Futuristic Taiwan tower to have floating observatories

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Futuristic Taiwan tower to have floating observatories


Futuristic tower called "Floating Observatories," which resembles a tree trunk with eight floating elevator observatories shaped like leaves, will soon become a major landmark in Taichung, Taiwan's third largest city.


The conceptual design of the tower was made by a team from the companies Dorin Stefan Birou Arhitectura (DSBA), Upgrade.Studio, and Mihai Cracium, and led by DSBA principal architect Stefan Dorin from Romania. The tower design won first prize in the recent Taiwan Tower Conceptual International Competition. Dorin explained the design represented a "technological tree," with elevator observatories shaped like the island of Taiwan, which is leaf-shaped.

The tower, standing over 300 meters high, will include an information center, museum, office tower, conference venue, fixed and floating observation decks, restaurants, and an urban park.


The floating elevator observatories can take up to 80 people and are built from lightweight materials developed by the space industries, and covered by a new generation membrane of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Their design was influenced by science fiction computer games. They move up and down on a vertical track positioned within a strong electromagnetic field and are “self-sustained” by helium balloons. The observatories provide the key exhibit of the museum for the visitors — the city itself — and when nested they are themselves exhibits.

The design’s “green” features include a small footprint, natural ventilation through the “chimney” effect, turbines and solar cells to generate power for the building, a fiber optics dome to light basement areas and museum spaces, and rainwater collection and purification. There is also a geothermal power plant in the basement for heating in winter and for heating water.


The Taiwan Tower will be the tallest building in Taichung, but is much shorter than the tallest building in Taiwan, the Taipei 101 skyscraper. The design was chosen from 237 entrants from 25 countries and gives Dorin a prize of around $130,000 as well as the chance to have the tower built to his design. Building of the tower on the one hectare site within sight of the Taiwan Strait is expected to begin in 2012 and take two years to complete. The competition was held to celebrate the centenary of the founding of Taiwan and to commemorate the merger of Taichung County and Taichung City. The government of Taiwan will fund the building.


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The World’s First Ferrari Theme Park

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The World’s First Ferrari Theme Park – Featuring a Heart Pounding 240 km/h Roller Coaster


You would be forgiven for thinking that this is a space ship of some kind when viewing it from the top. It certainly looks like one. It’s probably the most futuristic building (if one could call it that) that I have ever seen.

However, upon closer inspection even from the air, you would notice an all too familiar logo on the structure’s roof. Yep, that is none other than the Ferrari logo. So have Ferrari now jumped on the band-wagon and joined the space race afterall? Actually, no, this is not the case.

What they have done however, is build what is apparently the world’s very first Ferrari Theme park. Yes, Abu Dhabi in the Middle East is now the home of the world’s first and most elaborate Ferrari Theme park. And, considering the amount of money that has been poured into the oil rich nations of the middle east over the past decade in an effort to establish tourist destinations for when the oil eventually dries up, this theme park is certainly one of a kind in the world.

The figures are quite impressive – the park covers an area roughly the size of 7 football stadiums. Yes,seven football stadiums. And if the structure is not impressive enough from the outside, tucked underneath the roof is the world’s fastest roller coaster. (We could not have expected anything less now, could we? This is afterall Ferrari we’re talking about.)

The roller coaster, called Formula Rossa, is a heart pounding, 150 mph (240 Km/h) adrenalin rush, designed to exert the same G-force a real Formula 1 driver would experience during a race. The park does however also cater for kids.
The park has over 20 different attractions, and also caters for kids.

Here are just some of the park’s features:
The G-Force allows you to strap yourself in and be launched over 60 meters into the sky, this designed to give you a sense of what the G-force of an accelerating F1 racecar feels like.

The V12 ride gives you a glimpse into the heart of a V12 Ferrari 599 engine. You literally move through the engine with this ride, to see what goes on in the heart of the V12 engine.

The Scuderia-challenge is designed to simulate driving conditions of a F1 race car, giving you all the thrills of actually racing, by putting you in control.

The park was officially opened just a few days ago, ready for Decemember 2010, during an inauguration ceremony where HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was present.

“The ambitious development projects in progress in Abu Dhabi will help position the Emirate prominently on the global map as a sought after tourist destination. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a quality addition to our tourism industry which is one of the pillars of our national economy,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The park naturally also features the ultimate display of Ferrari cars all the way from 1947 to the present day, and the ceremony attracted 2000 VIP guests.

