The Zen Table has two sizes – a coffee table measuring 56″ x 39″ x 19.5″ and a smaller desktop version measuring 13″ x 9.5″ x 2 1/2″. Both are made of bamboo and equipped with an SD card slot and a USB cable. The SD card slot is for the bundled SD card which will have several programs that instruct the table’s electronics to create patterns, but you can also send commands from a computer to the table via USB.

In addition, the coffee table version can also be equipped with a 3G modem that will allow it to receive new designs, as well as allow the user to control the table from an Android or iOS app that Hallam is currently developing. That means you can have the Zen Table write messages to people at the table or have it draw naughty images when your parents have a visitor. The possibilities are frightening. Here’s a demo of the Zen Table in contemplative action:

Here it creates something more modern:

Fancy eh? Kickstarter supporters thought so as well. Hallam put up a fundraiser on the crowdfunding website and was able to exceed his original target. I’m not sure when and for how much the final products will be sold, but the people who pledged at least $499 (USD) on the project are eligible for a kit containing the parts for the desktop version of the Zen Table, while $749 got them the same model but fully assembled. Two people pledged at least $4,999 to get their own coffee table Zen Table and one rich and lucky person shelled out at least $7,499 to get the 3G version of the coffee table. Meanwhile I’m still waiting for the iZen Garden app to go on sale for less than $5.99.

Head to Hallam’s YouTube channel to check out more videos of the Zen Table in action.

[Kickstarter via The Awesomer]

While the jaja doesn’t have the ultra-precise pointing capability of the recently announced iPen, it does do one thing that artists have dreamed they could do on their tablets – detect stroke pressure. Two buttons on the stylus also can be used to switch colors, erase, or other custom functions.

Created by Jon Atherton of Silicon Spark, the jaja stylus works its magic using a clever, but simple sounding trick. As you press down, high frequency sounds are emitted by the pen. The variable frequency sound – undetectable by human ears – is picked up by the tablet’s microphone, and converted into pressure information. By building this trick into the pen itself, it requires no add-ons, and the pressure conversion can be handled by algorithms in the software. It even means it’ll work with any tablet with a microphone with the proper app installed, of course.

I like how he calls it a “Zsa Zsa”. I think I’ll call it that instead.

My only concern about the concept is what if any impact background noises (like flying on an airplane or taking a train) might have on the technology, and if multiple people in the same room could even use jaja pens without causing interference. I’m also not thrilled with the design of the pen itself, as it uses one of those cumbersome clear disc tips at the end. This lets you see exactly where you’re drawing, but doesn’t exactly feel like a normal pen based on my experience with other styli built the same way. Still, the pressure sensitivity – if it works well – is more than worth the price of admission.

If you’re interested in trying out the jaja stylus for yourself, head on over to Kickstarter and pledge now. The first 500 people can get a single jaja for just $40 (retail price will be $69). The project is looking to raise $25,000 total by February 7th, and is already about 1/3rd of the way there as of this writing. They expect to ship their first batch sometime this April. Atherton also plans on releasing an SDK to development partners so more apps can leverage the technology.

I’m hoping they’ll someday get together with the iPen guys and join forces to create a single stylus which can draw with precision AND is pressure sensitive. That would be the holy grail for tablet-bound artists. There’s no techincal reason I can think of that the two ideas couldn’t be combined.

This unusual robot, designed by So Kanno and Takahiro Yamaguchi serves a single purpose – to draw senselessly. Ok, it actually uses a can of spray paint, so it really should be called “Senseless Painting Bot”, but I’ll forgive them that one minor issue. Here, let’s watch the bot as it churns out some of its senseless art:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I love how its arm gesticulates wildly as it rolls its way along the wall, painting abstract images. I wonder how long it would need to keep going for before it actually randomly spelled a word. It’s amazing how something so senseless can still be so intriguing, don’t you think?

[via Vimeo]

These lunch bags were created by the world’s most awesome dad, for his kids. He spends his own lunch time creating these works of art and then gives them to his kids everyday. He has a whole Tumblr page devoted to them. This guy really knows how to draw and I propose that these have an entire geek museum to themselves somewhere.

My favorites have to be…I can’t even pick a favorite. They are all amazing. Do yourself a favor and hit the link above. You will call your own dad and scold him for not being this guy.

[via Geektyrant via Geeksaresexy]

One of the big downsides to sketching on drawing tablets is that they don’t really feel like drawing on paper, and devices like the iPad don’t work with variable pressure. And drawing on paper, then scanning your image requires too many steps, and can only be used for raster images. The cool thing about the Wacom Inkling is that it lets you draw directly on paper with a ball point pen, and can store every detail of your sketch as either raster or vector art – letting you manipulate your lines digitally, while retaining your varied strokes on paper. And since it’s portable, you can draw anywhere you go.

