when less is more

i've been checking out the recent iterations of both george's and cecily's sites and wondering whether less is actually more.

what i mean by less being more ... is that both sites are stark on graphical design elements, but instead very focused on the presentation of the text and information overall. since they've both been doing this "blog" thing far longer than anyone i know and cecily is all about usability and information architecture...i'm thinking they're onto something. because their sites are information rich, it's easier when the bots come crawling for both of their site's content to end up with very popular rankings in search engines.

i've often found that "blogs" i've visited that were heavily designed (where the design is in the way of the information) or that featured large photos instead of thumbnails, made me want to turn away. if you can't find the information right away, how useful is any website in that regard?

back in march, Paul "Scrivs" Scrivens, of 9rules wrote a post his site wisdump titled "ugly design getting too much credit" where he says:

In either case if you are offering what the user wants they will use the site. It never was about the ugliness of a site, it was about its usability, community and a couple of other things.

he then goes on to quote scoble who discussed the role of anti-marketing design back in March. bascially scoble's discussion focuses on sites that didn't focus on pretty design (and weren't put together by marketing and branding experts) and end up being truly successful.

scoble also brings up the importance of making sites user friendly for mobile browsers. now that more-and-more people are using wireless devices to read content, this is an interesting point.

it makes me wonder when is a site overdesigned and whether design really plays a role in the success of a site.

technorati tags: web design

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ch-ch-ch-changes

My life is like a whirlwind lately. I've had some very good opportunities afforded to me this month.

For one, with J's assistance I finally got my site relaunched.

I'll be starting as senior editor of fastcompany.com next week.

Earlier this month I became a regular contributor to Popgadget.net.

I recently found out that Etiquette, a book I contributed to is finally coming out in Nov.

I got a call yesterday requesting that I write a major feature for a pretty solid new york publication. (More details to follow of course.)

We're getting closer and closer to the blogher conference, and I'm co-presenting a writing workshop with Lisa Stone on day one.

This all of course reminds me that I have to update my bio real soon.

There are other things on the horizon that also started to take root this month that I'm not ready to mention yet, but I figured that since this month ends tomorrow, I might as well share a few details.

career | changes

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blogging and mobile tools to check out

flock browser
I hadn't even heard of it until I read about it over at nasty bastard. I haven't had time to give it a whirl, but it's supposed to make a bloggers life easier. Why?

• drag and drop photo publishing
  
• alerts you that your friends have uploaded photos to flickr
  
• searches more than one search engine
  
• built in rss reader
  
• grab snippets of text, photos, add tags (organized into one place to "blog this")
  
• star your favorites
  

Agile Messenger
Ever since I bought my MDA, I had problems IMing. Tmobile was working on the issue with AIM and also with Yahoo as this appeared to be a problem for all MDA owners. I never got any resolve until recently when a Tmobile rep first rebooted my network settings and then told me that perhaps I had too many buddies in my list and I should create a separate screen name for use on my MDA. I did that, but it didn't satisfy my excessive IMing habit. I had to start a new buddy list (or alert buddies that I had another screen name for mobile - but why should I have to when I've been using the same screen name for at least six years?) Tmobile may not have it together just yet, but I do...

John told me about agile a while ago, but it took me forever to try it and when I first did I wasn't installing it on the MDA properly. This week I did, and I'm finding that Agile is like Trillian, Fire, and Adium all rolled into one for Pocket PCs. In no time I was signed into AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and Google Talk all-at-once. And those aren't the only services available through the service.

Tagworld Web Widgets
I've been remiss about posting an extremely long post about Tagworld and how it could definitely be the myspace killer. But that post is on the back burner until I write my other extremely long post about the new wave of social networking and how it differs from the social networking of Web 1.0 and pre-Web 1.0 (like back in the days of BBS and MUD).

But let me not digress...

First of all, the fact that Tagworld Widgets work with other services like myspace, ebay, Xanga, and friendster, to name a few, is a killer tactic. When Mac users hear the word widget...they're always thinking desktop widgets for Mac OS, but Tagworld's Widgets are tools that enable you to add content to your web pages.

