Lachlan – Now of Razor in Sydney is the supplier of cool as usual.

Chech it out: Tony B

/Baek

Nokia just invited their users to hack their phone…meaning they want the users to link the phone to the users favorite application or appliance. It’s build on open source software, so it should be quite doable. Thereby Nokia rides the coattails of Apple who have users creating apps all the time and are also potentially tapping into user generated stuff like the  3D “head tracker”. Which we have previously mentioned here on the vinyl.

Pretty interesting stuff. Check the link: http://blogs.nokia.com/pushn900/index.php/what-is-push/

/Baek

Have you ever tried to arrange a dinner for 5 friends or set up a movie date with the same people?

It might take 10 – 15 e-mails just to set a date, then another 10 to figure out the choice of movie or if you should bring red or white wine. Well, in the future it might only take one e-mail document to settle a date like that.

Google is about to launch a new open source program called Google Wave. It’s basically a platform that allows people to work in the same doc real time via e-mail. It should be released this month and I’m looking forward trying it out next time I’m trying to get together with a handful of friends.

Here it is explained in a very simple NON tech way – it looks like Common Craft’s style but it’s not:

And here is a more tech geek explanation produced by the Google Wave team:

/ iben

Hello folks

Just saw this. Not sure if its only for German market, but yet another pretty cool thing fra Nike+…Miles. Your personal widget trainer for your desktop. Cute, cool and useful.

Here’s a bit about the case.

/Baek

Do you want to help Hosea Anthony Kihanza from Tanzania increase his stock in his pharmacy? Or make the woman Margaret Kanuthu Karanjaa’s dream come true of expanding her shop with clothes, arts and crafts in Nairobi?

THE USER IS ONCE AGAIN IN CHARGE
Without a big trustfond or savings you can do so by using the microfinancing tool MYC4. It works as a platform which connects people from the Third World who have a business plan with ordinary people who like to invest in small businesses thus skipping the traditional chain of financing via bank loans.

BUSINESS NOT WELFARE
You help but it’s also an investment. The status today says: So far 15,450 investors from 91countries have invested €9,077,259 in 4,753 businesses in 7 African countries. The average interest rate for investors
is 13.1% p.a.

Check out: www.myc4.com

I will keep you up-to-date on microfinancing which is a trend that has proven sustainable in a number of cases displaying a business model which society has started to become increasingly interested in.

This video took a prize at the Danish competition Press Photo of the Year:

/iben

Just saw this clip where Ford integrated Smart Tech in their cars. I guess its old news, but I think it is really clever and obvious progress in automitive vehicles. Driver key recognition that customizes your experience. Parents have full priveledges, kids must buckle their seat belt to access the radio, there may be a volume limit on radio or speed limit on car in general. A bit of a big brother thing but cool.

I think I mentioned the Fiat Eco:Drive application before. Fiat developed a USB based app. which analyzes your drive and gives you tips which enhances your performance and makes you more Eco friendly. Clever clever clever.

/Baek

Hey I know that the western world is not adopting these nifty little codes at the same rate as in Japan. But I just saw this pretty little thing designed to drive traffic to LV’s mobile site. Nice to break the black and white convention.

Read more here: creativity-online.

/Baek

Just finished the first of two seminars we are hosting on Branded Utility. It went very well. The audience seemed to be very interested in the phenomenon which is certainly good news for us marketers. It is my plan to publish a book on this topic this year – it will have a slightly grander scope and will be called “Branding 2.0″  Basically it is about who you Brand in the new media context, how you relate to and utilize user generated innovation and content, branded communities and utilities, social media as well as the more classic branding disciplines. It is in the making and it should be quite interesting. The first edition will be in Danish. But who knows maybe well do an English version also (or Chinese). Iben Larsen thought it would be funny gimmick too use Google Translate – a utility – to translate a book on branded utilities – and then live with the flaws of course. Then we could say translated into more than 20 languages.

/baek

Insidentally this blogpost looks like this in chinese – not bad at all:

This is the last bother today. Andy W also showed me this. a movable bike path – projected from the bike.

Read more: Fast Company

/Baek

Hey all – sorry for the long absence. I’ve been been working on a seminar we are hosting on Branded Utility. I’m actually writing a book on the subject as well. Should be very interesting. Its so cool to rummage the different cases. This is one of my favorites. It has a heap of recepies, instruction, how-to videos, a shopping list maker, a store finder – with GPS. Damn it’s good.

We’ve been trying to sell something similar to a slew of our retail client – some people just wont listen. It looks like we have finally gotten someone interested – more on this later.

But check out Kraft’s iFood Assistant. It rocks. iFood Assistant

/Baek