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We've been big pushers of Under Consideration's Design Encyclopedia, (that post is from Jan. 13th last year!), and now heading into year 2, TDE is launching a "Fill in the Blanks Initiative." Here's the pitch:
The amount of information about design is deep, vast and well spread; the time, energy and resources to amass it all requires a healthy dose of dedication, perseverance and interest. The Design Encyclopedia is looking for individuals ready to bring all that information together with some gusto--and we are ready to do so by rewarding the most prolific. The Fill in the Blanks Initiative (FitBI) is an ongoing program, segmented in periods of three months, where anyone who is willing and interested can sign up to contribute to The Design Encyclopedia and vie for a US$300.00 Amazon Gift Certificate.
Get all the detes here.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)
Want to start with the $2500.00 grill, or just open with the $200.00 motion-sensing trash can? Let's start with the garbage:
Cleaning up is hard work, and there's nothing worse than having to step on pedal just to open a trashcan. You're not a feudal serf! Ditch the medieval tech and go modern with a waste receptacle that does most of the heavy lifting for you. Simply wave your foot under the infrared sensor to pop the top and dump garbage.
Goodness.
[Link]
Santiago, Chile-based design studio Musuc, or Rodrigo Alonso's "happy ideas lab," presents N+ew (No More Electronic Waste). N+ew is a functional object that makes use of discarded electronic devices and parts, granting this toxic trash a second chance at life. This project enlisted the help of technicians and professionals with expertise in metal smelting, counterfoil development and plastic resins. N+ew's development was also supported by Recycla Chile S.A., the first and only company which recycles electronic waste in South America.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (3)We've got a soft spot in our hearts for this company, so we're glad to see things moving into the black (brownie?). 'Course, there's bad news here too: "Now in the final year of its historic four-year digital makeover, Kodak has piled up $2.7 billion in restructuring charges and accumulated $2 billion in net losses over the last two years. It plans to eliminate up to 27,000 jobs, with 23,300 already axed through 2006." That's a lot of jobs. Story here.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (1)In case you missed it (the shindig and the blogging), Bruce Nussbaum has a ton of Davos-reflective posts at NussbaumOnDesign. Our favorite lede?: "There's this weird disjunction at Davos with enormous attention being paid to Second Life, YouTube and everything that smacks of social networking and innovation yet most of the business people don't understand any of it. All they know is that they should."
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)Jayson Stark has a breezy item on espn discussing the penetration of the iPod as a tool for athletes. Brian Jones, formerly the Rockies' assistant coordinator of video coaching, remarks, "A couple of years ago, when Preston Wilson was with us, he used to have us put all his at-bats on 8 mm tape. … Now, instead of having four shelves of tape just for Preston, we've got one iPod we can plug in."
Thanks to Chad Kendall for the link!
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)
This is the stuff makes the Internet a truly awesome place. The entire NES Nintendo collection (670 games) available in one hit. It's not cheap if you wanna be the man, but as the ad says. "If you ever lost an auction... this is not the one to lose!"
spotted at pixelsurgeon
Posted by: squee.gee | Comments (5)
Herbst LaZar Bell
Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, USA
Herbst LaZar Bell has recently teamed up with Dell to launch a series of all-in-one printers for home and office environments. Dell's new AIO photo printer line was designed with the user's experience in mind, implementing simplicity and ease of use as key factors from the moment the customer opens the box to the first time a new print cartridge is ordered. Read more in the Studio Bullitts section.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Aspen/Snowmass hosted the official unveiling of Red Bull's Illume Photography Exhibit, designed by Fullaluv Creative. The exhibit consisted of 25 enormous mirrored metallic cube displays showcasing 50 finalists' images of action and adventure sports. In daylight, only the mirrored surfaces are visible, while at nighttime, the cubes are illuminated to reveal the images.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Matt Brown
St. Joseph, Michigan, USA
Featured Project : Forkplate
Matt Brown's Forkplate concept aims to accommodate those who struggle with their "daily steaks." With Forkplates to the rescue, carnivores around the world could really "get a grip" on their steaks.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (6)Nobody ever said marketing was easy. But if you play the game right, results could range from great to phenomenal.
The delicate relationship between management and marketing is a dance roughly akin to that between fox and hen, but with far less goodwill. To management, you're only as good as your last campaign.
