Rather than demo another new technology, Tom Wujec reaches back to one of our earliest but most ingenious devices -- the astrolabe. With thousands of uses, from telling time to mapping the night sky, this old tech reminds us that the ancient can be as brilliant as the brand-new.
Selected by garr
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TEDTalks (video)
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TEDTalks : Tom Wujec demos the 13th-century astrolabe - Tom Wujec (2009)
20 Nov 2009 | 6:29 am -
TEDTalks : Devdutt Pattanaik: East vs. West -- the myths that mystify - Devdutt Pattanaik (2009)
19 Nov 2009 | 7:32 amDevdutt Pattanaik takes an eye-opening look at the myths of India and of the West -- and shows how these two fundamentally different sets of beliefs about God, death and heaven help us consistently misunderstand one another. -
TEDTalks : Fields Wicker-Miurin: Learning from leadership's "missing manual" - Fields Wicker-Miurin (2009)
18 Nov 2009 | 7:17 amLeadership doesn't have a user's manual, but Fields Wicker-Miurin says stories of remarkable, local leaders are the next best thing. At a TED salon in London, she shares three. -
TEDTalks : Mathieu Lehanneur demos science-inspired design - Mathieu Lehanneur (2009)
17 Nov 2009 | 7:34 amNaming science as his chief inspiration, Mathieu Lehanneur shows a selection of his ingenious designs -- an interactive noise-neutralizing ball, an antibiotic course in one layered pill, asthma treatment that reminds kids to take it, a living air filter, a living-room fish farm and more. -
TEDTalks : Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology - Pranav Mistry (2009)
15 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmAt TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data -- including a deep look at his SixthSense device and a new, paradigm-shifting paper "laptop." In an onstage Q&A, Mistry says he'll open-source the software behind SixthSense, to open its possibilities to all.
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Zen Habits
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The Simple, Ridiculously Useful Guide to Earning a Living from Your Passion
16 Nov 2009 | 6:20 amPost written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. So you’ve followed the Short But Powerful Guide to Finding Your Passion, and have chosen something you’re passionate about. Now you need to make it a career — but are perhaps a bit lost. I have to admit I was there, only a few years ago, and three years later I’ve successfully done it, even if I’m a bit battered from the attempt. It’s not easy — I’ll tell you that up front. If you hope to make a quick buck, or a fast million, you’ll need to find another guide. Probably one with lots of… -
How To Focus On What Truly Matters
13 Nov 2009 | 1:32 pmEditor’s note: This is a guest post from Sid Savara of Analysis Driven Personal Development. In my life I’ve gone through periods of intense, driven productivity – months where everything fell into place, and my goals almost seemed to accomplish themselves. At the other extreme, there have been times in my life where I was completely overwhelmed, burdened by my different projects and responsibilities – and frustrated because so many of them not only challenged me, but didn’t matter to me. There were days when I asked myself how did I end up here? How did I end up… -
The Short but Powerful Guide to Finding Your Passion
11 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” - Arnold Toynbee Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. Following your passion can be a tough thing. But figuring out what that passion is can be even more elusive. I’m lucky — I’ve found my passion, and I’m living it. I can testify that it’s the most wonderful thing, to be able to make a living doing what you love. And so, in this little guide, I’d like to help you get started figuring out what you’d love doing. This turns out to be one of the most common… -
The Little Rules of Action
9 Nov 2009 | 6:49 am“The shortest answer is doing.” - Lord Herbert Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. Too often we get stuck in inaction — the quagmire of doubt and perfectionism and distractions and planning that stops us from moving forward. And while I’m no proponent of a whirling buzz of activity, I also believe people get lost in the distractions of the world and lose sight of what’s important, and how to actually accomplish their Something Amazing. And so today I’d like to humbly present a few little rules of action — just some small reminders,… -
Low-Stress Ways To Move House and Declutter Your Life
6 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pmEditor’s note: This is a guest post from Annabel Candy of Get In the Hot Spot. Did you know that moving house can be one of the most stressful times in your life? It’s right up there with losing your job, divorce or the death of a loved one, as one of the biggest causes of stress. I’ve been there. In 2007 my husband and I sold our house along with most of our belongings and moved from New Zealand to Panama with our three young kids. We ended up spending 18 months in Central America and lived in Costa Rica for over a year during which time we moved house three times. Moving…
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Seth's Blog
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Benefit of the doubt
21 Nov 2009 | 2:11 amIt's almost impossible to communicate something clearly and succinctly to everyone, all the time.So misunderstandings occur.We misunderstand a comment or a gesture or a policy or a contract.And then what happens?Well, if we're engaged with someone we like or trust, we give them the benefit of the doubt. We either assume that what they actually meant was the thing we expected from someone like them, or we ask about it.If we're engaged with a stranger or someone we don't trust, we assume the worst.The challenge, then, is to earn the benefit of the doubt. How many of your customers, prospects,… -
The amateur scientist (that's us)
20 Nov 2009 | 2:41 amMany people buy a car (probably their single biggest discretionary purchase) based on slamming a door, kicking a tire and judging the handshake of a salesperson.We choose a surgeon based on the carpeting in his office and a politician by his hair cut.During the first week of swine flu vaccines in New York, most parents (more than half!) chose to keep their kids out of the program.Interviewed parents said things like, "I'm not sure it's safe," and "I wanted to see if it affected other kids..."No mention of longitudinal studies or long-term side effects. No science at all, really, just rumors… -
Embracing lifetime value
19 Nov 2009 | 2:46 amIf you walk into a company-owned cell phone store to sign up for a contract, what are you worth?Given the huge gross margins at AT&T and Verizon and the standard two-year contract, I think it's easy to figure on more than $2000 in lifetime value.If you ran a business where a customer represented an additional $2,000 in profit, how would you staff? How long would you make someone wait? If staff costs $25 an hour, how long would that extra person take to pay off?Few businesses understand (really understand) just how much a customer is worth. Add to this the additional profit you get from a… -
Some books for November
18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmRandom thoughts from all over for those of us hungry for new ways to think. This month's list is here. The previous list was blogged in September. -
The reason they want you to fit in...
