Some of you may remember my post about Clear Skies, the machinima creation of Ian Chisholm that combined the Eve-Online and Source engines to create a “space western.” For those who don’t remember, you may want to read it to get yourself in the machinima mood.

Why, you may ask? Just click on the image below:

That’s right, for all of you creative types addicted to World of Warcraft, today is the start of the World of Warcraft Machinima Contest! Here’s your chance to put your talents to the test in a contest against other talented machinima artists. Top prize of an XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition laptop! 

Machinima has come a long way in the past few years, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what gets submitted. With an XPS M1730 and an Alienware Area-51 up for grabs, the competition should prove to be pretty fierce. Drop by the Web site, check out the forum, and craft your winning entry!

To get you even more into the mood, I bring you The Ballad of the Noob:

I love nothing more than the sea, the sun and a sandy beach. Fact is I aspire to live life in flip flops and shorts with my toes touching salt water as often as possible, and I find myself drawn to the things that keep my day dreaming and hopes brewing. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that every once in a while something stands out, catches your eye and screams your personality.

Most recently, that “something” for me is the latest series of unique Mike Ming designs tattooed on the front covers of select Dell laptops, or more specifically the new special art edition Dell Studio 15 and Studio 17 laptops. These covers beautifully depict elements of my favorite places.

My two favorite patterns out of the five are Red Swirl and Seaweed. I went with Red Swirl as it reminds me of getting caught in a big beautiful wave that I get to ride for a few moments before it crashes to the ocean bottom.

The colors and organic patterns are just cool and make my new laptop look like, well, mine.  Check out Dell’s Flickr account for more images. (Btw, Seaweed was a very close second choice. The greens and blacks look 3D and fly off the back of the laptop.)

Overall, I am super excited about my new laptop. Not only does it sport 4GB of memory and a screaming video card, it makes me think of my happy place.

While much of today’s technology might seem to be for the younger set, technology is also advancing for the fastest-growing segment of America’s population (people 65 and older).  Life for this age group can be enhanced by technology that enables independence.

Medication is often one of the first places that a senior may want some help.  E-Pill has pill reminders of all types.  There are watches with reminders that vibrate for the hearing impaired as well as a pill dispenser with a voice alarm.

For someone who uses a personal digital assistant (PDA), On Time Rx provides software downloads for PDAs, laptops and smart phones.  This allows you to not only get reminders to take medication, but also reminders to order refills and keep a self medical record.

Cell phones are coming with more bells and whistles than ever, but not everyone is interested, especially those who have not used a cell phone.  Jitterbug has made a simple cell phone with big buttons and a bright display screen that would be perfect for a first-time user.

For ease with the usual tasks around the house, an automatic jar opener or an iRobot Roomba Vacuum might be helpful.

In the coming weeks, we plan to share more ways that technology can help the lives of seniors as well as the lives of caregivers. Women who have not yet found themselves caring for an aging loved one will likely do so in their lifetime.  For those of you who have, please share your advice and tips.

Delta Air Lines has become the latest carrier to announce plans for in-flight Wi-Fi, and in a big way. It intends to switch on the service across its U.S. flight schedule by mid-2009 (about 330 mainline aircraft, its smaller planes not included).

Price: $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours.

In-flight broadband isn’t a new concept. If you’ll pardon the pun, I’ll hasten to add that it’s an idea that hasn’t yet taken off. However, Delta is partnering with Aircell and its technology is said to be easier and cheaper to deploy.

Marguerite Reardon over at CNET has posted a well-done roundup article on the subject. Now definitely deal me and my laptop in for surfing the net and staying in touch at 37,000 feet. But Ms. Reardon’s readers are weighing in and, at least initially, they aren’t too high on the idea … citing things like annoying Skype conversations and cramped working quarters. What do you think?

To follow up on Natalie’s post yesterday, I literally wrote this while on set at Chelsea Studios as HGTV’s Color Splash host David Bromstad chatted with TV and radio news teams across the country about getting ready for back to school and creating “work space” for students that is personalized and conducive to studying and learning.

As David’s specialty is “color,” he had a great time sharing details about Dell’s colorful Studio Hybrid and Studio Laptops, paired with some cool furniture and accessories from PBTeen. From 7 a.m.- 1 p.m. David chatted with 28 TV and radio stations answering questions about color, how to show your personality, define your space, and finally how Dell and PBTeen have teamed up for a great Back to School giveaway, the grand prize being a $5,000 make-over from PBTeen, plus a $1,500 gift card from Dell.

