Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting award-winning projects and ideas from this year's Core77 Design Awards 2013. We will be featuring these projects by category, so stay tuned for your favorite categories of design! For full details on the project, jury commenting and more information about the awards program, go to Core77DesignAwards.com.

Project Name: MIOS
Designers: Concrete & Pantopicon

Museum In Our Street, MIOS, is a toolkit designed to invite and stimulate fellow neighbourhood members to share something about themselves in a visual way, in order to allow others to engage in conversation. This is achieved by providing a non-permanent adhesive frame, allowing citizens to create a small museum behind their street window. When people do this collectively on street level, a 'street museum' is created, providing citizens with a platform for communication. Using the provided tools, people can express their appreciation and leave notes for others. The eventual goal is to organically enhance social tissue on street level.

- How did you learn that you had been recognized by the jury?

We actually watched the nomination video online and cheered in choir when MIOS came up ... and won! The award means a lot to the team, both in terms of recognition for the project, but also for the role of design within society, its value to social innovation.

- What's the latest news or development with your project?

The broad interest and positive feedback that MIOS received from citizens, local authorities, street committees and the design community, both nationally and internationally, in the past months is an encouragement to Pantopicon and Concrete to take the project to the next level. At the moment we are evaluating a redesign of the toolkit and envisioning an online platform to allow people worldwide to deploy MIOS in their streets and share the outcome through pictures with their fellow global 'streetizens'. So stay tuned in the coming months!

- What is one quick anecdote about your project?

During our testing phase, there was this lady who was living in a street nearby where we were testing MIOS. She played flute and had been looking for a long time for fellow music-lovers to play together. When she walked past the window of a family in the nearby street, she saw their MIOS-frame showing a series of instruments, all of which were played by members of the family. She started talking to them and they made arrangements to give it a try and play music together. This was one of the first of many moments at which we realized that the simple way in which MIOS catalyzes conversation was actually working. 

- What was an "a-ha" moment from this project?

There were many. For example, at first we expected people would merely show objects like pictures of their relatives, or objects related to their hobbies. So we were happily surprised to see how participants would get their families together and create these beautiful little artworks. In many if not most cases, they actually created something for the occasion rather than just frame something they had in the house.

To give you another example, there was also the moment after our intensive research phase at which we as a design team proposed a series of solutions or ideas to a group of street inhabitants. Many ideas to catalyze social cohesion were assessed, ranging from collective birthday calendars to full-fledged street games. We could have just asked them: "which idea do you like most?", but we asked them a double question "which of the proposed solutions do you like and why?" as well as "which solution would you actually engage in yourself?". Learning what attracted which type of person to which solution, taught us a lot and helped us to mould the best of ideas into what we now know as MIOS.

Our Pop-Up Institute for Craft & Ingenuityopens in just a few hours—get a behind-the-scenes look here—but on those rare occasions when we're not inclined to make something ourselves, we turn our discerning eye to a handful of respectable purveyors of well-curated accoutrements. And while it's easy enough to find beautiful things on the Internet these days, the old-fashioned brick-and-mortar can offer a rather more immersive browsing experience.

This summer has seen the debut of a few new design-centric stores from established retailers here in the Lower Manhattan, offering an impressive selection of gift items for residents and visitors alike. Here are our pics/picks:

We've had our eye on Shinola since they soft-launched earlier this year, so we were pleased to hear that they were planning to set up shop in NYC in addition to their main operation in Detroit. The Tribeca storefront is on the ground floor of a building that also houses offices and a showroom for Steven Alan, which is also owned by mogul-behind-the-curtain Tom Kartsotis. Following the very successful opening of their flagship store in Motor City, the NYC outpost quietly opened about a month ago, featuring a selection of the Made-in-Detroit wristwatches, bicycles, leather goods and more, as well as a few items from likeminded store Hickoree's.

