FEATUREDNOTCOT.org ~ top 100 of 2008!!!

FEATUREDInternational Spy Museum: DENY EVERYTHING! Here's a peek at some of the branded goodies we found ~ the shot glass looks like it has a one way mirror on it...

FEATUREDGreece is for Lovers HOOKER'S DELIGHT ~ beautifully cheeky martini glass design...

FEATUREDAnd for the Augmented Reality catch-up/overdose ~ here's a roundup!

FEATUREDLego Digital Box! Augmented reality at its finest? Metaio does it again with these new POS displays where kids (and adults!) can put special smart boxes in front of the display and see the 3D model on the screen!

FEATUREDNOTCOT's view of the 56th United States Inauguration of President Barack Obama ~ granted we're one of the tiny millions of ants in the image, we were there! By the Washington Monument with a clear view of the Capitol!

VIDEOThe world's largest hanging basket created to launch new boutique hotel Hotel Indigo in London Paddington

VIDEOA gentle music video for Levi Weaver's "You Are Home". The use of paper cut-outs is impressive.

FEATUREDWe Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration ~ WOW, that was some crowd ~ here's a look at the crowds, obama on the jumbotrons, and the creepy/amazing ICx Tactical Platforms the Park Police used...

VIDEOAmazing 3D showreel showcasing the work of Peter Roe. The opening sequence is great.

FEATUREDThe Capitol has seats all set up ~ MSNBC is shining massive lights down the National Mall ~ the US Mint has "It's Real Change" trucks driving around... here's a look at some of the randomness around DC today

FEATUREDManifest Hope: DC part 2.... here are my favorites from the many artworks (another 30 pics or so!) ~ and full gallery coming soon...

FEATUREDFirst look at Manifest Hope: DC ~ the art is pretty incredible ~ in this post you can see an overview of the art, the space, and the madness ~ here's shepard fairey touching up the piece on stage before opening!

FEATUREDHere's a first look at the booth constructed in front of the White House where Obama and his family will be watching the parade once they complete the route...

VIDEOVery fun one-shot music video. Very "Michel Gondry"esq

FEATUREDA viral video from Mcdonald's in Spain.

FEATUREDFlexicords ~ not only a brilliant idea (cords that hold form when you shape them) but fun packaging and graphic design! Clamshell-Free!!!

FEATUREDWishbone Bike ~ a sustainably friendly woody lightweight 3 in 1 starter bike for kids that evolves with them! From a trike to pedal-less runner, to a standard bike (up to 5 yr olds!)... super cute product shots too!

FEATUREDThe Standard's 4th Annual STAFF Calendar ~ this year its themed like high school... and yes, everyone featured can be found at one of The Standard Hotels... Awesome video with fun music!!!

FEATUREDSo now you've seen our Coraline Box #21 ~ here's a visual roundup of resources and links to the other boxes that have surfaced so far, as well as other Coraline related initiatives popping up across the country!

FEATUREDCoraline Box #21/50 ~ LAIKA Animation Studios has been sending out 50 mysterious handmade boxes filled with wonders from the upcoming Neil Gaiman book turned animation, Coraline... and we were sent #21!

VIDEOCute new PLUMA video clip created and directed by Monsta.

VIDEOThings get quite paranormal with this new music video for Fanfarlo's Harold T. Wilkins.

FEATUREDMiniwiz took a cue from fast food burger packaging when designing the prototype packaging for their new Solarbulbs ~ also see their use of cardboard in packaging of the new miniNotes too!

FEATUREDThe Griffin ~ on more options of off-strip vegas with gorgeous neon signage (yes there's one in los feliz too, but this one has the cooler neon!)

FEATUREDOn the way back from Vegas ~ after years of seeing the signs, we finally stopped off to go see Alien Fresh Jerky... see what we found... there's some very fun silly branding they have going on!

FEATUREDOn hilarious old school technologies (chalk boards) paired with the latest and greatest (CES Innovations Design + Engineering Awards)... see the silly graffiti/ugc doodles that showed up on their idea boards!

