thoughts

urban exam all look the same
The incredibly fun and rather tough “We All Look the Same” test to differentiate between images of Chinese, Korean, or Chinese people that I posted about before has expanded their face test to several other cultural tests in their “Exam Room“. Besides faces, the test now includes Modern Art, Architecture, Photos, Urban Scenes, Food, and Architectural Details. I took the food test and scored 14/18, but I failed miserably at the Art test with 9/18. Go take the tests and feel proud or miserable about your eye for asian culture.

FYI: If you prefer not to create a login account, use one I created:
login: designverb
password: designverb

pixelletter

Do you have relatives that haven’t quite transitioned to the email world yet? If so, you might want to try out PixelLetter which turns any PDF or online created letter into the good old paper snail mail and delivers it to anyones rustic mailbox for a small fee. At first you might say “why”, but then again, we live in a world where the crappy quality of a fax machine still rules for odd reasons even though I send and receive using my laptop. Hand written letters are always great to receive, but perhaps you’ll be getting handwritten letters in you inbox soon 😉 . Anyhoots, a friend and I had this idea with a bit of a twist last year, so there goes that idea! One day all communication devices will talk to each other. Fax machines, emails, snail mail, text messages, IM’s, voicemail,  post it notes, voice IM’s, etc.

superbowl superads tv commericals

As a designer I generally gear up to watch the SuperBowl for their new commericals while the game remains as background noise as I type away on my laptop. One trend that I’ve noticed from TV stations is the ability to watch their content online right after they air on TV. Before, users would TiVo content then throw it up on YouTube or DailyMotion, then the broadcast companies would try to sue users. Anyhow, without getting into my thoughts about DRM and how I think TV should be integrated with the internet, enjoy the SuperBowl Commericals (SuperAds) after each quarter of the game, though the game does not seem to be part of the streams. (Half time ads just finished and nothing really caught my attention..hmm)(I’ve also seen a few of the ads online before the SuperBowl)

usb posture reminder

Here’s a nifty little USB gadget that reminds us how bad our posture gets as we naturally lean into computer monitors, especially laptop users. Basically it sounds an alarm when your head’s too close to the monitor. I actually had a geeky solution back in grad school for this. I put an adjustable metal shelf on my desk where my laptop was then used the lower shelf with padding as a head rest.

The above image reminded me a of a note a manager once told me 5 years ago while discussing the digital age in the internet and TV: “If you lean 15 degrees forward your using the internet(interacting), but once you lean 15 degrees backwards you watching TV(absorbing)”. This can be applied to many other activities as well.

Anyhoots, if you buy this, I’m sure you’ll find more than one use for it.

via UberReview
Buy here USB Brando($26)

22nd century: world wide mind

Woa! Telepathic Thoughts, A Computer Inside his Skull, A Computer for your Eyes, and Wiring your Brain. PBS recently premiered pilot series “22nd Century” which dives first hand into the intriguing theory of the wired brain with some fascinating examples in our current society! If you have an hour, this is a must watch video for some serious questioning, inspiration, and mystifying wonder. (thanks Alycia!)

silicon valley san francisco

If you’re an entrepreneur seeking the next vibrant Silicon Valley, give Paul Grahms essay “How to Be Silicon Valley” a read which breaks down the elements needed for another Silicon success. He has some great points which have swayed me towards certain cities more, but that’s just me. If ya feel stuck between a few key cities to choose from, this essay just might be the trick to make ya feel unstuck.(thanks keith)
Full article after the jump(incase the url vanishes)

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bossa acai juice
On one of my “let’s try a new drink” journeys at the grocery store, I grabbed a small bottle of Bossa Acai Juice(mango). So, what is Acai exactly? According to the label Acai is a purple rainforest berry that claims to be the “World’s most healthy Fruit” with the highest amount of antioxidants surpassing our beloved Pomegranate fruit. This was enough for me to give it a go, and I’ll have to say, it was delicious! Served chilled, it was very refreshing, and just enough to give you a boost of energy from the 10 oz bottles. I’ll have to grab a case of these next time around.

fizzy fruitIn the past few years, there have been tons of companies trying to find the next big snack for kids that are actually healthy. Well, for my taste, “Fizzy Fruit” just might be this next big thing!!!

“Fizzy Fruit — whole grapes or slices of apples or pineapples carbonated in a secret process with the same carbon dioxide that’s in soft drinks but without added sugar.”

Yup, it’s giving healthy fruits that pop much like in PopRocks, a fresh sparkling apple cider, or a nice bubbly Bellini. Personally I get that snap in a nice crisp cold grape, but this only guarantees that pop in a fizz format now.

I have not actually tried FizzyFruit yet, but I first heard about carbonated fruit at PopTech! when Chef Homaru Cantus of Moto Restaurant in Chicago showed us how he used carbonated oranges to squeeze fresh orange soda for customers right in front of them.

