G-OGRAPHY: a southeast asian lady travels...

This woman's creativity knows no bounds. The way she creates and crafts her music is amazing. Have you seen how she perfoms a capella? She can also play the piano, cello, clarinet, guitar, drums and oh a couple of otherworldly instruments while engineering her own tracks. If you saw last Sunday's Grammy Awards night you would have seen her debut her "TwitDress". It was designed by former Philips research scientist Moritz Waldemeyer. He writes on his blog:

Say hello to our new creation: after video dresses and laser dresses here is one that connects Imogen to her fans directly via Twitter. When Imogen walked the red carpet to collect her Grammy, fans could send messages and photographs directly to her dress. The messages scrolled across the collar while the images were displayed on her Fendi handbag.

How does it work? The Fendi bag contains an iPod Touch that receives the messages (thanks to Memo Akten for programming this). It displays the pictures and passes the text on to a flexible LED display in the collar.


Imogen is a big fan of technology and social media. In fact, she used online auditorium Vokle.com to audition cello players for her on going Ellipse Tour.

Photo Credit: MTV

As one person said: "It's the biggest piece of news this morning". He's right, a quick glance on Facebook and Twitter shows tons of feeds and tweets about the iPad. Even blogs and online news sources are featuring "live" updates from Apple's creation event here and here.

There seems to be a lot of mix reviews about this product which looks more like a cross between an iPhone and a Macbook. LA Times thinks it will bode well for the publishing industry. While others think that it could possibly be bigger. Meaning the iPad will find itself in the hands of a large demographic of tech savvy users who are hungry for content on the go. Be it movies, music and games there will be a connected app on this very mobile device (Read Pocket Link's How the Apple tablet will change the world).

I think one of the more amusing posts would be MTV's ( click here) which feature speculations on possible famous early adopters like Lady Gaga. After all, the singer made a big splash at the recent CES event in Vegas with Polaroid naming her as their creative director for a new line of products!? (I'm still trying to find out what her qualification are for this job).

On the other hand, a lot of backlash have already begun with one of the reasons being it's $499 price tag. While, finally, some couldn't care less about all this buzz- it's just another fad like the iPod, right?

Technology Predictions for 2010

Photo Cred: Dan Zen

Here they are:

Web 2.0 & Social Media
For 2010, Geolocation is the new buzzword for the online community. Last year, services such as Loopt and Google Latitude became popular applications that allowed people to share their real-time location to friends through any internet connected device. Experts think that this will continue to catch on for 2010. More businesses will offer location-based services that will allow you to identify exactly where objects and other people are. Even photos and videos can now be “geotagged”. Mashable has an excellent article that will give you a detailed account of what it would look like here.


Augmented Reality is also another technology that will rock Social Media in 2010. AR combines real images and virtual data into an interactive real-time 3d format. Layar and Yelp were the first ones to release apps for this. Now even Lonely Planet and the US Postal Service has it!


Google Wave will also become bigger. More people will be using it as a collaborative tool even small enterprises. Speaking of Google, it looks like a big year for them since they will also, possibly, release Chrome OS...that is if they are able to prepare for hacker attacks.


Devices
They will continue to be connected, portable, and smart. It would be interesting to see the Android and the iPhone battle each other out for the #1 spot for Smartphone of the Year in 2010. On the other hand, Netbooks and Ebooks will still make an appearance but sexy Tablets are going to make a big debut with Apple's iSlate looking very promising.


Electronics
Behold the coming of 3d TV! Ten years ago this was a technology that you could only see in science fiction movies, yet, we now have it in this decade. Of course, it will be very expensive but early adopters will be showcasing one of these in their homes in no time.


Gaming
Ever since Microsoft announced Project Natal in June 2009 (with no less than Legendary Hollywood mega-director/producer Steven Spielberg helping to unveil it), the world has been eagerly waiting for it. What they have is a device that could revolutionize the way people play video games. The motion-sensing, facial-recognizing, voice-controlled device could make the Xbox 360 unbeatable.


As for game titles, best bets for making it to the top are: Bioshock 2, God of War 3, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Final Fantasy XIII, Mass Effect 2, Gran Turismo 5, Metroid Other M and Bayonetta.


