Photographer RYAN McGINLEY has been keeping busy with beautiful, high-profile corporate work lately (see his visual tribute to the 2010 winter Olympics), and his photo essay and short film celebrating the new LEVIS x OPENING CEREMONY collab is a prime example. The legendary denim brand has laid dormant on the creative culture side of things for some time now, but under the leadership of new marketing director CHRISTIAN PARKES, Levis is now poised to reassert itself in a culture it has always been an organic part of in the coming years.

Portland-based advertising agency and Supertouch buddies WIEDEN+KENNEDY has quitely launched its own online alternative media outlet, W+K ENTERTAINMENT, and the first significant offerings include a short film series by AARON ROSE titled “D.I.Y. AMERICA“. Basically an extension of the previous Beautiful Losers film & traveling art show, the shorts further examine the fertile artistic culture of skateboarding and the influence its had on modern underground visual culture, with additional feature episodes on Os Gemeos and Swoon. Watch the entire series HERE…

Hot on the heels of the release of Buzz, its new social networking app, GOOGLE has announced its plans to build an experimental, ultra high speed broadband network that will ultimately lay waste to the current network as we know it:

“Imagine sitting in a rural health clinic, streaming three-dimensional medical imaging over the web, and discussing a unique condition with a specialist in New York. Or downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes. Or collaborating with classmates around the world while watching live 3D video of a university lecture. Universal, ultra high-speed Internet access will make all this, and more possible. We’ve urged the FCC to look at new, and creative ways to get there in its National Broadband Plan – and now we’re announcing an experiment of our own.

Google is planning to build, and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the country. We’ll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We’ll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000, and potentially up to 500,000 people.

As a first step, we’re putting out a Request for Information (RFI) to help identify interested communities. We welcome responses from local government, as well as members of the public.

Our goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better, and faster for everyone. Here are some specific things that we have in mind:

• Next generation apps: We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it’s creating new bandwidth-intensive “killer apps” and services, or other uses we can’t yet imagine.

•New deployment techniques: We’ll test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform and support deployments elsewhere, we’ll share key lessons learned with the world.

• Openness and choice: We’ll operate an “open access” network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we’ll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory, and transparent way.”
*Click HERE to apply to become a network test member….

Photographer/director RYAN McGINLEY has produced the most beautiful tribute to this year’s winter OLYMPICS yet with his new short film “The Lightness of Being an Olympian,” and photo essay, “The Highlifers” commissioned by the NY TIMES.

Globetrotting Supertouch buddies OS GEMEOS (aka Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo) touched down long enough in Milan, Italy, to debut their show of new work, “In The Arms of an Angel” at GALLERIA PATRICIA ARMOCIDA last week. Comprised of their usual array of stunning aerosol-painted canvases & objects, the show was a poignant example of their beautiful visionary dreamscapes at a time when the world needs dreaming most. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Supertouch buddies FRIENDS WITH YOU (aka: Sam Borkson and Tury Saondoval) have just launched a new website and with it some must-have new products like FWY iPhone cases, USB drives, art prints, T-shirts, and more. Remember, consumerism is patriotic…
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