Music is my boyfriend.

At least it's about to be. I just downloaded Spotify. It's saying hello to America. So I figured the least I could do in the name of America, was say hello back.

I'm looking forward to seeing how/if/when the new service changes the way I consume music. Like, perhaps I'll start to appreciate Gaga or something. Though probably not.

The Creators Project to transform the desert.

The Creators Project is an online showcase of all that is musical and artistic and innovative and digital. It is a partnership between Intel and Vice Magazine, 2 unlikely brands to partner with each other. Artists and innovators that are involved whose names you might recognize include: Diplo, Andy Mueller, Phoenix, Spike Jonze, Cassette Playa, and Alexandre Herchcovitch.  I can't explain The Creators Project any better than they can so for more info on the project you can turn here.

But what I really want to let you know is that the Creators Project will be partnering with your favorite Cali music fest, Coachella, this year. And it'll be a pretty sick deal. The Creators Project will have folks from the lineup create new pieces of work. They'll bring new players to the stage from around the world. And, it sounds, like they'll be offering a new and amazing visual, auditory, sensory experience for all y'all--both the elevated and the sober--to appreciate.

You can check out footage from The Creators Project archives here for a taste of what's to come this April. In the desert.

Oh, and for the lone person out there who hasn't peeped the full 2011 Coachella line up yet, you can find it here.

Ice Cream + Art + Gadgets = Blood is the New Black's Summer Fling

What happens when two beautiful people get together and [fill in the blank] and then invite a 3rd amazing partner to [fill in the blank more]? A beautiful love child is conceived, that's what.

Am I being too metaphorically obtuse for you? Allow me to be explicit. Two of my favorite brands, revolutionary tee-shirt meets art collection, Blood is the New Black, and magically delicious ice cream sandwich purveyors, Coolhaus, have joined forces and brought in handy-dandy gadget protectors, Case-Mate, to bring Summer Fling, A Mobile Pop Up Shop and Ice Cream Truck to Los Angeles this summer.

You'll be able to customize your own phone cases with incredible art courtesy of BITNB's roster of sick artists. You'll be able to indulge in ice cream flavors like pistachio with black truffles. And you'll be able to hang out with me. Cause I'll be hanging around them all summer.

The launch party for LA's awesomest new mobile retailer is this Saturday. Find the details below and find me at the party!

Saturday, June 5th
8 PM - 12 AM

Nomad Gallery
1993 Blake Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Live Performance by Dunes
DJ's Jacob Safari and Sara T
Live Screen-printing by Nomad Gallery
Open Bar available thanks to Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer

RSVP info@bloodisthenewblack.com requested but not required

Can't make it? Stay tuned to twitter.com/summerflingtruk and bloodisthenewblack.com/summerfling to find the truck near you this summer!

Introducing yet another social network...

Executives and developers have been leaving MySpace in a steady flow over the last year (and with good reason). With all these smartypants now walking around as free agents, cool things are brewing in Tech Land.

Check out the teaser for Gravity.com, [yet another] new social network coming soon. Dare I say it looks like it might be cool?

[via TechCrunch]

Tech Crush: Wisdom from Biz Stone, Founder of Twitter. From his beak to my ears to your eyes.

If I had founded the 21st Century Silicon Valley equivalent of Wonder Bread during the baked goods revolution, I would have 2 assistants. I would wear Christian Louboutins and a perfectly coiffed hairdo. I would walk with the swagger of the much celebrated tech geniu-ette that I would be.

And then there's Biz Stone, Founder of a little platform called Twitter, who began this evening's remarks at the CAA Curious Series by telling us he had a large, gaping hole in his pants. Stone is young, witty and had no product in his hair. He was casual and smart and fabulous.

Here are some pieces of wisdom and interesting tidbits from Stone's talk this evening...

1. 'Twitter is about the triumph of humanity, not the triumph of technology.'

Much of Stone's talk focused on the way Twitter has connected us all. From alerts of the earthquake last year in California to the rallying of activists in corruptly-run nations abroad to notifications of a new dessert item from your corner bakery, individuals have taken ownership of their Twitterverse, using it to inform, share, and spread information to their fellow beings. Twitter, as it turns out, is a beautiful thing.

2. Twitter wishes to have a global impact--to serve places without internet (yes, there are still some places without wi-fi)--and to do so has emphasized a mobile functionality. The 140 character limit Twitter imposes on your updates was created because of SMS systems' 160 character limit. Twitter left a difference of 20 characters for the users' names. And here I had thought that Twitter just knew no one wanted more than 140 characters about your lunch and subsequent trip to the bathroom.

3. 'There are more smart people outside than inside.'

Stone shared with us the philosophies and 'assumptions' taught to all new Twitter employees during training. They ranged from the motivational to the inspirational. This particular bulletpoint was a great reminder that all the answers do not always lie within--yourself or your organization. Seeking help on the outside is not a sign of defeat--it is smart business.

4. Regarding Google Buzz, the newest Twitter-esque service from social giant Google, which launched today (you can find my blog on the product here), Stone said this: 'It's a way to interact with Twitter in your Gmail...it's going to be mostly tweets that you're looking at...Maybe they'll make a lot of money and we can share some of it.' Fantastic. Just fantastic banter Mr. Stone.

