Cocoagraphs are artisan chocolate bars printed with edible Polaroid-style photographs. Calling to mind nostalgia for years past, these charming confections are completely custom, printed with any photograph, logo or image of your choosing. With each cocoagraph handmade to order, all users have to do is upload a photo and choose the ingredients from milk, white, dark or organic dark chocolate. Best of all, Instagram and Hipstamatic photos are particularly well-suited to the square chocolate bars, making them instant gift or souvenir for any occasion. Using ethical sourcing and manufacturing practices to ensure superior flavor and quality, this family-operated company seem to have found the perfect balance between food and technology. Watch a video explaining the process below. This article originally published at PSFK here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/20/cocoagraphs/
You’ve read all about the perils of sexting and the etiquette of whether and when you should change your relationship status on Facebook. But really, what are the rules? With all the new terminology, online dating apps and digital protocols, what’s happening as the worlds of love and technology collide? Mashable will begin airing a new video series called Love in the Time of Robots that explores these areas. Mondays at 10 p.m. ET the hosts and expert guests will identify trends and answer questions on the week’s topic. You can join the interactive dating advice show by submitting questions via email, Facebook or Twitter. The show’s topics will run the gamut from online dating dilemmas to how to plan the perfect YouTube marriage proposal. I mean, really, what are you supposed to do when your date looks nothing like the profile picture you saw online? The theme for the first episode is about a phenomenon called “Cyber-celibacy.” To find out more, watch the Ustream video here at 10 p.m. The show will be available exclusively on Mashable, Ustream.tv and HowAboutwe. To get a sneak peek at LITTOR, check out the exclusive Mashable trailer above, and ask us your dating etiquette questions, in the comments below. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/29/love-in-the-digital-age/
Image: Flickr, Camera Eye Photography Authors from all over the world came together last week to celebrate the best and brightest in contemporary literature at the 2014 PEN Literary Awards. The ceremony honors both recently published authors and those whose work has been pivotal in crafting the modern literary scene. Prize-winning books ranged from deep dives into the world of sports medicine to playful children’s stories to enchanting literary fiction. These books are all must-reads, but in case you need more convincing to check out these titles, here are seven reasons why you should be reading this year’s 2014 PEN Literary Award winners. Reasons Why You Should Be Reading This Year’s PEN Literary Award Winners 1. They empower children This year, storyteller Bil Lepp won the PEN/Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing with his children’s book The King of Little Things. By following the King of Little Things and his tiny subjects in their struggle to stop the devious King Normous, readers learn the value of simplicity and the power held by even those who are small. The book is made even more endearing by Lepp’s inspiration for the story — a whimsical playtime misadventure with his own son. Image: leppstorytelling.com 2. They let you travel the world Part of the power of literature is its ability to take you somewhere new. It’s this very virtue that PEN America celebrates with its PEN Award for Poetry in Translation. This year, the award went to The Diaries of Exile by Yannis Ritsos, translated by Karen Emmerich and Edmund Keeley. The Diaries of Exile details the life of a prisoner during the Greek Civil War, transporting readers to 1940s Greece within the bounds of this collection’s diary poems. Image: Archipelago Books 3. They celebrate diversity This year, PEN America awarded two authors — Ruth Ellen Kocher and Nina McConigley — the PEN Open Book Award. Kocher’s poetry collection domina Un/blued is simultaneously tragic and touching as it depicts various forms physical and mental of slavery. Likewise, McConigley’s Cowboys and East Indians addresses diversity and identity by looking at an eclectic cast of characters inhabiting Wyoming and India. Image: theaerogram.com 4. They advocate for social good Every year, PEN America spotlights social good with its PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. The prize is always awarded to an unpublished novel that addresses issues of social justice and comes with $25,000 and a publishing contract with Algonquin Books. This year, Ron Childress won the Bellwether Prize with his manuscript “And West Is West,” which explores corruption in both the military and Wall Street. Image: penamerican.tumblr.com 5. They are confronting violence in the NFL With the recent NFL controversies, much has been said about the brutality found within football, both on and off the field. But in their new book League of Denial, brothers Mark Fainaur-Wada and Steve Fainaru expose another type of violence perpetuated by the NFL — brain injuries incurred by players while playing football and how the NFL sought to cover […]
