Jürgen Heckel is a Nürnberg, Germany, born sound artist and photography. His various sets clearly follow the same style of photography and are always named after the subject matter; Wald (forest), stone, Gras (grass) are all appropriate names for photography that really doesn't, from a pure optic point of view, portray anything else. What's interesting about Heckel's work, apart from his obvious appreciation of geometry and composition, is his sense of volume, which is often not as easy to describe as one might think. It is difficult to comprehend the scale of many of the images, such as the softly focused snowy landscapes. 

The easiest way to see more of his work is to check out his Behance portfolio, his website is focused on his work as a sound artist.

USB sticks have never really been more than a way of moving documents from one computer to another and they've almost always been strikingly ugly. Now that the costs have plummeted, they've become little more than a gift from the marketing department when one firm is invited to another. Hum design, a small Japenese company, has made something simple and aesthetic. This is something that can be placed on a window silll or on a shelf without shame.

There seems to be some trouble finding it outside Japan, but this store seems to have it.

Being Scandinavian myself, it is possible that I was fed with an appreciation for light interiors from the north. This particular interior was shot by Line Klein, a Danish photographer. The interior design was done by Helen Wiggers and it includes several Scandinavian design classics and homely touches, such as a pendant lamp and an assortment of design books. As far as I can decipher, it's for a Danish magazine called Alt Interiør.

Klein has a blog and a website.

With more than 50 percent of the world's population now living in cities, it's inevitable that we are going to see more and more demand for 'retreats' and weekend homes out in the wild. This particular example lies in Mazama, WA, USA, and offers great views to surrounding trees and mountains. Although it appears small in comparison to its surroundings, it's a 300 square meter living space spread over three floors, the kitching and living room being on top. The perhaps most interesting feature of the house is the way it can be closed up when the owner isn't there using a manual crank, seen on the pictures above.

The name "Million Dollar PC" is potentially misleading but it does display a strong belief in a concept; that a computer can be much more than the gray, loud dust gatherer underneath the office table, a container of a mysterical collection of bits and pieces and a jungle of wiring. 

The computers displayed over at Million Dollar PC are not only filtered based on a sophisticated sense of photographic quality, but also due to their refined aesthetics. Not a single wired is unplanned, not a single slab of color is in some way accidental. Many of the cases are hand built and most of them by hobby enthusiasts who desire to not only have a computer, but perhaps something that also resembles a sculpture. The amount of time and effort that has been invested in each project is admirable and if they've achieved anything, it's genuine individualism. 

I've been designing some alternative book covers in my free time lately, going for a "scanned old book" effect. The files often end up being huge whilst working on them because of the tens of layers that each one consists of. Book covers are a great example of graphic design that can indicate the content without revealing too much, unlike most CD covers, which often display the artist and/or their logo.

Seeing flowerpots on windowsills is commonplace in Saigon, Vietnam, the most densely populated city on the Earth. It injects a hint of nature and green life into an urban area covered by humans. Although there is a change towards a more 'modern' urban society, some new projects still manage to capture some of the traditional flavor whilst remaining contemporary. Plots in Saigon are quite small, as one would expect in such an area and architects have to deal with the constraints of a 4 by 20 meter footprint. Vo Trong Nghia's stacking green features a wall of flowerbeds, each one automatically irrigated. The spacing varies on the type of plant and the wall not only adds to the inhabitants' privacy, but also improves ventilation during the warmer seasons. 

There's something special about African wildlife, perhaps the sense that it's one of Earth's few last relatively untouched environments, or perhaps the diversity of animals that is so radically different to most of wildlife found in other areas of the world. There are several lodges and game reserves in South Africa that are perfected to accomodate tourists as comfortably as possible, but Lion Sands offer something beyond what most do. The lodges overlook the Sabie River, in an area which is known for it's wildlife, and which borders the Kruger National Park.

The star of the attraction, the Jackalberry Treehouse, is essentially an open terrace for a maximum of two people, perched on top of a 100 year old Jackalberry tree. The visitor is around 15 minutes away from from the lodges and is brought there after dinner or at sunset. It is of course advised to go as early as possible if one wants to spectate much of the wildlife, as it naturally does get harder to spot animals when it gets darker. The pick-up is arranged with the ranger for the day after, even though you are left with a radio in case you want to get in touch with the lodges. One then spends the evening and night surrounded by nature, falling asleep completely exposed to any sounds coming from the African night.

If you want to book a night in the wild, or simply want more information on an unforgettable experience, head over to the Lion Sands website. I once had the privilege to stay in Kirkman's Kamp and it's one of my most treasured travel memories.

Graphic design work by Montreal, Quebec, Canada based Philippe Cossette. We're great admireres of geometric shapes and slightly 'faded' colors and Cossette has done a good job considering the limitations that using only half-circles causes. The use of semi-transparency works well with the chosen colors. The project was undertaken for a greater musical project centered around a particular style of folk music in Quebec, if we've understood this all correctly.

If you want to know more and speak French, head over to the Les enfants de la Bolduc website or Cossette's online portfolio.