The Inkling comes with three main components, a receiver box that clips onto the top of any notepad, and a special pen, which communicates with the receiver, and a docking station for charging the receiver and pen and transferring images to your computer. You can then sketch til the cows come home in your notepad. At the end of the day, simply plug in and sync up with Wacom’s Inkling Sketch Manager to import your drawings into Photoshop or Illustrator or other applications.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The system uses a combination of ultrasonic and infrared technologies to work its magic, and it truly does look magical. While I haven’t had a chance to play with this thing yet, I’m really looking forward to checking out the Inkling when it hits stores sometime this September for $199 (USD).

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Gizmodo]

Beau is a mechanical engineer and that becomes obvious the second you look at his work. His sketches are all finely detailed and he has engineered the hell out of what he puts on paper. Putting his designs on paper is one thing, but Beau, being an engineer, wanted some actual models of these drawings. Of course LEGO is the perfect medium to give them life.

And boy do they live. All of that detail from the drawings is brought to life in glorious 3D. Want to see more? Check out his Lego Steam War Machines yourself and see what you think. You can see his amazing Steampunk sketches here on Flickr.

[via Doodlersanonymous]

Paul was purposefully made to be messy so that his art could connect with people according to designer, Patrick Tresset. Tresset was able to get the endearingly messy portraits from Paul by using cheap servos rather than the expensive and precise industrial components.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The ‘bot has a camera that senses the person’s face it is drawing, and then it starts the process with a plain ink pen. The finished portraits remind me a bit of Two Face from comic books. It is a bit strange to see a disembodied robot arm moving around creating drawings.

Future versions of Paul will be able to see the picture it is drawing and make them better.

Paul still draws faces better than I do even if one side is messed up.

[via FastCoDesign]

What we needed were two Etch A Sketches – or perhaps this sweet Connect A Sketch concept by product design student Andrew Little. Little designed the Connect A Sketch for the 2011 Dundee Degree show and the London exhibition, New Designers. He took a couple of the Etch A Sketch tablets we all know and love, and connected them together somehow so that what is drawn on one screen shows up on the other screen as well.

The cool part is if the other guy shakes the screen to clear it, the second user will get a notification to shake their screen to keep up. I would like to know the tech the designer used to make this thing.  What sort of tech do you think is behind the wonder of the Connect A Sketch?

[via Designalittle and Ubergizmo]

I mean really, Darth Vader and cupcakes. It’s sheer madness. Genius, but mad genius. Artist Ryan Jones has worked as a Tech Director and Digital Artist for ILM/LucasFilm since 2003, so he’s certainly an expert on these characters, and has a few of these originals up for sale in his Etsy shop, including Hustle and Fett – featuring Boba Fett driving a Cadillac and smoking a cigarette. Why? Why not?

…as well as the Bold Bluff, with a motley crew of Cantina aliens doing their best imitation of Dogs Playing Poker…

The original 8.5″x11″  illustrations sell for $500 (USD) each, so they’re not cheap, but you can find prints of these over starting at $22 (USD) on FineArtAmerica if you don’t mind owning a copy. Or maybe you can just use a Jedi Mind Trick on Ryan to convince hand over the collection for free.

I’ve just got one question. How come this weapon hasn’t found its way into any of my FPS yet?

[via Unreality]

If you’ve never heard of ArtRage, it’s really is a spectacular (and reasonably priced) art application. It provides beautiful digital simulation of oils, watercolors, markers, pencils and other natural media. And despite its tremendous depth (with features like layering, stencils, stickers and blending modes), the interface is easy enough for beginners to dive in right away and start creating art. To give you an example of what’s possible, here’s an image (far beyond my feeble talents) created by ArtRage community member BoxFree.

The Pro version includes support for wet blending of paints, and Photoshop filters among other things. Both versions of the app work great with Wacom or Adesso drawing tablets, but I’ve also really enjoyed using it with my HP Touchsmart, where I figured out you could paint with real brushes! If you really want to see how well it works, there’s a great gallery of creations made with ArtRage here. You can also grab a 30-day demo copy to play with. But you really want the full version, right?

So back to the contest….

We’ve got 10 copies of the full ArtRage 3 Studio ($40 value each) to give away – either PC or Mac version, and all you need to do for a chance to win is post a comment below, telling us what feature of ArtRage 3 you’re most excited about. To get you started, check out the features list here. To be considered for the drawing, you must provide a valid comment and e-mail address (Limit 1 submission per e-mail or IP address, junk/spam entries will be disqualified). We will pick 10 random winners from all valid entries. It’s that easy! The contest will end at 11:59pm Central time on 5/26/2010, so get your entries in now!

