While we're using iPhones, netbooks, and wireless keyboards we don't usually imagine the data that is being transferred across the spaces we are in. Artist Willem Besselink has a series of "physical data" installations which visualize just this. Of course frequencies are ever-moving, but it is interesting to stop and think about what enables our mobile connectivity.
[via brainpickings]
The suitcase is probably the most annoying aspect of traveling. Packing it, carrying it, and checking it in is actually not as bad as waiting for it to roll out, especially when the person who pissed you off the whole flight gets theirs before yours.
Well, now you can act cool, with Bag-Claim for the iPhone you will never have to push up against strangers to see if that's your bag. The app detects any bluetooth speaker you put in your luggage and shows you visually where your suitcase is. The range is 75 feet which could also help locate your bag if someone takes it.
Looking for the next hot app to turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into a mobile recording studio? Look no further than Groovemaker by IK Multimedia. The application gives aspiring producers loads of samples, beats, loops, and effects that can turn even a novice beat-mixer into a Kanye…minus the arrogance and insanity.
Launching it takes very little time and synchronizing mixes is easy and simple. What’s more, the software is intuitive, user friendly and online demo videos can help to clear up any other difficulties. Best of all, there’s a free starter version. You can finish dropping a beat in about the same amount of time that it took you to read this…and given today’s music climate, if you’re turning out tracks that took you 45 seconds to conceptualize, you’ll be right on par with what everybody else in the industry is doing.
Never lose another old person thanks to the GPS-enabled shoe, the Ambulator. I actually called my 94 year-old Grandma in Seattle to ask her thoughts on the product. Her response, “it’s creepy, but I know some friends that need it. The only way I’d let you know where I was would be if I could still wear my UGG boats.” There’s your focus group Aetrex Worldwide: Even the elderly choose style over utility.
The Nine Eyes of Google Street View
One year ago, artist Jon Rafman began collecting screen captures of Google Street Views, which he curated, annotated. The resulting photo essay, “The Nine Eyes of Google Street View,” is by turns heartbreaking and hilarious. In Rafman’s words, “The world captured by Google appears to be more truthful and more transparent because of the weight accorded to external reality, the perception of a neutral, unbiased recording, and even the vastness of the project.”
In addition to the one pictured above, some of my favorites include:
Rod Stewart Fan Club (Scotland)
Rifle-Toting Man in Harley Sweatshirt and Mom Jeans (South Dakota)
Woman in Bikini "Napping" on Sidewalk (Spain)
I saw this on The Approval Matrix (week of August 10, 2009) in New York magazine and I think it's really clever. Spanish designer Oscar Diaz, created a calendar that sucks ink out of a bottle displaying what day it is. It is by far the coolest calendar I've EVER seen!
40 Fantastic Time-Wasting Sites
Most of us work and yet we always find ways of doing completely useless activities. Well, to contribute to the edifice of human procrastination, I am sharing this link that could take away weeks of your life. These time-wasting sites will be perfect for building up your non-legacy. My favorites? Virtual NES and FMyLife.
I know we talked about this in our news section, but I think it's crucial how Nokia might be in a power position that the likes of BlackBerry and Apple haven't seen coming.
According to this interesting profile on Nokia in the September issue of Fast Company, their stated goal is to become the “world’s biggest entertainment media network.” Although all the attention right now is on the success of Apple’s iPhone/app store platform, Nokia arguably has a much larger worldwide market share (1.1 billion users).
If you think about all those users as a unified distribution platform (for social activity, delivering content, etc) that’s a potentially huge base of consumers. Though the jury’s still out on Nokia’s Ovi platform (though Ovi email just hit a million users), it’s worth keeping an eye on the handset-makers up in Helsinki.
"Take Back the Beep" Challenges Cellphone Networks to Play Nice [Fast Company]
David Pogue hosting an online campaign to force cell-phone networks to stop those annoying 15-second voicemail intro messages. (Um, voicemail? So 2000 and late.)
Square iPhone Payment System [CoolHunting]
A project called "Square" by Self Edge NYC has developed a small appendage that enable mobile payments through the iPhone. The users plugs this small plastic square in the headphone jack, and it can be used by any type of vendor who gets the payment directly in their bank account.
Rationale for Joining Social Networks by Generation [BitBriefs]
Research reveals why different generations have adopted social networks. 91% of Gen-Z did it for "fun", while only 38% of baby boomers did it for that same reason. 22% of Gen-Y and Gen-Z joined because they were invited, while 46% of baby boomers joined that way.
