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Last weekend I went to a design show closing and an art show opening, all in the same night! The former was for a new Chicago-area alliance that supports independent designers (makers who can’t afford/don’t want to mass manufacture objects). The latter was at a gallery where the owner tries to feature artists that represent the opposite of the art world stereotype (the frou-frou and pretentious).

Each space fulfilled its specific archetype – the design show had mostly functional objects with a crowd decked in gingham, Vans shoes, and screenprinted tote bags, while the art show had drawings and sculpture with a tattooed crowd donning black tees and Docs Martens …and a man dressed as an astronaut. But they were similar in how some work occupied the fuzzy boundary between the art and design: objects that could be functional and conceptual, if the rules of reality were manipulated, contemplated, or ignored. It’s a line we toe in every industry. But there was another similarity, and it was not a good one.

Over the past few decades, yes decades, the controller has been our connection to the gameplay experience. With the boundless progression of technology, there has always been an analogous evolution in the way we play. This visual timeline takes us through the advancements in the way we manipulate our virtual worlds, from the very first console to the next generation of gaming platforms. Don’t get mad if you don’t see your favorite, just know that these were more important.

Microsoft took another step in its quest for living room domination today, launching HBO GO, MLB.TV, and Xfinity TV apps for gaming’s most popular console, the Xbox 360. Pair these latest additions with the 360’s existing slate of Verizon FiOS, Netflix, ESPN, Hulu, and video marketplace content and there’s a decent chance that you’ll never need to switch your plasma’s input again.

Twitter and pro sports have had a tumultuous love affair.  On one hand, leagues have benefitted from players and fans connecting directly.  On the other hand, Larry Johnson.

At one point in 2009, it looked like Twitter and professional sports would never get along.  Teams and media properties were heavily regulating content of tweets or banning it altogether.

Thankfully, we’re to a point now where enough people in decision-making positions understand how Twitter works.  Teams are able to give players social media training.  They have gone from blanket banning to friendly warning if a player gets a little liberal with their tweets.  The change has been great for fans as we can get news and insider views like no other generation of sports fan before us.

Tonight will hopefully be the next step in the evolution of how we view sports.

Is it possible that crowdsourcing has become even trendier since we last spoke?  In just the past six weeks, we’ve seen everyone from bands, non-profit organizations, premium liquors, and auto manufacturers turn to the crowds for assistance.  I’m scared to blink, for fear of missing the newest collaboration between a brand and their consumers.  But for all of the hype, there is a level of redundancy to nearly every project announced.  Despite the subtle twists, there is a common thread: a distinct focus on advertising.