beining

The end of 2009 is almost here, so its time to sum of the music year for my part and I have created a playlist on Spotify. The order is more or less chronologically from when I discovered them. Though some tracks might be older than 2009, but they are on the list as I haven’t discovered them before this year. There are some odd ones, and they are on the list simply cause they were fun (and very catchy!) like Rybak and David Guetta. Not quite sure what mood you would be in if you listen to the whole list in one go, but they all got my approval!

1. Thunderheist “Jerk it”
2. Miss Harmonica “Friday Night”
3. Kid Cudi “Day n Nite”
4. Alexander Rybak “Fairytale”
5. Dizzee Rascal “Bonkers”
6. Peter Fox “Alles neu”
7. Lily Allen “Smile”
8. Maskinen “Alla som inta dansar”
9. Kings of Convenience “Boat Behind”
10. La Roux “In for the kill”
11. Lars Vaular “Solbriller på”
12. Veronica Maggio “Mandågsbarn”
13. Jay-Z “D.O.A.”
14. Miike Snow “Animal”
15. Prodigy “Omen”
16. David Guetta “Sexy bitch”
17. The Bloody Beetroots “Awesome”
18. Kråkesølv “Privat regn”
19. Bjørn Hellfuck “Krabbeklo”
20. The Nextmen “Round of Applause”
21. Einar Stray “Arrows”
22. My Little Pony “A song for you on your 40th birthday”
23. Therese Aune “Chamelon”

Enjoy my “Best of 2009″ music
So what was my favourite?! I think most listened to album were by Lily Allen and Miike Snow. So now you know.

Concerts

• Girl Talk Live in Oslo
  Last years Øya was fun. This concert was even better!
• Prodigy were amazing! Didnt see that one coming from my old favourites.
• Donkeyboy’s “Ambitions” performed by Marie Alming at Radio Nova Simply cause I didnt expect any performances at the Christmas party and her song took me be surprise. Great surprise!

Free music

• Alex Goose Blueprint 3 Outtakes I must say that the Outtakes are much better than the songs that got on Jay-Z’s album
• Kutiman’s Youtube tracks This is what the web is all about, free mashups that would exist without the Internet.
• Rockettothesky “Hee-ho and a Bottle of Rum” Have heard the song before on couple of her concerts, but great to get it on track

Video

• By far Peter Fox with “Schwarz zu blau”

Thanks to
YesYesYall and Radio Nova’s Bra Trommis for making me discover loads of great new music! Keep up the good work!

ps. Loads of Best of 2009 lists can be found at Platekompaniet’s website

Touchless wizzkids Elliptic Labs are on Engadget (again!) and this time they have teamed up with Opera Software. They have created a touchless photoalbum interface. Check out the video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y36B-QafClI]

Ah, and if you happen to be really interrested in testing it (or just in Amsterdam), meet them at IBC 2009 and try their prototype at the Opera Software booth – 3.C11.

Nothing better than to see a client doing great.

Wibiya.com have created a brilliant application/plugin to be added on your blog. Works on Blogger, WordPress, and many more. And Ive just added it to my blog as you can see.

What is it you may ask? Its a toolbar that shows your Twitter feed, Facebook page, translates your blog, gives you search ++ Its completely customizable, free and gives you statistics too. This video explains it fairly well:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irBhEhArDfY]

ps. Its still in Beta, but only took me one day to get invite.

Went to Pecha Kucha in Oslo and Magnus Larsson presented his Dune project. He proposes to build a “green wall” longer than the great wall of China across whole Africa to stop desertification.

It looks great, its innovative, (apparently) evironmentally friendly and not too expensive.

Now theres thinking outside the box!

Well, actually someone did release the song “Hee-ho and a Bottle of Rum”, but I haven´t found it before now. I´ve heard this song live before, but getting a free mp3 is all good! Rockettothesky played 29.03.2008 at the The Rhâââ Lovely Festival in Belgium. Together with The Silent Ballet they released the compilation “2008 Rhaaa Lovely Festival Compilation”. It has several other bands such as Magyar Posse, Rien and The CJ Boyd Sexxxtet… Download the whole album for free now

Creative Review has yet again analyzed logos for 2009 and these are the logo trends for 2009. To be honest, I find that they have so many “trends”, 13 in total, that it hardly can be seen as a “trend”. Also, some look very similar to last years trends, such as VariDot:

But its still an interresting read.

Wanted to listen to The Bucketheads “The Bomb” on Youtube, found a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2THjmRLyp8

BUT, heres a new one: the sound is disabled! Under the video it says:

NOTICE
This video contains an audio track that has not been authorized by WMG. The audio has been disabled. More about copyright..

I understand that Google needs to earn money and copyright is important, and am not sure how they can do this with so much usergenerated content (and seems as they dont really know either..) But if they continue like this people will just go to other sites like Vimeo ..

In 2007 I designed the logo (but not the website or application) for the Norwegian startup company Kikora. The company makes software for math teaching to pupils and students. The logo I created was using the idea that the solution for good math teaching is “equal to” Kikora, hence: =kikora. The colors chosen where supposed to show that they were a serious company. I also made a color scheme that had more vivid colors too, but it was turned down. (See the whole designmanual here.) This is my design: 1.

Two years later they got it redesigned by Miksmaster. They have done wonders with the website and the application as Kikora didnt use any designer on it before. BUT, and I know I am biased here, how did this redesign make the logo better?!
2.

Not that much, but a bit. Then again, a star is a star I assume… (not really ready to comment on the new logo. Not decided what I think of it yet. What do you think?

Having a house in Norway (or most other places for that matter), means needing light. But you dont want just any light. You want a sexy lamp to accompany that light. I present: 4 lamps I want for Christmas. (a bit early maybe, but…)

The Sticker Lamp (Tall & Tiny) by created by Italian designer Alicero Signoli.
Buy them at PA Design

The Liquid Lamp by Caina’s Design Shop. A bit pricey at US $262, but really cool

Neon Lamp
(created by yourself) thanks to design by OpenDesignClub and Instructables.com

Or the slightly more futuristic (non existing) “PC lamp” by designer Seungchan Lee