Cellular carriers claim that their contracts offset heavy subsidies on handsets. They claim they'd love to sell phones contract-free at retail--you're just not interested. But there's a problem with this story: these "full price" handsets are grossly overpriced, suggesting that they want consumers in the contract rat trap after all. As hard as it is to prove, discount handsets often reveal the absurdity of list pricing. For example, Motorola's Renew, free with a 2-year agreement, is listed as $160 full-price at T-Mobile. Amazon has it for $70 unlocked, however, and Manufacturer Motorola charges just $50.

Cellular carriers claim that their contracts offset heavy subsidies on handsets. They claim they'd love to sell phones contract-free at retail--you're just not interested. But there's a problem with this story: these "full price" handsets are grossly overpriced, suggesting that they want consumers in the contract rat trap after all. As hard as it is to prove, discount handsets often reveal the absurdity of list pricing. For example, Motorola's Renew, free with a 2-year agreement, is listed as $160 full-price at T-Mobile. Amazon has it for $70 unlocked, however, and Manufacturer Motorola charges just $50.

Senseaware is FedEx's cellular-connected sensor-package. Drop it in your super-important packages (they're targeting it at people who ship human organs around) (Matthew from FedEx sez, "We're not targeting shipping of organs. It's life sciences. So that's pharma, medical devices/equipment, diagnostic kits and samples.") and for $120/month it will tell you everything about that package -- where it is at this very second, whether it's been dropped, how hot/cold it is, and so on. Science fiction plot-device ahoy! Also, check out the awesomely jargony product description from the press-release:

Available in the spring of 2010, SenseAware is an open, highly adaptive and easy-to-use sensor information sharing platform. It is a multi-modal solution that will serve customers who desire near real-time visibility and insight into their shipments. SenseAware will provide business decision makers the ability to quickly and easily collaborate on many types of information data across their global supply chain.

SenseAware is permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration to be used during flight on FedEx aircraft and will allow customers to monitor in-transit conditions during ground transportation.

A SenseAware device riding with a FedEx shipment can provide the following information:

* Precise temperature readings
* A shipment's exact location
* When a shipment is opened or if the contents have been exposed to light
* Real-time alerts and analytics between trusted parties regarding the above vital signs of a shipment

(via OhGizmo)

Senseaware is FedEx's cellular-connected sensor-package. Drop it in your super-important packages (they're targeting it at people who ship human organs around) (Matthew from FedEx sez, "We're not targeting shipping of organs. It's life sciences. So that's pharma, medical devices/equipment, diagnostic kits and samples.") and for $120/month it will tell you everything about that package -- where it is at this very second, whether it's been dropped, how hot/cold it is, and so on. Science fiction plot-device ahoy! Also, check out the awesomely jargony product description from the press-release:

Available in the spring of 2010, SenseAware is an open, highly adaptive and easy-to-use sensor information sharing platform. It is a multi-modal solution that will serve customers who desire near real-time visibility and insight into their shipments. SenseAware will provide business decision makers the ability to quickly and easily collaborate on many types of information data across their global supply chain.

SenseAware is permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration to be used during flight on FedEx aircraft and will allow customers to monitor in-transit conditions during ground transportation.

A SenseAware device riding with a FedEx shipment can provide the following information:

* Precise temperature readings
* A shipment's exact location
* When a shipment is opened or if the contents have been exposed to light
* Real-time alerts and analytics between trusted parties regarding the above vital signs of a shipment

(via OhGizmo)

I love this simple wooden orrery from Muji's gift lineup. Sadly, their ecommerce-fu is about as terrible as it gets, but if you're near a Muji store, it's £16 well-spent.

Wooden Solar System

(Thanks, Alice!)

I love this simple wooden orrery from Muji's gift lineup. Sadly, their ecommerce-fu is about as terrible as it gets, but if you're near a Muji store, it's £16 well-spent.

Wooden Solar System

(Thanks, Alice!)

Jazz up your Hannukah Bush this year with these gamer-themed ornaments -- game controllers, new-school and old-, laser-cut from acrylic. Available in red or white.

Controller ornaments - Red

(via Wonderland)

Jazz up your Hannukah Bush this year with these gamer-themed ornaments -- game controllers, new-school and old-, laser-cut from acrylic. Available in red or white.

Controller ornaments - Red

(via Wonderland)

Joris sez, "Turn any logo or words into a custom metal 3D printed branding iron. It snaps on over a lighter, you turn on the lighter for 30 seconds and presto you are ready to leave your brand anywhere."

I once sat in on a Bunnie Huang presentation about labor conditions in South China, and he described the factories where rubber logos - the Nike swoosh on the side of a shoe, the rubber designer's logo hanging from the top button-hole of a shirt -- are made. The workers lack basic safety clothes and often end up with several companies' logos branded into their skin by the hot metal.

Since then, I've found it nearly impossible to think about branding without thinking of the young women of the Pearl River Delta with all those logo-marks -- vector art from the west turned into curdled flesh in the east -- burned into their skin.

Of course, you could use this to brand lots of things that aren't human skin! Wood-burning, leather-burning, probably even some kind of crazy brulee effect.

You type in your text or send us a link to a logo and we model and 3D print a mini branding iron for you. The branding iron clicks onto standard disposable lighters. You simply turn the lighter on for 30 seconds until the branding iron is hot and then brand away. A text branding iron costs $25 including shipping. A logo BrandingIron costs $25, also including shipping.

Customizable 3D printed BrandingIron

(Thanks, Joris!)

Joris sez, "Turn any logo or words into a custom metal 3D printed branding iron. It snaps on over a lighter, you turn on the lighter for 30 seconds and presto you are ready to leave your brand anywhere."

I once sat in on a Bunnie Huang presentation about labor conditions in South China, and he described the factories where rubber logos - the Nike swoosh on the side of a shoe, the rubber designer's logo hanging from the top button-hole of a shirt -- are made. The workers lack basic safety clothes and often end up with several companies' logos branded into their skin by the hot metal.

Since then, I've found it nearly impossible to think about branding without thinking of the young women of the Pearl River Delta with all those logo-marks -- vector art from the west turned into curdled flesh in the east -- burned into their skin.

Of course, you could use this to brand lots of things that aren't human skin! Wood-burning, leather-burning, probably even some kind of crazy brulee effect.

You type in your text or send us a link to a logo and we model and 3D print a mini branding iron for you. The branding iron clicks onto standard disposable lighters. You simply turn the lighter on for 30 seconds until the branding iron is hot and then brand away. A text branding iron costs $25 including shipping. A logo BrandingIron costs $25, also including shipping.

Customizable 3D printed BrandingIron

(Thanks, Joris!)