Google has just announced a new project:  Project 10^100 (pronounced "Project 10 to the 100th"), which is a global call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.  Here’s how it works.  You submit your idea by October 20th.  Google will cull through everything and post 100 ideas.  Starting on January 27, 2009, the world starts voting on those to choose 20 semi-finalists.  From there, an advisory board will choose 5 finalists.  Then, Google will spend at least $10 M implementing those final 5 ideas. 

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Just a quick update on the happenings at Jetson Green.  First, you may have noticed that the URL is shorter and easier.  I’m using www.jetsongreen.com now, so feel free to update your links (although the old ones will still work).  Second, this website is growing like crazy.  I love hearing about new projects from architects and developers.  I appreciate all the tips!!  With over 1,100 feedreaders and roughly 30,000 unique visitors per month, I’m constantly trying to think of ways to offer more and better content.  To that end, I’m looking for the perspective of additional writers:

• Paid Green Business/Real Estate Writer – I’m looking for someone that can write about 1x per week about how businesses are greening their real estate.  This writer would be capable of writing about companies like we’ve done in the past with Coca Cola, Office Depot, Best Buy, etc.  Maybe you’re a green commercial developer or a LEED AP business consultant.  I want you to write with us.
• Paid Green Interior Design Writer – I’m looking for someone that can write about 1x per week on the subtle details inside home and work spaces.  The perfect writer has an eye for modern, contemporary, cutting edge style and can write about paints, flooring options, countertops, tiles, etc.  This writer would be capable of writing about materials like VitraStone or Trend Q.  Maybe you’re a contractor, remodeler, or interior designer.  I want you to write with us. 
• Guest Writers  – I’m also looking for some unpaid guest writers that like the material on Jetson Green and want to contribute their own similar ideas.  Maybe you only want to write one or two articles, or maybe you want to write more.  We can talk about it. 

I look forward to hearing from anyone that may be interested.  Email me at jetsongreen at yahoo.com.  Just for disclosure, paid writers are independent contractors, paid monthly, on a per post basis. 

What does the future have in store for us?  In whose hands will design be?  What economic trends will prevail?  Bruce Sterling provides the answers to some of these questions.  But some of the answers are hard to understand.  He foresees monumental changes in the world of design:  a transformation of conventional users, with their currently available user-alterable gizmos, into “wranglers” with blobjects, spimes, and arphids in their pockets and briefcases. 

To visualize some of this future world, take a gander at Sterling’s web video: The Spime Arrives.  Someday, there will be a world where products are designed, visualized, and ordered online.  Consumers may be able to see products manufactured and shipped.  And products will be made of renewable, recycled materials, hailing from the closest, most efficient location.  Plus, when the product ceases to be useful, the manufacturer will take it back from us with a smile.  Trash will diminish, the loop will close.  This is a world where everything is downloadable.  Metadata is valuable and enables solutions. 

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I started Jetson Green using the Blogger platform, but quickly came to realize that I wouldn’t be able to manipulate the design as needed.  So I took all the articles and switched them to Typepad, the service I’m using now.  I call that stage of the blog "Jetson Green v1.0."  After about 10 months with this service, I’ve tried to tweak things here and there.  Today, however, you’ll notice that I’ve given the old blog a new face.  We’ll try it out and see how it goes.  I’ve been wanting to throw both sidebars to the right side, and today I figured out how to do that.  I have more changes in store, but today’s changes are likely the most visual of what you will see in the future.  I hope you like the design, but as always, the #1 goal is to have good content…have a good weekend.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to put a Michelle Kaufmann Designs home on your piece of land?  Now you can do it, and you’re going to love this.  Here’s what you do:

1. Step 1:  Go to the Google 3D Warehouse and type in "MKD."  You should see designs for the mkSolaire, Sunset Breezehouse, and Glidehouse.  Nice.  These files are for use with SketchUp.  Download the design you want for your home. 
2. Step 2:  Download a free copy of Google SketchUp and use SketchUp to open the file you downloaded in Step 1.  Using SketchUp, modify the landscape of your home.  (I must admit, I’m still learning how to use this program and do this step). 
3. Step 3:  Download a free copy of Google Earth.  Find the location of your site.  Plop your SketchUp model on the site that you’ve located.

That’s the process.  It’s a pretty cool mashup allowing you to envision the land of your dreams with the home of your dreams.  If anyone does anything cool, drop a line below. 

Do you ever just get outside and look in the sky?  Last night, it was about 10:15 pm here and I could still see light peeking through the clouds on the horizon.  I can dig that, light until 9:30 pm.  Moving across the country, I’ve had the opportunity to watch the clouds and weather from early morning until late night.  It’s fun.  I think this is why I like The Daily Green‘s feature called the Weird Weather Watch: the photo blog of climate change.  It’s important to recall the concept that weather is not climate, but weather over a period of time is climate.  To my knowledge, there’s nothing on the world wide web like this feature that gets so many diverse, quality, and unique images specifically on odd weather.  It’s pretty cool.

Here’s what it’s all about: "Calling all backyard environmentalists, cell phone climatologists, citizen photojournalists, weekend bird fanatics and others in The Daily Green community! The warmed climate is throwing us surprise after surprise, and Weird Weather Watch is your destination for the photos that capture the moment and your conscience. While it may be impossible to scientifically link any one weather event to global climate change, Weird Weather Watch will collect photos of everyday weather-related changes that concern our community. Help us create THE photo blog of the new environmental movement."