New site mavn.me just went live with app attached for iPhone.

Mavn is a social shopping environment targeted at the urban user in motion. It allows you to smartly spot stuff that you want to buy or have and neatly organize them in bags complete with tags. Kind of like an Instagram for products. On the desktop it behaves like a curation tool where the user can keep adding items to their wishlist using convenient pinning method, much like Pinterest.

Mavn aims to connect the offline and online businesses to their prospective buyers directly, giving them a platform to interact on.

Give it a spin

A very innovative use of HTML 5

Spend every day as a Happy New Day, the year will follow

I have to say, the credit largely goes to Instagram’s simple user experience.

Fake Lomography Collage, a photo by [-s-h-u-b-h-o-] on Flickr.

With so many smart phones around me, its inevitable that some fake lomo shots will be taken. This is a collage of some of the shots taken using Apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram on iPhone and Magic Hour Photos on Android. Enjoy!

Some of the Bats I met recently.

Dragonfly 1 a photo by [-s-h-u-b-h-o-] on Flickr.

This fellow came in one evening. Probably through the window chasing the light. There is something crazy about their wings, then patterns are symmetrical and up close through the lens they kind of look mean. Was difficult to have it sit steady in the low light as shutter speeds were low, only two or three were in focus.

Vertical a photo by [-s-h-u-b-h-o-] on Flickr.

Shot this a few days back. They are the horizontal sections on a Japanese futon in my house. Seemed interesting for two reasons, the yellow rubber wood has a very specific dull shine, and shot from vertically down, one can catch a nice play of light and shade.

Any Apple product makes for a great photo subject, the ipad is probably one of the best in that lot coming right in after the first iMac LCD with the dome shaped CPU.

Egg a photo by [-s-h-u-b-h-o-] on Flickr.

How to tag a boiled egg in the refrigerator to distinguish it from the other eggs?

Two eggs were boiled for my son who refused to have any and instead demanded a sunny side up. One of them went back to the egg rack in the refrigerator with some interesting markings on it.

This also is my first edited photo in Aperture. Seriously considering going in for the full version, specially with NEF and Adobe not agreeing with each other that well.

One surprisingly green place on the east coast of southern India. Pondichery is a beach town easily reached by road from Chennai (formerly Madras) or Bangalore. One can also get there by train or bus.

Some days back I was trying out “out of focus” photos. This was one of them

Have been experimenting with multi-exposure HDR images past few days. Here are some initial results.

This video contains content from Vevo, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. Sorry about that.

Now thats just great. You put your video online and then block it off from large audiences for whatever reason. This is the kind of stuff that Inspires Piracy.

This video is blocked for your country!

This was taken on a safari ride within a National Park a few days back. The idea is to have the people with cameras in a cage while the animals roam free. However I found that the vehicles are in fact an intrusion in their habitat and probably a better approach will be to construct ropeways or something similar higher above the ground so that the animals do not come in direct contact with the vehicles so often. It will definitely intrude on camera angles but will serve a bigger cause.

Metro | Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

Bangalore Metro, Brigade Road

Got this one off a roof top on MG Road. The Bangalore Metro is coming up fast and furious.

YouTube – MSI Dualscreen Netbook with Multitouch Display.

Now this is exactly what I was hoping would come up when there was a buzz around Apple‘s ipad. Sadly the ipad did not go all the way and still has tremendous scope for improvement in terms or becoming a proper computing platform than a media display unit. The concept was put forth here.

The MSI however loses out on giving a  page span virtual keyboard that is identical to a real keyboard. Some thinking would have prompted them to give a more usable split keyboard when vertical and use one touch screen as input device when horizontal and the other as a display, creating a regular laptop kind of environment to work in.

Hands on is discussed at Endgadget

Dual Screen tablet

Tablets in Grid mode. One gets 10 screen space (assuming that the screen borders are minimal) and 5 processors.

A generic study of how Black and White / Color Photos behave when viewed.

Just an observation on how a Color Photograph compels us to look at color where as the same in Black and White emphasizes more of the Structure and Form. Idea probably is to use each judiciously where necessary!

Looking forward to a year full of travel, fun, exploration and innovation. 2011.

The passing year saw a lot. Among new things was my renewed interest in the camera and I intend to retain it for the years to come. Nothing captures a moment like a SLR at large.