[ArtRage]

It’ll still take you quite some time to create a full portrait, but you’ll certainly draw a lot faster on it than on ye old Lite Brite. Plus, there are no pegs to pick up or keep track of! (or lose behind the couch cushion, or keep your kid brother from eating).

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can download the app at the iTunes app store (link opens iTunes) for only $2 (USD). Again, it’s only for the iPad, but who knows, maybe they’ll come up with an iBrite Lite for the iPhone.

[via iLounge]

Dawwwwwwww. It was probably made by a kid. Here’s #22, Mega Man’s Achilles Heel:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

And, my favorite (outside of the remaining ten), #14:

Simple but spot-on, and anyone who’s played any of the bajillion offspirings of the series will understand. There’s quite a few more picks, like the Mega Man cookie or the insane Mega Man collection. I hope the top ten are worthy of their places.

[via Capcom Unity via GoNintendo]

The machine takes advantage of the fact that patents often refer to other (or earlier) patents to connect the words that it got from the book. I’m not 100% sure but I think this is how it works: if for example the first two words that the machine got from a book are “fox” and then “dog”, the machine will first look for a patent with a drawing of a fox. But before looking for a drawing of a dog, it looks for a third patent drawing that will connect the fox-patent to the dog-patent. Then it draws the fox, then the connection between the fox and the dog – a patent for a foxdog? – and then the dog.

In essence, it turns a text-based story into a technological history of sorts. Here’s the Perpetual Storytelling Apparatus in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Honestly I found it to be a bit boring. Maybe if I knew exactly which “recent best-selling book” it started from I could appreciate the drawings more. Or maybe I should see it live. As it is, I don’t have context, and the drawings make little to no sense to me. Definitely weird though.

[via likecool]

Perhaps the best part of the app is Flipnote Hatena, the accompanying service that allows creators to share their work, and viewers to kill loads of time watching hilarious animations. When I checked last, there were more than 28,000 little features available. That’s a lot of time spent watching animations.

The app is available now, and since it’s free, if you have a DSi, there’s no reason not to get it.

[via TinyCartridge]

As you can see, the stencil has all of the icons, arrows, buttons and boxes present in the iPhone UI. And yes, the pencil is included with every purchase. Also included in the kit are 2 Design Commission stickers, so when you hit it big with an app, you won’t forget who helped you make it.

In case you didn’t notice, the stainless steel stencil is actually bigger than an iPhone. Fortunately, Design Commission have a downloadable PDF template that matches the size of the stencil, so you won’t have to trace out the iPhone’s outline.

Of course, you can always use the stencil for other purposes, like making greeting cards or graffiti. Scratch that last one. Get the iPhone stencil kit for only $16.95 (USD) at Design Commission.

[via Josh Spear]

The model pictured above is for laptops while the one pictured below is for desktop monitors. You can attach the Duo on top or on a monitor’s sides. It has word recognition, motion recognition and supports plug & play via USB. One other neat thing with the Duo is that you can choose which part of your screen to use as a tablet/touch screen.

I’d give you more details but the Engrish on Pen and Free’s website goes up to 11. Overall it’s a promising alternative but I don’t think that this is going to replace a dedicated tablet device, especially for people who draw. It’s cheap all right, but it’s not that easy to draw on a vertical surface (e.g. your PC’s monitor), compared to a tablet that’s resting on your desk or on your lap. If any of you own a Duo, tell us how the quality is. Also, try attaching it to a touch screen monitor. It should explode.

[via Gadget Venue]

Artist Jimi Benedict (a.k.a. “Jimiyo”) created these 8-bit game inspired images which combine the pixel-blocky forms of the game’s original characters with a surreal mix of natural textures and literal illustration styles.

Not into video game art? Jimi has many more tricks up his sleeve. He’s produced numerous professional illustrations for t-shirts, skateboards and has even done work for NASCAR. He even got into politics with his brilliant 8-bit Barack Obama.

For more illustrations, merchandise, illustration tips and more, check out Jimiyo.com.

[via Drawn!]

I was already duly impressed with the detail that artist the Etch-A-Sketchist has been able to squeak out of the little red and white drawing toy. But with his decision to (momentarily) immortalize Big Daddy and Little Sister in metallic powdery form, he’s become a real superstar in my book.

And just like the city of Rapture before it, this once beautiful work of art will eventually be lost.

[via CrunchGear]

Now you too can create 3D images using the classic red and blue method using this fun little kit. The $6 Incredible “3D” Doodle Kit (that’s a self-proclaimed “incredible”,) comes with a pair of 3D colored paper and plastic glasses, two colored pencils and a special holder that lets you draw with both pencils at the same time. As long as you follow the instructions to keep the blue pencil on the left side of the red one, your drawings will produce a fun 3D-esque sensation when you put on your pair of oh-so-dorky looking shades.

[via UberReview]