Creative Support Blog

Flattering fashion an underground success

Wed, 09 May 2012 03:52:00 GMT

Steve Meacham, Brisbane Times

Gorgeous, elegant, individual. How a handful of Australian designers cornered a global market.

Image: Elegant ... an evening gown from Integrity Boutique.

The women are beautiful, their clothes gorgeous. And if you had to choose another adjective, you might opt for fashionable; elegant; individual; modest. Most of all, Australian.

As we approach the end of Australian Fashion Week, another contemporary fashion show begins today. This time at the Powerhouse Museum, charting an underground success flourishing rapidly but largely unnoticed in Sydney's western suburbs.

The clothes exhibited in Faith, fashion, fusion: Muslim women's style in Australia come from a handful of Sydney designers. Yet the market they are targeting is global.

''Obviously, Australian Muslim women come from many countries with many different traditions of dress: Moroccan, Malaysian, Indonesian, Afghanistani, Pakistani, not just Saudi Arabian,'' curator Glynis Jones says. ''But the majority of Australian Islamic designers tend to come from Lebanese families.''

Aida Zein - who specialises in denims for mums on the run - is an exception. Her family background is Syrian. A law student, she had just begun to wear the hijab before September 11, 2001. Thereafter, as she explains in her YouTube interview that is part of the exhibition, wearing the hijab wasn't simply a matter of personal choice but a declaration of where she had come from.

Another exception is the founder and chief designer of Hijab House, Tarik Houchar. When he opened his first store in Bankstown Centro in 2010, he says it wasn't just one of the first Islamic women's clothes shops to be found in a mainstream shopping mall in Australia. ''Actually, we were one of the first in the Western world,'' Houchar says. ''You'll find [such stores] in the shopping centres of the Arab countries. But there still aren't very many in the shopping centres of non-Islamic countries.''

For Houchar, who has since opened a second outlet at Stockland Mall, Merrylands, his online store is the way of the future. ''There's been this hijab revival around the world,'' he says. ''Some call it hijabification, when new generations of Islamic women are turning back to wearing the hijab. They want to reconcile [their faith] with living in a non-Arab-centric nation.''

Jones first noticed the trend in 2006, when she saw photos of Mecca Laalaa, Australia's first Muslim female surf life saver, wearing the Burqini invented by Australia's most famous Islamic fashion designer, Aheda Zanetti of Ahiida swimwear and sportswear.

Since then, thousands of Muslim women have adopted the Burqini, allowing them to take part in sports previously off limits - including members of the Auburn Tigers women's AFL team.

Such is the Burqini's global success, it was selected by the Macquarie Dictionary as the 2011 word of the year. Zanetti's story has even been adapted by writer Alana Valentine into a play, The Modest Aussie Cossie, while an Indian baby-name website listed Aheda alongside names of other world-famous female designers, Stella (McCartney) and Gabrielle (Chanel). Like most of the other designers in the exhibition, Zanetti's modest outfits appeal not just to Muslim women but to non-Muslim women looking for garments that protect them from the sun or prying eyes.

''Aheda says that her global reach is now so vast that she sends her clothes to places even TNT doesn't deliver to,'' Jones says, laughing. ''As I researched, I began to realise there was an emerging group of young designers specifically making clothes for the 'modest market'. We've just concentrated on a few to show the range of clothes they are designing.

''There are lots more designers out there in the modest market. And it isn't just happening in Sydney. It's a global thing.''

Nor is it just a Muslim thing. Many of the scarves, dresses and trousers appeal to non-Muslims who don't feel comfortable in the figure-hugging, skin-bearing designs of mainstream Western fashion. ''It was a huge social change when Hijab House and Integrity Boutique [run by sisters Howayda Moussa and Hanadi Chehab] both opened at Bankstown Centro,'' Jones says.

''Previously, Muslim women went to the shopping streets of Lakemba and Auburn, where garments from Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan had been bought in bulk and were being retailed in an unattractive mass.''

Kath Fry, of the label baraka, was raised a Christian but converted to Islam after a life-changing trip to Egypt. She met her business partner Eisha Saleh while studying Islam at the Daar Aisha Shariah College in Lakemba.

In 2009, baraka was named Muslim business of the year. Fry and Saleh say their clothes are aimed at women of various faiths who share a desire for ''flattering clothing that offers more coverage''.

As a man, Houchar faces more challenges in the niche industry than most. A video accompanying the exhibition shows him directing a fashion shoot for his Facebook site. The models are non-Muslims - an Indian, a South African and a Russian. That's partly because he wants to market his designs as widely as possible but also because he would be more restricted with Muslim models.

''For example, I probably wouldn't alter [a Muslim model's] scarf out of respect,'' Houchar says. ''As a man, I obviously have to respect female spirit and identity. In Islam, there are parameters I cannot cross.''

Meanwhile, on the streets ...
What women actually wear on the street is as important as the fashionista commentariat, which these days increasingly means fashion bloggers.

Some of the most striking images on the website version of the exhibition are of real Muslim women who live in Sydney photographed wearing clothes they own and chose to wear themselves.

A separate photo shoot asked Muslim women in Sydney to wear their favourite outfit and write a pithy, three-word encapsulation of their character. Delina Darusman-Gala (muslimstreetfashion.blogspot.com.au) and Mya Arifin (myazfashionspot.blogspot.com.au) are Sydney's first Muslim fashion bloggers. Both are stay-at-home mothers in their 20s who live in Lakemba and Punchbowl, respectively, and share an Indonesian background.

Visitors to the exhibition will be encouraged to have their photo taken carrying a similar card of self-description. As the sign says: ''Are you what you wear? Your style only tells a small part of your story. Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn't know from your appearance.''

