Is that a phone in your pocket or are you happy to see me?

These Hulger phones plug into your mobile so that they can be used like any hands free kit, except you won't be hands free. You'll have one mighty big retro phone on your ear. Not the most convenient thing to carry around, but it's a refreshing change from those teensy weensy phones that make the user look like a giant. Oh, and they also come in bluetooth and can be plugged into your computer as a very stylish VOIP phone.

Blogroll

Since I discovered Newsfire, I've become an avid blog reader. And in the interest of wasting your precious time, I thought I'd post some of my favourites, in no particular order. Actually even better - In alphabetical order.

Anne Arkham - A witty, thoughtful personal blog. Updated regularly, I get all excited when she posts something new.
Charles and Marie - I can't work out if these people are real, or if they're just a clever marketing ploy. Nonetheless, they do feature some fabulous products and great gift ideas.
Cool Hunting - Again on the hot products tip. These guys are the original and the best, and updated constantly.
Design Observer - For a highbrow design theory fix, these guys always deliver.
Gawker - My bitchy pop culture fix.
Modern Pooch - Because dogs are people too.
The Morning News - An online magazine with some great contributors.
Needled - Describes itself as 'Highbrow for the underground. Tattoo couture.' Lives up to it.
Post Secret - A classic. Totally addictive.
Soul Sides - A blog about music with some free downloads. DJ O-Dub has impeccable taste.
Stylegala - Website reviews. It's always good to keep on top of the competition.
Typographica - A wonderful blog about typography.

Innovation is the New Black

Again on the topic of buzzwords: "Don't say design, say innovation, and when innovation doesn't work, make sure you saved some of that design stuff, because you're going to need it." More at Design Observer.

Attack of the zombie copy

As a writer, I'm a great fan of a clear, concise sentence and, like many people, find myself zoning out when I read words like 'leveraging processes' and 'operational effectiveness'. Here's a funny, insightful article by Erin Kissane about the absurdity of the 'marketing speak' that is creeping into all manner of corporate communication.

SNP5000.com

I've just launched SNP5000.com, a new blog / portfolio site for photographer Scott Needham. Scott travels the world shooting surfing, skiing and snowboarding, which make for a great portfolio and lots to talk about. We kept the website simple and a little bit old school to really show off the work. You can read about the project here.

Bouncing all over the internet

The new Sony Bravia ad made its way around the internet much before it went to air. Someone who lives in the street in San Francisco where they filmed the spot took some snaps and posted them on Flickr a few weeks ago, and the photos spread like, well, bouncing rubber balls all over the internet. Sony have now leveraged this online hype with a clever micro site featuring a 'making of'.

Brands have been posting their ads on their corporate sites for some time now, but increasingly they're building entire micro sites around them, and with good reason. Although there's a lot of value in a clever online exclusive viral piece, some people just want to see those rubber balls bouncing over and over again. And for a fraction of the production and media cost of a TV campaign, you'd be silly not to.

Rize

I saw Rize last night - fascinating movie. I had no idea all this stuff was going on on the other side of the pond - shows how much of a cultural bubble we all live in.

It's David Lachapelle's first movie (it's more of a documentary), and surprisingly raw and restrained for a photographer known for his overly stylised images. We're well rewarded at the end though - by the last few scenes, he just couldn't help himself. The film is released on the 10th of this month. It's worth seeing on the big screen.