Among the many widgets being developed through the open API are the following:

• Video Recorder
  
• Daily Horoscope
  
• Tagworld Most Popular Videos
  
• Photo Album
  
• Slide Show
  

technorati tags: web browser | Instant Messaging | tagworld

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wendy williams updates (strahan & dr. ian; oprah)

It appears that the "Queen Of All Media" Wendy WIlliams can and will get the interviews that no one else will. Last week, Michael Strahan called in to defend himself and alleviate all allegations his ex-wife has made about him being gay. The New York Post reported on one of Strahan's calls into Wendy. The NY Daily News reports Strahan running from press on Christopher St. with Dr. Ian Smith's twin brother as well as Dr. Smith's wife affirming that her husband is not gay.

On Friday, during the rush hour drive, I turned on WBLS and heard Dr. Ian talking to Wendy WIlliams. He mainly discussed the emotional state of Strahan's ex and how it's affecting the children (who happen to be Smith's godchildren). Strahan called in and also discussed her emotional instability. Wendy took a survey of all whom were in the studio with her to find out that prior to the interviews they all believed the allegations to be true, but that Dr. Ian and Strahan's candidness had altered their assumptions. The hanging point for Wendy though, was Strahan staying at Dr. Ian's home, to which Strahan (paraphrase) said he's my friend why wouldn't I stay with him in a time of turmoil.

Other recent Wendy Williams interviews included her discussion with Syracuse University Professor Dr. Boyce Watkins who wrote this article alleging Winfrey's possible bias against black men. While on Williams' show, Watkins received overwhelming and highly emotional responses to his statements about Winfrey.

In other Wendy Williams news:

She's now endorsing Alize

and

is also writing ubran lit - Drama Is Her Middle Name : The Ritz Harper Chronicles Vol. 1

additives:

• Michael Strahan's Real "Alternative Lifestyle" via deadspin
  
• Wendy Williams - Drama is her Middle Name via nitro:licious
  
• Wendy Williams, "Drama is her Middle Name via hiphopmusic.com
  

technorati tags: media | wendy williams

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Zaha Hadid's Kitchen of the Future

Check out my post over at popgadget.net:

Zaha Hadid's Kitchen of the Future

technorati tags: design | architecture | guggenheim

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surge in gadget blogging

technorati tags: gadgets | blogs

for a while the most dominant players in the gadgeting blog arena were gizmodo and engadget. i suppose the success of these two, as well as the prevalence of feed readers have enabled a lot more gadget blogs to come to the fore.

here's a list of the few i've been checking out lately...

• DotGizmo: The Best gadget Blog Posts
  A gadget blog aggregator, featuring feeds from Daily Gadget, Electrolady, Fosfor Gadgets, Gadget Madness, GadgetPimp, Bios Magazine, geekBlue, Gizmos For Geeks, sundries, I4U News. LIVEdigitally, Mobile Magazine, Da Wireless Kubo, Mr. Gadget Australia, ployer, Popgadget, portagame, Shiny Shiny, Techie Diva, Ubergizmo, and Geeks Are Sexy.
• Gadget Candy
  This one is affiliated with T3, a UK gadget magazine that's a Future Publishing venture.
• Gadgetell - Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things Blog
  A tech and gadget news information source, Gadgetell aims to keep readers connected with the fast-paced tech industry while providing some comic relief.
• Gadgetism.org
  With the tagline: "Feeding all about gadgets, toys, electronics and technology," Gadgetism.org is available in Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese versions. It functions as a semi-automated blog with aggregated news and comments.
• Popgadget: Personal Tech for Women
  Is a "lifestyle magazine that embraces technology as a regular and essential part of women's lives. They cover topics traditionally seen in women's magazines, such as health and fitness, beauty and fashion, home, family, and entertainment, but with a unique focus on the products and people that bring exciting innovations to those aspects of our lives." Its publisher, PopLife Media, also publishes Babygadget.
• Techie Diva's Guide to Gadgets
  "Where Technology and Fashion Meet : Technology and Gadgets for Women."

