In the wake of Michael Jackson’s death, we’ve started to focus on the drama that still surrounds the singer – his will, the question of what to do with his non-biological children, why he suffered cardiac arrest, and so on. However, it is important not to forget that the reason we all loved the King of Pop is because of his talent as a singer, a dancer, and an all-around performer. The first time he first entered your home whether it was via MTV or through your stereo speakers, was not easy to forget…
At least it wasn’t for me. My first memory of the singer was when I watched the video for Thriller…at age three. All I remember was seeing those yellow eyes and fangs and running terrified behind the couch. It wasn’t a good first impression, though later, I fell in love with the short film. Not longer after, I was jamming out and dancing around the living room to “Beat It,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” So, when I discovered the Thriller Headphones designed by Johnny Lighthands and built by ATOM Creative Solutions, I couldn’t help but smile.
The headphones, which won the Nokia headset design competition in 2008, feature that gravestones, zombies, and that creepy, yellow-eyed wolf bursting through the door. Though only one pair was made by Nokia into a working model, we hope that Jackson’s passing inspires Nokia to produce at least a limited-edition run of the freaky-awesome headphones.
Sure, you could waste your time making sure your belt matches your shoes. But it's 2008, and now it's time to make sure your headphones match your cell.
Following up on their hit limited edition Nokia WeSC 3250 phone in 2006, Swedish style gurus WeSC have again teamed up with Nokia for the launch of the new XpressMusic 5220 and 5320 phones. In a new “sound and color-coordinated collaborationâ€, WeSC has created headphones available in three colorways: metallic green, red, and blue. Their website goes beyond the traditional technical specs pitch into the science of color and sound, explaining that “broken down to its smallest component, the hue of a specific color is the result of its unique electromagnetic radiation – a frequency, or basically a rhythm. Sound is equally dependent on wave formations. The equivalent alphabet is the pitch of a sound, which in turn is its specific frequency.â€
Long story short, music will sound way better if your headphones are the same color as your phone. Who knew? And here we thought you'd just look hot rocking metallic blue headphones.
This exclusive series is only being sold in select mobile stores and at WeSC concept stores in Scandinavia. Adding to the exclusivity factor, the headphones are only available with the purchase of one of the new Nokia XpressMusic phones and won't be sold separately. So, if anyone is hanging around Sweden right now, be sure to pick us up a pair.
Josh Spear fave Matt Pyke, founder of Universal Everything, is continuing his stunning video and branding work with Nokia but this time wants us to all join in too.
To help create a new animation for Nokia stores, Universal Everything is throwing a collaborative animation competition. To enter, all you need to do is take pictures of you, or anyone you know, holding a blank piece of paper. Upload the pics to the contest's Flickr site and the design wizards at Universal Everything will draw cell animation onto each blank frame. The aim is to engage thousands of people around the world and create a truly global animation project that keeps growing and growing.
The contributor who gets the most frames into the final animation wins a Nokia N95 8GB. That's good, but the real prize would be getting to see your shot in one of Universal Everything's industry-leading animations.
As creator and all-around genius behind UK design shop Universal Everything, Matt Pyke serves up some of the most eye-catching and jaw-dropping digital design on the planet. His client list includes heavy hitters like Apple, Adidas, MTV, Coke, Nokia, Nike and a little shindig called the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
The anticipation for his latest project is keeping me up at night: Advanced Beauty is a series of “sound sculptures” curated by Universal Everything with sound design by frequent collaborator Freeform, the music project led by Matt's brother, Simon Pyke. Each segment is visually and sonically unique and directed by groundbreaking designers from around the world – including visionaries like Marc Kremers, Karsten Schmidt, Thomas Traum, Alex Peverett, Tom Scholefield, Paul Simpson, and Jonathan Garin.
If the awe-inspiring trailer and lushly color-filled first segment by New York-based designer and SpearTalks Alum Mate Steinforth are any indication, then we're in for a total breakthrough when Advanced Beauty finally drops in Spring 2008. I think it’s pretty safe to say right now: Advanced Beauty will be the shit.
A few days ago, French studio Hellohikimori launched their latest site, and the newly brightened pages are doing wonders showing off the impressive portfolio of designers Nathalie Melato and David Rondel Cambou. The site allows users to easily navigate the duo’s rather expansive body of work, which includes outstanding work for clients like UNICEF, Computer Arts, and Nokia. In classic Parisian style, All of Hellohikimori’s output (web, print, and otherwise) proves to be quite the eyeball-feast, and further evidence of the studio’s nice bag o’ tricks can be found when you take the time to actually visit the sites they are responsible for creatively directing and designing. I definitely recommend heading over to take a look, partially because it’s Wednesday and I know you want to kill some time, but mainly because you’d be dumb not to. It’s that good, I promise.
Heather has had (count them) four Blackberries this past year because she can’t seem to keep them from jumping into the Jacuzzi with her. [for the record, only two have been destroyed by jacuzzis -- Ed.] I can’t really blame the Blackberries for wanting a little soak — and a little of Heather’s company — but surely the gizmos should know better. Heather’s been lucky, though. Even if her phones haven’t survived, her sim card, along with the precious digits it stores, has amazingly remained intact.
