London-based photographer David Sykes just added the final piece to his whimsical ten-month-in-progress still life series titled, Faux Food. The three-part progression finds Sykes taking inanimate objects and transforming them into breakfast, lunch and dinner portraits, all set against variously colored picnic table pattern backdrops.

Take a look at each and read a short interview with Mr. Sykes after the jump.

June welcomed “Light Breakfast” (shown below), the first—and most visually impressive—entry into the collection. The fun, optically illusive photo depicts a dieter’s version of a traditional English breakfast (sausage, eggs, tomatoes and beans) in balloons.

“The idea came from seeing someone with a balloon inside another balloon that looked like a fried egg,” Sykes said. “I thought it would make a great photo so I started thinking up other food to make out of balloons and the idea for a fried breakfast came about.”

To execute his concept, Sykes commissioned Jennie Webster, one half of interior styling and set design company, Webster + Stokes, to source the props, and model maker Ridley West (no website available) to construct the 4-ft. plate that exists as the only constant in each photo.

After the success of “Light Breakfast” it became apparent to Sykes that his idea had more than one-trick pony potential. So he began tossing around ideas and in mid-September, again with Webster’s assistance, he released part two, the athletic “Spaghetti Hoops” (shown below).

“In the beginning I set some rules for the project, the main one being that each food group on the plate had to be made out of one kind of object, making it easier to visualize what the dishes were,” he said. “The spaghetti one, for instance, is [comprised of] all the things you would find in a school gym” (the cheese is made from yellow towels and socks).

According to Sykes, the second rule was that each shot had to have a human element to it, like the hand holding the balloons, in order to help the viewer with the scale of the objects. And lastly, he said, “the shots had to be done in one go, which helps make the photo feel more real and have more of a double-take effect.”

Last Friday, Sykes released via his blog, “Fish Supper” (shown above), the final ingredient of his photographic food experiment. This time around, the items used come from the bathroom; together forming perhaps the most delicious British culinary export known to man: fish and chips.

Sykes also announced that in April he’ll be offering Faux Food as a series of 50 limited edition prints. They will be printed, signed and numbered on 30” x 20” Fuji Crystal Archive paper, and will cost $475.00 separately or $1,225.00 for all three.

Hit up his website for more information.

Taken right from the streets of Seoul, South Korea, and handmade nearby in an eco-friendly non-profit shop, Los Angeles-based company Poketo’s line of Recycled Street Banner Bags ($19.00) each boasts a uniqueness in color, stitching and material origin.

“Instead of going to the dump, the banners are re-purposed into beautiful and durable bags with wonderful typography and splashes of colors.”

Adding to the intrigue of the product, in the vein of blind-box toys and secret T-shirt bundles, the customer won’t know which modern nylon bag he or she will receive until it lands on the doorstep. Check out a bunch of nice photos below. [Poketo]

While it’s not recommended that one reads under the glow of the Alien Abduction Lamp ($136.00), that shouldn’t hinder your desire to proudly display one in the living room. Designed by Lasse Klein, the lamp has a number of bells and whistles including an acrylic beam and a legitimate piece of astroturf. Here’s the schpeel from Klein:

“The limited edition lamp features a laser engraved signature at the bottom of the UFO and a specially printed certificate poster. The lamp is made from metal with a high quality finish, and it comes complete with an alien crew, a perspex beam, a bovine abductee and real fake grass on a non-slip base. The antenna function as the on-off switch as promised, and it can also enable a very smooth pulsing of the light.”

Check out an array of photos below. [Alien Abduction Lamp via General Robots]

It has been a crazy couple of days here at Jailbreak Collective headquarters in Brooklyn, NY. Yesterday, our latest product, App Magnets, launched online, and orders and press have been nonstop since. For everyone who purchased one (or five), thanks. Those of you holding out: what are you waiting for?! Cnet Reviews called them the “coolest…magnets…ever.” As you can probably tell, we’re pretty stoked at the response.

Don’t forget: for a limited time if you buy three App Magnets or more shipping will be free. Simply enter “3forFREE” upon checkout.

Here’s a little round-up of all the nice press, and best quotes, we’ve gotten just in case you care to take a gander:

Gizmodo: “Irresistible”

Cnet: “A self-respecting iPhone/iPod Touch owner is not a self-respecting iPhone/iPod Touch owner without a set of Jailbreak Toys App Magnets.”

Cult of Mac: “Might be worth getting an extra fridge just for these.”

Geek.com: “Jailbreak Collective has come up with an idea that will no doubt appeal to all avid Apple fans, the types who adorn their cars with Apple’s bumper stickers.”

Mobile Crunch: “Take a break from reading our hard-hitting news coverage and take a look at these cute little things. Perfect stocking stuffer (I know, a little early) for your favorite app developer and/or iPhone fanatic.”

Dvice: “Naked fridge? There’s an app for that.”

UberGizmo: “We can only think of this as $13 well spent to spruce up your home, making it a great gift for Apple evangelists.”

Chip Chick (who broke the story; big thanks!): “The magnets even come packaged in a blister pack resembling an iPhone – I mean come on now – that’s classic!”

Today’s iPhone: “These App Magnets are just the cutest things I’ve seen in a long time; I think every iPhone user on my gift-giving list is getting a set of these this year.”

Gear Fuse: “These iPhone App Magnets will hopefully hold my insatiable iPhone hunger at bay until the next major release.”

OhGizmo!: “The cardboard packaging even looks like an iPhone, though the set costs just $12.99 without a 2 year contract.”

