I’m in NY! Again! And one of the events i’m really looking forward to is the Creativity and Technology (CaT) conference on Weds! SO ~ here’s the question:

1. Are you CREATIVE?
2. Are you in NY?
3. Are you free Weds - June 3?

Leave a comment (one entry per person!) with what speaker you’re excited about~ and on Monday morning i’ll pick 2 lucky winners to come hang out and be inspired at CaT!

The official description is “CaT is a gathering of brand creativity professionals and tech-side development companies for a discussion of furthering creativity through technology. Both conference and trade show, CaT gives creatives, producers and marketers the chance to see what’s coming next, to get the big picture from thought leaders across a range of creative and technology areas — and learn, hands-on, about the latest technologies driving the best work.” ~ but really, take a look at the agenda ~ it’s one of the first i’ve been excited to check out in a while! Awesome lineup, sounds like a fun take on things…

… and to get your creative juices flowing, check out the conference opening video by Mekanism on the next page!

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HAPPY EARTH DAY! And good morning! Apparently i’m judging this latest Mimoco Contest ~ along with Cool Hunting and Inhabitat! Firstly what is GURPing (GURP = GreenBot USB flash drive Recycling Program)? Well apparently it is the Mimoco program to recycle all those unwanted flashdrives you’ve been accumulating (every few months they just get BIGGER, BETTER, and Cheaper!) In the last year they’ve already received hundreds!

So what’s the deal? VIDEO CONTEST!!! From Earth Day until Mother’s Day (May 10th), you can enter by making a video that promotes recycling via GURP.

“For every video entry received, Mimoco will contribute to save 1,000 square feet of rain forest through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue program. Mimoco, and their media partner judges at Cool Hunting, NOTCOT, and Inhabitat, will choose up to 100 entrants to receive limited edition, organic cotton MIMOBOT GURP t-shirts. The grand prize winner will receive two 8GB MIMOBOT flash drives of their choice. An Audience Choice winner, chosen by the Mimoco community, will win an 8GB drive of their choice, and four runner ups will each receive 4GB MIMOBOT drives.” Read more about GURP and enter here.

p.s.
you can watch the GURP instructional video on the next page!

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UPDATE!!!: CONGRATS to Lisa in Clifton, Colorado who won the Steelcase Leap Chair!!! And huge thanks to everyone that participated!

CES time! And since i’m off to vegas in the morning, i wanted to leave you with this fun giveaway! Maybe if dan takes over and does some driving, i’ll even have time to approve some comments on the googlephone on the road!

The nice folks at Steelcase were so excited about the post about the Leap chair that they’ve offered to give one away to a lucky NOTCOT reader, and with generosity like that, how could i say no? This is pretty much the perfect gift/upgrade to kick off 2009 with ~ especially if you’re just getting back to work… this Leap might help make the work weeks go by a little more comfortably (and ergonomically!) While the base model retails at $850 and really its an investment in our bodies when we’re overworking at our computers… here’s your chance to win one!

So for this first giveaway of 2009 ~ i ask 3 little things of you ~ 1) What would you do with the massive box (it’s big, i could totally make a fort with mine!)? 2) What is your New Year’s Resolution? 3) How will the Steelcase Leap improve your life? For question 1, you should definitely check out the pictures on the next page… for a chance to win, you have until the 31st of January to leave a comment!

UPDATE: Some have asked for more details on how you win ~ well if you answer all three questions (yes, actually answer them, no gibberish or skipping some!) ~ you’re in the running!

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CLICK HERE TO ENTER!… Ok guys, seriously? Even if you don’t want to enter, can someone win this for me? I never even knew i needed/wanted/craved a $2000 Graphics Card… but with promises to make all things CS4 lightning fast, how can any of us resist?!?!?! Even if you don’t have a desktop, having this might be reason enough to get one… mmmm, blazingly fast Adobe Creative Suite ~ super video editing/encoding…. product model renderings in real time! *swoon* So that’s the NVIDIA Quadro CX Graphics Accelerator… on top of that they are throwing in a copy of Adobe CS4 Master Collection (small print: its usable only until CS5 emerges, but that’s still pretty awesome)… Master Suite is the one with EVERYTHING: InDesign CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, Illustrator CS4, Acrobat 9 Pro, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4, Fireworks CS4, Contribute CS4, After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth CS4, Adobe OnLocation CS4, Encore CS4, Adobe Bridge CS4, Adobe Device Central CS4, Dynamic Link, and Version Cue CS4. You want. Trust me, even if you already have both of these, you totally want it, or give it to me! =)

This is the NOTCOT prompt this week, so hope you have fun with it! PLAYING WITH SCALE: So you took your shrink way and aimed it at… well, you tell us! Better yet, SHOW us! Share images of videos of unexpected proportions to win!

