Wrapping

I had a good laugh at this when I first saw it. It's kinda like Minecraft meets Christmas; sorta.

What it is, exactly, is 'premium' wrapping paper that is currently under-development through a Kickstarter project. So, just in case you're going to be giving someone a stack of books(?) for next Christmas -- or, any other holiday or celebration after, I'm guessing, mid-February 2012 -- you can now do it in style! Well, if you define "style" as a boxy hamburger, at least.

But, seriously... I think this is a really cool and fun execution of an idea. And, as the Kickstarter campaign implies, creating a set of wrapping papers like this opens up lots of other possibilities for similar sets of stacked gifts. I'm not even going to start trying to think up new ideas, but I'm sure there are lots out there... even just within the realm of food, I imagine.

Whatever the case, there is always lots of speciality wrapping paper being advertised and sold at this time of year, but I really appreciated the imagination that went into this!

» Found at: Kickstarter - Gift Couture

Dailies

In a world where everything is doing digital and we talk about "paperless work environments", it's kinda to see something kinda retro like this. It seems like a perfect match for the on-the-go, rush- rush- rush world we choose to live in these days. Say "Hello" to the Little Printer:

I love the idea of a personalized, daily mini-newspaper being printed for me. And not just something that I could have randomly generated, but daily news headlines, a schedule for my day, perhaps a to-do list or a list of contacts that are attached to my calendar entries for the day. Cool, fun way of putting this together. And, while I think re-printing the face every time is a waste of paper, it is also somehow very cute.

For a better understanding of what this is all about, I strongly suggest that you check out the introduction video they have released. It shows you, in a very Apple-y way, how you use your smartphone to set everything up, send messages, etc., etc.  And, again, I love how they encourage sticking things on the fridge or sharing clips with others. There is also something so nice about it being all black and white... colour isn't always necessary.

Although the list of companies the service is working with right now seems limited, they're still in (what I would assume to be) an alpha phase, so that's to be understood. I'm sure that this will come out at a price point way beyond what I would ever consider spending for something fun like this (not to mention the need for, I'd assume, special paper rolls)... but it was still too cute not to share.

» Found at: Little Printer/BERG Cloud

TotW: Odessa

This isn't a new track, but it's a solid one. It's being featured in a commercial right now... I think it's for a car, but I never remember; what I do always remember is "it's been too long since I've heard this whole track". So, for your listening pleasure, and mine: Odessa.

There is so much going on in this song... at certain points, it's almost overwhelming. But, somehow, I think that's the beauty in it. This chaotic assault of sounds and rhythms somehow all works together. Maybe not on the first listen, but magically it all makes more and more sense with each additional listen... background sounds pulling forward, certain beats becoming familiar, un-traditional sounds becoming more recognizable. And then, all at once, it's over.

Caribou, at one time known as "Manitoba", is actually the brain-child of Daniel Snaith. He won the 2008 Polaris Music prize with his album Andorra and made the 2010 short list for the album this track comes from, Swim. Checking out his discography on Wikipedia reveals that he's been very prolific over the past years and I don't see any sign of him slowing down. So, if you're digging this electronic assault of sounds and grooves, there is much more for you to hear.

» Listen: Caribou - Odessa