January 2012
97 posts
“Neil Harbisson introduces himself as the first... →
“Neil Harbisson introduces himself as the first cyborg ever legally recognized by any Government (2004). He was born colour-blind; so he can only see in black and white (Achromatopsia disorder).
An electronic device implanted in his neck allows him to translate colours into sounds. The camera that hangs from his forehead 24/7 was accepted as part of his British passport photo. By that very...
(What you get) - (What you were hoping for) →
This might be the simplest possible explanation of customer satisfaction.
Dissatisfaction occurs when salespeople and marketers tend to try to amplify the first part (what you’re promised) while neglecting the second.
The ability to delight and surprise is at the core of every beloved brand (product, politician, teenager…). Overhype and shady promises will undercut that before it...
"Robots can be said to have their own culture... →
“Robots can be said to have their own culture precisely because they don’t need to copy our sociologisms in order to be social, although what they do in their own social realm may not easily map on to things we do in our social realm” - Stuart Geiger - The ethnography of robots
from Ben Bashford - Notebook of Things http://bit.ly/yophUY
This is Molly, the latest addition to the Olly... →
This is Molly, the latest addition to the Olly family. She turns your retweets into sweets.
You can fund her on Kickstarter.
from Ben Bashford - Notebook of Things http://bit.ly/zEneg7
Toyota Creatures. Putting an iPad inside a toy..... →
Toyota Creatures. Putting an iPad inside a toy.. (via Soungirs stuff)
from AltNyttErFarlig http://bit.ly/wwbhx0
"Angry game owners are demanding Google (NSDQ:... →
“ Angry game owners are demanding Google (NSDQ: GOOG) compensate them for wiping out their investments in online pets. The loss of a virtual kitty may seem like a trifle to some but, in the big picture, the new lawsuit could be a bellwether for how the law treats what is an exploding market in online goods and currencies.
For those more familiar with real-life Rovers, the new legal disputes...
2012 GM Advanced Tech Window →
On the heels of Samsung’s touchscreen windows is this concept demonstrator from the GM Advanced Technical Center.
The Windows of Opportunity (WOO) Project was inspired by psychological studies indicating car passengers often feel disconnected from their environment, GM asked the Bezalel students to turn car windows into interactive displays capable of stimulating awareness, nurturing...
Live Park, the world’s first interactive 4D avatar... →
Live Park, the world’s first interactive 4D avatar theme park (via caleb kramer). Live Park enables visitors to experience a virtual world previously only seen in movies like ‘Minority Report’ and ‘Avatar’. Mixed reality architecture allows the visitor to create an avatar and become the main character in a unique adventure.
from AltNyttErFarlig http://bit.ly/zACVkH
"Path is pretty in the same designy way as our... →
“Path is pretty in the same designy way as our modern museums…These museums are very exciting when they open. You show up and marvel along with all of the other fans of architecture. Maybe you return for one of those nights where they stay open late and there is a band and drinking. “A great space,” you think. Maybe one day you’ll be rich and rent out the atrium for a private party. The art...
“The photo above was taken in 1941. It pictures... →
“The photo above was taken in 1941. It pictures air balloons which were used to prevent German aircrafts from making low flights over Leningrad.”
(via 68 Years Since The Siege Of Leningrad | English Russia)
from Fresser. http://bit.ly/xPtbby
Sexpigeon →
from sexpigeon.org http://bit.ly/ydRvYw
#imissthe90sbecause trending on Twitter. →
#imissthe90sbecause trending on Twitter.
from The New Aesthetic http://bit.ly/xiErCh
PleaseCycle Introduces Bicycle ‘Air Miles’ →
Bicycle culture is adopted as one of the solutions to increasing traffic congestion problems in many world cities. But that’s not the only thing — creative class guru Richard Florida claims that bicycle-friendly metros “are richer, better-educated, and more fit than non-biking places”. But how to stimulate bicycle culture in cities? PleaseCycle, a London-based start-up, is working on the first...