VIDEOJon Thomas took stunning photos on the 4th of July, featuring sparklers. He then made it into a vimeo video. Awesome stuff!

FEATUREDioSafe Solo demo ~ we went out to a house off the strip in vegas, threw the external hard drive in the pool, set it on fire, then pried it open to get the data out... and all on video!

VIDEOTilt-shift video of a Monster Truck rally makes everything look like your childhood sandbox. Impressive time lapse footage by Keith Loutit.

FEATUREDMeet the VICE TESTER ~ pop in a quarter and grab the handle and the blinky lights will show you your vice! Made by SHAG! And covered with his illustrations ~ found at Frankie's Tiki Room... see the video!

FEATUREDAs promised, here's a close up look at the 8 exclusive artist designed Frankie's Tiki Room mugs as well as the adorable Tiki Stirrers, and the menu that has illustrations of all of the mug designs as well!

FEATUREDFrankie's Tiki Room in Las Vegas ~ an incredible tiki bar with lots of lore and history behind it ~ and filled with gorgeous tiki artworks, sculptures, and exclusive tiki mugs made by some of our favorite artists!

VIDEOAwesome video production by Rage Films and TAViMAN for Carrera Motors Porsche. I'm feelin' the custom score.

FEATUREDUnica Home ~ the massive online design store has a 12,000 sq ft showroom/store/warehouse in Las Vegas, and we finally made it over! It's incredible! See the 30+ pics of the space!

VIDEOVery nice ad for Office Max's new campaign - Life is Beautiful. Work can Be Too.

FEATUREDNOTCOT Giveaway!!! Steelcase has offered one of their incredible ergonomic, comfortable LEAP chairs that i reviewed recently to one lucky reader! So come answer the 3 little questions for a chance to win! (It retails around ~$850!!!)

VIDEOShort Danish documentary about Arne Jacobsen found via Midcentury Modernist.

FEATUREDToo Late Watches ~ i got hands on with these colorful simple watches ~ and the packaging is adorable! See the little jars they come in ~ as well as close ups of the guts of these watches which are tiny and blister packed for waterproofness?

FEATUREDWow. So Liquid Image has stepped up their line of diving masks with built in cameras ~ the top of the line ProHD350 model is good up to 100m/330ft, shoots stills at 5mgp and HD 720p video with audio! And it's sleek and black!

VIDEOHEARTSREVOLUTION - C.Y.O.A - Great new elctro punk duo out of L.A. Fun video!

VIDEOawesome low budget video music by telebising - The Modest

VIDEOA charming song called 'Alice', by Pogo, which is 90% composed using sounds recorded from the Disney film 'Alice In Wonderland'.

FEATUREDIncredible poster illustration/printing works of Jay Ryan and The Bird Machine Print Shop ~ i love all of his animal illustrations, especially this brand new HUM NYE poster set!

FEATUREDWelcoming in 2009 ~ here's a look at how three of us kick started our 2009 with a crazy wander through Topanga's state park ~ check out the amazing sunset, some bizarre finds, and silly night shots!

FEATUREDNathan Jurevicius' Peleda Owl Wind Up Blind Box Toys by Toy Tokyo!!!! There is the pastel set, and the more vibrant urban outfitters exclusives ~ both are adorable and GORGEOUS packaging!!!

VIDEO3 years and 1704 photos give you a glimpse into the life of a photographer and his circle of friends. Love the song.

FEATUREDNOTCOT Prompt of the NVIDIA contest! Win an Nvidia Quadro CX Accelerator and CS4 Master Collection (valued around $4,500!!!) ~ which makes your work lightning fast! Just snap a pic or video messing with scale... giant toys? tiny people?

FEATUREDThe Steelcase Leap ~ no that's not it ~ but how awesome is it to see the models they used to test and fine tune the super ergonomic features? Also check out the closeups and hands on pics with my review ~ coolest box too!

