Shoes With a Bounce

Trying to dunk, but you're only 5'8"? APL (Athletic Propulsion Lab) may have just what you need. APL had created a pair of shoes that actually help you jump higher (about 3.5 inches to be exact). APL was founded by twin brothers Adam and Ryan Goldston. The two brothers are former basketball and football players from USC (University of Southern California). Searching for a way to help increase athlete performance, the brothers founded APL.

The APL Concept 1 shoes work off of a relatively simple design. There is a unique device implanted into the front of the shoe near the ball of your foot. When the athlete plants on the front of their foot to jump, the device is compressed and then released when the athlete projects themselves into the air. APL calls this the "launch and load process".

Unfortunately if you are professional player you can't take advantage of the APL technology since the product has been banned in all professional sports. However, if you're just looking for the extra edge at the local court and have $300.00 to burn, APL is here to help.

Design Tweets Thus Far

Visual Self-Presentation in Social Life

Anna Akbari, visual sociologist & Co-founder of Splice (a social media tool that organizes your 'friends' by strength of relationship) recently gave a lecture at Hofstra University. I took the time to read some of her PhD thesis, Fashioning Power. In her thesis, Akbari "focuses on fashion's modern manifestation in [NYC], an urban globalized setting." Akbari goes on further explaining that "fashion is more of a cultural issue, a politically charged tool for negotiating one's social capital." The majority of her thesis explains the importance of style and fashion in the human culture and it's relation to social status.

The chapter that intrigued me most was Commodified Flesh. Akbari talks about how we "commodify our own flesh in exchange for ease in visual correctness." We as humans, are constantly trying to find
ways to look younger and more attractive. Our society is plagued with diet pills, anti-aging creams, and plastic surgery. The human society dwells so much on physical appearance. Akbari takes this obsession and relates it to "We manipulate our appearances with the attention of a paid employee eager to move up the corporate ranks." We believe our physical upkeep directly relates to our professional success. 

But what says that this belief is wrong? It's not very often that a man with head of dreads leads a business meeting. In many cases, the correlation between success and physical appearance holds true, is because we allow it to. Our society focuses so much on physical appearance that it has become factor in deciding who holds a certain job position.

Akbari's thesis is a very interesting one that I briefly touched upon. I would greatly recommend reading over some of what Akbari writes. You may come to realize alot about the human race you never noticed before.

Internet Power Tackles TV

Google has officially announced it's newest media creation: Google TV. Google TV is a product that will integrate your television with the rest of your technical gadgets. With internet access, an open source platform with applications, and the coveted google search tool, your TV will work more like a computer than a television. Google tv also includes picture in picture, easier DVR navigation for dish users, and the ability to use your smartphone as a controller. You'll never have to dig through the cushions of your couch for you remote again, but for your phone instead!

Google TV will be available sometime this fall. Google TV can be purchased in all new Sony HDTV's ($TBA) or as a Logitech router ($300).

I personally do not see this product catching on very quickly. Internet TV has been attempted before and failed miserably. In order for this product to be successul, the price mus drop dramatically.  Buying a new television or spending 300 dollars is quite alot of money to spend on mere integration and convenience. I have a 2000 dollar laptop to watch youtube and launch applications on. If I want it on my tv, I'll spend 20 dollars and get a HDMI cable.

Google is taking the step in changing the way viewers watch TV, but need to drop the price tag or offer their own DVR system.