David Lidsky's Blog, page 4623

BP Reports On Worker Injuries, Illnesses at Oil Disaster Sites

Last week we interviewed Merle Savage, a foreman at the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill site who experienced a frightening list of health problems after her stint in Alaska. She warned workers at the BP disaster sites to proceed with caution, and for good reason--oil spill sites (and chemical dispersants) are known to cause respiratory and central nervous system issues in cleanup workers. But ProPublica points us to a recently-filed BP document listing worker illness and injuries--and only one...

How Do You Make Good Design Happen? Follow the Money

As president of the Design Management Institute, I am often asked: "How can we develop a great design organization," and "How do I convince our CEO about the value of design?"

Good questions, simple answers: Determine what matters to the decision makers and improve it with design. Then, either inspire the CEO, or become the CEO.

Do I hear you scoffing? "Thanks, Lockwood! 'Become the CEO.' No problem! Will tick that right off my to-do list."

I understand. But here's the problem: While there...

Father's Day Contest: And The Winner Is...

Check out the winning submission, by Jonathan Good, whose father will receive one pair of Ceramic Speakers by Joey Roth.

First off, a big thanks to everyone who took the time to share their
personal stories for our Father's Day contest. The submissions were superb,
so it has been extremely hard to pick a winner.

We found that the
best stories shared some common features: The song was linked to a
specific moment (rather than a general sentiment); the song itself spoke
to a shared...

Nintendo Announces 3-D Handheld Gaming System [Updated]

Nintendo's just whisked the veil from its newest gaming machine: The 3DS. It's a reinvention of the classic handheld, with a high-tech booster injection from the whizzy display system of the moment--3-D graphics rendering.

Back in March we knew a little about the machine: Its 3-D rendering would deliver the 3-D illusion without needing you to wear special glasses, backwards compatibility for older DS and DSi titles would be included, we thought the screen may be 720p, and the device would...

Bill Gates-Backed Nuclear Power Startup, TerraPower, Gets $35 Million

Nuclear power, that oft-maligned source of clean energy, got a boost earlier this year when Terrapower announced plans to team up with Toshiba to build a hot tub-sized traveling-wave nuclear reactor. Now TerraPower is moving even closer to commercialization with news that investors--including Khosla Ventures and Charles River Ventures--are backing the startup with a cool $35 million. TerraPower claims it has already raised tens of millions of dollars, though it won't give exact...

Henrik Werdelin on the Merits of Innovation Architecture

Henrik Werdelin, Entrepreneur in Residence at Index Ventures says innovative thinking has to be built into the work place, and can't be limited to brainstorming sessions. What do you think, how do you generate innovative thinking in the work place?

Better Place Demonstrates Two-Minute Electric Vehicle Battery Swap System [Video]

There are two mindsets about electric vehicle battery systems: one is that batteries should be bought along with the vehicle and kept as long as possible, and the other--supported by California-based EV services startup Better Place--is that batteries should be leased and swapped out when necessary at curbside stations. According to Better Place, the advantage to swapping out batteries is that drivers can exchange depleted battery packs for fresh ones in under three minutes, much faster...

Habits, Patterns, Algorithms: The Man Who Dresses Marc Jacobs Stores

A peek inside Marc Jacobs stores around the world, all designed by the same New York-based architect and designer.

Nintendo Pushes Into the Third Dimension With the 3DS: 3-D Wherever You Go [Updated]

Nintendo's just whisked the veil from its newest gaming machine: The 3DS. It's a reinvention of the classic handheld, with a high-tech booster injection from the whizzy display system of the moment--3-D graphics rendering.

Back in March we knew a little about the machine: Its 3-D rendering would deliver the 3-D illusion without needing you to wear special glasses, backwards compatibility for older DS and DSi titles would be included, we thought the screen may be 720p, and the device would...

E3 Day 0: Wins for EA, Ubisoft, and Microsoft - But Activision Shows Us a Good Time

EA: Gamer's Games

EA showed that it really wanted to connect with its fans, announcing a reward community for those who play its shooters dubbed EA Gunclub (a name so politically charged that it's certain to arrive with a bang). To support it's new mixed martial arts game, there will also be Live Broadcast, where gamers compete like athletes and the fighters they create can become "stars." EA Active 2 will have an online social media component, with users getting profiles, fitness tips, and...