The small leather goods are exclusive to the store

Designed by Rockwell Group, the understated retail space features a small café in the front and a full store in back; the furniture, fixtures and details collectively "harken back to America's manufacturing legacy." The bespoke pieces, such as the multipurpose shelving and bleachers that line opposite walls, nicely complement the reclaimed and vintage pieces, from the brass library lamps to the bronze world map, which originally bedecked "the lobby of an oil company located at Rockefeller Center."

The Slingatron is a "mechanical hypervelocity launcher" proposal for efficiently launching objects from Earth into space. A company called HyperV Technologies Corp. has put a Kickstarter up for it, but with just $23,000 in pledges towards a $250,000 goal and less than a week left, it doesn't look like this one will break gravity.

HyperV's dry, underproduced nine-minute pitch video probably didn't help. But never you mind: Joerg Sprave, the maniac behind The Slingshot Channel—that is where you go on YouTube if you want to see chainsaws launched from slingshots, weaponized toilet brushes or how to separate Oreos using a crossbow—has illustrated the Slingatron concept in a much more entertaining way. Sprave is a man obsessed with DIY projectiles, and by connecting a power drill to his hacked-together wooden representation of a Slingatron, he's created a drill-powered shotgun:

Nope, those aren't 3D-printed; they're handmade. Ex-chemistry teacher Bobby Jaber—the giveaway to his old profession is that he refers to PVC as polyvinyl chloride—"wanted to combine art and science," and now that he's retired, has thrown himself wholeheartedly into clay.

Buckyballs, icosahedrons, octahedrals and other complex geometrics might not be as lucrative as fictional colleague Walter White's "Blue Sky" product, but they seem to bring a good deal more spiritual peace. Additionally, California-based Jaber has been invited to show (and sell) from as far afield as the Netherlands.

In the following mini-doc, we get to see Jaber doing what I think many of us secretly crave: To create our own things in our own studios, absent market pressures and briefs from higher-ups. (Be sure to stick around until after the credits, when there is an outtake of what appears to be Jaber seeing an iPad for the first time!)

Modernism is a broad and complex subject to define especially in the context of design and architectural movements and trends. A basic form or definition of modernism can imply some degree of celebration of our times and the processes through which we build and define our environments, habitats and products. The industrial revolution triggered the development of objects and environments created by the machine, heralding the era of mass production. This in turn redefined the fabric and structure of society, often with unforeseen consequences.

Literature is full of voices that did not share the initial altruistic sentiments of the early pioneers and supporters of 'advancement.' Karl Marx observed in great detail
how the shift from craft-based economies to the industrial sector created alienation in the worker as they became "separated from the product of their labour. 20th-century writers such as Orwell and Huxley both projected their views of future dystopias based very much on the path we have taken and the forces unleashed by industrialization and its respective social change.

The 20th century was certainly the era of formalized schools of thought especially in the field of architecture and design. These '-isms' ranged from the ideological to the reactionary, but they collectively redefined our landscape at a pace not seen before. Today we live a rapidly changing world where most of the change is happening in the emerging markets. A new industrial revolution is happening before us and change is occurring at an unprecedented pace. This new 'industrial revolution' defines the future in a new way, from the endless skyline, the brand ladened shopping malls, the high-speed rail networks to the theatrically emphasized illuminations.

These photographs reflect a visceral response to Shanghai as one of the world's fastest developing cities. Shanghai sits at a cross roads where modernity is rampant but the vestiges of the old remain. From colonial port city to a thriving center of industry and commerce, a brave new modernism is emerging.

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Dell wants you to join their Experience Design Group as an Industrial Designer to take the reigns on defining and developing brands such as Alienware, XPS, Latitude and Precision. If you're ready to join a fast paced environment that demands that every design aspect contributes value to customers, this is the job for you.

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We've devoted a fair number of pages and pixels to that singular design object known as the bicycle, and whether you're a leisure rider or all-weather commuter, weekend warrior or retrogrouch, there's no denying the functional elegance of the human-powered conveyance. Thus, when Harry Schwartzman reached out to us about lending our support to the inaugural Bike Cult Show, a celebration of the beautiful machine and a local-ish community of individuals dedicated to building them, we were happy to support the cause.