Another great find by the BookofJoe along with a “how to” for making this carbonated fruit yourself ;). Pretty simple.

steps:
1. Place dry ice in cooler.
2. Place fruit of your choice in cool, but NOT touching the dry ice.
3. Close the cooler and let it sit overnight.
4. Enjoy your carbonated fruit!

USAtoday article.(article after the jump)

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wii gaming funTo follow up on my post about the Wii’s prediction, many people have asked me why I think it’ll dominate? Well, besides the great name, amazing content, lower price, and loyal brand, the Wii is incredible because it keeps an element in real life sports that no other gaming device has kept. That element is “mystery”.

In real life sports, no one quite understands how they did something, hit something, or rolled that bowling ball in that exact way. Everyone has an individual technique that is hard to explain yet they know it. Most sports games in this digital age are metered based on ones ability to hit a button at a precise calculated time for the best score. In life, you learn by trial and error for what works. In most digital games, you know what works best based on a meter. I’m not saying the Wii is not driven by calculation, but it keeps it a mystery since the controller has direct movements that are hard to replicate. When I played the Wii, every action by my friends were followed up with, “what did you do, how did you do it, show me what you did, etc”. I’d only follow up with, “I think I did this, I twisted after pressing, I was a little lower, or I snapped my wrist”.

Life is a mystery, sports are a mystery in technique, and the Wii has brought that magic back into our sports gaming life with a bit more exercise. Sometimes knowing all takes away all.

JetBlue TV screens

Above is a picture I took flying Jetblue on my way to CES. If you have not flown Jetblue, do it! They kick butt because they cost less while making the user experience more desirable. They have the cool snooze packs, rocking chairs, personal direct TV screens, spacious seats, clean, tasty snacks, easy to use webpage, soon to be dancing inspired terminals, great customer support, and many other great ideas that keep surprising me. (I’ve got tons more ideas, but I’ll let them hire me to hear those thoughts 😉 )

Anyhow, back to the picture above. This is what I saw while walking back to my seat; a sea of monitors glimmering pool-like reflections onto the walls. These screens really light up the place!!! Besides the light, these screens sure do create some heat. One thing that bothered me was that every single screen was “ON”, blasting images, light, and heat everywhere. Now I usually don’t make a gripe about this, but ever since I got into “save energy mode” I’ve realized how much money and energy can be saved through simple things such as a light. I asked myself, why can’t JetBlue turn off the screens that are not being used? I know users can turn off their screens, but it’s not easy to.(I’ve had to show so many people how to turn them off) This flight was half empty, hence, half the screens were “ON” for no reason. Why can’t the default be “OFF” while the action to turn on the screens be up to the users (If I recall right, this is how it works on some international airlines). Would this actually save them a few dollars of energy a flight, hundreds a day, and perhaps thousands a week?

Jetblue makes tons of simple changes to save money. I think this is a simple idea to save energy unless there is something about energy efficiency on airlines I’m unknowledgeable about. Perhaps they have some future concept to greet users with their names individually on screens for that VIP treatment expereience. Maybe the screens act as secondary heating devices which cost less than heating the fuselage? I have no clue, but I have faith in Jetblue in creating a much better user experience while keeping airfare low and keeping me a couch potato as I’ve probably logged in more movie and TV hours on their airline than I have on land! Jetblue, if your reading this, please make this change or let me know why not. Otherwise, hopefully there’s a reader out there with the right connections to save some mucho energy for them.

update: a few more pictures and thoughts from my red-eye flight back after the jump…

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diy chalkboard wall calendarHere’s a simple DIY guide in making your very own Chalkboard Wall Calendar to add a bit of personailty and jazz to your space. As messy as it might be and as unoften as you might actually use it, a chalkboard will always add that nostalgic spunk into any space. In fact, go get a few cans and go crazy with it. I’ve seen some great chalkboard tables (or here), vases, globes, shirts, wine bottles, and now this wall.

The DIY guide and other chalk product pics after the jump.

via marthastewart

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light bulb savings

Happy new years to ya’ll! If you’re jotting down a resolution list, I’d highly recommend going out and buying compact fluorescent bulbs for your house. My housemates and I did it last year, and our bills have gone down dramatically. The new bulbs use %75 less energy, are more environmentally friendly, last 10 times longer, and don’t cost that much more. I know the chart above says they cost 2-4 bucks, but my roommate bought a handful of them for a buck each. The great news is that Wal-Mart is pushing to get these bulbs into over 100 million households which should help drive the cost down. Go buy the bulbs, get your friends to buy them, save money, and be feel great doing good for your environment. Full story via nytimes.

or Full story after the jump.
nytimes video report
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