mobile apps One of the best parts of working at Ten Fast Feet on the cutting edge of interactive technology is reading about some other super ridiculous stuff out there.
And by ridiculous, we mean the things that get the office talking.
So, we asked our top-notch team members to send over what they found particularly awesome ... warning them that their selections would be for public consumption.
Here’s just a small sample of what’s been on our radars this week. It's some not-so-light reading for your weekend.
Lock it up ... with your phone
Submitted by Nathan Maggard, founder and CEO
While researching new locks for our compound here at Ten Fast Feet, we came across UniKey, which is seriously sweet access control for the office or home. Essentially, it enables you to lock and unlock your doors using your smartphone or a key fob ... and you can digitally send a key to someone else. (Which means no more last minute trips on your way out of town to drop off a key with your best friend’s sister who is going to water your plants while you’re on vacation.) The product, featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” is not yet available for purchase, but a pre-order list is offered on the website.
Does reality still bite if it’s not really reality?
Submitted by Jonathan Taufer, project manager
Believe it or not, actual research dollars at the University of Washington are going to be invested to see whether we’re real ... or whether we’re in a simulation run by some sort of supercomputer. Scientists say that there is a signature in the universe that may be able to give us a clue on this. (Editor's note: In other news ... whoa. And yes, this did lead to some super deep office conversation.)
Mini magic transformers now exist
Submitted by Mick McGrath, developer
If researching reality wasn’t geeky enough for you, check out these little guys – which can transform themselves into different shapes. Researchers at MIT are calling the milli-motein a robotic Swiss army knife and it signals a crazy future in which robots could potentially reshape themselves as necessary. (Editor's note: If you have a couple of minutes, watch the video. It’s wild.)
For the writer who has everything ...
Submitted by Carla Swank, communications director
We all have them – the one person on our holiday shopping list that we’re just drawing a blank on a gift idea. If that person on your list is a writer, editor, or social media aficionado, this might be the best list of “written word geek” gifts out there. Because, seriously who wouldn’t want a “like” and “dislike” stamp? (Although the phone-charging purse is pretty sweet, too. And please wrap it in The Onion wrapping paper. OK, I’ll stop.)
Hey, brainstorming worked for Steve Jobs and Pixar ...
Submitted by Dylan Mullins, accounts director
It’s a discussion that every creative office has far too often: Does brainstorming really work? An article earlier this year in the New Yorker suggested it didn’t. This article, written by Speider Schneider for Instant Shift, counters and suggests that brainstorming is indeed a worthwhile process that is complicated by the fact that many creatives are introverts and afraid to express opinions in a public setting. It’s a fascinating read that may lead to you handing out sheets of paper (an example cited in the article) at your next brainstorming meeting.
