Justice vs. Simian – We Are Your Friends Video

See the music video which Kanye West bitched over after losing Best Video at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards in Copenhagen. I know this video has been around for a while but is it really our fault? It’s the first time I’ve seen it and being stuck in North America, we don’t get an opportunity to see the music videos in Europe. Instead we’re stuck watching Jim Jones yelling “BALLLLINNN’!” for the up-teenth time.

Anyways, the music video was for the collaboration of French electronic duo, Justice, and the rock group Simian. It’s not that great to be honest but its got some elements I like. Very post modern and abstract. The music video, “We Are Your Friends”, also beat out Gnarls Barkley’s music video for “Crazy”. In my opinion, “Crazy” was the best video I’ve seen this year. I don’t know why Kanye flipped. “Touch The Sky” was a cool video but it wasn’t a breakthrough video or anything. Definitely not worth rushing the stage during the announcement and declaring “If I don’t win, the award show loses credibility”. Kanye’s got no class.

Btw, if you want to see Kanye throw a hissy fit at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards, click here.

- Jon

American Gulag

American Gulag is a series of bracelets made of tough and durable rubber and/or stainless steel that simulate barbed wire. Created by the Richter Studio based in Rhode Island, USA, Gulags are based on the prisoners who went against the Soviet Union government and sent into secret prison camps where they would be abused and often killed. The American Gulag are created to support human rights and fighting the American’s “war on terror” which is responsible for illegal imprisonment, torture and murder (ie. Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay).

The bracelets are available in black or white rubber for $17 (USD) and the Sterling Silver $275 (USD). A portion of sales will be donated to a human rights organization dedicated to fighting these injustices. Think of them as the new yellow wrist band in which Lance Armstrong used to support Live Strong and Cancer Awareness. It’s for a good cause, they look pretty cool and inexpensive to say the least (Well, i’d take a pass on the sterling silver bracelet. It’s a bit steep just to support a cause in my opinion.)

 [Richter Studio - American Gulag]

- Jon

Bang&Olufsen x Samsung

What do you get when a company producing top of the line electronics comes together with another that stresses elegance in their product design? Well, Bang&Olufsen and Samsung have teamed up to produce a new cellphone known as Serene. This phone strays away from the typical design of a flip phone as the screen is placed on the lower shell rather than the top one. It is also much wider and has a thumb operated wheel in the middle of a circular dialpad. The Serene focuses on the basic communicating functions and usages of a cellphone, ensuring a fast and intuitive operation. See more at SereneMobile.

-phil