5. And regarding the silly, oft ridiculed name of the company, Stone admitted that 'the fact that people could make fun of the name and call it 'twatter' probably led to its success.' Well, that is one nickname for Twitter that I'd not yet thought of. But now I surely will.

Logging off,

@jessiebr

Tech Crush: Okay, okay, okay Apple. I get it.

Alright. I give up. I think I finally get it. Apple, I may cheat on my PC with you.

The mystery of the Apple Tablet.

The Kindle came. It may as well have left. The Sony Reader launched. It's out there somewhere. And today the Apple Tablet is being revealed to all sorts of nerdy hoopla. I'm not certain why I'm supposed to care more than I care about, let's say, a new stiletto silhouette from Christian Louboutin. But because there's no big news I don't want to be apart of...I will join the millions of speculating fans in wondering what the Tablet will hold in store for us...and moreover what it will mean to me.

Gmail goes to Autopilot. I get lasier. And apparently stupider.

Logging into Gmail this morning I found a friendly note from the still-Beta email service letting me know that Gmail now provides an 'Autopilot' service. If you can't read the sections I've highlighted above, it states that Gmail Autopilot by CADIE...

• automatically manages [my] inbox better than [I] can, with zero effort from [me]
• automatically send[s] the right reply
• Manage[s] Relationships
• [is] just like [me], but automated

So, in other words, I've now got a machine that can communicate 'just like me' but better. Should I be happy? Terrified? Well, I Google this new product to find out more. And find out that Autopilot is a big, bloody prank for gullible morons like myself.

Happy April Fools Day to you too, ya big sack of techy expletive!

What will they think of next? Camel Crush Cigarettes

My friend introduced me today to a wonky new invention from RJ Reynolds, the evil mastermind behind some of America's favorite cigarette brands. As a non-smoker, I suppose I've fallen behind in the tobacco industry's exciting new product launches, as Camel Crush is apparently not new. It's brand spanking new to me however and let me just say 'wow.' I didn't think that smokers were looking for innovaton in their ciagarettes--I assumed that for the truly addicted, the nicotine was the catch. But for the smoker who likes a little gadget action with his blackening lung, Camel Crush offers the 'ooh' and 'ah' factor he's seeking. The filter houses a tiny ball, containing menthol on demand. When you're ready to turn your stick to spearmint, you just crush (hence the name) the end of your fag.

I personally think mint belongs in toothpaste and chewing gum, but for those who like to include mint everywhere that it does not belong (i.e. - chocolate, ice cream and cigarettes), I suppose Camel Crush is a little slice of do-it-yourself minty heaven. Menthol smokers, rejoice.

P.S. In trying to find out more about Camel Crush, I visited the Camel website. This site has better security than LAX. Not wanting to give my real information, I made up a name and address. Camel actually verifies its users' information and was quickly on to me. I could not enter the fortress that is Camel Online.

Photo Credit: CS News

Microsoft lays off the 5,000 responsible for new product Songsmith.

Microsoft has just introduced its new Songsmith product. Songsmith allows you to sing into your computer, and out it cranks a stale background accompaniment. I suppose this could be useful for vocalists so bad, no band wishes to join the act. Or really, really lonely and untalented children.

Some folks have tested out the product by feeding it legendary songs, like The Beatles' 'Lonely Hearts Club Band,' and seeing what kind of melodic atrocity is born.



Gawker: Awful Product With Awful Ad Makes Awful Music
New York Times: Microsoft Songsmith is Easy (if Painful to Hear)

Toymaker Mattel takes a stab at telekinesis.

Recently, I've been plagued with the things I can't do. Not the things I never learned to do--like rise to prima ballerina status, save money, or speak Spanish--but rather, the things I can't, could never have, and will never be able to do. The other night, for instance, I tried to read my boyfriend's mind. Like, really tried. And just today at lunch, I was wondering what it might take for me to lift my tray off the table. How much energy would it take for me to lift one empty plate, some leftover corn and the cardboard box that had held my microwavable entree? My efforts to levitate the tray and its contents were failed.

I don't know if I read Matilda one too many times or if my great aunt's claims of levitation spooked me, but I've always felt my life would be a little closer to complete if I could control these body and mind functions.

Well, it appears, we are now one step closer to granting mind control powers to the masses. Mattel, the maker of kiddy favorites like Barbie and Hot Wheels, has launched Mindflex at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. The game allows users to move a ping-pong-sized ball through the space with their minds. While I'm not sure how appropriate the game is for kids, nor how long the entertainment would last, I'm intrigued. I want one. I think need to have one.

And on a side note, I'd really like to know how Mattel has not yet been condemned for separating its game list into Girls and Boys games. Seriously? It's 2009. Hotwheels aren't just for boys anymore. And last time I checked, the classic Magic 8 Ball wasn't a chick thing.

New York Times: Mattel Channels Obi-Wan "Stretch Out With Your Feelings"
Crunchgear: Hands on with Mattel's weird Mindflex Game

Edible computers. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before!?

I thought it was worth it to tell you--Microsoft is on the verge of an edible software. And Jerry Seinfeld has teemed up with the Windows guru, Bill Gates, to advertise the wave of the future.

I, personally, dream of the day that my PC tastes like Chinese orange-flavored soy chicken. Thank you Bill Gates. Thank you.

[Sources: Brandweek, Crunchgear]

[Photo Credit: Crunchgear]