Faith, fashion, fusion: Muslim women's style in Australia is at the Powerhouse Museum until February 2013, powerhousemuseum.com.

Mind the gadget gap: Aussie gadgets still cost more

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:48:00 GMT

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, Gadget Girl

The gap between Australia and the United States is closing.

Not geographically—the Pacific Ocean is still infeasibly large. I’m talking about the gadget gap.

This is the gap between gadget pricing and availability in the United States and our little continent.

Now our dollars are worth the same, gadget prices should also be similar. And measures like grey imports, direct importing and price changes are helping.

But proof that we’re not quite there yet is already sneaking into 2012.

Sony has just slashed the price of its tablet in the States but failed to do so here, meaning Australians are paying significantly more.

It’s 2012. The world may be ending soon. Can we please fix this issue before it does?

Do you think you're getting the most cost friendly gadgets in 2012?

5 HR Considerations for Hiring Remote Workers

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:11:00 GMT

Sharlyn Lauby , Mashable

Having a remote workforce can be a huge benefit to organizations, reducing office space expenses and environmental footprints. Companies can reap the benefits of talented individuals all over the globe who are able to do work that excites and engages them and do it in a place they want to live.

As attractive as this working arrangement sounds, it takes a lot of planning and preparation to implement. Businesses must thoroughly discuss the terms of working remotely before launching such an initiative including work schedules, home offices, secure computer networks and job responsibilities. One thing is for certain: Being able to communicate effectively and efficiently with remote employees is the key to success.

Here are several examples of companies realizing success with their remote work teams and their methods for achieving that success.

1. Create Common Goals

In order for employees to feel like part of the organization, they have to feel that they are a part of the company’s goals. Morgan Norman, founder and CEO of social performance management company WorkSimple, says that probably the hardest task for a virtual workforce is making sure everyone is always on the same page. “Whether it’s about new features to the software, a change in the company’s overall direction or just a menial everyday task, keeping everyone appraised and in the loop can become a challenge when everyone is in different places and in different time zones.” 

WorkSimple uses its performance management platform for its own workforce. Norman admits that when an employee doesn’t understand an aspect of the company’s direction, he will eventually discover the answer via the WorkSimple platform. “The consequence of this [discovery] is employees can make more decisions on their own, can take more initiative on their own,” Norman explains. “For us internally, it’s inspiring to see ideas and direction come from every employee; this sparks new goals and new projects that help push the envelope of our vision.” 

2. Set Individual Goals and Expectations

Once an employee understands the goals of the company and how he fita into those goals, it’s essential to establish individual expectations of performance. Linda Pophal, a communications and management consultant with Strategic Communications LLC, says clearly conveying goals and expectations is critical to the success of a remote team. “The way to manage any employee effectively, I believe, is to clearly establish goals and objectives, provide the right tools and resources required to do the job (including communication resources like policies, procedures, etc.), and communicating regularly for updates on progress, to share new information and just to maintain the relationships.”

Pophal explains that you can accomplish this using some of the same methods you would manage any workforce: “Setting up regular processes can help. This might include regular phone/Internet conferences, required reports on a regular basis or the use of project management tools that allow everyone to track and report on activities.”

Pophal points out that the way a manager perceives a remote worker can affect the team overall. “One of the barriers to effective remote working arrangements is this odd ‘mental block’ many managers seem to have that not being able to ‘see’ their employees is somehow different or more challenging than other management scenarios. In truth, this type of relationship exists in many traditional organizational structures.”

3. Develop Trust and Accountability

Daily communication between employees and managers is a critical aspect of success. While remote workers are self-managing, they still require a frequent and consistent connection with supervisors and team members. Allison O’Kelly, CEO of virtual professional staffing firm Mom Corps, focuses on building an environment of trust and accountability as the foundation for communications.

O’Kelly says that MomCorps maintains its culture through a “Results-Only Work Environment,” or ROWE, which allows employees to work flexibly as long as they meet key objectives. “Often when companies hear about ROWE, they worry about losing control,” O’Kelly explains. “Rather, it is a shift in focus from controlling when, where and how people work to hold people accountable for results.”

Providing training to managers and supervisors is another important ingredient to managing remote workers. O’Kelly explains, “Virtual managers likely need training on how to expand their communication skills to include how to keep employees motivated as a team, giving positive and negative feedback over the phone, making sure schedules stay on track without micromanaging and making employees feel appreciated for the work they do.”  

Creating a culture of trust has brought rewards to both employees and MomCorps, and O’Kelly says she recognizes employee performance. “I award them professionally with freedom and autonomy,” she says. “I am not tied to the details of how and when they work if they are high performers for Mom Corps.”

4. Overcome Isolation

Dan Silmore, vice president of marketing for online training platform Mindflash.com, says the key to managing remote employees is communication, and a lack of it can result in feelings of isolation. “While most of our team thrives and truly enjoys the remote environment, it is something that needs to be continually monitored. Is the employee staying motivated? Are they happy? Have they been particularly quiet on Yammer or Skype lately?”

Since it’s not as simple as walking over to an individual’s desk for a conversation, Silmore says he keeps his communication channels wide open. “Additionally, we let employees know they can travel to our Palo Alto headquarters, even outside of sprint cycles,” Silmore says. “That’s important and offers a lot of reassurance to some of our most remote workers.”

Tracy McCarthy, senior vice president of human resources at talent management software company SilkRoad technology, adds that laying down a solid schedule and policy for communication keeps collaboration flowing. “First, we have regular virtual team meetings, either conference calls, go-to meetings or use Skype or similar technology for video conferencing. Then, we ensure that each member of the team understands their role and others’ roles so that there is no question about who is doing what and who is a resource.”