Working with David has been very educational - for example I’ve learned that while blues and greens are typically seen as calming colors, they also have some specific student-friendly attributes: blue is actually a motivational color, while green will help the brain retain the new knowledge (seriously - put a green acetate sheet over those World History pages and see if you remember more dates).

On the flip side, warmer tones like red, orange and yellow are stimulating — so those young people who have a harder time getting out of bed in the morning (hint, hint to the 15-year-old in MY house) react to those colors like a visual cup of coffee.

The set was loaded with great visuals - like cool furniture from PBTeen: a Style-It-Desk and Style-Tile message board, and the Cushy Lounge with a great Storage Base.  One of David’s favorite ways to personalize a space is with a rug, and he actually suggests mixing and matching rugs to define specific areas - like the “Lounge/Relax” area versus the “Desk/Study area.” David also talked about the cool design of the Studio Hybrid PC (often referring to it as “art” for the desktop) and the range of color options on the Studio laptops. He encouraged folks “go wireless” to help cut the clutter - like a wireless keyboard, mouse and printer.

One of the more fun aspects of the day was when an interviewer turned out to be a fan of David’s - you see  David was the first winner of HGTV’s reality show, Design Star, and is getting ready to kick off his fifth season of Color Splash.  Despite his “celebrity” status, he is as gracious and sincere as anyone I’ve had the pleasure to work with. And while this was his first satellite media tour, he did a GREAT job merging his knowledge about color and personalization with great solutions from PBTeen and Dell. Thanks David - it was a pleasure - and I’ll be checking out the new season of Color Splash on HGTV this fall.

Is this the line for Space Mountain at Disney World or could it be holiday shoppers crazed for the Tickle Me Elmo?

Neither. It’s a line for airport security. Ugh! With the world taking security much more seriously, you’ve probably experienced the line, the frustration and maybe a missed flight or two. But what’s most frustrating is all of the bins you have to put your stuff into for scanning.

One bin for your coat. One bin for your shoes. One bin for your laptop, and yet another for your laptop bag. Everyone’s eyes seem focused on you while you take out your laptop, fumble to get it into the bin — all the while knowing that people are wishing you’d move just a little faster. I won’t even go into the limited places available to put the laptop back into the bag, after you make it through security. Same people, same eyes glaring upon you to move just a little faster.

Seeing this frustration and the need for a solution, two laptop bag retailers will be selling TSA-approved laptop bags. This means no more taking the laptop out of the bag at the airport! You will be able to put your whole bag, laptop inside, through the scanner. Woo hoo! What a win for travelers everywhere.

First announced was Skooba’s Checkthrough, shared by Engadget’s Nilay Patel.  Here’s a pre-production photo:

Shortly after, Darren Murph of Engadget shared that Mobile Edge announced its line of TSA-approved laptop bags, “ScanFast,” with three choices to fit your style and carrying preference:

Neither Skooba nor Mobile Edge has announced a price for their bags, but my guess is that they will both charge a premium and will sell out quick. The convenience will be worth a high price to the frequent traveler. Will be interesting to see just how widely these bags will be recognized. Frequent travelers have shared with me that recognition of the TSA-approved locks seems to be limited to airport screeners in the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe.

TSA-approved laptop bags make me happy and want to jump for joy. The good news is that this seems to be a quickly developing trend in laptop bag designs. I just hope they start to come out with some more stylish looks to choose from.

Looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

Energy. Concentration. No clutter. Technology that makes you look cool and be mobile. You know, all the things that really matter when you’re heading back to school. Wouldn’t it be great to get some advice from an expert on which school-ready gadgets you need based on how to be productive and stylish rather than on pure specs?

This morning on TV and radio stations across the U.S., the passionate and exuberant David Bromstad, design guru and host of HGTV’s Color Splash, was scheduled to share helpful tips on which laptops, printers, webcams and accessories will help get the student on track for a successful, fun and trend-setting school year. If you weren’t able to catch it where you live, don’t worry! We hope to have some video to share with you in another post shortly so you can hear those great tips!

Whether you’re in elementary school, high school or heading off to another semester in college, picking out the right products isn’t easy. Technology has evolved from the pure purpose of productivity to being at the core of expressing personal style. The choices are endless, the colors are brilliant, and for many the speed of your processor is now just a relatively minor technicality.

What to buy can be a harder and more confusing choice for any mom or dad who are just trying to get their school-bound child ready.

“But Amy has one. And Debbie’s parents just bought her one, too.” Sound Familiar? Shamefully, I know I used that line a time or two on my poor parents. ALL children do. It’s hard to not let these comments sway you in the products you provide your children.

Bromstad brings a fresh and much needed perspective on how to get your children what they really need and still express their personal style.