OOH advergame by BMW →
Very interesting interactive campaign by BMW in South Africa. For the launch of the new 1 series car, they’ve attracted and engaged consumers with a racing game projected on buildings and scaffoldings. The fun thing is that consumers had the chance to join the game by connecting their iPad to a dedicated Facebook app.
It’s not the first time that we see advergame interfaces projected on...
“Inspired by this process of self-recognition in... →
“Inspired by this process of self-recognition in humans, we developed a new ROS node that is executed when the node “Object Recognizer”, previously trained, has identified a Qbo in the image. Using nose signals to see if the image seen by the robot matches its action, a Qbo can tell in real time whether he sees his image reflected in a mirror or he is watching another Qbo robot in front of him....
The Evolution of Music Online →
PBS Off Book discusses the massive changes in music distribution and how music blogs and websites have arisen as the new arbiters of quality.
As the 90s came to a close, the business of music began to change profoundly. New technology allowed artists to record and produce their own music and music videos, and the internet became a free-for-all distribution platform for musicians to promote...
Who cares? →
Unless someone does, things start to fray around the edges.
Often it’s the CEO or the manager who sets a standard of caring about the details. Even better is a culture where everyone cares, and where each person reinforces that horizontally throughout the team.
You’ve probably been to the hotel that serves refrigerated tomatoes in January at their $20 breakfast, that doesn’t...
Simple Genius: Chocolates You Customize From... →
Modular systems are just plain smart, allowing you to tailor a design, change it around, and swap out individual components easily. So why not apply the principle to chocolate? Yes, chocolate. For her graduation project at ECAL, Elsa Lambinet collaborated with Swiss chocolatier Blondel to create customizable confections from interchangeable components—thereby realizing...
"When another scholar worries that if one begins... →
“When another scholar worries that if one begins with data, one can “go anywhere,” Ramsay makes it clear that going anywhere is exactly what he wants to encourage. The critical acts he values are not directed at achieving closure by arriving at a meaning; they are, he says, “ludic” and they are “distinguished … by a refusal to declare meaning in any form.” The right question to propose “is not...
Google flu prediction model used for mobile ad... →
During the colder months of the year, consumers will be familiar with the sight of advertisements from pharmaceutical companies offering protection from winter bugs. Now, Vicks — a Proctor and Gamble brand — has used data compiled by Google to specifically target mobile devices in high-risk flu areas with ads for their Behind Ear Thermometer.
Google correlated flu-related web...
LomoKino Adapter Lets Your Phone Capture 35mm... →
In addition to still cameras, Lomography also makes the LomoKino which lets retro enthusiasts capture 35mm movies in all their scratchy, grainy glory. But sharing those creations isn’t easy, at least without this smartphone adapter which lets you digitize your flicks. I find the lo-fi results of Lomography’s gear a little passe at this point, but I have to admit this setup does...
Making | Lego launches ReBrick site for lego... →
Lego Launches Social Media Platform, ReBrick “The main purpose of ReBrick — which is not about products made by the Lego Group, according to Online Community Lead Peter Espersen — is to be a hub for all Lego-based creations and projects made by the Lego fan community. Several websites dedicated to the Lego fan community already exist and count large numbers of users, such as MOCPages,...
The Handbag Paradox →
Been tracking the contents of people’s bags, pockets and car boots for a while now, to understand how people equip themselves for what lies out there.
Bag mapping is a useful method to get a sense of activities and priorities when people transition between their home space and what lies outside – the participant is asked to bring their ‘most often carried bag’ and lay the objects they carry on...
The World’s First “Carphone” →
An inventor from Philadelphia using his “wireless telephone” technology in 1920
As I noted last week, the term “wireless telephone” in the early 1920s didn’t necessarily mean a device that could both transmit and receive messages. In fact, most radio devices during this time were simply either a transmitter or a receiver. However, some inventors were having a lot of fun tinkering...