5. Plan Regular Communications

Lolo Siderman, founder and CEO of design and marketing agency Gypsywing Media, shared that when dealing with remote employees, communications should be planned and structured to bring a level of consistency and clarity. “Any failure to clearly and thoroughly communicate can lead to a huge number of wasted hours, inaccurate results and ultimately unhappy clients — which all add up to money lost for the business.”

Another consideration in planning communications is the use of written documentation. “When we send a list of changes to one of our web developers, she will go through the list one-by-one and provide a written update on the status of each item before sending back,” says Siderman explains, . It is almost guaranteed that a number of changes would be missed, or misinterpreted, if left to verbal communication only.”

Jillian Snavley, vice president and senior recruiting manager at PNC Financial Services Group, agrees that a direct approach is required when managing employees remotely: “Managers should set expectations and be more intentional with remote employees. And remote employees need to be just as candid.”    

Successful organizations communicate well, regardless of where their employees are located. Being able to work through challenges – no matter what kind – is core to having a thriving remote work team.

Series Supported by Elance

The Perks of Working at Google, Facebook, Twitter and More

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 02:48:00 GMT

Lauren Drell , Mashable

Are you a techie looking for work? We recently offered some tips on landing jobs at Google, Apple and Facebook, but there are more companies in the Valley than those three. And you might be wondering what the culture is like at each of these companies, as well as at LinkedIn, Twitter, Eventbrite, Gaia and Tagged.

Back in August, we brought you word of awesome perks at various startups; now, we bring you perks at a number of Silicon Valley’s largest and finest. From yoga to catered lunches, 401(k)s to dry cleaning, sports teams to vacation days, these tech companies seem to understand that quality of life affects productivity — and that having to run fewer errands after work means you’re more likely to stay at the office.

Check out the infographic below from ResumeBear for a breakdown of who offers what perks. Do you work at any of these companies and take advantage of any of these perks? Let us know in the comments below.

How does this stack up to your workplace? Would these benefits entice you to try your chances overseas for future business?

Our love affair with 3D appears to be over

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:23:00 GMT

Three years ago, the 3D movie was heralded as "the next big thing" that would save cinema. Over the years Australian ticket prices had steadily risen as home theatre became a serious threat, leaving cinemas to try and bridge the gap.

Image: The 3D juggernaut may be coming to an end. Photo: Simon Dawson

The objective was to up the "experience" that the public pay for, enhance the "immersion" for a premium ticket price and offer something that you just can't duplicate at home: enter the third dimension.

3D movies aren't anything new, but they've gone through a renaissance in recent years. When made well and actually filmed in 3D — such as James Cameron's Avatar — movies can be a triumph of cinema and a visual delight.

Advertisement: Story continues below Too often though we're presented with a slapped together conversion of a normal film, much cheaper to produce and resulting in a film a bit more eye-watering to watch, but hey, it was still a new age of cinema, right?

Slowly but surely, we moviegoers began to sort through dimensional shifts and see what was really in front of us. Yes, in some cases, the movie industry used 3D well, and made the few extra bucks worthwhile. But more often than not, we were being distracted. The honeymoon period was over all too quickly and in the past year 3D movies have seen a noticeable decrease in audience.

A factor that just accelerated this drop, in Australia in particular, is the ticket price. The average ticket price in the US in 2010 was $7.89, an extra $4 or so for 3D, with the glasses thrown in.

In Australia you were doing well if you could get a ticket for double that price. With our dollar near parity, we're paying $17 a movie ticket, $20 if you want to see a 3D film, more if you need the glasses. Quite a difference in price there, and it's even more if you have a family in tow.

There's been another wake-up call recently, in the form of a study by L. Mark Carrier of California State University, who found that people watching 3D movies essentially have the same immersion experience as those watching a 2D movie, but with the extra three-fold increase of eyestrain, headache, or trouble with vision.

This year has seen a vast reduction in the worldwide takings for 3D movies and the industry is catching on, as fewer movies are being provided in the medium. Whereas a movie such as Shrek Forever After made 65 per cent of its box office take from 3D screenings a year ago, this year's big summer flicks such as the final Harry Potter and The Green Lantern barely scraped 30 per cent. With the cost of converting a movie to 3D at $80,000 US per minute of footage (let alone going the step further and filming in it) it's fast becoming a reality that it isn't worth the box office take.

Here's where it starts getting a bit sneaky though — many that went to see movies like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Thor, The Green Lantern or Captain America in an Australian cinema this year would have had little choice but to see it in 3D. Normal 2D screenings were available, but they were few and far between. Have large cinemas like Hoyts and Village become so fond of the increased ticket prices that come with 3D, that they schedule the majority of their big audience screenings in it?

And what's next, you may ask? 4D cinema, that's what (technically the fourth dimension is "time", but this is hardly the moment to insist on scientific correctness). Found in the US, Canada, and now New Zealand (Australia can't be far away), using "d-box" technology your seat will now "pitch, roll and heave" along with the movie. Not immersive enough for you? There's a few cinemas in Asia that spray water and smell at you, with the recent Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon accompanied with the smell of burning rubber. It's taking the cinematic experience one step closer to a car wash.

3D movies aren't going anywhere soon. There's The Adventures of Tintin at the end of the year, The Amazing Spider-Man in July next year, and somewhere in the distant future, the tantalising promise of Avatar 2 and 3. Even with these tentpoles, it's undeniable that 3-D will never be the draw card it once was. Once the saving grace of cinema, the philosophy of making more money off less viewers has just led to less viewers overall.

