We all confess our secrets to google using search tearms, but will they misuse this information?

In the beginning years of internet it was all about the freedom of information, in the meanwhile it has become clear that information is not as free as we thought. Some big companies and service providers own the information and can use it for different ends, they can also actually control the flow of information as Google does in China where certain websites will not be found. Simultanously Google has to appear in court in US because they refused to deliver information to the state about the search words the public where using.



Both Google and Microsoft are 2 of many companies that aggregate a lot of information about their customers, when they sign-up for a service i.e. personal information is being submitted, but what remains mostly unnoticed for many people is that the companies are using some very advanced software tools to track the traffic an individual is doing when surfing the web. All of this information is off course is worth a lot of money to other companies that can use it for very targetted advertising. Google claims that it is using some of the information they collect such as search words to develop improved services. The spelling suggestions that Google give are based on the mistakes and corrections that they have tracked during some years.
Want some privacy? IT-gurus say kill your cookies!
(no guarantees provided, all actions that you may take based on this advise are your own responsibility)

Will the 60+ be the new trend-setters and inspirators for the young generation soon?

Just 3 months ago 68 year old Jane Fonda has been contracted to be the face of the new anti-wrinkle cream of L'Oreal. Just about at the same time Diane Keaton 60 years old has also been contracted to represent a similar type of product, just one month ago it was announced that Sophia Loren aged 71 will pose in the next edition of the exclusive Italian Pirelli calender where the models are usually nude. It seems that some companies are finally starting to talk to the 50+ generation directly through their own generational celebrities.



And of course it helps that these celebrities still look very good.


http://www.realself.com/christie_brinkley_sharon_stone_and_diane_keaton_et_al.html

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The 60+ will certainly become more and more dominating in society just because of sheer numbers. Many of them have quite a lot of money to spend, their needs and values are different to younger generations, so we are likely to see many new products and services popping up targeted to this generation.



What is also interesting to note is that many people in that generation may have a more modern or liberal view of the world than today’s young generation. This phenomenon has been quoted saffism named after Edinas daughter Saffy from Absolutely Fabulous. Edina, the mother is wild and seems to never grown up, Saffy is serious, moralistic and health-conscious, disapproving of the rebellious teenage behavior of her mother who's irresponsible, getting drunk, taking drugs and doing illegal things.

Coffee pop-up

I saw this nice coffee kiosk, espresso on wheels, coffee pop-up shop in Gent on a central square. Quite awesome that also coffee can be put into a little van and sold on-the-go. The little coffee kiosk is completely packed with products such as special coffees and taste-makers as liquors and caramels. By the way they also make hot chocolate and teas.

Open conversations on web 2.0

Kids seem to be behaving in virtual spaces in a way that is difficult for older generations to understand. On MySpace.com or on blogs an entire generation of teenagers are sharing with the public what we used to write in secret in a diary or only share with our closets friends. Today’s teenagers seem to perceive the internet space in a completely different way compared to older generations. The language is different and the rules of conduct are different. The older generation thinks of the internet as a public space whereas it seems that the young generation see the internet as one big platform where you can express yourself without (almost) any limitation. Internet probably creates a sort of anonymity and informality that inspires unrestrained behavior.


www.blogster.com
www.meganmccafferty.com
www.myspace.com

Self-healing materials

Nature has always been a great source of inspiration for designers and scientists. Now we have spotted some of the first commercial products on the market that have self-healing properties, comparable to how your skin heals itself. “It’s very exciting” says Sandy Spaan, Philips Designs Material & Finishing innovation consultant at Philips Design. “It means for example that if your car gets a scratch it can repair itself”.
source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1901520,00.html

Milan Designweek 2006

“This years design fair in Milan was definitely in a different mood than a couple of years ago” says Shirley Muijrers, one of the Philips Design trend analysts that went to Milan this year to watch all the new stuff. “2 years ago, the mood was very romantic and decorative, this year it seemed less optimistic. There was still a lot of decoration but it was more bling-bling or baroque opulent, with lots of mirror-effects and Swarowski-crystals. The exhibition by Lexus was very impressive, there was a room full of threads that you had to dive through to find the cars, and it was a very sensuous and disorientating experience”.

Lexus “fiber space”

Lexus “fiber space” by tokujin yoshioka

EXAMPLES OF BAROQUE OPULENCE WITH A TWIST

“biscuit” Studio Jobs for Royal Tichelaar,

Garden design by Job Smeets at “Post Mortem”
by Design Academy Eindhoven,

“Perished” screen by studio Jobs at Dilmos Gallery

‘swarm chandelier’ by zaha hadid,

z.island kitchen by Zaha Hadid

Quin.MGX designed by Bathsheba Grossman
 and manufactured by Materialise.MGX.

One_Shot.MGX designed by Patrick Jouin and manufactured by Materialise.MGX.

The Conceptual age

In his book “the whole new mind” Daniel H. Pink un-folds the idea of the next paradigm; the conceptual age. He describes the drivers behind it, the 3 A’s; Abundance, Asia and Automation. A big part of the book is dedicated to the 6 senses that we need to develop to survive and thrive in the conceptual age; story, empathy, play, meaning, symphony and design. The book is easy to read and gives very hands-on ideas of how to develop the necessary survival skills.