FastCompany.TV

PlayStation Move Creator on How Sony Got Into Motion Gaming

10 Jun - 9:30am EST

PlayStation Move Creator on How Sony Got Into Motion Gaming

10 Jun - 9:30am EST

Work Smart: Must-Have Mobile Apps for the Road Warrior

10 Jun - 0:00am EST

If you've got a smartphone that can run apps like the iPhone, BlackBerry or an Android phone, you've got a pocket computer--and when you're on the road, you want to load up on the apps that can help you get where you need to go and stay organized on the way. Here are some of the best mobile apps for business travelers.

Work Smart 2: How to Take Thorough Meeting Notes

01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST

Welcome to the second season of Work Smart with Gina Trapani. This week, Suhasini Kotcherlakota, an instructional designer at the UNMC College of Nursing in Omaha, NE., asks for smart advice on taking thorough meeting notes. Gina offers her tips, and then calls on Brad Isaac of Persistence Unlimited to learn his techniques. Here is the Popplet mind map used in today's episode: To print this mind map, click here (PDF file). Special thanks to Michael Hyatt for sharing his note-taking system, and to Popplet for the mind map--or download Popplet for the iPad.

Work Smart 2: How to Take Thorough Meeting Notes

01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST

Welcome to the second season of Work Smart with Gina Trapani. This week, Suhasini Kotcherlakota, an instructional designer at the UNMC College of Nursing in Omaha, NE, asks for smart advice on taking thorough meeting notes. Gina offers her tips, and then calls on Brad Isaac of Persistence Unlimited to learn his techniques. Here is the Popplet mind map used in today's episode: To print this mind map, click here (PDF file). Special thanks to Michael Hyatt for sharing his note-taking system, and to Popplet for the mind map--or download Popplet for the iPad.

How TED Connects the Idea-Hungry Elite

01 Sep 2010 05:00:00 EST

Inside the World's MOST EXCLUSIVE (and Most Accessible) CLUB with SPECIAL GUESTS including Elizabeth Gilbert • Richard Branson • Jamie Oliver • Malcolm Gladwell • Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala • Barry Schwartz • Ken Robinson • Sarah Silverman • Bill Clinton • David Byrne • Bill Gates • Craig VenterJill • Bolte Taylor • Dave Eggers • Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy • Sunitha Krishnan • Tony Robbins • Julia Sweeney • Isabel Allende • E.O. Wilson • and the chief himself, Chris Anderson! The other day, I got an email from a new friend. The subject line read "Are you a TED talk person?" It linked to an 18-minute video of MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely talking about the bugs in our moral codes. Other friends have sent me videos of Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert on the spiritual dimension of creativity; rocker David Byrne on how venue architecture affects musical expression; and UC Berkeley professor Robert Full's insights into how geckos' ...

What's Hiding in Apple's Guitar: Touchscreen iPod Nano, ...

31 Aug 2010 11:57:26 EST

Apple's September special event is tomorrow. Traditionally it's iPod refresh time, and iPod-esque rumors are indeed a-swirling. But does Apple have something else hidden inside its PR guitar? iPod Touch RefreshThe biggest, but least exciting thing that'll happen tomorrow is that Apple will reveal the latest iPod Touch. We're all expecting it, and if history is any guide then it'll inject some--but not all--of the new thinking incorporated into the iPhone 4 directly into a shiny new iPod Touch.From the rumors here's what to expect: Retina display.Apple A4 processor.Possibly the same storage options.Rear-facing camera, either 3-megapixel or 5-megapixel.Possibly a front-facing VGA-res camera for FaceTime video calls.Perhaps an iPhone 4-esque metal frame for the screen.A squarer-looking rounded shell.At the edges of possibility, some rumors indicate the Touch may get a data-only 3G option like the iPad.And what not to Expect:Not everyone is convinced it'll get a front-facing ...

Resort Combines Facebook Places, Gowalla, Nike+ for ...

30 Aug 2010 12:24:38 EST

This winter, skiers and snowboarders will be hitting the the slopes in a whole new way. Rather than just flying through moguls or sailing off half-pipes, mountain-goers might soon be "checking in." Colorado-based Vail Resorts is launching a new location-based social media service at its many mountain destinations--some of which are the largest in the U.S. Called EpicMix, the service acts as a cross between Nike+ and Gowalla, and enables users to check-in on the slopes through Facebook Places to earn pins and rewards for various skiing accomplishments, view the location of friends and family on the mountain, and track ski routes and vertical feet traveled. Vail's EpicMix is an innovative use of social media, showing that it's not just a tool confined to big cities or national companies, but has a more intimate application too on a hyper-local level. Using an RFID chip embedded into lift passes, a skier's journey is captured through every scan it receives on the ...

