As creative thinkers from around the globe flock to France’s sunny southern shores for the 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Razorfish, alongside Adobe and The Weather Channel, will be two-wheeling through the city in homage to the land of the Tour.

This comes less than six months after Razorfish’s #UseMeLeaveMe tweeting bicycles made their début at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

At that time, people navigated their way around Austin’s crowded streets using Razorfish’s GPS enabled bicycles which tweeted out their real-time locations using the #usemeleaveme hashtag. Each bike had its own name and cheeky personality; something which shone through with every tweet.

This time around, riders will be left to their own tweeting devices and no bicycle will attempt social media courtship on their behalf, however with multiple routes and pace options available (not to mention the accompanying mechanics and tour guides), this tour of Cannes should prove likewise unique.

Everyone is invited and if you are lucky enough to join the party, say hello to our very own Head of Strategy Ben Hourahine, who will be donning his Lycra to represent the Sydney office.

See below for specific riding dates and times and keep up to date by on Facebook (facebook.com/CannesCyclingClub) or follow the hashtag on twitter (#CannesCyclingClub).

I recently joined the team here as Social and Optimisation Director from the Razorfish London office. Given my job title, Facebook’s announcement this week of Graph Search is a subject that I couldn’t just ignore…

First things first. Hallelujah! For a long time, those of us who have wrestled with Facebook internal search have longed for the day when Mr Zuckerberg and friends would come up with something that didn’t leave users banging their heads off desks/bus stops/tablets in frustration.

Ever since Lars Rasmussen made the jump from Google I’ve been waiting expectantly for that day to arrive. And now it has. To much fanfare from Facebook itself (a new pillar at the core of Facebook’s offering no less) and a proclamation of the beginning of a new socially enabled digital dawn.

There’s been a lot of commentary on the announcement globally, as you’d expect. Wired ran the ‘Inside Story’ on how Graph Search came to be. Lots of back slapping and high fiving in that article. Which seems to sum up most reactions, at least from my (Google powered, shhh, don’t tell) searching.

The mood is pretty positive. Even if Facebook’s share price actually dropped in the immediate aftermath.

Inevitably, a few have chosen to go with the sensationalist headline of how Facebook is now set to slay the big G. My view? Fundamentally, both companies still approach the web from different standpoints.

Zuckerberg himself was quick to point out the differences during the announcement.

Google is still primarily about indexing information, and providing quick access to facts, stats, quotes and places to buy that new must have thingamy bob. While Facebook is still primarily a (giant) closed network where people can keep up to date with what’s going on in the world of their connections.

Yes, Google last year made its own first stab at connection driven results (anyone remember the big reveal of Search, Plus Your World?). And with Google+ it also threw itself, and a considerable chunk of change, into cracking the elusive social nut that other initiatives, such as Wave (Lars’ former foray that ended badly), had failed to do.

Facebook has obviously been keeping tabs on Google’s efforts. But let’s be honest. It’s really only been steady progress Google side, even with features like Hangouts, which didn’t just get me, but also President Obama excited. Zuckerberg won’t exactly have been rocking himself to sleep in fear.

Google’s core is still people finding stuff out quickly. And in all the furore, people seem to have forgotten about the Semantic Web – which is still a big deal for Google. Information connecting with other information to help us discover stuff that both we and even our friends don’t know about.

I italicised this last point as I believe this is the biggest difference. People find things initially through Google, and their favourite (non Facebook) sites, then share it through their networks with people.

There are two different elements, the discovery and the sharing (which can take the form of an endorsement or a recommendation). Google and Facebook, when you strip it back to their core offering, compliment each other ultimately, as they perform different roles.

That’s my two pence, sorry, cents worth in any case.

1. Ultra HD TVs

Ultra HD and 4K displays was the big buzz word this year. All the big TV manufacturers announced and revealed their Ultra HD TVs this year at the CES. Ultra HD TVs have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels which a 4 times the resolution of our current 1080p TVs.

Now all that has to happen is for all the content providers to up their game and start giving us content in that kind of resolution.

Above is Samsungs 85 inch 4K “floating” TV. It uses a metal frame that has inbuilt speakers and let you easily angle the TV to your liking. One thing for sure is that I won’t be able to afford it.

2. Nvidia Project Shield

The gaming handhelds are making a comeback. There are the Razer’s Edge Gaming Tablet and the Nvidia Project Shield.

Nvidia is known in the industry to supply some of the best graphic chips for PCs, Laptops, tablets and mobile phones and at CES this year they shows off a gaming handheld that is Android based and can mirror to your big displays while on the same network.

I think it is a nifty little device, but right now it is a niche product that hasn’t got a release date or a price attached to it. Check out some impressions in the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

3. Oculus Rift Virtual Headset

Remember VirtuaBoy from the 90s? Oculus Rift is the grown up version.

