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AVALANCHE AIRBAG
2012-02-09 15:36:00
One of the most dangerous aspects about trail skiing or snowboarding is the possibility of avalanches. Enter the Backcountry Access Float 30, an airbag-equipped backpack designed to minimize excavation time during avalanche burial. It works much like an automobile airbag, bursting open upon an incident. At $599 USD it's a small price to pay for life-saving equipment. Ride on, ride safe!
More About: Science , Sports , Design , Technology , Backpack

CHINESE POLICE VALENTINE
2012-02-09 15:19:00
Reports say that a site full of bachelor policemen has become the most popular Weibo microblog in China . More than 2000 fans follow the online initiative started by Wuhou public security bureau in the province of Chengdu of Sichuan. The goal is to help single officers that work long hours that prevent a normal social life, find dates. Who wants a handsome, employed, gun-toting Valentine ?
More About: Technology , Government , Online Dating

CHILL CUBES
2012-02-08 19:04:00
For those of you that enjoy your drinks on the rocks, but absolutely detest a watered-down libation, we present Skybar Chill Cubes. These stainless steel badboys give you all the benefits of cold ice without the H2O. Grab a pair for $40 and say goodbye to watery drinks forever. Cheers to that!
More About: Creative , Design , Drinks , Food and Drink , Liquor

BODY-SNATCHING FUNGUS
2012-02-08 18:38:00
Prepare to have your mind's eye blown by the following time-lapse short courtesy of BBC Planet Earth . Watch as super sharp cameras capture the unseen world of Cordyceps Fungi, one of the most complex and involved species in the animal kingdom. You'll be surprised to see just how vital (albiet sometimes violent) they are to maintaining Nature 's balance.
More About: Science , Film , Enviroment

NYC SUBWAY SKATING
2012-02-07 16:19:00
While skateboarding in the New York City subway system may be illegal, it didn't stop SLAP Magazine and a couple of local rippers from shredding the hell out of the underground "taxi" and documenting it for a full feature dubbed Subway Skating. Peep the madness. All aboard!
More About: Sports , Film , Train , Skateboarding

HOW MUSIC TRAVELS
2012-02-07 16:03:00
Music being the rich and intertwined cultural phenomenon that it is usually makes it difficult for fans to understand the geographic significance of every single genre. That is, until now. Thanks to Thomson and their interactive How Music Travel s infographic, fans can now see a relatively accurate breakdown (5-year margin of error) of the origins of some of the world's most popular dance music. Check it out!
More About: Ideas , Music , House , Creative

LIVING LONGER
2012-02-06 18:00:00
Iowa State University gerontology researcher, Peter Martin, was recently published in the Journal Of Aging Research for his 6 behavioral factors of longevity. They are: Environmental Support, Individual Characteristics, Behavioral Skills, Good Nutrition And Health Behaviors, Staying Healthy and Good Mental Health. You can check out the full explanation of each here.
More About: Science

PORN IS GOING .XXX
2012-02-06 16:17:00
Perhaps some of you may know this by now, but online pornography is slated for a domain change. The new end address will be .XXX as opposed to the normal "dot com." After much debate, cases for and against the change do agree on one thing, the new extension will make it easier to identify and, when needed, filter adult content. Then there's the whole matter of informing folks about the change. Enter ad agency, M&C Saatchi, with their creative rendition of a "Porn Is Moving To .XXX" campaign. Cheeky and a wee bit controversial, to say the least!

QUESTION BRIDGE
2012-02-03 19:06:00
The Question Bridge is a transmedia art project that seeks to represent and redefine Black male identity in America . Through video mediated question and answer exchange, diverse members of this "demographic" bridge economic, political, geographic, and generational divisions. The project is in full swing and expanding into a a travelling series, educational curriculum and even a smartphone app! Have a look at their introductory video to see how it all works:
More About: Politics , Ideas , Economics , Media

YOU CAN'T DO THIS ON TWITTER
2012-02-03 19:03:00
Twitter is in the spotlight because of its new and controversial per-country blocking system--the power for governments to censor and withhold public tweets that violate local laws. Although the specifics are a bit murky, according to Foreign Policy magazine, here are 5 things that you can't/shouldn't do on Twitter in the United States , for they can lead to some serious legal trouble: Cyberbullying, pranking police, coordinating unlawful behavior, threatening violence and not removing tweets by request. Check out the full implications of each here and stay out of Twitter trouble!
More About: Politics , Technology , Government , Country

PENGUIN GOES DIGITAL-ONLY
2012-02-02 17:56:00
Book publisher, Penguin, is setting its sights on the digital-only market with their new Penguin Shorts programme. The premise of the move is to focus on short reads that'll be available for $1.99 USD a pop and fertilize its own niche among avid digital readers. Not a bad idea considering music went the route of singles and the iTunes store. And with gadgets like the Kindle Fire and Nook, who's to say the reading market won't adapt just as easily as music has? Smart.
More About: Business , Technology , Books , Reading