Honorable Mention:

Not really a gadget blog, but Treehugger is "a web magazine, dedicated to everything that has a modern aesthetic yet is environmentally responsible." There's also Treehugger TV featuring weekly episodes "dedicated to everything that has a modern aesthetic yet is environmentally responsible."

I like it because it's so future culture.

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my top ten blogs (of the moment)

technorati tags: top 10 sources | blogs

I'm a guest at top 10 sources today:

The blogosphere has expanded vastly since I first started blogging back in 2001. In order to manage an extensive list of blogs, I toggle between Bloglines and Google Reader. more>>>

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hip-hop's largest brands market personal computers

technorati tags: media | branding | hip-hop

first jay-z was hawking hp computers during the NBA playoffs

and now 50 cent is in talks with apple to develop a line of computers for the inner city.

hip-hop has been big business and mainstream for years, but now its capital is truly being merited, as well as being overwhemingly marketed to the masses.

for instance, it warranted this article:

Capitalist Rap by Lea Goldman, Forbes | 07.03.06

Jackson, Fifty or Fitty to friends and fans, has parlayed this tragic and troubling résumé of street credibility into a thriving business. He earned $41 million last year, and he ranks No. 8 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, on a scorecard that counts earnings, in addition to Internet, TV, radio and print exposure. Though he dropped out of high school as a teenager and never went to college, he has emerged as a masterful brand-builder and a shrewd businessman. With keen advice from a seasoned industry insider (his manager, Chris Lighty of Violator Management & Records), Fifty aims to build a multipronged franchise that will last long after his music fades from the charts. more>>> (subscription required)

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christina aguilera - ain't no other man

technorati tags: music | christina aguilera | video

Video: Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man (Live)

first i kept hearing it on the radio and kept thinking it was some kind of alicia keys production. somehow i came upon the mp3 and it's been in heavy rotation ever since. i learned a lot more about the song and xtina's upcoming album from nova and then saw this performance on the mtv movie awards (not when it originally aired but a re-broadcast) --- all of this is making me anticipate the arrival of her upcoming cd.

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summertime catcalling

now that the sun's out again in new york city, the ladies are exposing some skin. it's cool and it's sexy. and i totally get how men react to the shedding of coats and of sweaters. but when i hear a man loudly discussing the bodyparts of a minor or approaching a woman whom he has to know is a minor, it really upsets me. in fact, i've even said a word or two to such a dog.

do you sit idly by when you witness such an affair?

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hot off the web 06.13.06

technorati tags: jay-z | oprah | ll cool j | web 2.0 | mobile phones

• Jay-Z Inspires Hip-Hop Musical
  Confessions of a Thug - A Hip-Hop Musical is a gritty, underground psychological exploration into the mind of a college educated street hustler named South Boy (Daron Fordham) who becomes unfulfilled in his life of crime. Dramatically acted and told through hard-hitting music and rap performances. It premieres at the Urbanworld/Vibe Film Festival in NYC, June 21-25

• Oprah says she doesn't have beef with hip-hop
  I really wish this discussion would end already. Dissing Oprah, the queen of all media, was a PR move for Ice Cube considering he has a new album coming out --- that he's paid for with his own money. But for Ludacris and 50 Cent - what the? Oprah is not Bill O'Reilly, the women who watch her show have kids who listen to hip-hop.

• LL Cool J Comes Clean About Plastic Surgery, Steroid Use & Heartbreak
  James Todd tells Ebony that anyone who thinks he's using steroids and has had plastic surgery is "weak" and "flawed."

