The Day The Fire Brigade Went On Strike by The Boy Fitz Hammond. (Really cute illustrations, not sure though if I would put this up on a kids room wall here in NYC)
MonKEYS
MonKEYS are stretchable durable covers that fit over almost any shape key, adding a playful touch to a normally ho-hum object.
Find the Perfect Unregistered Domain Name
For $50 PickyDomains.com helps you find an unregistered domain name that fits your criteria. Here’s how it works. When you register one, $25 goes to the domain namer, and $25 goes to Picky Domains. If you don’t register one, you get your money back! Excellent!
Whiting Out the Ads, but at What Cost?
The larger importance of Adblock is its potential for extreme menace to the online-advertising business model. After an installation that takes but a minute or two, Adblock usually makes all commercial communication disappear. No flashing whack-a-mole banners. No Google ads based on the search terms you have entered.
Whiting Out the Ads, but at What Cost?, a New York Times Article
A Tool to Organize Our Many Organizers
Scrybe’s tools include a clever interface that features zooming calendar boxes that become bigger when scrolled over, the ability to print in multiple formats, including wallet- and pocket-friendly versions, and a novel notepad that accepts text and images from the Web as well as the usual typed-in notes. It also works offline, something that Outlook and other existing programs cannot do.
A Tool to Organize Our Many Organizers, a New York Times Article
plan toys
One of my favorite kids toys brands by far is Plan Toys. Check out their latest additions over on Oompa.
Shopping Cart: The cart comes with a stopper in back to prevent overturning and the handle can be adjusted to accommodate a child’s height.
Refrigerator: This surprisingly realistic unit comes complete with a three-leveled fridge and freezer that even has a dispenser that makes wooden ice cubes!
Toaster: This realistic looking wooden toaster has movable levers and even a timer.
Facebook Profiles Will Appear in Google Results Next Month
Obviously that’s a move that could scare some users, and there are some restrictions: you must have your profile set to viewable by “everyone” in order to appear, and only your limited profile will be public. Additionally, only profiles of those over 18 years old will be shown. The screenshots below show the new Facebook search box on the homepage and the search result displayed if your profile is set to appear. It’s also worth noting that some Facebook profiles have already been indexed by Google for a long time now, presumably due to users posting badges to them from other sites.
Facebook Profiles Will Appear in Google Results Next Month
(what’s the hype about facebook anyway? I signed up and was waiting for the big “Aha” moment. Am I too old to get bit by the facebook bug?)
BESTÅ BURS wallshelf
Love the simplicity of the BESTÅ BURS wallshelf. $200 at Ikea.
VIPPIG Seesaw
VIPPIG Seesaw | $49.99 | Rocking helps develop a child’s sense of balance and the brain to sort sensory impressions. Recommended for children 3 years and older.
steri pen | handheld water purifier
SteriPEN 
SteriPEN Adventurer handheld water purifier
(via cooltools)
dish bunny
I can feel a subtle obsession for bunnies emerge over here at swissmiss. This Dish Bunny caught my eye and made me chuckle. Couldn’t find it on the dutchbydesign site. They might be adding it soon, they announced it in their newsletter though.
napkin rings
I am so old-school when it comes to napkins: I like them to be out of fabric. Along with that has to go a napkin ring.
you better don’t gain too much weight birdy
Stylish Bird House, by Damian O’Sullivan
Journey to the end of the Internet
With a technique called picidae, two swiss artists Mathias Jud und Christoph Wachter, managed to find a way to by-pass internet censorship that rule countries such as China. Here’s how picidae works: If you invoke a pici-server a form field appears to fill in a web address. The pici-server then creates an – clickable – image of that website and sends this back. To make surfing on that image possible, pici-server analyses the web site and puts links via image maps onto the image where they can be seen on the web site. So one can click in the web browser with the mouse onto the links like on the “true” web page. … Everybody may set up and run a pici-server on her/his own computer. The code is freely downloadable from our developer section and there are step by step installation instructions.
Journey to the end of the Internet
Articles on Internet Censorship
(Thank you Jürgen)
How to submit to swissmiss…
I highly appreciate reader submissions and I receive about an average of 10-20 emails a day. These submissions are as diverse as can be. One thing I’ve learned: There’s a fine line between ‘pointing me to a cool product/site’ and just flat out saying ‘you have to link to this’. When you approach a blogger and seriously want to be considered to be featured on their site, keep a few things in mind:
1. Send a personal email. Show that you actually read their blog. Address the blogger by name. Mention a recent post you’ve enjoyed and explain why you think your submission is a good fit.
2. Suggest, don’t ask. Suggest a product/site/artist for review but do NOT flat out ask to be linked up. If a blogger thinks your submission is a great fit for their blog they will get to work right away anyway. Let it be up to them. Always remember that most people don’t like to be asked to do something. Also, NEVER ask to be added to someone’s blogroll.
3. Keep it short. A lot of bloggers, like me, do this in their free time and have an overflowing inbox. Keep your email short and sweet.
4. Prepare a potential ‘post’. Chances of your suggestion being considered raise tremendously if you prepare a possible blurb about your suggested product/design/link. The blogger can then take that writeup as a starting point for a post. Do NOT send Microsoft Word documents, or PDFs. Everything should be in your email, ready for ‘copy and paste’.
5. Enclose images/screenshots. Include images but make sure that they are low resolution (screen resolution: 72dpi) and do not enclose more than 3-4. If there’s an image downloads page available, make sure to mention the link.
6. Don’t take it personal if you don’t hear back. Sometimes it’s hard for bloggers to keep up with their ever-growing inbox. If you are confident that your submission would be a perfect match, you could potentially resend your email with a sweet little note saying ‘just in case you might now have seen this the first time’. But do not resend more than twice.
7. Say Thank You. Should your submission have been considered, make sure to send a note of thanks.
core77 | hack2school | student guide
In honor of the start of the school year, Core77 has put together the definitive set of tips, tricks, and lifehacks for design students: Hack2School. Divided into 5 groups–Classroom, Dorm Room, Represent, Crash Course, and Cheat Sheet–everything you need to survive a design education has been hunted down, written up, and offered to you on a blue foam platter. So to all the returning students, we say “welcome back.” And to all the new ones? Well, maybe you better read this first.
Featuring some advice by yours truly in How to Work the Design Blogosphere.
Bill Plympton – (1987) Your Face
(thank you peter!)
