Tech Junky

Actually, I wouldn't consider myself a tech junky (I simply can't afford to), but I certainly have my shares of geeky gadgets. While renovating one of the rooms today, I discovered quite a few things that brought back memories and showed me how freaking fast technology advances.

Here's the living room now - not as well organized as I planned for, but that's not the point.


Sis threw on the beer bottle suit, which really belongs to Joey, and gave me a hand cleaning the place up, but that's not the point, neither.


This isn't what I found, but definitely caught my eyes. A wrist watch of former Chinese communist party leader, Deng Xiaoping, chilling with a smoke in his hand. This picture doesn't do it justice - the hand's actually flicking the cigarette by the second.


Ah, the white keyboards with bumpy and obtrusive buttons. Compaq doesn't even use that logo anymore, making this at least 4 years old.


External CD rom.

Weighs like 5 lbs. This is probably more useful as a weapon than anything else. With softwares able to be downloaded online, musics can be purchased through the internet, and laptops now equipped with blue ray player, the fate of this bulky gadget's not looking too good.

This, however, puts the rest of the lighters in shame:

It's a lighter to say the least. A survival kit - It comes with a compass AND a LED light. I was actually surprised there wasn't any swiss army knife.

I've also unearth a couple of cell phones:






This was the shit back in high school. When Apple was just about to rise as today's market giant and I still trying to convince my mom to get me a phone, Motorla had their "Razors." All the cool kids at my school had one of these. It came in many color ways - even hot pink.

The design's slick, even with today's standards.

This never went mainstream. My uncle from Taiwan was definitely a tech junky - he's always spoiled me with the latest things. I had the chance of using a palm PDA, when PDA was still known as "personal digital assistant" and before Palm was known as a cell phone company, back in high school.  This was one of the coolest MUSIC PLAYER ever.

It plays MD - Mini Disks. Stored up to hundreds of songs. Blew all the CD players, out of the water.

It was small and stylish looking, but I guess it wasn't as slick as CD, or in this case, MD-free music players.


Last by not least: Intel Dolls.

They actually belong to my sister. The Intel cleanroom technicians (not space men) started out as promo toys to employees but soon became too popular. More than 500,000 were made, but apparently not much people have seen this. This is before Blueman were doing their commercials.

...and all this happened within the last 5-6 years. What's going to happen within the NEXT 5-6 years?

'til next time,
-Benson|| Twitter || the movement|| The Imaginary Zebra website || Shop of Imagination ||

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Popping Club - Design Process

A collaboration with the Popping Club at UC Davis. (This item's not for sale)

We go way back. Actually, I've only met the fellas about 1 year ago, but with the many events that we've worked on, the relationship sure feels a lot longer.

↑Our very first show was just last year.

I gotta say, they're some of the funnest people that I've worked with. Talented, dynamic, down to earth, yet very professional.








This project has been in the work for quite some time. After couple of discussions with the group and drafts, we've finally have the shirts made. Here goes the design process:

The initial idea was quite straight forward - with the "popping club" spelled out of a boombox.

↑ Like the drawing I had on the left.

Then, a new idea sparked. Making it more personal to the club, we've decided to build our concept on top of robots and using words like "wah wah wah wob wob womp" to reflect the dub step music they use for many of their choreo.

↑ Research phase was interesting - there doesn't seem to be a uniformed look for robots, so instead, I picked out signature features of generic robots to implement into this "popping bot."

First draft of the bot:


Final:

↑ Color grey and reflection was used to resemble the old school boom box. The initial light bulb head was replaced by antenna because light bulb simply doesn't fit the theme for this case. I added speakers, buttons, and cassette slots to make it look more authentic. And of course, I incorporated the "Zeeb" face.

The type treatment for this design was more powerful, using hand written letters with a Chinese calligraphy pen. We wanted the words to POP. 




Using red as accent to balance off the design:


Quick touch to the back of the shirts:





tada!

'til next time,
-Benson|| Twitter || the movement|| The Imaginary Zebra website || Shop of Imagination ||

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uglietx x MKP x TIZ - Shirts in production

Ladies and gents, thank you all that have pre-ordered the collabo tee.
All orders are being processed and the shirts are in production.


This is a pre-order exclusive item: the shirt is no longer available for purchase.


For those who have purchased the shirts in advance, all items are planned to be shipped around 3 weeks from today.

'til next time,
-Benson|| Twitter || the movement|| The Imaginary Zebra website || Shop of Imagination ||

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Looong Day

..and long schedules require some breaks in between to set things on balance. And so I did. Took some breaks with Christine and Kevin to hike up the hill towards the "Hell Hole."

Though, just a city next to Hercules, where I first resided when I moved the States, I knew nothing about  its "cool hangout spots." (Places like the dynamite factory, which is now residential area thanks to all the estate expansions, for those of you from Hercules) But better late then never, I was introduced to the "Hell Hole" earlier today.

↑It was literally 30 seconds away from Kevin's place AKA our workshop.

The guides


I was so focused on "the hell hole," I didn't even take in, or take a picture of, the specular view from the top of the hill. It was freakin'..relaxing.

For those of you seeking the spot: it's where the flags stand.


Seems like a giant reservoir, the size of about half of a football field, with barb wires circles along the walls.


About 50 feet deep.


That's where people get in. And apparently, most people that got in are graffiti artists.




Back to work: More about this in the future, you've already seen to much.






Swung by Rolo's to discuss the details on his upcoming stickers.








His camera related collection's growing.







↑What do you know about this: original 1994 PowerRanger board game. Rolo's take: it's not as fun as Monopoly. Sorry, rangers.

Rolo's also got a badass toy collection:











More to come, now I'm

too tired.


'til next time,
-Benson|| Twitter || the movement|| The Imaginary Zebra website || Shop of Imagination ||

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