VIDEOJoanna Peacock performs a guerilla fire street art show at the closing party of Mutate Britain.

VIDEOThe best of Mutate Britain on film.

FEATUREDOur friends at Busy Beaver Button Co. sent over the cutest holiday card! With button of course...

FEATUREDLiqurious Roundup of Holiday Libations! Some hot, some classic, some science experiment looking molecular mixology concoctions!

FEATUREDWordlocks!!! Because we have enough passwords to remember, who can hold all those numbers on combination locks in their heads? Hands on with the latest Wordlocks... in english, spanish, bike, TSA, and more...

VIDEOFully animated robot pole dancers, and robot DJ. They are made from raw materials found in various scrap yards and controlled, via a PC, using a DMX lighting programme.

FEATUREDFusion Tables by Aramith ~ the pool tables that disappear into sleek, minimalist, dining/conference tables... here's a look at the setting up of mine in walnut with olive felt!

VIDEO"Sofa so good" ~ A short i directed for a competition - on love, sofas, and science. It's a testament to Magic Bullet grading suite as it was dull and flat before we rubbed it with their magic.

FEATUREDLA Zoo ~ you've seen the warning signs, now see a gallery of the creatures! All the funny faces they made, crazy eyes, giraffe tongues in action, and more...

FEATUREDWarning Signs at the LA Zoo ~ while at the zoo, i got fascinated by the warning signage at the cages ~ so here's a look at the iconography used!

VIDEOTen Thousand Pictures of You - An exhilarating rollercoaster ride through the animated pictures of Sarah's world. By Robin King

FEATUREDWow Villainess Soap is like the vintage pirate version of Lush... the packaging is pretty awesome, the naming even cooler ~ take a look at the clawfoot bathtub display too!

FEATUREDOMG busted open the monkey balls a few days ago... see the close up pics... and see how its exploded over the last few days!!!

FEATUREDOn more irresistible NOTCOT Holiday Coupons ~ Kiki de Montparnasse! 40% off, Free domestic Shipping, and an exclusive NotCouture Gift of a bottle of Kiki Body Oil with $75+... so tempting!

FEATUREDNew contest!!! And first of three chances to win the NVIDIA Quadro CX graphics accelerator and CS4 Master Suite in this art contest NVIDIA has sponsored for NOTCOT, Core77, and Behance!

FEATUREDZirkeltraining ~ a line of german messenger bags, laptop sleeves, and wallets made from recycled vintage 1950's gymnastics pummel horses, floor mats, rescue nets, and more... think of where that's been!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #33: This Skip Hop Outer Space Playmat for babies is the awesomest ufo/rocket/planetary playmat i've seen ~ and its a Babies'r'us exclusive and ridiculously cute!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #32: Shawnimals! Here's a chance to win the special red Geeky Ninja ~ with ninja con badge and comic! Also stickers, buttons, and wee ninja comic!

VIDEOA Charlie Brown Ad Agency. [Editor's Note - So GOOD! hehehe... ]

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #31 ~ and its the final of our 5 Seagate Giveaways! Here is the Seagate FreeAgent XTreme ~ 1TB, nice and black, and does USB 2.0, FW 400, and eSATA!

FEATUREDFrancis Ford Coppola Encyclopedia at KnoWine.com is not only a gorgeous site, but i'm blown away by the packaging and branding design ~ you must see the details of these bottles and the custom moleskine!

VIDEO7002 is a rollercoaster ride passing through fantasy, mindscape, emotional trickery and sound. A must see!

VIDEOHow to create photo realistic hoodie mockups. A cool new hoodie customization package makes it easy to simulate complex printing techniques like all-over prints and cut & sew.

FEATUREDTake a peek inside the 2009 CIA (Central Illustration Agency) Super Hero 2009 Calendar!!!

FEATUREDTequila, as art? Here's a closeup with the 1800 Tequila Essential Artists Bottles ~ and if you thought they were cool on billboards, they will blow your mind even more when you see them in person!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #30: Branch Home is giving away a set of 8 beautiful eco-friendly felt swallows made in germany ~ whether you hang them in your tree, car, or on a present is up to you!