How do you think 3D movies impact on the film industry? Creative genius or tacky money maker?

Didn’t sign up for an internet filter? Have one anyway

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 01:31:00 GMT

Gadget Girl - Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson
News.com.au

Have you received an email about Australia’s internet filter lately?

Seen a brief note from your internet service provider?

No? Neither have I.

Yet, like the majority of Australian internet users, my access to the internet is being filtered. A list of hundreds of websites is being blocked from view.

‘Which websites?’ you ask. It’s hard to say. They’re on a secret list.

‘Why didn’t the Government tell me?’ you ask. The Government isn’t overseeing this operation.

In fact, the Australian Government has no control over this filter at all. It’s something a select group of internet providers have taken on all by themselves.

Are you concerned yet? You have a right to be.

As suspected, Australia’s internet filter crept on to the worldwide web very quietly.

This filter, you see, was not the much-publicised version devised by Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. It would have seen every website lumped into the ‘Refused Classification’ basket banned from view. There were more than a few Australians concerned about what that filter might ban, including political debates on topics such as euthanasia and abortion.

The RC filter still on the Labor policy table, though we’ll have to wait for the results of a Classification review before it rears up again. That is due next year.

The filter we now have (surprise!) was instead devised as a stop-gap while we wait for our full-blown filter. It is just as secretive, however.

Optus has confirmed it plans to start censoring the web this month, though it won’t say when. Telstra flicked the filtering switch on July 1, as did CyberOne.

So what exactly are they filtering? At this stage, the voluntary filter is designed to block child abuse material. According to the Communications Minister’s department, that includes the ACMA list of about 500 websites plus Interpol’s list of sites. We don’t know how long this list of websites is. No one will say.

So why should you be concerned? No one here is in favour of child abuse, after all. Here’s a list to get you startled.

1. Subscribers have not been told.
I expected to know when Australia got its first internet filter. I also expected to be notified when my long-time internet provider installed one. Telstra has told me nothing about it. Millions of others are in the same boat. If it’s for our own good, why aren’t we being told about it?

2. We don’t know what is on this list.
It’s all very well for the IIA to come out in support of this voluntary, commercial filtering, but even they won’t say what exactly is being filtered. Can we have content descriptions at least? Will there be a repeat of the incident in which Wikipedia was blocked in the UK due to an album cover the Internet Watch Foundation didn’t like? Nobody knows.

3. No appeals process.
Discover your website is being blocked unfairly? Perhaps you have a saucy album cover on your website? There is no way to appeal this ban. You could perhaps lobby the IIA or individual service providers, but there is no pre-constructed method to get your site off this list.

4. Companies are in charge.
This internet filter affects millions of Australian internet users yet it’s being governed by companies. Forget child abuse. Why not block customers whinging about Aussie telcos? Why doesn’t Vodafone block Vodafail? It’s possible now.

5. Paving the way for a bigger filter.
Much more serious is the threat that this system could be expanded to become Conroy’s planned internet filter. If no laws are required to set up this system, what is preventing its expansion to all Refused Classification sites? What is to prevent the banned website list getting longer? Based on this current experience, we would never know just how long the list was and wouldn’t discover a website was banned until we tried to visit it. This filter could become downright insidious without notice.

There is hope, however. Quite a few Australian internet providers do not see it as their job to block websites. These include iiNet, Internode, Exetel and TPG. Those looking for a way to protest this quiet filter can opt for any of these services.

We shouldn’t have to change service providers to make a political point though. This filter is not something Australians were allowed to vote upon and it’s not something about which we’ve been adequately informed. The Government won’t say anything about it as they’re not in charge of it and the ISPs are not even telling their customers.

If a site is illegal, take it down. If more law enforcement is needed online, fund it. Installing a voluntary, commercially introduced ban on a list of unknown websites? Dodgy.

What are your thoughts on internet filters? As a creative industry professional how do they affect your work?

Apple's Role in Japan during the Tohoku Earthquake

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:33:00 GMT

Kevin Rose, Founder of Digg

Wow, this email is from a friend of mine that works for Apple in Japan... makes me happy Apple went the extra mile here, check out his story below:
---
Dear Alex L, David, & Kevin,

Hi this is XXXXX in Japan. As you all must have heard, the 5th largest earthquake in recorded history hit us on Friday, 2:30pm Japan Time. As Alex often says on TWiM, stories on the ground are often quite different from the stories in the news, and there is a tech story that I'd really like to tell: the story of Apple Inc in Japan.

Full disclosure: I work at Apple at one of its stores in Japan. The earthquake hit while I was working on the first floor of one of their stores. As the entire building swayed, the staff calmly led people from the top 5 floors down to the first floor, and under the ridiculously strong wooden tables that hold up the display computers.

7 hours and 118 aftershocks later, the store was still open. Why? Because with the phone and train lines down, taxis stopped, and millions of people stuck in the Tokyo shopping district scared, with no access to television, hundreds of people were swarming into Apple stores to watch the news on USTREAM and contact their families via Twitter, Facebook, and email. The young did it on their mobile devices, while the old clustered around the macs. There were even some Android users there. (There are almost no free wifi spots in Japan besides Apple stores, so even Android users often come to the stores.)

You know how in disaster movies, people on the street gather around electronic shops that have TVs in the display windows so they can stay informed with what is going on? In this digital age, that's what the Tokyo Apple stores became. Staff brought out surge protectors and extension cords with 10s of iOS device adapters so people could charge their phones & pads and contact their loved ones. Even after we finally had to close 10pm, crowds of people huddled in front of our stores to use the wifi into the night, as it was still the only way to get access to the outside world.

