No wonder why our perception of beauty is distorbed.

Dove Evolution 

[via comment from DesignNotes ]

An inside look at Google

 [via Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish - 馬高]

Al Gore + 3 x 30″ Monitors

[via maclalalaweblog]

Internet Pornography Stats / 互聯網色情內容統計

請支持 inmediahk.com 及 wanszezit 的有關張貼色情 hyperlink的活動。巧合地，5 月 12 日(即昨天) Techcrunch 張貼一篇有關 “互聯網色情內容統計”報導。除了呼籲，實際客觀的科學數據統計說明了 全港首宗轉貼淫褻照片超連結網民罰款是一件很十分不合理及不公平的笑話。上面轉載了由 GOOD Magazine 所製作的一個 video ，裡面用創意的手法表達”互聯網色情內容統計。(P.S. Oh, this video also got some online sites hyperlinks offer pornography!!!! Will I be arrested and sued very soon???)

“互聯網色情內容統計” Summary 如下:  

• 89% of 色情物品是由美國製造的
• 2006 年美國的色情網貼其有 28.4 億美元的收入
• 平均人用每秒 $8 毫 9 在看色情網
• 72% 的色情網的使用者是男性
• 每日平均有 260 個新的色情網推出 

Please support inmediahk.com & wanszezit on the Porn Hyperlink protest. What a coincident, Techcrunch reported internet Pornography Stats yesterday(May 12).  Check out the above video . This video created by GOOD Magazine. GOOD has created this video which takes a look at the porn industry on the web. 

The video shows a number of stats about the Internet pornography industry. It is staggering how much actual money flows through porn and how many people are involved in the industry:  [via Techcrunch]

• 89% of porn is created in the U.S.
• $2.84 billion in revenue was generated from U.S. porn sites in 2006
• $89/second is spent on porn
• 72% of porn viewers are men
• 260 new porn sites go online daily

Google’s New London Office 2007

[via Gizmodo]

Ne-Yo’s Because of You album (P.S. Afterthought about HK music industry)

今天在香港唱片買了一隻 Ne-Yo 的最新大碟，全碟都很好聽，對於 DefJam Recordings 的唱片一向都很有信心。我不多說，因為音樂，就像圖像及表演藝術一樣，即使我用幾千字形容，你也不會愛上它，除非你親耳聽到或親眼看到，那才是最有感染力。Post 的最底有 Music Video 和 Live。

之前政府的數碼版權咨詢是否真的要維護創意? 或是因為要保護香港的娛樂唱片公司? 或是受了RIAA的 pressure? 我不清楚，不過我只覺得那咨詢的內容十分不合理及落後，事實上，他們心目中破壞版權的 Youtube ，早已被美國的大公司肯定。你可以看看 Ne-Yo 的 Promotion Campaign。Universal Music Group  和 Youtube 合作，在 Youtube 上已有 Official Channel 上載了他們 artists 的 MTV ，還舉辦了 Ne-Yo Choreography Challenge ，讓歌迷下載主打歌後為Ne-Yo 創作的舞步，上載至Youtube 參加比賽。

香港的音樂界不要再向後看。我相信你們的 potential customer 是 Generation Y，他們這個世代從出世就接觸不斷湧現的科技， 他們有97% 是擁有電腦，94%擁有手提電話及54%有 mp3players(可能未計 iPod)，34% 只會上網閱報，28% 會寫 Blog 及 44% 會看Blog。那麼為什麼還不利用Web2.0 及日新月異的科技去 promote 你的歌星和產品。什麼是創意? 請參考你們的美國同行的 Member Firm 吧!

I think not many people in Hong Kong know about Ne-Yo. Ne-Yo is quite a popular R&B/Pop artist in U.S. I love most of the records produced by Ne-yo’s music label - DefJam Recordings (JayZ, boyfriend of Beyonce, is the Presient/CEO of DefJam).  I bought this album at $98 at Hong Kong Records. It’s a bit expensive because I could bought it somewhere else at a lower price. So what moves me to buy it?

(1) Coz I am in love with this album after listening online.
(2) The album should be in store @ May 1 (I guess in US) according to the website and I can get it today(May2) in HK at HK Records
(3) My friend recommended me to buy CDs @ HK Records, coz HK Records got the most comprehensive music CD inventory.
(She bought many old albums from HK Records, alternative+rock band)

OK! I am going to put Ne-Yo’s MV and live video at the very botton.  Music is like picture/visual art, words cannot explain it and make you love it, unless you experience it by listening and watching yourself

But I wanna add some note here about HK music industry. Recently, HK government did a consultation on intellectual property over internet . The content of the consultation document is quite unreasonable and out-dated. It’s time for you, the big music company in Hong Kong to change! Please learn from you member firms in US.  That’s creative!