Iris Scanners Create the Most Secure City in the World. ...

18 Aug 2010 08:02:30 EST

We've all seen and obsessively referenced Minority Report, Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Philip K. Dick's dystopian future, where the public is tracked everywhere they go, from shopping malls to work to mass transit to the privacy of their own homes. The technology is here. I've seen it myself. It's seen me, too, and scanned my irises. Biometrics R&D firm Global Rainmakers Inc. (GRI) announced today that it is rolling out its iris scanning technology to create what it calls "the most secure city in the world." In a partnership with Leon -- one of the largest cities in Mexico, with a population of more than a million -- GRI will fill the city with eye-scanners. That will help law enforcement revolutionize the way we live -- not to mention marketers. "In the future, whether it's entering your home, opening your car, entering your workspace, getting a pharmacy prescription refilled, or having your medical records pulled up, everything will come off that unique key that ...

The Most Popular Toy Ever Made Is Lego: Survey

13 Aug 2010 07:37:07 EST

If you grew up thinking Lego was the bomb, better than any other toy in your collection, turns out you're not alone: A new broad-ranging survey of over 3,000 folks has revealed it's the most popular toy ever manufactured, even more so than Barbie, Game Boys and a dozen other pretenders.Firebox.com, an online toy and gizmo gift store, and toy news website Toyology.com just announced the results of their survey of over 3,000 adults aged 20 to 40. The clear winner of the title of most popular toy across all ages and sexes was Lego--it was the top choice for men, and the second choice for women (beaten by the inflatable wonder, Barbie herself). Firebox's MD Christian Robinson noted it wasn't really a surprising winner--being so "timeless and popular" across all ages, but also because it tallies with Firebox's own sales experience, which has Lego kits as very popular sellers. Though Lego's patent recently expired, and a host of cheaper competitors have now burst onto the toy scene, it ...

"Greener Skies" Project Lowers Flight Emissions by 35%

23 Jul 2010 10:41:43 EST

This week, Alaska Airlines demonstrated a set of next-generation flight procedures that dramatically reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Under the banner of its "Greener Skies" project, AA used satellite-based guidance technology that enabled aircraft to fly more efficient landing patterns, which are shorter and more direct. The Seattle-based airline estimates that such improved descent approaches would burn 2.1 million less gallons of fuel and cut carbon emissions by 22,000 metric tons, or 35%. "Ultimately this project could serve as a blueprint for next-generation aviation technology throughout the country," said Ben Minicucci, COO of Alaska Airlines. AA has been perfecting its precision flight-guidance technology, or Required Navigation Performance (RNP), since the mid-1990s, and the company's planes are capable of landing in some of the most remote and challenging airports in the world. Commercial aircraft usually follow long approach patterns with a ...

Zachary Lieberman on DIY Gadgets, Making Fonts With ...

14 Jul 2010 11:45:15 EST

Eye-trackers, devices that use small cameras to measure the motion of eyes, are often used to assist the disabled in digitally highlighting and spelling text. The technology is extremely expensive, with costs ranging anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 for each pair. Yet Zachary Lieberman, the co-creator of OpenFrameworks and an assistant professor at Parsons, developed an eye-tracker for only $50. Speaking at our recent Most Creative People event, Lieberman (featured as #36 on our list) told audiences the powerful story of how L.A. graffiti artist Tony Quan inspired his invention, which he calls the EyeWriter. Quan, who was paralyzed from Lou Gehrig's disease seven years ago, was only able to communicate with his eyes. But with Lieberman's innovative technology, created from open-source software and off-the-shelf components, Quan was able to draw images, write words, and eventually spray graffiti once again. "[It] was the first time I've drawn anything since 2003," said Quan, ...

Yves Behar and GE Wattstation EV Charger

13 Jul 2010 10:18:17 EST

If the electric car is to succeed, it needs charging stations that are both easy-to-use and well designed--a clunky infrastructure will quickly turn off potential drivers. That's why GE brought in fuseproject's Yves Behar to design its upcoming WattStation, a sleek EV charger for city streets that can juice vehicles in just four to eight hours. Today's standard "level 1" chargers take 12 to 18 hours to fully charge a car.Behar factored in a number of considerations when designing the WattStation: visibility from the street, ability to withstand various weather conditions, and general attractiveness.The WattStation's status can quickly be seen by passing cars. A green LED ring around the top of the charger indicates that it is available, a red ring signals that the charger is out of service, and a blue ring indicates that it is in use. The plastic and aluminum charger is easy to clean, too--the sloped top allows rain and snow to quickly slide off. "EV chargers [in the past] ...