18 Nov 2009 | 2:03 amis that once you do, then they can ignore you.
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Signal vs. Noise
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I'm a tailor
20 Nov 2009 | 6:33 amWhen people ask me what I do all day I have a hard time summing it up. I design, I edit, I think, I review, I suggest, I teach. Some things I mess up, some things I fix up. But what I really do most of the time is trim, tuck, iron, cut, press, and fit. I’m a software tailor. And I’m starting to think that’s my perfect role. My team is incredible. I don’t need to tell them what to do. If there was a fantasy software league, I wouldn’t trade my team for anyone. But there are times during the development and design process where the things we make just don’t… -
Unicorns and projections
19 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am“Off the Chart” talks about how recent unemployment rate predictions turned out to be way off the mark. The reason: “Reality has produced numbers of its own.” And that’s the problem with projections. Reality is a terrible collaborator. No matter how much you try to work with it, it has a mind of its own. And it never listens to you. Plus, it’s easier to be a cheerleader than a doomsayer — especially when you have a vested interest in the outcome. That’s how people wind up in an overly optimistic fantasy world. No one ever submits a business plan… -
QUESTION: If you had to give it up, which subscription
18 Nov 2009 | 6:37 amIf you had to give it up, which subscription would you miss the most? -
Design Explorations: Basecamp To-dos with Due Dates
17 Nov 2009 | 11:32 amWe’ve just posted another article in our series of Design Explorations. This installment shows our process for adding a new feature to Basecamp: Add due dates to to-dos. We’re excited about this new feature and anxious to share this latest peek at our design process. Read the full Basecamp to-dos design exploration. -
[Podcast] Episode #2: Tech company valuations
17 Nov 2009 | 10:35 amDownload MP3 | Time: 24:10 Like this episode? Please share it with your friends: 37signals worth $100 billion? Start time: 0:37 The story behind the mock press release claiming 37signals is worth $100 billion. The press should be more critical in covering valuation stories. Eyeballs aren’t the only thing that matter. The valuation dance Start time: 8:45 Was the press release a shot at Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube? Why was the sale of Mint to Intuit disappointing? Where will the next great generation of companies come from if they keep selling early? Also, VC money is a time…
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The Tom Peters Weblog
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Leadership as a Sacred Trust
20 Nov 2009 | 10:44 amIn the latest installment of The Little BIG Things video series, Tom describes leadership as a sacred trust. He says that the decision to lead is the decision to be responsible for the growth and development of your fellow human beings. You can find the video on the top of the right column here on the front page of tompeters.com, or by clicking here. If you'd like to see previously posted videos in the series, be sure to visit our Video page (direct link to TLBT video series). -
My Heart (and Body) Are in San Francisco, God's Gift to City-hood!