(1) Universal Music Group allied with Youtube. So you can watch music videos of your favourite artists @ Youtube officially any time in the UMG youtube channel.

(2) Organize Ne-Yo Choreography Challenge, fans can download the theme song and upload their choreography video via youtube group

Change your RIAA mindset! Something, like youtube, which is regarded as breaking intellectual property in internet,  is a great tool to martket your artists/products. Do you know that the Generation Y  was the first generation to learn and witness the most advanced development of technology? Do you think they are your potential customers?  Break from your traditioinal business model prison. Be creative and leverage the web2.0 and technology!

- Over 97%  of them own a computer
- 94% of them own a cell phone & 56% own an mp3 player(maybe higher including iPod)
- 34% use websites as their primary source of news
- 28% own a blog and 44% read blogs
(via wikipedia)

P.S. Once my friend who are working at a big insurance company said that they won’t opt for web marketing campaign because their target customers are top people with purchasing power( maybe the last generation people), who only watched TV/listened to radio after work. YES, that’s right, but music should be for young people, the web2.0 generation! Young people doesn’t have money themselves but their parent earned for them. And they are those people who bought iPod, Computer, PS3, NDS, Xbox, Wii etc.

Ne-Yo : Because of you MTV via UMG

Ne-Yo: Because of you Live @ Yahoo! [ I love the background dancers, they are hot! their moves are cool!]

Neyo Live on Jay Leno (05.04.2007) 

Startup inside the Corporate? - Google Culture Officer

(photo via Beyond Azure)
//Note: (a) Beyong Azure said “To be a googler is one of my dreams.” Me too!
(b) Miss Kathy Sierra so much. Hope she will come back soon!//

Google 的創始人 Larry 與 Sergey去年夏季提出設立一個「文化長」(chief culture officer）職務的建議。保持Google獨特的文化，使員工感到快樂 (閱讀CNET 翻譯原文)  。這令我想起 Creating passionate users 其中一篇 “Dignity is Deadly, Part Two” ，其中也有討論過 startup 和 corporate 的分別(看下圖)。Google 已由 startup 迅速發展成一間大企業，它是否仍能保持它獨有的文化? 相信是十分困難。事實上，無論是 startup 或是 corporate 兩者都有它們值得互相學習的地方。無論這一個 Chief Culture Officer 的 initiative 結果如何，這也是一個很好開始，把 startup 文化溶入企業之中的理念實踐出來!

Just read from CNET that Google has just created a new position called “chief culture officer”. It was something that Larry and Sergey came up with last summer in order to keep Google’s unique core culture (to summarize):

- Maintains a flat organization, a lack of hierarchy, a collaborative environment
- Freedom startups atmosphere and make the Googler happy
- Continue to hire a Google-y employee (I love the traits of ”Google-y” )

Note: What is a Google-y employee? “Google-y is defined as somebody who is fairly flexible, adaptable and not focusing on titles and hierarchy, and just gets stuff done.”

(diagram via creating passionate users)

When startup become a corporate with bigger size, complex structure,  more employee, increasing investers/shareholders, regioinal offices…. keeping its unique culture seems impossible. This Google initiative reminds me of one post - “Dignity is Deadly, Part Two” from Creating passionate users.  Kathy Sierra made a comparison on both startups and corporate in the extreme on both side (See table below). 

Although it’s hard to keep a balance between Big Business and Startups, I also agree with Kathy that both model can learn from each other.

“There’s no REAL reason why a big, established company cannot keep the start-up spirit alive, while still running a business and yes, maximizing shareholder value. And as each day goes by, the chances that your users/customers/clients are from the gamer generation goes up. That’s the best news of all… because the post-boomers don’t give a damn about your “professionalism”. They want to know how you can help them kick ass, and why you don’t have a blog. ” (read more)

(chart via creating passionate users)

JoyofTech Comic - Issue 954 (English, Traditional & Simplified Chinese version)

English Original (via Joyoftech.com)

Traditional Chinese Version - 繁體中文 (translated by Uta)

Simplified Chinese Version - 简体中文  (translated by Uta)

JoyofTech Comic - Issue 945 (English, Traditional & Simplified Chinese version)

 

English Original (via Joyoftech.com)

Simplified Chinese Version (translated by Uta)

Traditional Chinese Version (translated by Uta)