Product news: Hackney designer Ed Carpenter has created a countryside version of his London design classic, the Pigeon Light, this time shaped like a pheasant. More about Pheasant Light by Ed Carpenter for Theo
Playing on these swings outside an arts centre in Guimarães, Portugal, generates electricity to power lighting under the floor (+ movie). More about Swing by Moradavaga
Designer Gitta Gschwendtner talks about making her Bodge Bench for the Stepney Green Design Collection and east London's "great creative atmosphere" in this movie filmed by Dezeen. More about "East London has a great creative atmosphere" - Gitta Gschwendtner
Product news: the repeating arches of these colourful chairs designed by Spanish architecture studio Arquitectura-G were inspired by the use of forced perspective in Renaissance paintings. More about Claudio Chair by Arquitectura-G
Product news: Austrian designer Robert Stadler's update on the classic bentwood bistro chair by Thonet, synonymous with cafe culture since it appeared in the nineteenth century, has gone into production. More about 107 Chair by Robert Stadler for Thonet
Competition: we're giving readers the chance to win one of five calendars for 2013 featuring illustrations of modern superstitions. More about Competition: five Unfortunately013 calendars to give away
Italian designer Guido Garotti worked with traditional ceramicists to create a hand-painted vase with the appearance of a stereoscopic image and a pair of road signs that look like decorative plates (+ slideshow). More about Deviazione and 3Dzionale by Guido Garotti
Product news: Berlin-based designer Uli Budde placed a flat disc above the bulb of this lamp so that it looks like a hot air balloon taking flight. More about Balloon by Uli Budde for Vertigo Bird
News: China will produce as many world-class designers as Japan within 20 years, according to Hong Kong-based industrial designer Michael Young. More about “China is a dream scenario for a designer” - Michael Young
Israeli engineer and systems developer Izhar Gafni has invented a cardboard bicycle that's strong, waterproof and costs less than £10 to manufacture (+ movie). More about Cardboard Bicycle by Izhar Gafni
News: the US military is developing its own 3D printers for the frontline which will enable soldiers to quickly and cheaply produce spare parts for their weapons and equipment. More about US military invests in 3D printing on the frontline
Product news: this carbon-fibre and aluminium bicycle with no upright in the diamond-shaped frame weighs just eight kilograms. More about 77|011 Metropolitan Bike by Rizoma
To prove that germs aren't all bad, Paris-based studio Bold-design came up with an activity kit that uses bacteria to turn sand from the beach into stone souvenirs (+ slideshow). More about Memorabilia Factory by Bold-design
In a movie filmed by Alice Masters for the Design Museum's annual Designers in Residence exhibition, Lawrence Lek explains how he created a modular system of plywood pieces that can be bent into objects including a stool and a pavilion. More about Lawrence Lek at Designers in Residence 2012
Interieur 2012: Studio Makkink & Bey built a house of scaffolding and stairs to represent the transient, roaming lifestyle of the future as their contribution to the Future Primitives series at last month's Interieur design biennale in Kortrijk, Belgium. More about Lost in Translation by Studio Makkink & Bey
The peeling, brightly painted walls of an abandoned house provide a striking backdrop to this collection of over-dyed handmade rugs by American designer homeware brand ABC Carpet & Home. More about Color Reform Spectrum Edition by ABC Carpet & Home
Product news: Montreal-based designers St-Ely have created a sofa made up of three interchangeable modules with sliced-off corners. More about Ear Sofa by St Ely for Lerival
French designer Jérôme Dumetz placed a wheel on each corner of this wooden sideboard to turn it into a miniature truck (+ movie). More about Not For Highway Use by Jérôme Dumetz
News: designer and urbanist Dan Hill has been announced as the new managing director of Fabrica, the Benetton Group’s communication research centre in Treviso, Italy. More about Fabrica appoints Dan Hill as managing director
Product news: German design graduate Meike Harde has designed a range of upholstered benches and stools simply by folding foam mats and fixing them to wooden frames with elastic bands. More about Zieharsofika upholstery by Meike Harde