19 Nov 2009 | 5:53 amI spoke at an Inc. magazine event last night in San Francisco, commemorating the winner of an entrepreneur-to-be contest with a hearty financial prize. Incidentally, in the name of Chinese ubiquity, much on our minds these days, the event is sponsored by the powerhouse Chinese B2B outfit—Alibaba. In preparing, I put together a list of ten key factors that I believe characterize entrepreneurial excellence ... Entrepreneurial Excellence TEN "Insane" Passion for and commitment to the idea. Can explain the idea in Simple English and Excite others about its Uniqueness in ONE MINUTE (or… -
Cool Friend #144:Bob Waterman
17 Nov 2009 | 1:13 amIf you're a fan of Tom's first book, In Search of Excellence, don't miss reading this interview with his coauthor, Bob Waterman. We're glad to add Bob as a Cool Friend, and we all enjoyed working on this interview. (Yes, he does share a few secrets about what went on during the writing of the book.) I think the most fascinating aspect is examining another path taken from the same jumping-off point. Bob was no less successful than Tom, just not as publicly. He describes to Erik how ISOE/In Search came to be and what he's been up to since then. Bob also talks about his involvement with the… -
Excellence Slides: Press Ganey
17 Nov 2009 | 1:02 amToday, Tom met with about 2,000 health care senior execs, mostly from hospitals and hospital systems in National Harbor MD, right outside of Washington D.C., hosted by Press Ganey, researchers and consultants who provide solutions and resources to their clients to help them provide high quality health care. Press Ganey is significant because of their focus on this one industry. As their website states: "Health care is a unique industry in which success is not measured simply by financial returns. The most successful health care organizations act upon the needs of all customers [doctors,… -
Excellence Slides: Seminarium Ecuador
16 Nov 2009 | 8:10 amThe slides I'm posting are for an event that took place last Wednesday. Tom's been all over the world and had Internet access, but the mountains of Ecuador proved too big an obstacle. We hope he enjoyed several days of being out of touch. In a scenic location. Sounds good to me. The event was the Seminarium Ecuador in Quito, short for San Francisco de Quito, the capital city. Be sure to look at google maps, wikipedia, and other websites to learn more about this fascinating place. It's in the same time zone as Boston, but worlds away. If you attended the Seminarium, please give us your…
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Design Observer: Main Posts
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Today, 11.21.09
21 Nov 2009 | 6:53 amEach morning, before starting work, I spend 30 minutes looking for images that are beautiful, funny, absurd and inspiring. Here's TODAY. -
Aspen Design Summit: Initial Report
20 Nov 2009 | 11:31 amInitial report on the 2009 Aspen Design Summit, sponsored by AIGA and Winterhouse Institute. -
Urban Crude
19 Nov 2009 | 7:33 amAn online gallery extracted from Urban Crude, an exhibition created by the Center for Land Use Interpretation, documenting the metropolitan petroscape of Los Angeles. -
Our Design Decade
19 Nov 2009 | 7:31 amMimi Zeiger reviews Design USA, which opened last month at the Cooper-Hewitt, marking ten years of the National Design Awards program. -
Paul Schuitema Collection
19 Nov 2009 | 6:40 amThis remarkable collection of graphic design is from the Dutch designer Paul Schuitema.
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slide:ology
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Visualizing the Sun Food Agenda with Michael Pollan
12 Nov 2009 | 10:09 amDuarte had the distinct pleasure of working with bestselling author Michael Pollan to turn his ideas about sustainability and food systems into a visual presentation for the PopTech conference last month. Plan to eat your lunch in front of the computer today so you can enjoy his presentation: It’s rare that we’ll work with such a gifted natural storyteller. You can see Michael speak sans visuals here and here. So, to take advantage of Michael’s comfortable, engaging speaking style, we built into the presentation some key moments, opportunities for Michael to really connect… -
Book Review: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
6 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pmSource: Business Week I l-o-v-e-d this book. It’s officially in my Top 5 favorite presentation books. You should definitely crack open this book every time you have a high-stakes presentation to give. Carmine Gallo has studiously observed Steve Job’s presentations and has cracked the code! The book is much deeper than just Job’s delivery style, Gallo has codified it into practical lessons and insights around content construction and corporate theater. He covers insights from Steve’s entire journey at Apple. Gallo also sprinkled in non-Apple examples that help you see how you too can… -
Duarte is more than great pumpkins… we’ve got great costumes, too!
6 Nov 2009 | 11:43 amPumpkin carving is fun, but what’s Halloween without costumes?! In addition to the Annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest we share with the public, we also hold a costume contest that you don’t get to see. Below is a slideshare presentation of (almost) all of our employee costumes… comment and tell us which is your fave! Duarte Halloween Costumes 2009 View more presentations from duartian. -
Book Review: Six Pixels of Separation
5 Nov 2009 | 9:23 amMitch Joel is president of Twist Image, a agency with offices in Toronto and Montreal. I met him at TED two years ago. It’s nice to read a book by another CEO who is running an agency and taking on the role of author—I can empathize with the challenges. Mitch did a fantastic job encapsulating the entire online ecosystem. I wish this book had been published a year ago when I dove into social media, it would have been like having a mentor. No wonder Six Pixels of Separationis on Seth Godin’s reading list and received fantastic reviews and on the “popular book” list at 800-CEO-read. In… -
Stanford Keynote Open to the Public
2 Nov 2009 | 12:18 pmIf you’re in the South Bay around lunchtime tomorrow, grab a bite to eat and head over to Stanford! Tomorrow at noon Nancy will deliver a keynote at Stanford’s Bishop Auditorium, the South Building of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Hope you can make it!