All Images by PR-Nord Neue Kommunikation







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Androids in space? Google launches phones into orbit

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Androids in space? Google launches phones into orbit

Androids in space! Google launched seven Nexus S smart-phones into orbit, using air balloons.


Google's new Nexus S smartphone has launched.
Literally.

To celebrate the release of the Nexus S, Google employees constructed seven hobbyist-style air balloons, each containing a phone, and sent them into orbit.

In a company blog post chronicling the nerdy stunt, Google's Zi Wang wrote that the project was intended to help test some of the hardware sensors in the phone. But that could just be a front to convince their bosses they weren't goofing off.

Or it could be related to a project Wang mentioned in an interview with New Scientist last week. Google is in talks with a UK satellite manufacturer about contributing the core technology in the Nexus S to help build small satellites, according to that report.

"The phone is powerful enough," Wang told the science publication.

Google says it recovered all seven capsules from the test run. At least one of those reached higher than 100,000 feet (more than 20 miles).

The phones stopped functioning at 60,000 feet -- about twice as high as most planes fly. Not bad for being in space without a helmet.


Google says the phones started working again on descent.

The company posted several videos about the project on YouTube.

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Green Concept Car

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Green Concept Car: Green Apple by Julien Sarremejean



Automobile industry has taken plenty of slack over the decades about how it has been spewing tons of pollutants into the atmosphere causing air quality to gone down to deplorable levels. For that reason most of the manufacturers embraced the ‘green way’. And designers started drawing so here’s an amazing concept car, dubbed Green Apple.


Designed by Julien Sarremejean and unveiled at the Local Motors competition it’s a NYC-centric car, that features an accessible battery pack, an air intake system that can revolutionize the way we drive cars today and a space-conscious design that makes it perfect for big city life. Unlike traditional air intake systems this one sucks air in and twirl a set of small windmills that purify air.


Green Apple is a new concept that could change the whole perception of a zero-emissions car. If you can purify the same amount of air that comes out of the exhausts, then it relatively means you are causing no pollution at all. If ever built, such a futuristic idea (both tech and design) is a sure hit, so there shouldn’t be any reasons why it cannot be the blueprint for future eco-friendly vehicles. No?





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Urban Agriculture for a Subtropical

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Urban Agriculture for a Subtropical

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Community Work Days!!

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It is a sad thing to notice the last posting we managed to get on our website was the spring move, and here we are looking at the Fall move... sigh.. How does summer get away from us so easily??

Growing Lots is on the move once more... ! Ironically enough we are moving back down the block to the site we came from earlier this year... yep, we are indeed feeling a bit like yo-yo's. However, the move was necessary, and now we will have an expanded site available, a building with electricity (we know! watch out here we come :) , and at least a 3-4 years of stability. wheeew!

Growing Lots will be holding 2 work days for friends, family and community members to come help move the farm. We will have lots of jobs, and many hands make fun work, yes? Drop us an email (growinglots@gmail.com) for more information!!

Saturday, September 17th 10 am - 4 pm
Saturday, September 24th 10 am - 4 pm

Task List:

  • Cleaning new site
  • Leveling Soil
  • Trimming brush
  • disassembling chicken coop, moving and reassembling
  • move shelving
  • disassembling potato towers and moving fencing
  • laying down plastic at new site
  • spreading out delivered soil into new beds
  • building compost bins
  • moving soil/compost from current site to new site
  • laying down straw/wood chips
  • planting cover crops
What to bring:
  • shovels
  • gloves
  • wheelbarrows
  • heavy bristled push broom
  • water bottle

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Aero 3S T-Rex Three Wheel Motorcycle

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Aero 3S T-Rex Complete Stage 3 AERO

  • Aero 3S T-Rex Three Wheel Motorcycle

  • Aero 3S T-Rex Complete Stage 3 AERO BODY KIT,Campagna T-Rex 

  • Found in G-2 Cycles Aero 3S - SEMA 2008


















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Concept Sketches Future Mobile Device

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Concept Sketches Future Mobile Device
Concept Sketches Future Mobile Device URSLA is a future pendant that emits 3D projections in the air. BERTHA is a future mobile phone that works with URSLA. 


3D projections from the pendant can be ‘captured’ in the air with this phone to see what the notification is about in detail on the screen. The device shows notifications regarding emails, phone calls, schedule and much more, that will appear in the air for a few seconds. 


