A recent discovery has found that it is possible to learn new tasks and skills with little to no conscious effort through fMRI manipulation, also called decoded neurofeedback. Instantaneous learning like this occurs in the movie The Matrix, in which the characters literally download knowledge straight to their brains, and become experts in, for example, kung fu, or learn how to fly a helicopter.
Every employee in our company gets a Mac (whether they want it or not!) and the reason is simple – the MacBooks are our calling card. Yes, we have a segment of the workforce doing hard core design and the Mac is essential for Illustrator, video work , etc. But, for the rest of the staff, where any machine could work – we very much want clients (most of whom MUST use the standard PC) to see our team and our staff representing the design community by using a different tool. Continue Reading →
The reason that people like, make that LOVE something, and they aren’t really even sure why … that’s design. It is so funny to me that from the moment we had a mouse driven Mac 1 in 1984 to the multi-color iMACs 15 years later, the basic recipe of very clean, intuitive and highly professional design and its ensuing revenue generation has not been a focus for more companies. One really can’t look at the sea of PC laptops in their shades of dull gray and black, compared to the unibody machined aluminum of the MacBook, and not quickly conclude which product has more design dollars built in as a percentage of product cost. 
Whether creating a $100M fighter jet, the latest web technology, or the next flavor of ‘YourTown’ Cupcakes – the endless loop of listening to customers and the marketplace vs. envisioning the possibilities that people haven’t thought of yet seems to mire so many projects and organizations.
Stories abound on the internet on Jobs as the Showman, the uncompromising visionary, and the “oversees every detail” obsessive. There will go on to be volumes (or dare I say, gigabytes,) written about his leadership style, including mostly great reviews, along with many not so positive ones, evaluating his style and personality.
Wow….My wife and I were at a wonderful restaurant in a private room with 8 great friends and business associates in Charleston, SC when the news of Steve Jobs death came across my phone. Everyone at the table had their devices out reading the news. Nine out of ten of the devices at the table were Apple products or inspired by Apple products and the 313 patents and thousands of
Windows 8 is due out soon, and one of the most talked about features of it is the updated “blue screen of death.” It features a sad face emoticon. Continue Reading →
As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, take a look at The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon on Slate.com. This graphic novel-like illustration of events is a powerful visualization of 9/11.
Visual.ly, a search engine specifically for infographics and graphic design, launched this week. The first distinct characteristic of this site is its name – the website is visual.ly (instead of .com, .org, etc.). The site also provides tools to users to allow them to create their own infographics. Continue Reading →
Here at Maga, we say that PowerPoint is a terrible presentation model that puts people to sleep instead of inspiring them to innovate. In Switzerland, a new political party is based on just that idea, the Anti-PowerPoint Party. Continue Reading →
