Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of a little thing called the World Wide Web. The video above is from the TED conference, where he talks about the Semantic Web. Its very exciting and humbling to hear him speak about linked data and his vision for the next web. Forget EF Hutton, when Tim Berners-Lee talks you should listen. [via TED]

Form of chemical liquid...form of florescent molecular tea bag...Wonder Twins power, activate! No relations to the cartoon heroes, Korean designer Wonsik Chae's creative light concept in the form of a tea bag is really quite beautiful. "Consisting of a cup filled with a chemical intermediate and a bag containing florescent molecules the light works through a catalyst of this chemical reaction."  [via Gizmodo]

There is some crazy hot talent online. Kutiman is an Israeli funk musician and producer. And Thru-You is a website where he showcases some masterful-monster-mashups using music tutorial videos from YouTube. Its simply genius! 

Zillion TV is yet another startup in the internet TV arena who plans to offer streaming movies and television directly to your tube via broadband connection. The company has already struck deals with major Hollywood studios and TV networks, such as Disney, 20th Century Fox, NBC, and Sony Pictures. What makes this service unique is that Zillion doesn't require you to buy expensive equipment or pay monthly subscription fees. With a minimal activation fee of $50 you will receive the Z-bar, a box that connects your TV to ethernet, and a fancy laser remote, which will give you access to a library of up to 15,000 TV and movie titles.  [via CNET]

The underpass of a bridge is usually synonymous with dark and sketchy.  However the pedestrian underpass, seen above, located in Amsterdam is quite luminescent. A media architecture collective, called Urban Alliance, created a 24 metre long light installation that interacts with the people that pass through. Very cool! [via Design Milk]

Okay, this has to be one of the most innovative concept designs that I've seen in personal transportation. Designed by Matias Conti, this transformable spin vehicle was configured to provide the rider with numerous options for driving positions. From simple big wheel style position to a more difficult luge style (note how scared the figure looks), the tranformation affects the sensation of the driving experience. This concept vehicle is rear-wheel driven and battery powered. Steering is controlled using body weight and joystick like controls. Dope! [via Gizmodo]

The LG GD900 was unveiled at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This new addition to LG's line of fashionable and stylish phones will be launched in Europe later this year, and hopefully it will make a North American debut shortly thereafter. The transparent glass-like design is the first of it's kind. A first glance it looks like a regular phone but once you slide open the phone it reveals the illuminating transparent keypad, which will certainly turn a few heads. The question is whether this will be the next trend or a short lived fad. Outside of it's sleek design, there hasn't been any information released on the specs and features of this phone.

For a close look, here's a video of the LG GD900...rave music and all...

Let's face it, simple is always the best approach. TinyChat executes this concept perfectly. Finally a site that offers a useful service with no fee, no logins/passwords, and most importantly no worrying about privacy...create your username on the fly and all convo's get deleted when the chat is over. Reminds me of the 80's booze can scene...find a space, make a few calls and instant party. When the party's done you clean up and leave. No one would ever know it happened. That said, TinyChat is so simple and easy it needs to be careful it doesn't become a haven for criminals. [via TechCrunch]

Creative director Tag (Ryo Taguchi), photo retoucher IMKW (Imakawa), and contemporary artist cum coder Immr (Yuichiro Imamura) are taking green seriously. They are the creators and collaborators in the Green Island project. With a series of photographs that transforms the streets of Tokyo into fields of green, these eco-artists are aiming to bring attention to the potential of existing developed areas in Tokyo. [via Gizmodo]

Dang!! Well dream no more. The JetLev was created by Raymond Li a Chinese-Canadian living in St. John's Newfoundland. I could explain to you how this thing works but I think the video will speak for itself. In a nutshell, the jetpack is tethered to a seperate vessel with a propulsion engine that uses water to power it. This according to the company greatly improves the thrust-to-weight ratio. Believe it or not, this awesomeness will be available for order this April. Although, owning a ride like this is gonna cost you. The 155hp will sell for 99,000 euros and the 215hp model will run you 119,000 euros. [via Engadget]

Diddit is the new kid on the block in the social networking universe. If you can get past the design of this site which is at times a tad too busy, it's actually a pretty interesting and unique destination. Diddit is a place to not only keep track of the things that you've done, or are going to do, but it's also a great place to discover new things to do. I haven't signed up yet but it looks like they have some really great information on everything from concerts, restaurants, the arts, to travel information. If anything, I can see this as a really great shared resource. 

