This series of photographs by John Cyr are fantastic! They are stunning reminders of an artform and a craft that is nearing obsolescence. Many more to see if you go here. Thanks, yet again, Flavorwire!!

I used to play Cat’s Cradle ALL the time. Notice the heavy breathing in the background?

Jose Duarte is up to something. He’s taken what are typically computer-rendered information graphics and distilled them down to pieces of chalk, string, tape, balloons and a few other easily found items. He’s created a “Handmade Data Visualization Tool-Kit” for those of us who wish to tackle the wrangling of data in a more home-spun fashion. Brilliant. Thanks Flavorwire!

Infographics: 1) Number of real vs. spam emails sent daily.  2) Internet users 2000-2010. 3) Twitter followers comparison. 4) Internet users by country.

Some part of design involves the changing of a familiar form. Whether it’s a subtle modification or a radical overhaul is beside the point. Enter the Egg Cuber! An egg is arguably a perfect shape. That said, the fact that it can’t really stand up on its own (except during the spring equinox) is a bummer. And worse, oval slices of egg don’t fit well on my square sandwich. Some portion of bread is inevitably left without proper coverage. I see this as a major deficit. Granted, the egg cuber doesn’t render the eggs into perfect squares, but in my mind it’s a vast improvement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCQWVn1AfHs&feature=player_embedded#at=72

I am alternately fascinated and horrified by this video. The automation and sophistication on view are amazing. And I am a huge fan of watching an assembly line in action. But that either of these are required to process something as self-contained as an egg, tells me something is terribly terribly wrong. And from what I know about factory farming, I am pretty sure that I’m right about this one. It’s all about volume.