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Digital Roam
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"Drawing is how I think" - Milton Glaser
20 Nov 2009 | 6:38 amWhether you think you can draw or not, it's worth watching this short clip of award-wining designer Milton Glaser talking about the importance of drawing as a life skill. (While drawing, of course.) MILTON GLASER DRAWS & LECTURES from C. Coy on Vimeo.Select quotes from Milton:Drawing is how I think.Accuracy is the least important part of drawing.Art schools have abandoned drawing in order to make time for all the software they have to teach. We get what we need for our professional life but don't have an instrument for understanding the reality of life. -
Napkins in Seattle
8 Nov 2009 | 11:45 amI'm up in Seattle today to give the opening keynote at the 2009 Society for Information Management SIMPosium. While preparing, I came across a wonderful back-of-the-napkin story. It turns out that Seattle's most famous landmark, the Space Needle, owes it's origin to a simple sketch drawn by a one-time gas station attendant, seaman, and hat salesman named Edward Carlson. By 1955, Edward, a Tacoma native and classic "self-made man", had become a successful hotel manager in Seattle. To boost civic pride, he undertook a feasibility study to determine whether Seattle could… -
The Health Care Rollercoaster Unplugged
5 Nov 2009 | 6:18 amTime for a ride on the health care roller coaster again. Only this time forget about the Senate Finance Committee; we're talking the Big Dipper on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Next Thursday, Nov. 12, the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County has invited me to share my health care napkins at their gala event. Join me and Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County for a rolling ride through the ups and downs of H.R.3200, The Baucus Bill, Nancy Pelosi's new price tag... and of course, solving problems with pictures.Thursday, Nov. 12, 6:00 - 8:00pm. The Dream Inn at 175 West Cliff… -
Health care napkins take top honors
29 Sep 2009 | 4:14 pmI'm excited that the health care napkins I created with Tony Jones have just been announced as the "World's Best Presentation 2009" by Slideshare.net and Business Week. It tells us a lot about the power of simple pictures that over 100,000 people have viewed the slides. After all, this is a PowerPoint presentation about health care; what in the world could possibly be more boring? Yet by making it visual, simple and clear, people don't mind taking the time to look it over.Healthcare Napkins AllView more documents from Dan Roam.This is the real lesson for all of us who need to present… -
Scaling the Grand Hyatt SF
4 Sep 2009 | 5:15 pmOn Sept. 23 I'll be talking and drawing at the SF Chapter of the American Marketing Association. I hope to touch on: Solving any problem with a picture. How anyone can draw. The best 2 business pictures ever made. (Einstein drew one of them.) Reception starts at 6:00pm at the Grand Hyatt, drawing on napkins starts at 7:00. Thanks Mark Evans for setting this up. Hope to see you at the Hyatt, right off Union Square.Register here.
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metacool
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Circles of influence
18 Nov 2009 | 3:34 pmAs is her way, Rosabeth Moss Kanter has written an essay which not only hits the the nail on the head, but then knocks it clear though to the other side. Talking about leadership and power in our connected world, she crisply articulates what it means to exert gravitational pull as opposed to hierarchical power. Here's an excerpt:Today, people with power and influence derive their power from their centrality within self-organizing networks that might or might not correspond to any plan on the part of designated leaders. Organization structure in vanguard companies involves… -
metacool Thought of the Day
16 Nov 2009 | 8:14 pm"I'm not sure what a fairy tale is. In terms of the fact that taking something which was on its knees and almost finished, and arriving where we have today is for me an exceptional experience. Just seeing the resolve of people who didn't give up. They were facing being put out on the street and we said 'we don't know what's going to happen but we need your support because if it can happen, without your support, we won't be in a position to do it. And they just did."- Ross Brawn -
Principles 1 & 2 at work: Sam Martin on man spaces
12 Nov 2009 | 10:32 amI really like this talk by Sam Martin about "man spaces". Same came up with this really interesting talk by putting Principles 1 and 2 to work: Experience the world instead of talking abou experiencing the world See and hear with the mind of a child His talk isn't the kind of thing you could whip up out of one's imagination alone, but it does depend on his intellect to synthesize the wonderful narrative we hear above. Taking the time to get out in to the world, and then having the ability to see clearly, are two keys to bringing great stuff to life.Great presentation… -
A tribute to friends and friendship
8 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pmAt the end of the film Truth in 24, Howden Haynes (race winner Tom Kristensen's race engineer) admits that his team's victory has left him emotionally numb: he's not elated, he's not sad, he's just kind of there, hovering above his elated peers, not able to experience everything you'd expect him to be feeling after having guided his drivers to an underdog victory over the course of 24 grueling hours at Le Mans. I've seen the movie many times (it's my favorite bit of in-flight entertainment), but I could never quite understand why Haynes reacted that… -
Unabashed Gearhead Gnarlyness
31 Oct 2009 | 3:29 pmFinally got me a proper racing helmet! A boyhood dream come true.Many thanks to everyone who helped me pick the right one and get it set up with graphics: Jeff, Katie, Gerry, Diem, David, and Helen.And I'd like to thank my sponsors, blah blah blah blah metacool.