The headset will give the user a very compelling virtual reality experience. It will immerse the user into a wrap-around 3D world – you will feel like you are part of the game. Here are some impressions:

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. The Pebble

I pre-ordered my Pebble in September when it came out on Kickstarter and I was very happy about the fact that they will start sending it out to us at the end of this month.

Instead of packing in a ton of features, Pebble focuses on a few simple features. You can get quick notifications for texts, email, and calls along with custom watch faces and some music control. All that in a small form factor and with an e-paper display – what more can you want.
5. Panasonic 4K Tablet

It wouldn’t be a consumer show if there aren’t plenty of tablets to be shown.

Interestingly enough, last year was the CES of Android tablets and while there are still quite a few of them, this year was the year of Windows 8 tablets.

Vizio, Panasonic, Lenovo and Viewsonic announced and showed their Windows 8 tablets off at CES this year. Interestingly enough Panasonic showed off a 4K 20 inch Windows 8 tablet that includes a stylus to navigate the Operating System.

It is primarily targeted at Designers, Photographers and Architects.

6. Mobile Phones

Plenty of mobile phones were announced and showed off at CES this year again and most of them were 5 inch Full HD display, quad core processor ones, but 2 stood out for me.

Samsung flexible OLED phone prototype and the dual screen YotaPhone.

This is the first time we actually see a flexible display being used and how it could change the interactions we will have with our phone in the future. The bend sides of the screen showed scrolling messages that the user can interact with without having to look at the main screen, e.g. you don’t have to take it out of its cover. this is still a prototype and Samsung was very tight lipped about it coming to a phone near you, but I am sure it will be implemented soon into upcoming handsets.

The Yota phone took a very interesting approach with its Dual screen smartphone. It placed a display on either side of the body and while one side is a 720p 4.3 inch display, the other side is an always on e-ink unit that can be found in e-readers like the kindle.

The advantage here is that the e-ink display can be read in any lighting conditions and it can be used for specific applications. So you can see your notifications without having to turn on your display. There will be a SDK so you can expect more apps to support it in the future.

It is definitely an interesting approach.

7. Activity trackers

Remember the ill-faded Jawbone or the Nike FuelBand? Both of them are personal fitness trackers that monitor your every sporting move and give you results.

Obviously they aren’t the only ones and and Fitbit announced its new Flex wristband.

It syncs wirelessly with your iPhone (and soon with your Android) giving you real time access to your data. It is water resistant and it includes the ability to track sleep quality, set alarms, and integrate with a wide variety of fitness devices on the market through the company’s apps, services, and online dashboard.

And of course it comes in different colours.

8. Self Driving cars

Yes you have read correctly, Audi showed off its self driving A7.

Audi’s car is not the type that drives your wherever you want right now.  It works like this: you walk out of the mall, you want your car. You open an app on your smartphone, press a button, and the car drives out to you. Short distances, right now pre-determined and guided by Laser scanners, but it is still pretty cool, check out the video below from the Verge.

Click here to view the embedded video.

9. Samsung Series 7 Ultra

Just because I am in the market for a new ultrabook and I had my heart set on an Asus Zenbook, Samsung came along and showed off its new Series 7 Ultra.

With a Core I7 CPU, Full HD display, up to 16Gb of RAM and a 256GB SSD drive in, just tell me how much and when I can purchase it, tell me, tell me now.

I don’t know what else to say, but Samsung just changed my mind away from Asus.

10. Scary Robot Spider

Doesn’t the title say it all?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Let me know which products you liked best from the CES this year in the comments.

@maniac13

All the blogs are talking about the Sonys and Samsungs, Microsoft and HTCs, but there are thousands of other companies that hardly ever get a mention.

One of those companies that I came across is Hapilabs and their innovative product called HAPIfork. It was entered into the CES Innovations Awards that you can check out here and that have quite a few nice products in it.

The HAPIfork is an electronic fork that monitors your eating habits. It alerts you with the help of indicator lights and gentle vibrations when you are eating too fast.

You get your own Online Dashboard, you can download and install a mobile app to monitor and visualize your health and fitness progress and much more.

We have been talking about the internet of things and this is exactly what we are talking about, everyday objects are becoming interactive and are connected to each other.

I think it is a pretty nifty innovation and I am looking forward to things to come.

@maniac13

The device uses an Arduino controller for the sound recording and crunching. The recording software will create a remix that will playback every time the bottle is uncorked. Each time it’s recorked, the Sound Bottle resets and a new remix can be created. If you want to pause the remix, give the bottle a shake.

Here is his synopsis of his work:

This is a music medium that can reproduce a recorded voice as music. It makes a database of sound sources that is managed and used as formal and automatic repetitions, and forms a music medium of the day. I felt something missing in the habitual use of music reproduction media, so I thought to create an interactive music medium that changes. By using everyday voices as sources of music, the sounds that are heard all the time every day carry infinite possibilities and help us reaffirm the enjoyment of music. I hope people can experience their own music.

