Skyscrapers are so last century. Meet the H20 Office.

As many of you know, I have been diligently looking to move into a houseboat in Sausalito. Now, it turns out, I may have been searching in the wrong place. Lo-and-behold, the float of my dreams may be in merry old England. This new H20 Office The H2Office was originally conceived as a floating office unit. However, as the site points out, the design is very flexible and can easily be configured into a variety of other options. The wee thing is 9m in length and runs on 240V shore-power and offers all the modern convinces of a house on dry land from Air conditioning, a shower and a WC. Designed and built in the UK these water homes, can be berthed in a marina or a private waterway and will set you back a cool £60,000 that’s about $90,000 (USD) not including VAT.

I’m packed. Now if I can just convince the Dog …

Music Guest Blogger Katie Carroll: OK Go Goes Viral, Again.

Guru’s Note: There’s a very long list of reasons why I’m glad @kredcarroll is back from her semester in London. But hovering at about #9 is our mutual passion for today’s ultimate good-times-band, OK Go. We’ve actually been a bit stalkerazzi about the fab foursome over the years, what with t-shirts and concerts and talent show performances. Now, as of 4 pm this afternoon, the boys have released a new video in support of their “This Too Shall Pass.” There’s nobody better to give you the inside scoop than Social Media Music maven, Katie Carroll:

Here It Goes Again–or, OK Go Goes Viral, As Usual.

Okay, so I haven’t really thought about OK Go in a while and then all of a sudden they come up again with a vengeance. One of the more obvious things about OK Go is that they are best known for their fantastic videos. These creative and quirky videos, though, are just part of a larger truth about the essence of the LA foursome: they get social media. They’re at it again regarding the release of their second official video for their single ‘This Too Shall Pass’.

Obviously their treadmill video was a massive viral success, culminating in their performance at the 2006 MTV VMAs. Pretty impressive stuff. This video was actually preceded by not one but two choreographed videos: ‘A Million Ways’ (or In the Backyard Dancing) and ‘Cinnamon Lips’. They were playing around with these ideas years ago, not too long after the rise of Youtube itself (another non-dance/music video is their Table Tennis Program–I believe this was their first, but don’t hold me to that).

The new video, following the old ‘This Too Shall Pass’ video featuring the Notre Dame marching band, is the appropriately subtitled Rube Goldberg Machine, a crazy concoction directed by James Frost (Radiohead’s ‘House of Cards’, Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’, and more). It follows in the same tradition as their old videos, capturing their zany spirit and “we will eschew traditional videos that just make us look sexy” ethic (they’ve directly mentioned this–but they do still look sexy), while still being a bit of a refreshing aesthetic departure. ‘This Too Shall Pass’ feels more reminiscent of their self-made material, unlike their slightly glossier videos for ‘WTF’ and ‘Do What You Want’ (the wallpaper version).

What interests me more than the video itself (which says a lot) is its release. The video debuted today at 4:00pm PST, and was followed by a live stream Q&A. Damian Kulash, the band’s lead singer, answered questions from within the room as well as via live chat on the band’s website. He even got a phone call mid-question from the band’s bassist (and lip-synching lead) Tim Nordwind, who was able to give his brief two cents as well via speaker phone.

This latest in fan participation further illustrates the band’s grasp of the importance of interactive social media. After their ‘A Million Ways’ video success, they opened up a contest in response to the entirely organic outpouring of fan-made replicas. I’ve called the dance jokingly the ‘Single Ladies’ of its day, but the public reaction was no joke. They set a precedent.

The band has built its success and reputation on these sorts of ‘grassroots’ endeavors; on multiple occasions, for example, they’ve encouraged fans–via Facebook–to meet them in various locations to give food to the homeless. They’ve set up yet another contest, this time looking for remixes of their ‘WTF’ video. The fan response is clearly a reflection of this mentality: a post on Facebook from yesterday, for example, reads: “A fan is giving $1 to charity for every comment he gets on his repost about our video. What an excellent idea: http://bit.ly/d8i4Sm“. Another fan made their own online app inspired by ‘WTF’’s crazy coloration, allowing people to try it out for themselves.

Yet another interesting choice from OK Go has to do with Youtube embedding. Damian’s op-ed article in the New York Times criticizes his own label (EMI)’s involvement in disallowing the embedding of Youtube videos. He mentioned in today’s live stream that ‘This Too Shall Pass’ will not have those restrictions, allowing fans to embed away. This is very much in line with OK Go’s ideology: not only do embedding restrictions hurt the band’s views, it also undermines their overall marketing strategy and ethos.

In general, OK Go is a band that strives to avoid the traditional. From their quirky dress to their funky videos, they really do give power pop a slightly different flavor. But their genius comes from their methods, which are, in a way, much more traditional than the corporation-dominated marketing strategies of others in their field: they try to connect. They try to know you, and let you know them. It’s almost neighborly–as if you were invited to dance along with them in their backyard.

