This year’s 99% Conference was a huge success. So, why not register for next year way ahead of time? For a limited time they’re offering $300 off the regular ticket price of $699. A steal. Go, do it, now!

Want to buy American and support your nation (if you live here)? Check out The American List. This is a great resource and I hope it continues to grow!

There are many Made in the USA lists throughout the internet, nearly all of them tacky and in poor taste. These awful websites have led me to compile a list of stylish and cool brands that make their goods in America. One of my goals with this is to make it easier to locate and buy domestically produced apparel products. Another motivating factor is my desire for things Made in the USA to be embraced by a younger, more stylish consumer.

Another Ji Lee production!

The recent arrest of Roman Polanski for the rape of a 13 year old girl in 1977 has caused much debate around the world.

On one side, Polanski’s defenders argue he should be freed immediately because the case is too old. On the other side, Polanski’s non-sympathizers argue he should be tried just like any other sex offenders regardless of how old the case is.

What do you think? Cast your vote on POLLanski.com

My friend Jessica, turned me on to a site that gives you a sneak peek into the crazy world of homemade crafts on Etsy. Regretsy is a newly launched blog that takes submissions for wacky, silly, and some downright disgusting wares as they appear on Etsy. I’ve browsed Etsy in the past looking for very specific items such as handprinted thank you cards or stuffed animals for my friend’s toddler but I never took the time to browse. If Regretsy is any indication, I am glad I didn’t. Each item is paired with some snarky commentary and while Helen Killer (who seems to be the one running the show), often missed the mark with her jokes, the description and images of the item for sale are often all that’s needed. There are some truly insane items, many featuring female genitalia. Like MySpace and Blogger, when you make it easy for anyone to make a site or sell a product, you really bring out the freaks. Add Regretsy to your newserader for some daily gems that will surely make the email rounds at your office. [And yes, I am entirely aware of the irony of linking to my friend's Etsy page].

Last month, Yuri Suzuki and Masa Kimura started to build the Breakfast Machine during Platform21 in Amsterdam.

The machine is a Rube Goldberg machine which can serve you an omelet, coffee and a toast with jam. Yuri and Masa invited other designers and the public to help build and design the machine. They’ve used recycled remnants of previous Platform21 projects to solve all the different problems to get to their goal. Last weekend the machine was ready and served all-day breakfasts to the visitors.

Did I mention I want one? Like, really badly? Full video over here. My Dutch is a little rusty, but damn it looks awesome.

This week, a 33-year-old Belgian blogger has started a project called ARRGH !, a blog that collects the most hated movie scenes ever…

The PUMA Index is a real stock ticker, with a twist. When the market goes down, our models’ clothes come off, all the way to their PUMA Bodywear. “So when you lose your shirt, so do our models…” Pretty entertaining.  Global markets available for all time zones.

A twitter like site to share your awesome stuff in 150 characters or less. Do awesome deeds. Raise your awesome quotient. It’s befuckingawesome.com Via Zoomdoggle

While there’s nothing tastier than a meal at Soba Koh, All Day Buffet has come close with The Feast for those starving for change, and looking to make the world a better place. On October 1st at The Times Center, they’re gathering 375 of the world’s greatest innovators from across industries to empower, inspire and engage each other in creating world-shaking change. And to add the icing on the cake, they’ve lined up an amazing group of speakers including musician Kenna (who’s climbing Mt. Kilminajaro with Justin Timberlake and Lupe Fiasco to raise awareness for the worldwide water crisis), professional poker player Annie Duke, William Drenttel from Winterhouse, and the team behind charity: water. If you’re looking to get full on good, get your tickets before they sell out. See you there!

Last year, Panasonic hosted the Next Generation Talent to give UK design students a crack at creating an advertisement and win a bunch of gear. They let me sit on the judges panel and blab on and on about some amazing student work. The contest was a success and the winning video was great. This year they've narrowed down the entries to four and asked the judges back to choose a winner. I think I've picked my favorite, Paul Bryan, but help me make up my mind. Have a quick view at the four remaining finalist and tell me your favorite and why in the comments below. Just to spur you along we're going to give away the noise canceling headphones they were going to give to me as a gift to a commenter at random below.

Have a look at all four videos after the jump.

READ MORE…

Internet dating, have you tried it? Scared of strangers? Thread is a little twist on the meeting singles online model because it connects you to your friends of friends. Sign in with facebook and browse from a pool of singles who you almost know. From there you've got the easy in of ‘Hey I'm a friend of John too, let's date'. Easy sleazy. There is even an option for “taken” people to play with thread “only” as a matchmaker.

How to video after the jump.

READ MORE…

Many people are creating projects based on free Google tools, APIs, and Google brand as inspiration at large. Goollery is an online gallery dedicated to collect, archive and showcase some of the most creative, fun and innovative Google-related* projects from people around the world.

Goollery is an independent project by Ji Lee, Jeanelle Mak, Francisco Hui, Karishma Sheth and Andrew Bonventre.

*Goollery IS NOT a Google website.

Accessing your favorite social nets on iPhone is currently a less than amazing experience, mainly because of the need to switch between networks, mapping, and contact information (it's enough to make a person frantic). But if the Paris company Never Alone Anymore has its way, the new HiMyTribe app will serve as the location-based people finder of choice. It uses the iPhone and iPod Touch's GPS capabilities to help people manage their groups (or professional and personal “tribes”) and identify people they would want to meet who are in their vicinity. A criteria-based search engine helps you locate people with similar interests, including business travelers, friends of friends, conference goers—even potential dates. (Imagine looking for a well-qualified designer who can meet you for espresso in Zurich on the fly.) There is a “blacklist” option, and exact locations aren't shown until the other user accepts. The free app, which the company describes as the “first truly real-time person to person application for the iPhone,” allows for 20 tribe members globally, or there's a larger network option with a monthly fee.

The digital age has changed the ways in which we share our most important opinions and innermost secrets. The latter are usually reserved for our closest of acquaintances, but we don’t necessarily use the most personal approach to broach these delicate details. The combination of technology and weight of information has given us new rules for just how to break the news. Ji Lee’s 10 Levels of Intimacy in Today’s Communication is both an interesting and absurd display of the redefinition and possible redistribution of how we continue on with our most cherished connections.

Two trends are still holding strong in 2009 – the popularity of Twitter and mashups. Using only XHTML/CSS and Javascript, the clan at Quodis Labs has created a beautiful real-time visualisation of updates in the Twitterverse. Dubbed Tori’s Eye, visitors simply click each origami bird as it “flies” across your screen and read the message it’s carrying. You can always change the default search (twitpic) to anything that interests you. Truly a different and quirky way to present information.