You can see the Sound Bottle in action in the video below. It is a pretty nifty little project if you ask me. I especially like that you have to uncork the bottle to play back the created music.

Click here to view the embedded video.

@maniac13

People are printing all kinds of objects at the moment, skin, organs, prostetics, parts for engines etc. etc., but I found the best 3D printed object – a 3D printed transforming robot

A company called Brave Robotics created this remote-controlled car that can transform into a walking robot, and features a Wi-Fi camera, headlights, and the ability to shoot little darts from its arms.

You can check it out below in the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The company has done quite a few things in the past and to get to this final product they also have a nice history video for you

Click here to view the embedded video.

@maniac13

“I don’t know about you but my friends are really weird,” said 22-year-old Spiegel in a Forbes Blog article. Yet all of their quirks have been lost in the rarefied air of social media, replaced by self-conscious, superhuman wits who trade in “envy me” scenes—sunsets and vacations, impossibly fun parties and gourmet dinners.

According to Spiegel, his image sharing app SnapChat celebrates the fun in spontaneity and is an attempt to replicate the unpredictability of human interactions.

Launched in 2011, SnapChat works on the premise of fleeting moments. Users share images to their friends who have 1-10 seconds to view the image before it disappears forever.

Images can be captured through screenshots, but this is automatically relayed to the original sender which Spiegel said sets transparent expectations around conversation.

“A little friction is powerful,” he told Forbes.

A simple yet effective concept as demonstrated by the massive 20 million snaps per day the app reportedly receives.

This simplicity is continued through to the app’s functionality and design.

Users send a photo in three taps and can opt to add in captions and doodles, while the receiver keeps a finger on the photo to view it before it disappears into the abyss.

There’s a newsfeed of sorts, coloured in pastels and featuring the app’s mascot “Ghostface Chillah” but that’s about it.

Perhaps it’s the simplicity or the alternative to messaging which attracts the masses, mostly teenagers or youth between 13-24.

It could also be the sexting opportunities SnapChat provides. Something apparently avoided by the need to keep a finger pressed on the image before it disappears.

Either way, with its latest Android instalment, SnapChat’s popularity isn’t waning and while it doesn’t yet generate revenue, it’s a possibility to doesn’t seem too far off.

By Kristie Beattie

@KristieBeattie

I’m Chloe Hayman and was lucky to experience the advertising world for my school, Reddam House’s compulsory year 10 work experience. I was allowed to spend a day at Amnesia Razorfish to experience and learn about the different departments and given insight into different clients and their campaigns. Although, like most teenagers I don’t have a clear idea as to what career path I want to take, the opportunity to see advertising, especially the creative side has certainly opened my eyes and my options.

What’s your favourite ad and why?

It’s surprising to me that I actually have any favourite ads, but when thinking of it, any ad that is fun, colourful and evokes a sense of happiness will appeal to me. Especially when it portrays a place or experience that I want. Although alcohol is an intended taboo subject or drink at my age, clever Corona targets my young, impressionable and future customer nature with their ads “From Where You’d Rather Be”. The great song (that I am now obsessed with), golden sunset light and the ideal getaway with friends by the beach really taps into an experience I would want. I have to say, I do love the interactive Tippex ads: “A Hunter Shoots a Bear” on Youtube, I thought that was such a creative, innovative and fun ad for a product so small as whiteout. Any Cadbury ad is also great, being fun, colourful, crazy and quirky.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What’s your favourite mobile app and why?

Although I don’t own an iPhone, my favourite app would have to be Shazam. It certainly targeted a 1^st world problem that I and I’m sure many others had, of loving a song but not knowing the name or artist. The simple, neat and clever app is super useful and easy, works and solves a simple (but serious!) problem.

What’s you favourite viral video and why?

If I were to rewind back to primary school, “Charlie bit my Finger” and “Charlie the Unicorn” were all the rage. As silly as those seem now, I suppose, the first one that comes to mind now isn’t all too different.

The current and pretty clichéd answer: the music video, Psy’s Gangnam Style would probably be one of my favourites. I thought it was pretty stupid and lame when my younger brother showed me, but when the trademark dance and lyrics became popular at my school a few days later I realised how powerful viral videos and YouTube can be. I think the weird, immature, catchy and fun dance moves along with the Korean lyrics make the viral video entertaining, unique and funny/annoying when brought into EVERY context.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What’s your favourite website?