Bike Cult Show: Save the Date· Ezra Caldwell· Johnny Coast· Thomas Callahan

Last we heard from Thomas Callahan of Horse Cycles, the Brooklyn-based bicycle builder had turned to Kickstarter to launch an ambitious project to bring his craft to a wider audience. He surpassed his funding goal for the Urban Tour by 50%, allowing him to invest in several new machines and tools for his shop... and true to his promise to "create more jobs and more opportunities for the framebuilding community," he's brought a few hired hands on board to help out.

However, even with a full-time assistant and a couple part-timers, Callahan has been putting in long hours himself, and he's relates that his crowdfunding efforts have been a learning experience as he looks up to scale-up his operation. As of a couple weeks ago, when I stopped by his shop to catch up with him, Thomas had shipped a handful of bikes and was planning a quick jaunt up to Maine to personally deliver bicycles to a few lucky customers along the way. He has in mind to refine the existing all-purpose flagship model—the 2014, which will be on view at the Bike Cult Show, will feature a 1 1/8” headtube to accommodate an optional carbon fork—as well as expanding the lineup. "We'd like to do a porteur bike, a track bike and a road bike... potentially, we're going to be able to drop the price..."

Cole is studying at Parsons

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting award-winning projects and ideas from this year's Core77 Design Awards 2013. We will be featuring these projects by category, so stay tuned for your favorite categories of design! For full details on the project, jury commenting and more information about the awards program, go to Core77DesignAwards.com.

• Project Name: ORDU III
• Designer: Ronan Bariou

Ordu III is the Orbea Triathlon bike, focused on IronMan's users. We analyzed 120 people in 5 countries to know exactly what was user/consumer's needs. Users will use Ordu for 111mi race, after 2,7 mile swim, and before 26 mile run. The perfect bike has to be Ergonomic and Aerodynamic. Our Orbea leitmotiv was called "Ergodynamic."

- How did you learn that you had been recognized by the jury?

I discover the email, Friday afternoon while I was cleaning my spam box in Hotmail... It was real, and that was the end of the week, only a half an hour before we go home. In those moments the office area was quiet, I just got up of my chair and say "Putain, j'ai eu un award!" Better not translating in english those words... and eye's colleague looking to me, Just say you than we don't work after the  spam news!

- What's the latest news or development with your project?

Engineers have done an aero investigation with a school program, about Ordu tubing profile, with cad simulation. The objective was to draw the utopic profile for having the best aerodynamic result. After 8 month job, the school presented us the result, and our tube profile have a tiny percent to be improved!

The "Lecorbusier law" about how ergonomic and aesthetic apply on aerodynamic proportion was the best way to develop! Engineering 0 - Design 1

- What is one quick anecdote about your project?

The colors tones of the B&W graphics has been done with the "Gernika", one of Picasso painting master piece. Gernika is a little village of basque country, where I'm working.

- What was an "a-ha" moment from this project?

When I discovered marketing the fantastic idea to present Ordu in a 1000 liter water tank in Eurobike bikeshow, the bike did not touch tank's bottom, it floated in 1000 liters of water, and it was very difficult to weigh the bike. There was 4 persons trying to weigh a super Aerobike in a big glass cube, I have photos of the scene, with a great situation between Engineers laws and marketing needs... ha ha ha.

It freaks me out that tiny atoms and huge solar systems consist of things rotating around each other in a similar way. It's also weird to see time-lapse footage of human beings building things (like that super-fast hotel build in China) and realize how insectoid our activities look when sped up. And above you see the latest strange big/small connection: The planet Earth resembling a beating heart or a breathing being.

A guy named John Nelson runs the UX Blog, which covers user experience, mapping and data visualization for parent software company IDV Solutions. Nelson pulled twelve rare, unobscured-by-clouds images of our planet off of NASA's Visible Earth catalog taken at different times of the year. Stitching them together into an animation, he made the visually stunning discovery you see here: As the seasons change, the ebb and flow of snow and greenery makes our little rock look like it's breathing.