Green Tech
Although investments in clean technology are supposedly cooling off clean energy innovation will still be big in 2010. Consumers and businesses will also begin to monitor their energy use in real time and take steps through home energy monitoring displays. Lastly, electric cars such as the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf will sell this year.

Related Links

Gadget and Tech Predictions for 2010 - ABC News

10 Predictions for 2010 - PC World

6 Tech Predictions That Helped Shape 2009 and 6 That Might Shape 2010 - Mashable

Tech predictions for 2010 - ZDNet

Technology predictions 2010 « Technobabble 2.0

Photo Credit: Pink Sherbert

Every year since I turned 25 I started creating a list of top 3 things I needed to do before my next birthday. In the past, this list has included anywhere between climbing Mount Fuji to falling in love (yes I can be such a sap). It was a great way of keeping a running bucket list. This year though I want to do a wishlist of things I want. I'm trying to be superficial and materialistic for a change ;p

3. A pair of ballet flats. It's a toss up between Chanel and Tory Burch. I saw this Leather Logo Preva Flats over at Shopbop.com and fell in love. Only catch is that they don't have my size and no one is selling it online anymore!



This Chanel one twitpiced by The OfficeStylist is also to drool for! I like how the gold Chanel logo isn't too in your face.




2. A nice watch! One fit for a grown up. Somewhere between the 5th grade and College I stopped wearing one. But now I suddenly feel the need to tell time without having to rely on my cellphone. I think it's something about being in my 30's.

In any case my ideal one is this sexy Cartier watch from their Leve or Love collection. It pays homage to the ever famous Love Bracelet (which I have also been lusting for) made famous in the 70's. Cartier seem to also be the watch of choice of first ladies such as Michelle Obama and Jackie O.



3. Finally, being a gadget geek and photog wannabe Canon's Powershot G11 is at the top of my list.

Hubahuba



Currently I have a 2 year old Canon Rebel XT 350D and it's just too damn bulky to bring anywhere. The G11 is the perfect in between camera...it's a point and shoot with a lot of extra including a decent choice of manual settings. It also comes with a 2.5 wide angle lens!!!! Plus it shoots movies (Vblogging here I come!)

Sigh...now only if I can get a generous benefactor. Or maybe somebody can sell me seeds for a money tree??? Anyone?

I just saw this link http://twitter.com/Shitmydadsays posted on Facebook and started reading it. I was laughing my ass off in no time. I think there is wisdom in the freedom of being able to say things as it is...no bullshit. In fact, the father's Walter-Matthau-resque humor is funny cause it's true.

Justin is a genius. He already has 200k followers! I'm surprised mashable hasn't covered this viral twitter account yet...

Favorite tweets:

"You need to flush the toilet more than once...No, YOU, YOU specifically need to. You know what, use a different toilet. This is my toilet."

"The dog is not bored, it's a fucking dog. It's not like he's waiting for me to give him a fucking rubix cube. He's a god damned dog."

"Love this Mrs. Dash. The bitch can make spices... Jesus, Joni (my mom) it's a joke. I was making a joke! Mrs. Dash isn't even real dammit!"

You might want to check these out:

Grumpy old tweeter

Somewhere, a dad says shit, a son tweets and a nation laughs

Lately, I noticed a few interesting articles featuring turf wars and tweeting food trucks/stands. I wrote a post about Kogi the Tweeting Korean BBQ Truck not so long ago and I am amazed at how much it has caught on. But what really caught my fascination are the articles NYTimes published on Turf Wars for food trucks/carts (and apparently fruit stands?!). Hmmmmmm...maybe it's just me but it sounds sinister yet humorous at the same time. Like the story wants to be the next Judd Apatow film (VendorMan or Food Fight).

Tweetable Eats: What Street Vendors Can Teach Businesses About Twitter

The Truck Stops Here

Turf War at the Hot Dog Cart

Escalating Fruit Wars

I was fortunate enough to attend E3 since I work for an awesome company within the industry. For those of you living under a rock E3 Expo is a trade show for computer and video games and related products. E3 stands for Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Below are some of my personal highlights from the event. Today was the last day by the way so I'm glad it wasn't as crowded. There were less freebies though but the last thing I need is more clutter in my apartment.

Oh and there were a number of excellent parties along downtown LA last night =) In fact, I am still recovering from excessive intake of free alcohol. Folks better remember to eat before binge drinking and have a designated driver assigned!!!



