Anyone working in the creative industry has experienced the annoyance of being sent information in the wrong format– and nothing zaps time and creative inspiration like the ensuing conversion process. You can buy software to help you deal with it, but, well… that sucks, almost as much as the accompanying email chain with your clueless clients. So, it’s with no small amount of pride that I present to you Zamzar, a (free!) online file conversion service that is equipped to handle a veritable boatload of file types that might just make your job significantly easier. Zamzar’s easy to use; all it requires of you is the bunk file, your email address, and the format which you would like your file to be converted to and bam. Magic. I don’t think Zamzar is entirely spankin’ new; I get the feeling people have been clued into this for much longer than I have, but just in case any of you readers could benefit from something like this, here you go. Because sharing is caring, etc.

Custom skateboard masters Mekanism have added German artist Peter Zimmerman to their ongoing procession of artist collaborations (which have included runs by John Maeda, Invader, and Katharina Grosse, among others), and this latest series of limited edition decks are about as unique as humanly possible. Zimmerman created his striking boards by digitally deconstructing paintings from his own archives and modifying parts that he liked, then re-painting the image onto the boards using an epoxy resin, a fluid medium which transforms itself during the application process. The 50 boards (and 10 artist proofs) resulting from Zimmermans’s efforts are all different and, perhaps more importantly, all aesthetically amazing. Each deck is signed, dated, numbered, and will be available on the Mekanism website starting June 1st (this Friday). No word on pricing yet, but the artist decks typically run from 80 to 400 Euros, so I’d expect the tag to sit somewhere in that (wide) spectrum.

Rogerio Lionzo is a Brazilian designer who’s been producing some great work alongside Studio Mopa, a young agency whose talented team of artists have already racked up an impressive list of clients. Along with some beautiful font design and jaw-dropping work for NDesign Brazilia 2006, Lionzo’s online portfolio showcases some fun collaborative work he’s done with Unchaste (holy belts!) and Commune. I’m loving the intensity of color that’s so common in Brazilian design these days- it sort of makes me feel like I should be wearing a seaweed bikini drinking apricot nectar on the porch of my house built in the shape of a pineapple. If this print has similar effects on you, I highly suggest checking out both Lionzo’s work and the entire Mopa portfolio– delicious!

Get your mind out of the gutter: Kinkyform is everything but the urban definition of the term. The German furniture company has been collaborating with up-and-coming artists to create illustration-laden pieces, and one of their selected works, aptly titled “The Chair featuring Electric Heat,” is as much a work of art as a piece of furniture. There is just something about an intricate, embellished design I find intriguing, like if I stare at it long enough I’ll discover something I hadn’t noticed before. What I really love is that the gold detailing is striking enough to add character to an otherwise simple piece, but subtle enough to complement other furniture in a room. As a former all-white furniture addict, these chairs are motivating me even further to add a touch of black to my apartment. Each chair comes complete with designer Nigel Dennis’ signature on the side. If his designs leave you yearning for more, be sure to visit his gallery at Electric Heat.

–Stephanie Young

I think there’s something really admirable about boutique design firms who consistently and regularly produce high-caliber results. That’s not to say that bigger agencies don’t deserve the same respect, but smaller shops tend to inspire the underdog supporter in me — especially knowing it’s a one or two person shop creating such groundbreaking work. That feeling swept over me this morning when I was checking out Bishbo’s newly updated site; based in North West London, their portfolio is as extensive and impressive as it is fun and irreverent. In addition to work for the Sunday Telegraph and producing both virtual and physical packaging for the alternate reality game Perplex City, they have a kickass piece featured in this year’s Semi-Permanent publication. By the looks of things, it seems Jack and Olli are going to be busy little bees for the foreseeable future.

My friend Ben Casnocha is off and running with his first of what I expect will be many books. The book is called My Startup Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley, and while in all honesty I haven’t even had a second to open my copy up (or see if it came in the mail), the positive reviews are pouring in and I can’t wait to dig into this on my next flight. Ben discovered at the age of 12 that he was an entrepreneur and his track record to date (he’s 19 now) show’s he isn’t here to just talk the talk. If you’re a young person interested in starting something, an old person who wants some insight into the quick and nimble thoughts of a young person, or you just want a bit of inspiration, read this book. Congrats Ben, you’re a fantastic representative of our young startup generation!

Brazilian beer company Brahma is organizing a cultural exchange for its TrocaBrahma music festival, inviting popular U.K. artists to Brazil to collaborate with some the latter’s indie and pop/rock groups. The sonic results are presented in a series of shows from July 26 to 29 in London, Glasgow and Liverpool. But before they go for the real thing later this summer, though, some of the artists do a few warm-up performances in Sao Paulo. Earlier this month saw Bonde do Role with Radioclit and Amanda Blank, but tonight’s gig at Studio SP features Four Tet with Brazilian indie collective Open Field Church — a band predisposed to covers. I’m really more excited about the June 3 show, when Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals fame) and the eccentric Tony da Gatorra play together. Da Gatorra is best known for his namesake invention: an instrument that’s part guitar, part synth and part synth machine called the “Gatorra”, of course. Franz Ferdinand’s Nick McCarthy has one, so I’m eager to see this mythical thing in action, live.

For the last six months or so, our U.K. based friend Tom Judd – who’s no stranger to this site, and also a member of the Spear Collective – has been working on this kick ass animation called “Wheel Time.” It’s somewhat of a historic project for young Tom, because it marks the end of his undergraduate education– this summer he’s leaving Man Met University for London to begin a two year Master’s program in animation at the Royal College of Art. As great as this short animated film is, I’m sure we’ll all use it as a benchmark by which to gauge his animation progress from here on out– no pressure, Tom! The YouTube version you see here has slightly lower sound and sync qualities than the one on his website, so I recommend viewing the latter. On a related note, Tom has also re-worked the look of his site a bit with a fresh layout and some new work, so be sure to check that out as well.