Today Core77 is excited to launch Afterschool, a design-centric podcast. Hosted by Don Lehman, this podcast is designed for all those times you're sketching, working in the shop, or just looking for inspiration from inspiring people. We'll have conversations with interesting creatives and regular guests. The viewpoint of Afterschool will come from industrial design, but the focus will be on all types of creativity: Graphic design, storytelling, architecture, cooking, illustration, branding, materials, business, research... anything that could enrich your thought process, we'll talk about.

Our first guests are Theo Richardson, Charles Brill and Alexander Williams—the dynamic trio behind Rich Brilliant Willing, a lighting and furniture manufacturer based in Brooklyn. Although they have been on the scene for only a few years, RBW has already carved out a reputation for creating some of the most inventive and inviting work being created right now.

In our conversation we talk about founding RBW, how they have gone about building their line, and how they have grown as both designers and businessmen. Check it out!

With 200 extras behind me, I had to stride out of a crowded Broadway theater and deliver two lines to my "date," a blonde woman nearly a foot taller than me. (I was clearly a last-minute casting decision.) As I opened the theater doors, the movie camera was right there in my face; as we walked away from the theater, the camera pulled back—then up, up and away, until it was fifty feet above the sidewalk, pointing down at us. The camera was mounted on a crane so long that the base and operators of it were all the way across the street.

Setting up and operating the huge, presumably expensive crane required a swath of Times Square to be shut down. The scene required thirteen takes, and each time the crane had to be reset—not a quick process. The sun was setting and the frantic Assistant Director kept yelling "We are losing the light! We are losing the light!" into a walkie-talkie. Each reset probably cost four or five figures. As my first on-set experience of a Hollywood production, I found the whole thing grossly inefficient.

Folks, if you have any doubt that expensive, hassle-filled camera crane shots will go away, take a look at filmmaker Nicolas Doldinger's "First Flight of the Phantom," a short that he shot by attaching a GoPro Hero 3 to a DJI Phantom quadrotor and a Zenmuse gimbal. We've seen quadrotor footage before, but never like this—and by "like this" I mean in Manhattan. Doldinger's rig comes absurdly close to tree branches and appears to be so unobtrusive that nearly no one notices it. More importantly, he seamlessly goes from street level to treetop and beyond, providing footage of New York that you simply cannot see any other way:

Doesn't look like any alarm clock I've ever seen...

Like the toaster and the wristwatch, the alarm clock is precisely the sort of everyday household item that has been the subject of countless attempts at reinvention. In fact, the alarm clock is something like a cross between the two, as a tabletop device that features a clock/timer with an at-times arcane interface for various options and settings.

A new, soon-to-be-released product by Scottish designers Natalie Duckett and Lee Murray incorporates several innovations in the interest of redesigning the alarm clock. Although it's name suggests urgency or shock, the Alarming Clock reframes the problem: not only does it emit an audio cue at a specified time, it also does so nine hours in advance to signal the time at which one should consider going to bed. The timeframe is calibrated in order to ensure a full eight hours of slumber, accounting for time to "wind down" prior to bedtime to "help your brain to be less active meaning you are ready for sleep and not continuing to process information."

Many of us just do not realize how important a regular sleep routine is and often overlook this. There are many gadgets and apps available to monitor how well you are sleeping but none that will help you improve it. Why is it so difficult to get out of bed?... The Alarming Clock is designed to enhance our waking experience by improving our sleep rhythm with the unique feature of an evening alarm.

The concept dates back to 2010, when Duckett—then a student at the University of Dundee, where she met Murray—first developed a "Woodpecker Clock" that was the subject of quite a bit of proverbial buzz. The production version has shed the bark cladding of the split-log aesthetic to make for a more subtle reference to its avian inspiration, but the mechanism remains largely unchanged:

A striking feature of the Alarming Clock is its move away from an electronic buzz. Instead, the alarm signal is mechanically created to imitate the sound of a woodpecker drumming against a tree. Placing the 'beak' against different surfaces or objects alters the sound making the alarm signal unique to your home. If an alarm signal is not needed, simply remove the beak and set aside...