Playstation

I liked how they built out their area to look like a mini-pod city.

Activision

They had big screens all over which was wicked. Most of the games I have on the Xbox are from Activision. Not really by choice I just know the geeks that work on these games so by default I get to mooch on their employee discount. I like Call of Duty and Guitar Hero the best!


When I got to their area I was in time to see them demo for DJ Hero. I was impressed by how clever the mechanics of the game were and how great the tracks sounded.

Disney



My peeps! I am proud to showcase our new cool game Split Second. Click here to watch a short interview about the game.

THQ

Definitely like the gaming pods.

Mini Ninjas

I have no idea what game they had but their set-up was soooo cute!

Sega

Some of the more decent booth babes.

Nintendo



Mario! Enough said.

X-box

I was very impressed and excited with what Microsoft is doing with the Xbox. I own one and I love the cool dashboard features on Live. Oh god and the avatar...I literally spend hours changing my outfit, my hair, my makeup. Totally addicting. So I sat down and actually saw the demos and all I can say is that Microsoft is gonna kick console ass. The Xbox team spent a lot of time developing some very innovative features that I only wish Microsoft can apply to their PC system. I can't wait for fall when they start releasing the awesome upgrades. Watch this video below to see how they plan to change how people play video games:



Oh and did I mention that Xbox gamers can start connecting to Facebook and Twitter? =)


Some snapshots straight from the LA Convention carpet! As you can see the interface is pweeetttyyy.

Twitter


Facebook


Oh and I almost ran off with these...except that they had this lady guarding them and she started giving me the evil eye because I was hovering over them for too long.


All in all it wasn't a bad first time to the event. I kinda still like Comic Con but that's because I didn't get to meet Chuck and Morgan from NBC's Chuck like my friend did!!!! Grrrrr so jealous! Oh the perks of living near Hollywood.

If you are an Angeleno you probably know that one of the best things about this city is the Mexican food. However, not known to many is an existing subculture of taco lovers that make a pilgrimage to the streets in order to taste some of the yummiest amalgam of meat, cheese, beans, vegetables and tortilla one can only get from a...taco truck. Yes folks, blogs have even been dedicated to our flourishing taco scene. Check out the brave Bandini's The Great Taco Hunt for the evidence.

But before this turns into a foodie post. I bring ye the social media tale of The Kogi Taco Truck. Here are several lessons I have learned from them that I would like to share:


1. Don't be afraid to be different

The Kogi Taco Truck is different because it uses korean bbq to create a taco. Kogi actually means meat in Korean. Just take a look at their signature taco: The Korean Short Ribs (prntscrn image below).





Ultimately, what makes Kogi unique is the fusion of these ethnic ingredients. In a time where society is more aware of the importance of diversity their product has never been more appealing.

Lesson#1 in Social Media Terms: Get creative. Fuse ideas don't cut and copy.

2. Go flaunt your goods

According to Co-founder Chef Roy Choi, they didn't sell a single taco when they first opened. So they began peddling until the people finally caved in and took their first bite. Unable to resist the yumminess, the people started taking pictures of their taco sending it to friends and uploading it on facebook. This in turn made a lot of other people curious which obviously translated into a lot more sales for the Kogi team.

Now they have a Flickr photostream that makes my stomach grumble every time I look at that glint of grease in the night.



Lesson#2 in Social Media Terms: Spread the word out through pictures. A single jpg can be as powerful as 140 characters.


3. Unleash your inner cuteness

One of my most favorite blog posts on their website has to be Alice Shin's Things To Do WhiLe Waiting For KoGi #1: Romance is in the Air. Best line ever: "Dude, the crowd here is totaLLy different from the SiLverLake crowd. It’s cooL how each location has a different fLavor. Is this your primary KoGi spot?"

If there is anything we have learned from sites such as cuteoverload.com and icanhascheezburger.com is that cute is more than accepted in the web-o-sphere. It is embraced.

Kogi's blog is as cute and as funny. They're not out to impress their reader with fancy shmancy verbiage. They want to talk to the people in their own voice.

Lesson#3 in Social Media Terms: When communicating be yourself. Write as you speak even if you sound like Betty Boop.