FEATUREDIt's here!!! Here are some first unboxing pics of my new Canon 5D Mark II!!! I'm pretty giddy, so here's the first look while i wait for the battery to charge up... there are also some side by sides with the 40D...

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #29 - Josh Rubin of CoolHunting and his dad (a 2nd gen glove maker!) have teamed up to create Freehands, gloves that keep you warm and let you have easy access to your fingertips for touch screens!

FEATUREDHere's a roundup of some fun gift ideas that have been popping up on NOTCOT.org!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #28: Matthew Rolston's beautyLIGHT ~ a gorgeous coffee table book featuring the celebrity + fashion photography of Rolston ~ who is considered Warhol's protégé!

FEATUREDCopernicus Compact Curiosities ~ freshly in and updated ~ here are closeup scans of their packaging labels!

FEATUREDJust back from the Unique LA VIP night and adventures in Downtown LA ~ take a peek at some of the fun discoveries!

VIDEOPost graduate service designer Lauren Currie takes a dozen balloons to a park in Edinburgh asking people to tie them to their favourite thing.

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #27: Wejetset is giving away quite the jet setting bundle: a Hideo Carryon, Incase Krink Sleeve, Baxter Travel Kit, Field Notes, + STPL Socks ~ over 500$ of travel goods to get you home for the holidays!

FEATUREDThe Xylocopa Young Mad Scientist Laser Etched Wood Alphabet Blocks ~ in person! I even took pics of each letter so you can see up close how fun the illustrations are! Original found in #16975!

FEATUREDLatest obsession ~ By:Amt's Ring A Day ~ see some hands on pics with these awesome stainless steel ring sets ~ hardest part is deciding how to wear/display/use them! So many possibilities...

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #26: Lelo is giving away the Stainless Steel OLGA from its Luxe Collection of Pleasure Objects~ it comes with a satin case and is housed in a glossy wooden box...

FEATUREDGift Guide: Indulge Those Vices!!! This one is about luxury, pleasure, indulgence and basically enjoying life...

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #25: The fourth giveway from our sponsor, Seagate! Here is the FreeAgent Desk for Mac (yes, that means FireWire 800!!!) in a massive 1 terabyte of space!

FEATUREDOoooh my Alex & Chloe order came, and couldn't resist showing you closeups of some of my favorites as well as the awesome black on black packaging! Also take a peek at their latest t-shirt collection!

FEATUREDCopernicus Toys' Compact Curiosities ~ the perfect stocking stuffers that are not only fun and amusing, but educational and awesomely packaged too! From Owl Pellets to Giant Balloons to Solar Engines to Vortexes!

FEATUREDGift Guide ~ NOTCOT Wishlist ~ aka a rant on gift guides this season and a collage of many random products that i've been craving that haven't made it on my other guides so far!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Giveaway #24 ~ Makr is giving away one of their handcrafted leather wallets ~ the Black Tonal Plaid Vertical Pocket to be exact!

VIDEOlarytta - souvenir de chine - video directed by körner union ~ so bizarre, so fascinating, like a giant kaleidoscope, only with huge mirrors and live mice and various birds running around terribly confused.

VIDEOZero Gravity madness on the new National Geographic Channel Idents for Space Week, filmed in a G-Force Airplane used to train NASA astronauts.

FEATUREDBack to back giveaways today! NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #23 ~ Reform School is giving away one black viewmaster with a set of Vladmasters of your choice! Vladmaster = artistic handmade viewmaster reels!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #22: Fleet Street Scandal is giving way a full set of their 4 amazing Yuki-7 Posters! Retro espionage style with an adorable super heroine!

FEATUREDMonkey Balls! Surprise birthday floral arrangement just came, and i'm totally mesmerized by these things... what IS it?

FEATUREDCheck out our NotCouture + Revolve Clothing gift guide for some fun ideas... awesome stuff for the guys especially (in my opinion at least!)

