Aiport Extreme Compatibility 8:30 AM

Last night I bought the previous model Airport Extreme (802.11g) off craigslist. I thought it would be a great way to create a small home office network using an external usb hard drive. Come to find out, it doesn't support usb external hard drives, only ethernet.

I found some usb-to-ethernet converters online, but I was wondering if someone could tell me if this will work or not. Anyone have any experiences with this or similar?

Thanks, all.

Ryan

Plug & Drive 4:09 PM

There's a few necessary evils in this world that seem to take a little piece of me every time I come across them...Taxes, insurance, and car repairs.

My dad and I have been talking a lot about our automobiles the last few months. Not by any desire of our own. It's not great dinner conversation. We've actually been forced to share our battle stories of the cost of new alternators, transmissions and batteries. It's always frustrated me that there is the maintenance aspect to a car that never really offers any improvement to your everyday usage. New brake pads don't look pretty. And a new alternator doesn't necessarily give me a noticeable improvement to driving performance. It's just upkeep..maintaining the existing level of function. Yuck.

I've actually been wondering why the automotive industry product model has gone virtually unchanged since it's inception. Sure now we have onboard computers, airbags, etc. But the basic functionality of the car's internal combustion motor hasn't changed a whole lot. And it's always frustrated me that it seems to be the only technology that hasn't advanced much. I'm sure there's an automotive CEO out there that can offer up a 'good' reason for that.

Then I got to thinking about other industry approaches to advancement. The electronics industry has done an incredible job of making their products more approachable and usable for the everyday man. Even going so far as to be able to make changes to a rather technical computer as easy as pulling out a drive or plug and replacing it with a different one.

I wished for the auto industry to think the same way...Create a 'plug & play' approach where the various workings of the car could be compartmentalized into separate pods that coule be replaced by any consumer who can unlatch it and go get another one at Wal-Mart. I've wished for the car to become more of a consumable good instead of a long-standing, depreciating 'investment' purchase.

It always seemed like there was a better option, but couldn't figure out how to break through the intricate interdependancy of the combustion engine. That's as far as I was able to go.

But, Nissan's gone a bit further. Welcome, Nissan Leaf, the zero-emissions, 100% electric car.

I was never able to figure out how to do it because my thought process was limited to the existing engine format. I had never thought of going to electric. Sure, it's not quite 'plug & play', but they've gotten to the next step of eliminating oil and transmission fluid. Which begins to compartmentalize a bit more.

Previous electric cars haven't had the staying power to fully integrate into our lifestyles. But it seems like Nissan is going about it the right way, building partnerships to ensure a good number of charging stations, ensuring longevity in the market, etc. And, cost of operation: $3 per 100 miles! Can't beat that. The money I would save per year in gas and repair would easily make up for a higher payment. They're saying they are shooting for the average family sedan pricepoint.

All that to say, I'm keeping my eye on this one. I'd love to see the face of the automotive industry change. We all know it can't continue to exist in it's current state...

Hiatus 11:18 AM

I figured since I hadn't posted anything in about 3 months, I'd go ahead and make a quick announcement.

Work has been great for UD+M in 2010, and honestly, I've just run out of time to update the blog regularly. I'm actually in the process of creating some solutions for this problem, but unfortunately, paying clients come first.

There's a lot of exciting things in the works:

There should be some updates to the UD+M portfolio soon. Keep your eyes open!

STREETLIGHT is officially launched. If you haven't seen our non-profit-focused brand yet, check it out.

UBERCLOTHING is STILL in the works. We've decided to slow down on that front to ensure that we develop a quality product. Testing the site with our collection of incredible designers should be happening very soon, and you'll probably be seeing a new homepage for the site in the near future.

UD+M has also launched Ginkgo, a consumer-focused branding studio. Offerings include brand consultation as well as design services for corporate identity, retail packaging, environmental design, collateral materials, point-of-purchase, and traditional advertising. Ginkgo's work has already been featured on TheDieLine.com.

So, until we meet again, I hope all is well.

