17 Ultra Cool Presidential Poster Designs

As a tribute to our new President, I’ve gathered some poster designs that are well-designed, moving or are just plain smart. The amazing thing is that many of these designers aren’t even American, but they believe in what Obama can bring to the American people so much that they’ve been moved to design.

19 Exciting Examples of Green Design, Products and Architecture

Sustainability and style are what make green design, well, green. Green design balances environmental, economic, social and aesthetic concerns. Green design can go by many names: “sustainable design,” “eco-design” or “design for environment.” Green design produces buildings, products and artwork that reduces the amount of non-renewable resources. This helps minimize environmental impact and relates people with the natural environment. Green design is one answer to the global “environmental crisis” – i.e. the rapid growth of economic activity and the booming population coupled with the depletion of natural resources.

Everything from architecture to people’s bodies and computers are being covered with greenery. (Seems like it would be itchy, no?)

BuildingGreen announced its top 10 green building products for 2008. Highlights include:

Integrity block, which is a “compacted-earth block used as a cost-competitive replacement for concrete masonry units.” These blocks consist of up to 60% pre-consumer recycled content and almost half as much cement as standard concrete blocks. It takes 40% less energy to produce them.

PlybooPure bamboo flooring from Smith + Fong is the first bamboo to carry FSC certification. It’s made with low-emitting, non-formaldehyde polyisocyanurate binder. And isn’t the color gorgeous? This is one of those have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too kinds of products – beautiful flooring that’s good for the environment.

Natura Paint from Benjamin Moore is an odorless interior paint. Finally – a completely odorless paint! This paint has zero VOC colorants. Impressive! 

PolyWhey wood finish from Vermont Natural Coatings uses recycled whey protein as a binder. (I mix whey protein into shakes for my strength workouts!) Whey protein is a by-product of the dairy industry, and helps produce this low-odor coating that has no toxic heavy metals and low VOCs. It looks just as good as the dangerous wood finishes! 

On to the more artsy recycled pieces.

Here’s one sculpture outside an Expo hall in Singapore that’s constructed from steel and other wire metal scrapes. Some might think of green art as being something that is biodegradable, but making art out of stuff that would end up landfills qualifies as recycling to me.

I didn’t know this was possible, but you can create grass photographs just by directing light on certain parts of a grassy area. (I say “just” but I don’t mean it in a simplistic way; this takes talent and patience.) The bad thing about grass photos are that they fade when the grass dies. But how beautiful when they’re in bloom! The first two were created by Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey who use long-lasting, genetically modified grass.

How would you like to live in a shipping container? The folks at uShip have decided that surplus of 700,000 shipping containers should be used for living, not just stacking.

20 Inspiring Logos

I love logos that contain some kind of play on words or a play on images. I like the intriguing logos that make me look twice. Your logo should reinforce your brand identity, and it also needs to fit on all of your product packaging, as well as your marketing materials. A good logo is good whether it’s in black and white or color.

Here are 20 inspiring logos that will hopefully give you some ideas for your own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polishing the Chrome

The wars for internet browser dominance have come a long way from the early struggle between netscape and internet explorer which was plagued by a lack of design standards and an emphasis on adding proprietary features over fixing bugs.  That fight ended with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer becoming the de facto web browser of choice and the slow demise of Netscape.  For years Microsoft’s IE browser has held dominance and the vast majority of web surfers don’t even realize there are alternative browsers available to them.  That has slowly been changing with the growing success of Mozilla’s Firefox browser, followed by other would be contenders like Apple’s Safari and Opera Software’s less creatively named Opera browser.

Now a new contender enters the fray.  Originally intended to launch on September 3rd, the beta of Google’s entrant into the battle for browser dominance, Chrome, leaked a day early and has created a firestorm of interest among internet users, due in no small part to the popularity of Google’s search engine.

Like the other new contenders for Microsoft’s throne, Google’s new browser is open source, which means that the program code is available to internet users so that they can add to the code in an effort to improve performance and add features or utility.

In many regards Chrome is a natural progression of the open source browsers that went before it and is largely an evolution of the browser rather than a revolution, though it does have few revolutionary features.  Overall, the user interface is clean and simple, incorporating elements that have become standard to other browsers.  The greatest difference of note is that tabs for tabbed browsing are placed on top of the browser rather than below the address bar, a placement common for other browsers.

