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A report about Video Gamers in the Recession sites that 38 percent of gamers are women.
PopGadget has figured out why Adamo is Latin meaning to “fall in love with” in Dell Adamo Love.
Try Six tips for coping with the fact that you can’t remember a person’s name to try to avoid those awkward moments
GirlAmbition.com is a Safe Facebook For Kids and a great option for kids who are not ready for Facebook and MySpace.
Some of my colleagues over at Dell.com are ratcheting up the focus on customer ratings and reviews with a new twist called Customer Spotlight. While Dell has been publishing your ratings and reviews of our laptops and desktops for a while, it is hoped that the new Customer Spotlight reviews will be even more engaging and personal because they feature photos of the reviewer with his or her system.
Check out the live example here and let us know what you think. Better yet, tell us the pros and cons of your Dell system and send us a photo to include with your review. Go here to find out how easy it can be.
Many thanks in advance from Dell, and other customers who just may need exactly what you’re using.
In part I of our interview, Tristan shared what influences as a youth helped spark his creativity in the artwork he designs. In part II of this series, we get his take on the future of art and technology, as well as what projects he has in store for the future.
CB: Do you get a bigger thrill to have someone recognize your work, or for them to get excited at the work itself?
TE: It’s all about the work. Hands down. I’ve never prescribed to a signature style so sometimes people don’t always recognize my work instantly, which I’m fine with. At exhibitions and events, I definitely get a thrill from talking to new-comers seeing my work for the first time. That’s the best.
CB: With the speed in which things progress these days, what do you see in the future in regards to combining art and technology?
TE: Wow, big question! I guess the coolest thing is how well you can integrate art into your everyday life right now. From cell phones to laptops and more, you can design yourself and your possessions in a really personal way. Your taste in art can represent your own personality in so many ways, I think people enjoy using it to identify themselves. Art on a laptop can be a flag for who you are and what you love. How cool is that?
CB: I understand Thunderdog Studios was started five years ago. Looking back, has the company grown and developed as you had originally intended?
TE: Not at all! I originally thought we’d be a giant creative agency doing huge work with a large team of people. We tried that and it didn’t work for us. As the years have gone by, I’ve learned a lot about myself and realized that I prefer the idea of being a small company doing big things. When you have too many people, you spend all of your time managing people and not enough time actually doing the work! I really love having a small, intimate team and being flexible for whatever comes our way. Right now, our focus is on taking our art into entertainment, but we still love making toys, producing art events and we still do a lot of commercial work. I’m really lucky that we’re able to function as a large company but actually exist as a small, close knit team.
Photo courtesy of Thunderdog Studios
CB: I actually grabbed one of my son’s 3D glasses to check out some of your 3D artwork on Thunderdogstudios.com. It’s very engaging. What is it like working in that medium and do you see yourself moving into 3D animation at some point?
TE: 3D art is the coolest thing in the world. I’ve had a love affair with 3D art for about 10 years now! We were actually lucky enough to animate some of my work in 3D for Comedy Central a couple of years ago. It worked really well!
CB: Some of your work seems to have a bit of a Hip-Hop flair within it, some pieces remind me of “Wild Style” and old school graffiti artists. All of which have a foundation in music. What type of music or which musicians do you listen to when you are in your creative mode?
TE: Ah, let’s see. I normally need big, chunky beats to keep me alive and aggressive when I’m doing the work and pulling all nighters. Dancehall reggae, electro and old school, hard-core hip hop does the trick. Barrington Levy, Bounty Killer, DJ Assault, Mr. De, Big Daddy Kane, Z-Trip, Egyptian Lover for example…
CB: You always seem to have a full plate and your hand in all sorts of new projects, is there anything on the horizon that your fans can look forward to?
TE: Of course! We’re actually working on an iPhone application right now, which is very exciting. Our next toy, Billy Bananas, is dropping this spring, and I have a couple of solo exhibitions coming up later in the year. Keep an eye on our blog for details!
So there you have it, big things popping from Tristan Eaton and Thunderdog Studios in the near future.
For even more information, the Dell Lounge “Canvas” series is about to kick off with a behind-the-scene look at Tristan as well. For a sneak peek, check the trailer for the series below.
