One winner and two runners-up have today been announced at this year's edition of the James Dyson Awards, an international student design award running in 18 countries. The first prize went to the entry 'SafetyNet - Escape Rings' from the UK. The two runners-up were the design concepts 'The BETH Project' from the United States and 'Revival Vest' from New Zealand. — bustler.net

... instead of drawing his inspiration from buildings in his portfolio, Gehry designed the various pieces of this chess set based on their role in the game. So the soft curves of the queen contrast the sharp angles of the king, while the pawns have all been equipped with cannons atop them. Unfortunately the set, which is made from fine bone-china, is only available from Tiffany & Co. as a special order for a staggering $25,000. A check-mate to the bank account for most of us. — gizmodo.com

The French designer Phillippe Starck said in a radio interview with France Info that he is working with Apple on a “revolutionary” new product that will be unveiled within the next 8 months. He gave no hint at what the product might be. He said he met regularly with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs before his death last October. — forbes.com

tentsile combines the comfort and versatility of a hammock with the usable space and security of a tent. The ultra portable structure uniquely employs tension forces to provide separation from wildlife, including insects, snakes and other predators but also from sand storms, earth tremors, cold or wet ground, debris or contamination. — Tentsile

Eva Zeisel, a ceramic artist whose elegant, eccentric designs for dinnerware in the 1940s and ’50s helped to revolutionize the way Americans set their tables, died on Friday in New City, N.Y. She was 105. — nytimes.com

Architects, your lesson is simple: you have nothing to lose. But don’t expect to gain much on the royalty end unless you’re a one-in-a-million talent or a household name. In any case, get as big an up-front payment as you can for your ideas. — smartplanet.com

One winning project and two runners-up have recently been announced at the 2011 edition of the James Dyson Awards, an international student design award running in 18 countries. The first prize went to the entry 'AirDrop Irrigation' from Australia. Two top awards went to the design concepts 'Blindspot' from Singapore and 'KwickScreen' from the UK. — bustler.net

Bad news: a skyscraping apartment block is being built near my home. Worse news: judging by the computer rendering on the developers’ hoarding, it will be indistinguishable from thousands of instantly forgettable new buildings all over the world. Even worse news: its name is Avant-garde Tower. — New York Times

Michael Korn, a student at the Royal College of Art, has won the UK James Dyson Award, which he hopes will increase global sales of his creation.

Mr Korn's design, the KwickScreen, lets healthcare professionals give privacy to patients with a lightweight, portable screen. — news.sky.com

A year ago three students ... sought to test the design viability of a shiny black cube. They asked product, graphic and architectural designers to critically assess the cube to ascertain how serious or not the "critics" would be when faced with whether to explain or explain-away the object. The sessions with Stefan Sagmeister, Dieter Rams, Marco Piva, Massimo losa Ghini, Michael Erlhoff, Ruedi Baur and me were video taped and presented at a Parsons School of Design exhibition. — imprint.printmag.com

Dieter Rams is a German industrial designer who trained and worked as an architect for a few years until he joined the electronic devices manufacturer Braun. Within a few years he became their chief of design, a position he held for almost 35 years. During his tenure, he and his team designed many iconic devices ranging from record players to furniture to storage systems. — Life of an Architect