Introducing the (iPhone) wallet killer. 

Geode is an iPhone case which, accompanied by an app, turns your credit cards into a single card - which can only be accessed by scanning your fingerprint using the iPhone case. (Goodness me the future is awesome!) Head on over to their Kickstarter page to learn more or to secure yours (for only $159!)

Source kickstarter.com

A code of conduct for content aggregators.   While sites like The Huffington Post have always been criticized for their style of aggregation, Simon Dumenco decided to do something about it and has formed the Council on Ethical Blogging and Aggregation - And already has big names like Esquire, The Atlantic and New York Magazine signed on. While sometimes one link leads to another and another and content is discovered through rabbit holes, Maria Popova (aka the author of Brainpickings) suggests that many have stopped giving credit where credit is due. Thanks to Reb for sharing this with me!

A code of conduct for content aggregators.  

While sites like The Huffington Post have always been criticized for their style of aggregation, Simon Dumenco decided to do something about it and has formed the Council on Ethical Blogging and Aggregation - And already has big names like Esquire, The Atlantic and New York Magazine signed on. While sometimes one link leads to another and another and content is discovered through rabbit holes, Maria Popova (aka the author of Brainpickings) suggests that many have stopped giving credit where credit is due. Thanks to Reb for sharing this with me!

Source The New York Times

Best of SXSW Links

Haven’t seen the video that’s taking the web by storm? It’s worth watching. Agree or disagree with their methods, Invisible Children have given Uganda a voice. While there have been plenty of criticisms, I thought this op-ed from Musa Okwonga for The Independent captured the sentiment well, “I understand the anger and resentment at Invisible Children’s approach, which with its paternalism has unpleasant echoes of colonialism… On the other hand, I am very happy - relieved, more than anything - that Invisible Children have raised worldwide awareness of the issue.” I urge you to watch the video, read the criticisms (and Invisible Children’s responses) and to make a decision for yourself. 

Source kony2012.com

Kids’ cognition is changing - Education will have to change with it. Elon University and the Pew Internet and American Life Project released a report about Generation AO, or Generation Always On, and how the internet is changing their cognitive capabilities, for better or worse. The articles highlight new skills like public problem-solving through cooperative work (crowdsourcing), the ability to search and find information online - and the ability to distinguish quality and veracity, etc. As The Atlantic says, “All these skills can be taught. The question is whether kids will learn them in school, or outside of it.”  A quick overview from The Atlantic here, or dive into the first report from the study here.  High-res

Kids’ cognition is changing - Education will have to change with it.


Elon University and the Pew Internet and American Life Project released a report about Generation AO, or Generation Always On, and how the internet is changing their cognitive capabilities, for better or worse. The articles highlight new skills like public problem-solving through cooperative work (crowdsourcing), the ability to search and find information online - and the ability to distinguish quality and veracity, etc. As The Atlantic says, “All these skills can be taught. The question is whether kids will learn them in school, or outside of it.”  A quick overview from The Atlantic here, or dive into the first report from the study here. 

Source The Atlantic

Flawsome: Why brands that behave more humanly, including showing their flaws, will be awesome.


OK OK, I admit it. I’m a sucker for two words made into one. [While my boyfriend can spit out many in a matter of seconds, I struggle to come up with one that doesn’t sound ridiculous.] Trendwatching’s March brief is all about flawsomeness. “Human nature dictates that people have a hard time genuinely connecting with, being close to, or really trusting other humans who (pretend to) have no weaknesses, flaws or mistakes,” they write, arguing that it applies to brands as well. I tend to agree and think they’ve done an excellent write-up on the topic.

Be lucky - it's an easy skill to learn

This week’s ‘Blast From The Past’ pick is all about getting, er, being lucky. Nearly a decade ago, Richard Wiseman set out to investigate luck - Why lucky people consistently encounter chance opportunities and why unlucky people don’t. After many years of research and experiments, Wiseman has come to the conclusion that you can, in fact, teach yourself to be a bit more lucky.  

TV is Broken

A great blog post from Patrick Rhone illustrating just how broken TV actually is by sharing his experience watching TV with his four year old daughter. She’s confused by commercials, why her programming is frequently interrupted and why she can’t watch whatever the commercial is advertising at the moment she sees it. I’m with her:

After scrolling through what seemed like a hundred options in the built-in program guide, I finally found a channel that had something on that would hold her interest — Shrek.