Read the 12 Tenets of Social Media Marketing to "see how you can up your success rate." #5 hits a good spot:
V. Thy communications must pass the "who cares?" testAbandon ye all communications that are long-winded, formulaic, boring as hell, and laden with superlatives and marketing babble. Write down your concept in one sentence. Then ask yourself, and answer honestly, "So what?" If it still sounds like a good idea, proceed to rewrite it, over and over, until it has not one extra word.
spotted at noise between nations
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Crawford Partnership, a London-based architecture and interiors firm, has completed Snowden House I & II. These two residences both make use of nearly "unusable" and oddly-shaped plots of land near tall buildings. The houses uphold an ideal of sleek modern style and are built around the idea of vertical space, above and below ground, in order to maximize efficiency and amenities. The houses also reference traditional Middle Eastern "Windtower" courtyard dwellings, which are secure, internal, high-walled areas situated at the center of all living accommodations.
There isn't much to say about this Gold Ingot USB hub other than "Sweet. I want one." If you're willing to drop USD $79.00 on this precious peripheral, just keep in mind that it is not made of real gold.
via ohgizmo
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Did you know that.... James Bond, special agent 007, drove a Saab 900 Turbo? Or that Grand Prix driver Sir Stirling Moss once navigated for Saab rally legend Erik Carlsson? And that Saab not only produced aircraft, but also a series of ultra-light caravans? Whatever your interest, we hope you'll find this review of Saab's first 60 years entertaining, informative, and even a little surprising in places - just as you would expect from the Saab brand.
full history of the evolution of SAAB
Posted by: Niti Bhan | Comments (0)
Though BusinessWeek says what Nokia and Motorola really need to deliver to the Indian market,
That kind of explosive growth has big international handset makers such as Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and Korean players LG Electronics and Samsung, in hot pursuit. Yet India is a tricky market to get right. Most of the really spectacular growth is in rural India, home to 75% of the country's 1 billion-plus population.
And that means to win there, you have to deliver functional but low-priced handsets in the under-$50 range designed to meet the needs of low-income users. That's a tall order and requires innovative design, smart manufacturing, and financial discipline to keep profit margins steady in a market, however vast, that demands more and more value.
Posted by: Niti Bhan | Comments (0)
Mark Hoekstra sends in an alert on his new iNoPhone creation--a wireless handset cell-phone accessory made from an "olde" Apple mouse and the guts of a bluetooth headset. This "breakthrough bluetooth device" features "One-Button Call Management" and "Proven iNo Technology." Yuk yuk.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Dutch industrial design firm FLEX/The Innovation Lab has collaborated with Dutch Design in Development (DDiD) on TaVie, a new collection of home goods crafted by the artisans of the Service Artisanal Agadez cooperative in NIger. The coop is the central sales and export organization representing different Nigerien producers of objects made by artisans out of silver, soapstone (a relatively soft stone), embroidery, batiks and palm leaves.
Dutch Design in Development (DDiD) initiated the Niger project, aiming to link professionals from creative commercial services to producers from developing countries that export to Europe. The TaVie collection will cover a range of home accessories including baskets, dishes, coasters, and bags, stressing luxury, strong branding, and most importantly, the unique, hand-made quality of these products.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Jan Dijkstra's Kitchenette project consists of 4 modules that make up a functional kitchenette with a wire-frame structure. The four stations individually accommodate cooking, cutting, washing, and drying. It's as if you're preparing a meal in SolidWorks!
via vvork
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
BusinessWeek celebrates the "forgotten pioneer of corporate design," Eliot Noyes, a most influential and multi-talented designer and architect of the 50's and 60's. Noyes is known for building the first corporate design programs at IBM, Westinghouse, Mobil Oil, and Cummins Engines.
It is harder still to explain why the designer and architect, who died in 1977 at age 67, isn't better known today, when the principles he championed--the notion that good design is good business, for instance, and the belief in interdisciplinary design teams--are now accepted wisdom.Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Check out Bubbl, a free, easy-to-use online brainstorming tool (especially great for those who suck at diagrams and drawing rounded-rectangles).
via lifehacker
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (2)
The Portland (OR) Aerial Tram opens, bringing to life a an old-fashioned futuristic form of transportation. Sure, there are trams in Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and by gum, it put them on the map!