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Guy Kawasaki
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The 19 bloggers Inc. thinks you should read
6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pmInc. named 19 bloggers that you should read. We’ve aggregated them all in one place: Inc19.alltop. -
How to Get Found
4 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pmThe reality is that people and technology is getting better and better a blocking out unwanted interruptions—aka, “marketing.” Brian Halligan is the CEO of HubSpot, and he explains in my post on the American Express Open Forum “how to get found.” It’s all about creating great stuff and letting Google et al do what they do: find great stuff. -
How I tweet
2 Nov 2009 | 8:47 amBy popular demand (and some complaints), I’ve done a FAQ with myself about how I tweet. Hope this helps you use Twitter for your business too. I explain how I use ghostwriters and why I repeat my tweets among other “unusual” practices. -
Current Twitter Demo Script
28 Oct 2009 | 2:26 amThis is the set of links that I used to demo Twitter by going down through this list to show why Twitter is such a valuable marketing tool. Introduction Home page Profile page Monitor Search Guy Kawasaki or Alltop Starbucks VIA introduction Search for “Prius” or “Civic” Sell Dell Outlet Kogi BBQ Support Comcast Cares Engage JetBlue Virgin America Fandango Prospect Camaro Camaro near Palo Alto Advanced searches Surfing or skateboarding (shows how to eliminate extraneous results such as “surfing the web” How I Tweet - Find Alltop MyAlltop helped me find this. -
How to Avoid Twitter Cluelessness
26 Oct 2009 | 4:24 pmOver at the American Express Open Forum blog, I explain how to not look clueless on Twitter. The first five ways are: Don’t tell other people how to tweet. Don’t tell the world that you unfollowed someone. Don’t ask people why they unfollowed you. Don’t constantly tweet mundane updates and babble. Don’t use a small picture for an avatar. To read all ten and why they impugn your intelligence, click here.
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Presentation Zen
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Using Kuler to create color themes
1 Nov 2009 | 5:21 amAlthough scores of good books on color theory have been written — many even for non-designers — most working professionals just do not have the time to delve deeply into a study of the complexities of using color. The good news is that there are online resources that can help you create harmonious color themes without requiring advance knowledge in color theory. There are a few really good online resources such as ColorSchemer and Colourlovers, but my personal favorite is Kuler. Kuler is a web-based color tool from Adobe that has thousands of community-generated color themes from which… -
Presentación Zen: Por fin! La versión en español ya está disponible
28 Oct 2009 | 10:04 pmI'm happy to announce that the Presentation Zen book is finally available in Spanish. The book follows the same design and layout as the original English version. Spanish was the most requested translation so we're delighted that it is finally on sale. I'm not sure exactly where you can get the book in your area, but here is info on the Pearson Educación website. Above: A photo of the front and back covers.The Presentation Zen DVD on Amazon and elsewhere also includes Spanish (and Japanese and English) subtitles. Thanks to everyone at Pearson for their hard work and to everyone across the… -
The art of control without controlling, doing without doing
26 Oct 2009 | 3:01 amAs a leader — in business, education, or design — how much control do you need? How much can you give up? Is control even the right word? Is it possible to lead without leading? Here is a great TED talk that will get you thinking that has applications for leaders of all types. Former conductor Itay Talgam today runs workshops to help people develop a musician's sense of collaboration, and a conductor's sense of leadership. In this excellent talk at TED Oxford, Itay touches on the art of creating perfect harmony without saying a word by showing the unique styles of six great 20th-century… -
Tokonoma and the art of the focal point
20 Oct 2009 | 7:14 amEvery good design needs a focal point. This goes for the design of interior living spaces as well. In many Western homes, the mantel place in the living room is often a focal point from which other interior design elements are added in a more or less symmetrical fashion. In traditional Japanese homes or modern homes containing a washitsu (Japanese-style room) it is the Tokonoma (床の間) that serves as the subtle focal point for the interior. The tokonoma (lit: floor/bed + space) is a raised alcove in which Japanese art such as a hanging scroll (Kakemono) or a flower arrangement is… -
Sumi-e, color, and the art of less
5 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pmA fundamental design and life lesson from the Zen arts is to never use more when less will do. This goes for the use of color as well. The problem with most slide presentations is not that visuals contain too few colors, it's that they contain too many. A common practice is to use several different vivid hues (colors) in presentation slides when even a single hue in various shades or tints would have been more effective. The ancient art of Japanese brush painting called Sumi-e (墨絵) provides a powerful lesson concerning the use of color, communication, and restraints. Sumi-e was brought to…
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Six Pixels of Separation
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The New Search Landscape
19 Nov 2009 | 7:11 amWhen you think of search engines and the Internet, it's hard not to think of Google (and not much else). When you think of Google, it's also hard not to think of the classic children's tale, The Little Engine That Could. When Sergey Brin and Larry Page incorporated Google as a business in late 1998 out of a friend's garage in Menlo Park, Calif., there is no way they could have envisioned what the company would become. Beyond being worth billions of dollars, beyond its 20,000 employees, some people don't even call it "searching" any more, they simply refer to it as… -
H1N1 And Social Media (There Is A Connection)
17 Nov 2009 | 6:40 pmAre you going to get the H1N1 vaccine? There are many people who are very on-the-fence about this vaccine (well, actually, all vaccines). One of the better sources that persuaded me to get the shot (got mine today) was this: World Heath Organization: Safety of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccines (hat-tip to Amber MacArthur). Without going into the medical and ethical discussion about vaccines, while waiting in line for my turn to get poked (and I don't mean that in a Facebook kind of way), it got me thinking how connected Social Media and getting this vaccine are. Let's start with this: no, this… -
Digital Marketing And Personal Branding Freebies