Please check out my tumblr for music posts and other musings.

Warning! The Scary Side of The Hot New Location-Based Technology

Last night, one of our own got a terrifying lesson in what can go wrong with the hot new location-based social technology:

@CarriBugbee : Deleting FourSquare. 2 strangers called me @ restaurant I was at after seeing my updates on PleaseRobMe.com. One called me a “stupid bitch.”

When the controversial new site called Please Rob Me emerged recently, with its mission of exposing the possible pitfalls of the current geo-location craze, it all felt somewhat abstract. Yes, it’s eerie to see familiar faces and know exactly where they are — one of the Bay Area’s most famous business leaders, for example, just checked in to FourSquare from a building in Washington, D.C. But who ever believes the bad stuff is going to happen to them?

Which is exactly why the founders of PleaseRobMe created the site: “On one end we’re leaving lights on when we’re going on a holiday, and on the other we’re telling everybody on the internet we’re not home. The goal of this website is to raise some awareness on this issue and have people think about how they use services like Foursquare, Brightkite, Google Buzz, etc.”

If you’re checking-in via a location-sharing site to a local restaurant and pushing these updates out to your public Twitter stream, as social innovator @CarriBugbee did, you’re telling the world that you aren’t home. Which could mean that your home is ripe for burglary — or that you’re ripe for stalking. Those of us who work in the social media realm frequently get so enthused about new technology, wanting to beta-test all things new, that we sometimes forget about the potential dark side. We forget about friends who may get over-zealous with our personal information — like a home address. These personal privacy threats certainly exist throughout social media — but seldom in such a physical and potentially dangerous way. Identity theft absolutely sucks. But it’s not the same as coming home and finding your grandmother’s jewelry missing or wondering who’s following you in that shadowy parking lot.

PleaseRobMe’s Twitter account has been shut down, supposedly for suspicious (spammy) activity. But the original site is still up and running and scaring the heck out of me every time I see check-ins from my friends.

Should you delete your FourSquare, Gowalla, Loopt or Brightkite accounts? Or is it possible to practice safe location-sharing? I’d love to hear from you about this via @guruofnew.

What’s hot and what’s not in 2010: Toy Trends Expert Sherry Younger Artemenko’s take on Toy Fair.

Guru’s Note: Many moons ago, when my “executive” job in toyland consisted of cobbling together lines for Strawberry Shortcake (”Have a berry, berry good day!”) and the Care Bears (”Dream on, little starshine”), I looked forward to ferociously tackling the annual new products frenzy that is the International Toy Fair. These days, since my feet may never recover from CES, I leave it up to the pros. In this case, that’s my genius of a guest blogger, Toy Trends’ expert and Speech Language Pathologist, Sherry Younger Artemenko, M.A., C.C.C., who reports to us from New York’s 2010 International Toy Fair.

Sherry says: Wow! That’s how I describe the incredible experience of walking through the Jacob Javits Center, filled with inventive, imaginative, and creative people sharing this year’s new products for kids. I was privileged to go to a Blogger’s Breakfast at Hasbro Toys yesterday, as their executives introduced their newest pets, ponies, transformers and Play-doh creation stations to name a few. I will devote a whole blog to that later.

Today, I went to the Toy Fair and saw some great new products for kids that encourage language development through exploration and creative play. First let me share some of the trends that I see in 2010:

* “Green toys” or organic lines. I visited Haba toys today and they introduced Cotti toys which are made from organic fabrics, including a little friend with a removable cushion that can be heated or cooled depending on what a child’s boo boo requires for relief. Organico Blocks by HaPe are lightweight and made from bamboo.
* Toys with a new online connection that links the offline play with an online experience. Hasbro has introduced a new online experience for Littlest Pet Shop. Check out their website with your Pet Shop fans
* Games where the players can determine the length of play before beginning by shortening the board’s path such as Cranium’s new game, or choosing one of three different durations for your game of Monopoly before beginning to play.
* Updated graphics on classics to be more relevant to today’s child. Hasbro’s Candyland board includes baked goods along with the traditional candy and has added such hip characters at the “Duke of Swirl!”
* Toys and games to encourage both genders to play with what has been traditionally linked to just boys or girls. Edushape introduced “Chubby Edublocks” in bright colors, including pink, to attract the girls, while International Playthings offers a series of “Wild Science” including a line for girls so they can participate in a perfume lab or make fancy soaps.
* Games designed for friends or siblings of varied ages to play together. I Can Do That Games introduced several clever, engaging games that would be fun for the whole family including “What’s In the Cat’s Hat” and “Konexi.”

Guru’s Note: For more from “Kid Guru” Sherry Younger Artemenko, visit her PlayonWords blog.