When alarm signals jolt you awake this is because you were in a deep sleep and the alarm signal has scared your brain into waking. This is what leaves you feeling groggy and tired throughout the day but when you are awoken from a light sleep, created by your sleep cycle, it is merely a gentle reminder to wake up.

wants an SLD Design Apprentice
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adidas Group is a leading worldwide manufacturer and marketer of sports, fitness, and lifestyle footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories that combine the attributes of athletic performance and style.

If you just graduated and are looking for an amazing opportunity to gain hands on experience in assisting the adidas Group SLD Apparel Design and Graphic Design Teams, don't hesitate. Apply Now

Name: James Carnes

Occupation: I am the Global Creative Director for Sport Performance Design at Adidas.

Location: I currently live right outside Herzogenaurach, Germany. But I also still live in Portland, Oregon. I just officially moved over to Germany with my family, but I still go back and forth.

Current projects: We just finished everything to do with the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Now we're ramping up for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. So there are a lot of new high-performance projects on our table, in terms of footwear and apparel and working with new country federations, which is always really cool.

There's tons of other stuff. We've got a new line coming for Stella McCartney. We introduced a technology called Boost this year, and that's growing. We're also doing a lot of new collaboration projects, where we're bringing in designers from different industries—whether it's architects, industrial designers, graphic designers—and working with them, just getting a different point of view on what sport means to them and how they see sports products.

Mission: I would say, right now, the thing that I live by is making the future accessible through meaningful design. I think people need to be able to relate to totally new ideas, and design is really the interface that does that. It takes something that's completely unfamiliar and makes it familiar, and it brings something that's totally rare and makes it feel close to you. My mantra right now is: The world needs intuitive design.

For its Energy Boost line, Adidas replaced the EVA foam found in most running shoe midsoles with a Boost foam made from thermoplastic polyurethane granules fused into a cushioning layer.

When did you decide that you wanted to be a designer? It was basically right before college. I had three main tracks that I was considering: Science and medicine—which, in a very stereotypical way, was what my parents would have loved—archaeology or the visual arts. I didn't really know that I wanted to be a designer; I just knew that I wanted to go in that direction. And at the last minute, as I was applying to different universities, I pulled together a portfolio and included it in my applications. So that's when I decided—as I was applying.

Education: I went to the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, and got a B.F.A. with a focus on industrial design.

First design job: That's a funny one. I didn't grow up with a ton of money, and I used to make toys from stuff I basically pulled from the trash. So I would put together toy guns for me and my friends, or put together other contraptions. It was pretty well known in my neighborhood. And at some point this one friend's dad came to the house. I thought I was in trouble. But he came to ask if I would make toys for his two sons' birthdays, which were a couple of days apart. So I ended up making these futuristic bazookas for the kids down the street, and that's when I realized, "Oh my god, this could actually be a job."

Who is your design hero? I like the extremes—so I like inventors and I like stylists equally. I'm really a fan of Zaha Hadid and the Bouroullec brothers. But I'm also pretty crazy about Tom Ford, and I think Miuccia Prada is amazing. And as far as up-and-coming guys that are peer heroes—I'm a big fan of Alexander Taylor, and I also really like Jay and Ed from BarberOsgerby.

The Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting award-winning projects and ideas from this year's Core77 Design Awards 2013. We will be featuring these projects by category, so stay tuned for your favorite categories of design! For full details on the project, jury commenting and more information about the awards program, go to Core77DesignAwards.com.

• Project Name: nCycle
• Designers: Hussain Almossawi & Marin Myftiu
• University of Alberta & Polytechnic University of Tirana

nCycle is the innovative bicycle designed around functionality. Its sandwich frame is not only a puristic reduction, it is also conceived to natively house all the extra functionality needed by the busy riders of the 21st century. While it's secure self locking handlebar system, retractable pocket, built in lighting and phone dock, optional folding and electric power assist make life so much easier for every user, the seamless integration of all these elements complete at best the e-bike of a new era.

