Corporate States of America by Steve Lovelace

After writing an article about corporate feudalism, writer, artist and photographer Steve Lovelace took it upon himself to map out, subjectively, each state within the US and the corresponding corporations he felt best represented that state and the inhabitants within.



The visuals above illustrate his hypothesis that "that, as corporations become the dominant organizations on Earth, people will start thinking of themselves as citizens of Apple or partisans of Starbucks."

Steve describes the project as follows:

"This is a map of “The Corporate States of America”. For each of the fifty states (and the District of Columbia), I selected a corporation or brand that best represented the states.

My criteria are subjective, but in each case, I tried to use a brand that a) is based in that state and b) is still in business (as of 2012). I created this map after writing an article about corporate feudalism. My hypothesis is that, as corporations and non-governmental organizations grow in power, the power of nation states will become increasingly irrelevant. We’re already seeing this on a small scale, as people turn to the Internet to make friends, instead of befriending their neighbors. I think that, as corporations become the dominant organizations on Earth, people will start thinking of themselves as citizens of Apple or partisans of Starbucks.

One thing I discovered while writing this article is that corporations are not evenly distributed across the country. Some states, such New Mexico, Alaska, Montana and West Virginia, simply do not host many big corporations. Others host so many that choosing one was difficult. In these cases, I went with the company that I though best represented the state, rather than the biggest or most notorious. Hence, I used Dr Pepper for Texas instead of ExxonMobil."

Steve Lovelace

WOODCHUCKcase. Real Locally Sourced Wood Adhesive Cases For Apple Products.

University of Minnesota students Kevin Groenjes and Benjamin VandenWymelenberg put their academic (and clearly, creative) heads together and came up with a way to add a bit of nature to high tech.



above: real Mahogany and Walnut add both protection and good looks to the Apple MacBook and Apple Air.

During an all nighter in the University of Minnesota Architecture studio, Ben came up with a prototype for the 'Woodchuck' and his friend Kevin became his partner. Eventually they found a third Minnesotan, Bob Feyereisen to make the products and WOODCHUCKcase was born.


above: Kevin Groenjes, Bob Feyereisen and Benjamin VandenWymelenberg work on the design of the Woodchuck products

The WOODCHUCKcases are really beautiful. The 100% real wood self-adhesive veneers come in mahogany, walnut and birch, sourced from local lumberyards and designed to perfectly fit Apple iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and the Mac Air.




Because they are made from 100% real wood each case varies slightly in color and texture so no two are exactly alike.

iPhone WOODCHUCKcases:
Birch:

Mahogany:

Walnut:

iPad WOODCHUCKcases:
Birch:

Mahogany:

Walnut:

MacBook and MacAir WOODCHUCKcases:



The cases can easily be removed without leaving a sticky residue, using a special 3M adhesive.

The Woodchuck Team is passionately and energetically changing the way people interact with technology and has partnered with local company Midwest Special Services, a facility giving life opportunities to adults with disabilities, to create the packaging.



They began by selling the products, which are 100% made in the United States, in the University of Minnesota bookstores and now the products can be bought through their online store at the Mall of America and four gift stores, including one in Milwaukee. And beginning today, 18th of July, the cases can be purchased at Best Buy.

SPECIAL FREE SHIPPING OFFER for If It's Hip, It's Here Readers. Use code IIHIH at check out.


Buy your WOODCHUCKcase

The Kudo Solar Charging iPad Case for All Apple iPad Versions

The iPad is amazing, but this makes it even better. The KudoCase for iPad, iPad 2, and the New iPad 3rd Generation are pulling the plug on wasted power by using new solar ink technology to convert outdoor and indoor light into usable energy to continually charge the Apple iPad. Whenever light is shimmering around you this solar powered iPad case is charging your battery.



It may be a little confusing to what the actual brand name of this cool solar charging iPad case is since it began life as the Lilypad and then became the KudoCase. And now it's being sold (unbranded) by various gadget stores.



Solar KudoCase iPad in Black (for versions 2 and 3):









The KudoCase Solar iPad Chargers (original and a version for the iPad 2 and 3) are an innovative concept using new solar technology to convert indoor and outdoor light into energy to charge the iPad. For the average user the solar case can boast an impressive 12 - 13 days use on your iPad (versions 1 and 2)!

This KudoCase for iPad 2 and 3 has all the features the original solar case by Kudo has. Indoor/Outdoor Solar Power giving you up to an average 10 days of use. An extended battery, USB Power-out charger, HDMI, Whistle Locator, Multiple Stands and the automatic Sleep/Wake feature built in. This durable case is one you can be proud of with a housing made from biodegradable grain and the worlds only indoor operating organic solar panel.

