DNA 11 has unveiled its first new product in two years — the DNA Ancestry Portrait.

Today at the WIRED Store in Manhattan, DNA 11 will be premiering this unique new form of art from life by unveiling the portrait of world-renowned designer and futurist, Karim Rashid, whom TIME Magazine declared the “Most Famous Industrial Designer in All the Americas”. His DNA Ancestry Portrait is featured in the photo to the left.

DNA Ancestry Portraits combine the science of genealogy and the technology of the mobile and social web to create a new form of augmented art.

The DNA Ancestry Portrait encodes a person’s DNA into a 2D barcode that when scanned with a smartphone unlocks the person’s lineage and leads them to a web page where their maternal ancestry, dating back thousands of years to the original homo sapiens in Africa, is unveiled.

The basis of the art piece is a DNA test that determines your maternal mtDNA haplogroup which is essentially your ancestral origins dating back

thousands of years. That data is then plugged into a formula that generates a QR Code that you see in the artwork. When scanned by a smartphone or cameraphone, your DNA Ancestry Portrait will bring you to your personalized ancestry page.

Your DNA Ancestry web page contains a personalized description of your mtDNA haplogroup and its origins, an ancestry map and a thumbnail of

your DNA Ancestry Portrait. You can choose to keep this page private or share it with friends through Facebook and Twitter.

If you want to learn more about the scientific process behind DNA Ancestry Portraits check out the product page and download the product booklet (pdf).

Check out the product introduction video below for more information or your can check out our press release.

Are you in search of that special gift for the Geek on your list?

We have highlighted our Top Holiday Gadgets from this year’s WIRED Holiday Store 2009!

1)  Dyson: Air Multiplier Fan- This is not your conventional fan.
It has no blades humming so it creates a smooth stream of air.

2)  Gizmine Middle Colors Humidifier - This is not your typical
humidifier. The sleek design and range of color options is what
sets this apart.  This is perfect for the designer savvy urban dweller.

3)  The Conran Shop: ICE INVADERS – Get rid of those boring old
ice-cube trays. Check out the Ice Invaders!   They are made out of
pure silicone, making them oven and dishwasher safe.

4)  Buckyballs: by Zoomdoggle - What exactly are Buckyballs? I
asked myself the same thing. They are actually a set of 216 rare earth
magnets.  I love the saying “trying to find something more useful is
useless!” I’m sure this would provide hours of entertainment without
even knowing it.

5)  CanvasPop: Your Photo on Canvas - Are you looking for
creative ways to print family photos?   Start with any image, at any
resolution and transform your photos in to canvas art. ( HOT Gift 2009)

6)  Owle: Bubo – For that iPhone photo enthusiast, here is the ultimate
gift! Check out this all in one device. It’s a camera mount, an image
stabilizer, and a wide-angle lens built for the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

7)  DNA Art: By DNA 11 – Are you looking for unique gift ideas that
will start a conversation? You can give the gift of personalized genetic
art with DNA Portraits, Fingerprint Portraits and Kiss Portraits.
Holiday Gift Kits now available. (Hot Gift 2009)

8)  Craftsquatch: Social Media Pillows - The perfect gift for the
Social Media enthusiast. Inspired by all the favorite social media
web sites!

9)  Zero Motorcycles: Zero S Supermoto – A fully electric
motorcycle, developed specifically for urban environments.