Awwww. Garbage Bags So Cute, You’ll Want to Take the Trash IN.

September 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: style & design 

A Japanese creative group, MAQ, has succeeded in making garbage bags adorable. The aim of Rabbit-Kun is to inspire a more responsibly eco attitude about waste so that people will carry their trash home rather than leave it outdoors. Kind of a cute version of ‘Leave no trace behind.’

The aww-inducing sack is the latest in a MAQ’s collection of Garbage Bag Art Work. Other colorfully cute creations include bags decorated with fish, flowers and pine trees. There’s even a bag starring Sesame Street’s trashy Oscar the Grouch, created as part of an eco-program for kids.

Now if they can only forget the plastic and transfer their cutesy-wootsy Garbage Art to eco-bags. Hemp Hare anyone?

Thanks to Elit Alice.

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Steve Jobs Presents Christmas 2008

September 9, 2008 by admin · 2 Comments
Filed under: Technology 

This morning at Apple’s Let’s Rock event in San Francisco, a still-thin but always-cheeky Steve Jobs introduced what’s certain to be on everyone’s Christmas List this year. The no-brainer stocking stuffer is the juicy new fourth generation nano, hotter than ever in nine new neon colors. This thinnest iPod ever sports a sleek new design with a curved aluminum and glass enclosure. It also incorporates Genius technology and features a built-in accelerometer that automatically switches to Cover Flow when rotated and automatically goes into Shuffle mode when lightly shaken.

iPod nano (4th generation) comes in 8GB and 16GB models, starting at just $149.

Catch full liveblog coverage from Yerba Buena Center via Gizmodo.

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More RetroBranding: The MilkMan Returns to Manhattan

August 29, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: food & beverage 

As my Facebook friends know, I’ve spent the past week writing Moo concepts. Not easy when one is lactose-intolerant, but hey, we stalwart copywriters carry on even in the face of potential hives.  So here I am, deep in cow cuds, when I discover this new product update from my favorite Springwise site: The Manhattan Milk Company is reviving old-fashioned dairy delivery, delivering organic milk to customers’ doors in glass milk bottles.

For a USD 5 delivery charge, Manhattanites can get a weekly delivery of fresh milk. The company’s driver loads up his truck on Wednesdays at 4 am and delivers to all of Manhattan, picking up empty bottles when he drops off the full ones. The milk is sourced from 51 Amish farms in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, about 160 miles southwest of New York City, and is also sold at the Batch store on 150B W. 10th Street.

This ‘everything old is new again’ trend follows the triumphant return of Schlitz Classic, which sold out in its native home of Milwaukee in a matter of days. It was quickly snatched up by both older guys who remember the beer from back in the day, and younger drinkers curious about the brouhaha. Apparently, you can remember the 60’s, even if you were there.

Guru’s Note: I drive one of the world’s primo examples of retro-branding:  the VW “New” Beetle convertible in gecko green with adorably pimped out green daisy wheels.

With this trend in mind, what’s next?  What would YOU like to bring back? Perhaps with a new green or tech twist?

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Everybody Manga!

August 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Technology 

Today is Face Your Manga Day

If it’s Friday, it must be Manga! FaceYourManga.com introduces the perfect way to space out a Friday afternoon. Despite my attempts to be muy Manga, I have still wound up looking like post-debutante, rushing-to-Pilates, Junior League Manga.


Okay, let’s try it again. Better?

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What Will Your Startup Be Worth in 3 Years? Ask YouNoodle’s Startup Predictor.

August 7, 2008 by admin · 2 Comments
Filed under: Technology 

Better than the Magic 8 Ball? YouNoodle Launches The New Startup Predictor.

What will your startup be worth in 3 years? YouNoodle’s sophisticated model analyzes information on startups before they get funding to help predict their outcomes.

The scoop on YouNoodle:
YouNoodle develops innovative ways to bring together the information, people and technology that help startups succeed.

We provide a platform for so far 50 of the world’s top university entrepreneurship clubs and competitions, serving tens of thousands of members and thousands of startups. Our tools help to effectively manage business competitions, events, mailing lists and community development. If you run a group and would like to join the platform apply and we’ll get in touch.

Startup Predictor is the first in a series of decision-making tools YouNoodle plans to introduce for the startup industry. Our development team studied thousands of current and past startups, using both publicly available and proprietary data, to determine patterns of predictive factors for early-stage companies’ success. You can try the test for free. (Not surprisingly) YouNoodle is based in San Francisco, California.

Guru’s Take on YouNoodle. Throughout my seemingly endless years in dotcom land, I have learned a valuable lesson: When you hear that press-pro Susan MacTavish Best is involved in a new project, listen up. Susan always seems to be at the heart of the coolest, most intriguing ventures. YouNoodle is yet another one of them. Contact her: Susan@bestpr.net

Note: Susan’s mom lives down here in the wildfire country of Carmel. So we know where she got her smarts.

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Chasing Cool: Shower Yourself in Color

July 23, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: style & design 

I’m not sure how ‘green’ this is. But it sure is colorful. Manufacturer Crosswater calls Rio ‘a revolutionary ultra thin showering head’ with 96 programmable LED lights. The low consumption LED lamps create a dazzling column of water and light. Plus, if you get bored with the same-old same-old rainbow, the programmable keypad comes with 12 individual lighting settings. Just the thing for that slow Saturday night. And it’ll only set you back a cool 2499 pounds.

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