  “Weak” and “flawed,” that’s the way he describes those who say that he has taken steroids and has had plastic surgery to sculpt his abs. “There have been a lot of questions, a lot of speculation. To be real frank, there are so many people speculating over what they think that I am doing. Is he doing steroids? Did he get plastic surgery?” he says. “It speaks more about the people who are making comments than it does about me. It tells me that they cheat and they’re cheaters. They are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary, and go through the pain necessary, in order to get in the best shape they can possibly be. So they don’t believe I would be willing to do it either. So it is really more about their weakness, and less about mine. It doesn’t make me feel anything other than that it is unfortunate that people are weak like that. They are weak. It points out their flaws.”

  Wow, that's an even better interview than the US Weekly exclusive on Janet Jackson losing 60 pounds in 4 months.

• Social networks poised to shape Net's future
  Safa Rashtchy, managing director and senior analyst at investment firm Piper Jaffray, at the Piper Jaffray Second Global Internet Forum opening June 12, said:

  The Google revolution is not over yet. It has been inspiration for many new companies, as well as changing how many companies are formed today. Social networks, for example, are poised to shape the Internet's future, despite some skepticism about how they will make money. Social networks like MySpace.com are already challenging traditional portals. MySpace, for example, has surpassed MSN and AOL by measure of monthly page views, and its traffic equals roughly 75 percent of Yahoo's, the No. 1 site on the Web

• World's First Phone Fragrance
  Mobiado and Bissol have teamed up to create Perfume No. 919, the first fragrance designed for the "sophisticated luxury mobile phone user."

  Awwww, come on now.
  

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so many conferences so little time

technorati tags: conferences | web 2.0 | vloggercon | under the radar | blogher | bloggercon

there are so many blog & web 2.0-related conferences coming up, far too many too mention in fact. far too many to attend as well. and for someone who has a vested interest in these types of affairs, it'd probably be a lot easier for me to live in california so i could get to them all. since i won't be moving to CA anytime soon, in many cases all i can do is sit by the sidelines and watch.

vloggercon | June 10 - 11 | San Francisco, CA
I missed this one this past weekend. But I know that George and Irina were there.

what is vloggercon?
VLOGGERCON 2006 is the intersection between media-makers and technology. A space for dialog and interaction. Of creation and collaboration. A media village born on the internet, and making camp for one weekend in San Francisco.

hopefully I can make it next year.

Under the Radar Conference: Why Digital Media Matters | June 14 | Mountain View, CA
Another one I won't be able to make, but my good friends from Amiglia will be there, as well as the awesome folks from tagworld.

what is under the radar?
IBDNetwork’s fifth Under the Radar conference will showcase 32 companies in digital media space — taking a hands-on look at the true innovators fueling an explosion of consumer-created content, thriving user communities, and new business opportunities.

hopefullly I can make this one next year as well.

blogher | July 28-29 | San Jose, CA
This one I'm attending. I'm on Day-One of the conference schedule co-presenting a Web Writing Workshop with Lisa Stone.

in a nutshell, blogher, is sort of a bloggercon specifically for women --- but that doesn't mean that man can't attend. blogher is in its second year, and the conference's theme this year is: How are your blogs changing your world?

and speaking of bloggercon, it's going to be June 23-24 in San Francisco. I won't be able to attend that one either.

I think it's time to start having conferences like these in NYC.

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popgadget.net - Sidekick III post

technorati tags: gadgets | sidekick III | mobile phones

Check out my latest entry on Popgadget.net:

Sidekick III Coming in July

and from Hiptop3.com:

Tmobile Reps get to Check out the Sidekick 3

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hot off the web 06.11.06

technorati tags: music piracy | stolen sidekick | privacy issues | google | world cup

• Daddy Yankee Defends Music Piracy in Peru
  Reaggaeton Don, Daddy Yankee feels it's justifiable for poor people to be music pirates. While promoting his album, Barrio Fino en Directo in Lima, the artist said that music piracy is unstoppable.

• How Not To Steal A Sidekick II
  I found out about this a few days ago from Hip Hop Blogs and have been watching the activity ever since. This dude Evan is a true Internet gansta and presents a serious case for the power of the interweb and exposes interesting issues about privacy. It's a realy crazy unfolding of a story, best left to the words of Evan.

