GeekSugar

Geeky Girl We Love: Jean Aw of Notcot

GeekSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:01:13 -0700

Last month we featured some of the cutest geeky couples and bachelors in the blogoshere, which left many of you wondering - what about the women? Fear not my fine friends, we were just saving the best for last. March is Women's History Month so I figured there was no better way to celebrate than to highlight some of the smartest, most creative and successful women on the internet.

Jean Aw is the co-founder of Notcot and Notcot.org, a network of informative and collaborative websites that doubles as a design consultancy. It's tagged as a "visual filtration of ideas+aesthetics+amusement," which translates to a beautiful mix of all the things Jean and the community love. At 24, the designer, trendspotter and entrepreneur has already made a mark in the blog world and seems to be leading the pack with an innovative, creative site that celebrates design, imagery and curation. I dare you not to fall in love with it - or her for that matter. For the full interview read more

Geeksugar: Tell us a bit about yourself.
Jean: I'm a 24-year-old design addict + UX Designer + shopaholic + tech connoisseur + design writer + world traveler + internet junkie. Born and raised in Los Angeles, it remains my homebase... even when I wander off to Milan for over a year, I always touch down here between moves. NOTCOT.com launched in 2005, when I returned from my adventures in Italy (working on my Masters degree), landed in San Diego jet lagged, and driving my friend crazy... his solution? Make me learn CSS - through playing with movable type - and when I had no content, I simply posted things I found myself IM-ing to friends anyhow. It became great as my own design resource, but then others started reading it, and it's taken on a life of its own and is still growing and evolving.

Geeksugar: It seems like everyone is talking about your site these days - can you tell us a little back story about how you got it started?
Jean: The first major evolution in 2006 was the launch of NOTCOT.org, a community-based bulletin board of sorts for the visually oriented (but aren't we all really?). It reads like the picturebook to others blog rolls, delicious, digg, etc. Second priority to making imagery the main focus, was to make it ridiculously intuitive and easy to post, such that the non-bloggers among us finding great content wouldn't have an excuse not to. All you need is a great image, a link, and a quick caption. Built from scratch, we are constantly adding new features, trying new things, and its been a thrill to see the design inspiration people are finding... Our latest endeavor has been Tastespotting.com which is NOTCOT.org - for food, because designers need to eat too! (But prepare to drool, those food bloggers are serious - and have you seen how amazing some kitchen gadgets are?)

Geeksugar: Notcot is unique because you are able to showcase other sites, but maintain a clean style. How do you describe your style and goals for the site in terms of design?
Jean: Clean and Simple. I like to let the images speak for themselves. We've taken this approach on every aspect of the sites, from visual design to the user experience in submitting new pictures on NOTCOT.org and Tastespotting. On NOTCOT.com the design approach is more like a roman scroll with one main section, which we've complemented with hand-drawn doodle-styled tags hanging from strings (as various birds fly by or land on them) to help break the 90 degree angles so common on the web. These tags have served as a unique way to showcase art and ads in a more unique fashion.

Geeksugar: How many hours are you online everyday?
Jean: I can't even imagine... if we count by the amount I sleep, and go out each day... wait does accessing the internet on my Blackberry Pearl count? If so, I'd have to guess I'm up there with those men... I don't consider myself a full time blogger, but the time not spent on the sites probably goes to real world researching for the sites and managing the business sides of things (with quite a bit of UX consulting work mixed in).

Geeksugar: Your first computer was a ...
Jean: Apple IIgs - my little sister and I used to play Carmen San Diego and mini golf on it and also used to print many a "masterpiece" from Paintshop on the painfully loud and slow dot matrix printer.

Geeksugar: What are you most proud of ?
Jean: The international community of aesthetically driven creative that has formed around the sites... I used to HATE creative blocks, and I haven't really had one since I launched NOTCOT.org. At any given moment someone finds something new and inspiring, or even just clicking to a random page, there is always SOMETHING to catch your eye, distract you, send you back to wanting to make something. I've come to see NOTCOT.org as our collective space to fight creative blocks everywhere!