Above is a capture or kids playing cricket in the neighborhood on New Years Eve. What a way to bring in a new year. Good luck everyone!

A view of the workspace

Some items in the kitchen

A 5 year old Onkyo Liverpool that I still use

The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Lens

The Camera is a Nikon D3000. It’s not exactly good and quite useless over the ISO 800 limit where it completely looses it. The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G lens is cheap but great. Except it has no metal mount which is a concern when there are too many lens switches. The AF-S system is fast enough to keep up with jumping kids. The other lens, a 35mm f/1.8G is a gem. It can shoot almost in any light without a flash.

Check out the other photos on Flickr as well.

These were bought for the inhouse toddler and are made of Plastic and Metal. I would have preferred a complete metal product though. Tonka Toys from my childhood are still around somewhere!

Screen Grab from the Video

This is the result of TAT’s Open Innovation experiment. It is an experience video showing the future of screen technology with stretchable screens, transparent screens and e-ink displays, to name a few.

Well actually I would expect more. For instance the Keyboard and Mouse sure look redundant with a display and touch sensitive table surface. And a few other things here and there. Interface shown for Mobile to Mobile sharing is really great, hope speeds and technology catches up with such things faster. I am not a fan of straight edged black screens, but I guess it’s just the idea that counts at this stage.

Via www.unpluggd.com

YouTube – Driving My Tractor (Barefoot Books).

Found this video while hunting for Nursery Rhymes for kids on Youtube to entertain a toddler. Barefootbooks was created by two moms and their books and videos do pack a punch.

Sudden Smileys to spook people

So you have seen the movie “I know what you did last summer”, and the 13 sequels after that. Now here’s a tip to spook out others who use the same bathroom or are going to…

We have all made smileys and other illustrations on foggy windows and mirrors. There’s a trick to make them semi permanent, the kind that lasts a few days and appear only when the mirror gets foggy. That’s right, on the clear mirror nothing is visible.

Process:
1. Take a hot water shower, long enough to steam and fog up the mirror.
2. Draw something that you intend to retain, or will possibly scare the shit out of the next user.
3. Now take liquid soap, specifically detol if available, and draw over that.
4. You are done.

Now, by the time the next person goes in, the mirror would be clean. But once the steam and fog build up, the drawing will magically reappear.

Do it now or wait for the next “Friday the 13th”

The new iPod touch is many shades better than the last one. It has 2 cameras and allows video chat over wifi. Something which the iChat always did. The rests is probably just upgrades of the old stuff and not as much interesting as the camera bit.

A new package altogether

Then there is the new iPod Nano. This has gone a step beyond being just a small iPod with a screen. It’s now a touch screen device with full functional multitouch and some Apps to go as well. Sweet!

More touch in less space

And last comes the all new glossy Apple TV. It’s smaller, has only the essential ports and is much much easier to hide away than the earlier version which made us contemplate buying a Mac Mini instead and having all the fun.

All the essential bits come straight out of the box including the HDMI port

The small form factor will be fun as well. The earlier one did not really fit in with any home entertainment gadgets, well neither does this one but at least it’s not big and silver. Small and Black is easier to hide. I hope Apple has given a provision to hang it on the wall as such small things don’t really stick to a table once all the cables are connected. I see that being one of the first flaws unless this weight in at a few kilos.

It's definitely small

MEET MELINE : THE MAKING OF (Sebastien Laban and Virginie Goyons) on Vimeo.

6 minutes + 2 years + 2 people + 1.2 TB of data + 800,000 files = Worth it.
Absolutely priceless animation.

Old Keyboard

Over the years we have used many types of keyboards. Early years they were the bulky ones with klunky keys that still made a “klapaty-klap” noise. In fact I still use a later version of that for my daily work, never needed a reason to upgrade.

Keyboard - Early 2000

Over the years they got quieter and sleeker. The keys got smaller and their aesthetic appeal increased. With that, the problem of dirt and grime getting stuck in them got minimized as well. (Here’s a step-by-step guide to clean the old one)

Keyboard - Current

Next to come were the backlit ones where each key was illuminated even in absolute darkness. Apple‘s Power Book was one of the first ones to have them and we all drooled over it for years.

Logitech diNovo Edge

Of the recent fore runners have been the Optimus Maximus and Tactus . Featuring full and functional backlit displays under each key and a complete touch screen with customizable layout. They are made in a way to customize your keyboard for every need imaginable starting from an Video Editing Layout to a Photo Editing Layout.