I turn to that, Beatrix approves, and we watch. Then, a few minutes later, a commercial comes on. The volume difference is jarring to say the least. I would safely guess it is fifty percent louder than the show. I hurriedly reach for the remote and turn it down…

“Why did you turn the movie off, Daddy?”, Beatrix worriedly asks, as if she has done something wrong and is being punished by having her entertainment interrupted. She thinks that’s what I was doing by rushing for the remote.

“I didn’t turn it off, honey. This is just a commercial. I was turning the volume down because it was so loud. Shrek will come back on in a few minutes” I say.

“Did it break?”, she asks. It does sometimes happen at home that Flash or Silverlight implode, interrupt her show, and I have to fix it.

“No. It’s just a commercial.”

“What’s a commercial?”, she asks.

”It is like little shows where they tell you about other shows and toys and snacks.”, I explain.

“Why?”

“Well the TV people think you might like to know about this stuff.”

“This is boring! I want to watch Shrek.”

“I know, honey. It will be on in a bit. Just be patient.”

The show eventually comes back on. I reach for the remote to turn the volume back up. We can barely hear it now. The difference in volume between the show and the commercial is shocking and I don’t remember it being this bad when I did watch television regularly. Perhaps it is only like this on kids channels. I wouldn’t know.

Of course, not more than ten minutes later, the movie is once again interrupted by a round of commercials.

“Why did they stop the movie again?” Beatrix, asks. Thus leading to essentially the same conversation as before. She just does not understand why one would want to watch anything this way. It’s boring and frustrating. She makes it through the end of the movie but has little interest in watching more. She’d rather play. The television is never turned on again during our stay.

A few days later and on our way back home, after a long day of driving, we arrive at a hotel. We check in, unpack the car of our essentials, make it to the room, and settle in for the night. There was a television in the room with some select Cable TV stations and Beatrix asked if she could watch a show. Sure, I said, so I turned it on, and flipped it to what appeared to be a kids channel. There was a commercial on.

“Is this a show?”, she asked.

“No. This is a commercial, we have to wait for the show to come on.”

I now realize, in hindsight, that she did not understand that all televisions work this way. She thought it was only the one in my sister’s place that was “broken” and “boring”. In her mind, this was a new TV and thus should work differently.

Then, a commercial for The Secret World of Arrietty comes on.

“This! I want to watch this!”, Beatrix exclaims.

“We can’t honey. It’s not out yet. It’s just a commercial.”, I say. She seems more confused so I try an analogy.

“You know when we go to a movie theater, and they show you previews of movies that are not out yet before the real movie? It’s like that.”

“Oh.”, she resigns. Not sure she gets this but I think the television executives and I have finally worn down her curious resolve.

When the commercials are over, it is some live action teen show. She is not impressed.

“Can I choose?”, Beatrix asks. She’s still confused. She thinks this is like home where one can choose from a selection of things to watch. A well organized list of suggestions and options with clear box cover shots of all of her favorites. I have to explain again that it does not work that way on television. That we have to watch whatever is on and, if there is nothing you want to watch that is on then you just have to turn it off. Which we do.

I then do what I should have simply done in the first place. I hook up the iPad to the free hotel wifi and hand it to her. She fires up the Netflix app, chooses a show, and she is happy.

This, she gets. This makes sense.

Bonus: SXSW


Even if it’s not your first time, I’m crazy about these two guides.
I support all things on this list from Edelman: Ten Things to Do at SXSW and on this Pinterest guide from GSD&M: A SXSurvival Guide 

Each year, there’s a battle for a new app that reigns supreme. Who are you watching?
I’m keeping my eyes on Picle & Highlight

Use this stress-free RSVP service.
My friend Kaitlyn started RSVPX, a $99 RSVP service for SXSW parties. She’ll let you know what you’re getting in advance and you won’t have to worry about the stress of RSVP-ing or missing out on the best parties. You’re welcome ;)

“Tyler Clementi’s suicide is a tragedy. We should all be horrified that a teenager felt the need to take his life…But in our frustration, we must not prosecute [his roommate] Dahrun Ravi before he has had his day in court. We must not be bullies ourselves. Ravi’s life has already been destroyed by what he may or may not have done. The way we, the public, have treated him, even before his trial, has only made things worse.”

As we aim to stop bullies, are we being bullies ourselves?

Danah Boyd, a senior researcher at Microsoft Research and an all around kick-ass woman, wrote this piece (with John Palfrey) on bullying. She argues that as we aim to stop bullying, we’re often bullying in the process.

Source zephoria.org