Geeksugar: What is your favorite thing about your job? What is your favorite post from the site?
Jean: My favorite thing about NOTCOT is that everything I love doing I can now call work. Travelling, shopping, finding great designers and artists to obsess over... As for favorite posts, my current favorite post is the Miss Van opening I just went to last night, she's been a long time favorite of mine since her street art days, so it was absolutely incredible to see them in person and selling out lightning fast. To be fair, all the posts are my favorites, since I take an inspiration based angle, unless I LOVE it, it doesn't end up on NOTCOT.com... and as for community based NOTCOT.org and Tastespotting.com there is something incredible about watching all of the incredible finds people come up with, makes it hard not to love all the posts.

Geeksugar: How many blogs are in your RSS reader?
Jean: I'm a Firefox tabs kinda girl - "open all in tabs" is my best friend. The designer in me loves context, so I often feel the need to read posts in their natural form on their sites! So, 0!

Geeksugar: Who do you think are the top 5 sexiest male geeks in the world?
Jean:These are such hard questions! So after some brain racking here are some random guys i came up with...

James Bond (fictional is ok right?) ~ no one has ever had hotter cars or gadgets
Tyler Brule - as founder of Wallpaper and now Monocle, I can't imagine he doesn't have quite the geek stash of designer gadgets
Ze Frank - anyone who vlogs that frequently MUST have quite the slew of gadgetry
Jeph Jacques - the brilliant man behind Questionable Content. from the comic, I assume has at least has a roomba and ipod... if not some crazy anthroPC's bent on world domination
Jonathan Harris - genius behind We Feel Fine, Yahoo Time Capsule and justcurio.us. He has a brilliant ability to blend art and the dynamic nature of the web beautifully

Geeksugar: Who do you think are the top 5 sexiest female geeks in the world?
Jean: That's oddly difficult - tapped some geek boys minds to help me out on this one, and we ended up having more fun with the sexy movie girlie geeks...

Angelina Jolie in Hackers, Mr and Mrs. Smith, Tomb Raider, and Gone in 60 Seconds
Nikita from La Femme Nikita
Charlize Theron in the Italian Job - That digi safe cracking is pretty hardcore.

Geeksugar: Is there one particular blogger you really look up to?
Jean: Regina from We Make Money Not Art. Her blog back in 2004 got me through my i-Design grad program in Milan. Her daily doses of tech meets art inspiration were that extra boost I needed to keep on top on the most innovative and playful projects internationally, and perhaps she's even part of how I ended up starting NOTCOT as a source of design inspiration...

Tech News Roundup - The Big Camera Bag Question

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:00:05 -0700

Jean Aw from Notcot wants to know: What camera bag do you use for your dSLR? - Notcot
If only JetBlue would do the same. Shenzhen Airlines announces in-flight cellphone, internet service - Engadget
New Bose SoundDock is bigger and rocks harder than the last. Now we all want one. - Gizmodo
No one wants to put their light laptop in a heavy case. Wrappers brings you super light Laptop sleeves - Shiny Shiny
The ladies love lavender. Archos 405 gets purple like Barney - Crave
Another geeky celeb to crush on. Singer Emily King Loves Her MySpace, Macs and 'Tetris' - Switched

Geeks We Love: Peter Ha of CrunchGear

GeekSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:00:15 -0800

In my daily online tech travels, there are always sites that I visit not once, not twice but multiple times a day. One of the sites in this daily line-up includes CrunchGear, a chic tech blog filled with gadgets, geek gear and up-to-the minute news stories. I particularly enjoy reading posts by freelance writer Peter Ha, who dishes about everything from his wild Seoul trip adventures to his first experience on a Virgin America flight. Peter incorporates honesty (Sony I don't understand your commercials), wit, and insight into all of his articles, making them fun and enjoyable to read. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Peter and getting to know all his geeky quirks and favorites. Let's just say that after I learned he contributes to Surfing magazine and men.style.com, I was even more of a fan... talk about the ultimate geek chic package!To learn more about Peter and check out the entire interview, read more
GS: Tell my few readers that haven’t heard of you a little about yourself…
PH: Let’s see here, I was born and raised in Oregon and spent some time along the west coast before moving out to NYC. I’ve been freelancing for CrunchGear since December of ’06 and I’m now the news editor. I also contribute to Surfing magazine and men.style.com.

