Say what you like about wine enthusiasts, and the kitschy accessories marketed to retirees and yuppies; against all odds, Vindesign 2007 has resulted in a few inventive instances of Subtraction that go well beyond the inumerable iterations of wine glass charms. 

Our personal favorite is from glue glue design, an Italian firm that has (hopefully) re-invented the wine glass.  Little more than a stainless steal stem, it could be a wry take on the “stemless wine glass” currently popular with the Williams Sonoma set.  It is in fact an opportunity for the consumer to attach the citrus fruit of choice , and enjoy an enhanced alcoholic beverage;

“in an object adapted to cocktail party and festivities, occasions in the which sangria, shots and other drinks are enriched from a yielded touch…drinking wine directly from the fruit is a simple gesture, an action that exalts the nature of the nectar.”

That’s wine tasting terminology we can identify with.  (via NOTCOT)

Here’s an interesting instance of Subtraction; Blackle.  In the natural world, white objects reflect all the parts of the visible light spectrum, while black objects reflect squat. Removing the white background from the Google search page doesn’t exactly scream “effective search engine,” especially when it is to be replaced by its non-reflective counterpart. 

However, in the world of monitor displays, black is the new white.  By subtracting the white background, Google search becomes more energy efficient.  According to the scientific minds that be, “a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen.” Roberson et al, 2002

While some naysayers have argued that the energy saved by darker displays is insignificant, Heap Media, the creative force behind Blackle, makes a good point;

“We believe that there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up. Secondly we feel that seeing Blackle every time we load our web browser reminds us that we need to keep taking small steps to save energy.”

Blackle can also reminds us that even mighty Google Search can be improved through a little non-intuitive inventive thinking.