A Talented Mom Designs An iPad App. Drum Roll Please....

Imani Powell-Razat, a designer/illustrator by trade (see Spye Design Studio) is also a mom who has designed and created an entertaining and informative application for the iPad that is a multicultural celebration of the world's drums.


above: Imani Powell-Razat of Spye Design and her son, Orion, playing with his iPad



Drum Circle Kids is a colorfully animated app that allows your child to engage in and create unique jam sessions by tapping five colorfully animated drummers that represent various types of drums found throughout the world.



The American Trap Set, Caribbean Steel Pan, Chinese Drum, Cuban Conga and the West African Djembe (with more drums to come) can be easily turned on and off with the tap of a finger and combined for dozens of possible musical and sound combinations.



Adding to the fun, is the possibility of discovering ambient sounds hidden in the scenery.



In the learn section, kids can swipe from one drum to the next and touch to play each drum while learning fun drum facts.


Intended for toddlers, age 18 month +
Buy it in the itunes store here

Move Over Silly Bands, Here's Some Sexy Bands For Grown-Ups.

If you haven't heard of silly bandz, you've either not come in contact with anyone under the age 20 in the past month or you live under a rock. As a matter of fact, the trend is so large that today The Daily What via joystiq has a post about the upcoming Silly Bandz Nintendo DS game from Zoo Games.



And even the technician at my dermatologist was wearing them last week.


above: children are stacking, trading and collecting Silly Bands like crazy

"Silly Bands" are the term given to shaped rubber bands that people have begun wearing as bracelets. The animal and object shaped colorful rubber bands have become collectible, traded and worn in multiples on the arms of kids and adults alike.



But if you want a little more adult version (or to compete with your children), Kikkerland has designed them in the shape of four different Kama Sutra positions- shown above on the wrist and below.



Made of silicone and sold 24 to a package (six of each design).

Kama Sutra Bands

Jenny Holzer Keds for The Whitney IS WHAT I WANT

Artist Jenny Holzer, best known for her projections, LED installations and truisms -- artwork made with words, is collaborating with Keds for the Whitney Museum to launch a special collection that features her famous phrase "PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT" which has previously appeared on everything from golf balls, a BMW v12 race car, condoms, on wooden postcards and installed on buildings and more as art projects.







The KEDS, which feature the phrase, will be available in both high and low tops, canvas and leather and in black or white:





above: artist Jenny Holzer, courtesy of artnet

"It's great that Keds and the Whitney are friends," states Jenny Holzer. "I have a renewed respect for shoe designers."

The collection, which is expected to retail for approximately $70-$75 a pair, will be available at select Bloomingdale's stores nationwide beginning in July, as well as on bloomingdales.com and keds.com starting in July 2010.

All Keds’ profits from the Jenny Holzer kicks will benefit the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Special Keds collections by painters Laura Owens and Sarah Crowner, all of whom have exhibited at The Whitney, will follow.

Special thanks to Alex Asher Sears for bringing this to my attention.