Always inspiring to see conceptual work like this:

The ATNMBL is a concept vehicle that represents the end of driving and an alternative approach to car design.

Upon entering ATNMBL, you are presented with a simple question: “Where can I take you?” There is no steering wheel, brake pedal or drivers seat. ATNMBL drives for you.

The ATNMBL project is meant to provoke a broader conversation about the future of cars and to promote a shift from styling cars to redefining the entire experience. More pictures over here and after the jump!

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Loving Mike and Maaike’s new DIVIS Dining Table– another collaboration with the über-talented folks at Council. Lots of character with what they call “planned imperfections”– the piece will debut at ICFF at the Javitz Center here in NYC May 16-19th. No word on pricing yet. I want one!

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Attention Northern California art enthusiasts: If you prefer your art to be functional — which is to say classy-looking sculpture and furniture — we think you’ll be down to check out Proliferation, an exhibition being held at FiveTenStudio from now until July 29. The show is centered around the work of Bay Area artist Annalisa Vobis, whose work (like the Second Nature sculpture) is inspired by organic influences such as coral reefs, as well as her own personal childhood recollections of growing up near Odin’s Forest in Germany. The exposition also features some practical, yet artistically rendered furnishings from other well-known designers such as Mike and Maaike and Ross Lovegrove Be there for the official reception on Friday July 11th from 6 – 9 p.m.

Now that summer’s in full swing, it’s pretty much a given that there’s going to be a lot of grilling going on. If you don’t have a gas grill, odds are you might have to employ the traditional combination of hot coals and lighter fluid to get the party started. Unfortunately, that often leads to a fluid-infused food flavoring. If you’d like to avoid that taste mingling with your marinade, break from the Kingsford tradition and grab a Baja BBQ Firepack from Mike and Maaike, available at gourmet grocery stores. Their chemical-free charcoal packaging makes starting your fire simple. Thanks to its 100% biodegradable paper pulp makeup, all you have to do is light the box and voila. The two pounds of natural lump coal contained within take a mere 15 to 20 minutes to be in perfect cooking condition with the aid of the package’s integrated chimney design. All you have to worry about now is overcooking.

Our friends over at NOTCOT have just posted the first episode of NOTVIDEO, the pilot entry in what could become a series featuring some of the more interesting products to be found on NOTCOT, NOTCOUTURE, and TasteSpotting. From cupcakes to jewelry to conceptual art and hosted by somebody named Kara, the pilot episode covers a little bit of everything in the NOTempire. The video is fast-paced, informative and light-hearted, even if it is basically a commercial for the content on the various not-sites — in fact, dedicated readers of this blog will already recognize the Mike and Maaike jewelry Kara so charmingly models. The video format has tremendous potential, not only for promoting NOTCOT and its sister sites, but also for bringing the content featured on those sites to a wider audience. It’s a brave and forward-thinking move, and we look forward to seeing NOTVIDEO develop.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t save space here to mention Take Zer0, the site currently hosting notvideo. Forget the recent mainstream media pandering to user-provided content (Think Youtube/CNN debates). People don’t need free access to some dufus’ opinion on the Middle East crisis, they need free access to an expert’s opinion — on anything. Peter and Sean, the guys who run Take Zer0, know a bunch about making movies and they want to share their knowledge with the rest of us. Not only that, but they provide a forum for anyone with knowledge of filmmaking to share with anyone who wants to learn. They call it an “online film school.” Right on, guys.

San Francisco-based design team Mike and Maaike have added to their impressive design repertoire by stealing some bling. In their new Stolen Jewels Collection, they explore the tangible versus the virtual in relation to real and perceived value. How did they do it? They used Google, that’s how. By performing Google image searches for some of the most famous and expensive pieces of jewelry in the world, then stealing, doctoring, and printing the images on scored leather, they were able to create these wild, pixelated, and — ironically enough — unique renditions. With the expense of the jewels and the intricacy of their construction stripped away, their essence and visual intensity are extracted. Some of the “Stolen Jewels” include the Hope Diamond Broach, the Golden Jubilee Diamond Broach, the Great Chrysanthemum Necklace, and Imelda Marcos’ Ruby Necklace with Diamonds. They’re available at select galleries– contact M&M to find out where.

There are a wealth of laptop accessories on the market these days, and they all have one thing in common: they’re built for business and travel. Mike and Maaike, the talented San Francisco based design duo, have identified this common thread in the laptop accessories market and have ingeniously separated themselves from the pack by designing a new ‘Laptop at Home’ line for Belkin. The CushTop, PocketTop, and Sleeve Top products address the challenges of using a laptop at home, which happen to be very different than challenges realized when using a laptop away from home– factors like use in different locations around the house with different postures, increased desire for comfort, even fun and vibrant colors that you wouldn’t necessarily want the whole world to see but that are pleasing to you within the confines of your own home. Mike and Maaike have really hit the jackpot with these designs– a brilliant step ‘into the home’ for a market previously existing solely ‘on the road.’