Tristan Eaton has been blowing up the global art scene for quite some time. In this first of a two-part series, Tristan Eaton of Thunderdog Studios shares background on his roots, his inspirations and what it has been like working with Dell in creating his beautiful artwork for our Dell Studio series of laptops.
CB: How long have you been creating art and where did you get your start?
TE: I’ve been making art all my life. When I was about 7, my parents took me to some art classes that really opened my eyes. From that point on, I knew it was something I could do. As a kid I was really productive. I always had an ambitious project that I was working on, like a mad scientist. Comics, characters, posters, murals in my bedroom, everything! My parents were probably pretty amused by it all. I started to get serious in Detroit around 1996 when I was 18. I started working for The Highway Press Silk-Screen shop and illustrating for Orbit Magazine. Around then I designed my first toy for Fisher Price as well. I loved doing freelance illustration work and pushed myself on everyone in the city! I ended up doing freelance projects for the local radio stations and nightclubs and local music groups. It worked out great because I would illustrate a poster then print it myself at the silk-screen shop. Those were the good old days.
CB: Having lived in London, Detroit and now New York City, how have those cities (if any) had an effect on your creativity in the work you do?
TE: Definitely. California gave me the graphic world of surf and skate culture, which has always been a big part of my life. From Powell Peralta to Santa Cruz, the skate companies used the slickest and most powerful graphics, all beautifully illustrated. London opened me up to Graffiti. I’d take a train and a bus to school every day from Chiswick to Kingston and soak in pieces on the trains and lay-ups all the way. My older brother and most of the local raggamuffins in West London got into Graff after skating and I started to really understand the culture. Then of course, there’s Detroit. Detroit was a free-for-all. You could do whatever you want, whenever you want in the urban decay of the city. That led to a lot of street art experimentation, but more importantly Detroit lead me to a few artistic heroes who helped me along in my career. Most notable: Mark Dancey, Glenn Barr and Tom Thewes.
Photos courtesy of Thunderdog Studios
CB: In visiting the Dell Studio during CES 2009, many people were amazed at your creativity with the laptops, murals, T-Shirts and toys that were on display. Each was a huge hit. What was your inspiration for the beautiful mural that was created onsite?
TE: To be honest, I had no planning in advance. I brought with me a series of large prints for wheat-pasting, but I knew they would only be for background. So, the first day I applied the wheat-paste graphics and painted over them to create a muted, abstract background allowing me to hand paint something on top. The next day, I showed up and started drawing. Over coffee that morning I imagined how fantastic it would be to paint religious figures as super-heroes. They are super-heroes to a certain extent, right? I felt there was some humor and irony in the idea, so I jumped right in! Two days later it was complete!
CB: In creating designs for Dell laptops, have you noticed any increased recognition of your work as a result?
TE: Yes! I noticed hundreds of blogs out there talking about the project, which is awesome. I’m very grateful.
Photos courtesy of Thunderdog Studios
CB: How does your approach to a piece change based on the canvass you are working on? In other words, do you approach a piece destined for a laptop cover differently than you would for another object, or a wall, or a traditional canvass?
TE: Yes, there’s a big difference. When designing for a product, you have to consider the appeal for someone buying the product. What works on a wall doesn’t always work on product. I try to keep that in mind most of the time, but really my focus is simply on making good art that I’m proud of. Especially art that feels like an honest and logical next step in the progress.
Check back later this week for part II of the interview.
The Dell Mini 10 is now available for pre-order in the U.S. For details, check out Lionel’s post on the Direct2Dell blog.
Jeannette Burris is a practice manager for a cardiology office two hours away from where she lives. Her grandchildren live two hours away in the opposite direction (yes, Texas is a big state). Somehow she manages to be everywhere she needs to be, but I have noticed that she travels with lots of technology. Sometimes all carried in a big box! I sat down with her this week to try and get a handle on all she does… and how.
First I asked her to explain to me what a practice manager is. She said it is a lot of things all rolled into one: human resources director, recruiter, payroll clerk, purchasing officer, financial manager, software trainer, contract negotiator, IT support… and the list goes on and on.
She told me that there is no typical day for her. Some days she may be in the office, other days working from her home office, and every now and then she works from my house to take care of sick grandchildren (oh yes, Jeannette is my mom). She said that regardless of where she is, most days consist of some employee issues, working with sales reps, managing workflow in the clinic, being available to the doctors for questions, managing financial issues… that list goes on and on too. My favorite thing she mentioned is that she tries to maintain morale for 30 women all working closely together. If you did not envy her before, I am sure you do now.