- How did you learn that you had been recognized by the jury?

We followed the live streaming of the jury and were happy to see them mention our project in the beginning, then talk about it in more detail later on.

- What's the latest news or development with your project?

Actually we are seeking the most appropriate partner to start prototyping the nCycle and have some promising options ahead. Also public exposure has increased and aside from the constant flow of retailers and potential customers asking for its availability, there have been also offers from museums and most recently from a producer to include the nCycle in a movie.

- What is one quick anecdote about your project?

The funniest thing about this project is that when we started discussing it and planning the timeline, it really looked like something quick and easy. We were coming from a long and successful car design project, so we gave ourselves 2 weeks at most to complete this e-bike concept. After more two months of hard work and endless researching and recursive modifications we were constantly joking about "the 2 week project".

- What was an "a-ha" moment from this project?

We believe the most powerful insight that led to the successful development of the nCycle and all it's components and functionality was getting rid of the tubular concept of the bicycle. Once we realized the structure was the key to further exploiting the potential of the bicycle design itself everything came natural, it was a flat object and if the body could be built of flat sheets, a lot of things could change. Our whole approach was to be led by innovation, and that's how the nLock and nPocket systems came into play.

Our friends over at PSFK took their self-published "Future of..." trend report series to whole new level this month with a physical exhibition showcasing over 60 products, ideas and services from their latest research into "The Future Of Home Living." Located in the 5,000 sq. ft. future retail space of Stonehenge's latest building development, 101 at 101 West 15th Street, the exhibition not only addresses the changing needs of the modern-day New Yorker but also the global shift towards urban living and managing smaller spaces.

To examine our trends through a macro lens, we've organized them into three larger themes: Adaptive, On-Demand and Equilibrium, which point to the importance of a clean, efficient and responsive space that can flexibly conform to the ever-changing needs of its residents. This overarching framework is meant to inspire anyone to reshape their life at home, regardless of whether they live in a studio apartment inside a high rise, a split-level home in the suburbs or a remote cabin in the woods.

Anyone familiar with the Life Edited project will be aware of many of the concepts put forward, but one thing that resonated with us was the subscription-based services for: coffee, cocktails, exact ingredients for healthy homecooked meals, and a library for periodically rotating your wall art. The on-demand services are not only practical but offer a form of entertainment for the dweller, improving the quality of their life at home.

Kitchen and living room section.

AT-UM Table for Lenovo's Horizon Tablet PC by UM Project.

Home Aquaponics Kit by designers Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez.

Core77's Hand-Eye Supply Curiosity Club is thrilled for tonight's presentation from Andi Kovel of Esque Studio.

Tonight's talk starts at 6pm at the Hand-Eye Supply store in Portland, OR. Come early and check out our space or check in with us online for the live broadcast!

Andi Kovel
Esque Studio: "The Art of Craft: Studio Glass from Design to Production"
Hand-Eye Supply
23 NW 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
Tuesday, August 20th, 6pm PST

Experimenting with form and technique is paramount to Esque's core ambition. This glass design and blowing studio, founded by Justin Parker and Andi Kovel, pays an extraordinary attention to detail and quality to achieve a coherent vision of functional accessories, lighting and architectural elements. Justin and Andi, driven by an interest in the inherent attributes of glass, infuse their knowledge into the design of each piece, so that it becomes both a fine piece of art and a sought-after collectible of the future. Adding to its value, each piece is unique and handmade to order.

The work also benefits from Esque's state-of-the art eco mission. Their studio was built using cutting-edge technology to reduce waste and gas consumption. Two wind-powered furnaces run up to ten times more efficiently than traditional gas furnaces and produce zero CO2 emissions. Approximately 100 pounds of glass waste is recycled daily into the smaller of the two furnaces and then reused to produce eco-products, 100% recycled and chemical-free. Justin and Andi started as glass blowers for hire and found that time "linked us together as far as our passion for, and interest in, pushing the medium goes. We are each other's perfect foil."