4. Learn how to hustle

Aka "innovate"...the Kogi Team saw the power of web 2.0 and ran with it. Now dubbed as "America's First Viral Eatery", these Taco Trucks invaded the streets of the Twitterverse. Aside from tweeting times and places where they would be, they also tweet to tell everyone if they are stuck in traffic. I think that is just darn awesome.



Lesson#4 in Social Media Terms: Why re-invent the wheel when you can just tweak it? Working smart means leveraging on tools.

5. Take it to the streets


Photo credit: astrobuddha

As you can see, people line up for The Kogi. This is the result of their mastery over social media marketing. I Survived The L.A. Kogi Truck Line: Masterful Marketing Meets Meaty Munchies is an excellent blog post about this. Going offline and taking it to the streets is still the best course of action. Online conversations are good but real life conversations are even better. It's all about communicating and building lasting relationships.

Lesson#5 in Social Media Terms: The real world is where the real magic happens. Go out...unplug yourself from the web.

I stumbled upon this article about Tweet-A-Watt on Fast Company and followed the link to the Greener Gadgets Design Conference. A conference dedicated to the quest for sustainable consumer electronics and better solutions for the industry. They also host a design contest and on their website I saw this:



Behold, the Laundry Pod! I just love it. It makes doing manual laundry much sexier. I thought it deserved at least 2nd place. I do get that the Tweet-A-Watt is a "hipper" concept but I think they missed the point on making these gadgets accessible to a larger consumer base. I don't think everyone has a twitter profile nor would they even see any value about being able to tweet their energy consumption on a daily basis. I like how the other winning gadgets were actual objects one can use in the household to directly make an effect on the ecological footprint. More action less talk.

Do check out Greener Gadgets and this article on recycling gadgets on the New York Times

Oh, and this caught my eye too. I thought it would be a perfect buy for our current economic situation.

So I just discovered a really clever tool for people who still like to collect scraps of information- on a website, scribbled on paper, on a printed flyer- but want a way to store or index them digitally. It is called Evernote. In their own words "Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere." Best of all it's free. This video below will surely make you want to download one ASAP. It's like google notebook on roids.



I actually took it for a test drive last night. When I got home from Digital LA's networking event, I had collected a stack of business cards that were waiting to be filed. I'm telling you Evernote was just so easy to use. It had a snapshot option in it's drop down menu and in less than 15 minutes all my business cards were stored in my computer and synced to my online account (40mb allowance). I was also able to type down keywords to help me index or search for which note I want at any given time. Since everyone's brain works differently you may or may not associate a give name of an object to the object itself. I still have to explore the mobile application but I'm sure it will come in handy when I take photos of let's say a brand of a nice bottle of red wine that's in French and very difficult to remember. So far it rates high in my grache-o-meter.

Last night's entry got me thinking about how the web has changed the way we record our personal history. Just think about it. Every day some person or some company creates something that controls data. As the web evolves there seems to be no limit to what you can do with all the content that is online. For example, you can apply, innovate, search, save, share, transform, network, archive, track, aggregate, browse, mash up, socialize and - my most favorite- customize information on just about anything in the known universe most especially about yourself. It is exactly because of this power that future generations would have a better understanding of how we lived- as individuals and as a society.

I remember having to go through photo albums, scrapbooks, journals and cardboard filled boxes just to get a glimpse of my family history. How was my grandfather like when he was young? What music did grandma listen to or what books did mom read? I also remember repeating the process except this time I was adding into them. Now I just flip open my macbook and everything is there. My photos, documents, music, movies, games, books, etc either in my hard drive or stashed somewhere in cyberspace. I just have to click something and there goes everything about me on the glossy screen.

I guess somebody out there is already thinking about making an application or tool that would allow everybody else to create their own interactive history. I imagine my grandkids logging online to see what my facebook status was during my 30th birthday and then looking at the pictures I had posted or my friends had posted on my flickr account (Geez, I hope they disable comments). I'm sure they would love to see my various tweets, rss feed subscriptions, blogs, online reviews and recommendations. Then, like any typical kid, they would eventually loose interest and jump on to the next subject: their President elect's playlist during the first day he or she fell in love at 18.

I'm calling that microhistory on the web. The possibilities are quite exciting to imagine. Doesn't it make you wonder? What do YOU imagine?

*Note: For the unaware, an online library was formed in the late 90's that houses an internet archive called Wayback Machine not to be confused with The Rocky and Bullwinkle show one. Check it out.