SOUL TRAIN DOCUMENTARY
2012-02-02 17:24:00
In lieu of the passing of Don Cornelius (1936-2012), creator and host of one of the most influential music and dance shows in the history of television, Soul Train , we thought that it'd only be right to highlight the VH1 documentary that tells the story behind it all. Check out Soul Train: The Hippest Train In America to find out what made The Don such a remarkable figure for people across the United States and even around the world and why it was all so revolutionary!
More About: Film , Documentary , Dance

ALIEN DRINK
2012-02-01 19:00:00
Here's an awesome drink recipe that we came across. Granted, warnings from our source guarantee a "make-out session w/ your toilet," we just couldn't resist! For one, we've never seen anything that looks quite like it and that's reason enough for us. So without further adieu we present to you The Alien Brain Hemorrage Shooter--a unique mixture of peach schnapps, Bailey's, grenadine and blue curacao. Peep game!
More About: Drink , Recipe , Food and Drink , Drunk , Happy Hour

FLYING CHRONICLE MARKETING
2012-02-01 17:38:00
Now this is what we call creative marketing! To promote the upcoming American film, Chronicle, Fox a hired viral marketing agency, Thinkmodo, to deliver. The result? A couple of remote-controlled flying "bodies" that took over the New York City sky. Check out the behind-the-scenes and stir that it caused:
More About: Marketing , Creative , Technology , Film , Advertising

WIKILEAKS TV SERIES
2012-01-31 18:00:00
Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, has announced plans for an upcoming television series. The show will focus on thinkers, revolutionaries and and political players from around the world. Its premise, according to the bold activist, is to create dialogue about the future and where the world is headed. Here's some of what the official press release details for the show:
More About: Politics , Television , Ideas , World , Press Release

OUTSOURCING COLLEGE EDUCATION
2012-01-31 07:43:00
Foreign Policy magazine recently published an eye-opening article about the economic value of an education abroad. What they did was compare the median cost of one year of an American undergraduate education ($9,000 USD) with that of an average international one ($4,000 USD). While money wasn't the only factor explored (there's also the question of quality, of course), the article does point out some rather startling examples, like how even though South Africa's University of Cape Town has a higher QS ranking than The University of Notre Dame, attending the latter is a whopping $32,000 USD more. Incredible! Check out the full piece here.
More About: Education , Travel , Personal Finance , College , Outsourcing

SALT PEPPER SWITCH
2012-01-30 18:56:00
The good folk over at Fred & Friends have designed this nifty salt and pepper dispenser that draws inspiration from the ubiquitous ON/OFF switch. For the digital foodie in all of us. Only $12 USD here. We likey very much!
More About: Design , Food and Drink , Switch , Pepper

JUAN BAGO ATTACKED
2012-01-30 16:12:00
Okay, so maybe we were kidding about an actual "attack" but there's definitely a little friendly competition brewing. You see, for a while now, New York City-based local media celebrity, Juan Bago, has been riding the wave of viral buzz thanks to his brand of Dominican-laden comedy. First there was Pan Con Queso, a comedic remix to Wiz Khalifa's breakthrough single, "Black And Yellow," that centers around the popular Dominican breakfast ritual of the grilled cheese. And in his latest spoof, Dominis In The Heights, an ode to Kanye and Jay-Z's "N***as In Paris," Bago manages to score a cameo from Broadway golden-boy, Lin Manuel Miranda (In The Heights). Huge, right? Perhaps.

FAST FOOD LIES
2012-01-27 20:46:00
Not that we're fans of fast food anyway, but here's an interesting series that highlights the misleading advertised "look" of some items. Aside from being terrible for one's health, it's clear that these "popular" chains highlight their best "face" on print and media, while the actual food tells quite the different story. Double fail!
More About: Food , Fast Food , Fast

NIKE FUELBAND
2012-01-27 17:16:00
Introducing the Nike FuelBand , the sportswear company's latest jump into the consumer tech gadget universe. The sleek LCD wristband works like a personal monitor by recording the user's activity via an accelerometer. That activity is then translated into "Nike Fuel" a point system that quantifies and visualizes it all. Athletes can set point goals and start moving! Oh, and did we mention that you can track your progress with an app? Cool.
More About: Science , Sports , Technology , Fashion