Levi's is suing to protect its design for back-pocket stitching. Is this desperation or design? They risk being seen as a bully in a time where their competitors are more connected with customers.
Via the Onion, of course.
Fashion house and perfumer Chanel, famed for its iconic, $300-an-ounce No. 5 scent, announced that it has created a cost-efficient fragrance for the Third World, one specifically designed for the rigors of dry, dusty, less glamorous environments in the Southern Hemisphere.
[...]
As for 3rd's scent, Chanel wanted something "clean, youthful, and beguiling," said Chanel chemist Robert Geneau, adding that organically musky, smoky, and earthy tones had been rejected because the scent's intended users most likely had too much musk, earth, and smoke in their lives already. "3rd has a bright, grassy base, like a fresh breeze after a rain—a very exotic scent for our target customer. There are also notes of cocoa, citrus, spices, and other things our customer sometimes raises and harvests for foreign export, but rarely gets to savor herself. Captivating, and for a fraction of the cost of high-end scents available in the West, 3rd is just the economic miracle developing nations need."
These are examples of a trend called "Building Marketing" that employs unusual and eye-catching architecture to promote a company's brand, a trend which is catching on in Korea. Often competing for space and eyeballs with multi-story towers, these buildings rely on exquisite design to promote and enhance a brand image.
Posted by: Niti Bhan | Comments (0)
One more on packaging design and positioning? Why not! Rob Walker on Bear Naked cereals.
Posted by: Steve Portigal | Comments (0)
Part of their strategy to bring some "innovation" to the category involved packaging: apart from eliminating the word "granola," they also banished actual bear imagery and any graphics that resembled oats or connoted nature (too crunchy) in favor of a more minimalist design featuring three slashes suggesting claw marks. Instead of a box (granola is positioned as cereal in most stores), they opted for a stand-up pouch with a transparent panel, so people could see the ingredients and squeeze the package. And instead of health and nutrition boasts, the pouch text played up the youthful, "active lifestyle"-loving founders. (That’s even more true on the company's Web site, which includes pictures of them in high school and in the great outdoors, along with repeated reminders that they are in their 20s.)
via Wired
Jump on your bike, start the engine, throw a rev, and hear... silence? No, you haven't gone deaf - you've traded your mighty Harley for the zero-cylinder ENV (yep, envy). Green vehicles are nothing new - the Prius and its kin have been quietly zipping along special commuter lanes for years - but engineers have largely dismissed an environmentally friendly two-wheeler as impractical. That was until Britain's Intelligent Energy created the ENV, the first road-worthy hydrogen-powered motorcycle. The vehicle runs on a removable fuel cell, emits almost nothing, and will be street legal. The only drag? Top speed, for now, is 50 mph. Production versions go on sale later this year.
Posted by: Niti Bhan | Comments (4)
Another grocery packaging ethics story. A recent study found many food products with fruit in the name or illustrated on the packaged contained no fruit:
Airheads (take the factory tour here...mmm, sugar)
Berry Berry Kix
Cap'n Crunch with Crunch Berries
Dannon Danimals XL (Strawberry Explosion)
Froot Loops
Fruity Cheerios
Juicy Fruit Gum
Life Savers (Wild Cherry)
Nestle Nesquik milk and drink mix (strawberry)
Post Fruity Pebbles
Push Pop (cherry)
Ring Pop (cherry)
Starburst
Tang
Trix cereal
Trix yogurt (strawberry kiwi)
Twizzlers
Yoplait Go-Gurt yogurt (Strawberry Splash)
Yeah, maybe this doesn't surprise you and you don't expect there to be fruit in tasty deadly crap like this, but then maybe one should step back for a moment and marvel at the dissonance we've become comfortable with.
Posted by: Steve Portigal | Comments (7)
Another great analysis from Jess McMullin of B+D Landscape, with the 2007 edition of the (PDF) BplusD Landscape.
via gizmodo
Posted by: Niti Bhan | Comments (4)
Check out I Make Things' new graphic stylings for Foundation Skateboards' Pro team riders...and make sure to scroll down for more fresh work.
via cpluv
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
World Changing interviews CEO Bill Gross and president Andrew Beebe of Idealab, "one of the most influential business incubators in the commercial Net with early ventures into e-commerce, local directories and paid search." Idealab has redirected its focus in a big way, consulting businesses who wish to wrap their arms around market opportunities that address the major global challenges we face today.
