ReubenMiller

Pedalin' Through the Snow

Going for your morning cycle just got crossed off your list when the snow hit. Shoveling your walk could make up for the lost workout, but wouldn't it be cooler if you could shovel and pedal at the same time? You could, if you had one of Kevin Blake's snowplow bikes. Kevin built this custom human-powered snow plow. It's good for the environment too - no choking on acrid snowplow fumes. See it in action here.

(via Treehugger)

Henry Road Pillows

Here are some especially nice pillows to herald in Spring from the Henry Road 2008 collection.

(good one, Joy!)

Nubrella

Who would have thought that umbrellas would finally get their long-deserved design overhaul? According to Alan Kaufman, founder of Nubrella, the process was as tough as "climbing a  mountain on rollerblades." Apparently, the hard work has paid off with an umbrella that addresses several pet peeves with today's standard umbrellas: inverting/breaking, no protection in extreme cold/blizzards and not being hands-free. Nubrella addresses all of these limitations, making it a true innovation in the umbrella category. I'm sure at first people will think they look weird, but sooner than later, we'll get used to the new look of umbrellas and wish we had one ourselves.

NY in the Snow

(thanks Kris)

Mast Brothers Chocolate

People in the know who live in the NYC tristate area go to Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg to find the best and the newest stuff to buy - from jewelry to chocolate. Speaking of chocolate, we've been noticing some talk about Mast Brothers Chocolate. These chocolates are the work of two artisans and brothers, Michael and Rick Mast. I couldn't help but notice their chocolate bars, which come wrapped in pretty Italian papers. They make a gorgeous presentation when stacked side by side. I suspect they will gather quite a following based on some of the tasting reviews of their chocolates, which are made from some spiffy single origin cacao beans. As something of a chocolate fanatic, I'm pretty excited about discovering this great new arrival on the artisan chocolate scene - on the east coast no less.

More pictures below.

(discovery made at coolhunting)

Coffee for One

I've discovered a neat little coffee maker called the WMF 1 from German appliance company, WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG). The styling alone is worth noting, but the way it works is so simple it's worth mentioning, too. You use little coffee pods with enough coffee for one serving, while the reservoir holds enough water for one cup. The appliance comes in other accent colors, like green, yellow and gray. I really like the design and hope the user experience is at least as good as the styling. If anyone has ever used this, let me know what your experience with the product was like.

More images below.

kluster: putting the 'work' back into networking

A newly launched website called kluster aims to change the way we develop and make things. Instead of big corporate teams sitting in conference rooms to develop products, kluster harnesses the power of crowds and networking on the web.

Here's how I'd put it in a nutshell: Massive groups making something by collaboration, focusing the social chatter of "What If?" and making a real product by the united force of a group.

A very ambitious task, but they are confident - the program will be launched at the upcoming TED conference. In a span of 72 hours they will produce an actual prototype of... something at the end of the event. Pretty cool - I'm looking forward to hearing the outcome of this.

In the meantime, check it out and sign up. It's quick, easy and quite possibly addicting.

Napkin Stay Put

Napkins look great and stay put with this unique placemat. Pop out the tabs and interlock them to create a napkin ring. This is another great design idea from Josh Jakus, whom we've featured before for his innovative and simple designs. Made of 100% rubber.

(via swissmiss, girl in the green dress) 

We Love You(r Money)

I wish I knew the idea behind this piece. By Sensus Design Factory of Croatia.

(via Graphic-ExchanGE)

As Good as Its Label

The creations of Bridget West, these Care Label cushions are an interesting take on repurposed materials. She creates these unique cushions by stitching together hundreds of fabric care labels. Taking hardly-noticed mundane elements and bringing them together is something we like to talk about. This is another terrific example.

She also makes a cushion from clothing brand tags, which has a totally different look but is based on the same concept. Her collection includes furniture, artwork, accessories and more.

(Continue reading for more images)