The new IBM THINK app for Apple iPad and Android tablets is inspired by scientific advances over the centuries, combining history and technology in an "innovation time machine." It’s a virtual timeline of images and historical anecdotes ranging from the history of ancient measurement to modern metrics of atoms with a scanning tunneling microscope, to the Wright Brothers' prototype airplane in 1903 through modern airline mechanical parts simulations and the history of metal detectors.

“Through thousands of images and historical anecdotes, IBM THINK brings to life stories of the history of progress, from space exploration to weather prediction and medical advances,” blogs IBM's head of design, Lee Green. “It documents the roots of Big Data, from early charts and scales to microscopes and telescopes, from RFID chips and biomedical sensors in clothing to breath-sensor diabetes detectors. Given its strong educational bent, the app will even be used to create lesson plans for middle school students later this year.”Continue reading...

Volkswagen Group of America is sponsoring an eight-night run of a fellow German high-tech b(r)and — electronic music Kraftwerk — at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The event, titled Kraftwerk – Retrospective 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and running April 10-17, will feature 3-D visualization and performances of the group's classic tunes from albums including Autobahn, Trans Europe Express, The Man-Machine, and Computer World.

The sponsorship continues a multi-year partnership between Volkswagen, MoMA and MoMA PS1 that kicked off last May "to foster and inspire innovative thinking through important exhibitions and education programs."Continue reading...

When it comes to branded eco-marketing, there's a school of thought that argues it's easier being blue than green. Consider Volkswagen an A+ student of the Blue School. Today VW launches its global "Think Blue." eco-campaign in the US, an initiative to promote "eco-friendly mobility and progressive ideas for responsible action in everyday life."

Echoing its classic "Think Small" tagline for the Beetle, which is being redesigned and relaunched, the US campaign for "Think Blue" includes a new sponsorship of New York's Museum of Modern Art, making VW the latest German automaker to align its commitment to sustainability with a high-profile cultural partnership in the Big Apple.

BMW and Audi this month unveiled sponsorships in New York with the Guggenheim and the Openhouse Gallery, respectively, to put their brands at the heart of conversations about forward-thinking sustainability, not only in terms of technology but the social, cultural and creative intersection of sustainability and innovation.Continue reading...

It's a classic David and Goliath tale, as Foursquare (aka the little east coast social start-up that could) continues to compete against Facebook, the west coast social giant that just raised millions from Goldman Sachs.

Foursquare got a jump on Facebook by launching its social check-in service in March 2009, well ahead of Facebook's foray into the check-ins business last August with Facebook Places.

But it needs to maintain its momentum, such as the recent survey of the busiest US airports that showed Foursquare check-ins comfortably in the lead. Cue its latest push.Continue reading...