BusinessWeek | Rapid prototyping on the web: Kluster at TED

Gore, Geldof, Venter…And This Guy on BusinessWeek.com

Look out for Ben Kauffman – the man driving a new force in rapid prototyping and crowd-sourced innovation. He’s hoping to turn this year’s TED crowd into an innovation machine as they bid their Watts on product ideas using his Kluster web service.

What I want to know is will Kluster lend itself to rapid protoyping of brands, of delivery channels, of business models? Product development is by all means a necessary activity for companies to remain competitive, but it’s not the deepest source of value creation. Revolutionary business models, new services and experiences, and innovative branding ideas hold the keys to unlocking competitive advantage in value creation.

Greenopolis: social networking for the eco set

Social networking sites are carving out unique niches of special-interest groups and responding to the backlash against advertising that has slowed the use of Facebook and MySpace. Case in point: Greenopolis.com.

This beta-stage, lifestyle-oriented web community is designed for members to share tips on living greener and earn recognition for both participation in the web community and for greeer lifestyle choices. Minimal advertising is offset by corporate sponsorship from a somewhat surprising list of partners – you won’t find Patagonia, but you will find Waste Management for example.

An interesting concept employed by the site is is reward points – like frequent flier miles for social networking. The more you participate in the site, the more points you earn. Evidently, Greenopolis plans to connect these points to a commerce center where members can purchase eco-friendly products discounted by points. So the points aren’t redeemable for cash but they do generate real dollar value for site members.

Innovation in Recruiting: VisualCV

Are you ready to take ownership of your professional web identity? A veteran of web services and a seasoned recruiting executive have teamed up to launch VisualCV, Inc. Their gorgeous multimedia web document resuscitates the resume, allowing you to post a professional resume, CV, or bio for public distribution or even application for employment. With a VisualCV, you can attach videos, image files, work samples, or other professional portfolio documents to provide a more compelling first impression – and if you’re a recruiter, you can cut down the time you waste screening out applicants for your positions.

TED | Talks | Bill Strickland: Rebuilding America, one slide show at a time (video)

When you have 35 minutes to be inspired, please watch this “box of slides” with Bill Strickland. As I listened to his presentation, I felt invited to dream bigger and accomplish more than I’ve ever believed possible. The sheer scale and magnitude of impact this man has had – on the people in his school, on his funders, on his business partners, and on his friends in every town – convinces me I can do more with my own life too.

from www.ted.com posted with vodpod

TED | Talks | Blaise Aguera y Arcas: Jaw-dropping Photosynth demo (video)

I first came across this stunning technology demonstration this summer while working at Hillcrest Labs. Now, with Microsoft putting a sweet offer on the table to buy Yahoo (and Yahoo’s Flickr site), the consumer possibilities of Photosynth become outrageous. Virtual Earth + Flickr + Photosynth = Stunning.

from www.ted.com posted with vodpod

An American Self-portrait | The art of Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan presents an evocative series of wall-sized prints that beautifully convey a tragic story. See more of this and other series at http://www.chrisjordan.com/

from www.frogdesign.com posted with vodpod