Features
• Solar Power - New solar ink technology, works with outdoor & indoor light.
• Results will vary but the average use is 10 days with 2hrs iPad use per day with average light.
• HDMI port built in - watch your iPad on the big screen.
• Automatic iPad Sleep and Wake built into the flap.
• USB Power Out - Charge your phone, bluetooth, camera... directly off the solar case.
• Battery backup - High capacity 10A battery built into the case to store excess energy created by the light.
• Keyboard Stand - Angle the iPad at a comfortable 15 degrees for easier typing.
• Movie Stand - Position the iPad into a landscape movie / receipe angle.
• Durable protection - Protect the iPad from any angle.
• Thin, only 7/8" total thickness.
• Whistle Locator - Cant find the iPad? Simply whistle and the case will beep to let you know where it is.
• Environmentally Friendly - Kudo To You!

The worlds only organic solar panels.
Housing is made from biodegradeable grains.
Every online purchase includes a planted tree with the Arbor Day Foundation.


$189 USD, buy it here

Or for 10$ more, you can buy it unbranded from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Solar Kudocase iPad for original version is available in black or grey here.

The Official Etch A Sketch iPad Case From Headcase.

Headcase™, in partnership with The Ohio Art Company, has just introduced the first and only officially licensed Etch A Sketch® iPad case! Now, the world’s most popular drawing toy provides a fun backdrop for the most revolutionary device ever conceived by Apple.

Etch A Sketch® is celebrating its 50th year and over 150 million units sold. The iPad sold over 3 million units in its first 80 days, prompting the USA Today front-page article: “Etch A Sketch: The 1960’s iPad”.



Daniel Deutsch, CEO of Headcase explains, “Etch A Sketch® has been one of the most recognized and iconic toys for generations. The iPad, like the Etch A Sketch®, is also instantly recognizable and has defined an entirely new category of technology. It has been a thrill to work with Ohio Art to bring the look and the feel of the world’s most popular drawing toy to Apple’s latest opus. It is the perfect accessory for those of us who never really grew up.”

While the Etch A Sketch® iPad case looks like America’s favorite toy, there has been equal attention placed on making it a high quality protective case. Made of impact resistant ABS plastic, the Etch A Sketch® iPad case will help protect your iPad. Rubber feet and a felt backing gently cradle your iPad inside the Etch A Sketch® iPad case.



Strategically placed windows throughout the Etch A Sketch® iPad case allow for easy use of all your iPad switches, ports, and buttons.




A retractable kick stand allowS you to either lay your iPad flat, or angle it for easy use of the keyboard.



The Etch a Sketch® iPad case is available for purchase for $39.00 USD here

FAQ

I’ve heard horror stories about some iPad cases overheating iPads. Will that happen with my Etch A Sketch® iPad case?
No. Unlike many silicone or leather iPad cases, the Etch A Sketch® iPad case is designed to let your iPad have the proper ventilation for cooling.

Will I be able to easily access my switches, ports, and buttons?
Yes. The Etch A Sketch® iPad case was designed specifically for the iPad – it may look like an Etch A Sketch®, but no corners were cut in making it the highest quality iPad case possible.

Is Headcase the only maker of the Etch A Sketch® iPad case?
Yes, Headcase™ has an exclusive agreement with Ohio Art, the makers of Etch A Sketch®. The Etch A Sketch® iPad case is the only officially licensed iPad product available anywhere.

Will the Etch A Sketch® iPad case help protect my iPad?
Of course. While no iPad case can make any specific guarantees, the Etch A Sketch® iPad case is made of impact resistant plastic. We are proud of the Etch A Sketch® iPad case’s durability.

Buy it now.

Headcase™ is a division of Real Simple Ideas LLC, an Orlando, FL based product development company. With in-house design and prototyping capabilities, ideas go from conception to distribution in record time. Headcase™ is a trademark of Real Simple Ideas, LLC. Etch A Sketch® is a trademark of The Ohio Art Company iPad™ is a trademark of Apple®, inc.

Apple MacBook Pro Wood Cutting Board! In All Three Sizes.

We Apple lovers and Mac users really covet our products and anything inspired by them. Talented people all over the world continue to create clever items as an homage to the products by the Cupertino based company.




The latest find is this Apple Pro Board (Apfelbrett Pro) from THISMADE. A functional oiled wood (food grade) cutting board shaped like a 13", 15" or 17" MacBook Pro (actually, the older MacBook Pro or the newest Macbook, because it has rounded corners).





