Folded Shirt Cuff Shows Off Watch

Noticed that Stephen Colbert had a simply clever trick to flash his watch from under his shirt cuff on The Colbert Report last night. He (or his stylist) just folded in the “corner” of the cuff down to where it hits the button, which makes a nice little window allowing the watch to be seen.

I’m sure this isn’t new, but it’s the first i’ve noticed it. I’ll probably try it out next time i’m wearing something with cuffs. See it in action in this clip starting at about 1:30.

http://youtu.be/aMfSGt6rHos

Chipotle has shared a behind the scenes look into the production of this stop-motion animated ad, and while watching it i spotted a Canon DSLR, which appears to be the 5D Mark II, obviously shooting stills and not video (stop motion).

Canon 5D Mark II in a stop motion control rig.

http://youtu.be/AFlbGwAW7rw

The New Header Design Above the Old

Amazon.com (or is it just Amazon now?) just redesigned the header across their site, along with a few other elements on the home page. Product pages seem untouched, aside from the new header. They’ve stripped almost all the color from the previously teal-blue header bar with orange buttons. It is now in shades of gray, with just a few select touches of color, some orange notification type and a few blue links. It looks bigger and less cluttered, yet is actually just a few pixels shorter.

No More .com, Uncolored Departments Menu

The .com has been dropped from logo at top left, and the type weight slightly adjusted so the name appears larger and clearer. The Shop by Department menu is now hidden until you pop it open, and submenus expand more uniformly with more rich content. The search bar now appears nearly twice as tall, with all elements (department selector and go buttton) integrated into a single visual element, much like Firefox’s recent Address Bar revisions. The cart button is a larger and much cleaner line graphic now without a text label.

Cart and Lists are separated from the integrated Search Bar

Front page “headline” banner type is now in gray, with highlights in only one color per piece, instead of gray with orange and blue, and the typeface is slightly lighter-weight and less narrow.

Lighter, less-compressed typeface, fewer colors.

This feels very much like what Google has been doing to their products. I’m a fan of these clean, tailored designs. Stripping the old-web glitter, decluttering, combining elements, and making things larger and clearer and grayer, with more breathing room all around. Color is becoming a much more conscious choice, used for emphasis, instead of ambiance. Amazon must be doing a phased roll-out or A/B testing, because in Firefox i get the new version, and in Chrome i still get the old.

Red with big elements and plenty of white space.

Coincidentally, i just saw the other day that Target did a major redesign of their entire site. It’s very on-brand for them. Very designy and clean, yet fun (no capital letters) and easy. It looks more like one of their print ads or TV commercials now, instead of just a web store. I don’t shop Target.com often, so i’m less familiar with the changes, though i definitely did notice that it was new when i visited last week. They even made a little video to show it off.

Update: Apparently, Target’s redesign is a complete relaunch of their entire web store presence in order to be independent of Amazon.com who previously ran their e-commerce services. That explains the “reset your password” links on their new homepage. I had no idea that Target’s redesign was related to Amazon when i started writing this. It was just an ironic coincidence that i noticed both their redesigns this week.

*That’s a reference to the trend in films to color grade everything severely orange and teal.

Deus Ex: The Eyeborg Documentary

[via Joystiq]

A feature idea for Plex or Xbox or any media center. Physical media are becoming more and more obsolete. Yet many of us still have them sitting on shelves next to the TV, and may keep them forever for whatever reason. While they take up space, there’s something about being able to pick up and hold and look at something tangible when trying to pick a movie to watch (or browsing music). However, many of us have or would like to have all our media stored digitally on the local system or a NAS or the “cloud”. There’s no doubt that it’s more convenient to be able to play movies and music from a purely abstract/digital interface, without having to find and load a disc and switch all the gear to the proper playback settings.

So, as a shortcut, using a camera device like the Kinect, or perhaps a smartphone camera or a remote with a camera/scanner, you could simply snap a shot of the DVD case (or barcode), and the media center app (Plex, or Logitech Harmony-ish system) would identify the movie, put the system into the proper playback mode, and start playing it from the storage device. Imagine holding a DVD box up to your TV screen (with a Kinect-type device) as if to say “I want to watch this”, and it just happened.