Optimus Tactus Concept

It is possible that in future, the ultimate keyboard will eventually be a touch screen that is infinitely customizable for almost everything under the sun, much like an ipad, used dedicatedly as a keyboard.

i-Pad Keyboard Layout

If made the correct size and shape, this would probably be the ultimate keyboard. And yes, carry it off wherever you go with just the files you need for the day.

Reminders | Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

A Post-it note is a piece of stationery with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. While now available in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, Post-it Brand notes are most commonly a 3-inch (76 mm) square, canary yellow in color. The notes use a unique low-tack adhesive that enables Post-it Brand notes to be easily attached and removed without leaving marks or residue, unless used on white boards. - Wikipedia

3M introduced this in the market in 1977, it took time and heavy marketing to catch on. By 1980 it was selling in US and soon worldwide. 3M Patent expired in the 1990′s and others started producing this incredible piece of office supply with the Post-It name and the Canary yellow color remained a 3M trademark. 20 years on since then, and we still can’t do without these, even with a bunch of technology/ software to do this for us.

The Animation Industry loves it to make Storyboards on.

Control | Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

There is something about heavy machinery that’s unmatched. They have character.

Have been on the lookout for the best and most innovative bookshelf and came across these. Very inspiring. Will post my own version in a few days, either a sketch or a 3D mock.

A bookshelf and a coffee table at the same time. Well actually it's like a book hanger.

Sit on the chair and browse that magazine. One of the most interesting ideas I have seen. Would like to have one but with a softer seat.

(Via funniez.net)

The ultrawide Philips LCD displays movies the way they were meant to be. In 2.40:1 ratio. The TV comes in 56″ size and has ambilight to ease contrast in dark rooms, much like how a silver screen diffuses and disperses the light around in a theater. The ambilight feature also changes color depending on the content being played on screen. Many were probably waiting for a TV like this when 16:9 is just not enough. Lawrence of Arabia, anyone?

(via Gizmodo)

Philips 56" Super Wide LCD TV

Secret Stash on Vimeo on Vimeo

Secret Stash from yiting cheng on Vimeo.

Well the video is self explanatory. And no one can deny that we have all at some point of time or other have wanted to have something like this.

Google has recently redone the image search results screen. I must say its towards the betterment but it could still be a lot lot better. Overall, it does manage to prioritize the image part and secondary information about the image is then dished out when one hovers on it. See attached Screen Shot.

Here’s what it fails to do though. While displaying odd sized images, it sort of leaves a lot of white space around them and you sort of don’t know exactly what’s the clickable area. An area demarkation to make the display more uniform with very light shade of “Google grey” might work wonders.

Also, they need to decide on the redundancy between the top navigation and the one on the left.

Toshiba libretto® W100 Dual-Screen Laptop PC.

Toshiba Libretto W100

Sometime back when the ipad popped out from Apple‘s stable, I kind of wished something like this was offered by Apple instead of the current ipad. I think the ipad is beautiful but it’s just not really a useful device.

The Liberto “looks like” it has its basics correct. There are two touch screens, you can use either as an input device and you can use the whole thing as a conventional laptop with a virtual keyboard on one of the touch screens. Smart and ideal. Except that the device looks a little too bulky for it’s size and definitely uglier than the ipad. Personally we would prefer something thats got a 15″ display on each side to work and play with.

http://www.timeline-studios.com/blogs/2010/02/concept-grid-with-tablets/

A concept I had with the dual screen tablets, probably some fodder for those who are actually developing these things.

Tablets in Grid mode. One gets 10 screen space (assuming that the screen borders are minimal) and 5 processors.

It’s time keyword based advertising on the internet started getting more sensible than they presently are. Attached image shows a screenshot from a website listing “Skins” for Mac OSX and the advertising that popped up was related to actual skin related products and service.

The website deals with Shapeshifter Skins for Mac OSX, the advertisement deals in actual Skin products. Probably time internet advertising started differentiating both.

http://interfacelift.com/themes-mac/index.php?sort=date&id=&page=2

(Actual Page)

Taking into account the fact that this type of advertising has been around for a while, and companies promoting them are well funded, in this case – Google, they should find a way to scan more of the keywords and then decide on the type of advertisement that get featured on these pages.