So now we get to dig into the box of technology. I asked her what gadgets she uses every day. She says she loves her Palm smartphone, which syncs with MS Outlook. She keeps everything planned there! She also can’t work remotely without her Dell Latitude and PC.Com. She remotes in to her network at the office and can access everything she needs from home. She has also really enjoyed having an aircard to work online no matter where she is.
She said it is her laptop that she can not live without. She cannot travel, work remotely and still manage the practice without her system. Of course, I love her system the most too, since it allows her to help me out with the kids when I need it!
Can you relate to this story? How do your gadgets make your lifestyle possible?
A tip of the hat to the young Dell customer who posted this helpful video on YouTube:
So I don’t mean to sound bitter – because I’m not - but I think Valentine’s Day is just DUMB. I mean, the idea comes from a good place, but this Hallmark holiday turns out to be a no-win situation for everyone but single guys (who miss it completely) and retailers (which aren’t having any fun these days, anyway). Think about it:
· Husbands and boyfriends – required to buy a reasonably good gift for a made-up holiday. And just six weeks after the [real] holidays!
· Women in relationships – hopeful their husbands or boyfriends will suddenly become Ryan Gosling from The Notebook, not to mention wondering what in the WORLD to give a GUY on a “holiday” made up of hearts, cupids and, eek, feelings.
· Single women – bummed and annoyed watching non-single women get flowers and candy all day.
But secretly, my campaign against Valentine’s Day boils down to one thing: buying gifts stresses me out. I want them to be really good, but I never have any clue what to get. Even if you know someone really well, achieving the perfect gift can be tricky.
Never fear! IamSaintValentino.com is here! Check out this excerpt from a recent article on TechFlash.com:
IamSaintValentino…allow[s] gift givers to gather ideas by placing pre-recorded phone calls (in the voice of Saint Valentino) to the intended sweetheart. It also includes a customized message from the caller. At the end of the call, the recipient is asked to say his or her favorite Valentine’s Day gifts or desires. Those messages are recorded and immediately available for playback on the IamSaintValentino Web site, so the gift giver can make a smarter purchase decision.
In an added twist, the site incorporates a speech recognition tool on the back end to analyze words of the call recipient. It then recommends specific products from online retailers based on words spoken in the message.”
Hmm… see, that’d help even me. Looking for a simpler way to source your ideas? Better Homes and Gardens (wow – The Notebook and now BHG? This is getting girly…) posted 29 Creative Ways to Say “I Love You.” Gotta admit, drawing a heart on a steamed-up mirror is kind of sweet.
And so are stargazer lilies. And pretty pink laptops that support a good cause. Oooh, and chocolates – the fun gourmet ones (not the ones with the mystery pink cream in them)… But Valentine’s Day is still stupid. J
Virtually each of us has or will be touched in some way by breast cancer. That’s why I am pleased and proud to report that, starting today, Dell will donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every purchase of a Promise Pink Mini, laptop or Studio Hybrid, with a minimum donation of $250,000 in 2009.
Pink is one of our top color options, so the new Promise Pink program should be a
popular and passionate way to help raise money for breast cancer research and community programs for breast health education and screening. We are actively listening to you through Dell communities like IdeaStorm — and Komen for the Cure is a cause the community is passionate about supporting.
Promise Pink is available in the Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 12, as well as the Inspiron 1525, Studio 15, Studio 17, Studio Hybrid, XPS M1330, XPS M1530 and Latitude E4200.
Dell Outlet ventured into the social media world in early 2007 when it launched the first Dell Twitter property, Twitter.com/DellOutlet. The idea was to offer information on new Dell Outlet product arrivals and special offer info, plus be a resource for customer to ask questions and provide comments.
Since the launch, @DellOutlet has attracted a huge following. Today, over 13,000 followers receive updates from Dell Outlet via the Twitter posts. In response, Dell Outlet is now beginning to post more regular Twitter-exclusive offers in addition to keeping the community apprised of general specials and updates. And the response is overwhelming! View the Direct2Dell post by Bob Pearson and what TechCrunch has to say about it all.
