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New York

12 Essential Mobile Apps for New York Culture Lovers

By Dave Mandl on

There are bigger problems in the world, but the process of tracking down and mastering a core set of apps for your Apple or Android phone can be overwhelming, especially in the center of the cultural universe that is New York City. For getting directions (Google Maps) or grabbing dinner (Yelp, Urbanspoon, Seamless) there’s a pretty clear consensus on the best choices, but when it comes to finding art or music shows, working out bike routes that won’t get you killed, or… deciphering the colors of the Empire State Building’s lights, it’s not nearly as obvious where to look. Here’s a list of apps that should satisfy the cravings of nearly any smartphone-wielding, culture-loving New Yorker. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds In Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on

Today at Flavorpill, we watched the best music videos of 2012. We made a list of 12 things to do before the world ends. We saw everything wrong with The Avengers in three minutes. We discovered that HBO’s corporate website is in desperate need of a design update. We wanted to buy this nail polish that helps support a sanctuary for bats. We looked back on Christina Aguilera’s biggest fashion fails on The Voice. … Read More

Photography

Strangely Cathartic Photos of Demolished Apple Products

By Judy Berman on

We love our iPhones, sure, and owe much of our livelihood to our MacBooks. But that doesn’t mean they don’t also sometimes drive us crazy. Whether they’re malfunctioning or simply demanding too much of our attention, it’s only natural that, every once in a while, we just want to take a sledgehammer to the devices that increasingly control our lives. Perhaps it’s that ambivalence that drove graphic designer Michael Tompert — both a former employee of Apple and a longtime fan of its products — to team up with photographer Paul Fairchild on a series of pictures that show iPhone, iPads, and MacBooks smashed to beautiful pieces. As a substitute for throwing your own gadgets at the wall, page through some of their strangely cathartic shots after the jump, and visit Fubiz to see more. … Read More

Books

Jane Austen, Video Game Heroine

By Judy Berman on

We’ve seen Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and even an XXX version of the novel. Hell, Jane Austen even has her own fight club. So it’s not entirely surprising to see Forbes report that she’s now been transformed into a video game heroine. Designed by an app developer called Feel Every Yummy, Word Fighter pits friends or strangers on mobile devices against one another in a race to spell words quickly, using a Boggle-style board. The developers characterize their Jane as “a bad-ass version of Princess Peach… At a glance, she appears to be a very prim and proper lady — as you can see in her portrait — but when it’s time to throw down, she’s ready to destroy you.” Other familiar-sounding characters include J.D., Agatha, and Edgar. Watch a video of Word Fighter in action after the jump. … Read More

Design

Shockingly Realistic '80s Electronics Made Out of Neon Paper

By Judy Berman on

When we remember the ’80s — and, truth be told, this might have something to do with the fact that we were kids then — we always seem to recall the era in neon colors. French graphic design studio Zim & Zou (the duo of Lucie Thomas and Thibault Zimmermann) must have similar memories, as they’ve sculpted a bright, wonderfully detailed series of retro electronics out of brightly colored paper. From a film-spewing Leica and a photo-spitting Polaroid to a Walkman with headphones and a cassette tape that fits inside it. Check out some of our favorite photos of Zim & Zou’s work after the jump, then click over to Behance to see the whole set, along with a video documenting their process. … Read More

Photography

Joseph O. Holmes's Fascinating Photos of People Texting

By Judy Berman on

Fashionistas. Orthodox Jews. Hipsters. Middle-aged guys playing chess in the park. Dudes at the beach. Art-museum patrons. Food-cart vendors. Young women commuting in the rain. Grown-ass men with bubble guns. In a new photo series by Joseph O. Holmes, which we spotted via Kottke, these characters all have one thing in common: they’re texting. Each of the images that comprises Texters spotlights a person, usually in the midst of a beautiful, engaging urban setting, engrossed in typing on his or her cell phone. By sharpening his focus around the texter and letting the background go blurry, Holmes manages to underscore the way these devices can isolate us without coming across as harshly polemical. Click through some of our favorite Texters images after the jump, then view the rest of the series at Holmes’s Flickr page. … Read More

Fashion

‘The Jetsons’ Are Now: Watch the First 3D Holographic Fashion Show

By Judy Berman on

Every time we hear about holograms in pop culture, we can’t help thinking of The Jetsons. So that’s the first place our mind wandered when we read PSFK’s item on the world’s first 3D holographic fashion show, created by motion-graphics designer Tim Jockel for the German couturier Stefan Eckert. Then, we watched the video, and it reminded us a little bit of The Matrix – with all those mysterious, sweeping, black-clothing movements. There is also some fire, white mime/Noh makeup, and laser light show elements. Has Lady Gaga gotten in touch with this guy yet? See the holographic fashion show for yourself after the jump. … Read More