Italian furniture design company Maoli has just released Walking Family, a set of surrealistic tables designed to minimize production waste when working with hardwoods.
In 2004, the Shrinking Cities project studied vanishing populations of Detroit, Ivanovo, Manchester/Liverpool, and Halle/Leipzig through a collection of works from various architects, filmmakers, journalists, artists and cultural and social scientists. Beginning on the 28th of January, Shrinking Cities will exhibit in Akihabara, Tokyo, this time presenting possible ways to take action. For those of us who can't make it, PingMag covers the scope of Shrinking Cities' new exhibition, including and interview with project founder Philipp Oswalt.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Mike Leavitt, creator of the ArtArmy collection of "alternative" characters, will be giving a live action demo this Saturday in Seattle. Leavitt will provide a tutorial on the technical aspects of my action figures' craft, with discussion and questions encouraged throughout the duration of the demonstration.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
6 to 10pm
BLVD Gallery
2316 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Samsung's latest washing machine is gilded, gold plated and in deep rich jewel colours. Designed by Andre Kim, is this taking the recent surge of interest in extreme luxury to new heights?
Posted by: Niti Bhan | Comments (11)
Music in the Rain is a musical umbrella. Open it up and tunes instantly begin to play through the canopy. Spin the umbrella to the left or right and you'll be able to move between tracks. And when not in use, you'll still be able to listen to music stored in your brolly - simply plug a special speaker into the handle.
It's a nice idea, but various questions spring to mind. How do you get the music into the umbrella in the first place? Will there be a pause button? What about a volume control? And will the umbrella blast your music to the world when turned inside out by a strong gust of wind?
Posted by: Niti Bhan | Comments (0)
Rkuchinsky starts off this board discussion by asking members to add their favorite designisms or design truisms and posting a few himself (including the clever one above). Here are a few choice picks:
"Can you make it like an iPod?"
"We need it yesterday. For free."
"If you try to polish a turd, all you get is sh*t on your hands."
Read the entire discussion for a quick chuckle or add your own on the Design *isms discussion board.
hot tip from the one and only yo!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Not sure what's the new _____? Wanna be in the know? Not to fear...it's all right here.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Shimmery, shiny, photo-realistic 3-D models are all the rage...but what ever happened to old-skool manual renderings? Yo brought us back to the hand in the UPDATED: vintage concept sketches discussion board that is now 4 pages full of inspirational hand-drawn gold. Get pumped and grab a pen and paper to see if you've still got "it" or feel free to add your own examples of awesome vintage renderings right here.
hot tip from the one and only yo!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (2)
Purely based on appearance, these bikes by Wild West Motor Co. seem pretty sweet. What you don't see from the finished product is the in-depth utilization of CAD and 3-D modeling software used in conjunction with precision CNC machinery for production and prototype parts, fixtures, and dies. Bad-ass meets tech-nerd...finally!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (2)
Dreaming of an independent endeavor and actually executing one are two different stories. It's an intense undertaking and we oftentimes hesitate to take the plunge because we have no idea where to start. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has swooped in to better prepare small biz dreamers by providing 9 podcasts covering a range of helpful topics from "Check List for Starting a Business" to "Making Your Business Plan Work for You," with more feeds to be added every month.
via lifehacker
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Jack Godfrey Wood's Locksit concept combines security with convenience by eliminating the need for cyclists to detach and carry around their seat without compromising the safety of the bicycle. Locksit snaps backwards to lock itself to the rear tire while the bike frame is secured as usual.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (9)
Italian architecture and design consultancy DGF Design presents the Dogma sound system for ClaraVox. Dogma's high-precision sound quality and bold looks aim to please even the most fastidious audiophiles.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Timberland Boot Company has joined forces with 5 current-culture artists to present the Boroughs Project with 5 special edition boots styled after each of NYC's 5 unique boroughs. From left to right: Atsuko Tanaka for Queens, Chris Mendoza for the Bronx, Jeff Staple for Manhattan, Wu Tang Clan's RZA for Staten Island, and David "SKWERM" Ellis for Brooklyn.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Daniel Kocyba
New York, NY, USA
Featured Project : Nanobots
Daniel Kocyba's Nanobot concept was realized within the scope of film producer Michael Bamber's science fiction vision of a mid-21st century implementation of nanotechnology and nanobots used for medical and military purposes. The Nanobot works independently in its active state and has the ability to join with other bots to form larger machines when in a passive state. Alias Studio was the program of choice in Mr. Kocyba's creation of this visually stunning and convincingly styled design concept.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (2)
Marine Advanced Research's WAM-V watercraft promises a "radically new seagoing experience," where the ultra lightweight catamaran structure allows for functional convertibility covering a range of uses.