The duo have risen to international acclaim over the past ten years (they were recently honored by Time Magazine as one of the 'Design 100,' oday's one hundred most influential international designers) and now lead the American market for hand-blown, modern, functional glasswork. Justin, most famous for his skill in creating enormous pieces of glass, studied under Italian masters with a focus on handmade glass sculpture. He is an accomplished artist, exhibiting at venues including the Brooklyn Museum of Art,and he has also produced fine art pieces for artists including Jim Dine, Kiki Smith and Tony Oursler. Andi, meanwhile, is internationally celebrated as an influential accessory designer, glass blower and fine artist. She has exhibited with Claes Oldenburg, Damien Hirst and Kiki Smith, and has designed glass lines for Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, but she is most recognized for her new forms and techniques in the field of glass. Such a combination of talent in such a specialty field could only produce a collection of gorgeous vessels and edgy decorative accessories, a feast for the eye and a prize for the home.

At a quiet studio in Kansas City, three creatives sculpt and mold prototypes for toys. Filmmaker Anthony Ladesich's mini-doc, "The Secret Story of Toys," looks at artists Jason Frailey, Adam Smith and Adrienne Smith as they carve everything from Terminators to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In the molding area you'll see similar equipment to what was seen in "A Look Inside a Moldmaking Shop," but Ladesich's narrative focuses much more on the actual creators as they explain the joys—and agonies—of scratching out toys from scratch:

Via Dooby Brain

Core77 is pleased to partner with Windows Phone to bring you a series of photo diaries this summer. Based on the theme of Reinvention, we're looking to capture the fleeting moments and highlight the often-overlooked facets of the world around us through the lens of the Nokia Lumia 928, especially in the low-light settings in which its camera excels. (All photos were taken with the Nokia Lumia 928 smartphone and are published without postproduction unless otherwise noted.)

Reporting by Ray Hu

New York City's new-ish High Line is nothing if not photogenic, offering sylvan respite from the concrete jungle, a thoroughly considered green space that is at once removed from and embedded in the thick of Lower Manhattan. Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Field Operations' seminal public park is a sui generis locale, and although both the architectural features (benches, water fountains, criss-crossing paths) and impeccable landscaping allude to overgrown railroad tracks, the High Line is a remarkable urban space regardless of its history.

If it's rather difficult to take in the various art installations and commissions peppered throughout the park once the sun goes down, the tasteful lighting and ambient cityscape happen to emphasize that the High Line more of an attraction in itself. Leafy silhouettes obscure skyscrapers in the distance; cross streets afford unusual urban vistas; highrises in the immediate vicinity offer an incongruous—and at times voyeuristic—backdrop to the greenery.

Here's a weird, practically operatic story of how a certain Ferrari came to be.

Giuseppe Volpi was a rich Italian Count, political financier and patron of the arts. (He founded the Venice Film Festival in 1932). In the late 1930s Count Giuseppe had a son, Count Giovanni. The Volpis were rich, and some years after the old man kicked it, Count Giovanni inherited the Volpi fortune at the age of 24.

It was the early '60s, and Volpi started up a racing team, Scuderia Serenissima. With his bundle of cash, he was reportedly one of Ferrari's best customers. But Enzo Ferrari was not an easy man to get along with, being a prickly man with a fiery temper.

By 1961 Girolamo Gardini, a Ferrari Sales Manager, was constantly arguing with Enzo. Of particular annoyance to Gardini was that Laura, Enzo's wife, was meddling with company affairs. When Gardini decided enough was enough, he threatened to quit.

Enzo then pulled a "You can't quit—you're fired" move, prompting what became somewhat melodramatically known in Ferrari history as The Great Walkout. Ferrari's Chief Engineer, racing team manager, Experimental Sports Car Development Chief Giotta Bizzarrini, and a host of other employees backed Gardini in the rift, and they left their posts in protest. This was right when the fabled Ferrari 250 GTO was nearing completion, so this is basically like all of Apple's top lieutenants walking out on Steve Jobs right before the iPod was completed.

Ferrari did manage to recruit other talented engineers, and of course got the 250 GTO completed, surely a drama in itself.