• Speaking of Issues of Privacy
  VH1 News reports that Dick Cheney Might Want to be your MySpace Buddy. It seems like the National Security Administration is looking into all of the information people post about themselves on social networking sites like Friendster and Napster. As cool as UGC (user generated content) is, it could also end up biting you in the ass 10 years from now.

• Google Censors itself in China
  I really don't think that Google had a choice in the matter if they wanted Google to stay. "On Tuesday, Google co-founder Sergey Brin was quoted in news reports saying that he believed the company may have compromised its principles by agreeing to state-ordered censorship." (Wired News)

  Google's China-approved search engine service does not allow access to what Chinese authorities regard as politically sensitive information - such as details about the June 1989 suppression of political unrest in Tiananmen Square. (International Reporter)

• World Cup Style
  It was all about Puma vs Adidas, with Puma taking the lead for sponsored countries in the soccer World Cup. And just in case you didn't know, the Puma vs Adidas thing is real and reads like the story of Cain vs Abel.
  

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the brand new heavies are back

technorati tags: music | brand new heavies

wow, after 15 years the originators of that british-soul, acid jazz type vibe are back. and with N'Dea Davenport too. sure siedah garrett was cool with Dennis Edwards on "Don't Look Any Further" back in '84 and her work with Michael Jackson was pretty solid too, but a brand new heavies lead she did not make. carleen anderson wasn't bad, but no n'dea davenport is she either.

the new album get used to it drops june 27, but i've got a link to a sneak preview of it via the brand new heavies - get used to it listening party site. go there and get a taste of the funkalicious soul.

and of course there's a myspace page too.

here modern fabulosity rates all the lead singers of the group, with a compiled youtube collection of performances.

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the black caucus at yearly kos

technorati tags: yearly kos |black caucus

baratunde is at yearly kos and he's writing about the the black caucus there over at daily kos today. "what is the yearly kos?" you might be asking yourself.

i too wondered. but that was a while ago when i received an email on April 21 from someone named TrueBlue Dem. the email contained a link to a daily kos diary entry by tgnyc entitled No Black Panelists at YearlyKos?. the post generally discussed the lack of diversity at the yearly kos event, particularly regarding the extensive and impressive list of invited panelists. at that point the list contained no confirmed African-Americans, and only one had been invited.

since i've been a proponent of increasing multicultural voices at various conferences, i found both the email and post thought-provoking. as many of you know, this will be my second year as a participant at blogher and it was also my second year as a participant at sxsw interactive. as well, in this year alone, i've also been either a panelist (or invited as a panelist) at beyond broadcast, women action & the media, and MIDEM.

though i found the content of tgnyc's discussion interesting, the yearlykos event is of a political nature and that's a topic i rarely address. yet in hindsight, i realize i should have posted about tgnyc's discussion then as it would have been useful for others. and perhaps i should have attended the event as well.

it turns out that there appears to be quite a bit of diversity at yearlykos in terms of caucuses represented: LGBT Caucus, African American Caucus, Latina/Latino Caucus, Asian-American Caucus, and Native American Caucus, among others.

i can't speak to the nature of these caucuses, or to the diversity of panelists scheduled to appear within the overall programming. but what i can surmise from baratunde's diary entry is:

• caucuses are discussion centers and not panels


• the african-american caucus was primarily attended by african americans


• the digital divide is still a concern for african-americans who do have access

for more details, check out baratunde's entry

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itunes wants to be all things music

technorati tags: music | magazines | media | web 2.0 | itunes | emmis communications | the fader

It all started with a cool little white device. Who knew that providing content for that device would end up making apple king of digital downloads --- and perhaps at some point, everything music?

Building upon the design of the ipod and doing due diligence in the biz dev arena to garner more content became key components of the overall branding strategy for the itunes music store. (as in: now we have law and order downloads we need a better ipod and we need to make sure the itunes logo appears when viewers watch the show.)