Roto-a-Matic is a collaboration between Chicago-based product development specialists Squibbles Ink and designer toy store Rotofugi. Taking on the vintage Mold-a-Rama machine, the new project aims to redesign the molds that make plastic toys in less than one minute. The original Mold-a-Rama machines work by injecting a molten concoction of polyethylene plastic into a mold, hitting it with a blast of air to make the plastic conform to the shape of the mold and then opening up the mold to drop the figure into a bin where customers can retrieve it. The Roto-a-Matic project is making new molds for the machine, asking the artistic community to contribute designs. The first toy is the Helper Dragon designed by sculptor Tim Biskup. Each figure comes with its own Certificate of Authenticity indicating the name of the figure, name of the artist, date of manufacture and color. The Roto-a-Matic is currently operational and available only in one location in Chicago. Check out the machine in action: This article originally published at PSFK here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/08/diy-toy-vending-machine/
Automaker Renault unveiled a new electric car designed to counter perceptions that eco-friendly vehicles can’t be fun. The Twin’Z, which made its first appearance at the Salon Internazionale del Mobile, echoes naturally occurring forms in its design and can travel as fast as 50 mph. The compact Twin’Z is modeled after more conventional city cars. Image courtesy of Renault Design. Renault decked out the Twin’Z in LED lights that biomimic, or imitate forms and movements that one might see in nature. Image courtesy of Renault Design. Images courtesy of Renault Design This article originally published at NowThis News here Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/06/10/renault-led-electric-car/
10 YouTube Videos Every College Student Needs to See 1. How to Do Laundry This YouTube tutorial will make you a wash-and-fold pro. Plus, the guys will enjoy learning from an attractive woman who hang-dries her thongs. 2. How to Have Safe Sex While this video doesn’t contain explicit — er — tutorials, it does explain the importance of protection and strong communication before and during your sexual encounters. Contact your campus’ student health counselor with more questions or for more info about safe sex. And be sure your parents are wearing their own raincoats, too. 3. The Freshman 15 A comical PSA warns college n00bs of the dreaded Freshman 15, to the tune of ’90s song “The Freshman,” by The Verve Pipe. 4. How to Tidy Up in Three Minutes Handy for when your parents drop by at 1 p.m. on a Sunday — and you’re still asleep. Bonus: Speaking from experience, this is a valuable skill to have even post-grad. 5. How to Do a Keg Stand Precise form, proper leverage, cheap beer: all the ingredients for a killer keg stand — not that you’ll be drinking in college, right? Be sure to memorize how to play beer pong, too. Game variations per fraternity not included. 6. How to Live on a Budget Budgets sound pretty bust, but they’re actually quite simple and incredibly effective. If you do it right, you won’t have to take that after-school job at Pinkberry (although, that is where you’ll meet all the hot chicks, #justsayin). 7. How to Organize Your Dorm Room YouTube user nikkithebrat creates helpful organization and design tutorials for the college generation. Guys, just replace everything pink with another color — unless, of course, that’s your bag. 8. 10 Dorm Comfort Items She may look like your mom, but Cindy Kunz is down. She suggests bringing things to college like an electric teapot, which let’s face it, is pretty clutch. 9. Shit Sorority Girls Say The “Shit People Say” movement may be dead, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn a thing or two from the videos. For instance, according to sorority girls, “Fro-yo doesn’t have any calories.” Stereotypes aside, this video and its brother production, “Shit Frat Guys Say,” can be pretty accurate. 10. How to Fold a Fitted Sheet Learning how to fold a fitted sheet may not seem like a priority, but in truth, nothing is sexier than a tidy stack of linens. BONUS: Sweatpants Let’s get something straight: Sweats are rad. You will wear them every single day at college, whether in hoodie, pant or headband form. That being said, there is a time and a place for all things fleece. Lecture hall? Meh, probably. Late night munchies run? Duh. Date night? Fool, get real. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/17/youtube-videos-college/
The Inebriator is a cocktail machine that mixes your drink in seconds. With this Arduino-powered robot bartender, all you have to do is grab a glass, fill it with ice, select your desired drink, give it a little stir and enjoy. The makers of the cocktail-making robot describe the inspiration behind the project: Most parties we have been to there is a good selection of spirits and mixers, but no one has the inclination to make cocktails. This project is designed to make it as simple as feasibly possible to get perfect cocktails every time without the hassle of looking up ingredients or measuring spirits and mixers. The Inebriator features a Hitachi HD44780 compatible display that displays drink information, navigation buttons, a stepper motor to drive the drink shelf and a cluster of LEDs to illuminate the glass and mixers. This article originally published at PSFK here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/06/inebriator-cocktail-machine/
Mashable‘s social book club, MashableReads, met with author Juan Gabriel Vasquez for a Twitter chat on Sept. 24 to discuss his novel, The Sound of Things Falling. The novel deals with the aftermath of kingpin Pablo Escobar’s reign in Colombia. Mashable readers discussed their favorite characters and posed questions to the author. Vasquez shared his own experience writing the novel and where he draws inspiration from. If you missed the Twitter chat, you can check out some of the highlights in our Storify below. The next MashableReads book will be Necessary Errors by Caleb Crain. Make sure to follow @mashlifestyle for discussion about the book and tweet with the hashtag #MashReads during the chat. For an up-to-date discussion throughout the month, join our Facebook group and share your thoughts with other readers. [View the story “#MashReads Discusses ‘The Sound of Things Falling’” on Storify] Image: Mashable, Bianca Consunji Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/09/26/juan-gabriel-vasquez-twitter-chat/