16 Nov 2009 | 10:58 amIf you have not already picked up a copy of my first book, Six Pixels of Separation, this might be the perfect opportunity... For the next five day (until Friday, November 20th, 2009), if you buy a copy of Six Pixels of Separation (book, e-version, Kindle, audio, etc.... - all versions count) and forward me your receipt, I am giving away two very special gifts for free as a "thank you." Social Media For Business In 6 Simple Steps. This is my first e-book, and it's currently being written, edited and designed. I hope to have it out in January 2010. In this e-book, I walk through six… -
A Marketing Thriller
15 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pmEpisode #177 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to. This is an important episode. It is not a standard episode of the Podcast, but something very different. This is a conversation with the thriller novelist, J.C. Hutchins. As Marketers, it's important to listen and learn from people like Hutchins. He's an individual who always wanted to be a published author and nothing was going to get in his way. So, after tons of rejection, he took Marketing matters into his own hands, embraced the online channel (specifically Social Media) and… -
The Trigger Finger
14 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pmIf the way in which we use the Internet (and mobile) is so different from traditional media, the advertising is going to have to change. How many times have you found yourself sitting in front of the television, watching a sub-par show and saying to yourself, "well, there's only 20 minutes left, I might as well watch and see how this turns out?" It happens all of the time. You're in the car listening to the radio just hoping that something interesting comes on, even though you've endured the same traffic and news updates multiple times in a row. Or, you keep flipping through a…
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MACNN
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Multi-carrier iPhone in France doubles sales
20 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pmThe elimination of the iPhone's exclusivity to Orange in France has resulted in "more than double" the sales of the device and dealt a blow to the BlackBerry, according to research notes issued recently. Estimates from Bernstein, Strategy Analytics and others report twice as many iPhones being shipped in the summer quarter as in the spring due specifically to Apple's handset being readily available at Bouygues Telecom as well as SFR. That added exposure is thought to have directly impacted RIM as customers at the new carriers had a new, major alternative to the Blac... -
FileSalvage 7 runs on Snow Leopard, upgrades interface
20 Nov 2009 | 2:55 pmSubRosaSoft has upgraded its file recovery software, FileSalvage 7. The software recovers deleted files, as well as files lost in an accidental reformat or initialization. It works on multiple file systems, recovering files from Mac OS hard disks, iPods, flash cards, Linux and Windows disks or Boot Camp partitions. The software is also claimed to work with scratched CDs. The interface provides previews of recoverable files, with options to reconstruct file names of many formats such as JPG, MP3 and M4A.... -
Presented By:
20 Nov 2009 | 2:55 pm -
Minco 1.0 time-earnings tracker integrates with iCal
20 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pmCelmaro has released a new time-tracking application, Minco 1.0. It is designed as a minimalist tracker for time, tasks or earnings, and can fully integrate with iCal. The software runs in the system menu and offers visual representations of time spent on tasks, with options to produce time logs in multiple formats. The earnings capabilities include projecting or displaying the results of a task, day, week, month or year. The new software also has built in tagging options.... -
Microsoft roadmap puts Windows 8 in 2012
20 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pmMicrosoft should once again release its next mainstream version of Windows about three years after the last, a roadmap obtained this week reveals. The schedule has the major revision, tentatively titled "Windows 8," launching in 2012 or about three years after Windows 7. It will purportedly keep in step with a rhythm developed by Microsoft that has Microsoft launching major releases four years apart, as Windows Server 2008 is considered a major release where its R2 upgrade and even Windows 7 are both treated as "release updates."...
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Holy Kaw!
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How to save time
21 Nov 2009 | 9:25 amHere’s a great tool: Sue Shellenbarger, over at the Wall Street Journal, has test drove three time management tools for us, so we don’t have to try them ourselves. Talk about time saving. The three tested methods are: • Getting things done. • The Pomodoro Technique. • Franklin Convey’s Focus. Read the article to see what she found. We’ve got lots more ways to get things done and hack your life, too. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
How to re-imagine the color of your room with no paint
21 Nov 2009 | 9:14 amWant to see what your room would look like with different paint? Check out colorjive.com, a really cool site that takes your pictures and changes the colors of the walls in just a few easy steps. It's fun! And it could save a lot of fails. More cool design sites. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Common mistakes in social media and other insights on impact
21 Nov 2009 | 9:03 amOver on SmartBlog, Mary Ellen Slayter interviews Olivier Blanchard (above), a seasoned brand strategist at BrandBuilder Marketing. Blanchard delves into his perspective on how businesses can maximize their return on social media. He shares, for instance, three common mistakes companies make when trying to measure the value of social media: Focusing too much on digital measurement. Not understanding the difference between nonfinancial impact and financial impact. Not establishing clear goals and objectives when launching a social media program. How can you avoid this fate, and what other… -
A geography of BBQ
21 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amAs a newcomer to DC, people keep telling me that my BBQ education is about to begin. Though complete strangers and close roommates have preached the glories of BBQ, this article is the clearest introduction to the sauce I’ve seen yet. Did you know there are at least four kinds of sauce? Kansas City Style Sauce Texas Style Sauce North Carolina Style Sauce South Carolina Style Sauce Check out the article to see just how each of them differ. Hungry for more? There’s much more about food and recipes. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
France vs. Ireland controversial goal video
20 Nov 2009 | 10:58 pmIn case you haven’t seen the controversial goal in the France versus Ireland game, here you go. Total coverage of soccer. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Better Living Through Design
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Protractor Doorwedges
21 Nov 2009 | 4:41 amIf you’re into angles, you might be into these Protractor Doorwedges by Offcut Design. Each doorwedge has a protractor graphic illustrating their randomly selected 12° angle. Also available directly through Offcut Design’s website (though you have to email). -
New Lamp by the.
