The Curator's News Feed: May 25, 2012
As we ease into Memorial Day weekend, bookmark a few of these to read during your holiday travels. Maybe while flying on a Southwest plane, while drinking a Guinness, or while eating a sandwich with mayonnaise?
Conference calling that doesn’t suck, Tech Crunch. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who hate conference calls, and those who’ve never been on one. While conference calls are a great way to connect with clients and colleagues on important projects, they are plagued with 20th century shortcomings. Enter UberConference, a 21st century solution that allows you to see, manage and even record your calls. I’m already on the beta wait list and can’t wait to try it out. If it’s half of what the creators promise, it’s going to change conference calling forever. – Matthew
When Marketing Links Web and TV Dramas, New York Times. I’m excited about this because Daybreak stars Ryan McPartlin, who we’re working with on our campaign for LiveLifeLocal. Cool stuff. – Dan
Guinness QR Code Pint Glass Can Only Be Scanned When Full, PSFK. At Curator, we have a ritual every Friday afternoon to gather together around 4 pm for good conversation. After a long week, it’s nice to touch base with the team on everything from global politics to great restaurant recommendations to pop culture (Bachelorette, anyone?). For our future Friday gatherings, I’m thinking we may want to invest in a set of these Guinness pint glasses. Apparently, A QR code is printed on the glass. The catch is that the QR code can only be scanned when the glass is filled with a delicious dark beverage such as Guinness. Lighter beverages won’t do the trick. By scanning the QR code, the app shares news to friends via Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare that you’re enjoying a tasty Guinness. The idea is that friends and family might see the message and head over to join you. But don’t feel like you have to wait for our Tweet. Consider this your open invite to stop by for happy hour any time. – Ann Marie
Big Mayo Will Destroy Us All, Bon Appetit. I am loving the direction Bon Appetit has taken since former GQ editor Adam Rapoport took over, and this blog post captures exactly why. It started with Deadspin writer Drew Magary (whose writing I love because he is smart and uses profanity to hilarious effect) going on an anti-mayo Twitter rant in response to the New York Times’ article on homemade mayonnaise. One of his more vulgar tweets was retweeted by @bonappetit – then quickly un-retweeted. But rather than backtrack or disavow it as Twitter users jumped in to point out the deletion, Bon Appetit instead invited Magary to guest-blog on their site about why he loathes mayonnaise so much. In other words, this isn’t your parents’ Bon Appetit – it’s become a savvy, audience-friendly, multi-platform publication with a distinct sense of humor. – Lisa
Southwest's PR team dishes about the airline's new reality show, PR Daily. Eight years ago, Southwest Airlines dared to let reality show cameras go where other airlines would not. “Airline,” as the program would be called, made a delightful splash with viewers and since its hiatus has left them craving more Southwest behind-the-scenes scoop. May 24, TLC brings back the reality show in a new iteration, this time entitled “On the Fly”. Southwest will not have any influence over the footage shown—so viewers will see the good, the bad and maybe even the ugly. The airline hopes this approach will depict how the airline prevails over delays and cancellations, for example, all while painting a genuine picture of the real people who make up the company. The producers are capitalizing on interactivity for the new show, an idea that hadn’t quite hit its stride in the days of “Airline.” Along with Twitter and Facebook accounts, they’re featuring a new website that allows anyone to submit special SWA trip stories that could land them on an episode. Who knows, maybe the next time you fly Southwest, you'll be served pretzels and a ginger ale from a small-screen starlet. – Megan K
Wearable Tech: Welcome to the Future of Fashion, Mashable. This infographic takes a look at the most up-and-coming wearable gadgets – from spray on fabric (yes, like out of a spray can) to self-cleaning t-shirts. While some of these concepts are a little far-fetched (a vibrating tattoo that lets you know when someone is calling your cellphone? Is looking down at your phone too difficult? But, I digress…), I can actually see some of the others becoming more mainstream. For example, Adidas created a sports bra that has built-in sensors to monitor heart rate and calories burned. Data is then sent to the company’s app, miCoach, where users can track their progress and get feedback from trainers. It’s great to see big companies like Adidas embracing the tech-fashion trend and I’m looking forward to seeing what other companies follow suit! – Megan A
The Return of Haute Couture, Wall Street Journal. I'm fascinated by the haute couture industry and the concept of it. The French organization, which has opened its doors to several foreign designers over the years (Armani, Elie Saab for example), was on its way down over the last decade but is now seeing a revival that will hopefully incent the sole 12 houses that produce haute couture to keep showcasing their imaginative and often fantastical collections. What's interesting about this resurgence is the rise in the desire for bespoke. And it’s not just in high fashion. Across the industry and outside of it, there is a growing desire for personalization and curation. It’s a growing and interesting trend that spans everything from fashion to tech, travel, food and beyond. – Julia
Kyrie Irving writes, directs, stars in 'Uncle Drew' USA Today. Love these types of campaigns. With a nod of the cap to my friend John Livengood for sharing the video via Facebook. Enjoy. – Scott