Anyway, I mention this not because I work at Apple now, or because I'm an admitted fanboy, but because I'm genuinely proud of the Apple Japan staff and their willingness to stay open to help people that day. And I'm also impressed with the way Apple's products (and yes, Google's, Twitter's, and Facebook's) helped them that day. Even after we had to close, many of the staff stayed outside the store to fixing iphones and teaching people how to contact family or stay informed via wifi.

TWiM, TWiT and Rev3 have talked about the power of tech & the cloud during the recent global events, so I wanted to let you know of one more example during the Great Tohoku Earthquake in Japan.

Sincerely,

XXXXX
Great Tohoku Earthquake Survivor 2011

----- UPDATE: -----

As of the writing of this, another nuclear plant just had an explosion so I will keep the 2nd half of the story as brief as possible as I may need to evacuate soon (weak smile).

A quick list of kind things Apple did after we closed:

1. Because the trains and phones were down, almost everyone who worked in Tokyo was stranded deep in the city. All the hotels were booked, the roads were jammed, so hundreds of people were instantly homeless. Apple told all of their staff - Retail AND Corporate - that they could go sleep at the Apple stores. The Senior managers at the stores had been notified earlier and unbeknownst to us, had gone out to stock up on food and drinks after the very first quake hit.

This was a godsend because by 11pm (118 aftershocks later) all food and drinks were sold out at every store within walking distance. And when I say walking distance, I mean 3-4 hours of walking distance. (Tokyo is a big city.)

Letting not just Retail but corporate staff sleep at the Apple stores was genius because:

1a. The corporate offices are in skyscrapers with over 50 flights of stairs. With all elevators in Japan shutdown, this was a nightmare.

1b. The Retail stores were the only areas where WE controlled the buildings, from top to bottom, so we could monitor, fix, and maintain the back-up power, networks, and heating ourselves.

1c. Ubiquitous wifi and Facetime devices gave us a lifeline to our families and the rest of the world. Facetime turned out to be MUCH more stable than Skype (And I'm a Skype fanboy!)

1d. With theater rooms and breakrooms designed for 150+ people, the Apple stores were the most comfortable places to be and to sleep. Much more comfortable than sleeping on the street on a cold March night.

2. Once staff let their families know that they were not only safe but how comfortable we were (break room refridgerators stocked with food and drink, etc), family members began asking if they could stay at the Apple stores as well. Of course Apple said yes. One business team member's stranded mother walked 3.5 hours to be with her daughter at the store. When she arrived, the Apple store staff gave her a standing ovation ("Warm Welcome") like they do for customers during a new launch.

3. The head of Apple International HR and of Japan Retail happened to be in Japan that week. Both came and spent the night with us in the stores and told everyone that if anyone wanted to try their luck getting home on their own, Apple would pay for any food, drink, or transportation fees that that person incurred on the way. "Your safety is most important."

If, on their way home the staff member realized they couldn't make it, but they found an open hotel, Apple would pay for it. Since many people lived 2-3 hours away, this ended up meaning 11 hour walks home, $300 taxi fares, and $800 hotel rooms (only the luxury hotels had vacancies). Executives from Cupertino and London Facetimed with us, letting us know not to worry, they supported us, and that they would write off on it all.

4. We continued to open our doors to stranded people on the street fixing iphones, selling battery packs, or simply teaching people how to get streaming news on their smart-phones until 3am in the morning. ;)

And lastly, as I write this now 3 days later, even though the Japanese government says everything is fine, nuclear plants continue to explode. And we still haven't even gotten the 7pt aftershock that is predicted to come this week, nor the nuclear/acid rain that is predicted to fall within the next 3 days. I hate to say this, but things may only get worse before they get better.

I've been calling my girlfriend at work, asking her to come home, but because the Tokyo government hasn't said anything, her company won't let her leave. On the other hand, my manager at Apple called me to let me know that Apple will support any decision I make regarding leaving the country or the area, and that a job will still be waiting for me if I decide to come back.

That is why I am a fanboy. Ack! Sorry, that wasn't brief at all!

Thanks for reading!

Better robots to improve human lives

Thu, 12 May 2011 06:07:00 GMT

The latest development in robots is the focus of the Shanghai International Conference on Robotics and Automation, see the clip below to view the latest robots being created.

VIDEO: Better robots to improve human lives

What do you think? Can robots of this kind help?

No Camera? No Problem! YouTube Integrates Animation Software For Filmmakers

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 03:36:00 GMT

Jeremy Scott, Creative Director Viral Orchid contributor to Reel SEO

Have you been wanting to jump into the online video marketplace but lack some of the necessary equipment? Do you have a great script but no camera? Well, then this is your lucky day. YouTube has just announced YouTube Create, a platform where you can use one of three animation movie-making software tools—Xtranormal, Stupeflix, or GoAnimate—all from right within the YouTube website.

You might remember when YouTube profiled several of these animation programs back in December, or when Xtranormal announced a new pricing structure just a couple weeks later. Never fear, though, all three of the systems are free to use in this new form… to a point, at least.

The whole thing is very simple and bare bones right now; when you head to YouTube.com/create, this is what you’ll see:

All three systems are different in their own way, so the experience changes from here depending on which one you choose. For the sake of experimentation, I chose GoAnimate–mostly because it is the one I’m least familiar with. I’m sorry that I didn’t have time to test drive all three.

Once you authorize the program (it wants to connect to your email for some reason), you can choose one of several genres—though, at this point, only two are available, with more coming soon.

It looks like this:

I chose Comedy World, mostly because I have no idea what I’m doing and I just needed to click on something.