20 Nov 2009 | 6:57 amWe posted some work by “the.” before–they have a smallish portfolio of really clever work and they’re worth checking out. This particular lamp would look amazing on my bedside table. However, the -$1200 would not look good in my bank account. Construction: Laser cut translucent white acrylic with cool-white fluorescent bulb Dimensions: H 16″ x W 6.5″ x L 9″ -
Strut 70″ Work Table
20 Nov 2009 | 5:30 amHere’s a sort-of-affordable glass table with an interesting wood base. ‘Sort-of-affordable’ in this case means there’s no comma in the price tag. Glass top floats on dramatically angled shesham wood legs with a matte walnut stain. Crossbar support connects the base with striking stainless steel hardware that’s an integral part of the design. Seats four if using as a dining table. 70″Wx34″Dx30″H Also available, not shown: Strut 36″ Glass Top Table, $499.00 -
Jug and Measuring Spoon
20 Nov 2009 | 5:19 amWell, take a look at this kitchen contraption. A double duty item, this ‘jug’ is a carafe or pitcher when not in use as a measuring device. Could be a handy sort of thing for making mixed drinks in bulk (for a few friends… or for yourself after a very bad day at work). Jug and measuring spoon for liquid measuring. Spoon is printed with a scale of measurement. Read the measurement off the spoon when it is placed in the jug with the contents. The spoon has ounces and milliliters on it… Jug may also be used separately as a carafe or pitcher. Measures up to 1000 ml or 32… -
Karate Kid Clipboard
20 Nov 2009 | 4:58 amTwo wooden parts held together with a rubber band make this unusual clipboard. The lack of metal makes it look a little more warm and friendly than traditional office supply clipboards, don’t you think? Designed by Simon Donald for spunique. Bands may vary in colour.
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Design daily news
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Paper Foldables
19 Nov 2009 | 5:04 amI just discovered these paper foldables and totally loved it. In fact they even get better when used for promotional purpose (see the handsome family one). Download animals vectors --- Post from: Graphic design blogPaper Foldables -
Illustration in web design: 30 wonderful examples
18 Nov 2009 | 3:45 amIf you are looking to spice up your website’s design a little, then you should consider integrating some illustrations in it. The following websites are good examples of great illustration in web design. 1. Jason Gray 2. BEN 3. Tor Web 4. i-avion 5. Instant Ad Legend 6. Cromulent Design 7. Bard Illustration 8. Tomas Pojeta 9. Adit Shukla 10. Okami Design 11. Web Design Beach 12. Creative Bytes 13. The Great Bearded Reef 14. Iwit 15. Design 19 16. CSS Cookie 17. Reduzino a pança 18. Floitdesign 19. Joby 20. WebTouchUp 21. Schneeballschl8 22. Moourl 23. Cloudia CMS 24. Gandr Web 25. -
Implementing to-do’s due date, thoughts of a UI designer
18 Nov 2009 | 3:25 amIf you have some interest in app and UI design, you shouldn’t miss this article by the makers of the awesome Basecamp, the 37signals team. It guides you through the thinking behind the implementation of to-do’s due date. Download animals vectors --- Post from: Graphic design blogImplementing to-do’s due date, thoughts of a UI designer -
Design links for the week
15 Nov 2009 | 3:14 amHere are some nice design-related blog posts you shouldn’t have missed this week. Fugly government websites, the ultimate list So many talented web designers, so few of them working for governments… Print Design to Web Design: Comparative Analogies A good read for any print designer who has never worked on the web. Awesome Papercraft self-portrait Ok this is just awesome, I have to do mine someday. Freelancers, what’s your largest business expense? The answer should be f*cking insurances for anyone living in Switzerland. Top five best database management tools Giving a try… -
Free photography icons set
11 Nov 2009 | 10:55 pmJust for Designer Daily’s readers, IconShock has created a package of stunning photography icons. In this package, you’ll find the following icons: big camera icon point and shoot camera icon digital frame icon flash card icon tripod icon If you are a big fan of these, you should definitely visit IconShock’s website for more professional icons. Photography Icons (3.88 MB) Download animals vectors --- Post from: Graphic design blogFree photography icons set
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Hugh MacLeod: Gaping Void
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scotland cartoon
20 Nov 2009 | 12:16 pm[Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”] -
liberation
20 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pm[Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”] -
coming through town
20 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pm[Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”] -
i want to believe
20 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm[Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”] -
what people say
20 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pm[Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”]
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ScienceDaily: Fitness News
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Can playing active video games equal moderate intensity exercise?