GS: You knew you were a geek when...
PH: I’ve been a geek since day 1. If I had to pick one particular moment then it would have to be…the day I started writing for CrunchGear.

GS: What are the top three gadgets you can't live without?
PH: Hands down, I’d go with my MacBook, Pentax K100D Super and then it’s a toss up between my iPod, Helio Ocean and Sidekick Slide. If I had to pick, though, I’d take my…Ocean.

GS: What are you hoping Santa will bring you for Christmas?
PH: You know, there really isn’t that much I find myself salivating over anymore. It’s quite sad, really. I wouldn’t mind a couple of new lenses and maybe a MacBook Pro. I’m pretty content with what I have now. I also don’t have any more room in my apartment for gadgets. Heh.

GS: What are your favorite websites?
PH: Waiter Rant, Jango, gossip blogs, OurStage, NOTCOT, flickr, and I’ve found myself obsessing over Facebook, again.

GS: How many blog feeds are in your RSS reader?
PH: Somewhere in the range of 150, but it changes daily as I drop some feeds and add new ones.

GS: Who do you think are the top 3 sexiest female geeks in the world?
PH: Cali Lewis is a good friend of CrunchGear and I’ve always had a crush on her. Natali Del Conte isn’t too shabby and I’m leaving the last spot for someone new to come along, but Amanda Congdon isn’t unattractive.

GS: Who do you think are the top 3 sexiest male geeks in the world?
PH: Me, myself and I. Ok and maybe Matt Hickey.

GS: How many hours do you spend online a day?
PH: I spend entirely way too much time online! I’m usually at my desk by 7:30 and I’ll sit there until 5 or so. I’ll get a few things done here and there in between and then I’m back on my computer until I go to bed around 1 or 2. So, I’d have to say I’m online anywhere from 12 to 16 hours a day.

GS: What is one geeky habit you’re trying to quit?
PH: I’m not so sure this is a geeky habit, but I really need to detach myself from work ‘after hours’. I’m constantly on my Sidekick/Ocean checking e-mails, AIM and CG.

GS: Which do you think will come first... The next generation iPhone, the Google phone, or something so cool we can't even talk about it?
PH: I think it’s safe to say that the next iPhone will be first, but you never know what some of the other phone manufacturers are laboring over right now. CES is just around the corner and I expect big things to be announced.

GS: How do you feel about people calling you a “geek?”
PH: I’m not ashamed to call myself a geek. I was just watching the show Chuck and one of the characters in a flashback to ’99 said the new millennium would be the age of the geek. I think everyone is geeky in their own special way. I just have a platform to show the whole world.

GS: What are some non-geeky things you do in your spare time?
PH: I try and surf as much as I can, but it’s hard living in the city and not seeing what the ocean is doing so I usually get skunked. I enjoy doing anything outdoors since I grew up in the great state of Oregon. I’ve been pretty keen on photography lately as well. So I’ll just wander the city and snap pics of anything that piques my interest.

GS: What's the best part about being a writer for CrunchGear?
PH: All the new toys I get to play with before everyone else.

Bar Code CD Holder: Love It Or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:00:03 -0700

Designer Marian Lassak's CD Holder offers a unique spin on the usually plain CD case. I happen to like it because bar codes, which are machine-readable representations of information, seem to be inherently geeky.