I guess it sounds a bit like a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s kind of a round-about way to do it, especially if you already have your DVD collection ripped and stored on your computer. But flipping through pages of thumbnails on a screen à la iTunes or Netflix can be overwhelming. Sometimes it’s easier to just grab something off a shelf.

For that matter, this idea could easily be extended to playback things you *don’t* have in your collection. Tying in to streaming/rental services, on your smartphone you could click a “watch now” button on Amazon.com or IMDB or Get Glue, and start watching right away on your TV. You could “scan” a TV commercial for a movie or TV show and start watching it right away. Or scan a poster and have it ready to watch when you get home.

In fact, thinking about it now, i’m sure someone must already have done something like this.

So effortless, you don't even have to look at what you're doing.

PS: i don’t understand why most “premium” mice are still not designed to the shape of a human hand. If it’s made to be “stylish” or ambidextrous, then it’s 100% compromise. If you’re gonna spend that much on a mouse, go for a Performance MX and call it a day. If you want touch input, Apple are the masters, and the Magic Trackpad is the real deal.

This was in Woodbridge, 58 miles northwest of the epicenter in Mineral, VA. It shook for a solid 20–30 seconds, followed by softer rumblings for another 30 seconds. The video starts 10–15 seconds after the quake first hit.

I’ve felt one or two minor quakes in the years that i’ve lived in Northern Virginia, as well as the big ’89 in San Francisco and others in Kodiak, Alaska when i was younger, but something this strong on the East Coast was just unreal.

As i’m posting this at midnight, i have not seen any other videos shot live during the earthquake. #Exclusive!

20110824-01:29 Update: USGS has clocked 4 aftershocks so far, ranging in magnitude from 2.2 to 4.2. I’ve felt at least the two stronger ones in Woodbridge.

Marketing copywriter Jeremy Reeves explains on Visual Website Optimizer what the long sales letter is. I have seen these before, but didn’t know it had its own category.

I always thought they looked so tacky and poorly designed, but it seems there is some strategy to them. It turns out i’m mostly right. Long sales letters almost always have miserable design (the kind of design that instantly turns me off — no matter what the product). But, as 37signals has shown, they don’t always have to.

Via Ramit Sethi on Twitter.

Originally submitted at Timberland

Introducing the Men's Earthkeepers™ 6-Inch Zip Boot. Our Earthkeepers™ collection features tough, rugged footwear made with the environment in mind.

Men’s Earthkeepers™ 6-Inch Zip Boot

Looks Great But Never Knew Tims Ran Big

Sizing: Feels full size too big

Pros: Stylish

Cons: Poor Fit

I ordered two of these in Black and Tan, size 12 – my normal size. But i never knew Timberlands ran so big. I probably need an 11. They were too big even with double socks. And they only tighten around the ankle – there’s no way to get them snug around the foot without getting a different size. So i had to return them, which is very unfortunate, because after i got them they became discontinued and i wasn’t able to order an exchange. And i lost 21 bucks in upgraded shipping because i had to return these over-sized boots.

The boots looked great, but i couldn’t wear them. I would have loved them in the correct size.

(legalese)

These are my favorite things from 2010. I wish i could say this was complete, but i’m sure there are some i haven’t thought of. And it’s not necessarily only stuff that was new in 2010, as long as i experienced it in 2010 i considered it for this list.

Movie:

Inception. Obviously. The Hurt Locker takes a strong 2nd place. Yes, i know it was a 2009 flick, but i didn’t see it until January. And probably Toy Story 3 if i had to fill out the podium. Honorable mention goes to Food, Inc. for kicking off an eye-opening look into the food that i eat.

Scene:

“Married Life” from Up. I fell in love with it at the Best Picture screening in February. Storytelling perfection with a matching score. Pure magic. Makes me cry every time. Shout outs to Hurt Locker’s gritty sniper battle and the zero-gravity hotel fight from Inception.

