Introducing Guest Blogger Dev Patnaik: Innovation Meets Empathy

If you should need any evidence that Dev Patnaik, the CEO and founder of Jump Associates, is marching to the beat of a different drummer, consider this: He teaches a popular Stanford University course called Needfinding.READ»

Does Your Company Support Consumer Experience Innovation?

Companies want to create value by delivering better consumer experiences, but many are not quite sure how to get there. The results have ranged from a proliferation of Apple-like Genius Bars to projects that simply never make it to market. This week, Steve McCallion explores some of the challenges companies face when trying to deliver consumer experience innovation. READ»

Big Brands, Lil' Apps

Today's mission: to see how a few of my favorite big brands are using iPhone apps. As you might expect, I found a ton of great branded apps, both free and paid. My three top picks are below and share a common theme--they make life a ...READ»

Big Awards for the Year's Best Industrial Design

The International Design Excellence Awards were announced yesterday, and represent the 150 best designs among over 1600 entries.READ»

Plans For Microsoft Retail Stores Leak Online

A highly detailed proposal for Microsoft's stores leaked online late Friday afternoon, and if it's real, Redmond's first foray into retail appears to be following the usual Microsoft formula: Roll up the best ideas of others and ...READ»

Glasses that Give You Eyes in the Back of Your Head

Using technology borrowed from lighthouses, a student designs glasses that could aid both competitive athletes and urban bike riders.READ»

Introducing Guest Blogger Brett Lovelady: Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

It may shock you to hear that I know very little about video gaming. OK, that's actually an overstatement. I know nothing about video gaming. That's not to say I don't have deep admiration, nay, awe for folks who not only understand ...READ»

• Simplicity + Technology = Sweet Success

Boomtown: The Real Money Behind Virtual Goods

Virtual goods, such as avatars and Facebook gifts, are attracting major brands, celebrities, and venture capital. The money is real.READ»

The Brand Man

Trevor Edwards, 46 VP, global brand and category management, Nike His Nike+ service for the iPod Nano, now built into the iPod Touch, proved that consumers had an appetite for apps customized to their lives. Nike+ has ...READ»

• Mobile App Mania
• The Storekeeper
• The Developer
• The Superfan
• The Ad Guy
• The Entrepreneur
• The Top Mobile Apps
• 25 Must-Have iPhone Apps
• 20 Must-Have Apps for Your Smartphone That Isn't an iPhone

De La Soul Partners with Apple and Nike to Release First Album in Five Years

You may have forgotten about Apple's tiny, wireless iPod-linked in-shoe pedometer, the Nike+, but the runners who've chalked up 100 million miles haven't. And neither has Nike--it just partnered with De La Soul to release a new ...READ»