add(vertising) to friends

would you add him?Assuming by now you have heard of semacodes or QR codes. No? QR codes are a new type of bar-code you can scan with your cell phone to get the phone to execute some sort of function. It is most often used to get the phone to open a webpage. Just scan (shoot) the code and the phone opens the URL. QR codes are widely used in europe and asia but are slowly starting to appear in the americas.

This little app connects your code with your fbook profile - then uses Zazzle to throw it on a tshirt! (The shirts encode the URL of your mobile facebook page.)

Awesome. Now I can go to advertising industry parties and literally speak to no one. :)

Want to make one for yerself? Here.

track and share your reading

Meet BookTagger.

Each BookTagger profile is a graphical representation of your physical bookshelf on the internet. The bookshelf can then be shared with friends, family and others searching for the next good read. People congregate into book clubs and share reading experiences and catalogue all your books and track to whom they’ve been lent - kinda like personal library.

Could be an amazing idea for a company like Hyperion or Penquin…

skidmarks on your megatron badge?

I discovered the book Generation T recently and it inspired me to do come bubble surfing. I stumbled on two things you should take a peek at.

You definitely need to check out Sclipo. It is a video sharing community focused on demonstration and learn through videos and live webcam. You can research just about anything, health, clothes, gadgets, sports, software, cooking, cars, etc. The best part? Scippo features the ability for you manage, promote and teach your own skills via your webcam. Rad.

As with any social network, theres all kinds of distribution and ranking functions in order to “evaluate videos and Sclipo members, helping others find good stuff fast.” Its funny how most of the 2nd generation video sharing networks are becoming more niche in the way you might expect a “channel” on Television to.

Then, while popping around Sclipo I found this video from the Threadbanger bunch. Sweet.

How To turn Your Old T-shirts into new and cool shirts
Uploaded by THREADBANGER

 

Oh, and if you’re really lazy, give  Solo Jones  10 days and your favorite Transformers T and they’ll shoot you back a sweet pair of underoos so you and Megatron and be more snuggly then ever. Weeeee!

 

But enough about that. I need to figure out what class I’m going to go teach. Any suggestions? :)

cheap hackery makes pretty

I love this thing: Its the new Asus Eee PC 4G. Small, capable, very cheaply made and get this:

* Weighs about 2 pounds
* Has WiFi
* Runs Xandros Linux - no frills and totally hackable
* Has an integrated webcam, microphone and speaker jacks
* Gets the job done

UM. Yeah - it costs $399. (Your iPhone was 400.00).

My favorite part (and why this is relevant)? This thing is small, light, and cheap. The perfect hackable toy for use in interactive installations in or out of the home or office. I predidct this little guy is going to change everything.

Oh and one more thing. Seeing a trend people? More value, less money. We’re all in love with the latest gadget - true, but not everyone is prepared to spend 800.00 hundred dollars to own a new Kindle, when for the same money, you could have a computer that does it all.

Non profit agencies have been fighting for the low cost computing market for years. The truth is, it all should be low cost and with a price tage (and functionality) like this, this thing will get hacked, designed, re-designed, mounted to someone’s refridgerator, slapped on a remote control car, mounted to the back of an SUV on Pimp my Ride and could quite possibly run be the engine that put digital pants on your ass and this table in your living room.

2008 will bring more product designers to the realization that hacking and adapting technology is an important component in development of new ideas.

Related post: interactive snow projection