Nice shout out in Rob Walker’s Consumed Column in the Sunday NY Times Magazine, in an article entitled Timeless Object. Thanks Rob!
The absurd-sounding Abacus watch with its little rolling ball might make you "miss appointments" but it's likely to "get some attention," commented a writer on one such site, JoshSpear.com. "Sweet." And really, if you're the alpha-consumer type who craves such a watch, surely you tote a mobile to tell the actual time — and to call whomever you're meeting to explain that you'll be late. Again.

Nice mention in Portland Press Herald:

Josh Spear, who writes about trends in technology, fashion and culture on JoshSpear.com, said he came to Pop!Tech on a friend’s recommendation as a way to meet other creative people.

“Equally as good as the speakers are the people who attend the conference,” he said. “You can feel confident that anybody you bump shoulders with waiting for something will have something interesting to say

We’re all super excited about our Spear Collective Computer Arts cover this month, and because we believe that reciprocity is a beautiful thing, we’re hoping you’ll take a few minutes to go over to the Computer Arts forum and cast a vote in our honor. It requires a little bit of effort (registering for the forums, etc) but we’d really appreciate it. And, if you’re so lovely to do so, leave me a comment here and I’ll see if we can’t dig up some goodies for a few of you if we win the poll. Sound good? GOOD!

As promised my presentation last week at Google Zeitgeist is now online for your viewing pleasure– the fine group at Google did an extraordinary job editing and posting the video to YouTube. It was truly an honor to speak alongside such an incredible lineup of presenters, and a lot of fun talking about the work side of my life which I really keep out of this blog most of the time. Also be sure to check out the interview with Michael and Xochi Birch as I’m on the panel during that discussion as well. And of course, if you enjoy it feel free to leave a comment here and give me 5 stars on YouTube! I look forward to reactions!

I’m not going to lie– the paper version of “America’s Finest News Source,” The Onion, got me (and many of my friends) through college. The university made the mistake of stocking the lobbies of all the lecture halls with the rag, and at the end of late afternoon classes, the entire area of the floor would be covered with smart and satirical Onion headlines. I sure didn’t mind; probably covered up some gnarly half-eaten burritos that would have gotten stuck in the sole of my Vans. We still, to this day, recite side-cramping Onion stories we read when we were in college. Today The Onion is taking a jump forward, following the likes of John Stewart and Steven Colbert, with The Onion News Network. This morning, I learned through its maiden newscast that President Bush is calling up Civil War Re-enactors for Iraq duty. That’s a scoop not even Fox News had picked up on yet! We’re talking timely and relevant news here. Here’s what the “real news” has to say about Onion’s foray into live (mmm err taped) broadcast news. Please join me in raising a glass for the new Onion News Network!

This morning, I watched the news conference accompanying the release of the much anticipated Iraq Study Group Report. The report was facilitated by the United States Institute of Peace, and provides a bi-partisan, forward looking view of situation in Iraq through 79 linked recommendations. The Study Group is comprised of a wealth of policy experts, including former Secretary of State James Baker, and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. I have to say I was both relieved and frustrated to hear the jist of the report– relieved because I get the sense that the group took a realistic approach in drafting the report– no promises of victory, no sugar coating, no overly-lofty goals, but rather a more forthright design for ’success,’ accompanied by pragmatic and realistic goals. With this relief, I was also frustrated because the report drives home just how dismal the disposition of Iraq is. The findings of the group indicate that there is no possibility for ‘victory’ in Iraq as the current Administration has led us to believe all along; the best we can hope for are smaller, more finite ’successes’ like bringing U.S. Troops home and releasing Iraq to the control of the Iraqi Government. The current Administration, conceding its failure in handling the situation in Iraq, has vocalized support for the report, and has pledged to follow it’s recommendations, but it remains to be seen how many it will follow– the Report is neither legislation nor an executive order, so it has no binding effect on the President or Congress. I just wanted to share this pivotal event with you all, as it may well have heavy bearing on what happens in the Middle East.