They also remind me of the strange boy I had a crush on my freshman year of college who had bizarre barcode shaped tattoos all over his arms. Okay, so maybe my taste in men is questionable, but this case is totally lovable, isn't it?

Source: Notcot

Masculine Laptop Bag: Airplane Chic?

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:00:14 -0700

Most of the laptops we feature are decidedly feminine. Yes, we'll admit it, we like polka dots, flowers and bright colors, but that doesn't mean we ignore the more masculine bags and trends out there. The limited edition All The Kings Men Midi is a simple gray laptop bag with a colorful and kitschy twist. It's made in Melbourne, Australia and has a unique shoulder strap, which is a genuine aeroplane seatbelt with a strength indicator of 2500. (Editor's note: What's a strength indicator exactly? I know figure 2500 must be high cause it's from a plane, but still, that's quite random.) Each bag has a unique seatbelt tag and hand stamped number imprinted on the front. It's perfect for the bloke in your life, eh?

View 4 Photos ›

Source: Notcot

King And Queen USBs From Mimo Bots

GeekSugar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 11:00:57 -0700

It's back to school time, which means everyone is shopping for school supplies and new flash drives. If you're looking for something unique and colorful, the Mimo Bots have a serious cult following and have released a new royal lineup. The King and Queen flash drives are part of the mimo bots' artist series '07 and feature intricate designs worthy of the throne and your data.

As comfortable at a technology convention as he is at the World Series of Poker, King comes preloaded with lots of digital goodies and for a limited time, the all-new Mimozine digital magazine. Queen is as comfortable at a fashion show as she is at the World Series of Poker and comes with the same loaded content as King. Their designs are delicate and beautiful all at the same time - beating out any other novelty flash drives without even using their Scepters. The line ranges in price from $39.95 to $109.95, depending on storage capacity.

Source: Notcot

Tech News Roundup - Nerds on Desks

GeekSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:00:12 -0700

This one's just for laughs. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs: Nerds on Desks - Gizmodo
Is it just me, or is your aura happy to see me? Aura Ball flashing phone strap - Shiny Shiny
Gone are the days of rowdy, impassioned protests on college campuses. Apparently, students are waging protests on Facebook. - Switched
Bling Bling has never been so practical. "Stunning Ring" Conceals Pepper Spray - Boing Boing Gadgets
Next week's Apple event will likely see the announcement of the next evolution of iPod, dubbed the iPod Touch. Will it have Safari? - Cult of Mac
Cute computers attack! It's a Mainframe robot! - Notcot

Tech News Roundup - Ninjatown!

GeekSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:00:44 -0700

Ninja Town game coming out for Nintendo DS soon - Notcot
California to bar teens from using mobiles, laptops whilst driving - Engadget
Pepper Spray Stunning Ring - Shiny Shiny
Top 6 Sexiest Cycles - Crave
New Roomba arrives today on Amazon - Popgadget
Caribbean Isle Bans Cell Phones on the Sand - Switched

Linea Laptop Stand: Simple And Ergonomic

GeekSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:00:01 -0700

We all know the importance of using laptop stands to keep our laptops off our laps - they keep our machines cool, protect us from fears of WiFi's potential health risks and the many infertility risks hot laptops pose for men.

I'm partial to simple stands and trays that were designed for use in bed or on the couch, but Gabriel Kornreich's Linea is equally promising. It offers a simple ergonomic tweak to make your tabletop laptop use more comfortable. The raised stand not only allows air to better circulate under the computer, but it also allows improved viewing angles on the screen that are healthier for your neck. It costs $36.
Source: Notcot

Swirl Aiaiai Earbuds Offer Dash Of Style

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:00:03 -0700

The twisty Aiaiai Swirl earbuds offer a dash of color and pizazz in a world of boring black and white headphones.

Created in Denmark, the headphones come in a pumpkin, leaf and black color and cost about $74. The plug is gold-plated with a stereo straight mini plug.

View 1 Photos ›

Source: Notcot