FEATURED3 limited edition t-shirts will be available at The Standard Hotels in LA, NYC, and Miami... Andre Balazs has commissione contemporary legends, Natas Kaupas, Eric Haze, and Jose Parla to design these t-shirts for their respective cities!

FEATUREDPicnica Reusable Tote ~ that stuffs into a bunny! And when you're using it, the bunny is attached to the side... hilarious, bizarre, and strangely appealing... definitely a standout design in the reusable shopping bag space!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway 21! Belkin Conserve Surge Protector ~ i love the giant remote switch (wall mountable even!) ~ and it helps cut down on your electric bills and save some energy!

FEATUREDNOTCOT.org shoppable roundup of goodies from the last few days!

FEATUREDUNIQUE Los Angeles ~ over 200 indie designer vendors under one roof! Dec 13th and 14th ~ check out some we liked from the list ~ and we're also giving away 10 pairs of tickets!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway 20: StrangeCo is giving away a toy bundle for all ages: - Mr. TTT - Rainbow + Julie West's Limited Edition Bumble & Tweet Tree Edition + TokiDoki's Captain Coco

FEATUREDRubyy ~ blood orange energy drink in the gorgeous matte black aluminum bottle... that glows under the black light, AND tastes amazingly un-energy-drink-like... also a perfect addition to drinks!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #19: Mimoco is giving away 3 of the new VDC Mimobots with protohoodies to 3 lucky commenters!!!

VIDEOEver wonder where Creativity comes from? Creative juicing has historically been an elite pursuit accessible only to those lucky enough to be born into one of the South West's big five juicing families. Hilarious Video!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #18: Incase is giving one winner a VIP Boxed Set of 4 Metallic Slider Cases for the iPhone 3G in Silver, Gun Metal, Gold, and Copper ~ so so gorgeous. I love them all.

FEATUREDBaxter of California sent over one of the Flammmables, some matchboxes, and mini gummi bears!!! But for all the packaging lovers... its textured and texty and gorgeous!

FEATUREDGift Guide: Flora & Fauna ~ its all nature inspired/related and slightly random ~ but fun gift ideas none the less!

FEATUREDPangea Organics ~ plant the holiday packaging and grow a SPRUCE TREE! Oh, and they are also offering you a 50% discount (friends & family, but you're friends now!)

FEATUREDA little bit of potty humor and bad puns from Baxter of California ~ the men's grooming line is including these silly, yet cleanly designed, matches with all orders this holiday season!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #17: The 3rd giveaway from Seagate, here is the FreeAgent Desk in a whopping 1TB size and usb 2.0!

FEATUREDGift Guide: Posters worth Gifting! Here's a roundup of poster and poster makers worth checking out! Click to find out more about each one, and often there are far more where they came from!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #16: Right Brain Terrain makes the most incredible Alternative Motivational Posters - they are giving away 5 pairs of Focus & Integrity ~ we all need a bit of both!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #15! jimmyjane are offering 3 lucky winners some of their gorgeous, playful, pleasure filled games and massager sensory gift sets - perfect for sharing!

FEATUREDGift Guide! This one is all about lighting! There's something so magical about the way light can transform a room/environment, and here are some that make great gifts! Also special Solar section!

FEATUREDOxo is giving away one of the large Candela Luau Lanterns! Rechargable, beautiful design, and incredibly bright and gorgeous for creating that perfect ambiance... I love the way it looks outdoors especially!

VIDEONew Super Tennis 'Theme Song' music vid by Lo-tec!

VIDEOMake Video! Uber Tuber: Compressed-air bazooka that fires potatoes.

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #13: Our official 2008 Gift Guide sponsor, Seagate, is giving away one Silver 320Gig Seagate FreeAgent Go for Mac! This drive has FW800/400/USB 2.0 and even comes with the Travel Case and Docking Station!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #12: Elsewares is giving away one Nooka Glow Zub Zen H watch! The one that was originally made in a batch of 15 just for Kanye West... it Glows In The Dark!!!

