Archive for May, 2011

PRO-KEDS LAUNCHES “PRO SOLES 4 JAPAN” CAMPAIGN

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

In light of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami tragedy in Japan,  iconic American footwear brand, PRO-Keds, is teaming up with non-profit organization Soles4Souls to launch the “PRO Soles 4 Japan” Facebook campaign to benefit victims in need.

Beginning today, PRO-Keds will donate 15 pairs of shoes to Japan for every 1,000 “likes” on its official Facebook page. “PRO Soles 4 Japan” was designed to encourage all generations to come together and utilize the power of social media to aid Japan’s rebuilding efforts.

To contribute, head over to PRO-Keds Facebook page today to participate.

Cashmere Tech Wrap-Up

Friday, May 27th, 2011

TWITTER ACQUIRES TWEETDECK

Social media giant Twitter has clearly been focusing on being the leader in features and applications for its popular networking site.   Earlier this year, UberTwitter was suspended for policy violations by Twitter, illustrating the fact that Twitter is going after major third-party apps, whether suspending them or looking to acquire them.  In the latest attempts to control the industry, sources say Twitter has acquired TweetDeck for a reported $40 Million.  TweetDeck is a desktop based service geared towards the more active and powerful Twitter user, providing services that the normal twitter.com does not offer.  With the quality of service combined with the backing of the Twitter brand, who knows what TweetDeck is capable of in the future.

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APPLE IS CLOSE TO SIGNING DEAL WITH MUSIC PUBLISHERS FOR CLOUD BASED MUSIC SERVICE

Different reports have surfaced over the last couple months about Apple constructing deals with different music labels to launch their cloud-based, music streaming service.   The last major deal waiting to be made is the recorded-music licensing deal between Apple and Universal Music Group.  After deals with Sony, EMI, and Warner Music, the serviced is closed to being ready for release, hopefully in time for the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.  After Google and Amazon have already released similar services, even though it is without licensing rights, Apple is in-line to join them in offering the ability to store and listen to your music from any location, whether it be home, work, or mobile.

The deal could take more time than originally thought though, because cloud based music licensing and publishing is a new idea.  Streaming music is not covered under the statutory laws that the government set, demanding a minimum song price for internet downloads.  Either way, the negotiation price is reportedly not too far away and we could see the music giant entering the game very soon, but unlike Google and Amazon, legally.

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KOGETO ANNOUNCES BETA VERSION OF “DOT”: THE 360 DEGREE VIDEO CAMERA FOR IPHONE

Tech start-up Kogeto is using project-funding website Kickstarter to aid them in raising funds for their new project, known as Dot. Kogeto is know for their 360 cam called Lucy, which is used in places like a classroom for a full view of the surroundings.   With its beta version coming out for Dot, they hope to revolutionize the iPhone camera industry.  There are some very unique features for the camera, including a small, sleak design and the accompanying easy-to-use app.

The Dot camera uses the existing lens, creating a warped view of everything around it.  Then, the app will de-warp the image into a 360 degree view that you can scroll through.   It’s easy to use, clean looking, and something many have never seen before.  All you do is snap it on, load the app on your phone, set it down and shoot!

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GOOGLE ANNOUNCES GOOGLE WALLET, IT’S NEW MOBILE PAYMENT SYSTEM

A very big announcement came out of the Google Conference in NYC this week.  Google has partnered with Citi, Mastercard, and First Data to begin’s its soft launch of Google Wallet, which will fully launch this summer.  This technology will allow people to make payments at select vendors through their smartphone, eliminiating the need for a physical credit card.  Known as “single tap technology”, Google wallet will connect the account with the vendor through a secure connection set up by the banking institutions.  With the tap of the phone to the express system, the payment will be made, just like that.

Users will have to link a bank account to their Google account, and enter a PIN to begin shopping.  Users will also be able to search for daily deals at select merchants tied to the new Google Offers app.  The leaders from Citi and Mastercard have expressed their full commitment to the development of these technologies, and there will be many features added in the near future, including a return receipt system and loyal shopper programs.  Right now, Subway, Macy’s, and American Eagle are some of the first merchant to be on board with this revolutionary process.

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THE FIRST LADY GAGA X POLAROID PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE

Back at CES in February, Polaroid announced its deal with superstar pop singer Lady Gaga to make a line of creative looking photo-capturing devices to support their “zero ink” product line.  Known as the Grey Line, the series of Lady Gaga inspired devices will be a new, outlandish look for the old, photo-booth style company.  The first of these products has been released on their website and at Bloomingdale’s in NYC.  The GL10 is a wireless printer that can be accessed through bluetooth technology from all sorts of wireless camera devices.  The product retails at $170, but i’m sure the Gaga Monsters are going to eat this up!