A fifth star has emerged among the four leading ladies of HBO’s Girls. We speak not of Adam, Ray or even the soon-to-be absent Charlie, but of Shoshanna Shapiro’s whimsical hair. Each episode, Shoshanna surprises us with intricate braids, oddly-placed buns and daring hair accessories. Though some border on ridiculous, her ‘dos never fail to get us talking. To gear up for season three of Girls, use these simple hair tutorials to channel your inner-Shosh. Do Your Hair Like Shoshanna Shapiro 1. The delicate side bun she wore during her sidewalk sale. YouTube user Claire Ashley shows how to pull off this pretty ‘do. Image: Tumblr, glorious-girl-crushes Video: YouTube, Claire Ashley 2. The ponytail side braid she wore to Radhika’s party. Shoshanna is known for her braided styles, including this casual take off the classic side ponytail. Image: Tumblr, girlscaps Video: YouTube, candypoo1100 3. The low chignon and a black fascinator she wore to Hannah and Elijah’s party. Sure, she may have been overdressed, but we haven’t seen a fascinator rocked this well since Princess Beatrice at the Royal Wedding. Image: Tumblr, overheardateverywhere Video: YouTube, CinthiaTruong Complete the look with this black Etsy hairpiece from sweetgrassmill. Price: $16.00 Image: Etsy, sweetgrassmill 4. Her French braided bun from Jessa’s wedding Shosh may have accidentally worn white to her cousin’s wedding, but at least her hair looked perfect in this classic updo. Image: Tumblr, whatshouldafricacallme Video: YouTube, Hair Style At Home 5. Her dutch-braid ponytail and beaded flower hairpin Follow this YouTube tutorial for a simpler version of Shoshanna’s braided ponytail. Image: HBO Video: YouTube, Pretty Girls Hairstyles Finish with this beaded hair pin from Etsy seller theBeadtanicalGarden. Price: $5.00 Image: Etsy, theBeadtanicalGarden 6. The giant sock bun she wore to Charlie’s company party To style yours just like Shoshanna, follow the quick tutorial below using about half of your hair and positioning on the side of your head. Image: Tumblr, dopplegangbros Video: YouTube, SMLx0 7. Her teased ponytail from the Bushwick party Shoshanna’s teased style held up for the entire night, even after her “crackcident” and subsequent jog on the streets of Brooklyn. Image: Tumblr, cappinggirls Video: YouTube, Imogen Foxy Locks 8. Her effortless top knot All top knots are not created equal. Copy Shoshanna’s perfect messy top knot with this easy tutorial. Image: Tumblr, jennauskowitz Video: YouTube, ohgeeitsbri Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/01/13/shoshanna-hairstyles/
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, meaning turkey, football and one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. To make sure your holiday stays focused on family, friends and food and less on airport delays, traffic jams and missed exists, we’ve rounded up seven essential tech travel tools to ease your holiday plans this year. All you have to do now is sit back, enjoy your time with loved ones and be thankful. 1. Waze Unless you want to get caught in bumper-to-bumper highway traffic this Thanksgiving, make sure you’ve downloaded Waze onto your iPhone or Android. It’s no surprise Waze is the fastest-growing traffic and navigation app, because it shares road information and updated traffic updates. Waze lets you know when you’re approaching police, accidents, traffic jams or road blocks so you’ll know to reroute before it’s too late. You’ll save time and gas money with this handy app by your side. 2. Vonage Mobile Vonage Mobile is a new calling app that lets you make free calls from your iPhone or Android smartphone. Holidays, for many of us, mean lots of time to catch up with loved ones — even the ones you can’t see in person. This app ensures you won’t go over minutes, because it lets you call for free. If your friends or family are out of the country, Vonage Mobile offers lower rates than Skype for international calling — even if they haven’t downloaded the app. Just select to call “someone who doesn’t yet have Vonage Mobile.” 3. TomTom VIA 1605 TM If you prefer to stick to a traditional GPS device rather than a smartphone app, be sure to consider TomTom’s latest, the VIA 1605 TM. If you think your smartphone is too small, you’ll surely prefer this device, which has an extra-large six-inch screen, bigger buttons and menus and a vibrant display. Planning a long road trip for the holiday? Try out different navigation voices to add some entertainment, including Homer Simpson, James Bond or Han Solo. You may also choose the most fuel-efficient routes to save gas money and minimize your damage to the planet. The TomTom VIA 1605 sells for $299.95, so it could also be a nice holiday gift for someone special on your list. 4. Connectify Don’t be stifled by a slow Wi-Fi connection on the road — use the Connectify router for Windows computers, which speeds your Internet by connecting to multiple networks at once. The software router uses your PC’s built in Wi-Fi card to create a hotspot you and nearby friends can use. Connectify is a great tool for people trying to get work done remotely, stream movies from a relative’s sub-par network or upload a big batch of holiday photos. Mobile fans can upgrade to Connectify Hotspot PRO to share their phone or tablet’s 3G or 4G connection with all other devices. The Pro option sells for $29.99 for one year or $49.99 for a lifetime package. 5. GasBuddy The holidays are enough […]