As far as BERTHA goes, the futuristic handset works with the 3D pendant and looks like a pretty hot transparent device. This looks like an iPhone from the future, to be honest and a very cool one for that matter, that looks like it’s made from some crystal or sort of glass.




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Concept Time in a Bracelet Future Technology

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Concept Time in a Bracelet Future Technology


The magnificent clock bracelet future technology ! More like a piece of jewelry of silver and gold! With a vivid colored LCD display to show the time and date with a subtle, discreet touch of the finger. A sharp watch design with clean lines, 


the bracelet tapers from front to back and appears to have a retractable clasp so that the design wraps around your wrist. The time is viewed on the small circular medallion at the top of the design. The time is actually hidden in this disk so that when you turn it with your finger, it reveals the information you need; time, date and day.








The display is LCD and is backlit with LEDs, perfect for night time and low light situations. Patrick suggests that this design would be suitable for refined women who demand something special and different.
Design submitted by Patrick from France.

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Why America Needs Google Phone

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Why America Needs Google Phone

In terms of compatibility with your existing businesses, Google building a phone would be like Chrysler starting an ISP .But rumors about Google building a phone reveal plenty about the frustrations and desires of the American technorati.It's almost pointless to describe what the mythical Google phone will look like and do because, like the iPhone before it, it's a template for pundits to staple their wish lists.So let's boil the Google phone rumor mill - and the iPhone mill before it - down to its most primordial ooze and explain what the rumors really mean.

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Discern the Quality Discrimination of the Frozen Fish

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The seafood selects the knack Teach you how to discern the quality of frozen fish's shelled


The seafood selects the knack Teach you how to discern the quality of frozen fish's shelled shrimp
After reaching summer, let the quality guarantee period of food be reduced greatly in hot weather, if freezing storing, the problem seems serious. The quality of frozen fish's quality is not so easier to discern as the fresh fish. The frozen fish, can select according to the method to discern fresh fish first, but should be lower than the fresh fish to select the standard to melting.




Discern the Quality Discrimination of the Frozen Fish
See fish's eyes. The eyeball is protruding, black-and-white and clearly demarcated, the clean persons who have no filth are excellent; If the eyeball sinks, there are a layer of persons who is covered with on the eyeball in vain as time.


See body surface and rectum. The fish have icy and durable body, the color and luster has no filth shinily, pure white, the frozen fish whose rectum tightens are excellent; If fish's body swells, the color is gloomy or yellowing, matt, there is filth, the rectum breaks out, it is time.
Dissect and observe. Cut the intersection of fish and body with knife, it is intact for meat to sting, backbone have red line, gallbladder have person who break completely as excellent, it is time on the contrary.







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Computer Future Flex Tablet

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Flex Tablet Computer Future!

Flex is a revolutionary collapsible tablet computer, with flexible screen while still maintaining rigidity.It encapsulates a flexible spine plus a bendy screen within the frame,






which allows the user to translate flex from a slate to several form factors. A loop stand integrated into flex paves way for best content viewing experience. Flex’s flexible spine facilitates efficiency as well as collaboration on a tablet.



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Various Computer Acronyms

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Computer Acronyms

ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port
ALI - Acer Labs, Incorporated
ALU - Arithmetic Logic Unit
AMD - Advanced Micro Devices
APC - American Power Conversion
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASIC - Application Specific Integrated Circuit
ASPI - Advanced SCSI Programming Interface
AT - Advanced Technology
ATI - ATI Technologies Inc.
ATX - Advanced Technology Extended


--- B ---
BFG - BFG Technologies
BIOS - Basic Input Output System
BNC - Barrel Nut Connector

--- C ---
CAS - Column Address Signal
CD - Compact Disk
CDR - Compact Disk Recorder
CDRW - Compact Disk Re-Writer
CD-ROM - Compact Disk - Read Only Memory
CFM - Cubic Feet per Minute (ft?/min)
CMOS - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
CPU - Central Processing Unit
CTX - CTX Technology Corporation (Commited to Excellence)

--- D ---

DDR - Double Data Rate
DDR-SDRAM - Double Data Rate - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
DFI - DFI Inc. (Design for Innovation)
DIMM - Dual Inline Memory Module
DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory
DPI - Dots Per Inch
DSL - See ASDL
DVD - Digital Versatile Disc
DVD-RAM - Digital Versatile Disk - Random Access Memory

--- E ---
ECC - Error Correction Code
ECS - Elitegroup Computer Systems
EDO - Extended Data Out
EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
EVGA - EVGA Corporation