Congrats to the founders. Guess they can check off "build a unique social networking site"...diddit!

The 2009 All-Star game will be presented in select Cinedigm certified theatres live and in 3D! First of all, watching the live game in the theatre is awesome enough. Throw in the 3D element and it's gonna be off da hizz! [via Electronic House]

I wanted to know more details about this sofa, but unfortunately they don't have an english version of their site. So, I don't really know much about this sofa or what kind of hardware is included. What I do know is that it's priced in the $15,000 range and it's beautifully designed with a his and her LCD (hopefully touch) screen built into either arm. That's pretty sweet! [via Gizmodo]

For most people, figuring out which remotes control which device can be quite frustrating. So the idea of having a universal remote is quite appealing. However, you quickly realize you have to figure out how to program that too?! Pressing sequences of buttons and counting blinking lights or going on a website to configure your remote can be a bit too labour intensive for the everyday person. The Digital R50 with it's LCD screen with setup wizard claims to have you up and running in no time with minimal fuss. It even has a macro feature that allows you to control several commands with one button.

It would be nice if someone could invent a universal remote that could also control web interfaces, my iPod/iPhone and Front Row on the Macbook as well. 

If anyone out there owns a R50, please email me your review on this product. [via Wired]

The i24R3 wireless multi-room speaker system, despite it's name, looks anything but something related to r2d2. This audio system is pure designer goodness created by renowned industrial designer Michael Young.

Some of the features of this system is a motion sensor that read hand movements to operate functions, multiple inputs/outputs, two step wireless connection, wireless remote, and get this...wireless USB audio transmitter so that you can stream iTunes from your PC or laptop.  

The website states an early 2009 launch date. [via Design Milk]

Would you use less energy if you could see what you were actually using in real time? Google is betting that you will, as they pursue their goal to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful". 

I think this has to be one the most progressive ideas to come out of Google yet. Imagine being able to see the amount of energy each appliance in your house uses? Having that kind of information could really put some perspective on things. Electric bills till this point have been, for the most part, a blind cost. If I could compare whether or not boiling water on the stove was using less or more energy than say a kettle, I could make a more informed decision to use the one with less cost. Imagine that bit of saving across an entire population. [via New York Times Blog]

You've probably heard of the term "cloud computing" floating around more and more these days. It is supposed to be the big trend, but there seems to be varying definitions amongst those in the industry. If you are interested in getting your head in the clouds and learn more about this, then check out the 2 part interview with HP's CTO and V.P of Cloud Services Strategy, Russ Daniels. [via Ars Technica Part 1 & Part 2]

They're at it again at MIT's Media Lab. Students have developed a wearable computer made up of a battery powered 3M projector, webcam, and a web-enabled mobile phone. This device allows the person to project information from the phone to any surface.The cost of this set up is a surprising $350.  I won't get into all the details as you can read the full coverage at Wired.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

When I first bought my iPhone, I was disappointed to find out the device didn't come flash enabled. However, as time passed, the web sites with Flash elements that I couldn't view have tackled that issue successfully by opting for alternative solutions. There has been much talk online since the early days of whether or not Flash will be integrated into the iPhone, as well as much speculation that Apple was snubbing them. Regardeless it's still not available and to be honest it really hasn't effected my experience at all.

Wired has a good post on their blog today, and I think I have to agree with their take on Flash. I won't get into all the technically reasons why I've turned my back on Flash for the iPhone. Flash can provide an exciting user experience but trying to navigate a complex flash interface through this device may prove to be a bumpy ride. My thoughts are that it would be an unnecessary addition at this stage...that and most Flash sites these days are just build a bunch of heavy sites that are advertising based.

You may or may not have heard of Josh Harris, but as the trailer (see below) for the film We Live In Public states, he is "the greatest internet pioneer that you've never heard of". 

I was really excited to read today about We Live In Public a film by Ondi Timoner which won the Sundance Festival's Grand Jury prize. I remember watching this project at the time and everyone at work gathering around a Power Mac to watch as it went live. The video quality was poor, it was streaming at 160x120px and it was choppy, yet we were all intrigued with the idea of watching these people live out their lives via live video cam 24/7. 