Given my personal passion for colors and agreement with Bromstad that “color is the root of great design,” I was excited to see his picks for this school year’s most productive and energy-charged colors! Let us know what you think and how technology can help achieve back-to-school greatness!

I am loving the new Studio Dell line and the Designed for Dell accessories to match. The colors are so magnificent, they have inspired me to upgrade my personal computer. However, I am having serious color identity crisis. I like them all. The color I choose will be an expression of my personality and style, making it a big decision and one I must choose wisely.

So what does it mean about you when you have an affinity for a color?  Based on many studies I encountered in my cognitive neuroscience research days, here is my take on the meaning of colors in Western Culture. Note, these are not scientifically based. They’re merely my observations and conclusions: 

Spring Green: Green can mean life, nature and well being and is favored by well-balanced people. It is said that people who like green have a tremendous amount of self-respect. It can also imply healing, which is one of the reasons Egyptians wore green eye liner. 

Plum Purple: Associated with royalty, wealth, opulence, magic and mystery.  People who like purple are said to have good judgment. It can bring peace of mind when one is surrounded by it, which is why it is often times the color for spiritual fulfillment and a favorite among children.

Flamingo Pink: Pink provides feelings of caring, tenderness, self-worth and acceptance and most heavily symbolizes love and beauty. Pink can be so effective in neutralizing disorder and violence that some prisons use limited deep pink tones to diffuse aggressive behavior.

Jet Black: Black is one of the most misinterpreted colors. Some scientists do not consider black an actual color, rather black is a lack of all color. Black can mean stability, elegance, death and mystery. People who like black can be said to carry a sense of potential and possibility.

Midnight Blue: Symbolizes youth, truth and peace. Blue can bring about inspiration and sincerity. It can provide a calming effect, making it a great color to use in the home around babies. It is thought to open communication and broaden one’s perspective in learning new information.

Ruby Red: Red is associated with action, confidence and courage. It is most chosen by extroverts and can mean a high degree of passion and zest for life. On the flipside, red can also mean temper or anger and can be associated with danger.

Graphite Grey: Grey symbolizes security, maturity and dependability. People who favor grey are often times the lone wolves of the pack and are effective in neutralizing situations. It is a stabilizing and non-invasive color, especially when put next to other more vibrant colors.

Tangerine Orange: Symbolizing vitality and endurance, orange is a power and healing color.  Known to stimulate creativity and enthusiasm, people who like orange are usually thoughtful and sincere.

There is an abundance of fascinating research on the meaning, symbolism and sensory responses to color. From the colors we choose to the colors we see, there is not doubt that they play a big role in how we are perceived and our mood. Hopefully this guide will help you with your decision as it has helped me.

I’m think I’m going to go with Orange! How about you? What color best represents you?

It’s creating quite a stir online and on the air, and once you’ve heard the song you will be whistling the tune wherever you go. 

Kira Willey is the wonderful artist behind the song “Colors,”  the inspirational track that can be heard in the new Dell commercial showcasing the many customizations that can be configured for Dell computers. Kira is the founder of Fireflies Yoga and creator of the CD “Dance for the Sun,” an award-winning yoga album for kids that includes the track found in the video. 

Copywriter Bobby Hershfield, part of the Mother, NY creative team behind the commercial spot, had this to say about choosing the song:

We wanted to find a song that communicated a person’s relationship with their computer. Since the spot shows how a computer is an extension of a person, we wanted the song to reinforce that idea in an interesting and engaging way.

What we loved about “Colors” was two fold. We love first the melody and tone. It eased you into the images and had a nice emotional quality to it. Secondly, we loved the lyrics that colors matched a mood. That a person could feel differently one day to the next. We thought that was a nice metaphor for Dell, whose family of computers contain different styles, patterns, colors, and features. The song with the images really reinforced the idea that there is a Dell for everyone.

We came across the song through our editor, who had found it during a search. As he was editing the spot he thought the song worked well with the imagery and gave the spot overall a nice quality to it.

We couldn’t be happier with the way it all turned out

I was fortunate enough to chat with Kira and gather more information on the song and her background as an artist.

CB: Where were you born, and where do you currently reside?

KW: I was born in Boston, and grew up all over New England. My husband and I now live in eastern Pennsylvania with our two young children.

CB: I understand from a young age and throughout high school, your passion was playing the violin.  Looking back, did you always see a career for yourself in music?

KW: I’ve played music since I was five years old, when I began the Suzuki method of violin. In recitals I played Twinkle Twinkle next to now world-famous violinist Joshua Bell! Although I didn’t know music would become my career until after college, it’s always been a huge part of my life. Even when I had a “real job” and wasn’t working in music, I loved that I could speak the language with other musicians, and was always grateful for that lifelong musical education.

