NEW IDEAS AND TRENDS (old)

Internet of Things Exceeds The Internet of People [Infographic]

by Ron Callari

While we were asleep at the switch learning to "plus one" on Google, the Internet of Things (IOT) just exceeded the number of people that reside on the planet. Beyond just smartphones and tablets, that number of "things" that connect to the Internet will only continue to scale as the growing number of connected gizmos, appliances - and even cows - are coded and catalogued to send messages to the Web.

Is Tulalip Microsoft's Seward Folly?

by Ron Callari

When a god-forsaken parcel of frozen tundra was put up for sale by the Russians back in the mid-1800s, many saw the $7.2 million dollar acquisition as a frivolous venture that would reap no rewards for the U.S. History indicated otherwise. The same might be said about Microsoft and the recently leaked news of its covert social network under development.

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Libya Protesters Speak Out & Sign Off... in Chinese

by China.new

Call it a sign of the times: Anti-Gaddafi Libyan protesters are now flashing banners written in Chinese to get their message directly to China's TV-watchers without the 'benefit' of slanted commentary.

Geothermal Power Gets Hot as Japan's Nuclear Plants are No Longer Cool

by Steve Levenstein

Old & busted: Japan's nuclear plants. New hotness: geothermal power plants! Proponents of sustainable, non-polluting geothermal energy see an opportunity to grab their place in the sun as Japan deals with fallout (so to speak) from the nuclear crisis centered on the Fukushima Daiiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Melon Cream Soda Sandwich Drives Kids to Drink

by Steve Levenstein

Summer sandwiches don't get much cooler than the Melon Cream Soda Sandwich, one of 4 limited edition 'lunch pack' sandwiches seemingly designed by pre-teen chefs.

Did Google+ Beat Facebook To The First Social Media Water Closet?

by Ron Callari

You can't get any more social then taking care of bodily functions in public places. Whether it's men lined up at urinals or ladies collectively freshening up their make-up - water closets or restrooms are about as social as you get. Ironically, hanging out together privately in designated places might be the bull-eye that gives Google+ the competitive edge - heretofore dominated by Facebook.

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Ball-Jointed Stockings Give Girls the Living Doll Look

by Steve Levenstein

You may not be a living dolls but at least now you can look like one. A new type of patterned stocking makes the wearer's knee joints look like ball joints – the type found in some popular Japanese anime figurines.

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Design Your Last Appearance: Your Final Act Of Self Expression:

by Toby

... a London mortuary, Leverton & Sons, has now teamed up with make-up company to the stars, Illamasqua, to give funeral goers a sight they will never forget: the deceased's 'Final Act of Self Expression," directed by the deceased herself.

Will The Social Media Wars Be Won By The 'Best Steward' Of Your Personal Data?

by Ron Callari

News of Google+ is cyberventilating on the blogosphere. While still in a beta test mode, more has been written about its impending launch than anything else they have done in the social media space - and to date that includes a number of starts-sputters-and-stops along the way (less we forget Orkut, Buzz, Google Me, Google+1, etc.) Facebook on the other hand continues to expand exponentially approaching the 3/4 billion mark milestone - leaving little room for others to play catch-up.

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'Flying Piggy' Picks Up Where Angry Birds Leaves Off

by China.new

Don't look now, Angry Birds lovers, but the pigs are on the wing in the downloadable new game “Flying Piggy”. Developed on the cheap by Taiwan's Softstar Entertainment for the Apple iPad (and soon, the iPhone), Flying Piggy is bringing home the bacon as the hottest online game for iPad users in 9 nations - and counting.

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Justin Timberlake Proves To Be Real VC-Man With Ownership Stake In MySpace

Page from "Facebucks & Dumb F*cks" graphic novel

by Ron Callari

As life imitates art, Justin Timberlake who appeared in the award-winning movie "The Social Network" was also satirized in the graphic novel, "Facebucks & Dumb F*cks." As VC-Man, the novel parodies the actor playing the real-life venture capitalist Sean Parker. Today, it was announced that JT will assume that role in real-life with a joint acquisition deal with Specific Media to buy MySpace from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

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Super Combo Ramen Fork Spork Keeps Your Noodles Soupy

by Steve Levenstein

This cool designer ramen “spork” allows slurpers to gulp their noodles with a spoonful of soup on the side. Besides dispensing with wasteful disposable chopsticks, the souped-up spork adds a dash of artistic taste to any bowl of delicious hot ramen!

Google's Social Media Hangouts Challenges Facebook's Friends

by Ron Callari

Google seems to be unshaken by all its missteps, lawsuits and flawed attempts at seeking social media's holy grail - as it makes yet another attempt at trying to beat Facebook at its own game. This time out, it's launching a social networking service called the Google+ project which while looking a lot like Zuckerberg's brain child - is in a lock-down beta mode, only accessible to a select group of testers, hand-picked by the Big G...

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Teachers Expel School Intruder with Two-Pronged 'Man-Catcher'

by Steve Levenstein

Japanese teachers recently subdued and immobilized a knife-wielding intruder using a variation of the traditional, two-pronged Sasumata. The incident highlights this ancient fighting weapon in its modern iteration as a non-violent, noninvasive, “Man-Catcher” school safety device.

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Chinese Cafe Chills Iced Tea with Dry Ice Cubes

by China.new

This isn't the “carbonated” iced tea you were thinking of, though there's plenty of carbon in the ice cubes used to chill it. A Chinese cafe is offering customers wilted by summer heat a VERY cold way to chill out: Bubble Tea made with frozen carbon dioxide, aka Dry Ice!

Schick Japan Animates Your Shave with a 'One Piece' Anime Action Figure

by Steve Levenstein

Schick Japan and anime publisher Shueisha have teamed up for the "One Piece" collaboration and campaign running from July 1st through September 30th. The highlight for anime luvvin' shavers is a collectible Schick Hydro razor stand featuring Monkey D Luffy, star of the immensely popular One Piece manga series.

China's Farmers Could Grow Foods Naturally Enriched in Selenium

by China.new

Chinese geologists have announced that over 28 percent of the soil in the Chinese island province of Hainan is naturally enriched in Selenium. Farm produce grown in selenium-enriched soils incorporate this important trace element, offering health-conscious consumers a safe, environmentally-friendly way to improve their health.

It's No Bull, New 'Pepsi Energy Cola' Gives You a Buzz

by Steve Levenstein

Pepsi Japan just can't kick their habit of rolling out one new cola after another, and this time their seizing the Red Bull by the horns with Pepsi Energy Cola!

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Presidential Social Media, Not Stymied By WeinerGate!

by Ron Callari

Back in February, when Mia Cambronero was stepping down from her post as Social Networks Manager for President Obama, the open position and job description sought job candidates that were "passionate about engaging millions of Americans in advancing President Obama's agenda and changing the country." And going into the 2012 elections, our "social media" head of state is not going to shy away from social media like so many other politicians who fear from the backlash of Representative Weiner's "below the belt" sharing.

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Deep Frying Aims To Make The Kool-Aid Man A Little Rounder

by Kim Patterson

On a day-to-day basis I try to avoid deep fried foods (for obvious artery-clogging type reasons), but if I came across fried Kool-Aid, as is being offered at the San Diego, Calif., County Fair, I think that my curiosity would get the better of me.