Besides intrinsically visiting Facebook every time I turn on my computer, most websites I visit are fashion/clothing related. They are great to see the latest trends, different styles across brands (and how similar some are) and are easier and less tiring versions of window-shopping in stores. Amongst my favourites would have to be Topshop, Market Hq and Asos. They have a great variety of clothing items/types, brands, prices and overall fairly easy to use and view clothes, especially coming in handy when faced with the enormous and exhausting task (more like another 1^st world problem) of finding a dress for my year 10 formal!

What’s your favourite brand?

I don’t think I really have a favourite brand, there are so many that I love and that appeal to me. Fashion brands are probably at the top of my list, like Topshop, most brands in Glue stores or T-bar. Cadbury, Coca-Cola and Dove are also amongst my favourites, not only for their products but their advertisements and brand image.

What has been your favourite department?

I’ve only been at Amnesia for a day, but have been given an amazing insight into the more creative side of advertising, along with social media, copyrighting and the emerging new technologies in the industry. I found the whole day, and aspect of advertising really fascinating, especially when it related to me. I would have to say my favourite was the creative department. I loved getting an insight into how websites are created, what the problems were and the immense detail and research needed to design a website that users, including myself, don’t realise affects sales so much, was so interesting to me, especially as I could relate.

Describe amnesia in 3 words…

Fun
Friendly
Relaxed

I had a good 8 month with it now from the Consumer Preview to the Release Candidate all the way to the final product and in general I like it. But let’s take it from the start.

Installation

Installing Windows 8 was a very painless process, especially when you are used to installing previous versions of Windows. Simply select the drive you want to install in on and it will do the rest.

I installed it on my 6 year old laptop, that recently got upgraded with a bit more RAM and an SSD drive and it is as fast as you can expect it to be.

Metro

Is it still called Metro? I got a bit confused with all the backwards and forwards. No it’s not. Call it Windows 8!

To get to the point – I don’t like the Windows 8 Start screen on my non touchscreen Laptop at all. When you have a lot of software installed on your laptop, there is a lot of scrolling left and right involved. I found myself reverting back to typing, which actually works really well. On the Windows 8 Start screen just start typing on your keyboard and all programs installed that fit the criteria will be sorted in real time.

I found that I spend a lot of time on the Desktop and I pinned all my frequent apps to the taskbar there, so I don’t have to go back to the Windows 8 Start screen.

One thing that I found really annoying are the Live tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen. At the office I still use messenger a lot to communicate with people that sit on the other side of the office. The Windows 8 messenger app comes with Windows now and is a native app that has its live tile and when you receive a new message you can see a little popup in the top right corner of your screen for a second. Now if you would have missed that and you are like me, spending most of your time on the Desktop, you won’t even know that you got a new message as there is no indication. Remember the old messenger app turning orange in the taskbar? So i ended up installing the old version of messenger.

Speed

I am sure it helps that I run everything of my SSD drive, but it seems that Microsoft really optimized everything regarding speed and I am liking it.

Windows Explorer is much nicer when you are copying lots of files all the time as you get a lot more information, you can pause and restart copy processes and if you run multiple at a time they nicely line up. The task manager is better structured and more intuitive and I personally like that Aero didn’t make the cut.

The Start Menu

By now you are probably aware that Microsoft retired the Start button in Windows 8 and personally I think it was a mistake for business use. I was ready to switch back to Windows 7 until i discovered a little app called Classic Shell (here). You might have noticed that I have a start button in my screen shots and that is Classic Shell.

It basically behaves like your current start button, but is highly customizable. Since I installed it, I haven’t looked back. It also disables the Windows 8 Start screen on startup, but you can turn that off if you want.

You get all the new features of Windows 8 with the feel of Windows 7.

Conclusion

All up I am enjoying Windows 8 now that i found a way to get my start button back (and I am not the only one, Samsung included their own in some of their Win8 laptops) and I was able to turn off the Windows 8 Start screen.

Now I am not saying the Windows 8 Start screen is wrong, I am saying that it works on touch devices, but not on Desktops that you would use for business. I had a chance to try it out on Microsofts new Surface tablet and it works well there as it is easy to swipe and “pin” programs to a quarter of the screen etc.

If you have had your own experience, please let me know in the comments what you think of it.

@maniac13

It’s been a busy week for us here, starting on Monday with the launch of Australia Post’s new Pass the Parcel promotion on Facebook.

Australia Post approached us with the idea of using social to reinvent the classic kids’ party game Pass the Parcel – one of the first really “social” games most of us played as children – while keeping the concept simple and accessible.

We put together a Facebook app that put you in a “circle” with other contestants – don’t be surprised if some of them are your friends. We sat you guys together.

When the parcel gets to you, just click on it and see if you’ve won a prize. There’s a lot to be won and you can come back and try again every day.

The response so far has been amazing. Since launching on Monday morning, we’ve had more than 50,000 unique users and more than 30,000 new likes for Australia Post.

Head over to Australia Post’s Facebook page to have a go.