Phones Review: “So do you love your iPhone so much that you consider yourself the ultimate iPhone fan? Got all you iPhone toys and gizmos about the house? How about the kitchen, any iPhone gear in there? No, oh well how about the iPhone App Fridge Magnets.”

Technabob: “What I need is a new set of magnets, but not just any magnets mind you. I want magnets that anyone who walks in will see and know a geek lives here (as if they couldn’t tell by the gobs of gadgets in the house). The perfect magnets are these App Magnets from Jailbreak Toys.”

Slashgear: “If you want to show off your fondness for the iPhone, Jailbreak Toys has the perfect fridge magnets for you.”

SneakHype: “Some of the best refrigerator magnets money can buy.”

Nerd Approved: “Jailbreak Toys have gone app fishing in the iPhone and caught a wide variety of icons which were magnetized and can now be used to hold coupons, finger paintings and shopping lists on your very own iFridge. Although they won’t allow you to make a call or access the internet from your freezer door, they are the the most accurate app magnets on the market and will give you a good idea of how big the iPhone would have been if it was developed in 1976.”

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Bits of general knowledge often slip through the cracks with the information overload we wade through on a daily basis. Well, fear not forgetting the numerical value of Pi again, good people, by always having the answers in your pocket. The Know-it-All Pencil Set ($10.00) by Paper Pastries is six No. 2s stamped with info that just might guarantee you’ll never be a contestant on that cockamamie Jeff Foxworthy show. Unless you covet that, in which case these aren’t for you. [Curiosity Shoppe Online via Svpply]

We are pleased to announce the release of our newest piece of Product Art: App Magnets. Whatever you want to do…There’s an app for that. That’s right. Whether you want to buy movie tickets, read the news, write a review, pay a tip, catch a taxi, or even train your dog,  there’s an app for that. But what if you want to hang a photo on the fridge? Or leave a note on the microwave? Or save that Chinese take-out menu in a place where you can’t lose it?  When it came to certain old-school tasks, the apps were coming up short. A little reverse innovation was needed. Well, good news, everyone…Now there’s an app for that, too.

Introducing the App Magnets by the Jailbreak Collective! In order to bring the magic of the iPhone into the third dimension, we asked an artist to reach into the iPhone home screen and literally pluck out the apps. Then we added a little magnetism. And best of all, we mass produced them so now you too can own your very own set of 3-D App Magnets!

The only place in the world where these are available is through our online store. Each set of 18 epoxy magnets measure 7/8″ x 7/8″ and are packaged in a large iPhone replica. They cost $12.99. For a limited time if you buy three app magnets or more shipping will be free. Simply enter “3forFREE” upon checkout.

Check back in the coming days as we will be announcing a very exciting contest involving an even more exciting technological device. Don’t sleep or you might miss out!

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Let’s be honest: baths aren’t the manliest of activities. What’s more, the stuff stores sell that are intended to accompany one’s bath are generally targeted toward woman; bath beads, salts and bubbles don’t exactly exude dude, right? Well, that’s all about to change thanks to these potentially routine-altering Bath Bombs ($15.00). They are currently in pre-order with an estimated April 2010 ship date.

“Each scented bath fizzer looks like an old fashioned ballistic bomb which detonates upon impact with your hot bath water, exploding in a fragrant flotilla of bath foam. Rubber ducks beware, we’ve declared war on boring bath time.”

Nice copy, too. [Nerd Approved via Spinning Hat]

While their roots are firmly planted in T-shirts, Port Jefferson, Long Island-based brand CXXVI has branched out with their Spring collection of vintage, hand-screenprinted accessories. Items like the antique-stained N.Y. iPhone Bag (above, $10.00) mesh well with other aquatic-themed items (see below), exuding an overall identity of a gritty New Yorker who enjoys time on the shore. These guys interest us in their ability to take art and transfer it onto a product. Check out a bag and some bandanas by reading more.

Local 13 Duffle ($120.00)

Anchor iPhone Bag ($10.00)

Hang ‘em Bandana ($30.00)

Whiskey Bandana ($30.00)

Baltimore-based artist Jennifer Strunge is the brains and paws behind an always evolving collection of handmade, one-of-a-kind Cotton Monsters. Born from her early introduction to sewing, Strunge says she has been making similar things since childhood. And it shows. Her monsters are numerous (currently 57 are for sale) and brightly colored. They get their outfits from thrift store leftovers; things like recycled clothing, blankets, sheets, and other house hold linens, and are stuffed with a premium fiber fill. Strunge is quick–and correct–to remind potential consumers that the monsters are works of art, and not necessarily intended to serve as kids’ toys.

She has eight categories in which the “soft sculptures” fit: Big Monsters ($95.00; like Lorenzo shown above), Little Monsters ($58.00), Pentapods ($48.00), Jellies, Bottomfeeders ($68.00–$100.00), Watchful Eyes, Space Bugs and The Von Katz Family ($80.00). Check out a selection of our favorites and a bit more information below.

For the purpose of this post, we’ll focus on Big Monsters like Amerigo, who’s shown above. While they appear deceptively small in photographs, the monsters actually measure 17″ long and 10″ wide (from stretched arm to arm), and look almost like a freaky pet when shown with a person. As an added bonus, their mouths open to reveal a large pocket, providing a perfect place to hide your weed.

Each character in Strunge’s collection is so fresh and unique. These are perfect examples of Product Art–meaning someone who is using product as the medium by which artistic expression is achieved. Check out an interview with her over on Etsy.