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Throwback Thursday: Geto Boyz’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me”

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

When we consider popular themes in music, it’s almost always love or hate. One theme that seems to have been lost in modern rap is the song about an abstract yet impending sense of doom. Bands like Muse and 30 Seconds to Mars have made a killing off of this subject, but I’ve yet to hear an urban artist tackle it in the same way that the Geto Boyz did with “Mind Playing Tricks on Me”.

Scarface and co. were always known for grizzly, dark rhymes—perhaps the forerunner to modern horrorcore rap—but still held it down for Houston long before “Sittin Sidewayz” and the second renaissance of Houston hip-hop.

With so much of today’s rap about materialism—cars, drugs, women, money, spending money, etc.—it’s refreshing to look back on a song about something nebulous, something that inherently lacks detail and definition, but it’s a feeling that we encounter on a regular basis.

Snoop, Far East Movement Perform at The Billboard Music Awards

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Our very own Far East Movement and Snoop Dogg came together at the Billboard Music Awards this past weekend to perform two of their smash singles, “Rocketeer” and “If I was You”.

There was more than enough star power for anyone to be easily starstruck after experiencing this performance. In case you missed it, check out the video below to get a peek at the show.

Human Rights Logo Contest

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

Right now there is a logo design contest for Human Rights going on currently where contestants can win up to 5000 euros (which is a little less than $7000) and also the bragging rights to say that they  made a universal logo. The contest ends July 31^st, 2011.

Looking through the submissions, there are a lot of entries that have similar ideas, so it would be a good idea to look at previous submissions before starting your own logo!

Here are some interesting entries:

You can get all the contest details and enter your own submission on their  beautiful, user friendly website at humanrightslogo.net.

Cashmere Tech Wrap Up

Friday, May 20th, 2011

WAHWAH.FM IS LIKE FOURSQUARE, FOR SOUND

Imagine being able to listen to streaming music, and broadcast it to others around you, all from you iPhone.  That is exactly what new Berlin start-up wahwah.fm brings to the the music game.  With this new app, you can listen to streaming music from Soundcloud, and broadcast a playlist simultaneously to users around you.  It is very similar to Foursquare, but instead of checking in to a business or place, you are checking into a playlist from another user.  With wahwah.fm, users can comment on other’s playlists, as well as track how many listeners they have on their own stations.  In essence, the award-winning app is bringing back the art of music discovery, but to your phone, with millions of tiny radio stations.

Released at this year’s “The Next Conference” and winner of “The Next Elevator Award” for best new start-up, the beta version of wahwah.fm is slotted to be released to a few trial users this Spring.

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SOCIAL NETWORKS OFFER A WAY TO NARROW THE FIELD OF FRIENDS

Have you ever wanted to post a picture, video, or status update for only a few people to see, not your entire Facebook or Twitter network?  Maybe they don’t care about such small happenings in your life, or maybe you don’t want everyone to see it.  Whatever the case is, these new web services are now offering a way to select groups of people to share content with.  Facebook is leading the way, starting the new Groups feature, as well as the new Send button, for you to share these posts with select people or directly from person to person.

Some of these companies include Path, GroupMe, Frenzy, Rally Up, Shizzlr, Huddl and Bubbla.  These services are aiming to eliminate the strangeness involved in posting to your entire network, and bring you comfort in be able to share content with your book club, sports team, family, neighborhood, or social club.

Dave Morin- Founder of PATH

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FOOTLOCKER LAUNCHES SNEAKERPEDIA, A WIKIPEDIA FOR SNEAKER HEADS

In an effort to align itself with the sneaker-head community, Foot Lockers has launched its brand new sneaker info site, “Sneakerpedia”.  Modeled after Wikipedia, the site allows users to find the make, year launched, composition, and style of all different types of shoes.  Users can also upload stories about their particular experience with the sneakers as well.

There are some definite questions about the site that remains to be answered.  One, with the focus more on shoes already on the market, are they going to grab the attention of sneaker maniacs who normally look for info on future releases?  Will they gain site traffic, especially with very little Foot Locker branding on the website? Will sales increase even though there is no link to buy the shoes on the new site?  All these will be answered in the coming months, but we do know that the idea is definitely innovative.