TV Watching | Personalised Content Rendering... →
Eye-Tracking Takes Viewers Into The Stadium From Their Couch “Technicolor demonstrated their new technology called ‘Personalized Content Rendering’ at this year’s CES. The tech device is able to enhance the viewer’s experience of watching a wide-angle sporting match such as football, baseball or soccer. Incorporating six different camera angles at a stadium, the device tracks the movement...
A history of Western education [2].: Civilisation... →
from books.google.com http://bit.ly/zvu5LF
The Reverse Tip →
In China a fapioa – the official receipt used for expense claims has a resale face value of 2 – 10% of face value – leaving one behind in a restaurant or taxi is the equivalent of giving a tip (in a culture where tipping is uncommon) and not requesting one allows the person or establishment to avoid ringing the exchange through a cash register. There are two primary practices around handing out...
“Part gallery and part retail space, Found Muji... →
“Part gallery and part retail space, Found Muji reveals the origins of new Muji products, and highlights simple, useful wares from different cultures around the world.”
(via)
from CK http://bit.ly/ADx39T
Story Wheel | Soundcloudlabs →
Storywheel from Soundcloud enables users to create narrated, retro-looking slideshows with their Instagram pictures.
Big barrier/s, and I was well disappointed when I discovered that I couldn’t just pull in a filthy d&b track – but there is something in there…
Maybe.
Here
from (title unknown) http://bit.ly/ziWag3
By abandoning fantasy for the more pragmatic... →
Folkert
from but does it float http://bit.ly/wsPXMi
A drop filled with memories →
In memoriam: Shigeo Fukuda 1932 – 2009
Atley
from but does it float http://bit.ly/xeXL9e
Everyone is influenced by everybody but you bring... →
Folkert
from but does it float http://bit.ly/x6fNGm
Digital Images | AntiCrop adds content around the... →
AntiCrop “Uncrops” Your Photos by Extending the Picture’s Background “You’ve probably heard about content-aware fills before, which remove blemishes from photos by using information from elsewhere in the picture. AntiCrop uses that same technique to “uncrop” your photo from the edges out, so you can get a bit more of that beautiful sunset in the photo, even if you...
Geo-location | Walk Your Movie app translates... →
“Walk your movie”: An interview with the founder of “Walking the Edit” “Walking the Edit is a mobile application that empowers the user to compose a unique and surprising movie based on existing audiovisual fragments, through the act of walking. It works the following way: The user generates his movie with the help of an iPhone app that translates in real time the form of his or her path...
What The Fox? →
An interesting site for a clothing company that kinda creates a game out of shopping.
WTF.
ViaPlayfool.
from (title unknown) http://bit.ly/w3Kcul
Driver Assists | Ford system keeps you in lane... →
Lane-Keeping Systems Aim to Nudge Drowsy Drivers “Ford’s technology relies on a camera mounted to the rear-view mirror. When the system is switched on and the vehicle is traveling more than 40 miles per hour, it will use the road’s lane markings to sense veering near one edge of the lane or the other. If the turn signal is off, the system will assume that the drift is unintentional and will...
Xperia Smart Tags (via @PSFK) The question is;... →
Xperia Smart Tags (via @PSFK) The question is; will automating the mundane details of life make life less interactive?
from AltNyttErFarlig http://bit.ly/yrsAgk
Apple iBooks (via Steve Santerre) might be the... →
Apple iBooks (via Steve Santerre) might be the most important thing that Apple has ever given / sold to the world. Let’s just hope they embrace the beauty of it and make it non-proprietary. Ideas like this should be allowed to grow.
from AltNyttErFarlig http://bit.ly/wBNgqQ
“What the car sees: The most advanced vision... →
“What the car sees: The most advanced vision systems don’t only point out obstacles, they identify them. This one from Mercedes uses a set of cameras and 3-D imaging to spot moving objects and predict their trajectories. It detects pedestrians by checking targets against its database of more than 1.5 million images of real and virtual people.”