From there you’re asked to choose a background, and let me just tell you… there are tons of them. And the first time you walk through, you’re going to get a fantastic tutorial that guides you and teaches you the GoAnimate system.

As great as the tutorial is, you’ll barely need it. GoAnimate is pretty intuitive. I wanted to make an actual video with GoAnimate, so you could see it in action, rather than just telling you about it like most other journalists & bloggers are doing.

Anyway… the service is moving very slowly right now, mostly because there are so many people checking it out—and because the three animation companies are hosting their own tools rather than having YouTube host them. Hopefully the speed of use will improve.

Also, each of the three movie-making tools has premium options you can upgrade to–with Go Animate, I learned the hard way that you have a 2-minute time limit with the free service. If you want longer videos, you’ll have to upgrade. I can only assume the other two have similar restrictions.

Either way, not having a camera is no longer a good enough excuse for not making video. Granted, these animation studios will probably never fill the needs of serious filmmakers. But for people who are mostly just making videos for friends and quick little amateur clips… they’ll do just fine.

Made your own movie? Share it with us today!

The importance of creative networking

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:50:00 GMT

Nigel Collin, from Leading Creatives

Right from prehistoric times, people have always been very social beings.

We like to share stories and experiences, we like being inspired by others, and we like feeling that we’re needed, that we’re not alone.

Creatively, that’s a huge advantage. A while back I asked a range of creative people what they like most about working for an organisation, the biggest response was the community.

Creative people like hanging out with other creative people. It gives us a sense of belonging, being part of something bigger, being part of the team.

Creative people love hanging out with other creative people. It stimulates them, stimulates collaboration, and allows them to bounce ideas around.

Being with like-minded people is incredibly stimulating and engaging. Conversations spark interest and open all sorts of doorways to new arenas of thought and interest. And it also makes good creative sense.

Working with a team allows creative people to get different perspectives on things. We each see the world differently, so hanging out with other people triggers fresh insights.

It allows creative people to play to their strengths and tap into the strengths of others. It allows them to learn from each other and so grow their own skills.

So whatever you do, make sure your creative people get to network and hang out with others. Work out ways to help your creatives build networks, blow off creative steam, and develop sounding boards and avenues of inspiration.

But here’s the caveat. Collaboration isn’t just about hanging out in your own business: creatives also need to hang out with creative people from other businesses and other industries.

Tapping into the creative wisdom and talents of others is a major creative tool – but collaboration often gets restricted to the creative team or project team.

Businesses are great at getting the people together within teams to bang out solutions, but the collaborative action stops there.

It’s one thing to collaborate within a creative team and another altogether to collaborate with people outside the team, even outside the company and the industry. That’s when you start getting really interesting input and ideas.

They also need to hang out with people whose main focus isn’t creativity. That gives them a larger view of the world, new perspectives, and helps them get into the heads of other people from other worlds.

This isn’t just good for business; it’s good for the soul. Sometimes you just need to play: empty your head and have an outlet other then work.

Don’t leave that for people to do for themselves. It should be on the blueprint of building your creative human capital. Make sure you create opportunities for these things to happen.

Break down the us-and-them mentality between creatives and everybody else.

Find ways to collaborate, not just inside but outside the camp. Nurture a culture of collaboration. That doesn’t just happen – it takes effort and planning. In return, their collective creativity takes a huge leap forward and they learn new skills.

Image: Unleash your creativity at networking events. Source: The Australian Womens Networking Blog.

Nigel is a champion for creativity and a strong believer in increasing your creative capital. Capatlise on your creative talents with his FREE webinar, held 25 March. Register here today.

Do you attend creative events? List them here and help other industry professionals get in touch!

More usage, more data - MORE MOBILE

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:11:00 GMT

Courtney Aspland

Last night I was fortunate enough to be introduced to an amazing little clip which explores the development of mobile phones in 2010. It got me thinking about my growing dependency on my iphone and my need to be connected to everyone and everything at any given time!

As the development of apps, social networking systems and communication channels increase exponentially on a daily basis, I would just like to give you the opportunity to sit back and consider for 2 minutes and 52 seconds how the almighty mobile has changed...the creative minds behind this industry and contemplate what's next for mobiles in 2011. Hope you enjoy this insight as much as I did!

Photo: An oldie but a goodie, my fav app is still Angry Birds - there are still levels I can't crack which I think will elude me for a lifetime.

What apps couldn't you live without? And what's on your wishlist for 2011?

Will Facebook's Next-Generation in Messaging Revolutionise the Way we Communicate?

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:20:00 GMT

Yvette Adams - Director of The Creative Collective and the Online Evangalist for Business Matters Magazine

If you're tired of communicating with the various people in your life using different mediums i.e. sms for Granny and some friends, then emailing some colleague and clients, then 'Facebooking' other clients, friends and family, this will bring your various communication channels together in the one convenient location.

The new service will involve Facebook handing out @facebook.com e-mail addresses to those who want one - mostly to make it easier to communicate with people who aren't on Facebook.

Naturally, some experts are sceptical as to whether the system, code-named 'Project Titan', will take off among users and there is also the issue of putting even more eggs into Facebook's basket security wise. But with over 500 million users globally, there's no doubt that Facebook has an existing and captive audience.

For more info on the new service see:

Of course it is unlikely people are going to make a clean break i.e. close their Yahoo Mail or Gmail account to go all in on the new Facebook service but I truly believe curiosity will get the better of most. If and time saving; over time they may increasingly gravitate towards Facebook and their traditional use of email will evolve into a new generation of communication.

Currently the feature is available to those who get an invitation from Facebook. To get an invitation visit this page and just click on the 'Request' button after logging in. You will receive an invitation to the new system.