If her Blackberry didn’t already have the ability to be backed up on her computer, and if she owned a compatible Sony, Nokia or Samsung phone, the USB Phone Book Flasher would keep her info just as safe. All she’d have to do is plug the little guy into her phone, and with the touch of a button she’d have backed up all of the information on her phone and her sim card. That way, her numbers will be safe even if something tragic happens to her current Blackberry (and I think we all know that its days are numbered). With the Phone Book Flasher, Heather could edit her phone book on her computer. And with a capacity of 10,000 records, even Heather should be able to keep in touch with all of her friends. Of course, if your cell phones tend to be short-lived, you should look into the Flasher too.
But no guarantees on getting into the Jacuzzi with Heather.
Our friends at +41 will be making an appearance at the upcoming Nokia Trends Lab in Berlin along fellow designers Cassette Playa, Surface2Air, and Wasted German Youth. (Nokia Trends Lab, for those who are unfamiliar, is an interesting initiative that connects established artists with up-and-coming local talents in order to co-create multi-media projects across Europe. It’s actually awesome, and kind of a big deal, and we don’t get any of it here in the US. Boo.) I’m sort of thrown as to what else will be going on because the Trends Lab site doesn’t have the event listed yet, but if you happen live in or around Berlin, I’m sure you know more than me — these things are too huge not to hear about, right?
Anyway, the party starts on July 13th and runs through the 15th at Postfuhramt – Orantenburger Str. 35-36, Berlin Mitte. Meanwhile, If any of you can fill in the blanks for us and the rest of our readers, we’d love you forever.
I think by now everyone has probably noticed the incredible coverage coming out of Sao Paulo from our newest on-the-ground correspondent and site contributor, Phuong-Cac. Phuong-Cac Nguyen is a Los Angeles transplant currently calling dynamic Sao Paulo, Brazil, her new home. She began her writing career at the Los Angeles Times reporting on arts and leisure, and later moved on to a staff editorial position at URB magazine. Then, after a stint as managing editor and long-term gigs as writer and editor for marketing projects for Nokia and Pacific Sunwear, Phuong-Cac decided she needed to move not just out of publishing but out of the country to maintain her sanity. Now she spends her days writing for blogs such as JoshSpear.com, discovering the multitude of things the city has to offer, learning to be a pedestrian and launching her SISU line of jewelry. She misses Vietnamese food. Keep your eyes peeled for more posts from her every week– and a very warm welcome to the team Phuong-Cac!
Even though the N95 is already amply hyped across Europe, I have to direct our mostly unexposed U.S. readers to the Great Pockets site, an incredibly well done viral campaign for the Nokia’s newest “multimedia computer” by the Swedish agency Farfar. Great Pockets features Henry Needle, a distinguished tailor who will introduce you to his new line of “fashionable clothing with very large pockets” that help you maintain a bag-free lifestyle (while still accommodating your need for keeping fifteen electro-gadgets with you at all times). While I think the site does a near-perfect job of entertaining participants, I also felt that the buried mention of what the site was actually for was almost too ambiguous; I was left laughing, but not exactly desperate to get to the bottom of the situation. Take a look at it, because it is brilliant, but let us know your thoughts about guerrilla/viral advertising afterwards. Do you think it’s more effective than traditional advertising? Are you already feeling jaded on this trend, or does it have unlimited potential? And most importantly… any chance the N95 can stand up against the iPhone after their upcoming (and almost simultaneous) introductions in the U.S.?
I’ve never given this many standing ovations in my life. I think my mind short circuited about 75% of the way through this extraordinary conference. Blogging had to come to a halt and what was being said throughout these presentations needed my complete and full attention. Without further adieu, more conference highlights:
The young economics superstar Emily Oster gave an awesome presentation that basically debunked much of what we think we know about how HIV and sickness spreads in Africa. I’m sure there will be book coming and I’m definitely going to read it.
JJ Abrams, creator and producer of Alias and Lost as well as many films had a fun, compelling and heartfelt presentation. He kicked off a session called Screenovation. When JJ was very young he was totally into magic and that interest led to his infatuation with creating mystery. During his presentation JJ showed a ’secret’ magic box he was given as a child that he hasn’t opened yet, and not knowing what’s inside continues to inspire him in what he does today. He said “mystery is more important that knowledge.”
Former president of eBay Jeff Skoll had an inspiring talk about how he turned his fortune towards film to make a difference. He’s a leader in the social entrepreneurism and venture philanthropy movement. Super to hear how passionate and successful he was while still remaining pretty humble… “Bet on good people doing good things…”
Film director Deborah Scranton showed clips from her movie The War Tapes and spoke about how consumer created content is changing the world of film, creating change, inspiring people and so on. The room was completely silent, the clips she showed were unexplainably powerful. I look forward to following up and watching the entire DVD.
Will Wright, the creator of The Sims (which happens to be the best selling computer game of all time) showed off his newest game Spore and spoke about how it could help people, children especially imagine their own futures better.
Brazilian architect Jamie Lerner spoke passionately about building ecologically sustainable long lasting cities– he was genuine and informative. He shared plans from Curitiba, one of the worlds most sustainable cities– a place where he is the mayor.