It’s baaack. Twitter Phishing Attack spreading via Direct Message.

Here we go again. Yesterday when I received the Direct Message below, I knew we were in for yet another round of embarrassment and confusion, as Spammers take over Twitter accounts by luring the unsuspecting into clicking on bad links. This lets them take over your log-in, which then allows mass DM spamming to your friends. These attacks can be particularly disruptive to businesses using Twitter. There were a couple of particularly humiliating phishing attacks last fall, which left companies big and small red-faced and wondering how to clean up the mess with their spammed customers. (My advice: clean up, then acknowledge and apologize.)

@jeffreyrbunch: haha, u look funny on here: (evil link)

If you receive a message reading “lol, is this you”, which links to a site called “bzpharma”, please do not click the link.

The Phishing attack is spreading like the proverbial wildfire today. But if you only receive one of these Direct Messages, you’re okay. Simply don’t click on that link. But if you inadvertently click (slips do happen, particularly when checking DMs pushed to you on your smartphone), you’ll know your account has been compromised if you’re (aka Spammer) sending out a flurry of them. Best plan? Change your password immediately.

This update comes via Mashable and Laura Fitton (@pistachio). Thank you!

Food Adventurist Aihui’s Favorites from San Francisco’s Fancy Food Show

Prepare to be hungry! Our favorite “Food Adventurist” Aihui takes us on a yum-worthy tour of the recent San Francisco Fancy Food Show:

The Fancy Food Show was back in town again, as it is every January in San Francisco. Over 1,500 food makers participate in the food show every year, showcasing their best and the finest. Everyone had a marketing gimmick, from big mascots to samples giveaway, all efforts to attract more business, distribution channels and press coverage. It’s an insane experience to eat your way through the show, but it’s all worth it!

Here are few that stood out from the crowd:

The PIG is not going anywhere! Bacon seems to be everywhere; there’s a bacon product to satisfy your savory or sweet cravings. Bacon chocolate from Vosges was unbelivable tasty and their Bacon Toffee ice-cream was sinfully good! Before you pop a bag of pop corn and enjoy your movie night, you may want to try Bacon Pop Corn from J & D’s the next time! The most unforgettable bacon product was Bacon Infused Trout Roe. Deborah Diamond, founder and CEO of California Caviar Company shared with me during our interview her vision of having sustainable caviar and gourmet foods accessible for everyone and everyday.

One of the side effects of attending the fancy food show is SUGAR RUSH! There were abundance chocolates, candies, sweet drinks throughout the exhibition halls! Two of my faves were gourmet Caramel Swirl mashmallows from Plush Puffs and Carbenet Dark Chocolates from Z. Cioccolato. Plush Puffs booth definitely got lots of attention with their little fire pots to let curious foodies toast their marshmallows!

What goes well with spicy, cruncy kimchi? What about Watermelon Wheat Beer? This combination may not sound tasty but you got to try it! It’s delicious! Mother-in-laws Kimchi, the brand and name itself was enough to catch my attention! It’s spicy, crunchy and nicely fermented! Gulping down a can of Watermelon Wheat Beer was definitely the way to tame the heat!

That’s a wrap for Fancy Food Show 2010! Hungry yet?

About the awesome Aihui: Aihui (pronounced as i-we) is a technologist, food adventurist, cook and a full-time foodie! Her never-ending quest for good food and love for technology were the key ingredients to whipping up a foodie social networking site, LoveWithFood.com, a place to discover and share a tasty array of recipes and products to feed the art and soul of cooking. Follow us on twitter: @lovewithfood and @aihui

Free at last? (Maybe) AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity to end this Wednesday.

I’m still waiting for that invitation to Apple’s scorching-hot event this Wednesday — and now this report via Henry Blodget suggests that even more sizzling news is imminent. Insiders are whispering that at long last iPhone users may be free from captivity, as AT&T’s exclusivity ends early. This is a surprise; most analysts weren’t expecting Apple to open up to other carriers until the middle of the year.

Here’s the scoop from Shawn Oliver of HotHardware:

According to an inside source close to the going-ons involved in all of this, a new tablet of some sort may not be the only thing on deck for next Wednesday though. We have been led to believe by an inside source that AT&T will lose their iPhone exclusivity on the same day, though it’s not yet clear what other carrier (or carriers) will be stepping in to also carry the phone.

From one Guru to another: Top Food Trends 2010

When it comes to social media, “gurus” seem to be multiplying like rabbits. According to an hysterically spot-on post from the always wicked-smart B.L. Ochman, there are in fact, nearly 16,000 of them on Twitter. I point this out because my Top Food Trends 2010 article features a genuine guru, one with 25 years of near-psychic food predictions. I grew up reading Progressive Grocer, thanks to a supermarket exec Dad, so I know the real deal when I see it — and that happens to be Phil Lempert, aka The Supermarket Guru ®. Recently, he invited visitors to his site to participate in a 2010 Food Trends poll.

