Well, it has arrived. After years of speculations, wild rumors, and technological advancements.  Apple has released their tablet styled, touch based computer, the iPad.  It is really just a iPod Touch, but faster, bigger, and more versatile.  I think, though I would change some things myself, that Apple has done it again.  They seem to have a great way of doing without certain things that everyone thinks they need, but still deliver the things that people really use in a way people will use them in the real world.  The iPhone had, and still has many things missing that other phones have, but it is the most popular smartphone in the world.  I think this little puppy will cover a lot of ground for a lot of people. It can be a casual web browser, a wonderful display for photographers and designers to show their portfolio, a fun gaming platform and a computer replacement for those who simply, email, web browse, watch video, view pictures and listen to music on their computer. I am looking forward to the unforeseen uses of this device as more apps are written and peripherals are created.

We need a new computer for my wife, we are seriously considering this as a viable option for what she needs in a mobile computing device. Also I would love to have one in the house just for the fun of it.  The price point on this makes is a real possibility for many of us.  $499 is not outrageous for a laptop replacement.  I expect seeing a lot of these on college campuses and even high schools as textbook replacements.  We shall see.

Also I have included a mockup I made up back in November of 2008.  I am certainly off on some stuff, size, ports, but the over all look is actually pretty close to the final product.

You can check and buy the iPad here.

Great things come in common looking packages.  Book Book is a case for MacBook Pros.  It is a simple case that looks like a old, well worn, weathered leather book.  In fact it holds something that could contain 100,000 books. What a wonderful combination of old world craftsmanship being put to 21st century use.  I love the look of this product.  Really well made and clever as well.  They come in basic black bound and red bound.  They have hard spines and covers to help protect the computer inside.  Twelve South, the company that makes Book Book, has taken great care down to the detail of making the zipper pulls appear as bookmark ends.

This is fantastic product but I love the idea of it even better.  There is a verse in the Bible that talks about carrying treasures around in jars of clay.  I think anyone who is a believer in Christ is really just a clay pot or worn leather binding carrying around something precious and much more valuable than the exterior reveals.  What an idea.

Check their site here.

Well, it has happened, my favorite design studio has had one of its founding members leave.  Michael Cina of You Work For Them has left the company he helped to found and sustain during the internet bust of the beginning of last decade.  Right on cue he has started the new decade with a new venture.  I have loved the combined worked of the two Mikes at YWFT but have noticed a greater and greater divergence of their styles as of late.  
Cina’s leaving could be seen as a sad thing but I think it will breath new life into his work, now found here, and it will give YWFT a sharper focus in what they do.

Michael I wish you well in this new decade and YWFT you will still be my go to place for inspiration and inexpensive, high quality resources.

Welcome to 2010

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

I get really excited about new ways of interacting with the information all around us, and new ways of creating. This is a great idea of how to interact with magazines for the new decade. I can see this being used not only in magazines but in enhanced Bible study that gives you images, video, and sounds of the places being talked about right along side the text. Also what a way to edit video and interact with creative programs. I love seeing people innovate, this revolution reminds me of the revolution of the Gutenburg press of 1436, printed media has been the primary source of reading for 500+ years. This new way of interacting with text and images may truly change the way we learn. Check it here

I am excited every time I get to experience a new year. 2010 is a great one, the future has arrived yet again and it really seems like it has. All those old movies about multilingual, multicultural metropolises now exists. All the mixture of the ancient and the futuristic take place everyday. We use mp3s and m4vs to worship our ancient God. Mobile phones are the the most owned and used technology in the African bush, we have scales that send our weight to Twitter via Wi-Fi. Well with all this change, sometimes we need some help with a new years resolution. this little beautiful site gives us all some help. Check it here.

Chris Scarborough is a pretty amazing drawer. He not only is technically very good but has a great way to communicating abstract emotions and ideas.  I love the complexity in his pictures and the expression of innocence and obliviousness in the faces of the people he draws. You can check Chris stuff here.

If you are wondering what I would like for Christmas this is a great gift. I love this statement. We should always live this out, knowing that everyday there is more than we see, understand, and experienced the day before. God has so much in store for us. Not only is the statement great the design is killer on this baby. You can buy it for me here =).

These are all carved from blocks of wood. Ricky Swallow does things with wood that I can’t even imagine. Making hard things look soft is an art I have admired for years. My father used to make little abstract pieces of wood that he would sand and round until they look like soft little blobs of matter. My grandfather was and rock hound who would find agates and polish and smooth them until they shown with and inner life all their own. Ricky does the same with wood in a much deeper way. Check more of his work here

I recently had a chance to do my first music video. The band Viernes the track Swimmer’s Ear.  It was really a fun challenge to work on this. Cinema 4D and Final Cut Express were my software options. I really wanted to capture the feeling of the medical condition of swimmer’s ear, “Swimmer’s ear is inflammation, irritation, or infection of the outer ear and ear canal. The medical term for swimmer’s ear is otitis externa. Disorientation and dizziness may happen in extreme cases of swimmer’s ear”.  Check Viernes stuff here.

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