Your Story Alive: A Live Communications Blog

August 22, 2008 3:31 PM

Green Supercar?

Posted byMike Opipari

Ronn Motor Co. of Austin, TX manufactures the 40-mpg eco-exotic Scorpion, capable of delivering the caliber of outstanding performance expected from a 200 mph supercar.
The Scorpion(TM) power train is centered on the technically advanced Acura 3.5 liter V-tec Type S engine coupled with a six speed synchronous manual transmission. These engines are widely known for their superior engineering, high horsepower, lightweight and reliability.

What makes this car different however is the on-board Hydrogen-On-Demand system, which provides 130-octane hydrogen during vehicle operation through electrolysis of water using the power generated from the vehicles electrical system. A small amount of hydrogen is added to the vehicles intake air/fuel mixture, in ratios of 30-50%, to achieve lower emissions and vastly improved fuel economy. This allows the engine to operate with less fossil fuel.

The end result is a 2,100-pound car that is capable of accelerating from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, all with a price tag of $150,000.

The Scorpion is slated for a reveal at this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Tags: Transportation, Technology, Green Design

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August 05, 2008 6:59 PM

Smart Post-it Notes

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

Smart Stick-On Notes - Electronic Version Of The Popular Post-It-Type Reminders

(TREND HUNTER) Stick-on notes are about to become digital and re-usable! One of the problems with the popular Post-It brand notes can sometimes be that they are just too darn popular. It is so easy to write yourself a note and stick it up somewhere, that you can easily create a Post-It jungle in no time at all.… [More]

Tags: Technology, Promotions, Innovation, Cool Stuff

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July 09, 2008 6:47 PM

Get "Lively"

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

I'll admit, I don't have time to manage my own world with friends around the globe, multiple email accounts and a non-stop job/life ... how does one manage a virtual world too? (maybe I have the wrong attitude here!)

Google's new Lively is cool enough to make me want to try to find out! Just launched yesterday, Lively comes to life. Amongst other things, one can display YouTube videos on virtual TV's, display photos in virtual frames and play music uploaded from their computer.

Lively doesn't just rival Second Life, it knocks them flat. Very cool!

Tags: Cool Stuff, Pop Culture, Technology

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July 09, 2008 4:29 PM

Surface Computing

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

Microsoft's surface computer - a paradigm shift in computing and personal interaction? The surface computer utilizes a series of infrared cameras to “see” what’s on the tabletop surface so it can recognize what’s on the surface and interact with it.

For instance, without wires or synching, you can immediately transfer a digital picture to the tabletop or to a cell phone. Or order a beer. The intent is commercial application first such as casino's, but could your your workplace wall become the next usable interface display?

Cool stuff - even if it has been around for about a year now.

Tags: Consumer Electronics, Innovation, Technology

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July 08, 2008 10:37 AM

Tape Cassette Lamp For Your Next Event

Posted byAngela Heiple

I'm not so sure I'm ready to give up my old mix tapes from Junior High, but Transparent House has found a classy way to turn 140 of them into a functional piece of art. Each lamp is hand-made and casts interesting, and reportedly "pretty" shadows.

If you're a technolgoy, media or music brand, this could be an eco-friendly, retro-style approach to setting a tone in your exhibit booth or at your event. Or perhaps you're looking for a weekend project and a place to store your old Culture Club and Poison tapes.

Tags: Consumer Electronics, Cool Stuff, Exhibits, Green Design, Media, Technology

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June 25, 2008 2:31 PM

Charge Your Cell Phone by Dancing

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

(Reuters) LONDON - What do you do if you're stuck in a field at a pop festival but there's trouble ahead because your cell phone's battery is about to run out?

Thanks to a new gizmo, you now just need to face the music and dance.

Mobile phone operator Orange said on Tuesday it had teamed up with GotWind, a company specializing in renewable energy, to produce a recharger powered by dance energy alone.

The portable kinetic energy chargers will be given a test run at this year's Glastonbury Festival, the world's biggest greenfield music and arts celebration that begins on a farm in Somerset, southwest England on Friday.

Orange said the prototype chargers weigh the same as a phone and are about the size of a pack of cards.

