotic places without being intrusive or exploitative.

This may all seem very experimental and weird, but the simple fact is that this is what travel will look like in the future.

Manned Cloud amenities will include a restaurant, a library, a fitness suite and a spa. There will also be a sun deck on top of the double helium-filled envelopes.

Very cool!

-S