Irish Times Mag, April 28

The Borismaster aka NB4L aka a new bus for London by Thomas Heatherwick; a holy grail of sorts for the great outdoors: water resistant down and not once, twice here; and how being dragged underwater can be fun with a SubWing. Irish Times Saturday Magazine.

We All Need a Manifesto.

We all should have a Manifesto for Life, even if we don't actually articulate it and write it down: life's too short. This piece ticks lots of boxes if you're a box-ticking type and is guaranteed to attract sarky sniping from glass-half-empty cynics. So that's a big win. And it makes a damn fine poster too.

Holstee Manifesto Poster

Irish Times Mag Gadgets, Apr 21

From this Saturday's Magazine: reject suitcase size fascism with the anti-carry-on Blackhawk Secretary Trunk, catch big water with the JetWave for surfboards and the perfect chair to boldly go where no inflatable furniture has gone before.

Irish Times Mag Apr 14

Today's column in the Irish Times features the Tentsile tent that suspends you in the air - on purpose, sort-of bifocals reading glasses for cyclists and runners; and Motorola's latest stab at the iPad with its Xoom 2.

Jonah Lehrer on Creativity.

Irish Times Mag Gadgets from 7 April

Missed a trick today: it's Easter Weekend and there's not a whiff of a chocolate egg or Easter Bunny in the column. The closest I come is with the Handpresso Auto for instant in-car expresso on the go; otherwise it's Flylite's latest super-lightweight wheelie (flylite.uk.com) and a real boy's own gadget, the Brass Stow-away, with all important built-in compass.

It's all here.

Judging a book by its cover: Penguin's 30 Essentials get a new look

Last year, for a round of questions in a quiz for a local book festival, I'm afraid I ignored copyright law completely - apologies to all -  and Photoshopped off the titles and authors of 10 books. You had to identify each just from the artwork. 

Penguin have revisited 30 classics or Essentials from their backlist and let a heady roster of designers, illustrators and artists loose on them. What a dream project! As you'd imagine with so many executions, there are some exquisite designs, some so-so but all are interesting, if only in a WTF fashion. Kudos to Penguin for the effort and starting the debate: are these the 30 Essentials? And which is your fav?  Penguin Essentials - Penguin Books

Gadgets on Sat, Mar 31

Welcome back the tactile delight of an actual printed-out photo with the new age of Polaroid; a back-up phone that can last years on an AA battery and a cyling shirt saver.

Find them here: Irish Times Magazine, Sat Mar 31