I came back from RailsConf this year completely energized, there are just so many exciting things happening in the Rails community right now. There's simply no better time to be working with Rails! I'd been to the previous 3 RailsConfs, but this one really stood out for me. The event was punctuated by an outstanding closing keynote by the always energetic Gary Vaynerchuk!

Besides Gary V, my conference highlights were (in no particular order)......

There is a large mix of multimedia on display here - some of it displaying new product, some of it used as spaces for people to play in and discover, and some of it just as ambient kinetic art like some of the laser projections on buildings at night. Here's a short video tour of a few of the interactive pieces that I've seen so far. The first segment is a new Philips light product that reacts to objects placed near it by turning itself off, creating a kinetic pattern of light squares. Next, some small LED panels create an interesting text wall. Then an interactive piece with different graphics assigned to mobile forms that change when moved. And in the dutch design forum, a pretty unique interactive piece, where human bodies are used as conductors - the user must touch two different portions of exposed skin and when this connection is made, a sound is generated. Following is a Sony installation where the entire room is transformed into a sound-contained space, and sound triggers objects animated on screen. Different screens in the space treat sound as visuals in different ways, each expressing the sound through animation... More to come.

Day 2 of the Salone and we're off in the wild of Milan. As mentioned, there isn't much of the city that isn't participating in the event, and Interni magazine and many others have maps of all the offsite events tagged on them - some so dense that street names arent even visible! Today we saw a lot of new products and got a look at the way a lot of companies present their collections...

As promised, I'll be posting from here in Milan at the Design Fair. If you haven't been to the Salone Del Mobile, it is a design experience that is like no other, and inspiration seeps from every corner and alleyway in the city. While the "Salone" actually takes place at the convention center just a short metro ride away from the city center, there is a massive amount of design activity throughout the entire city. Just about every local gallery and empty apartment space in the entire city radius is rented, with product launches, exhibitions, live creations, grafitti art and design ephemera assaulting your senses constantly. It's heaven...

I know the Olympics are old news but I thought it appropriate to pay tribute to the unsung hero of the 2010 Winter Olympics: the medals themselves. With all of the filler spots, commercials, interviews and replays, I didn't see one single spot that explained the meaning or making-of the actual medals themselves. I suppose I found this surprising because before the Winter Olympics even began, I happened upon this video via Motherboard that featured the design process behind the Olympic medals, and I was fascinated. Consequently, during the last two weeks as athletes from around the world received, held, kissed and bit their hard-won medals, my eyes were completely glued to the precious objects. 

Made from recycled electronic waste, these eco-friendly Olympic medals are one of a kind, literally. Each medal bears a unique cropping of a larger work of art created by Corinne Hunt, a First Nations designer from the Raven Gwa’waina clan, of the Kwakwaka’wakw village on Vancouver Island. The original artwork depicts the native orca, and the result on each individual medal is an abstract design of organic lines and shapes, combined with the tactility of an undulating surface which references the landscape of British Columbia. I imagine it's an object that's hard to put down. They are also very un-wimpy, weighing in at about 580g. I would totally rocket myself down ice or snow at some disgusting mile an hour for a chance at one of those sweet medals.

Studio AKA animation for BBC Winter Olympics 2010: Click "READ IT!" for the video link

At last year's RailsConf, one of the keynote speakers was Timothy Ferriss, author of the 4-hour Workweek. While I really didn't enjoy Tim as a keynote speaker, I was intrigued enough to pick up his book and I'm happy I did. While I'm not enjoying 4-hour work weeks just yet (nor do I aspire to), there were a lot of useful lessons in there that I've been able to put into practical use....

I am a designer. And not the geeky kind, the really cool kind. Like most effortlessly cool creatives, I carry a Moleskine notebook as a rule. My thoughts and doodles are that important. If you're a designer, writer, or artist of any kind then you most likely have a few Moleskine's lying around as well. You're part of the Moleskine community and as in any community, when you spot a fellow Moleskine owner, it's like you share a secret handshake. You can safely assume they've got good taste, just like you.

But to all of my fellow Moleskiners, I ask this simple question: Has the Moleskine notebook suddenly become mainstream? Are we toting a hard-covered, pocket-sized cliché?

What is the color of sound? With Benjamin Moore's new microsite, Paint With Ben, you get to choose. Their agency of record AKQA created this slick, clever site to seduce young, design-savvy homeowners into trying a new, premium line of paints, "Ben". Just pick your word and your color, then write up a run down of what your color/word combo means to you... 

Creatives, take solace. Your math skills may sometimes let you down, or your powers of memorization may be worthless. But you – along with your approach, your way of dealing with information and your ideas – are the most valuable type of employee, leader and partner. Or, at least according to Daniel H. Pink, you will be soon...

If you haven't discovered Kacie Kinzer's Tweenbots project yet, you're in for a smile. These vulnerable, cardboard bots are let loose in the big apple with nothing but a destination written on their flag, and a smile. They scoot along in a straight line and rely upon strangers to point them home. Click "Read It" to see the video...

To be modern is to find ourselves in an environement that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world — and at the same time that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are.

Marshall Berman
All That Is Solid Melts Into Air

In a previous post I mentioned how the latest ad campaign Apple is running for the new MacBook pro really influenced my decision to upgrade. I love the ad and think it's extremely well executed. I do, however, find Apple's "Green" play interesting. For a company reknowned for setting trends, they seem to be jumping on the environmental bandwagon a bit later than I would have expected.

In any case, it's a great ad and a great product - check it out!

The new MacBook Pro ads had a lot to do with my decision to upgrade (and I couldn't be happier with my decision). Who wouldn't want a 17" screen and 8hrs of battery life!

I decided it would be interesting to dig around and see what the ads were like for my MacBook's ancestors - here's what I found.

In my opinon, their adverstising has come a long way.....