Archives: January 2008

Louis Vuitton's new directions: a TV ad coming up Feb. 15; Pharrell Williams' jewelry

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 30

So, luxury label Louis Vuitton has some new ways of building its ultra-recognizable, exclusive, and oft-knocked-off brand this spring. One, the company is going to launch TV ads on February...

Monsters make the world go round

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 29

Here's a rather lovely tale of a personal art project taking on a life of its own and becoming a mini social phenomenon. It's the kind of thing that could...

Silverjet's a year old: how did the airline learn to evolve...quickly?

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 25

I met recently with Lawrence Hunt, CEO of Silverjet -- the all-business-class, transatlantic airline that launched last year...and survived (unlike competitor Maxjet). Lawrence and I discussed what lessons Silverjet learned...

A ticket to TED can be yours....... for $33,536

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 25

I just found out I'm going to be attending this year's TED conference, which is very exciting news indeed (most looking forward to seeing/hearing geneticist, Craig Venter, historian, Doris Kearns...

Apple's pins are so much cooler than Google's pins

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 23

I've been thinking this for some time, and since the iPhone update, the time has come to call it. It's hard to see from the illustrations at right (and...

Will design draw consumers in a recession? And can a recession actually spark innovation?

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 21

With an official recession looming, what types of innovative products and services will attract consumers? Will they gravitate more toward free, online apps such as Google Documents rather than buy...

Google finds a serious use for Twitter and Facebook

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 18

Yesterday, Google.org announced more details of its plan to spend $175 million over three years on philanthropic and humanitarian focused projects. I chatted to the President and CEO of one...

Google-Tube's on the rise -- and so is online video viewing in general

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 17

Yes, comScore just sent out its Video Metrix report this morning, citing online video viewing in November 2007. The report says that more than 75 percent of Americans watched a...

Isaac Mizrahi moves to Liz Claiborne. Let's revisit his thoughts on branding and design strategy

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 16

So, Liz Claiborne announced today that the company hired designer Isaac Mizrahi as its new creative director. It's a smart move on the part of Liz Claiborne, given Mizrahi's successful...

To Buy or Not to Buy...the new MacBook Air now. That is the question...

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 16

Have you been coveting the supermodel-slim MacBook Air since it was unveiled yesterday? Totally gorgeous, right? At one point yesterday afternoon, I visited the Apple Store online to see if...

What Steve won't announce at MacWorld... a deal with David Lynch

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 15

Well, you can't accuse David Lynch of being a man who doesn't speak his mind....

Serious games are nonetheless seriously addictive

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 14

A couple of things have been taking up way too much of my time of late. First up, there's FreeRice. Your only task here is to pick the correct definition...

Friending Barack or Mitt, Hil or John -- How is Facebook affecting the Presidential Race?

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 14

The Pew Research Center for People and the Press, in association with the Pew Internet and American Life Project, just released some interesting stats on how Americans are using social-networking...

Is innovation a product of culture more than any other factor?

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 12

I just read the "from the editor" page in the current (January/February 2008) MIT Technology Review, by Jason Pontin--and enjoyed it. He began by discussing the so-called "innovation economy," went...

Does the data overwhelm the idea?

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 11

Don't know if you caught Jon Stewart the other night. Writerless, "The" Daily Show has downgraded and is now "A" Daily Show, but Stewart is as on point as ever....

The new leopardskin Taser/MP3 player. Seriously

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 09

I'm sure I had a similar reaction to most people when I heard about the new leopardskin Taser zapper/MP3 player: really? REALLY? Add to that a shudder of horror at...

What Designs Survive CES Hype?

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 08

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas still has a couple of days to go. Sure, many breakthrough designs make their debuts at this extravaganza of tech. But others, while...

The music industry in freefall. Or: The lesser-noted point about Radiohead

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 07

One thing that should be noted which seems to have been missed in all the excitement about Radiohead's pay-what-you-will experiment, is that the band hasn't eschewed the music industry altogether....

Following the green, sustainably designed road to Greensburg, Kansas

Posted by: Helen Walters on January 02

2007 wasn't a great year for residents of Greensburg, Kansas. In May, a tornado swept through the city and near enough flattened 90% of the town. But here's a forward-thinking...

It's Not a Bird, It's Not a Plane...Uh, No. It's IBM's Innovation Man

Posted by: Reena Jana on January 02

My colleagues Jena McGregor and Aili McConnon found a funny video clip of a new IBM commercial, featuring an awkward character in an ill-fitting cape, mask, and leotard -- Innovation...