18 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amOne-third of Wii sport and Wii fit activities provide energy expenditures equal to moderate-intensity exercise. Active video games may help prevent or improve obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, researchers said. The study was funded by Nintendo. -
Some obese people perceive body size as OK, dismiss need to lose weight
18 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amEight percent of obese people misperceived their body size, believing they did not need to lose weight or that they could afford to gain weight. While those who misperceived their need for weight loss thought they were healthier than others their age, they had the same risk factors for heart disease as other obese patients. Those who misperceived their body size were less likely to exercise and see a physician than their counterparts who accurately perceived their body size. -
Five exercises can reduce neck, shoulder pain of women office workers
17 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmStrength training exercises using dumbbells can reduce pain and improve function in the trapezius muscle among women suffering trapezius myalgia, a tenderness and tightness in the upper trapezius muscle. The results are the latest findings from an ongoing Danish study aimed at reducing repetitive strain injury caused by office work. -
Students with a lower socioeconomic background benefit from daily school physical activity
16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmDaily physical exercise at school positively improves students' body composition and exercise capacity. This is especially true of students with a low socioeconomic status. -
Exercise-linked ventricular tachycardia is not a risk to healthy older adults
15 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmHealthy, older adults free of heart disease need not fear that bouts of rapid, irregular heartbeats brought on by vigorous exercise might increase short- or long-term risk of dying or having a heart attack, according to a report by heart experts.
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Word of Mouth Marketing
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How Coca-Cola empowers fans all over the world — live with Adam Brown
20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmWe’re bringing together an all-star group of word of mouth marketers for Word of Mouth Supergenius: The “How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing” Conference on December 16 in Chicago. We’ll feature 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies, and 6 brilliant authors. You’re going to learn practical, hands-on techniques to get people talking about you the next day. Our lineup of speakers includes word of mouth supergenius and Coca-Cola Group Director, Digital Communications, Adam Brown. Here Adam shares a few tips based on the case study he’ll be presenting:… -
Microtesting: Sell it before you build it
20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amBefore you build a product, test it by offering it for sale on your website. If no one responds, you’ve just saved tons of time and money. If the responses include suggestions, you’ve just improved the product before you even started. If people give you money — bingo! This sort of testing is faster, cheaper, and more informative than any generic study or focus group. From Inc. Magazine: Consider the method used by TPGTEX Label Solutions, a Houston-based software company that specializes in bar codes and labels for manufacturers and chemical companies. Like many companies,… -
How Starbucks used fan feedback to help launch VIA — live with Matthew Guiste
19 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmWe’re bringing together an all-star group of word of mouth marketers for Word of Mouth Supergenius: The “How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing” Conference on December 16 in Chicago. We’ll feature 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies, and 6 brilliant authors. You’re going to learn practical, hands-on techniques to get people talking about you the next day. Our lineup of speakers includes word of mouth supergenius and Starbucks Social Media Manager, Matthew Guiste. Here Matthew shares a few tips on using fan feedback based on the Starbucks case study… -
Newsletter #757: The “Inspire People” Issue
19 Nov 2009 | 8:15 am[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I Thought of That Email Newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] It’s more rewarding to work at a company that does its part to make the world better. You can do it without pushing an overly-political agenda or getting ultra-hippie; here are three ideas to get you started inspiring people: 1> To help local communities 2> To be eco-friendly 3> To do awesome things 4> Check it out: Oddly Specific 1> To help their communities Give your… -
Will It Blend? Our 4-part series on creating content people love to share
18 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmAs a preview for Word of Mouth Supergenius: The “How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing” Conference here in Chicago on December 16, we’re dedicating a full week to our halftime celebrities from Blendtec’s Will It Blend? video series on our Word of Mouth Marketing Blog. We’ve long been big fans of Will It Blend’s simple, cheap, and brilliant formula for creating content people love to share, and we’re thrilled to have Blendtec’s VP of Marketing and Sales, George Wright, join us for our big event next month. Installments to check out in our…
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Topix: Jazz
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Pick U... - Kenny G / David Sanb...
21 Nov 2009 | 9:05 amKenny G has long been the musician many jazz listeners love to hate. A phenomenally successful instrumentalist whose recordings make the pop charts, Kenny G's sound has been a staple on adult contemporary and smooth jazz radio stations since the mid-'80s, making him a household name. -
Top global jazz musicians to play in capital
21 Nov 2009 | 4:31 amJazz lovers in the capital have an exciting weekend in store. The 100 Pipers Jazz Utsav 2009 Saturday and Sunday will feature some of the biggest names in international jazz. -
Celebrity birthdays on Nov. 14
21 Nov 2009 | 12:08 amJazz pianist Ellis Marsalis is 75. Writer P.J. O'Rourke is 62. Pianist Yanni is 55. -
Roxanne - Police
20 Nov 2009 | 6:46 pmNominally, the Police were punk rock, but that's only in the loosest sense of the term. -
Montreux unveils 2010 poster by Brazil's Britto
20 Nov 2009 | 2:33 pmBrazilian Romero Britto has created the 2010 edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival's poster, adding to a long list of striking images by famous artists that have made the posters desirable objects among collectors.