I wrote about both Elizabeth Diller and Paola Antonelli as they were presenting– again, check out the Blur Building, her slides were mystical and fascinating. Don’t mistake design for decoration, it’s not.
Friday’s final session was the The Talest of Passion, and for me was the most important and moving session of the entire week. Unfortunately Henry Louis Gates JR couldn’t make it for family reasons so the session kicked off with Jan Chipchase, a cultural researcher for Nokia. Believe it or not, his presentation is available on his site for download. His job description is great, he goes all around the world studying how people interact with their phones. One of the best parts of his presentation is when he points out that cell phones are actually changing what the ‘center’ of the room is– where your phone is, on the desk, in your jacket, in your bag, etc changes what you feel the center of the room is. Connectedness is a crazy thing.
Eames Demetrios, grandson of Charles and Ray Eames and director of the Eames office shared insights into his families legacy and how closely design was to him growing up. He had one quote where he basically said, design isn’t something his family went to go and buy, it was apart of his daily life. He also said “The role of the designers is about anticipating the needs of the guest and make them feel good.” What an interesting family legacy he continues to carry on with his own design and films.
The speaker that actually moved me most, more than any designer, technologist or innovator was Isabel Allende, author of dozens of books– most famously The House of Spirits, one of my personal favorites. She told vivid and engaging true stories about her life, and said she doesn’t need to come up with characters in her life, they’re all around us. She basically deduced in 18 minutes that not technology, entertainment or design could save the world– that women could, the forgotten 51% of the world. She asked not for a ‘better world’ but just one that was simply good. Thinking about her talk brings goose-bumps to my arms, when this is available online it’s going to be a must watch.
When I went back to my ‘Siberian’ hometown recently, the new rave were these Toyo Microbit Tires. People who live in the Colorado Rockies drive on snow and ice during the majority of the year, so they don’t skimp when it comes to their winter tires. I thought to myself, what could get better than the Blizzaks or Nokians? Well, I guess the technology speaks for itself… The Microbit Tires have countless Walnut Shells embedded in their tread. Have you ever felt how sharp a walnut shell is? I found out the hard way one holiday season when I was trying to crack one old-fashion style with a nutcracker and I slipped and cut myself. Come to find out, walnut shells are one of the world’s hardest substances. Combine that with Toyo’s ‘traction sipe’ technology (which turns your tread into little grippy squeegees) and you have some quiet and adept winter tires. They’ve applied the Microbit technology to touring, SUV, and luxury car tires, so there’s a little nut for everyone out there.
We’re huge fans of Barcelona based freelance artist Pietari Posti’s work. Originally from Helsinki, Finland, Pietari says during his childhood other kids would ask him to play, but he preferred to stay inside and draw. Sooner than later they stopped asking and he was able to focus and develop his now signature style. He has already worked for an impressive list of clients like American Airlines, National Geographic, Nokia, and even our friends over at ROJO Magazine. Check out his illustration work, and don’t miss those sketchbooks– so great!
As if Digg and the 400 clones like it weren’t enough, Hypediss is the urban, street, edgy version of user driven media. A place where you can submit your favorite stories, hype or diss them. Pop over there to check out Banksy photos, Nokia phone concepts, Chanel watches, Air Jordan V’s and all things way to hip for even this blog. As of this minute, the Banksy archive has been hyped 17 times, and dissed by 0 users. How fun! All jokes aside, this site looks pretty good.
Joshua Gajownik is a print designer experienced in, well, everything! His work includes screen printing, book binding , letter press, and laser cutting, oh, and he also does some design for the web, but I must add not web design. His site, RoyalRemarkable, shows numerous examples of his work, which takes brands like Ecko Red and infuses them with splashes of color and plenty of style. I really liked his LOMONOKIA Academic Project which merges lomographic photography style into Nokia cell phones as well as his Personal Illness Project, a vision of an ailment he created while sick. His hand drawn script faces are really great and each one reflects some of his influence and the idea that helped create it. Truly Remarkable, check this kids work out.
At least it wasn’t for me. My first memory of the singer was when I watched the video for Thriller…at age three. All I remember was seeing those yellow eyes and fangs and running terrified behind the couch. It wasn’t a good first impression, though later, I fell in love with the short film. Not longer after, I was jamming out and dancing around the living room to “Beat It,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” So, when I discovered the 
A few days ago, French studio 
Heather has had (count them) four Blackberries this past year because she can’t seem to keep them from jumping into the Jacuzzi with her. [for the record, only two have been destroyed by jacuzzis -- Ed.] I can’t really blame the Blackberries for wanting a little soak — and a little of Heather’s company — but surely the gizmos should know better. Heather’s been lucky, though. Even if her phones haven’t survived, her sim card, along with the precious digits it stores, has amazingly remained intact.
Our friends at 
I think by now everyone has probably noticed the incredible coverage coming out of Sao Paulo from our newest on-the-ground correspondent and site contributor, Phuong-Cac. 
Even though the N95 is already amply hyped across Europe, I have to direct our mostly unexposed U.S. readers to the 
