ConnectFive/////

I was viewing a web based photo album this morning and it had a link saying “CoolIris can be used on this Gallery ” So I clicked it and found a pretty cool firefox plug-in that turns image, video galleries and even search results into an interactive visual wall.

Overall the interface and interactions are a continued expansion of the itunes tile interface Apple introduced a while a go. But the shift in perspective to give a users an idea of the length of the results is visually “cool” but more importantly it has purpose for the user. Time will tell if I will actually use the “discover” and “shop” functionality provided by the plug-in but I am interested in exploring the use of their “embed wall” flash version (shown below with their sample images)

I also might try and use it when searching for inspirational material for design projects.

Checkout the cycling gear Twin Six is kicking out. They are local but like The Jeffersons they are “movin’ on up” and getting a buzz in the bike mags. I put in an order yesterday that included this sweet bag. I’m also a big fan of their Brew Pub 07 jersey and The Deluxe jersey. Once they replenish their stock, I’ll be getting one of each.

Now go ride your bike.

///// Update 05.08.07
I just received the bag and other goods today and this bag is super sweet. It’s top quality material and design. It makes me want to carry stuff on my bike.

Yesterday I went to see Sun’s latest innovation Project Blackbox on it’s tour stop in Minneapolis. This innovative new product challenges our current notion of data centers and offers new possibilities. One aspect that I think is simple, but very powerful, is the ability to centrally configure and test multiple Blackbox data centers then ship them around the world, connect (power, internet) and turn on! Predictive and Reproducible.

Beyond the physical tour (which was impressive) the event included a presentation by Dave Douglas from Sun, focused on Eco-Responsibility. It was interesting to learn about challenges of current data centers including the rising energy usage costs and how that is effecting organizational decision making — CIOs are needing to manage and calculate ROIs now based on energy consumption. I was amazed to learn about the amount of energy lost in the transfer for the power plant to the actual server — at every connection or conversion point energy is lost — resulting in only 52% of the energy reaching the devices in one Sun data center example. So it’s cheaper to place a data center near a good or even green power source and run long fiber connections that don’t have the same loss problems as electricity.

Overall it’s inspiring innovation that I think will change the way people buy and implement high-performance computing like the iPod + iTunes did for buying and listening to music. Whether it’s used as a permanent solution or as a versatile tool for transitions and reactionary needs — Project Blackbox will enable companies to think in new and more eco-friendly ways.

Dude Wash Your Hands — Seriously - I love this type of in your face, stop you in your tracks and scratch your head stuff. Cool Hunter always seems to find these and other way cool stuff. Imagine that.