The future of email?

This is what I would like to see from my email in the future.

--an "inbox" that aggregates chats, voice-mail from my phone and video-mail (see previous post about TokBox)
--it should even incorporate SMS sent from your phone
--a system that manages contacts and has some of the features of a social network (status updates for example)
--and does so in an elegant, easy-to-manage, non-boring way

Now get on it, people!!

TokBox - Fresh! Video "Voicemail" and Video Calls

Such a good idea. Why doesn't Skype have this?? You can send an email with a link to a video message you record, and you can see an "inbox" of your video messages. The recruiter used it to send me a message, and I found it much more personal and appealing than getting a copied and pasted email!

It's been a long time since I've seen such a useful new tool on the web!

Definitely a company to follow (and perhaps to work for, for those of you looking for a job...)

Check out the website >

Cool video ad from Toshiba warps time and space!

This is a truly innovative and cool looking ad.

An Absurd Look at Technology

This hilarious video speaks to pretty much anyone who has ever used a computer (or helped someone else with a computer issue). It shows a medieval guy asking for help with using a book for the first time. Talk about "user issues"!



thanks to michael g for the link

Funny Ad Campaign from CareerBuilder

Here are the YouTube videos, and really clever e-cards where you can record your voice and the monkey talks-- you have to see this if you haven't already! It's a really great idea, I'd love to know what agency came up with this campaign.



Monkeys are just funny.

Thanks to Brad McCormick for the link

Jim Campbell

LED magic!

I just came across the website of this artist, and it reminded me how simple things can be so good.

Born in 1956 in Chicago, Illinois, New Media installation artist Jim Campbell got a
B.S.(chuckle, chuckle!) in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from MIT in 1978. He has exhibited all over the world, but is based in the Bay Area. In my mind, he is most famous for his LED videos-- it looks like a video of a man walking but when you get up close, you realize the effect is produced by a grid of LED lights that grow dimmer and brighter-- the pulsating light tricks the eye into seeing a man, walking on snow...

check out his site >

Funky Forest Interactive Installation

Funky Forest' is an interactive ecosystem where children create trees with their body and then divert the water flowing from the waterfall to the trees to keep them alive. The health of the trees contributes to the overall health of the forest and the types of creatures that inhabit it. Made with openFrameworks.

by Theodore Watson and Emily Gobeille, Netherlands

more info >

LEGO Graffiti

Interactive Jitter Video Installation for Chanel

I finally uploaded some photos for an installation for which I did the Interaction Design and Jitter programming -- it was a video installation in Chanel's NY storefront to publicize the release of their new perfume (promoted by Kiera Knightly) in September 2007.


We had a large projection screen and bright projector, and the challenge was really to get the interference from the street outside and the reflections on the glass not to trigger the animations. It was not easy to get the infrared cameras to see only the people in front of the projection.

With Vilamedia and Scharff Weisberg doing the projection and camera equipment setup, and myself doing interaction design and programming and Diego Bauducco also doing programming.

DUDE! Watch this!

The lovely and talented Clay Weiner sent me his most recent work - A Bud Lite commercial that debuted yesterday and already has over a million views. Check it out.

Urballoon Call for Submissions and Event at Eyebeam

Urballoon is a balloon with a projector and wifi that broadcast the content (photos and text) that people submit online onto public spaces.

Submit stuff now and it will be projected during the Interference exhibition at Eyebeam from now until November 10, 2007.

do it! >

http://www.urballoon.com

The Quiet Show and other animations by Toutine

An imaginative mix of cutouts, and shadow puppets enhabits this dream-like animation by Toutine (my super-talented friend in Amsterdam!)

What makes this so successful is the imaginative use of After-Effects that blends 3D with flat, paper-like cutout shapes.

Also, the music is great...it's by Mujaji, aka Seth & Jed Mowshowitz



And here is another animation that appeared in the Coney Island Film Festival in Brooklyn a few years ago, called Délire Chinois -- notice the creative use of vegetables!!



visit Toutine's website or her YouTube feed

Rayman Raving Rabbids -- promo videos

I am working on promoting a game right now and remembered these funny videos. I thought I would share...

Wacom Challenge: Make a Video, Win a Wacom Tablet

This could be fun. Sclipo, the service you have to sign up for to enter, is also interesting. Based in Barcelona, they're a website for sharing "how to" videos.

About the contest:

The Wacom Challenge
Create and share a skills-based video that demonstrates your ability to achieve impressive results with a Wacom tablet.

The top award is a Wacom Cintiq21 Interactive Pen Display, sponsored by Wacom.