bltd

Chances are you’d prefer no additional cords or wires on your desk, and hey, wouldn’t it be nice to have a small, passive amplifier for your iPhone? I know you were just thinking that exact same thought, and that’s why you’d do well to pay attention to this little guy. The Timbre is a wooden amplifier that boosts the sound of your phone by up to 20 decibels. No cords, no battery, and it’s small enough to throw in your bag if you’re on the go. (Father’s Day gift, anyone?)
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If you get around the neighborhood by bicycle and you and/or your friends like to drink anything in a bottle, this was made for you. Made of sturdy canvas, the sides of the 6 Pack Bag are secured with Velcro, ensuring your cargo gets to your destination safe and sound. (I suppose you could also use this to transport your bottles from the grocery store, though you’d have to mess with unpacking them from their cardboard carton first.)
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Is this a minimal bike hook? Yes, indeed, and I’m holding my hand up for a long distance high five here (air-five, as some might say). These bike hooks by Sandra Thomsen are just about as simple as you can get. Do note that they’re intended for lighter sports bikes. You’ll want to triple check that the wall is suitable and that you install the anchors correctly, otherwise you might just have a scuffed up bike and two holes in the wall, and that’s no fun at all.
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Gah! Pinhole cameras handmade from wood! On Kickstarter! Cue the various photography buffs plonking down $50 or more for their very own. I did, and I’m congratulating myself right this very second. Elvis Halilović of ONDU has designed these small, simple to use, and affordable pinhole cameras. There are 6 different sizes to fit your favorite film size (from the Leica 135 format to the 4˝ x 5˝ film holder camera) and you can currently back his project on Kickstarter. See video below. (Also, bookmark this for future gift idea for a friend/family member who likes photography.)
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Well, the time has come*. A desktop 3D printer is now available for sale for just over $2 grand from MoMA Store**. By all accounts, we should be prepared for a global meltdown in the retail sector in the next several years as 3D printers find their way into our homes, as we’ll be able to print out anything we want with just a simple CAD file. So, will you be one of the first to own a Replicator®? Details below.
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Yes, it did take a while for MoMA to feature New York City in its Destination series, but at least they have now, and we’ve got a nice selection of home-grown design to consider. You’ll see a few things featured here on BLTD, of course, the first of which is the Blokket by The Way We See The World. Blokket is a pouch made of a silver and nylon material that blocks cellular signals. So, if you want to fully dedicate your attention to your dining partner, you can take your phone out of the equation by placing it inside the pouch. You could also just completely turn it off, which is the obvious solution. However, the Blokket also protects against identity theft by
unauthorized RFID readers, which means your slip chipped ID cards and/or passport is safe from prying radio frequencies when inside, especially useful if you might be involved in espionage. Take a look at the whole Destination:NYC series over at the MoMA Store.
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Here’s another bag called JetPack, but this design reuses workers’ safety vests to make sure you remain visible at night, biking or walking. With a cross-body style, the shoulder strap and two stripes on the back reflect light, giving you an effective ‘HEY! I’m here!’ visual cue to any vehicles around you. See below for details.
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Let’s pause for a moment to appreciate all things pixelated. Particularly, your home state pixelated on a T-shirt. Pixelivery were kind enough to send me a Texas shirt, and it meets, if not surpasses, my expectations. If you would like to show your home state some love, Pixelivery would like to offer you 15% off any shirt until the end of May: use BLTD15 as a promo code. (There are other designs, of course, my favorites being the Camera and the Bike shirts.)

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This backpack won’t make you fly, but it does utilize a faceted fabric that expands/contracts according to the bag’s contents, which is just as good, really. What else besides this interesting visual effect? It has the requisite laptop sleeve (faux fur), two zippered compartments, places for pens and pencils, as well as another internal sleeve for an iPad or sketchbook. So, room for everything plus the very cool faceted fabric, all for $60. See Kickstarter for more details.
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What, a cycling jacket on Kickstarter, and you’re not going to see it posted here just as soon as it hits our inbox? As if we’d let that happen. Featuring a slim fit with black reflective panels, this lightweight jacket could very well be your new go-to layering piece for day or night. Whether you’re cycling, walking, or jogging, the reflective panels provide optimal visibility when it’s dark, and, during the day, it just looks like a nicely cut wind jacket- as in, no bright colors and obnoxious reflective stripes that shout ‘I’m an exercise nut’. When not in use, simply fold it into its packable pocket.
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This thin, silvery box and accompanying cable might as well come with a top hat and wand for what it promises. An HD film downloaded in 30 seconds? A year’s worth of music synced in 10 minutes? Huh? Oh yes, it’s all the magic of Thunderbolt™ technology. Thunderbolt™ moves data on two bidirectional 10Gbps channels, which means that it’s 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and 12 times faster than FireWire 800. The Thunderbolt™ Cable ($39) does the actual magic, and this dock allows for you to use “a single connection to create high-speed, reliable transfers between your laptop and up to eight other devices, including FireWire, Ethernet, USB, and daisy chaining multiple Thunderbolt™ devices.”
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Yes, at first glance this looks like a netted vest, so, big deal, right? But take a hint from its name and know that it lights up as a visible safety vest. Developed from 3M reflective material, the vest is designed to wear over your clothing/jacket/coat, and is quite strong, lightweight and compact. There’s also the fluorescent Flare Vest if you prefer bright color over lighting technology.
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Remember ReFleece, the company making cases from recycled fleece? Well, as luck would have it, they now have a Kickstarter campaign with a few new offerings, and you can send in your old fleece for a personalized version. Did you read that properly? Your favorite old fleece can now be immortalized and protect your device all at the same time.
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Bamboo! Bicycles! Add the two together and you get something that makes sense. Bamboo has a honey comb structure that naturally dampens those bumps along a street, meaning you’ll have a smooth and comfortable ride. More importantly, bamboo is a renewable resource, quite strong, and considerably light compared to other steel frames. To learn more, visit Bamboo bee’s website or their Kickstarter page.
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Maybe you’re perfect, but I know I’m not the only one that needs a little reminding every now and again to be a better person. And, hey, why not have a key tag that gives you some inspiration to do just that? They’re sort of perfect, in their old-timey, hotel-key tag way. Could be a good way to keep track of extra key copies clanking around perhaps?
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