Unlike conventional boats, the hulls of a WAM-V conform to the surface of the water. A WAM-V does not push, slap or pierce the waves. She utilizes flexibility to adapt her structure and shape to the water surface. Instead of forcing the water to conform to the hull, she gives and adjusts; she "dances" with the waves.Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Dey Alexander Consulting has a great resource page chock full of links, pdf's, definitions, etc. And it's pretty darn usable, too. [Link]
Change Design : Conversations About Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool is a collaborative literary effort of NBBJ, an international architecture, branding, and design consultancy, and Bruce Mau Design. The book illustrates design as a critical element for the success of any business in four main sections: Conversations, Talking Points, Design Essays, and Change Tools.
The book provides a roadmap for business leaders and designers to build transformative, effective, and competitive organizations.
thanks jm!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Portuguese designer Joao Planche of PrideParanoia is looking to launch Designers Footwear, an online showcase of the multitude of kicks that designers (who should have impeccable taste) choose to sport. In order for the collection to take shape, PrideParanoia asks you to contribute a snapshot of your kicks, that is, if you are in fact a designer. Read more here for entry details.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Check out PingMag's must-have selection of graphic design texts that Ian Lynam considers utterly invaluable to the education of a graphic designer. The list includes books about typography, research, history, information design, and also suggests a few essential magazines.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Pune, India-based ID firm Ticket Design has received the 2006 Business World NID Award for Design Excellence, an achievement that recognizes "excellence in the field of concepts and designs for the Indian consumer." Ticket Design's process and development for the telematics product designed for Tata Motors paid heavy attention to user centered industrial design, ensuring an intuitive interface and user friendly approach for their target audience, Indian truck drivers. The device grants drivers access to lifesaving medical help in case of accidents and informs them about possible traffic jams. They can also speak to the base station, listen to music, and be accessible to their families at any give time.
Nominees have just been announced for the 2007 Volvo Sports Design Award. Designs in the running include products for the categories of Activewear, Headwear/Footwear, Accessories, Outdoor Equipment, Ski Equipment, Board Equipment, Wheelers, and Concepts. Nominated for best in Board Equipment, NXT FX Ultimate Freeride by Flow is shown above.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Presenting his first solo show in the United States, Marc Newson's exhibition opens this thursday in New York blurring the line between design practitioner and artist.
Sometimes I start with the material, sometimes the idea. In this case the materials were the inspiration. I began by identifying materials that I had always been interested in but had never used. Often the context of materials strikes me more than the materials themselves. Context is new, not materials.
Marc Newson
Newson's Lockheed Lounge (1985) made history last year as the highest price ever paid at auction for the work of a living designer.
Marc Newson
Jan. 25 - Mar 3, 2007
Gagosian Gallery
555 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
gagosian.com
Eames Demetrios' latest project is the DAS FilmFest, a video webcast featuring a new short film about design, architecture and sustainability every week. This week is part 1 of 901: After 45 years of Working, documenting the Venice, CA workshop of his grandparents Charles and Ray.
In related news, the Eames Office has moved from Main Street to a new location at 850 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, CA. A grand re-opening party will be held this Wednesday night from 6-9PM.
Posted by: Michael Doyle | Comments (0)
Bricks are boring? No way, the European Ceramic Work centre (.ekwc) features an upcoming exhibition featuring the exciting results of the Brick project that was carried out over a three-year period with architects, designers and artists reinventing the brick (as posted earlier). Photographed: Jan Schabert (architect, Germany), Christine Saalfeld (artist, Germany), Hilde Danielsen (artist, Norway), José Rojas (architect, Mexico).
Funky wallpaper is all the rage these days...but NICE's Hybrid prints take the cake. Hands down. No doubt. Using just one or a combination of the four designs in this collection, Hybrid prints meet at severed seams to transform your walls into a zoo of half-this, half-that, cross-bred creatures and curiosities.
thanks bodge!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
Get a First Life is a "one page satire of Second Life." The spoof site offers a handful of loaded, snarky "features" and an option to purchase some novelty t-shirts.