For more information visit The Creative Collective and see the latest tehnology the award winning agency uses.

Smart or casual?

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:19:00 GMT

The Christmas soiree season brings with it an age-old fashion problem: how to decipher the dress code now that tradition and the new guard have become blurred. Does black tie really require a penguin suit? What should one wear to that daytime cocktail party? We've taken the guesswork out of the dress code question to ensure you and your partner remain appropriately clad at every occasion.

Smart casual
This is the most relaxed of the dress codes but shorts and thongs will not do. Think dressing for an important lunch, posh barbecue or beach wedding. You should be on trend and smart. Women could embrace colour or bold prints in the shape of a cute summer dress or skirt, worked back with a statement tote and jewellery and, for this season, '70s-style wedges. Guys could wear neutral trousers or even dressy jeans with a button-up shirt (short-sleeve is OK but T-shirts are a no-no). And leave the thongs at home and wear boat shoes or lace-ups.

Party
In Australia, a soiree can mean a daytime garden party or afternoon cocktails, so the key here is to dress up without overdoing it. Men could wear smart trousers and a shirt (minus the jacket), while women should still wear a statement frock - a mini is a more relaxed choice and remember to steer clear of anything too evening-esque. Neutral shades and minimal accessories are also the way to go and feel free to embrace more casual footwear - open-toe heels or even dressy wedges are the ticket.

Photo: Domino Postiglione

Lounge suit/cocktail
There's no need for a penguin suit here but that doesn't mean jeans and a shirt, either. Lounge suit/cocktail/stylish dress codes call for a suit and tie for men (feel free to embrace colour - navy, grey or tan is chic) and a glamorous frock for women (long or three-quarters are your best bet). Look for pieces that are on trend - nudes and draping are big this season - rather than a glitzy frock for the sake of it. Again, accessories are key - luxe metallics are lovely for ladies while for guys, a silver watch and tie (or even a pop of bright colour to match your partner) is chic and fashion forward.

Black tie
There's no getting around it: black tie is the formal dress code and must be adhered to when stated on an invitation. The rules dictate a black tuxedo and bow tie for men and an evening gown for women, preferably floor length. It's also important to choose the right accessories. For men, that means good leather dress shoes and belt (in black, of course) and some statement cuff links. Ladies, you don't have to wear a black dress, a block colour will complement a tuxedo nicely - just steer clear of anything too busy or fussy. Some statement earrings - pearls or gold are classic - and a glamorous clutch and heels (nothing too strappy or summery) will complete your black-tie transition.

SHOPPING LIST

Photo: Domino Postiglione

Smart casual
Saba printed shift dress, $224.25, 1800 441 739, Mulberry Tillie tote, $2060, (03) 9600 4888, Carmen Steffens denim wedge, $289, (08) 9284 5560, and House of Harlow 1960 tiger's-eye ring, $83, miijo.com.

Party

Thurley beaded dress, $449, (02) 9368 7711, Mimco hard-case clutch, $149, mimco.com.au, Peep Toe jewelled heel, $299, peeptoeshoes.com.au and Colette Accessories stone earrings, $8.95, colette.com.au.

Lounge suit/cocktail

Carla Zampatti knotted georgette dress, $599, (02) 9260 9700, Lara Bohinc 18ct yellow gold-plated cuff, $650, offtherunway.com.au, Kosheen heel, $220, www.kosheen.com.au, Escada clutch, $1690, (02) 9223 3283 and Marcs grey-blue suit jacket, $499, and trousers, $199, 1800 688 290, Fletcher Jones navy shirt, $59.95, 1800 061 425, Orange vintage tie, $75, from The Vintage Clothing Shop, (02) 9238 0090, Hugo Boss silver watch, $529, (03) 9580 6268, Antoine & Stanley suede shoe, $199, antoineandstanley.com and 3 Wise Men silk tie, $60, (02) 8354 1662.

Black tie
Bianca Spender long blue gown, $799, (02) 9260 9700, Jan Logan pearl earrings, $145, janlogan.com.au, Rachael Ruddick Opera clutch in onyx stingray with pearl crowns, $560, rachaelruddick.com, Nut-Sui black jewelled heel, $280, nat-sui.com.au, Herringbone tuxedo suit, $1295, and pleat-front shirt, $249, (02) 9362 9901, Bow tie, $75, from The Vintage Clothing Shop, (02) 9238 0090, Tiffany & Co. cuff links in titanium, $590, 1800 731 131, Armani Exchange leather belt, $99, (03) 9600 4888 and Milu shoe, $329, (03) 9349 4440

Do's and Don'ts of Website Design

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:50:00 GMT

DO: Keep your page structured
In the recent months we’ve seen an explosion of great grid layouts and css files. The most famous (in my opinion) being 960.gs and one of the cooler, more light weight grid systems being the 1kb grid. Following after the structure and balance of a great magazine/newspaper, these grid systems help lay out information in a structured and easy to follow format.

DONT: Just place boxes everywhere
We’ve all seen these types of websites before – 20+ boxes, all different sizes, nothing lining up properly and not on piece that actually grabs your attention because you’ve just ran into a whirlwind of craziness. if you’re a web designer and you cannot properly place items in a structured environment, well, I would’t really call yourself a web designer.

DO: Focus on what’s important
Are you building a website for a business that sells one specific product? If so, make sure that’s the focus of the home page. Allow yourself space on the inner pages to place calls to action for that specific item. If you’re building a blog that gives out freebies or writes tutorials, make sure they’re getting the proper amount of focus and attention. Websites like WOO Themes do a great job and putting forward what their main focus is – wordpress themes.