So what do you have to do? Just SUBMIT an image or video at the contest page! But first, here are a few quirks i’ve found with the NVIDIA gallery that i thought would be helpful (and also show you why it really doesn’t take much on your part to enter!)…
1. Maximum display size of artwork in the gallery: 512px x 387px
… tinier than most NOTCOT post images
2. You lose about 71px off the bottom of that for their pointy bit
3. Title can only be up to 18 characters
… many full names are longer!
4. Description can only be up to 111 characters
…yes, less than an SMS/Tweet
5. Post approval person seems to lag, so don’t worry, they should eventually show up!
6. Pay little attention to the posts showing in the Contests Gallery ~ they are still showing the ones from the first prompt *sigh*

For more info ~ mostly visuals of what entering looks like, more ideas, and some crazy toys attacking a gingerbread house as my example mini photoshoot of messing with scale… check out the next page! or ENTER THE CONTEST!

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New contest! This is all pretty new to me, and the whole NOTCOT world, but as you’ve seen the last month, we’re learning to give stuff away more and more! Latest is a collaboration with NVIDIA and their fun Speak Visual campaign (you know, the green one where we get to SPIN the ads), that brings us, Core77 (so excited to be officially on this with them!!!) and Behance together is this 3-part State of the Art Contest ~ (clicking through there you see my header… they made us all make different ones).

So here’s the gist of it ~ you have a chance to win a kick ass NVIDIA Quadro CX Graphics Card, which is THE graphics accelerator for CS4 (i want! who doesn’t want more monitors?) as well as Adobe CS4 Master Suite (granted this license is good until CS5 arrives, that’s still some pretty good time with the full bundle!)!!! To win it? Make some art ~ pictures and video are fair game, just blow our minds! (Accepted formats are: .avi, .mov, .mp4, .jpg, .png and .gif ) And if you’re super busy, but have previous work that fits, submit that in too! There will be 3 mini contests ~ and the first prompt is from Core77 ~ SO… “Visualize the Screens of the Future” - How do screens help us communicate, experience and create? Are there 3-D e-books or LED skyscrapers? Show us your design for the screen of the future.

I have this funky feeling its going to be super tough to figure out which of the entries are from you ~ so if you want me to pay special attention to checking yours out, leave a link/name/etc to the entry in the comments here, and maybe work NOTCOT into your description or if you’re feeling extra sneaky, slip the logo into your creative somewhere! My prompt starts Dec 29th… so watch out for that one! Go check out the contest here!

TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ with something space related! ENTER BY 12/21. WINNER: Kathryn in Indianapolis, IN!

This is quite possibly the coolest baby playmat EVER ~ well, if i for some strange reason popped out a kid today, this is the one i’d buy. Doesn’t matter if its for a boy or a girl, it is gorgeously colorful, intriguing, and has ufos and rocketships! Part of an exclusive collection by Skip Hop for Babies’r’us ~ this is the Skip Hop Outer Space Activity Playmat. So this 33rd giveaway goes out to the babies (do we have any playmat sized readers out there?) and their parents or expecting parents or expecting aunts/uncles/etc! You can read more at Skip Hop as well ~ and more pics of these goodies, as well as my other favorites from the collection (i swear alien rattle looks like a flying spaghetti monster) on the next page!!!

For a chance to win ~ leave a comment with something space related!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ telling us what you geek out about! ENTER BY 12/21. WINNER: Mikayla in Toronto, Canada!

Well we’re up to Giveaway 32! And this one’s super fun! After all, who doesn’t need more ninja in their life? Especially a bright red GEEKY NINJA? And some stickers and buttons and a comic book too… and that’s not counting the special #1 Ninja Con comic and badge too!!! From the super awesome Shawnimals ~ for a chance to win this giveaway… tell us what YOU geek out about! We all have something…

See more pics on the next page ~ and a coupon too!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment here ~ with something to make the other commenters smile! ENTER BY 12/20. WINNER: Collin in Plattsburgh, NY!