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FACEBOOK PHOTO TAGS FOR PAGES LET USERS SHOW THEIR LOVE FOR BRANDS

Facebook users can now interact with brand’s pages in a whole new way.  Unlike before, where you could only tag your friends in photos, Facebook has added a feature to be able to tag pages too.  For example, if you were posting a picture of you and your friends at TAO Nightclub in Vegas with Kanye West performing, you could tag both TAO and Kanye’s Facebook pages in the photo.  This is a great new way to interact with your favorite brands, celebrities, and companies to show support.  This is also great for the brands themselves, as they can get a better idea of their customer base and how much affinity they have toward the brand.

10 CREATIVE WAYS MUSICIANS CAN USE QR CODES

Here are 10 tips for musicians to use QR codes (via Hypebot):

1. Connect a gig poster with a place to buy tickets
2. Connect posters to a video or track that sells the band
3. Connect your t-shirt to your website
4. Connect a t-shirt or poster to a free download
5. Connect a poster to your online store with a discount
6. Connect a poster to your Facebook page
7. Connect signage on stage or merch table to mobile friendly site with email sign-up
8. Connect your CD cover to an email sign-up
9. Connect a CD cover to bonus content
10. Offer a free track to retailers who include your name and QR code connecting to a tweet-for or email-for-track landing page

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Vote The League of Young Voters

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

The League of Young Voters definitely care about exactly that, young voters. When they got word that there would be people campaigning to disable the rights of young voters without proper identification to vote on the day of election, the League began to reach out to their supporters in an attempt to shed light on the ridiculousness of it. But talk is cheap and right now they need a lot of money in order to push forth any initiatives to compete against the powers that be. So, they’re linking up with Pepsi on their Pepsi Refresh Project that will fund organizations with extraordinary ideas that will benefit their community and the world.

The League is seeking your support to vote for the League to win $50,000 that would go towards the purchase of 30,000 State ID’s for those unable to obtain one and enable them to register to vote. Are you still down? Cast your vote for the League of Young Voters by heading over to Pepsi’s  RefreshEverything.com today!

Shvona Lavette Releases New Single “Drop Dead”

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

One of an ever-growing list of actors to parlay their screen success into a musical career, Shvona Lavette debuted her new single “Drop Dead” exclusively on DJBooth.net.

Head over to DJBooth.net and give Shvona’s new single “Drop Dead”  a listen to and rate the song. You can own “Drop Dead” now by hitting up iTunes.

Check out all the behind the scenes action on the set of her shoot for her forthcoming “Drop Dead” video below.

One of an ever-growing list of actors to parlay their screen success into a musical career , Shvona Lavette debuted her new single “Drop Dead” exclusively on DJBooth.net.

Head over toand give Shvona’s new single “Drop Dead” listen to and rate the song . You can own “Drop Dead” now by hitting up now.

Check out all the behind the scenes action on the set of her shoot for her forthcoming video for “Drop Dead” below.

Cashmere Event Recap: Illustrated Type

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Today’s blog is dedicated to this past weekend’s Illustrated Type Art Exhibit attended by one of Cashmere’s own, Grace.

I attended the Illustrated Type Art Exhibit in Gallery Nucleus this Sunday, May 15^th. It was a small, very clean gallery in Alhambra. Near the back, going past the books and posters, the exhibit started with a normal letterpress piece with a small signage indicating that prints were sold. As you walk through work after work, the exhibit explores a new medium, from cut paper and embroidery, all the way to the last piece, which was constructed from branches and borax crystals.

Below are just  few pieces that I personally loved:

Matter into Spirit by Studio on Fire

20” x 13”, letterpress

Ordinary (left), Curious (middle), It All (right) by Eric Smith

14” x 11” x .05”, silkscreen

ABC by Julene Harrison

22.2” x 16.1” x 1.2”, hand-cut paper-cut

Poetry (left), Sublimity (right) by Takashi Iwasaki

16” x 16” x 2”, Embroidery floss on canvas

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Come Happy. Go Happy by Christine Nguyen & Michael Wysong

Branches, lichen, moss, borax crystals, plastic

Go For It! Hits Theaters Today

Friday, May 13th, 2011

The inspirational dance drama, GO FOR IT!, the Audience Award winner and an official selection of the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival hit theaters nationwide today.

Telling the story of Carmen, an 19 year-old student, GO FOR IT! shows her struggles to find her identity, raised in the inner-city of Chicago.  She spends most of her time in underground clubs enthralled with her true passion in life, dance.

Inspired by filmmaker Carmen Marron’s life experiences, GO FOR IT! shows her real life story as a street dancer and hopes to inspire urban youth to believe in their inner-strength and follow their dreams.

Check out the trailer below and see Go For It! in theater today.