Aloha Mahalo!
Thursday, May 31st, 2007Update: Jason Calacanis launched Mahalo on Wednesday. Here’s Michael Arrington’s take
Archive for May, 2007
mahalo!
Tuesday, May 29th, 2007
Cathi’s curiosity about Mahalo, a mysterious new web project by Jason Calacanis, was fired up by this prediction at Valleywag. What the heck is it? It’s set to launch at the All Things Digital conference, which starts today. Calacanis’ writing tipped her off to Operator11, still in beta if you’d like to check it out.
Meanwhile, Nora’s been digging in the world of fashion. Neon colours are making a comeback for Spring. Return of the ’80s? Futurism? What gives?
At Least in Logan’s Run, they lived ’til 30!
Friday, May 25th, 2007Cathi finds a creepy story in the New York Times, suggesting that in the startup world, at least, you’re only ‘hot’ until you’re 27. What about the knowledge base of older creative entrepreneurs? In a (kinda) related story, she points to this interview (via Better Humans) with a transhumanist who wants to live to be 1,000, because he has so many plans. Cathi wonders if this is a creeping generational narcissism.
Nora says it reminds her of this book, but says her main problem with transhumanists is that the reply to their critics about the potential inequality between those who have access to these technologies and those who don’t, is always a naive, ‘oh well, of course it will be equal’.
After all Cathi’s thought-provoking stuff, Nora brings you….customized muesli! (via psfk)
I’m in the mood for smart fabrics
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007Nora talks about moody, a little app for iTunes that lets you tag songs by colour to suit your mood. Nora thinks it bodes well for a future of more ambient displays. (Via Wired’s Compiler blog)
Cathi, meanwhile, tips us off to the latest creative design from Japan: smart fabrics packed with vitamins to nourish your skin (via JC Report). Plus, speaking of smart, new waterless urinals in Australia. At least, we think it’s smart….we don’t really know how urinals work
an evil twin…and the next best thing to a jetpack
Saturday, May 19th, 2007Nora came across this story on the use of ‘evil twin’ strategies to hijack your computer at public wi fi spots. Here’s a story from C-Net about privacy and public wi fi.
Meanwhile, Cathi finds the very cute MINIcat vehicle which uses compressed air propulsion.
curl up, it’s story time!
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007…in which Cathi goes to visit a traditional farm, and finds she’s more comfortable as an avatar! Is her Second Life overtaking her first life? It reminds Nora of an interesting take she read at Susan Wu’s blog
Wu talks about the evolution towards Web 3D.
Meanwhile, Nora has recently become obsessed with the I Ching.
eat locally, advertise virtually
Friday, May 11th, 2007Cathi’s just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s new non-fiction book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and is all charged up about eating locally, and growing her own (food). Would you? For further reading, there’s also the experience of the Vancouverites in The Hundred Mile Diet
Speaking of local, Nora’s rediscovered the Matchbox Garden and Seed Company in the West Queen West neighbourhood for fresh (and cute!) produce.
On the virtual tip, what do you make of Coke’s new Virtual Thirst campaign, which asks anyone to design a Second Life virtual cola machine that dispenses ‘experiences’? Also, see this update on the prize offered, which appeared after we recorded the episode. (Via Marketing and Strategy Innovation Blog)
BTW, according to Wikipedia, at least, the Nike Swoosh was designed by then-graphic design student Carolyn Davidson, for which she was paid $35….though she did continue to work for the company.
spark plug!
Tuesday, May 8th, 2007Pleeeeeease help Nora out. She’s developing a new show for CBC radio, called Spark, with the producers who bring you that great show, And Sometimes Y. One of the things we really want to do is include as many opportunities as possible for listeners to contribute to the show and participate in the Web component of the show. We want to use social media as part of the way we tell the stories, getting Spark community members’ story ideas, tips, commentaries, audio contributions etc, before the episodes go on the air. This is very much a bird just taking flight, so we’re learning as we go, but please, (can I say please again?) visit the show blog, or come see us on facebook, to find out what we’re working on, and help us make a kicking pilot! Thank you!
Help! My Mini-Me is spreading Graffiti!
Friday, May 4th, 2007Nora finds some interesting research into virtual bots to mind communicate with the outside world when you’re not around. It’s My Cyber Twin. It’s in the early stages now, and you have to train your cyber twin, but don’t you think this could be a huge growth area? (via technology review)
Meanwhile, Cathi Bond has a coolio discovery: generative graffiti! A company called muonics allows you to make custom projectable–and temporary–graffiti to project on the side of buildings. Tres cool
we all live in an algae submarine….!
Tuesday, May 1st, 2007Nora tips us off to the BioSub, a cool experiment in self-sufficiency in Australia (via New Scientist’s technology blog)
Meanwhile, Cathi’s found her own pod, VuPods! It’s a pretty cool technology, but wouldn’t you want to see your house, not just tour it virtually, before you buy?
Also, Nora’s making a pilot for a new show, called Spark. I’d love it if you contributed your suggestions. Here’s the temporary blog for the pilot! Come visit. Thanks!