I have a large family, and almost everyone is very musical—lots of singers and instrumentalists. My brother, who sings bass on three tracks on my CD, and my dad are fantastic singers. And my cousin Beau Lisy co-produced the album and is an amazing percussionist and drummer.

CB: What was your inspiration for creating “Dance for the Sun?”

KW: I was living in New York City, teaching music to young children, and began practicing yoga at around the same time. I eventually got certified to teach yoga to kids, and the natural way for me to teach—and a very effective way, as it turned out–was to sing and use lots of rhythm. I created Fireflies Musical Yoga for Kids, and “Dance for the Sun” evolved for the most part out of the songs I wrote to use in my classes. I had no idea that the CD and its concept of teaching musical yoga to kids would connect so well with families and become so popular, but I’m certainly glad it has.

CB: How did the song “Colors” come about?

KW: I had wanted to do a song about colors for a while, and felt like it was almost too simple. But I realized after I wrote it that it has a few different levels of meaning: the literal one, which kids really connect to because colors are so directly related to their world—all kids have a strong opinion about their favorite colors! But it also describes the different moods we all have and how we can feel lots of different ways at once, which is important for kids to recognize and learn that that’s OK. And even on another level, in the line “all the colors of the world are in me,” I was going for the idea that even though we’re all different kinds of people, we’re more alike than we are different. It can really mean whatever anyone wants it to mean.

CB: When did you think when Dell contacted you about using your music?

KW: It was a bolt out of the blue–I was excited about it, particularly about the potential of my music connecting with a broader audience.

CB: The new commercial is beautiful, and the song fits very well.  What does your family think now that your music can be heard online and on TV?

KW: Everyone’s really thrilled, and lots of people — some I know but most I don’t — are contacting me wanting to know more about the music, which is great.

CB: Do you have any plans or projects on the horizon?

KW: I’ll continue to teach Fireflies Yoga classes, give workshops and master classes, and perform kids’ yoga concerts—we did one in Bryant Park, NYC last weekend which was a blast. I’m hoping to spread the joy and benefits of kids’ yoga to a much wider audience using TV; we just finished developing a script for a children’s music and yoga TV show. I write a kids’ yoga blog for iyogalife.com, and I’m revamping my Web site with lots of videos, photos and new songs. I am also writing new songs all the time, hoping to record some of them very soon. So I’ve got lots going on!

Kira Willey

A sea of color will wash over select recreational hotspots across the U.S. tomorrow as Dell choreographs mass arrays of the quintessential summer accessory – a super-sized, eye-popping beach towel. The event launches Dell’s six-festival Summer Rocks Tour and Sweepstakes.

Large-scale checkerboard mosaics comprised of hundreds of colorful beach towels – 15,000 in all – are planned rain-or-shine for:

• Austin, Texas
• Chicago, Illinois
• Los Angeles, California
• Miami, Florida
• New York, New York
• Seattle, Washington

The premium bamboo towels evoke the new Dell Studio laptop PCs, which are available in more than 10 color combinations.

Hangtags on the towels announce the Dell Summer Rocks Sweepstakes, which offers passionate music fans the chance to win one of 10 pairs of tickets to the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival, Sept. 26-28 in Austin, Texas.

Dell’s Summer Rocks Tour will take the eclectic Dell Dome experience to six of the summer’s hottest music festival destinations:

• Lollapalooza – Chicago, Aug. 1-3
• Virgin Mobile Festival – Baltimore, Aug. 9-10
• Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival – San Francisco, Aug. 22-24
• Bumbershoot – Seattle, Aug. 30-Sept. 1
• Monolith Music Festival – Morrison, Colo., Sept. 13-14
• Austin City Limits Music Festival – Austin, Texas, Sept. 26-28

The exterior of the geodesic Dell Dome will serve as a massive canvas for the work of Brooklyn-based artist Mike Ming, whose designs are available on the Dell™ Inspiron™ 1525 laptop. Ming also will create a new work of art at each Dell Dome event and assist visitors with their own projects.

Inside the Dell Dome, visitors can take part in unique Dell experiences like:

• Stations for creating a 20-track “digital mix tape” from a menu of up to 100 songs.
• A pop culture hair salon, where stylists will recreate iconic rock star hairdos.
• Custom and Mike Ming original airbrush tattoos.
• Custom heat iron transfers for shirts, bags and scarves.

Who wouldn’t want to walk around Lollapalooza looking like Amy Winehouse?

For highlights from the Dell Summer Rocks tour, and special online features and downloads, visit the Dell Lounge.