iPod Tetris

Well, it's about time we get more shapes to play with on our collective iPod Photos..the Shape of the Week award goes to Apple for the upcoming "iPod Photo Software 1.2" update. According to Apple Insider this update should drop from Apple this month with Tetris and new photo slideshow transitions.

Summer 2005 T-Shirt Preview #1

American Apparel's shipping some large boxes our way for the upcoming season, we'll have 5 new guys T-shirts and based on strong feedback from our retailers, 2 of our past designs and 2 of our new T-Shirt designs will also be available in Women's cuts! Over the next couple weeks, as we ready the site and get the shirts screened and sewn we'll drop hints from the upcoming designs...

Radio Paradise

I hate listening to the radio. It's taken me years to overcome a severe music disability from Top 40 damage created during my teen years. It's one of the reasons I still know all the words to "Maneater" by heart. I even scaled back my public radio habit once I began personal introductions by saying, "From NPR news in Washington, I'm Sean Fitzpatrick."

A recent study shows that while traditional radio is on the decline (for a variety of obvious reasons, including satellite radio), Internet radio listenership is the fastest growing audience.

Count me among the converts.

If you love good music - doesn't matter what kind - give Radio Paradise a shot. This Paradise, Calif., station can only be found on the Internet at www.radioparadise.com. It's a throwback to the old days of FM radio, when listeners tuned in for the DJ's taste in music, not the music the record companies want to shove down our throats.

Bill and Rebecca Goldsmith run Radio Paradise and focus on only the best music - old and new - across all formats. Examples of artists in just the last 12 hours are Moby, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Muddy Waters, Gorillaz, Led Zeppelin, The Killers and, yes, even Miles Davis.

They are completely listener-supported, so make sure you send Bill and Rebecca a little cash love when you become a regular listener. I'm good for 10 a month because I don't want to see this kind of radio die.

The only problem: I never get to hear a song enough times for it to get stuck in my head.

iGuy

Ever refer to your iPod as your best friend, companion or little buddy? Then this lil guy is for you...



The iGuy is a creation of Speck Products, maker of plastic cases for iPods and PDAs.

Das Keyboard

You've got to be hardcore about your typing skills to bring this into your world. We know many a developer that would love the bragging rights associated with this baby...Look Ma! No letters!



"Das Keyboard" was designed by programmer Daniel Guermeur, "designed both for proficient typists and those who want to get better". Time to take the training wheels off!

T-Shirt Dreaming

Lots of fun T-Shirts over at Defunker. Here's one of our favorites, Keep the Dream Alive. Defunker's a new site by the guys who brought us Busted Tees and CollegeHumor.com.

Blogger T-shirt

Time to point out a very nice Blogger T-Shirt in the Google Shop.

Urban Heat Island

There is a difference in heat in Arizona. For years, Tucson was downright tropical at night in the summer (temperatures in the 60's) while Phoenix continued to bake until morning. It's one of those little-known perks that folks who flee the southern desert heat miss out on.

Today, a story in the Arizona Daily Star tells us that the "urban heat island" effect is driving up Tucson's average nighttime summer temperatures into the 70's. The reason? More asphalt, more buildings with dark-colored roofs, and fewer trees. Scientists are saying if we would just be smarter about how we build (light-colored, reflective coatings on rooftops, for example), we could grow without adding to the heat.

One of the deeper implications of the "urban heat island" is losing the summer monsoon thunderstorms we in the desert live for every year. As a Tucson native, I have memories dating back as recently as college (late 80's) of nearly every Fourth of July fireworks show being cancelled by rain and lightning due to the first big monsoon of the summer. Since moving back to Tucson a few years ago, we're lucky to get our first storm by the end of July.



As for Phoenix? Forget about it. The heat island has practically killed off the monsoons up there. Living in Mesa for one summer, all I could do was gaze wistfully at the approaching dust storm whipped up by the monsoons in Tucson.

