Issue 142

February 2010

Steve Nash's Rules For Winning

Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash shines brightest during on-court chaos, and he's got a plan to do the same in business.
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Features

Switch: Don't Solve Problems--Copy Success

An exclusive book excerpt by Fast Company columnists Chip Heath and Dan Heath, best-selling authors of Made to Stick.
How Santiago Calatrava's Buildings Marry Engineering With Biology

Santiago Calatrava's buildings marry engineering with biology. And they may just be beautiful enough to make Americans care about infrastructure.
The Germans Are Coming: Volkswagen's Drive to Succeed in America

Volkswagen wants to be the world's No. 1 carmaker, but first the company has to win over America.
The History of Volkswagen
Willkommen to Chattanooga
Remembering Never to Forget
Bionic Legs, i-Limbs, and Other Super Human Prostheses You'll Envy

Save your tears for Tiny Tim. A boom in sophisticated prostheses has created a most unlikely by-product: envy.
Cisco's Big Bet on New Songdo: Creating Cities From Scratch

The world is bracing for an influx of billions of new urbanites in the coming decades, and tech companies are rushing to build new green cities to house them. Are these companies creating a smarter metropolis -- or just making money?

Now

Fast Company Recommended Events February 2010

Conferences and events you don't want to miss this month.
The Brief But Impactful History of YouTube

In five years, YouTube has completely reshaped the Internet, media, and political landscapes. On its birthday, here's a look back at its short but influential life.
Scorsese and DiCaprio's Movie Gold

Shutter Island, slated to open today, will be director Martin Scorsese's fourth film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Their earlier collaborations' success have set a high, perhaps unmeetable bar.

How Anil Dash Applies the Lessons of Web 2.0 to Government

The Expert Labs director is this month's "Who's Next."
What's Next: Big, Bold Bling
What's Next: Fair-Trade Textiles
Where's Next: Universal Studios' New Theme Parks
Lucite Accessories, Harry Potter Theme Park, Fair-Trade Textiles to Be Big in Spring
Will Walmart's "Sustainability Index" Actually Work?

The biggest retailer and its suppliers confront how to rate the sustainability of all consumer goods.
Green Giants: Early Progress From Four Walmart Sustainability Consortium Members
Foundations' Four Biggest Faux Pas
Senegal's Plan to Fight Climate Change: A "Great Green Wall"

What the developing world needs to fight climate change is good governance.
How Cell Phone-Powered Labs Could Transform Medical Diagnostics in Africa

A social enterprise's invention could transform medical diagnostics in the developing world.
An In-Depth Look at the Hospital of the Future

The hospital of the future is designed not just to heal the sick but also to help sustain the environment.
Why App Stores Are Not the Business Model for the 21st Century

Apple's App Store has been a runaway success, but Farhad Manjoo warns its growing rank of copycats that it's not the business model for the 21st century.
At Last, a Flight Check-In System That Doesn't Suck
Hanesbrands' Super Suit: More Perks, Less Puff Than a Puffy Coat
An Exclusive Peek Inside Citi's Banks of the Future

Inside the financial giant's lab, where it's engineering the bank of the future -- to be more like a convenience store

Fast Talk

Philips Taps the Creative Community

This month's Fast Talk showcases a selection of experts as they discuss the technology of OLEDs.
How GE Creates Sheets of OLED Light
Samsung Leads LEDs to Consumer Electronics
Making OLEDs and LEDs Interactive
Inside the Interactive and LED-Inflused Coffee Table

Wanted

Object of Desire: An Urn That Displays the Age of the World

This is the stuff of life. We mean that literally: These urns by Paris designer Mathieu Lehanneur capture demographic data in enameled ceramic, with 99-year-olds at the top and newborns at the bottom.
Six Cutting-Edge Totes We'd Be Proud to Carry to Work

Don't shoot the messenger! That look may be a tad passé, but here are six new bags we'd be proud to carry to work.
Pogoplug: A Better Way to Connect Your Hard Drive to the Internet Cloud

Finally, it's easy to connect your hard drive to the Internet cloud and do something fun, sexy, and extremely useful with it.
The Design Evolution of inPulse's "Blackberry Watch"
1. In mid-2008, Eric Migicovsky, then 22 and the one-time owner of a calculator watch ("It's a very cool '80s thing," he says), wanted to be able to check email while riding his bike without killing himself.
Tag, You’re It: 17 Museum Admissions Buttons From Around the World

Part ticket, part souvenir, the admission button has become a design object and a de rigueur part of the museum experience.
SolidAlliance's "Crazy Earphone" Looks Just as Ridiculous as It Sounds

Crazy Earphone

From the Editor

Why We Redesigned Our Magazine

"Does this outfit still work?" That's a question I ask my wife way too often, after I pull out an older garment from my closet or drawer. Bell-bottom pants. Skinny ties. Pleated anything. Clothing goes in and out of style, rising in popularity, falling away, reemerging. If you're not careful, you can end up embarrassing yourself.

Update: Michelle Rhee vs. the D.C. Teachers' Union

An update on Michelle Rhee and her struggle against teacher's unions.
Fast Facts: February 2010

Bite-sized info from this month.

Reader Feedback: November 2009

Your comments, letters and, yes, gripes about the November 2009 issue.

Issue 142

February 2010

Steve Nash's Rules For Winning

Features

Now

Next

Fast Talk

Wanted

From the Editor