"Go Outside. Membership is free."
thanks kris!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Led by Simon Bruenner, Neues Licht is a Erlangen, Germany-based experimental lighting design studio. Their UFO fiber-optic chandelier has been selected as a part of the Designtalents exhibition at Imm Cologne 2007 and has also been nominated for a 2007 Inspired by Cologne award. UFO consists of 72 glass fibers that radiantly illuminate a clear floating base.
mocoloco via inhabitat
While others were staring at the white space in Naoto Fukasawa's cube a.k.a. ideal house, we browsed through the imm Cologne furniture fair to continue our way into the city centre for its contrasting PASSAGEN off-site program where more is more (right-side photos).
Stay tuned for our imm Cologne 2007 gallery update - especially those who missed out on Cologne's design delight due to Kyrill.
Posted by: Aart van Bezooyen | Comments (0)
NYC-based photographer Bill Sullivan's More Turns series is one of 3 intensive studies in situational photography, a specific style constrained by a rigid set of guidelines. For example, the image or photograph must be candid, the context of the situation must be clearly established, and the background must be exactly the same for every subject. Yielding an intriguing repetitious delight, More Turns explores the state of being of MTA subway passengers upon their exit via turnstile. Sullivan describes his process for this particular project:
I developed a situation so that various subjects could be defined by the constraints of exactly the same mechanical apparatus. The scenario consisted of someone passing through a subway turnstile. At the moment that the subjects passed through the turnstile, unknown to them, I took their picture stationed at a distance of eleven feet. I stood there turning pages of a magazine observing subjects out of the corner of my eye, waiting for only the moment when they pushed the turnstile bar to release the shutter.
thanks bodge!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)
Via Treehugger, we introduce you to the HyperBike. (Actually, it's more powerful without the article in there.) So, via Treehugger, we introduce you to HyperBike. (Better.) If you follow the link, you will find a pretty image-challenged site, but don't let that slow your enthusiasm for a ride that'll get you to 50 MPG and gawks from everyone you blister past. Now, if someone can do the calculations on how many Kryptonites you'd need to secure this thing, we'd have a complete story here.
Seth Godin's essay on Web4 is an inspiring look at what the internet may hold for us in the not-too-distant future, told through a bunch of excellent, quick scenarios of how it might work. Here are a few:
I'm typing an email to someone, and we're brainstorming about doing a business development deal with Apple. A little window pops up and lets me know that David over in our Tucscon office is already having a similar conversation with Apple and perhaps we should coordinate.Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)I'm booked on a flight from Toledo to Seattle. It's cancelled. My phone knows that I'm on the flight, knows that it's cancelled and knows what flights I should consider instead. It uses semantic data but it also has permission to interrupt me and tell me about it. Much more important, it knows what my colleagues are doing in response to this event and tells me. 'Follow me' gets a lot easier.
Google watches what I search. It watches what other people like me search. Every day, it shows me things I ought to be searching for that I'm not. And it introduces me to people who are searching for what I'm searching for.
You'd be hard-pressed to forget last year's "eggvertising" hype, where CBS custom-printed ads for their network's slew of TV series on the actual shells of eggs sold at your local grocer. This might not seem so out-there once we become complacent with the omnipresence of "alternative advertising."
The "alternative media" category represented $387 million in spending in the United States last year, up from $24 million in 2000, according to PQ Media, a research firm. But the 2006 figure still represented a tiny part of out-of-home advertising, which generated $6.8 billion that year, according to figures PQ Media compiled for the private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson.Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (2)"If you reach consumers out of the house, they're more likely to act than if they're sitting on their couches," said Jack Sullivan, senior vice president and out-of-home media director at Starcom USA, an advertising agency.