My favorite part? It comes complete with super clever halved apple logo debossed into it:

all images courtesy of thismade.

It's presently sold out in all three sizes (told you we love our Mac-inspired products), they are expecting more in November.

Prices (in Swiss Francs)
Apfelbrett Pro Cuttingboard 13" CHF 78.-/Stk. + Postage
Apfelbrett Pro Cuttingboard 15" CHF 87.-/Stk. + Postage
Apfelbrett Pro Cuttingboard 17" CHF 96.-/Stk. + Postage
Available: November 2010

Prices (in US Dollars)
Apfelbrett Pro Cuttingboard 13" $77.25 + Postage
Apfelbrett Pro Cuttingboard 15" $86.16 + Postage
Apfelbrett Pro Cuttingboard 17" $95 + Postage
Available: November 2010

Order them here.

Apple Lover Seeks Same At Cupidtino, An Online Dating Site For Mac Users.

The brain child of four geeks in San Francisco and Seattle with backgrounds at Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, Cupidtino, is a new online dating site for Apple lovers and Mac users.



With around 30,000 registers users, the site has a look and feel of the Apple site, but no formal affiliation. The creators were inspired by the fact that Mac and Apple fans seem to share a similar aesthetic in terms of style, music, taste and tech... so why wouldn't they share romantic interests and attraction? At least that's the supposition.


above photo by Rome Wilkerson


A personal friend of mine and yes, a Mac user and Apple fan, actually met someone with whom he's fallen in mad mac love on this site, which prompted me to blog about it. Albeit, one positive case study does not a matchmaker make, but it was enough to get me to investigate a little further.



Since my stats show that my readers are predominantly (by a small margin) Mac users, I figured some of you might be interested in pursuing this as an option for finding your compatible mate - or as Cupidtino cutely calls them, Macheart.




above: screen grabs of the site show it's nice clean Apple-like interface and design.

So, what are the demographics on the site thus far and what do these folks have in common? I couldn't get a percentage breakdown of the age groups, but was told that users range from age 17 to 69 and that the site is GLBT friendly. But here's a breakdown of the member locations and some of their preferences from the very nice folks at Cupidtino as of September 8th:

Top Five Cities:
LA
NYC
SFO
London
Moscow

Top five states in the US and the percentage breakdown:
California (25%)
New York (10%)
Texas (6%)
Florida (5%)
Illinois (5%)

Top Five Countries:
USA
Germany
Canada
UK
Russia
USA: Rest of World split = 55:45

Members also share their favorite songs, movies and iPhone apps from iTunes. Here's the most popular songs, movies and apps the Cupidtino users are sharing now.

Top Five Songs:
Viva la Vida - Coldplay
Bad Romance - Lady GaGa
Uprising - Muse
Alejandro - Lady GaGa
Fireflies - Owl City

Top Five Movies
Avatar (2009) James Cameron
Star Trek J.J. Abrams
Fight Club David Fincher
The Matrix Larry Wachowski ; Andy Wachowski
Iron Man Jon Favreau

Top Five iPhone Apps
Facebook
Twitter
Shazam
Pandora Radio
Angry Birds



HOW:
You must be a registered Mac user and sign up using your Mac computer. And no, having just an iPhone or iPod touch doesn't work.

PRIVACY:
Your profile is public by default, which means anyone can see it - even if they're not Cupidtino members. They do give you an easy set of options to hide it from non-members, or hide it from everyone if you so desire.

PAYING:
The pricing structure is very different from other online dating sites. Sign up for free. Contact anyone for free. Pay only $4.79 a month to read messages you've received. In other words, sending messages is free. Reading them requires the paid monthly membership, but if someone replies to your message, you can then read or reply messages in that conversation even if you're not a paying member. (confused? it's outlined in their FAQ section).

Unlike most other online dating sites, membership is easy to cancel at anytime using your Paypal account.

BLOG:
Their accompanying blog features monthly members and has some fun stats and info as well as user generated content like consumer made videos.

GET SUPER SOCIAL AND YOU CAN HAVE 6 MONTHS FREE.
You can get a free 6 month membership if you succumb to all the social media. First, your profile has to be complete (a photo, basic info and selected favs), follow @cupidtino on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and they'll give you a complimentary membership for six months (you’ll be able to send and receive unlimited messages) + other member privileges.

•Sign up on Cupidtino
•Follow @cupidtino on Twitter
•The Cupidtino page on Facebook

And yes, they have just designed an iPhone app for Cupidtino, which will be available any day now.


all information courtesy of Cupidtino

Still single and surfing on a mac? What are you waiting for? Sign up now.
Cupidtino