Archives for September, 2008

Back up your stats, SMHPosted on September 29, 2008

The SMH had an article today on how gamers aren’t the sloppy, podgy nerds they have been stereotyped as.
It’s all a bit of a fluff piece but I take issue with this line -

Gamers also took part in vigorous exercise once or twice a week, more than most people.
Once or twice a week? [...]

Tags: random thoughts

Diesel make porn safe for workPosted on

To celebrate its 30th birthday, Diesel is throwing a global party (or more accurately, a party in 17 cities across the world) and they have created a campaign called Diesel XXX, making porn safe for work.
They have taken porn videos and photoshopped over them making the images innocent and safe for work.

I love [...]

Tags: Marketing

When Marketing take over interaction designPosted on September 28, 2008

Sigh. I have seen screens like this way too often, but right now I am tired, sick and cranky and figured Carsguide need a bit of public shaming.

Hey Carsguide - as much as I’d love to enter the location and hit the search button, you decided that it would be a better idea to [...]

Tags: Usability

I got off lightlyPosted on September 21, 2008

So I was just complaining about the crap help at Youmenow.com (serves me right for using such a teenybopping site) but after reading their terms and conditions, I think I got off lightly.
Things we don’t promise
13.2 We do not promise you any of the following:
13.2.2 That death, personal injury or property damage [...]

Tags: random thoughts

The most unhelpful help on the internetPosted on

I know it’s a big call (there’s a lot of garbage out there) but I think I’ve just found the most useless help page on the entire internet.
I just bought the Darth Vader theme ringtone (so I can tell when my parents are calling), and the website confirmed all was ok. It was going [...]

Tags: Usability

Amazing stop motionPosted on September 18, 2008

I’ve been getting really into Stop Motion films lately, I really love them as a medium.
I’ve just seen an amazing stopmotion video - a guy in LA took 2 photos of himself (front and back) every day for 17 years.

That’s dedication!
I love watching him get fat then thin, hair get long then [...]

Tags: random thoughts

Build your own Power bar (as long as you like sugar)Posted on September 17, 2008

Element Bars have just launched a site where you can make your own protein/power/nutrition bars by picking your ingredients from the website and buying them in packs of 36.
It’s a great idea as I don’t like the commercial nutrition bars available - they are always too sweet and make me feel sick as I [...]

Tags: innovation, random thoughts

Total marketing screwup from 3MPosted on

Photo by Flickr user Scott Ableman
I’m sure most of you remember the Post-it note Jaguar prank photo that was doing the rounds a few years ago.
Well it turns out that a year later 3M decided to give this whole viral thing a go and contacted the photographer to use the photo in a US-wide [...]

Tags: Marketing

Best job ad everPosted on September 16, 2008

I am in total awe of this job ad from Murder Burger in NZ, as photographed by Flickr user Noface2.

The full sized image is here.
I wish that 1) I could write like that, and 2) that I worked there. They sound like fun.

Tags: random thoughts

Stick with what you knowPosted on

When we made the t-shirts, we decided we wanted a funky little label sewn on, not anything screen-printed. So we ordered some funky little labels, and the label company asked if we’d like them sewn into the shirts for an extra 95c each.

Photos by Flickr user Passenger57.
Being a start-up, we decided to save costs [...]

Tags: random thoughts