Ads Follow Web Users, and Get Deeply Personal [NYTimes]
For all the concern and uproar over online privacy, marketers and data companies have always known much more about consumers’ offline lives and, recently, some of these companies have started connecting this mountain of information to consumers’ browsers. The result is a sea change in the way consumers encounter the Web. Not only will people see customized advertising, they will see different versions of Web sites from other consumers and even receive different discount offers while shopping — all based on information from their offline history.
Virtual Worlds are Getting a Second Life with 39% Growth [The Guardian]
While Twitter and Facebook may have taken over front pages, virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft, Entropia Universe, Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin and Second Life are all profitable thanks to business models based on a combination of subscriptions and micropayments. The growth is mainly spurred by tweens and teens, promising the platform a solid future.
“Preparing Us For AR”: the Value of Illustrating of Future Technologies [Pulse Laser]
Understanding the potential for augmented reality goes beyond the camera embedded services. AR is the opening act of the way Internet will eventually have a "physical" presence in our lives.
Paris Hilton Game on Mobile Phones in India [Priyanka’s Blog]
A Paris Hilton game where users find jewels for the Hollywood celeb is set to launch in India on mobile phones, raising concerns about Western influence and role models.
Arts Orgs Go Mobile [NYConvergence]
The Arts, Culture, and Technology group met in Manhattan to discuss how mobile can integrate with art --from mobile museum guides to live texting and sharing photos.
Brands Who Think We Can't Wait to View the World Through Their Silly Mobile Apps? Priceless [MobileInsider]
The rush to develop a mobile app has lead many brands to have a bad and inefficient mobile strategy. Understanding that it's about its actual utility to users, more than the brand's clout or image, is the first step in being relevant. We couldn't agree more.
Military May Ban Twitter, Facebook as Security ‘Headaches’ [Wired]
Because of hack fears, the US military is considering banning access to all social networking sites. The ban might extend to the whole department of defense, but military personnel, that are already limited in cell phone usage, might be the most affected.
HD Voice Push Could Face Resistance in Washington [The Jeff Pulver Blog]
The technology for HD mobile voice calls is there and industry players are pushing for it. But with 3G and broadband not offered everywhere in the US, the battle might not become a priority for anyone out there.
“Social media for social good” seems to be the new rallying cry of the young and wired. Witness: Last week’s global Twestival to raise money for charity:water, status and birthday “donations” on Facebook, and collectives like AllDayBuffet. As should be expected, digital natives are constantly reinventing the way we raise money (and consciousness).
The latest effort we’ve seen is from the young founders of Fame Theory (creators of FameGame.com). Along with BBH, they’ve come up with a way to use their data (previously applied to celebrity social rankings) for cultural enhancement. Launched earlier this month at TED, the project is called Trust Art. Described as a “stock market for cultural renewal” it lets you "invest" in creative works.
For as little as $1, you can invest in one of ten large scale social art projects, own a piece of it, and reap the financial rewards when the project is sold a year later. We will track the social and financial capital of each project throughout the course of the year. Inevitably, art will be created that otherwise wouldn't exist, you will feel good, you might make some money, and culture will have been renewed.
10 emerging artists have spec'ed out projects (viewable here) that are, they say, "steeped in social, environmental, cultural, and economic value." In this way it's like carbon offsets for culture. Basically, buy early, make money, and clean off that dirty feeling you get from Gawker and BitTorrent.
This is the same model that Popcuts and Sellaband are using successfully in music, just applied to art projects. It’s a fascinating way to rethink capitalism. The same generation that undermined the current media model through peer-2-peer networks is looking to revive it by subverting the failed financial model of it's predecessors. It makes sense. This is the “Creative Class,” they value art and invention. Naturally they’d look to make this value monetary, i.e. sustainable. TrustArt's "Declaration of Infinite Renewal" captures the ethos well (if not a bit sappily).
This is also a great example of ad agency x start-up partnership that we’ve been seeing a lot of lately. This is largely a movement fueled by youth looking to make a difference with the tools they have—be it agency connection or algorithms.
We observe emerging mobile technology, cultural trends, and consumer behavior, then connect the dots to generate mobile strategy and intelligence for leading global brands. This is what we're seeing and thinking.