Here’s the upshot: (For me, there were a couple of surprises, most notably in the social media responses.)

What will be the top food trend for 2010? (select one)

Private labels:
22%
Transparency/Sustainability:
19%
Baby boomer-driven products:
17%
Social networking/food apps:
10%
Rise of the “Anti-Foodie”:
3%
Relaxation foods:
5%
Shorter ingredient lists:
24%

In 2010, I will be more likely to purchase (select one)
Private labels:
42%
Co-branded private labels:
32%
Brand name products:
26%

In 2010, I will be more likely to purchase (select all that apply)

Ground on demand meat:
17%
Select cuts of meat I prefer:
53%
Pre-packaged ground meat case:
30%

How important will Country of Origin labeling be to you in 2010? (select one)

Very important:
54%
Somewhat important:
38%
Not at all important:
8%

Which of the following “word-of-mouth” outlets will you use to talk about food in 2010? (select all that apply)
Twitter:
6% (Seems low, considering the prevalence of foodie tweets)
Facebook:
40% (Surprisingly strong)
Consumer blogs:
54% (Blogs continue to be influential)

Which of the following iPhone apps will you use to research food in 2010? (select all that apply)
GroceryIQ:
6%
Locavore:
1%
Pair it:
0%
Yelp:
3%
iEatOut:
3%
Soliel Organics:
1%
iFood Assistant:
3%
Nutrition Navigation:
4%
ScanAvert:
2%
Recipezaar Sifter:
4%
Urban Spoon:
3%
Good Guide:
4%
Seafood Watch:
4% (Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch app deserves more use!)
None:
61%
Foodie or anti-foodie?
Foodie:
78%
Anti-Foodie:
22%

How much do you expect to spend on food next year?
More than last year:
24%
The same as last year:
59%
Less than last year:
17%

What trends to do you think will affect 2010 prices most? (select all that apply)
Weather conditions:
22%
Healthcare reform:
13%
Small store formats:
5%
The economy:
59%

To learn more about The Supermarket Guru, click here for the web site.
Click here for the Facebook page.

Find him on Twitter

And for more Food Trends, here’s what chefs say will be hot in 2010.

Eileen Calandro, Chief Mom Connector

Guru’s Note: To meet @calandro5 online is to love her. To meet her IRL over a piece of Madonna Inn pink champagne cake is to love her even more. Eileen is a perfect example of the social media phenomenon I’ve dubbed ‘Strategic Serendipity.” She’s also the poster child for the way natural leaders bubble up organically during times of disruption. The matriarch of the Calandro Clan has gifts galore. Read on and you’ll see what I mean:

How did I get here? What did I do to deserve this? I have no idea, but I have a story. I ALWAYS have a story: My social media life began in 2008 when my husband won the Living in HD contest with Panasonic. We were trained in social media as part of our prize so we could understand what the program was all about. It turns out social media fits me like the beautiful pair of red Italian boots my sister-in-law threw in my car as I was driving away from her house (another story!).

I work for Mom Central as a community manager and my title is Chief Mom Connector. There has been a lot that came before this, none of it being in social media, but all seeming to lead me right here. I was a screen-printer, graphic designer, print buyer, and teacher. Now I’m an ubermom of three boys and in my spare time (HA!) I run half marathons, paint murals, throw over-the-top parties, carpool, play bunco, re-decorate my house, quit book groups, avoid laundry, and support philanthropic causes I believe in. I am constantly looking for the next Big Adventure and, luckily, I usually don’t have to wait very long for it to show up.

Being involved in Social Media is thrilling for me because it is constantly challenging what has come before. It’s changing every day and no one is quite sure how things will end up, but we all know things will never be the same. Technology has created a new way for consumers to voice their opinions. The computer has become the new soapbox. For someone who loves to talk as much as I do, I have arrived in Shangri-La. Let the conversations begin!

The Apple invitation I didn’t get. (Yet)

Here’s the email I’d kill to get:

From: Apple Media Events
Subject: Please Join Apple on January 27 for a Special Event

Obviously, the tablet will soon be unveiled. At least, we think it’s a tablet. And we think it’s called the iSlate. But all we really know is that the event is at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, near Samovar, one of my favorite tea shops, and that so far, I’m not invited. I guess I could sit in said tea shop on the 27th and follow the inevitable tweet-up from the tweeps who nabbed an invite and are thus many zettabytes cooler than moi.

Tom Dunsmore of Stuff.tv, who did get one of these elusive invites and is gleefully tweeting about it, recommends this great Stuff tv roundup of Apple Tablet rumors.

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