I'M BACK!

Hooray! I'm back! My beloved MacBook Pro came back from the shop this weekend and when you use your computer as much as I do, the relief I feel in getting it back is akin to the joy you feel sinking into your own cozy bed after a long business trip rife with crappy motel stays. It's delicious. Welcome back Prince Humperdink the Third! I missed you dearly. Anyway, last week when my computer heaved a heavy sigh and quit on me I was in the midst of preparing a post on this incredible photographer you see above named Bernard Lang. He does a lot of very cool commercial work but my favorite part of his portfolio by far are these incredible aerial shots. How awesome are those beach umbrella photos?!! I must have one. Must!Check out all of Lang's very cool and colorful work on his website here.

STAND BY: TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

Guess what guys? I was putting together this awesome post for you this morning (about a cool aerial photographer I stumbled across recently) and my computer went all blue screen of death on me. Lame! Turns out it needs a new part or two and will be in the shop for the next several days. I will do my best to post from some other computers—I have access to one or two of those here and there, ha!—but if I don't make it back on here much in the next week or so you know why. No need to panic!On a happier note, how funny is this cartoon? Check it out (and many more like it) here.

OFF THE WALL: 'EYE OF THE TIGER' DESKTOP WALLPAPER

I've got a new, free desktop download for you guys today! As I grind away doing archival research this week, I thought it only right to whip up something that would inspire hard work and determination.

Thus, the latest installment of the 'Off the Wall' series: 'Eye of the Tiger'. I've included a detail of the wallpaper's design so you read the full thing, which says "you've got the eye of the tiger so thrill in the fight" (inspired, of course, by this bad ass song). Now go out there and take the world by storm!

download EYE OF THE TIGER



(Want more? Previous 'Off the Wall' free desktop downloads here.)

TOTALLY TECH

Happy Friday folks! What are you up to this weekend? Are you one of the lucky few who have Columbus Day off on Monday? (I do, but I am so swamped with school work, I am sure it won't feel like a holiday . . . )

You know what I will be daydreaming about while I plod away through my mountains of art history texts? The iPhone 5. Shocker, given my total lack of interest in Apple products (psych)! I am up for a contract renewal this week and I am trying to stave off my itchy "purchase finger" by distracting myself by daydreaming about other fun gadgets.

So, without further ado, here are my top picks for fun, practical, conversation-starting tech toys. Get the links after the jump!

COLOUR CLOCK

A couple weeks ago I discovered this amazing color clock screensaver designed by the incredibly creative and prolific Jack Hughes. I, like many design geeks, have long used FlipClock as a screensaver, but this beauty seamlessly scans through the entire color spectrum as the seconds tick away, creating a wonderfully (almost distractingly) pretty sight.

Download it yourself here.

(Found via the super cool brilliantly designed new-to-me blog Studio Sweet Studio)

APPLE LOVE

This weekend I did something big. I bought a new computer! My old computer—faithfully known as Prince Humperdink—was getting rather elderly at age 4.5. And since we all know how much I am obsessed with Apple products, I waited until they released a new round of MacBook Pros and I bought one! I can't believe how amazing it is: nearly 8 hour battery life, amazing graphics, super fast. Seriously, check it out here.

And have you heard about the release of the second generation iPad? If possible it seems even more revolutionary than the first one. It has a front and rear camera, is significantly thinner, and has a sweet magnetically connected screen cover. Awesome. Now if I could only justify purchasing an iPhone, a MacBook Pro and an iPad all in one year.

Watch the intro video and learn more here.

OBSESSIVE, ORGANIZED, BUT NOT OVERWHELMED!

I have been busy. What else is new right? I started a new part time job this week, which is very exciting though a bit stressful. I am now working 24 hours a week and taking four classes besides. Yikes!

So how I am keeping things together? I have found online document storage to be completely essential. So here are two (free!) options that making accessing your documents on the go super easy.

Put your files into your Dropbox folder on one computer and they'll automatically appear on any of your other computers that also have Dropbox installed (Windows, Mac, and Linux too!). You can even download Dropbox apps for your smartphone or mobile device (iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry). Everything in your Dropbox is available from the Dropbox website too. Even better? As soon as you save something in your Dropbox folder it syncs to every device that you have set up to your account. So you can access that spreadsheet on your phone, at work, at home . . . anywhere! Simply put, it's a great way to back up your files.

Accounts with 2GB of storage are free and, with each person you recommend you get an extra 250 MB of storage. There are, of course, monthly plans that offer more storage too. You can download Dropbox here.

Looking for something a little simpler and more design-y? Try CloudApp. While you can create public folders (allowing you to share documents with others) through Dropbox, CloudApp makes it as easy as dragging your document into the menubar and copying a link. Done. You can check out CloudApp (also free!) here.

Enjoy!

WORK IS ALL SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS

Two weeks ago swissmiss featured this amazing "rainbow office" (the DLA Piper Office) designed by Hofman Dujardin. Each office is a slightly different color—spanning the full color spectrum—to accord with the changing sunlight throughout the day. Genius!

Seeing this bright and beautiful office sent me on the hunt for similarly cheery set-ups. So far, the best match is the Cartoon Network headquarters in Atlanta. You can see more photos (including a greater than life size model of Rosie, the Jetson's maid) on the Flavorwire website here.

Maybe their employees use this rainbow keyboard skin? You can buy your own (so tempting, but I think it looks better against a white MacBook than my silver MacBook Pro) at the amazing Etsy store topdecal for $14.99.

Now all we need is a real rainbow at the end of this rainy day . . .

SCREENSAVER SAVVY

Just a quick post today as I am running out the door. I recently discovered a new screensaver that I wanted to share with you. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their magazine, Real Simple designed an analog clock screensaver (top) that features brightly colored numbers which are hidden and revealed as the seconds tick by. Certainly a pretty way to conserve computer energy! Download it for free here.

I also thought I would share my current screensaver with you: Fliqlo flip clock designed by 9031. I have used this elegant screensaver for over three years; I absolutely love it and am constantly getting compliments on it at school and work. You can also spot it in countless home tours on blogs and design magazines. It seems that every designer and artist has it on their computer! You can too if you download it (for free!) here.

Enjoy!