the sniffer

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young refers to this article in the New York Times magazine, by former Gawker blogger, Emily Gould, which has become the talk of the blogosphere.  What do you think?  One of our podcast listeners pointed it out to Nora, and wanted to know whether Cathi and Nora think of themselves as, ahem, celebrities.Meanwhile, Cathi Bond talks about Visionaire magazine.  They’re a multi-format mag that also sells art-based cool stuff, including these neat-o audio audio art projects. 

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond talks about research at the University of Houston that suggests patients in recovery from addiction can use virtual worlds like Second Life to ‘rehearse’ re-integrating into social situations.  Meanwhile, Nora Young is curious about New Scientist’s look at research that would allow people with mobility impairments to do gaming–manipulating avatars, for instance–by having eye movement tracked. The thinking is that this could help people in virtual worlds.And, feeling a little saggy? Why not try the biniki?  It’s like a face lift for your bottom!  

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young comments on the return to the trend spotlight of twitter.  Why, a year and a half after it was first white hot, is it white hot again? Any theories? Also, Nora and Cathi talk about Cubes&Crayons, a flexible work space for freelancers in Silicon Valley that provides child care, along with meeting rooms and office supplies.  With more and more people being self-employed and living in smaller spaces, this could be an increasingly popular trend.  And, Nora has a blog crush on PSFK and its sister site, Springwise.

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, fashion’s the name of the game.  Nora Young mentions “big brother” fashion in Japan: guys with lots of facial hair, chunky jewelry, and a bit of a rocker look (via Trends in Japan).Meanwhile, Cathi Bond looks at the return of 70s denim, in flared, palazzo-style jeans and thin, dirty-looking jean jackets.  Why does everyone want to look sleazy? (check it out at JC Report)Nora also points to two up-and-coming brands: Muji, the Japanese, stripped-down, label-free store, is opening dozens of new shops across the US. (via PSFK ). And, Nora’s trend-sniffing leads her to bet that legendary Finnish label, Marimekko, is going to be the next HOT thing. 

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young talks about Flare, a cool example of a building surface that responds to its environment. Found via PSFK, where you can see a video of Flare in action.Meanwhile, Cathi Bond has been thinking about Nora’s home energy improvements.  She likes the Panorama film that lies on the surface of your window, cutting out heat but still allowing you to see outside clearly. 

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond talks about Big Moving Pictures, which organizes giant, moveable displays for outdoor events, which feature content and ads.  It’s part of a broader trend towards monster outdoor displays.Meanwhile, Nora Young describes her recent visit to the HICKtech conference, including its commitment to reducing waste and serving 100 mile food.  It reminded Nora of SPROUT, a concept for a zero waste restaurant, written up at trendhunter

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Cathi Bond mentions the ‘thudguard’, a British-designed ‘cap’ to protect toddlers (via gizmag).  Sensible protection or yet another step in over-parenting?Meanwhile, Nora Young mentions the T3 Hub 2.0 for Macs, a sort of USB ‘hotel’ (at drbott.com, via The Cool Hunter).  Who doesn’t need more USB ports? 

 

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In this trendwatching podcast, Nora Young talks about SpareSpace portable work environments (via Springwise).  It’s part of the broader trend we’ve noted towards temporary spaces that can be parked on rooftops, in lofts, etc.  Nora also notes the NoStore concept in Shanghai (via KissAtlanta), a rotating retail environment for different artisans.

Meanwhile Cathi Bond has been looking into the Thirst Aid Pouch, a small portable pouch for creating potable water in case of emergency.