Brit rockers Kaiser Chiefs are next up in the series of All Star collabs for the (RED) campaign, and if you can hold out for two more weeks you should be able to get your feet into a set of these plaid (purple, lime, chocolate, mindlessly stitched) hi tops. I guess it’s no surprise that their shoe design packs the same frenzied hyper-ventilation as their lyrics, as it looks like each band member individually chose one element, then they smashed them all together. And you know what? It worked, like it always does for them. You can pre-order your pair for delivery in mid-July from a bunch of online retailers (here’s one for you instant gratification junkies), and as per usual, 10% of net wholesale will be paid to The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Let’s get one thing out of the way before we begin: I don’t like Twitter. Yes, you heard me. I simply don’t “get” it and this is not for lack of trying. Just check out what people post on there, things like “Drinking orange juice and waiting tillclass [sic] is over 12:22.” Are you kidding me?

On the other end of the social networking mashups, we have Pownce. Started by Digg founder Kevin Rose and his newly formed Megatechtronium posse consisting of Daniel Burka, Leah Culver, and Shawn Allen, Pownce is described as a combination of IM, Twitter, and I bet I’m the first to suggest this, Hello. While no single part of Pownce is original, bringing them all together is and I think it’s a combination that may prove useful. Currently invite-only (what self-respecting startup isn’t?), the site is very much a Web 2.0 product, complete with loads and loads of Javascript; there’s also a desktop companion which we’ll discuss later on. READ MORE…

Yesterday, I had one of those ideal days that summer seems made for. I headed out to McCarren Park Pool to saw the bands Illinois and Man Man, had some (see also: too much) beer and met some really cool new friends; among these was Matt Allen, a person known affectionately to many as “the Ice Cream Man.” Not to be confused with your local neighborhood purveyor or Master P circa 1996, this ice cream man has what could confidently be stated as one of the best jobs of all time. Allen travels all over the nation to concerts and music festivals such as Bonaroo and Lollapalooza to dole out free ice cream and is financially supported through advertisers, sponsors, promotions, branding and merchandising. According to his Myspace Page, he’s has handed out around 80,000 frozen treats, carrying a vast variety of favorites including neapolitan bars, chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches and nostalgia-inducing TMNT pops. His goal is to serve up half a million goodies and I am happy to say I helped him on the way with a much appreciated Reese's Pieces Ice Cream Bar. Check out his website for music and concert reviews, stories from the road and schedule updates. For those of you dying to bust out of your cubicle and go "slingin' the cream, livin' the dream," you can also volunteer to be a part of his team.

–Mara Siegler

In Brazil, Nike has to break some sweat to gain a following, a totally opposite phenomenon than in the U.S., where Nike fandom oftentimes gets a little ridiculous when any new collaboration is released. For nerds like us here at JoshSpear.com who write about trends, we find it fascinating to see how the mechanism of branding works for established companies outside of their home countries — especially when it’s different than what’s been executed before.

My interest piqued when I recently took up an invitation to attend a 10 km runner’s race to experience first-hand what Nike is doing to push their NikePlus kit here in Sao Paulo. Inside a massive-sized tent they built especially for this event were Nike Plus shoes and Web-connected computers surrounded by large billboards of scenes from the city, including graffiti and a stand filled with snacks, in a mock representation of a runner’s journey in the city when he/she goes out to bust 5 km before work. Visitors hung out in the tent, eating and having their Nike Plus kits set up. Nike filmed the entire experience, from tent to run, and edited it in a way that made it more than just a commercial but a storytelling of the morning’s events, and put the vid on YouTube. I also like the more straight commercial here, which showcases some of the city’s great graffiti — albeit with a cheesy soundtrack — and you can also check out the photostream over at Flickr, if stills are more your style.