The Espresso: Edition 115
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Wednesday October 12 2011

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Letter From the Editor- Edition 115

Home Grown

Regular Espresso contributor Emanda has sent through an interesting story about FARM:shop a London based concept where the owners have taken over a three level shop and created it into a garden to produce their own food. FARM:shop is aiming to discover how different types of food can be grown in a small shop environment on a busy street in Dalston in East London. Founded by Mr Smyth, a graphic designer turned artist, they have taken a once derelict shop and put in the technology needed to cultivate produce in very cramped conditions. It hasn't been easy. In a story published in the International Herald Tribune Mr Smyth said "Our tomatoes were destroyed by bugs. The fish nearly died in a power cut. The edible flowers did die and so have the mushrooms". However with all the things that have gone wrong some things are definitely going right. After tweeting about the concept around 40 volunteers turned up the next day to bring some community spirit to the project and it has continued ever since. They have now got their sights set on enlarging the project by finding some warehouses or the like to build a much larger site in London. FARM:shop is financed principally by the FARM:shop Cafe that actually uses produce grown in the house. Even though it's not paying its own way just yet the concept is certainly providing community spirit and innovation that is likely to spread. There is no doubt that community gardening as we have reported before in The Espresso is expanding. Good food for thought and a great example of how small spaces in inner city living can be used to grow sustainable food that benefits the local community.

Environment

On The Way Down

You would love to sit with the person who invented this idea. Its a down pipe that runs from the roof to the ground and during times of rain creates music. Its a Rude Goldberg inspired wall in Germany that creates music when it rains due to the mouse trap drain and gutter system with varies size metal cones that are fitted to the wall.  They have named it the Funnel Wall. It reminds us of our early childhood where we played the MouseTrap game when you followed the ball along varies contraptions. Perhaps this was the inspiration behind this wonderful idea and after all rain is a good thing. 

Fashion

Ride On

You well know by now that The Espresso team are into everything bike related. So we had to give this one a run. Built around the popular Levis 511 Skinny Jeans for men the 511 Commuter Jeans features fabric and construction upgrades for increased mobility and durability whilst protecting cyclists from the potential hazards of the daily commute. You can get them in full length or cropped and there is both denim and non denim fabrics. Levi have jumped on the growing trend of urban cycling and have got a cool range of products that would probably be more acceptable for a lot of cyclists going to and from work as an option to lycra. Some of the garments are made from NanoSphere treated fabric to improve the durability and resistance to dirt and water. They have also teamed up with 3M to integrate 300,000 candle watt reflectivity into parts of the jeans to increase visibility in the dark. But wait there's more, they have thought of everything, there is even a utility waist band (a'la Batman) that can store the cyclists U-Lock. These nifty jeans were launched in July so lets see how they go. 

Sport

Innovation Wipe Out

Shane Dorian is a professional big wave rider and when he crashed out at the legendary Mavericks surf spot in Northern California it was a stepping stone to a new innovation. Necessity breeds innovation quite often and Shane reflected on what could have been a near fatal wipeout when he was pinned down 25 feet underwater to the point of almost drowning. He then set about working on a creative approach to helping big wave riders with this  deathly situation. Dorian rang Billabong designer Hub Hubbard and then worked with equipment manufacturer Mustang Survival to create a wetsuit concept which is not different to the inflatable life vests used by aircraft in case of a water landing. We have all seen the demonstration by all flight attendants where if you put on the life jacket, pull the two tabs and it immediately inflates. Hun and Shane have designed a Billabong wetsuit that uses the same technology. If you wipe out and are pinned deep underwater you can pull on the cord and carbon dioxide fills a bladder located on the back with air propelling the surfer back to the surface. He's tried  and tested it, it works and it seems to be a life saver. 

Lifestyle

Wash It Down With a Coffee

We have seen the carwash cafe and the bookshop with barista's, and now we are entering the laundry and coffee concept. That's the premise behind wash and coffee enterprise from Henkel and Bosch-Siemens that blends a laundromat and a cafe to ease the boring chore of laundromat visits. They have started in Munich with their first Wash and Coffee. There's washing machines, dryers, detergents and all the other stuff you need to get the job done along with a cozy lounge atmosphere, free Wifi, entertainment events and a large range of coffee's, espresso drinks, snacks, soups, bagels and salads. Sounds like a scene form Friends with your laundry going in the background. If you can get a decent brew then it sounds like a great idea. 

Automobile

The Ultimate Muscle Car

OK so you had us at hello. The opportunity to completely customise your own dream Mustang was too good to leave out of the pages of The Espresso. Car manufacturer Ford has launched a new customiser that allows users to visit the Mustang website and design their own vehicle. You can start with the Mustang B6, GT, Boss, 302 or a Shelby GT 500. The interactive website enables you to tweak all the different parts of the car including the colour, bonnet specs, wheels, door handles and even headlights. The coolest thing is that you can then download it as a PDF file and take it to your dealer and they will make it. Naturally there is a social media part where you can create and share with your friends but we just love the fact you can design it and have it made.  How cool and what a great Christmas present!
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The Espresso is a weekly free newspaper designed specifically for those who want to look at things differently.

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Gary scours the world to find interesting tips, tools and news to give you a new or different perspective on the world around you.