The trouble with the internet is that it makes you feel inferior

The list of things that I suddenly discover I can't do, grows longer every day. Ah well, it is amazing to watch experts in action.

Why buy a video camera when there are so many free ones around?

Perhaps not the first question which pops into your mind, as you awake. But it was the question being pondered by the guys at mediashed. And, there response was to start 'video sniffin'. This - in case you didn't know! - involves capturing the broadcast signals from CCTV cameras, and using them for your own purposes.
In the case of mediashed, their purpose was to give children the chance to make their own movies, without the normal expense. You can read about the story here.
I have to admit, I think this is brilliant. Being able to turn "instruments of control" into a low cost form of art, just makes me laugh. And, it also makes me wonder what else we could do for free. For example, are you paying for a meeting room, when the building next door has empty space?

Now that is what I call diversification

Boing Boing is reporting that two of the founders of the Blue Man Group have opened a childrens' nursery. The description sounds fascinating, and - I have to say - ever so slightly scary. What core skills could you move to a completely different industry?

What is your ideal creative space?

You make your living with your mind, but does your working environment really support your thinking? Take a look at some of these spaces and see if any of them inspire you.

Problems are wonderful sources of innovation

O'Reilly Radar has a great story about the problem of finding addresses in Tokyo. Basically, the Japanese system of house numbering is somewhat idiosyncratic which makes the task of actually finding someone's house quite challenging. However, as a result of this difficulty, Japanese companies have become experts in GPS mapping. This makes me wonder, what disadvantages are we suffering with that - with some creative thought - might actually prove to be great sources of innovation.

Strange emails being posted!

My apologies to anyone who was confused to find one of my emails posted to this blog. It seems as though the mail system got slightly confused about where messages were supposed to be going. Normal service will be resumed shortly!

Looking for inspiration, chances are that someone is collecting it for you

The Internet is a wonderful thing, and should you ever doubt that, I offer two examples which will restore your faith. 1. StreetPeeper.com is a web site dedicated to capturing the dress decisions made by 'hip' people around the World. If you have an interest in emerging ideas in fashion, these guys are doing all the leg work for you. And it comes directly to your browser with virtually no effort on your part. Fantastic. 2. What does a Badger taste like? This question was recently posed to me, by a friend, as part of an on going joke - yes, you probably had to be there for it to be funny. Anyway, out of curiosity, I typed it into Google. And, I found the script of a very funny sketch all about that exact subject. No, I am not going to give you the link. You have already wasted too much time reading this blog. Although if you can't resist, look for Badger flavoured ice cream. The point about these two entries, is that the Internet is offering us an increasingly powerful source of inspiration for almost any question we could ask. And, it has only been around for a few years. Just imagine the power we will have, quite literally at our finger tips, over the coming decades.