Cheers,

Ryan

The Core Elements of a successful non-profit organization 3:39 PM

Yes, another posting hiatus. But, there's good reason! UD+M has been hard at work developing a new branch of the company called STREETLIGHT. 

After an influx of pro bono requests from non-profits, it became clear that there was a need for affordable design services for an industry that has long relied on low-quality donated services or even doing the design themselves. Ultimately, what we've ended up with is a long list of worthy causes that, from a marketing perspective, look awful.

So, STREETLIGHT was born.

STREETLIGHT strives to offer affordable, high-quality branding materials to non-profit organizations through a couple different options depending on the budget of the organization. It's all spelled out on the site, so there's no need to go into too much depth on those.

The main reason UD+M decided to pursue this industry is because the world that these organizations impact is our world as well. And there's potential to aid in this impact through quality branding materials.

You may be wondering why the emphasis on quality branding for a non-profit organization. Does it really make that big of a difference? In my opinion, a wholehearted yes. 

I think that there are 3 main facets that determine the success of a non-profit organization, all of which are directly tied to its branding:

Accessibility 

Your goal must appear reachable. In order to get people passionate about a cause, they have to feel as though their contribution (whether that be service-oriented or financial) can make an impact.

Parallel Connectivity

There has to be a common ground between those serving and those in need. For (hypothetical) example, the cost of 1 latte a week is the same as the mosquito netting that will save a family from the threat of malaria. The value has now been put into terms that every iPhone-toting college kid in the US. Which adds to the overall potential impact as well. Presenting this way may initiate a stronger large-donor base as well.

Organizations like Mocha Club and OneDaysWages have become very successful using parallel connectivity.

Strong Visual Message

Like it or not, my generation (25-35) and the one following us (19-24) make a lot of assumptions based on the overall look of a product or service. This goes for causes, too. Look at Blood:Water Mission, charitywater, and TOMS. Incredible design aesthetic and incredibly successful in penetrating the markets mentioned above. They're taken seriously because they look serious. 

Even in a struggling economy Target and Apple continue to advertise. There's no compromise when it comes to quality either. It should be the same for non-profit organizations.

You need to figure out what is your 'thing'. What's your voice? What sets you apart from all the other causes? Why should people give to you? Ultimately, it's not about you competing with other causes, but you're passionate about something in particular and want to make an impact.

Breaking the silence 11:11 AM

Another lapse in posts have taken over the UD+M blog. But, at least there's something to show for it. 

Laziness is not the cause, but busyness. UD+M has been hard at work with new projects and new clients, and a little work for ourselves as well.

First off, our recent work for ReadyHang.com has garnered an incredible amount of attention in the design world. After launching the new site, ReadyHang was featured on numerous online design galleries including (but not limited to!) thebestdesigns.com, cssdrive.com, cssbuilt.com, and designfridge.co.uk from across the pond. We've even been approached about including the design in an upcoming book on quality web design! It's been a bit of a mindblower, but it is definitely exciting to see our work recognized by the masses.

If you haven't had a chance to see the site yet, check it out, as well as UD+M's other work with ReadyHang on our site.

Which segue-ways me nicely into my next bit of news. After our recent redesign, we also picked up a few mentions on some of the sites listed above. Yes, the site was just redesigned this past spring, but it was clear that UD+M needed something more streamlined and interesting. This one should stay around for a while.

UD+M has also been working hard to develop two additional brands: 

UBERCLOTHING.com–A premium online shopping experience that offers the best online collection of clothing selected from the highest quality fashion designers. For more information, visit uberclothing.com.

SOAPBOX–A branding studio offering a voice to non-profit organizations and ministries through affordable and quality branding materials. (Site currently in development)

Both are currently in the development phase with hopes of beginning beta testing on uberclothing.com this fall, and launching SOAPBOX within the next few weeks.

UD+M is incredibly excited about the potential of both of these new brands and the continued growth of UD+M. If you are looking for branding + marketing solutions for your business, visit the site or send us an e-mail at hello@uberdm.com.