Most of the improvements implemented by Chrome would go largely unnoticed to the uninitiated or uninformed.  The most notable of which is the JavaScript V8 engine that is purported to enhance browsing speed and make it the fastest browser available.  From my own testing I can confirm that Chrome is indeed faster and more responsive than Firefox version 3, which had been the leader in browsing speed.

Snappiness aside, the next most noteworthy feature of the new browser is that each tab opened in Chrome is separate or “sandboxed.”  This similar to Internet Explorer 7’s “Protected Mode”.  What this effectively does is segregate any processes or scripts that run in a tab from the rest of the computer.  Though I haven’t had the chance to experience this first hand, this should significantly improve the safety of internet surfing, as mal-ware and spy-ware have become a growing threat to computer users and were one of the primary factors behind users looking for alternatives to the weak security of Internet Explorer’s earlier iterations.

Perhaps the most novel addition to the feature list is “incognito” mode, which enables you to browse the web in complete privacy.  In incognito mode no traces of your web surfing activities (such as cookies, cached pages or browsing history) are saved.  Score another hit to dwindling workplace productivity.

No beta release escapes public scrutiny unscathed, though, and there are already a handful of complaints about the new browser.  The earliest noted issue is a flaw in chrome that can trick users into launching malicious executables directly from the browser and bypassing the sandboxing feature.  Supposedly, this has already been addressed in Java and this will likely be patched quickly.

Perhaps of more significance, is reports from users that upon uninstalling Chrome, the HKCU:Run registry and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/gusvc keys are not deleted, along with the updater.  This has lead to some inconveniences for those who have deleted the program, as they still receive update notices even after the program has supposedly been removed from their computer.  This can be alleviated by deleting the left over directory and making a few simple changes with window’s registry editor, but, honestly, this is an issue that Google should address in later iterations of the browser.

With the amount of positive buzz it has generated, one can safely call the launch of Google Chrome an unparalleled success.  It remains to be seen what share of the browser market Chrome will ultimately steal away from its competitors, but the burgeoning browser is off to a good start.  With the improvements that are sure to come out of its beta phase, Chrome has potential to be the new king of the web browser hill.

Cool Gadgets that Implement Awesome Design

I love Smashing Magazine’s Web site (www.smashingmagazine.com). I especially love the article showcasing “Innovative Design and Devices” for 2008.

A few of my faves: 

The Sony “apple” remote control. I put apple in quotes because I was confused at first – is the remote made by Sony or Apple? It’s made by Sony and just looks like a fresh green apple. Green apples are my fave, by the way. The remote is different from other remotes in that instead of pushing buttons to change the channel and volume, you just wave the remote around in the air. It’s quite weird and intriguing. Wave it to the left to turn the volume down; wave it to the right to turn the volume up. For coach potatoes, it could be just that little amount of exercise they can tolerate. You wave your remote in the air…wave it ’round like you just don’t care. Okay, channeling some 90s hip hop there. But that’s seriously what the illustrating photo looks like. Check it out.

The Toast Messenger is another fave of mine. It’s totally a want and not a need. It’s really a waste of money, but no more so than lottery tickets, in my opinion. You write a message on the top of this one-slice toaster and badaboom: your toast comes out with your message lightly burned into the top of it. This would be very sweet for your sweetie in the morning, leaving love messages in his or her toast. Yeah, okay, blech – too sweet! On another note, it might help parents get their kids to eat toast, that is, if their kids don’t like toast. I’ve never known a kid that didn’t like toast, but then again, I don’t know many kids.

I’m also digging the Eclipse Partitioning System, which is a non-cubicle cubicle. It’s a desk in a pod. The pod’s hood opens and closes and the coolest part is that that hood can change colors. It can also change scenery. That’s right, scenery, people. So when you’re sitting in your pod and you want to be outside, just push a button and the pod’s hood changes the scene so you’re watching a golden field sway in the wind. You can also gaze at a sunset sky filled with oranges, yellows and blues. The whole pod is on wheels, which makes it super portable, which I believe was the main point, but I was too taken with the scenery changes to care about moving it. Why move it when the scenery can change without you moving? Channeling all coach potatoes….