Song:

“Bedroom Intruder Song.” Nothing else could touch its simple, clever Auto-Tune-The-News catchiness, and infectious unplugged cover at the end of the video. This coming from the guy who had the same 6 old CDs in the the changer for most of the year. There just wasn’t much of anything new catching my ear this year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Antoine Dodson wins a Grammy for Best Song.

Composer:

Michael Giacchino. I discovered this year that Giacchino’s signature piano and string chords were behind many of my favorite recent soundtracks. Namely Up‘s score, especially the “Married Life” scene — at the same time the happiest and saddest four notes. And of course the theme songs to the lives of our favorite castaways on Lost.

TV Show:

Dexter. The only show i’ve seen that gets better each season. Just superb writing. I might have started season one in 2009 but worked through the rest of it throughout 2010, finally catching up with season five in December. Should also mention Mad Men. My other favorite, also watched it beginning to end this year. Still can’t quite put my finger on why it’s good, but it just is. I relate a lot to the flawed leads of those two shows. Top Gear also has a place here — steady the most funny and entertaining series on the planet. New episodes or reruns, it fills the gap in mainstream television’s off season. It’s been up and down but after seven seasons The Office has established itself as a classic. I re-watched the show from the beginning on Netflix in November and caught several key episodes i’d never seen.

Title Sequence

“Morning Routine” from Dexter. Sure, it’s a few years old, but i only just got into it this year. I watch the intro every time. Great visuals and great music set the tone for the show. Food, Inc. had very clever opening credits, and Up in the Air‘s had some interesting visuals.

Character:

Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan on Dexter. You just have to watch the show. She’s amazing. Also grew fond of James May, the compulsive, nerdy, and very very funny ⅓ of Top Gear‘s hosts. They started with a different presenter in the show’s first series, and when May replaced him in the next, everything clicked — the balance of chemistry between all 3 hosts was perfect. May’s short BBC series Toy Stories that aired this summer in the US was fun and inspiring.

Commercial:

Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” The best ad and campaign of the past 10 years.

Quote:

The only quotes i can remember are from TV. “They make it look so easy. Connecting with another human being. It’s like no one told them it’s the hardest thing in the world.” —Dexter, season 5 finale. And, “I’m on a horse.”

YouTube Video:

Ken Block’s Gymkhana THREE, Part 2; Ultimate Playground; l’Autodrome, France, basically the ultimate i wish video. Incredible car control and an incredible machine. That Double Rainbow guy is always good for a laugh.

Facebook Memes:

FML. And “Best Sung Hooks on Rap Songs.”

Tweets:

“If you’re havin’ code problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a glitch ain’t one.” —@gohinty
“Would you ask a cabbie to take you somewhere for free because it’s just a short trip & they have a fun job? Then why ask an artist the same?” —@thekateblack
“I am informed by a comment on my blog: ‘Religion is to spirituality what porn is to sex.’” —@ebertchicago
“What does homie play?” —@brianbolter
“Saturday night just logged me out due to inactivity.” —@badbanana
“DC: Four months of Winter. 15 days of Spring. Seven months of Summer. 15 days of Fall.” —@danr

App/Service/Website:

Plex. Absolutely beautiful piece of software. Makes watching movies and TV shows from a Mac effortless. Honorable mention to Adobe Lightroom. Once you crest that learning curve, wrangling thousands of photos and processing RAW images is almost fun. I keep discovering new features and shortcuts that make exploring the software a treat. And then there’s Gmail. Because i just cannot imagine email without it. Not simply “still around” after 6 years, but constantly evolving, improving, and going strong. I still use Ping.fm everyday to blast my social networks.

Game:

Battlefield Bad Company 2. Wipes the floor with Call of Duty and Halo. And EA/Dice are doing DLC right. Instead of charging outrageous prices for map packs, many of which are recycled from previous games, and are essentially a coat of paint over the same game, BfBC2 gives you all new map packs for free. Then you can pay for DLC that unlocks actual new gameplay modes. Throw-back nod to Tetris. I dug up the old NES and played some during Christmas break. It’s a timeless game, so simple and still so challenging after more than 20 years.