(via)
from CK http://bit.ly/z7U5YJ
Digital Music | Record player makes music by... →
‘Years’ by Bartholomäus Traubeck is a record player that reads wood and translates it into music “Using a ps eye camera, the grain on the slices of wood is read and converted into music. Includes modified turntable, computer, camera, acrylic glass, veneer, approx. 90x50x50 cm. Technical components include arduino, ps eye, stepper motor for moving the tonearm, vvvv and ableton live,...
Shopping | Walmart asks people to vote for things... →
@WalmartLabs Crowdsources Walmart’s Product Selection With New “Get On The Shelf” Contest “The effort is meant to be just a “fun experiment,” but for companies itching to get their products placed on Walmart’s shelves – real or virtual – something like this could be their big break. Previously, getting products into a retail store has been at the sole discretion of the store’s buyer. This...
Crowdfunded rewards for achieving fitness goals →
There’s no underestimating the impact of social influences on motivating consumers, and the need for a helping hand is particularly acute when it comes to reaching fitness goals. Recent examples include Finnish Heiaheia, which aims to motivate users by simply making their fitness achievements visible to friends and family. Now, HealthRally takes the concept a step further by allowing...
A Brief History of Computing Platforms →
The rise and fall of personal computing, as an info-graphic, from the short post I shared yesterday. The supporting analysis can be found here.
from Popwuping http://bit.ly/zv2qQs
Security | Digital Neighbourhood Watch with... →
Village Defense reinvents Neighborhood Watch with real time communication “Social software start-up Village Defense has created software that links neighbors to form a real-time communication system – one phone call notifies all neighbors (by text or phone) when a crime or suspicious activity is in progress. In the first pilot study of the new system, the increased awareness, greater...
The $35 Raspberry Pi Can Stream Video From iPad to... →
The Raspberry Pi project is trying to offer you a thumb-drive sized PC for $35, which is amazing. Only, it just got more amazing, because it can use AirPlay to stream video from your iPad to your TV. In the video, one of the Raspberry Pi developers hooks the mini computer up to an HDMI connected TV, then runs a specially written AirPlay app on the Pi. He then starts playing a video on his...
Barbarian Group: The first 10 years →
I think an agency has a good culture when it can lay stuff bare. Look back on the successes as well as the weird things that happened along the way. An example of this would be Barbarian Group. They are the creators of (amongst many other things) the legendary ‘Subservient Chicken” and have celebrated their first 10 years with this little online album.
Revisit great work like Samsung’s Tweet...
We can rearrange more than just bits. →
Originally posted in New Rules
Think of the mineral iron oxide, suggests Romer. It’s rust. More than 10,000 years ago our ancestors used iron oxide as a pigment to make art on cave walls. Now, by rearranging those same atoms into a precisely thin iron oxide film on plastic we get a floppy disk, which can hold a reproduction of the same cave paintings, and all the possible...
MINI: Fan the flame →
MINI is running an interesting live Facebook campaign, in which one fan can win an actual MINI Countryman. They’ve placed the car on a populair Motorshow in Brussels, only hanging on a rope. When you like MINI, you’ll get a shot of fire to burn that rope – when it breaks, the car is yours.
The live element makes the campaign exciting, as you can see your very own flame, burning the rope....
‘How Television Benefits Your Children’ Ad, 1950 →
from Retronaut http://bit.ly/Ay8ogB
RFID | Sony programmable smart tags for... →
sony NFC smartTags “users can easily program each ‘smart tag’ with a set series of behaviours. then, by placing the tag in a convenient location and swiping the phone when nearby, (s)he can enact that set of actions. for example, a tag hung in the car may be programmed to– when swiped– automatically launch GPS and turn on the phone’s wifi. upon entering his workplace, perhaps the user...