Attached to the user's arm, they employ a system of weights and magnets, which provide an electric current to top up charge in a storage battery. This can then later be used to recharge the phone.

"We wanted to create a fun, engaging and interactive product which would encourage users to have a laugh while charging their mobile phone and at the same time test out a new energy-efficient prototype," said Hattie Magee, Head of Partnerships at Orange UK.

Tags: Consumer Electronics, Cool Stuff, Innovation, Technology

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June 10, 2008 2:45 PM

Addicted to Facebook?

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

I'm not sure why it surprises me each time Facebook has another strategic move in the marketplace or there is another product designed, created or produced to support the Facebook brand.

As I asked, are you addicted to Facebook? Or perhaps you just want the latest gizmo? EStarling is selling a WiFi digital photo frame, which will display your albums that have been directly uploaded via email from your Facebook account.

Facebook-Compatible Digital Photo Frames - eStarling’s WiFi Frame

Tags: Consumer Electronics, Technology

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May 27, 2008 9:10 AM

RFID Social Networks

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

TrendHunter - Jive is brilliant concept device to allow the elderly and technophobes without computers to still participate in a social network. Their needs are no different from the rest of us; the need to communicate, socialise and generally have fun is universal. Jive delivers through radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in order to store and retrieve data. There is a “tangible user interface - place something on the screen and the screen will co-respond to what you just did.”

Jive is a “one-plug router” so all the necessary setup information is already inside it. The user just plugs it into the phone jack and turns on the power. The user places a friend pass in the device and any updates, news and messages will be displayed. The user is able to see aggregated information such as grandchildren who are on Facebook or who have uploaded pictures on a photo site. Messages can be sent with a pull-out keyboard. If Jive were used for targeting advertising, then the internet connection would be subsidised which is an important consideration given the target market.

Jive has been patented by British born Ben Arent, the inventor who amazingly came up this device as part of his Product Design Degree. The project goal was to create “the best communication device for the late majority” and keep them socially active in today’s high tech world.

Tags: Innovation, Technology

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May 07, 2008 7:11 AM

A Building That Expresses Itself

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

Pretty cool stuff, seen by our friends at Trendhunter. "The FLARE is a building facade that allows the exterior of an edifice to "express" itself and interact with its environment, therefore acting as a living skin. The system consists of a series of tiltable metal flakes supplemented by pneumatic cylinders that can be controlled individually. Each computer-controlled metal flake reflects sunlight and when it is tilted downwards, its face is shaded from the light making it appear as a dark pixel formed by natural light. By reflecting ambient or direct sunlight, the individual flakes act like pixels formed by natural light. The system is controlled by a computer to form any kind of surface animation. Sensor systems inside and outside the building communicate the buildings activity directly to the FLARE system which acts as the buildings lateral line."

Tags: Architecture, Cool Stuff, Technology

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April 24, 2008 1:57 PM

Xerox's Journey Helped by Gabby, the Green Gene Kid

Posted byLaura DeMeulemeester

Edward Gala, Vice President of corporate marketing at xerox, walked us through xerox's journey during the last session at EMS 2008. And how experiential marketing was a brand differentiator for them. On 1/7/08, xerox launched a new logo and a new look and feel - something fairly radical for the first time in 40 years. It was interesting to realize the new brand was helping launch the re-birth of the "new" xerox. And for any of us who have gone through this process, it is a real opportunity to look at all of our communication pieces under one umbrella to get the messaging and execution on target.

The YouTube clip shows Gabby, the daughter of one of Edward's colleagues, talking about the different products and demonstrating the strength of xerox's products vs. the competition. I love it. Gabby has a lot of presence and the videos are fantastic. To me, it shows the boldness xerox is willing to take and the strength of their products. It also shows the importance of social media to xerox (actually, using the right mix and the right messages) AND social responsibility - an integral part of their fabric. Clearly, to develop products like these, it has to be in their DNA - green is not a bandwagon concept for xerox.

An interesting look into the world of xerox...I wish Edward would have shared what didn't work for them. However, the really important part of Ed's message... the one of getting comfortable with risk taking and being strategic (so one can turn the ordinary into extraordinary) was very well received.

Tags: Brand Stories, Cool Stuff, Green Design, Guerrilla Marketing, Interactives, Media, People, Technology

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