If you're interested in reading more about the original project from back in the day I found this archived article in Wired from 2000 shortly before they went live with the project, and another from 2001.

I finally purchased a new alarm clock this weekend to replace an old $10 Radio Shack no-named brand I've tolerated for the past 20 yrs. Now an alarm clock isn't necessarily something people think about all the time but I've actually put quite a bit of time and effort looking out for the perfect one. When you've put up with an AM/FM alarm clock that played neither AM or FM but rather a static ridden high pitched steady tone, well, you want the next one to be something really special. 

So I picked up a Moshi - IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Alarm Clock. It's a talking command-driven alarm clock that has a clean Apple-esque design (minus the ipod dock). Though an ipod dock would've been nice, it's actually refreshing that it doesn't offer one. Rather, there are some other unique features that will entertain you such as a night light which cycles mood colours and soothing sleep sounds like birds chirping and water falls. One feature I'd like to see in the next generation of this product is a wifi an the ability to pull in feeds such as my Last.fm playlist, local news, and weather...now that would be great!

With this technology greatly improving over the last couple of years and continuing to improve in our hands-free culture, I'm hoping to see alot more IVR and web enabled tech being integrated into household appliances and lifestyle devices in the near future.

I stumbled across this archived presentation by Jeff Han (a human-computer interface designer) at the 2006 TED conference. It's quite inspiring when he talks about how computers should conform to us and not the other way around. Multi-touch isn't necessarily a new technology, but it is one that is evolving and will eventually be accessible to the masses as the costs of touch screen monitors come down, like HDTV's. With the introduction and popularity Apple's iPhone and the intelligence in it's design of the touch interface, electronic companies worldwide are racing to get more touch screen gadgets to market as soon as possible. 

One of the big hits at this years CES was Samsung's 50-inch multitouch TV. The idea that we can free ourselves from the remote control and have a more intuitive and connected user experience is very appealing.  The idea that the keyboards and the mouse will eventually become extinct as computers and household appliances become touch enabled. Microsoft has been working on Surface and I'm told that a company called Troll Touch can integrate a touch system into your Apple cinema display.   

Going back to Jeff Han, who's presentation in 2006 went viral on youtube which prompted him to launch his startup Perceptive Pixel which aims to develop and market the most advanced multi-touch systems in the world. Check out the demo he has on the homepage just one year later in 2007. Pure dopeness!

i.TV is one of my favourite iPhone applications. You might think, well what's the big deal it's just a TV guide right? Wrong. If you're like me and currently use Rogers you know exactly how painful it can be to scan the guide on that VCR sized cable box. I'm not sure how it's possible that a company that has a virtual monopoly on the cable/vod/broadband business, making billions of dollars can be content with the service it's providing it's customers. The guide interfaces for most cable/satellite dealers have horrible usability and sluggish response times at best. There are no visual cues, poorly written synopsis, and the longer titles are truncated so you have to guess at the title. 

So along comes i.TV, a great solution...even their ads are well integrated. 

When you first launch this app it will synch up your iPhone via postal code and service provider to bring you the relevant programming information. This can take a minute but it's a one time process. The guide is displayed by title and thumbnail images so you can immediately recognize what you are looking for, as well as the channel, rating, reviews and a well written detailed synopsis. If available you can also view a sample clip or trailer.

i.TV also allow you to search movies and theatres based on your location using the iPhone's GPS feature. It also offers tons of great sorting features, email alerts, reviews, search, share and customizable features (you need to sign up for a free account). Using TiVo DVR? Then you can set to record it instantly. Got a Netflix account? Instantly add your selection to your queue. Now if it can only replace my outdated cable box...if anyone from Rogers is reading this please please contact i.TV for help!

You can download the iPhone app here.

What makes Boxee great and stand out from the rest is that you can navigate through this media center using the apple remote control that comes with your Macbook. The interface is so easy and well thought out. Within minutes I was a pro user. 

 

I've never been more excited about an application. Go download this NOW! 

By the way, for those of you that want to set up your own internet TV but don't know how I will be posting a video tutorial in the coming weeks.