Well, here we are at the final of the 5 Giveaways from our official Holiday Gift Guide Sponsor, Seagate! (and Giveaway #31!!!) ~ this is the top of the line FreeAgent external hard drive ~ the Seagate FreeAgent XTreme ~ in a sleek black case, this is 1 Terabyte of “blazingly fast data transfer” with USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and eSATA!

Sooo, since its been a loooooong day/week/month, and its completely grey, super cold, and pouring rain here, and we’re closing in on all the holiday shopping panic for those who are lining up at post offices to get things there by xmas ~ how about leaving a comment that will make people smile? Something fun and silly to amuse the other commenters?

P.S. You guys are the best ~ thanks for all the awesome comments so far (and on ALL the giveaways!!!) ~ i hope you have as much fun reading them as leaving them!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ telling us about your favorite green thing! ENTER BY 12/19. WINNER: Tom in Sunset, UT!

Hey ~ sorry ~ today kind of escaped me between the new toy and a bunch of businessy/ad related work/panic that kind of took over my day ~ the kind of takeover where you suddenly realize its midnight and you’re still working… Anyhow! To catch up we’re going to do two giveaways today! So first up is the 30th NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway (can you believe it’s been 30?!?!?!) ~ from our eco-friendly friends at Branch Home ~ they are literally going green with this giveaway, having given us 4 pairs of these gorgeous Felt Swallows! So 4 light green and 4 dark green, and they hang on a simple, shiny, satin ribbon ~ made of 100% eco-certified felted wool in Germany, these birds are about 6” and ready for anything from decorating your tree, to hanging in your car, adding to a present’s wrapping, or even letting the kids customize with their names, glitter, and more!

So to win this bundle of eco-friendly felty birdies, leave me a comment with your favorite green thing. (Yes, that is intentionally vague, anything green, from kermit to your recycling bin…) and don’t forget the coupon from branch on the next page!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ sharing how cold it is (aka why you need these?)! ENTER BY 12/17. WINNER: Carol in Gaithersburg, MD!

Here’s a special giveaway ~ perhaps most exciting to me because these gloves are the by product of trend blogger, Josh Rubin, of Cool Hunting ~ and his dad! Who is a second generation glove maker! Here’s the father-son story behind these Freehands gloves to help you use your tech in the winter…

Josh Rubin, the New-York-City based designer of Freehands and founder of CoolHunting.com, realized there was an opportunity in the glove category last winter when he found himself answering his iPhone with his nose to avoid taking his gloves off. The hassle of the glove-or-phone conundrum came up at dinner with his father, Stanley Rubin, who conveniently manufactures and sells gloves. In a matter of minutes, sketches were drawn, the scissors were out, and the Freehands glove was born.

As a professional interface designer, Josh has been designing the way people use web sites and mobile phones for more than ten years. Throughout his career he’s sought to blend usefulness, usability and beauty—a goal he continues to pursue at the design firm he co-founded, Bond Art + Science . Stanley grew up in Gloversville, NY, where his father was a glove manufacturer. Stanley (like his brother and nephew) followed suit, and it’s fair to say that he knows a few things about gloves. Freehands represents the melding of their experience, sensibilities and design aesthetics.

See more images on the next page ~ and for a chance to win a pair in the material/size of your choice, leave comment telling us how cold it is (aka why do you need these?)!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ with your favorite celeb! ENTER BY 12/17. WINNER: Tiffany in Houston, TX!

Just sent over for NOTCOT Giveaway #28 ~ here’s beautyLIGHT ~ The work of celebrity and fashion photographer, Matthew Rolston, is gorgeous ~ his celebrity portraits are works of art, and flipping through his new book, beautyLIGHT, i often had to do double takes to figure out who it was! Amazon describes it: “Spanning a spectrum from vampish intrigue to retro glamour, celebrity and beauty photographer Matthew Rolston offers us a unique series of photographic portraits. With painterly skill, Warhol’s protégé combines elements of style, staging, light and color to create indelible impressions of some of the world’s most scintillating and talented people, such as Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Drew Barrymore and Salma Hayek. Rolston’s photographs build a stage for his characters, imbuing them with the iconic power of vintage Hollywood at its peak. His distinctive work has been featured in such leading publications as Interview, Harper’s Bazaar and Rolling Stone, among many others.”