And once apple realized the popularity of podcasts they quickly embraced the concept, even setting up a distribution channel for podcasters --- both commercial and noncommercial. The next move was precise. In partnering with odeo, apple was able to bring a larger audience to its music store and service by enabling users to subscribe to their odeo inboxes via itunes.

Early on, the company teamed up its music store with the linkshare network to offer affiliate partnerships to web publishers. but there was nothing particularly special about that move since it was only little more than what one could earn from an affiliate relationship with amazon. yet, that was only up until very recently.

Just last week, Emmis Communications, with its 22 FM and 2 AM domestic radio stations, announced that it would be the first company in the US to integrate the iTunes music store into its radio station Web sites.

The program succesfully piloted with New York's WQHT-FM (Hot 97) and Los Angeles's KPWR (Power 106) last month, and storefronts began popping up last week on Chicago alt-rocker WKQX-FM (Q101), and Indianapolis contemporary-hits station WNOU-FM ( Radio Now 93.1) Web sites.

"We approached Apple with the idea, and we developed the back-end technology to make this possible," said Rey Mena, vice president of Emmis Interactive. "Many Web sites link to iTunes, but we're the first to pull iTunes' entire 2.5 million-song catalog into our sites, weaving station programming with the Apple platform." Emmis will receive a portion of all iTunes sales made through its Web sites. Individual stations will promote the new feature through on-air spots and their listener clubs.

Next month, Emmis plans to rollout the music store on all of its station's sites.

But apple isn't stopping there. I already said they want to be everything music.

With masses of advertisers following the eyeballs and leaving the print medium for the web, print publications need to find alternative distribution channels. Simply having a web site is no longer enough.

The magazine has to fit into the new media digital lifestyle, because web 2.0 has increasingly changed the rules of the game.

From rss and atom feeds to podcasts and vodcasts to myspace and tagworld pages, and to mobile apps and ringtones, traditional media is slowly relearnining what it means to build a brand.

The FADER magazine has taken it one step further. With its "Summer Music Issue" available in its entirety as a free download on iTunes, The FADAER has not only found a distribution channel that integrates it into the new, new media digital lifestyle, but it has also found an innovative means of building its brand. It is the first full magazine posted on iTunes. Billboard already has some of its top charts there.

"We're about bringing attention to the emerging artists and musicians that we love, and are always looking for a way to get the word out," said Andy Cohn, publisher of The FADER. "The print magazine will always be our focus, but this is an incredibly unique opportunity to reach a whole new audience and bring additional attention to the artists that we're covering."

Southern Comfort is the sponsor of this free download and is thereby exemplifying corporate clients willingness to embrace novel ideas.

"By partnering with us on the project, Southern Comfort continues to show its support for emerging artists and its forward-thinking approach to unique marketing streams," said Cohn.

Now the only thing apple needs to do is enable community into its itunes store, as well as a means of housing user generated content other than just playlists and podcasts. How about a wiki (a la amazon), or tags (a la last.fm), or even a partnership with aol/aim so users listening preferences can be shared similarly to how it works in ichat? And wouldn't it be cool if you could actually listen to what your buddies are listening to on iTunes --- and not just on a shared network?

additives:

• Mixed Bag: Fade to Print & PopTricks via novaslim.com
  
• Emmis does the iTunes shuffle via Media Backpage
  
• The FADER Goes Digital via Josh Spear
  

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who's guarding busta's jewels now?

technorati tags: music | hip-hop | busta rhymes

busta rhymes must have a damn good press agent. in the past few months we've seen him on the cover XXL and VIBE, and now he's being interviewed in the July 2006 issue of SPIN by Kyle Anderson --- you know the issue with a curiously skinny beyonce on the cover.

no disrespect intended, but since i'm not engaged in whether busta will snitch in the israel ramirez case, or the struggles of busta's recording career, or even the making of the big bang, i find myself most connected with the SPIN q&a because it's clever and fresh.