--- F ---
FC-PGA - Flip Chip Pin Grid Array
FDC - Floppy Disk Controller
FDD - Floppy Disk Drive
FPS - Frame Per Second
FPU - Floating Point Unit
FSAA - Full Screen Anti-Aliasing
FS - For Sale
FSB - Front Side Bus

--- G ---
GB - Gigabytes
GBps - Gigabytes per second or Gigabits per second
GDI - Graphical Device Interface
GHz - GigaHertz

--- H ---
HDD - Hard Disk Drive
HIS - Hightech Information System Limited
HP - Hewlett-Packard Development Company
HSF - Heatsink-Fan

--- I ---
IBM - International Business Machines Corporation
IC - Integrated Circuit
IDE - Integrated Drive Electronics
IFS- Item for Sale
IRQ - Interrupt Request
ISA - Industry Standard Architecture
ISO - International Standards Organization

--- J ---
JBL - JBL (Jame B. Lansing) Speakers
JVC - JVC Company of America

- K ---
Kbps - Kilobits Per Second
KBps - KiloBytes per second

--- L ---
LG - LG Electronics
LAN - Local Are Network
LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
LDT - Lightning Data Transport
LED - Light Emitting Diode

--- M ---
MAC - Media Access Control
MB ? MotherBoard or Megabyte
MBps - Megabytes Per Second
Mbps - Megabits Per Second or Megabits Per Second
MHz - MegaHertz
MIPS - Million Instructions Per Second
MMX - Multi-Media Extensions
MSI - Micro Star International

--- N ---
NAS - Network Attached Storage
NAT - Network Address Translation
NEC - NEC Corporation
NIC - Network Interface Card

--- O ---
OC - Overclock (Over Clock)
OCZ - OCZ Technology
OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer


--- P ---
PC - Personal Computer
PCB - Printed Circuit Board
PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
PDA - Personal Digital Assistant
PCMCIA - Peripheral Component Microchannel Interconnect Architecture
PGA - Professional Graphics Array
PLD - Programmable Logic Device
PM - Private Message / Private Messaging
PnP - Plug 'n Play
PNY - PNY Technology
POST - Power On Self Test
PPPoA - Point-to-Point Protocol over ATM
PPPoE - Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
PQI - PQI Corporation
PSU - Power Supply Unit

--- R ---
RAID - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks
RAM - Random Access Memory
RAMDAC - Random Access Memory Digital Analog Convertor
RDRAM - Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory
ROM - Read Only Memory
RPM - Revolutions Per Minute

--- S ---
SASID - Self-scanned Amorphous Silicon Integrated Display
SCA - SCSI Configured Automatically
SCSI - Small Computer System Interface
SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
SECC - Single Edge Contact Connector
SODIMM - Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module
SPARC - Scalable Processor ArChitecture
SOHO - Small Office Home Office
SRAM - Static Random Access Memory
SSE - Streaming SIMD Extensions
SVGA - Super Video Graphics Array
S/PDIF - Sony/Philips Digital Interface

--- T ---
TB - Terabytes
TBps - Terabytes per second
Tbps - Terabits per second
TDK - TDK Electronics
TEC - Thermoelectric Cooler
TPC - TipidPC
TWAIN - Technology Without An Important Name

--- U ---
UART - Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
USB - Universal Serial Bus
UTP - Unshieled Twisted Pair

--- V ---
VCD - Video CD
VPN - Virtual Private Network

--- W ---
WAN - Wide Area Network
WTB - Want to Buy
WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get

--- X ---
XGA - Extended Graphics Array
XFX - XFX Graphics, a Division of Pine
XMS - Extended Memory Specification
XT - Extended Technology

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Latest Frame based Life-book

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Frame based Life-book

Frame Based Life-book design brings integrates individual capabilities of devices such as smart phones and slate terminals within a single computer. 




‘Life-book frame series’ features an integrated and detachable multifunctional unit – the ‘life gear’ device, and a clear structured frame-based layout which provides transparency over the assignment of technical components. easy maintenance is ensured by the keyboard’s clever substructure. within the Frame based life-book, the life-gear serves as a number pad, touch pad, graphic tablet as well as a social network interface. when one is on-the-go, it can be used as a smartphone with handy data management.