Unbelievable how many toilets are in this group (atop is our favorite), Worth1000's latest is a contest to conjure Apple's Next Product. Now, these folks have Photoshop, but you designers out there have some serious 3D tools. How 'bout you get in there and render up some i! [b.boing]
The New York Times has an interesting article on ventrue capital, energy and China. Here's how it starts out:
On the vanguard of venture capital, the buzzwords of late have been "alternative energy" and "China." Are the two worlds about to collide? Seed investors are financing, or considering financing, start-ups in China that are developing equipment for wind and solar power, clean water and food alternatives and technology to promote energy efficiency. While this may seem to be an arbitrary combination of two of the hottest trends in venture capital--sort of like the first person who mixed peanut butter and chocolate--there is a growing number of investors who believe that the potential reward in China is worth the tremendous risk. China has voracious energy needs and "the most serious environmental problem in the world," said Jerry Li, a consultant in Beijing who matches venture capitalists with entrepreneurs. "There is a huge demand for investment" in alternative solutions, he said.
Read the rest here.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)As much as people joke about the US belligerently ranting about being #1 in just about everything...it's a fact that "we're #1" on the World's Most Innovative Nations list. The World Business/INSEAD Innovation Index 2007, researched by Professor Soumitra Dutta and sponsored by BT, ranks nations on innovation performance, focusing on institutions and policies, infrastructure, human capacity, technological sophistication, and business markets and capital. "Germany was a distant second, while the U.K., Japan and France rounded out the top five. The United Arab Emirates (#14) was the only country in the Top 15 that wasn't European, Asian or North American."
via business innovation insider
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)(Hey, man, that is exactly the headline that Virgin America is using, so don't shoot the messenger on this one)
Virgin America is showing their in-flight entertainment system, something we'll get to experience if the DOT ever gives them permission to fly.
The system offers
* a QWERTY keyboard
* Live TV (Dish Network)
* Pay movies
* Email/SMS/instant messaging/chat rooms, providing an airborne social network
* 3,000 mp3 tracks and 20 radio channels
* Open source video games
* food ordering from the seat<
As well as wireless broadband.
I'm not sure I want to go into a chatroom with the business dickhead in 23H and the vacationing senior in 13B, but it's a new idea. JetBlue has done some interesting symbolic things to suggest that passengers are "in this together" - so the emotional meaning of the social-network-of-strangers-in-a-metal-tube might have more impact than the raw functionality. I'd certainly try it.
Posted by: Steve Portigal | Comments (1)
Koln, Germany-based design studio Formstark, headed by Felix Stark, offers services in design consultation, 3D visualization, and prototyping. Formstark's comprehensive portfolio includes a varied selection of form, fun, and function including the Chroma ceiling light (left) and Cell portable fuel cell concept (right).
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)Give the people what they want! Business Week tallies up a nice list of 5 successful crowdsourcing endeavors: A Swarm of Angels, Crowd Spirit (check out the Core77 post), Marketocracy, CafePress, and Gannett. These 5 efforts show the diverse potential, not to mention efficiency and cost-effectiveness, that crowdsourcing offers.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)US House of Representatives has just passed the HR. 6, the "Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act," (PDF download) with a 264-163 vote. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi claims this bill promises to:
...[invest] in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency by repealing billions in subsidies given to big oil companies that are raking in record profits. Specifically, the measure ensures oil companies that were awarded the 1998 and 1999 leases for drilling paid their fair share in royalties. It also closes loopholes and ends giveaways in the tax code for Big Oil. Finally, the bill creates a Strategic Renewable Energy Reserve to invest in clean, renewable energy resources, promoting new emerging technologies, developing greater efficiency and improving energy conservation.
via treehugger
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (3)
For parents who only want the best for their little ones...or who demand an impeccably designed home (that means absolutely no out-of-place "kid-looking" stuff), Modern Tots is a style safe haven. From designer toys and games to bite-size furniture way nicer (and maybe a bit pricier) than your IKEA collection, Modern Tots has got everything under the sun for the design-conscious demographic aged 0 to 13+. Modern Tots has just opened a new showroom space in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (0)Take a gander at Jeep's digitally controlled waterfall recently seen at NAIAS and on tour from Detroit to Beijing. The 3,000 valve, 20-pump contraption cycles 1,000 gallons of water to a 24 ft. drop, programmed to take shape of the corresponding image inputs.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (15)
Here's a chance for you to get your greedy paws on something cool for free:
Readymechs are flatpack toys that can be printed out on 8.5" x 11" sheets and constructed by you...for free! All you need is double-stick tape, thick matte paper, and 10-15 minutes for build time.
Okay, okay, so the tape, paper, printer ink, and printer cost money...and time is money, but these sweet designs brought to you by FWIS, a graphic design group in Portland, Denver, and Brooklyn, are more than worth the expenses. Try and "collect" all 22.
thanks amit!