Last but not least I’d like to mention the Vaio Zoom notebook. This is an awesome laptop that doubles as a piece of art, almost. It uses holographic technology to make the laptop screen clear (the whole screen is clear, no plastic or other material holds the screen) and the keyboard goes opaque when the computer is turned off. When it’s on, you can see the keyboard, and the screen looks like a normal computer screen. It sounds quite distracting – perfect for work!

Time For High School Musical 2

It’s the start of something new for the teenagers of High School Musical. From the highly popular Disney original movie, the cast are now getting out of school for summer vacation.

 

Troy Bolton got a job at a highly exclusive country club of Sharpay’s parents and then ends up getting everybody jobs at the same country club, which of course, irritated the heck out of Sharpay. Gabriella got to be the new lifeguard, while the others (like Troy’s best friend Chad) got to work in the kitchen. There were problems and changes in the movie but in the end, as always, love conquers all.

 

The movie is a sequel to the Disney Channel movie that boosts the careers of two of the hottest actors nowadays, not to mention the soundtrack that got the best-selling album award in 2006. If you’re still not familiar with Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, you might want to ask your 14 year old sister or brother who’ll definitely give out the most information you may need.

 

This time, songs like “Start of Something New”, “Breaking Free”, and “Get’cha Head In the Game” are replaced with songs that are appropriate for the sequel’s poolside and ritzy country club backdrop. The Wildcats are singing to the tune of summertime gigs (“What Time Is It”), summer love that’s lost and then found again (“Everyday”), as well as an interesting music about baseball accompanied by a very upbeat background of the “heavy batter, batter” chorus (“I Don’t Dance”).

 

The movie also got to feature more songs by Zac Efron (Troy Bolton) which confirms his vocal prowess indeed.

 

And as usual, the movie sequel again tackled the love between Troy and Gabriella and the conflicts that would, hopefully, make them stronger as a couple.

 

Everyone would sure have fun watching this Disney movie and relive the times when you were still on the brink of first loves and best-friends-forever type of stories.

Simpsons: The Movie – Potential Controversy Stir

An article I ran through this morning caught my attention. It was about the Simpson’s Movie and the subjects it was targetting. (For reference, view the article here.) Similar to the Da Vinci Code, the Simpson’s Movie will be targetting topics on religion and is foreseen to cause a stir within religious groups. Similarly, environmentalists will be hot on their heels after they watch this film. Of course hints of these targets are mostly subliminal although there might be some quick straight to the point statements. For the percentage of the audience not as crazy about the Simpsons, this movie will further re-iterate their beliefs that this movie, very much like the series, is just as flooded with inane characters and a meaningless plot and has a strong chance of being held as a complete waste of time. Then again, it isn’t the straightforward plot where the moral lies, but deep within, imperceptible to the common mind.

What A PDA Can Do To Me

I’m in a rut today and all because my half-wit of a brother left the house with my PDA in tow. Bugger! And worst of all, I have this nagging feeling that I have to do something on a certain day but I just can’t seem to remember. Think, think, think! Woe is me with a feeble and overused mind! Argghhhh! I need my PDA!

But what do I see peeking from my bed covers? As I bend over and investigate I was surprised to see a calendar there on the floor. Dumped and forgotten, I pulled it out and rolled it slowly to see if it’s still worth using. Lo and behold! It still has the same quality as if it was just yesterday that I had it done by this online printing company. I remember that I had calendars printed last Christmas to give away as presents. Thank God for Christmas. Better yet, thank God for these primitive yet still-useful print calendars.

As I went back to the basics and struggled to extract dates and appointments from my chaotic mind and onto the grids, I realize how much PDAs, or technology in general, has made us so dependent and almost incapable of simple tasks we used to be so able to do ourselves. A simple notepad or a calendar or the concentrated strength of a human mind, these are all capable of keeping dates and tracking appointments. But the existence of such gadgets that make our life “easier” eventually renders us weak and less reliable to our own selves. It’s cool to have cellphones, laptops and playstation but there are some things we can make do without and instead go back to basics with. With this thought, my brother can keep that cursed PDA while I make my way to get me Ginkgo Biloba.

I am an Addict

Hi, I am George, I am an addict.

 

I always wanted to say that. But I guess I am addicted to a different kind of stuff than most AA participants are. I am a movie addict. That is an understatement. Some people prefer a specific genre of film: action, romantic comedy, sci-fi, etc. But me, I just love movies in general. This is how I escape the confinement of everything that is banal.