DONT: Place irrelevant ads across your page
If you’re going to try and make money from your website/blog, do yourself a favor and lay off the excessive advertisements. If your page loads and has 70% ads and only 30% content, odds are high that people will leave and never come back. Making your ads the #1 priority is a bad idea. Try blending them in and making sure they don’t take away from the content.

DO: Choose the right color scheme
Knowing what your readers emotions are will help you in choosing the proper color scheme. You won’t want a bright and ‘loud’ color scheme if your website is in the meditation niche. You’ll notice that most punk rock bands have CMYK color schemes (pink, yellow, black and blue), while a doctor/medical website will generally stick with a lighter, more ‘open’ color scheme

DONT: Overdo it with 20 different colors
Having every color that is inside the 64 set of crayons on your screen will not only look bad, but it will annoy your readers and drive them away. Your colors should blend well together, not clash. If you’re not good at picking color schemes, I’d suggest a site like Colour Lovers which has user generated color schemes posted. Find the right color scheme (at most, 5 colors) and see how much better your designs turn out.

DO: Make it easy to scan your pages
People will not spend 5 minutes trying to figure out what your website is about and what it has to offer. The best way to ensure you’re getting the right information out to your reader is to make the page easy to scan. Use proper H tags (similar to how this post is using h3 tags) to focus on the important items. You can also use pull quotes, block quotes and images.

DONT: Write one paragraph per page that is 1,000+ words long
If there’s one thing that stops me from subscribing to a blog is that the posts are literally 1,000+ words and have no paragraph breaks. This, and they normally don’t even have blog words or any indication that there’s anything important inside their content. Break your content up and make it easier to read – please, and thank you.

DO: Keep it simple stupid
It’s a proven fact that sign up forms with more than 3 items (usually – name, email & one other item) will have a significantly lower sign up rate than the easier forms. People HATE doing things for too long – so don’t over complicate things. Make things as easy as possible for your readers by pretending a 4 year old will be viewing it. It definitely helps get things out in the open where they need to be.

DONT: Go on and on (and on) about nothing
Rambling, excessive LOL’s, too many smiley faces and random dribble will drop attention spans of your visitors. You want them to stay – act like it. If you have a personal blog where you write about your life, thats one thing, but to randomly post about what you ate, or where you went yesterday on your business website will definitely drive people away.

DO: Focus on killer copywriting
Words matter. Keep them short, sweet and to the point. If you have trouble writing copy that attracts the readers attention to where you need it to go, hire someone. Copy is just as important as the design of your website. Choosing the right words for sign up buttons, page headings, navigation items and calls to action can be the difference between 50% sign up rate and a 90% sign up rate.

DONT: Stuff your pages full of keywords
Google isn’t stupid. Neither are your readers. If your page has the main keyword for your site stuffed into each paragraph 30-40 times, it will not only read very poorly, but you’ll be penalized. Writing should flow naturally and should only mention your keywords where they fit.

DO: Set your navigation up properly
If you’ve got a sign up page on your website, maybe you’ll have your main navigation in a blue color, while the sign up button is in a green color. Regardless, you’ll want to make your navigation easy to spot and easy to use.

DONT: Make your readers search to find something
Your readers shouldn’t spend 30-40 seconds trying to find a contact or about page. They also shouldn’t have to click through three pages just to get to a sign up form. Get the important things out in the open. For the items that aren’t required to have a strong focus on your website, you might want to invest in a search box – I HATE when websites don’t have a search box. Web design 101 maybe?

DO: Optimize your load times
If there’s one recurring theme in this entire article it is the fact that visitors are impatient. You need to build your website with optimal speeds and allow your page to load in around 1-2 seconds. You can do this by making sure your css files are compressed, using the google hosted javascript files and ensure your page is coded and designed with optimal speeds in mind.

Someone like embed a video on their site. Then I will not suggest you to make it auto load or auto play, because it makes your site slow. If you do not know how to set them, I suggest you to use moyea flash video mx 6, because you can set the player’s profile in this software. The product site: video-to-flash.com.

DONT: Make everything on your page an image
Text on a website is there to be exactly what it is -text. There is no need to make the text blocks of your site jpg images. Also, making your website background 1MB or more in size will also cause your page to load very slow. I’ve seen websites also use 2 different javascript libraries and load 10+ plugin scripts for them in the headers and their websites took around 20 seconds to fully load.

DO: Choose the right fonts and sizes
I’ve only recently got into typography and have realized that it is a highly important aspect of web design. Making your section titles the right size and making sure the fonts you’re using will greatly effect the experience your visitors have when viewing your websites. Generally speaking, you should use one main font for the content and then you may switch the titles of the pages to a different font.

DONT: Have 5 different fonts in 10 different sizes
Picture this: Page titles are in times new roman, content for those pages are in Arial, navigation links are in comic sans and the sidebar is in impact (yes, that impact). How ugly does that look? Now, remember that vision the next time you want to build a website with 5 different fonts.

DO: Make your page visually appealing
The world may tell you that people don’t judge a book by its cover, but thats a lie. The first thing people see is the web design you’re branded with. That first impression better be a good one. Utilize textures/gradients that give your website depth and draw attention to the beauty of your design. I would strive to ensure each of your website designs are accepted to galleries like css mania.

DONT: Throw a bunch of stuff together and think you’ll do well
Animated gif’s are your first no-no. After that comes the marquee scrolling text and the jumbled mess of text and graphics that resemble a 13 year olds myspace page. It isn’t cute and in case you’re not aware of it, it’s no longer 1980. Things have changed and people don’t expect to see something that looks like a 7 year old made it. If you’re a professional, act like it and make sure your designs are up to par.