I'm not the only one who has seen this change. This editorial from last year talks about some of the same experiences. The North American Monsoon Experiment is working on providing scientific evidence about the relationship between heat and the summer storms.

I'm still the hopeless romantic. This July 4th I'll be looking to the skies as I always do, hoping nature is still packing some firecrackers.

Pattern Poster

This One-of-a-kind print by Jared Tarbell is on auction at eBay to support Doctors Without Borders. It's a beautiful design, find more unique prints at johnanddennis.com.

Jedi Robe

Going to see a certain Star Wars film this weekend? Here's your chance to blend in with the line-campers!



Follow the How to Make a Jedi Robe insturctions at DeGraeve.com and find your inner Yoda.

Cabbage

The latest in technology...



"How many times have you stared mournfully into the coleslaw and thought 'Gee, I wish I was a cabbage.' Well, now you can be! Activate the CABBAGE CONVERTER and you will instantly transform into a cabbage!"

Stacks T-Shirt

Very nice face to put on a T-Shirt from the ever-innovative Michael Leon at Commonwealth Stacks.

In-N-Out Menu Design

What's with menus these days? Feels like the whole grocery-world-food supply needs to be on the menu. Recently we received as email survey from Red Robin (via FishBowl) asking how we'd like stews, salads, chicken and asparagus, spaghetti and meatballs. Not what we'd care for at a place fomerly known as a 'burger-joint'. How can that possibly be good for their brand? Speaking of burgers, thank goodness for In-N-Out - a simple place that makes great food fast and a menu you can read in under 5 seconds. We have 2 In-N-Outs with in 5 minutes of us in Chandler, so within 5 minutes (and 5 seconds) a hot and delicious burger is on it's way, true to the brand name.

Extra Special Tip: If you do find yourself at one of these over-the-top menu establishments, Jason at Kottke has suggestions on how to order food.

Special Secret Tip: Don't forget there are other choices at In-N-Out, the Secret Menu keep things interesting. Our favorite? A Double-Double Animal Style, No Pickles.

Designers Republic Tee

Nice stuff available at The People's Bureau, The Designers Republic retail outlet online..tDR has this You Me Us Them Now tee with a few small and medium sizes left.

Cool T-shirts

We get all kinds of emails about our T-Shirts. And yes we do have a new line in production. We also get a lot of questions about what other T-Shirts we like, and we love T's..so we'll start posting all the shirts out there we love and where to get them. Know of some other shirts out there? Drop us a line - we can never have enough cool T-Shirts. Stay Tuned.

Here are a few of our favorites:



Flag by Imaginary Foundation. Cool multi-colored Flock design. Buy it direct at Imaginary Foundation.



Brainz, by HunterGatherer. Buy it on sale at one of our favorite stores, YouWorkForThem.



Moby Was A Consumer, by Jim Slatton Buy it over at Threadless.

Xbox 360

Looking at the industrial design of the new Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft consoles, we give our Shape of the Week Award to the beautiful Xbox360...

Desert Intro

The desert is green.



It seems strange to me that I even have to explain this to anyone who has never been to Southern Arizona. But it always comes up.

I went to great detail to explain to the woman in Indianapolis that we don't have rolling sand dunes and head-scarved men riding camels.

Ok, she was an extreme case.

But the intern and her parents from Missouri are a better example of what everyone sees on their first visit to the Sonoran Desert. Where they expect to see brown, they see green - from the leaves on our Palo Verde and Mesquite trees, to the desert bushes that dot the landscape.

People are not only amazed to discover that our desert rivers are dry for most of the year, but that we even have rivers at all. These rivers do run freely - it just doesn't happen very often.

The desert has learned a little something we humans are still struggling with: how to make sacrifices to live a rich life. They've figured out a way to not only live, but flourish, on what they have until the next rains come.

Suburban Wear

Surfing through the various Yahoo Search links that point back to Mister Shape and I found this cool description on Eddy's site: "Karmaloop, Urban Wear - Mister Shape, Suburban Wear" We do love fun in the sun and the suburban desert living - you can never have enough tile and stucco.