Realtime Data Overlay

Augmented reality is old news in academic circles, but a new application called Layar may well the tipping point, bringing really useful information to the mobile-device-carrying masses.

The app uses a mobile device’s built-in camera, magentometer, GPS, and data connection to determine where the user is at and what they are looking at. Then it gathers relevant geographic information and displays it over the camera image. Just watch the video.

Lego: The Frank Lloyd Wright Collection

Yet another for the I-wish-they-made-this-when-I-was-a-kid:

{img: CNET}

Spherical Robot

Inventor/Mechanical genius Greg Schroll’s take on an all-terrain robot – put the robot inside of a big ball:

Design Business Review

If you’re a designer you need be checking out the Design Business Review.

Designers are in the business of doing business; their clients rely on them to make smart, market-savvy decisions and yet there is no resource to provide the necessary knowledge to make these decisions wisely. DBR is simple, pragmatic advice on the business of creativity. Our readers will gain a strategic advantage in their profession by learning how to get a job, win clients, and survive the recession.

Get your copy of Issue 1 now.

Jet Pack

Just forget about the umbilical for moment and think about how much fun you could have blasting jet skiers with those water jets.

Caffeine

caffeine iconI’ve been away from my DVR and getting my Jimmy Fallon fix via Hulu this week. The only problem is that most computers don’t care that you’re running Hulu (or Vimeo, or Youtube, or … ) at fullscreen and they’ll kick into powersave/screensaver mode. That’s why you should grab Caffeine, a simple app that prevents your Mac from going into powersave/screensaver mode. You can even enable it for a limited time so you don’t run down your battery when you’re done watching your vids and forget to shut it down.

Windows users can disable the screensaver with a little work.

Marc Newson Documentary

This BBC documentary on industrial designer Marc Newson offers great insight into his creative and production processes. It is available in 5 parts on youTube:

Baby Mop


This is real innovation; fitting a need with an opportunity in a novel way.  If I had hardwood floors I would have bought a few of these when my baby was crawling.

Unusual Clothing Baby Mops

Extended Interview with Gary Hustwit – Dwell Blog – dwell.com


More on the forthcoming Objectified documentary; this time an interview with the director, Gary Hustwit:

Extended Interview with Gary Hustwit – Dwell Blog – dwell.com

Bill Gates at TED 2009

Bill Gates talks about two of his latest philanthropic efforts at the annual TED conference going on this week; conquering malaria and making teachers great.

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