• Ubuntu Studio

Ubuntu Studio is a variant of Ubuntu aimed at the GNU/Linux audio, video and graphic enthusiast as well as professional. So far I’ve been very impressed by the latest and greatest Ubuntu Studio 7.04 “Feisty Fawn” distribution. For over a year now, I’ve been duel booting my Mac with Ubuntu, so the release of this all-in-one creative suite was a very exciting edition indeed. In the past, multimedia production (or at least the perception of) has long been the Achilles’ heel of Linux. Yes, major Hollywood productions use Linux and there are endless amounts of graphics and audio programs, but there has never been a comprehensive and cohesive collection of media creation tools for the average user—until now.

To date, I’ve found it to be the best suite of powerful open-source applications, such as Gimp, Ardour2, Wired, Hydrogen, Blender, Inkscape, Pitivi, and many more are included in the mix. The choice of included creative apps will amaze, and what’s not included can easily be installed through Synaptic. As well as being completely free to use, modify and redistribute, it also sports a very beautiful dark theme. Here’s the final Ubuntu logo…

• Final Logo

All-in-all, Ubuntu Studio is a fun system to use. It can be downloaded as a DVD image and installed with minimal fuss - very intuitive screens will guide you along the way. However, for those of you who need further guidance with installation, try this walk through tutorial: Installing Ubuntu Studio 7.04 - Linux For The Creative. The daunting setup and configuration of hardware and the limited range and effectiveness of Linux audio and graphics software for Linux has always prevented full-scale adoption of the OS for serious media production. Not anymore, Ubuntu Studio eases things for the typical computer user, packs some real punch, and is an enormous step towards greater acceptance of Linux as a creative person’s platform. Follow the jump to see some of Ubuntu Studio’s GUI goodness. more…

Rene Magritte’s Le Fils de l’Homme (Son of Man), 1964

Want to decorate your laptop, notebook or powerbook with a logo or image? Well, laser etching makes it possible to put any custom image on your powerbook. The example pictured above is by Dan Kurtz of San Francisco, who etched a Rene Magritte’s Le Fils de l’Homme (Son of Man), 1964 onto the cover of his 15” PowerBook.

This new trend of laptop creativity was done via a Squid Labs epilog laser and the open-source vector program Inkscape to craft the duo-tone rendering, according to Kurtz’ post on Skid Labs’ Instructables community Web site. The site offers step-by-step instructions on laser etching Macintosh PowerBooks, including: appropriate filetypes, laser settings, and methodology for putting your tattoo on your powerbook.

View [25] more of these beautifully etched powerbook cover designs after the jump. more…

Here’s a snap shot of mine:

See my full VisualDNA™ here »

It is surprising, but almost all web-based communication tools available today rely on the spoken on written word. Yet, in a very visually prominent world there is no recognised visual language of communication. That is were Imagini friends concept comes into play - by working with millions of people to create a new visual language of communication. It’s a completely new way of using images to create a social network, that calculates your “VisualDNAâ„¢” and uses it to find other people that match your choices. The technology behind Imagini aims to understand the emotional and motivation preferences of consumers, using what they term VisualDNAâ„¢. This can be used for marketing and advertising purposes, as well as social networking.

The bottom-line, Imagini looks to be a winner for marketing purposes because of the demographic and consumer preferences data that it can obtain. Imagini Friends seems like a compelling use case for their technology. Still, aside from the fact your privacy is at risk, it’s fun tool to try. Get your own VisualDNAâ„¢ here ».

Not only do they have removable GelaSkins for your iPod, now they have them for your Apple laptops. If your a die hard apple fan like I am, then you’ll just love these skins. These are an excellent way to customize the look of your PowerBook, iBook, MacBook or MacBook Pro. They make one for every size of Apple laptop back to the 12-inch iBook and PowerBook G4. Looking through the collection of GelaSkins you will see it imprinted with a huge array of wild designs culled from pop and classic artists. Some of the designs come from the public domain, such as classic works of art like Van Gogh and Edvard Munch, to pop artists like Ralph Steadman, whose Hunter S. Thompson-inspired “Dr. Gonzo” and “Lizard Lounge” works are represented. There is also a delightful and nearly mind-boggling array of art inspired by anime and manga, street art, graffiti, and fine art such as new york based artist Stella Im Hultberg (image above). source: GelaSkins