FEDEX SCAM
2012-01-26 18:29:00
We were recently informed about a scam involving FedEx that's been making rounds and alerting watchdogs. The scheme involves getting a hold of a person's checking information and swiping $500 to open up a new FedEx account. Then there's another jux (possible supplement) that involves receiving an anonymous check for a large sum that's addressed to and from unknown parties. The goal is to entice the receiver to cash it so that it bounces and their account info gets snagged. Watch out for both!
More About: Information , Personal Finance , Fraud , Banking , Alert

Q-TIP TRACES HIS ROOTS
2012-01-26 15:00:00
Thanks to OkayAfrica , sister site to the music-loving OkayPlayer, Hip-Hop icon Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest) was recently able to trace back his African ancestry. On the latest episode of the blog's "The Roots Of..." video series, Q takes an actual q-tip to his cheek and gives the research team a sample of his DNA. Tests later reveal that his lineage traces back to the West African territory of Guinea Bissau, a place that is rich in music influence. Amazing how it all connects!
More About: Science , Music , History , Film

NEW DC LOGO
2012-01-25 18:00:00
After much debate and backlash regarding the change, pioneer comic book publisher, DC Comics, has finally unveiled the new look for its corporate logo. Already in use on its website, the new logo is comprised of a peeled-back "d" that reveals the complimentary "c" behind it. The intended purpose of the new look will allow the letters to fit into distinctive character branding like the Green Lantern 's glow, for example. We dig it!
More About: Design , Branding , Logo , Comic Book

WAR ON PHOTOGRAPHY
2012-01-25 03:21:00
American lawyer, Mickey H. Osterreicher, wants the public to know that ever since 9/11 besides, terror, there has been an ever-increasing "War On Photography ." According to the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) attorney, U.S. authorities on federal and local fronts have been clamping down on the First Amendment rights of photo journalists and civilians alike by interfering with, detaining, and even arresting them on the basis of anti-terrorism. Mr. Osterreicher wants to bring light to the injustice by writing about it--particularly issues concerning photography and the law. Interested readers can check out more information via his column on JPG Mag, his Twitter account, or the NPPA blog. Get informed!
More About: Politics , Media , United States , Weblogs

THE SOCIAL BOWL
2012-01-24 18:00:00
The social media experts over at Soshable are expecting tons of Twitter and Facebook use during the upcoming Super Bowl XLVI. So much that they actually wrote up a piece about how connection providers like Verizon are lacing Lucas Oil Field with an extra-heavy arsenal to support 3G, 4G, and WiFi. And then there's all the social media blasts and analytics that are going to be handled by digital marketing companies like Raidious--a great case study on what will most certainly be one of the most data-heavy events of the year. Hence the name, The Social Bowl.
More About: Marketing , Sports , Technology , Events

THE SOUND OF TREES
2012-01-24 16:30:00
Thanks to Barthalomäus Traubeck we can actually hear what a tree sounds like. Yep, sounds! The premise of the Netherlands-based artist's project titled "Years" is to sonically convey the age lines of a tree exactly the same way a turntable plays vinyl. With a little help from some high-end computer gear and Ableton Live music software, here's what he's been able to produce:
More About: Sound , Trees

THE BE-SIDES: WHAT IS LOVE?
2012-01-24 15:00:00
Ok, so not the most original question. In fact, it?s been posed many times, most notably ? in my humble opinion ? by the R&B quartet En Vogue of the mid 90?s and even though they recited Webster?s Dictionary on the track, even they were left disappointed with their findings.
More About: Love , Sides

DID JIM JONES BITE?
2012-01-23 18:37:00
It's no secret that the fashion world and the commercial music scene share lots of commonalities. For one, both industries are as competitive as they come. Add in a melting pot of movers and players that are constantly creating and exchanging, and you'll realize how relatively easy it is for the line between inspiration and cloning blur. Which leads us to the following story between winter drygoods brand, Psyberia, and Harlem-based rapper, Jim Jones (The Diplomats).
More About: Music , Design , Fashion , Winter , Inspiration

100 NOVEL INTROS
2012-01-23 14:30:00
Here's one for all the reading enthusiasts--a list of 100 first lines from some of the most popular novels ever written--The Stranger, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Don Quixote , 1984, and many more. It's pretty interesting to be able to see and juxtapose all of those infamous introductions in one sitting! Check out the entire list for yourself here.
More About: Books , Reading , Novels , List

WARREN BUFFETT AND JAY-Z
2012-01-20 18:30:00
Music mogul, Jay-Z, was in the spotlight this past Wednesday as he re-opened his famous 40/40 Club in New York City. The star-studded evening was graced with a handful of celebs, one of which was probably more noteworthy than the rest--Warren Buffett . The multi-billionaire was caught enjoying the scene and remodeled look of the trendy establishment. Photographers even caught him throwing up Jay-Z's infamous "Roc Diamond." Now we've seen everything!
More About: Business , Music , Events , Luxury