Markus Diebel renders his 100% sterling silver ‘Manymals’ in his San Francisco studio.  5% of the proceeds of the sale of each stylish critter benefits WildAid, a nonprofit dedicated to ending illegal wildlife trade within our lifetimes.  The SF-based organization has chapters worldwide, including Galapagos and China.  Details on Markus’s creatures – Sloth, Bat, Gorilla and Pug- are detailed on the backside of his innovative black bubble packaging.  Solid silver on a sterling chain.

available @ A + R Store

Iconic brand imagery transformed – let your stressed-out mind meander back to the halcyon days of Andy Warhol, Blondie and the Dead Boys – when irony was an art form…but I digress.  These upcycled can lights were designed in-house by Willem Heeffer for FUSE Finds, who obtained the salvaged cans from Dublin’s many restaurants and cafes.  The lights work nicely as a set of three, so Fuse is offering a special introductory discount price when you buy three together.

What you get:  recycled can, three core textile cable, recycled tuna can ceiling rose and a 40 watt bulb.  Just add one chaotic, 2,000 square foot loft on Leroy Street and you’re in business….

A contemporary capsule on wheels, Kia ‘s new compact electric car, Pop, is slated to make its grand debut in Paris this Fall.  While we haven’t tested–or even seen–the Korean automaker’s new creative concept, we’ve gotten a glimpse at the mini mobile with these recent photos.  In Pop’s boxy but bubbly design I see a bit of similarity to the 2010 Kia Soul, the brand’s edgy car that hit U.S. streets earlier this year.

Measuring in roughly one foot longer than the tiny Smart Fortwo coupe, this concept exudes city appeal in its small scale and features, oddly enough, only three seats.  From the photos it’s relatively unclear, but my guess is that the third rider squeezes in back, behind the front passenger seat. Comfortable?  Perhaps not. But then again, Americans spend more than 100 hours a year community to and from work, most of which is spent ridin’ solo.

We’re not sure when Kia plans to push the Pop into mass production, but I’d wager we’ve got a couple years to go.  Part of the major dilemma facing today’s EVs is finding enough space large enough to house a lithium-ion battery that can power the car a reasonable distance (hence the sedan-size of the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf), and the Pop’s 118-inch length may require technology not yet in an engineer’s arsenal. But hey, for a panoramic view like the one this offers, I’m willing to wait a while.

Stay tuned.  We’ll bring you more updates on this cool crate when the wraps come off at October’s Paris Auto Show.

Very cool sale going on right now at Gaiam 20-80% off outlet items – eco bed & bath (organic cotton towels and sheets as well as this Fireside Throw, $42.99) yoga & fitness – (love these J shorts in charcoal or chocolate, $24.99), furniture, gardening gear, this special relaxation device (the Ultimate Hammock with netting made of recycled plastic, $169.99), plus lots more – check it all out @ gaiam.com.