For a Liqurious tie in ~ Genius of Louis XIII, the top cognac from Remy Martin, made this book possible! “Reflecting the passion, vision and artistry that goes into making each bottle of its bottles, Louis XIII has been supporting a number of visionary artists from the world of art, design, photography and architecture. Following on from Louis Bourgeoise (art) and Dror (architecture), the 2 latest ones include a limited edition design collaboration with Christophe Pillet and launch of a book by Matthew Rolston.”

Take a sneak peek into some playful portraits found within this beautiful coffee table book that is sure to strike up a conversation ~ and for a chance to win leave a comment with your favorite celeb…

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TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ with where you would go if you could jet set anywhere! ENTER BY 12/15. WINNER: Rabbit in NC!

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #27 ~ and it’s a big one! Wejetset is ready to hook one reader up with the ultimate travel upgrade, and their founder Taj knows my tastes far too well, since he picked so many NOTCOT faves in this bundle… From the incredibly sleek, can’t be missed, minimal Hideo Wakamatsu Wave (Red) Carry-on, to one of my favorite laptop sleeves, Incase Krink 15” Laptop Sleeve, to the Baxter Travel Kit from our favorite men’s line, to the adorably understated Field Notes to doodle during your trip, and even STPL Socks, so that during the security line, even your socks are looking good! Clearly Wejetset does not mess around when outfitting you for your next jetsetting adventure… here’s one way to go home for the holidays in style (and pampered comfort!)

So here’s what you can win in this instant travel makeover of a bundle (over $500 of goods!)
+ Hideo Wave (Red)
+ Baxter Travel Kit
+ Incase Krink 15” Laptop Sleeve
+ Field Notes (3 pack)
+ STPL Socks (Grey & White - 2 pairs)

So are you ready? For a chance to win this, leave a comment about where you would go if you could jet set anywhere tomorrow! I know we could all use a vacation right about now!!!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ about the best date you’ve ever had! ENTER BY 12/14. WINNER: Elizabeth in Berkeley, CA!

When it comes to luxurious pleasure objects, Lelo has always been at the top of my list… they are not only incredibly well made, but gorgeously designed and packaged as well. And that was my opinion before they launched their Luxe collection, which has taken some of their classics and brought it to a whole new level. Three of their products (Earl, Yva, Olga) are now available in Gold and Stainless Steel, packaged with a satin pouch in a lush glossy wooden box… In fact the Earl Gentleman’s Plug even comes with matching gold or steel cufflinks!

Lelo is giving away one Stainless Steel Olga ~ to win this elegant and luxurious pleasure object leave us a comment about the best date you’ve ever had!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment here ~ tell me a feature you wish your mac had! ENTER BY 12/13. WINNER: Matt in Portland, OR!

We’re already up to NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #25!!! (Looks like we’re going to have a totally of OVER 30…) So here’s number 4 of our 5 amazing FreeAgent External Harddrive giveaways from our official sponsor, Seagate! This time we’ve got the massive 1 Terabyte FreeAgent Desk for Mac! Differences from the standard one? Well this one has not only USB 2.0, but also Firewire 400 and Firewire 800! So you can basically transfer twice as fast if you’re using FW800! It is a smidge larger ~ and comes with a few more cables…

So if you’re ready to win this one ~ leave a comment telling me about a feature you wish your mac had!

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TO WIN: Leave a comment ~ about why you need a wallet! ENTER BY 12/12. WINNER: Nadia in NY!

For NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #24 ~ Makr is giving away one of their handcrafted leather wallets ~ the Black Tonal Plaid Vertical Pocket to be exact! With a snap closure, and the perfect fit for all your bills and cards, this leather will age beautifully with use and slip perfectly into your front or back pockets (for guys at least…) “The black surface dyed leather is etched, hand sewn and hand finished. A firm and smooth leather was used because it accepts very detailed etching.”

So to win ~ leave a comment about why you need a wallet! And to see some of Makr’s latest bags (gorgeous!) and other products, take a peek on the next page!

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