i particularly enjoy the closing:

INTERVIEW OVER: Rhymes and his entourage gather two bags of jewelry and head toward a fleet of black SUVs. His friend Israel Ramirez was shot protecting Busta's jewels. A few hours earlier, security at BET had wanted to search those bags. Already late, Rhymes' manager suggested he leave them behind so he could prepare for the show. Busta refused. Now his crew is comfortable that the precious cargo is safe. A few kids run by and shout "Busta!" excitedly; Rhymes simply waves, climbs into his vehicle, and disappears into the New York night.

on another note, if the big bang doesn't make it into the top albums of 2006 list, i'll be over music critics. this album finds busta at his most versatile and introspective. and besides, in the words of paris hilton, "it's hot." i still can't believe that fat joe is cosigning her album. terror squad must have some kind of stake in that, considering fat joe makes a guest appearance.

speaking of paris hilton, have you seen the video for her first single "stars are blind" yet? you can watch it over at youtube, mtv overdrive, or download it from parisfan.org. fortunately, i couldn't get it to play on any of the sites --- on youtube it must have been a streaming server issue, mtv doesn't like macs, and i can't tell what's up with the download from parisfan.

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q is so sexy

technorati tags: gadgets | motorola q | mobile phones

quibian salazar-moreno probably got fooled by the title of this post, but i'm not talking about him right now. no not that q. i'm talking abou the sexy, sleek moto q.

it's one of those toys that all the cool kids want to have - or should have. i know i shouldn't, i only recently purchased a tmobile mda. but one of the cool kids who already has one is evan rifkin, president of tagworld. i oughta know, i touched his yesterday. but seriously, i was like a kid in a candy store --- my eyes lit up when i saw it in his hand as i reached out to place it in my own. and that's all i wanted to do was touch it. to actually play with it would've been like having too much too soon. sometimes all it takes is the foreplay.

the device feels and looks like a real innovative piece of technology -- a cross between a blackberry and any pocket pc on the market. it's sexiness factor comes from being the progeny of the razr of course. let's hope moto didn't put form ahead of function and that the q is just as useful as it is good looking.

maybe the next time i run across one i'll actually do more with it than just hold it.

additives:

• "Moto's Mojo" Fastcompany | April 2006
• motorola q — first look and feel Ron K. Jeffries' Cloudy Thinking

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will it go round in circles

technorati tags: billy preston

RIP billy preston.

once a young keyboard prodigy, preston, also known as a "fifth beatle" (he played on "Let It Be," The White Album and "Abbey Road" ) and who also played with the rolling stones is dead at 59. preston had been in a coma sincel last novemeber. the musician is best known for his songs "Outa Space," "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing."

i remember my father playing "nothing from nothing" and my thinking the song made no sense. you know how kids take things very literally? if nothing comes from nothing, then why sing about it? yet, even then, i ran around singing it. and of course it makes sense.

but "will it go round in circles," never made sense for me, especially because i always sang "willy go round in circles, willy go round in circles." to this day i don't actually understand what this song is about, but still, like a nursery rhyme, it stays with you.

and like the memory of his songs linger, so will he.

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i'm baaaaack

technorati tags: relaunch | moveable type

well it looks like my hiatus is over and i'm finally relaunching this site.

it's looking so good around here --- don't you agree? be sure to check out the new splash page --- it's straight fire.

thanks to j. over at thebrotherlove, cocotaso's design for lynnedjohnson.com has all been imported into MT 3.2 so that i can manage my entire website from within the CMS --- and not just my blog diary. (and wouldn't you know, just when i finally updated to 3.2, the release of 3.3 is right around the corner.)

but back to the site... j. also styled the look and feel of all the content of my latest web persona, and made sure that visitors can leave comments without any problems.

there have been other major developments in the life of lynne lately --- all to be divulged within a matter of time.

so grab a chair, pull up to your keyboard, and click around. things are going to be a little different in this space.

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