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Top 10 High-Tech and Creative Pens:

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Top 10 High-Tech and Creative Pens

Today, we will continue on this topic and present you with some really cool pen design. Some of them are impressively high-tech, besides essential writing function, they also can be used like USB Pen, MP3 Player, FM Radio, Voice Recorder, color picker; and some of them are kindly of funny, help you kill the boring time during lengthy meeting. Of course, we also have some futuristic-looking pen which is ergonomic and help to relieve pain and stress cause by the regular pen.


1. Pendragon: The most crazy pen 
Pen dragon is the most crazy pen design I’ve ever seen. It should be still a concept and I really doubt how much effort to make it come true… and I am not sure do we really need that kind of multifunctional pen….
The pen has four parts. It’s got the Nib, the Central Unit, the End Part, and the Expandable Units.
The Nib is the writing part. it can be changed to a ballpoint, pen, fountian-pen, mechanical pencil, or digital pen. The Central Unit has, get this, the LED light – important!, a music player, charger input, memory card, and battery. The End Part has a bluetooth connection to whatever headphones you choose to use in collaboration with the mp3s youve put in the Central Unit. Expandable Units! Camera, microphone, laser pointer, chop, corrector, usb connetion, WLAN reciever to connect to computer, internet.



2. Ruler Pen 
 
“Beg Borrow or Steal”, that’s what I used to get to hear from my class teacher when I used to forget to bring my pencil box to class. Like most diligent girls in school I used to carry a sharpner, eraser, pens, pencils, and ruler. God forbid if you forgot a ruler and had to draw some lines! Like we tend to carry extra pencils or pens, but never rulers! Well this Ruler Pen is a helpful answer. Too bad no one thought of this during my school days. Also there is no cure for being forgetful!


 3. Swiss Pens
 
It is cool and beatuiful. Pens with the Swiss Army knife. They comes in pink, green, yellow, violet, gray, orange, red, blue (shown), or black (not shown) colors. The Swiss Pen original Victorinox tools: knife, scissors, file, screwdriver, and power light. It also contains a Fisher-pressurized ink cartridge enabling ability to write upside-down. It made of surgical stainless steel with plastic.


4. Maze Pen
 
This Maze Pen for those boring office meeting. Bring the pen to your next meeting or conference call and pretend to be intently listening while playing the balls from the top of the pen through the maze to the bottom and back again. It will be just looks like you’re fidgeting with your pen.



5. Puzzle Pen
 
The Puzzle Pen is both a pen and a puzzle. This pen offers a fun challenge to solve and is a refreshing break for the mind. The sections rotate like a Rubik’s Cube and the tiles slide. Mix up the colors and then group them back together again. The Puzzle Pen will have you working for hours, but not on actual work.


6. The KZ Xtreme Defense Pen – Pen, Stylus and 
Killer
Some pen can wirte and use as a PDA stylus, but the KZ Xtreme Defense Pen can write, serve stylus duty, and kill a man. Kill a man? Yes! The KZ Xtreme Defense Pen is designed to serve as a defense tool in times of need, features with a CNC Machined, Type II Class 3 Hard Anodized, 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum body and a threaded cap and slip free, knurled center that gives the pen a very tough and reliable construction, ergonomic design provides superior grip and comfortable tincturing.


7.color picker pen by jinsu park
 
korean designer jinsu park designed a concept pen that adopts the eyedropper tool of photoshop
for real life. the color picker pen enables colors in the environment to be scanned and instantly used for drawing. the sensor detects the color and matches it to the color display. then the RGB cartridge located within the pen mixes the inks together to create the color that has been scanned.


8. PenAgain – Ergonomic Pen 
 
Pen might have multipul functions, but the first important function is writing…The PenAgain’s primary focus is comfort. The human hand dictates the design. The natural weight of your hand provides sufficient pressure to apply ink to the paper. This eliminates the need to grip the pen allowing the thumb and forefinger to serve merely as guides. The Pen Again may help alleviate the symptoms of Writer’s cramp, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Calluses, RSI and Arthritis.



9. Yoropen
 
This futuristic looking pen called – Yoropen. It is designed with an offset tip that prevents fingers from slipping down when writing which improves posture and reduces strain to the fingers.

10. Free Ride Pen
Look simialr to Yoropen, but this one got more fancy looking.
The Free Ride is designed to be different, ergonomic, and fun. This push top ballpoint features a soft rubber like material in the vital sections where finger meets pen. The arched hull is held in place by hand drilled screws. As Lepine puts it, “I create tomorrow’s writing instruments for today’s men and women”.





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