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (2)
Plastic Lab
Please add your city to your Coroflot profile, Japan
Featured Project : Ruled Line Manufacturer
Sooo Plastic Lab...what's up with with all the covertness? No real names? Not even a city? We'll forgive them for now on the account of their Ruled Line Manufacturer concept. The Ruled Line Manufacturer consists of a (I'm guessing "plastic" here) device made to hold a bunch of pens at an equal distance from each other and perpendicular to the surface. A sheet of scrap paper is then passed through underneath the pen tips to add new value to an otherwise used item headed for the trash bin.
Nozin Nasal Sanitizer is a "unique, safe germ fighting solution for use before exposure to areas that may contain hazardous germs such as crowded airplanes, trains, offices, gyms, hospitals, theaters and schools."
The sanitizer comes in either a bottle or as individual pre-loaded swab. Both options instruct you to swoosh a cotton swab full of "a proprietary formula of pharmaceutical grade ethyl alcohol, natural ingredients and plant-based compounds" all up in and around your nostrils to prevent a handful of contagious ailments. If fact, they even equip you with an online tutorial--Watch the lady stick Q-Tips up her nose!
I thought a couple germs here and there were supposed to be good for you... you know, build up the ol' immune system? Maybe Nozin marks the dawn of some cool new bacterial and viral mutations...yum.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
While perusing new and updated portfolios on Coroflot, we came across the "77 Chair" by Kevin McElroy. Was Mr. McElroy purposeful in making us blush? Or was this just a happy coincidence? Meh. Either way, we like your spirit Mr. McElroy!
Have yet to explore the fantastic world of Coroflot? No worries--sign up right here to post a portfolio or a job.
Posted by: Jeannie Choe | Comments (1)
If you're into sustainability and a real challenge, this competition is calling your name. The Lifecycle Building Challenge, presented by the U.S. EPA and its partners, are seeking lifecycle designs from both professionals and students (teams are welcome) in the following categories:
Building: an entire building
Component: a single building assembly or connector
Service: a tool, system, practice, or method
Lifecycle building is the design of building materials, components, information systems, and management practices to create buildings that facilitate and anticipate future changes to and eventual adaptation or dismantling for recovery of all systems, components, and materials.
As they say, stop what you're doing...and watch this right now.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (8)
More Bierut. Today, the "Doomsday Clock"--emblem of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, an advocacy group formed in 1945 by scientists from the Manhattan Project--was changed: The minute-hand was moved from 7 to 5 minutes before midnight. And that's getting pretty close. (Bloomberg story here.)
So certainly this called for a redesign, and the people up for the job? Well, Pentagram, of course. (Michael Bierut and Armin Vit did the heavy lifting.) Now, considering that Pentagram just redesigned Christmas (x.mas), and earlier, redesigned the bible (kinda awesome), we're wondering what they could possibly be thrown that'll give them a run for their money. (The Ten Commandments in Franklin Gothic? Too easy.)
Got a "Let's see Pentagram redesign THIS!" idea? Post it in the comments.
And then we'll get 'em to redesign our comments.
Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (3)
Michael Bierut's got a great piece on Quintessence (the book) and quintessence (the attribute?) in The It Factor. Here's a taste:
Predictably, many of the products are familiar from our childhood; kids seem to have a nearly infallible sense of what makes something the real thing. "A rule of thumb often useful in determining whether something is quintessential," wrote Edwards and Kornfeld, "is whether it resembles a child's drawing of the thing." This childlike sensibility holds true today. Mays said the New Beetle's circular shape had much in common with Walt Disney's drawing of Mickey Mouse; David Galbraith goes to far as to label the Zune "unsafe for children," imagining that any child unlucky to get one will be fated to get "the shit kicked out of him at school by mocking friends chanting 'Zuny Zuny Zuny.'"Hell of a taste, right? Posted by: Allan Chochinov | Comments (0)
Make sure to check out and download Packet Garden, a most excellent info visualization freeware program developed by Julian Oliver who seeks to "provide an alternative and accessible approach to visualizing daily internet use," by way of this experimental artwork.
Packet Garden captures information about how you use the internet and uses this stored information to grow a private world you can later explore.To do this, Packet Garden takes note of all the servers you visit, their geographical location and the kinds of data