VIDEOI love the videos and float from Cartoon Network with the Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends at the Macy's Day Parade!

FEATUREDGift Guide: Gifts that lean green! An assortment of eco-friendliness from water bottles to solar toys to organic ducks, to faux fur cotton blankets, and of course some of my favorite reusable bags... as giftwrap!

FEATUREDBlack + Blum ~ here's a look at some of their latest goodies ~ from ski pole inspired potato masher, Spudski to Desk Tidy? the porcelain merged cups for your desk... and a look at their WWF glass polar bear sculpture!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #11: Delight's ultimate eco-bundle of goodies! Including I Am Not A Paper Cup, Twist sponges with packaging that turns into bird feeders, reusable bags of multiple sorts, and much more!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #10! Our big Gift Guide Sponsor Seagate is giving away one royal blue 320Gig FreeAgent|GO! Pocket sized, awesome lighting, and just leave me a comment with what you'd put in it!

FEATUREDGift Guide: Designer Randomness! This one ended up being more of a miscellaneous pile of awesomeness...

FEATUREDGift Guide: Goodies for the Home!!!

VIDEOMonty Python launches an official youtube channel ~ and here's the video talking about why they made the move! =)

FEATUREDIncase Power Slider ~ mmm matte black soft touch coating, double the battery life, awesome subtle design details, mini USB charging... no its not JUST about the doubling the battery life, but that's cool too.

FEATUREDBumble and Bumble's Holiday goodies for 2008 are here ~ and i am completely obsessing over the Bandball ~ 100 hair elastics on a Bb branded core perfectly sized not to stretch your hair things out, grooved to hold them in... cool gift boxes too!

VIDEOTOMS Shoes just launched their Holiday Project, their goal is to giveaway 30,000 shoes to children in need in 30 days. Help TOMS Shoes make a difference this Holiday Season by sharing, spreading, linking the video.

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway 9: Design Public is giving away : 1 pair of Cake Octopi Cups, Harry Allen Rabbit’s Foot Keychain, and Harry Allen Bulb Candles!

FEATUREDPssst ~ did you see we launched the NOTContests page? Up in the navbar? It's a new space to keep track of anything you can WIN! =) Also, a fun excuse to draw wizards, castles, dragons and such...

VIDEOBorn in Brooklyn, NY, The American Dream Team is Comprised of DJs, VJs, producers, designers, and animators bringing the best electro, house, and hip-hop to the crowd mixing turntablism with mind-altering visuals.

FEATUREDZanotta's Sacco turns 40 this year! The original mass produced beanbag, design icon, and super comfy seating... We have a peek at the original sketches, met the head of Zanotta, and Marcia's cat has claimed the mini!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #8: Genius Jones is giving away the really fun combo for all ages... Lomography Fisheye 2 in limited edition WHITE! and the coolest automatic electric stapler, where you can watch the colorful gears in action!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Giveaway #7: Rocket World is giving away one of its latest Shag Master Creature Hoodies ~ part super hardcore technical fleece, part non-committal furry - with velcro on ears and horns!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Giveaway #6: Perpetual Kid will hook a lucky reader up with 1 porcelain I Am Not A Paper Cup and 1 Ceramic Cup O Noodle Cup!!!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for KIDS! Big kids, little kids, new parents, here's a list of fun gifts for the imaginative wee ones

FEATUREDNOTCOT Giveaway #5! Fawn & Forest is giving away a set of awesome woody toys for the kids ~ a Earnest Effort Wood Baby Rattle, a Naef Juba Worm, and a Suddenly, It's Real! Wood Yoyo!

FEATUREDGift Guide: Glassy Gifts! Yes, glass ~ so many gorgeous double walled, colored, organic glassy options they needed a guide of their own!

FEATUREDNOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #4: A massive bundle from Fred & Friends ~ from the calf and half double-walled glass, to pick your nose cups, to gin and titonic ice cube trays and more...