Place:

Bed.

Drive:

Leaving Old Rag mountain. A spirited chase through winding Virginia countryside roads at magic hour.

Restaurant:

Chipotle. A 12-inch square of foil stuffed before your eyes with good, quality food for six bucks. Can’t really be beat. Definitely my go-to this year.

Burger:

Special-of-the-week lamb burger with sauteed cherry tomatoes, arugula, and (i think) mozzarella cheese at Chadwicks in Old Town Alexandria. I tried about 40 different burgers this year, and this one stood above them all. Perfectly cooked juicy lamb, and the sauteed tomatoes made the perfect “sauce” component — fresh, juicy, and tangy without requiring ketchup or other condiments. Arugula added unique flavor you don’t get from lettuce. The “Soul Burger Number One” from Ray’s Hell Burger was a close second. Ray’s burgers are a little too imposing to me.

Meal:

“Cuba” pork & pineapple tacos at Surfside. All the right flavors after a day of walking around DC.

Flavor:

Honey-Chipotle. Discontinued from the fajitas at On The Border, so i tried making my own and put it on Chipotle burritos. 1:1 honey and Chipotle Tobasco.

Recipe:

Perfect Thin and Crispy French Fries. Super-easy to make, and come out better than McDonald’s fries on their best day.

Purchase:

Canon EOS 7D digital SLR camera. A big chunk of change, but worth every penny. I researched for a month and decided to get a 7D over a smaller T2i. I initially planned to use it as a video camera, but i’ve used it almost entirely for shooting stills. Discovering the possibilities of shooting and editing RAW photos and learning about the qualities of different lenses has been eye-opening. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this thing can do. Second fave cop-of-the-year is the Alpha Industries jacket i stole from Gilt in March for only $40. Finally got a chance to wear it when it got cold, and it’s awesome.

Lens:

Minolta MC Rokkor 58mm f1.2. The thing is a beast. It sees in the dark. It makes magic. And a relative bargain compared to modern lenses made of plastic.

Jeans:

Levi’s 514 Slim Straight, 3D Rigid Welder. Fit perfectly. More than likely i’m wearing them right now. Annoyingly, other 514s i got with the same measurements don’t fit the same.

Store:

I’m gonna have to go with eBay on this one. I bought everything on eBay this year. My new camera and all my lenses and accessories. Clothes, car parts, a piano tuning kit, gadgets, and gifts. And i made out like a bandit. Though the customer service is a joke. Indochino is the one to watch for custom-made online men’s fashion. Very attractive and easy-to-use website, and superb customer service. I got a custom-made suit and shirts, the best-fitting things i’ve ever worn, without ever stepping into a physical store.

Event:

AMC Best Picture Showcase. All day in the theater two Saturdays in a row. Can’t beat seeing all 10 Best Pic Nominees for only $40. Hiking Old Rag Mountain was a memorable day with good friends. Perfect autumn weather, amazing views.

Moment

I’m struggling to come up with a singular moment that could be my favorite for the entire year. Hard to know if recent memories overshadow older ones just because they’re still fresh in my mind. And difficult to recall everything that happened since 12 months ago. Only thing coming to mind is when i unboxed the 7D, the first time i held it in my hands. It felt perfect.

Day of the Week:

It all started to blur together toward the end of the year, but if i had to pick, i’d say Friday. Friday was Burger Night™ — something to look forward to no matter what happened the rest of the week.

Week:

My birthday week. No parties, but enjoyed great food with friends and family every day of that week.

Month:

December. This year after many struggles, procrastination, and a few surprises, i finally found some forward progress in key areas of my life in December. And it was a lot of fun, for the most part. Hoping it continues and multiplies into 2011.

Stay tuned for a few more year-end lists like my Numbers post, where i break down the stats of my 2010. The last time i did a year-end wrap-up was 2006: The Numbers and What I Didn’t Do.