We love the slim, sleek design of portable electronics these days, like the iPhone. One of the only reasons phones and MP3 players haven’t shrunk beyond human visibility is basically because, well, the buttons need to go somewhere.
As mobile devices get teenier and tinier, manufactures have been trying to fit buttons and controls onto the diminishing surface area. But with a brand new technology created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft called Skinput, this may never be a problem again.
Skinput is a bio-acoustic sensing device that uses your own skin (your arms and fingers) as a space for buttons and controls. The user wears an armband with a small projector that displays menu options on the arm. When the users touches a button, an acoustic sensor analyzes distinct sounds made on the surface of skin related to specific bone density, joints and tissue. That information is delivered through a Bluetooth device back to the device to determine what button has been pressed.
So if you thought people looked funny walking down the street talking into invisible earpieces, imagine people on the subway tapping their own fingers to change a song on their iPod.
Watch the video to see Skinput in action:
Skinput Turns You Into Your Own Keypad
Kraft’s Cheesy Marketing Campaign
It warms our hearts when companies encourage community service and ambition in young children. Kraft Foods is doing just that by holding a contest to promote their new “Cheddar Explosion”-flavored macaroni and cheese. The contestant (ages 9-12) who sends in the best essay about his or her positive impact on the community will win the grand prize: a chance to…blow sh*t up, as one might say.
Yes, in a happy coincidence, the Cheddar Explosion campaign rolls out just as Texas Stadium, former home to the Dallas Cowboys, is to be demolished to make way for “redevelopment in the area.” The winner with the most “explosive” essay will not only win a trip with three family members to glamorous Irving, TX, he or she will get an opportunity to push the detonation button that will take that mother down.
At least this makes Kraft’s upcoming acquisition of Cadbury that much more interesting. We’re imagining the largest Crème Egg — detonated. Think of the possibilities!
Experimental Luxury
The next best thing to traveling to exotic places, bumming around the beach and hanging out with fabulous people, is reading about those that do. Gypset Style, written by Julia Chaplin for Assouline, is “about an emerging group of artists, musicians, fashion designers, surfers, and bon vivants– who lead semi-nomadic, unconventional lives.” Hence, gypsy + jet set=Gypset.
The true Gypsetter leads a life of experimentation, forever on the lookout for the most deserted beach cove, the chicest beach party, or the sexiest caftan. The Utopian life of the true Gypset is aspirational, to say the least. And it makes for a seriously hot beach read—whether you’re in Formentera or Fire Island.
Stop Cliffside, Waterkeepers Protest In North Carolina
In the past few months, people from all across the country have started to realize that clean coal is a dirty lie. Yet, powerful coal companies like Duke Energy continue their plans to build more deadly coal-fired plants, such as the two 800-megawatt coal-fired units in Cliffside, North Carolina.
Recently, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ) ruled that Duke Energy’s Cliffside coal plant is a “minor source of emissions”. Talk about a dirty lie. Duke Energy is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the US. If the Cliffside plant is completed, it will emit over 6 million tons of CO2 every year, and will use coal from mountaintop removal sites.
On April 20th, Waterkeeper Alliance was joined by environmental groups and protesters in a peaceful rally to stop the Cliffside Coal Plant in Charlotte, North Carolina (www.stopcliffside.org). You can help by joining us. Or, you can show support by donating today.
Your contribution helps us continue fighting companies like Duke Energy. Every donation helps. Our future depends on it.
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The Dirty Lie Launch Party
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Chairman of Waterkeeper Alliance, and Gloria Reuben of TNT’s Raising the Bar, hosted our launch party for The Dirty Lie campaign at The Greenhouse, New York’s first “eco-lounge”. A packed house of reporters, celebrities, envirogroupies, donors and party-goers stood gob-smacked as they watched our videos showing the devastating affects of mountaintop removal and of mercury emissions.
The crowd was equally awed when Gloria and RFK spoke about the deadly effects of the filthy coal industry. The purpose of the party was to start a dialogue about energy with young influencers, eventually debunking the myth of “clean coal.” From the reaction of the crowd, we’re pretty sure we started something.
How Can Coal Be Clean?
In lieu of the recent energy crisis, the coal industry has spent millions of dollars on a national public awareness campaign, touting the benefits of “Clean Coal” and propagating the nationalistic slogan that coal is “America’s Power”. The idea that coal can be clean is nothing more than a dirty lie. The coal industry accounts for deadly air pollutants, water contamination, fish poisoning, toxic mercury emissions—causing irreversible damage to our health, our food supply and our environment.
In response, Mouth created a digital awareness campaign for Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s Waterkeeper Alliance, called The Dirty Lie (www.thedirtylie.com). The campaign has generated enough press to put us right smack in the middle of the coal wars. Below is a short list of recent press. And we’re just getting started.
Home-Grown Media In The Most Obvious Of Places
Forget the digital space for second. Take a look outside. The next new thing has been following you around your whole life. Shadows are just waiting to come out and surprise, provoke, compel. By using shadows creatively, we can engage people in a way they wouldn’t expect. Imagine the possibilities.
A statue casts a shadow with painted running shoes on its feet. A parking meter casts a shadow of a palm tree for a beer brand. A car casts a shadow of a woman driving with her friends.
The possibilities are endless, limited only by your own imagination. Next time you need to be lulled out of your everyday, just remember, the idea might literally be lurking around the corner.
Making Sense of 2009
2008 was weird and confusing. The market tanked and Pepsi got a new can, again. Between those two important hallmarks we did come together to elect a new president, thank goodness. How we made it through no one knows. What we can tell you is that if the same confounding fate awaits us in 2009, have no fear. We here at Mouth have created a little game to answer all of your questions this year. Good luck and may Mouth be with you.
Click here to play.
…And Two Eyes Made Out Of Clean Coal?
One of 2 things is happening here. Either the the coal industry really is super evil and desensitized to the fact that they are causing tremendous damage to our environment and health, or their creative agency is playing a cruel joke on the jerks they work for. The only place that we can think of where lying to the public is normal and coal is great for Christmas, is hell. And that is where this campaign should go.
Tastemakers, Meet Pacemaker
We love DJ’s. Their dedication to a party and it’s atmosphere is nearly the same as a Ninja’s commitment to staying quiet and calm in sticky situations. In this day of space technology and ipods, carrying a record stash from gig to gig just doesn’t make sense. It is true that there are other options. The problem is CD’s and ipods tend to interrupt the flow of tunes that keep our feet moving all night long.
Tonium to the rescue!
Thanks to the wonderful people at Tonium in Stockholm, professional quality DJ’ing is now accessible to all. It was not designed to replace vinyl, but to simply complement it. That being said, the amazing Pacemaker has made it possible to carry a full on DJ set up that fits in the palm of your hand. The device itself possesses the ability to magically transfer DJ powers to anyone who wishes to have them. Within days of obtaining a Pacemaker you will be able to walk into a club, and throw down a face melting set. The only feature Pacemaker seems to lack is a built in record contract. Viva la Pacemaker!