30 Second MBA: James Danko, "Is there a place for a ...

12 Jul 2010 01:19:44 EST

This week we ask the question: Is there a place for a person who is brilliant, but not a “team player?”James Danko, Dean of Villanova School of BusinessGary Vaynerchuk, Host of winelibrarytv.comAndiara Petterle, CEO of Bolsa de MulherJeff Cavins, CEO of Fuze BoxMitchell Harper, Co-founder Bigcommerce.com

30 Second MBA: Andiara Petterle, "Is there a place for a ...

12 Jul 2010 01:19:44 EST

30 Second MBA: Gary Vaynerchuk, "Is there a place for a ...

12 Jul 2010 01:19:44 EST

30 Second MBA: Jeff Cavins, "Is there a place for a ...

12 Jul 2010 01:19:44 EST

Superstorm: The Worst Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Never Made

08 Jul 2010 08:31:49 EST

The pitch: An oil company lobbyist (Leonardo DiCaprio) is shaken after his girlfriend, a local meteorologist, breaks up with him over reservations of his contribution to global warming. The split is hastened by a massive hurricane thrashing its way toward the east coast of the U.S., which would likely wreak Katrina-like damage from Maine to Myrtle Beach. DiCaprio's character, feeling guilty, soon discovers that the hurricane's path will also cross a long-dormant volcano, causing it to erupt and spew so much ash that it eventually swirls into a biological weapon that could mark the end of the world. Would you greenlight this blockbuster? Would you even consider it? Franklin Leonard hears dozens of pitches like this everyday, and it's his job as Universal Pictures' director of development to sift through these project and find the diamond in the rough. "So basically you're pitching me Leo vs. the toxic-superstorm that'll destroy humanity," Leonard told the pitch-man. ...

Kimberly Davis on Changing Company Culture 'One Bite at ...

06 Jul 2010 17:15:26 EST

"There are sub-cultures within the culture," said Kimberly Davis at Fast Company's recent Most Creative People in Business event. "[That's] where you can actually have pockets of innovation." Davis, president of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation and #34 on our list, was discussing how to influence company culture even when the ship becomes too big to steer. And she knows from experience. Working at one of the world's oldest and largest financial institutions, Davis has endured eight mergers in just 19 years. "I'm a merger specialist," she joked. In order to navigate such a behemoth, Davis suggests focusing on the subsets of company culture that are open to change. "Identify the leaders that are willing to take risks, and ally yourself with those leaders," she said. "You may not change the entire culture, but there are places within the organization that just have a bias for innovation."Rather than taking off more than you can chew, David believes in changing company culture "one ...

30 Second MBA: Robert Brunner, "What's More Important, ...

06 Jul 2010 13:05:17 EST

Business leaders answer the question: "What's more important, innovation or growth?"Robert Brunner, CEO, Ammunition, LLC.Benjamin Palmer, Co-founder and CEO, Barbarian GroupLeyl Black, Managing Director, Spark PRNavarrow Wright, President, Maximum Leverage SolutionsMitchell Harper, Co-founder, Bigcommerce.com

30 Second MBA: Mitchell Harper, "What's More Important, ...

06 Jul 2010 13:05:17 EST

30 Second MBA: Navarrow Wright, "What's More Important, ...

06 Jul 2010 13:05:17 EST

30 Second MBA: Benjamin Palmer, "What's More Important, ...

06 Jul 2010 13:05:17 EST

30 Second MBA: Leyl Black, "What's More Important, ...

06 Jul 2010 13:05:17 EST

Video Suggests BP Literally Covering Up Oil Damage on ...

01 Jul 2010 16:26:21 EST

 There's no question that BP has lied extensively over the past few months about the growing Gulf oil disaster. The company has bullied journalists, fudged numbers, and even deployed fake journalists to the Gulf to write about how everything is fine. Now BP may be literally trying to cover up oiled beaches by dumping sand on top of them.The video below, filmed by Judson Parker of Save Our Shores Florida, purportedly shows oil sandwiched between two layers of different types of sand. According to Parker, local deputies confirmed that BP dumped sand onto the Grand Isle, Louisiana beach and attempted to smooth it over. But Wayne Keller, the Executive Director of the Grand Isle Port Commission, doesn't know anything about it. "I'm not aware of that being done anywhere on Grand Isle," he tells FastCompany.com. I know we're trucking in sand to build berms to keep oil out of the estuary, but that's it." A quick tip to BP: we see what you're doing. And if this just another attempt ...