 

I have transformed my house to be like a museum of sorts. You see, I have a collection of memorabilia, costumes, and posters of movies I love. In the second floor bathroom, I proudly hang my latest acquisition: a Spiderman 3 poster. So cool! The red and blue Spidey sticking to a building façade with those round hornet-like eyes, arms outstretched, ready to spew out his ultimate weapon, is a sight to gaze at while I relieve myself of the sins of always munching on a burger. I have a ‘Gone in the Wind’ poster in my living room – that is a classic!

 

While looking at them I can’t help but wonder how it is like to make well designed posters like these. How did the poster printing companies come up with something totally awesome? I guess you really have to be very artistic and creative to capture the essence, the entirety of the film in one picture and at the same time entice the movie-going public to spend their hard-earned dollars to be entertained for a couple of hours. That is a work of a demi-god I reckon– a demi-god poster printer. But as for me, I will just be contented in filling up my house with everything that would remind me that life has its highs!

Price Wars

Oh conundrum! Referrals are supposed to be a good thing, ain’t it? So why am I stuck in the middle of two of my clients playing tug of war with the price that I supposedly should be the one giving?

 Let’s slow down a minute… Client A was my client few weeks back. She completely fell in love with the pictures! In her utmost joy she referred us to a friend of hers, Client B. So we do a shoot for Client B. She loved it too! Now, Client A found out how low our charge was for the shoot (it was a 2-day shoot, bytheway). And upon finding out the measly price of the 2-day shoot, she started calling us and rattling on and on about how we should’ve been paid more and how she’s going to tell Client B to pay more when in truth, we, the photographers, are more than perfectly OK with the charge we did. There mightve a miscommunication with the price before the actual shoot but nonetheless, we were already paid and as far as we are concerned, its the end of the transaction. No additions, no refunds. With what Client A is doing, unnecessary attention is therefore shun onto this rather impertinent matter! And the worse part is, we’re the ones in the middle, seeming victims of this little triteful argument. To seal the thing off, we just told Client B that we do charge more but we gave her a pretty good discount on the service we rendered and just told her to keep her mouth zipped about the matter.  We aren’t really on the losing end you see? Maybe thats why such a fuss is trivial to me. We have printing coupons on the photo printing, but of course, quality is not sacrificed. There is such a thing as our pride in our work, you know?

 So anyway, before someone pulls somebody else’s hair, I hope this thing mulls over. Not a good thing to be in between two hot swords.

Printing Discounts for Amateur Photographers

Late last year, digital cameras, both point-and-shoot DSLRs, have become really affordable and accessible to the public. Old and young folk alike cluttered over to the nearest Best Buy and Circuit City to grab a Canon, Nikon or Olympus that suits their liking and budget. This sudden overstock of cameras has led to quite a handful of people aspiring to become photographers or at least anxious to shoot and print their first collection. However, good quality printing cannot be availed at just any price. As many online printing companies there are online, not all can promise good quality printing. So where to go now?

For those who want standard print sizes of 4×6, 5×7, 6×9 or 8.5×11, you can get cheap prints with good quality from Costco, Target, Walmart or another major general retail merchandiser. Better watch out though, not all general merchandise stores can give you good printing quality. For those who want poster-sized and poster-quality prints, however, it is very much recommended that you send your print files to an online print shop. The tricky part is, how to get one that offers the same price as your retail store? In this context, you will have to scour for coupons to get printing discounts for your online printing store. Next question you might ask is “how do I get printing discounts?” Different online printing companies have different ways of offering printing coupons to the public. One way is that you subscribe to their mailing list or register as an online customer (don’t worry you don’t need to buy anything to be able to be a registered user). Some online printing companies buy email lists and send out printing coupons to these addresses, and well if you’re lucky, then you might land a printing discount in your inbox. But try guessing the likelihood of that happening! Another way to get printing discounts online is to type in printing coupons or printing discounts in Google. Look through the SERPs but most importantly try looking through the PPC ads. They give out discounts to customers who enter their site through paid ads. Another way is of course the traditional cut-it-off-from-a-newspaper discount coupon. Still works!

As I end my little post, I hope I was able to give you some ideas on how to get your photos printed within your budget. But at the same time, remember not to sacrifice the quality of your prints for the price. You wouldn’t want to be known as the wash-out photographer do you? Good luck and happy shooting!