LOOKING for a cool new way to wrap those boring Christmas presents? Then what you may need is rapping paper, which is imprinted with the lyrics of rap songs and is sure to be popular in avant-garde American households this year, writes Tony Allen-Mills. The latest trend in gift-giving was identified last week by Josh Spear, a 22-year-old Colorado student who has become one of America's leading "cool hunters", a new breed of internet-based trendspotter whose job is to track down cool new products before everyone tries to copy them. Full article here, or after the jump
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After growing tiresome of traditional academia and journalism's narrow view of the blogsphere, Josh Spear took it upon himself to create his own bog, Joshspear.com. In barely two years, his blog has become a daily destination for inspiration for industry execs and culture junkies alike. PSFK had the opportunity to chat with Josh and get his take on the current state of independent publishing and here more about his new consulting agency called Spear Creative Group and its digital marketing counterpart SparkMedium. Click here to read the full interview.

Josh Spear: If you have a teenager in your house or a hip youngster in your life, this is THE site for you. Along with sites like Coolhunting, Josh Spear tracks trends for a living (which is really impressive considering he’s only 22) and even consults with brands like McDonalds to tell them what’s hot for the younger set. (Both sites can be a bit masculine so keep these in mind when shopping for a hip younger nephew or cousin in your life). Read the full article here.

If you are looking to successfully engage with the urban market, you have to consider how to position your brand in such a way that its consumption increases young adults’ status in youth culture. Brands that successfully enhance urban capital have to know not only what to communicate, but how. Knowledge: Don’t dismiss blogs as being the personal ramblings of extroverts. Visit sites like www.coolhunting.com, www.newstoday.com and www.joshspear.com. Full article at TheAge.com

On sneakerplay.com, men outnumber women by eight to one, creating an online fratmosphere thick with testosterone, egos and shoe rubber. Like sneaker peacocks, members from around the world flaunt their footwear in photo galleries and boast an inventory of friends on their personal profiles. Full Article Here

I wanted to give an extra special congratulations to Scott Rench (Yosoh Ceramics) for the well deserved write up in the latest Winter/Spring issue of Mac Directory. The story is appropriately called Macs and Mud Make Magic– highlighting the way Rench’s innovative ceramic style has merged traditional ceramic technique with his beloved Macintosh and laser printer. In the article Rench says “I have encountered some push back from the traditionalists. People like to place you into nicely defined art forms. I have often had trouble with galleries, for my work straddles so many fences in the art world. It’s print, clay, and sculpture, but often it encompasses elements of photography and illustration.” If you’re not familiar with Scott Rench’s work, check him out. He’s finally starting to get the recognition he deserves.

In an effort to reach the “creative class” online, GSD&M, which also handles media, is placing ads on sites such as www.theonion.com, www.gawker.com, www.joshspear.com, www.gothamist.com and www.weblogs.com. GSD&M won the $180 million account in November. Full Article Here

When Josh Spear talks trends, companies pay big bucks to hear what he has to say. Cool just isn't cool anymore. At least according to Josh Spear a 21-year-old college dropout and self-described "brand ambassador." "Maybe it'll make a comeback in a few years," Spear said. "For now I've basically eliminated the word from my site." That Web site, or more specifically blog, is http://joshspear.com and is the product of one of the most pre-eminent trend spotters today. It's being watched closely by some of the biggest names in the business world who have a vested interest in the next big thing. Full Article Here

There’s a nice cover article about me and this site in the Weekend Post today throughout Canada. Last weekend it was Canadian Radio, this week it’s a newspaper– I guess I’m really stepping up my image in the friendly-land. A warm welcome to all my new friends in Canada! Writer Karen Burshtein did a great job covering elements of my site–and work-life that haven’t been touched on much in past press. Thanks to Robert Thoren for the great photos, and all the people who had kind words to share about me in the article. Unfortunately you need to be a subscriber to view it on the National Post website– But you can try this link which seems to work for people without logging in. I’ll have a PDF created for download shortly!

Note: For some reason people, even after clarification, seem to think I worked for Nike. Although I do have friends within the Nike Campus and have been in touch with them about a variety of things, they’ve never been a client of mine. I think it was the Nike iD design contest and invitation to 255 Elizabeth that keeps throwing people off.