Banana Republic & Virgin America Spread a Little Joy on Christmas in Cozy Knit Form

In keeping with the spirit of this season of giving, Banana Republic teamed up with Virgin America to give the passengers of Flight 837 a special holiday surprise. Watch this YouTube clip as Banana Republic surprises and delights travelers after a long flight from Chicago to San Francisco...


Isn't that so sweet? Now I only want to fly Virgin America.

My Favorite Facebook Timeline Cover Photos Ever -- Thank You, Friends

If you haven't already added a cover photo and transitioned over to the Facebook Timeline, you've got only a day or two until you roll over without choice or warning. Eek! Get on it or your page will look a little bare, unpersonalized and not at all self-indulgent. Plus, I might say, as someone who comes from the house of "I love big pictures" this layout is a great form of self-expression.

Need some ideas on what type of picture to choose? Leave it to me, my friends and my acquaintances to get all competitive-creative on everyone. Here are my favorite Facebook Timeline cover photos...

Cool, no? If you have a fab one to share, email me at ysolt.usigan@gmail.com. And if you don't know how to activate your Timeline, visit this and follow the simple instructions.

5 Videos That Gave Me a Good Ugly-Cry in 2011

Proposal Using Internet Memes

Meme Proposal | Tim * Audrey from Crazy Monkey Studio on Vimeo.

New Initiative on Kindness



Why Bullying Is So Awful

Losers from Everynone on Vimeo.

Another Proposal Video, But He's My Friend

LUCK from Aria Melody DJ on Vimeo.

(Password: nycluck)

An Inspiring Midwife Crusader

Gotta Have It: i'm Watch

Here's the big debate: Would you rather have an iPhone or shell out for a fancy watch? You might argue that one shouldn't have to choose between one or the other, but with this watch, it's pointless to have both. Really.

It does pretty much everything your smartphone can, plus, it's more compact, not to mention absolutely fabulous. After all, it's also an accessory. The i'm Watch is the first real "smartwatch" (not an iPod Nano DIY'd into a watch). It can make calls, text, Facebook, tweet and tell you what the weather is going to be like -- on a fab high-resolution screen. Watch the video to see how it works!


So the big question -- would you buy an i'm Watch?

Photo: i'm Watch

Funny Thing Shared Today on the Internet: Pajama Jeans for Your Dude

Yeah, it finally happened. Those leggings-that-wanna-be-jeans are now available for men. Now your guy can look like a fool -- like a fool! -- at home or in public with a pair of these bad boys.

The Lakeside Collection (which only sounds fancy) calls them "Knit Jean Lounge Pants" (which only sounds normal). But the minute you look at the price tag, you realize, there's gotta be something wrong here -- because they're only $12.95 (and you paid $39.95 for yours, though that came with an allegedly-"fabulous" gray V-neck T-shirt).

Plus, there's nothing sexy about the elastic waist, acid-wash fade and not real designs of rips, tears and a button fly. As for the lady version of these lounge-pants-that-wanna-be-jeans, they might cost three times as much, but at least they're not lounge-pants-that-wanna-be-jeans-from-the-'80s.

Photo: The Lakeside Collection

[via The Stir]

Found on Flickr: Architectural Genius Made "Arrested Development" Legos

Another tease to the second coming of TV show "Arrested Development" (arguably the funniest series to ever hit primetime in my opinion) is upon us. I was stumbling today and came across a heavenly collection of Lego creations on Flickr:

The Model Home

The Stair Car

Michael and George Michael

Lindsay and Tobias

Gob with Franklin

Lucille and Buster

Wow. I'm obsessed. These models -- despite the fact they're made out of plastic play building blocks -- are pretty right on, hilarious and cute. I caught up with Matt De Lanoy, the mastermind behind it all, to ask for his permission to post the pics and some fan-girl questions of my own...

YU: What inspired you to make these right-on models?
MDL: It was the house that inspired me. For some reason I felt the need to build a house, and when I thought of AD I knew that's what I would build. I did it because of the challenge (the silo in the middle was one of the toughest parts) and because of it's iconic status.

YU: How long did all of this take you?
MDL: About a month, give or take. Most of that time was spent on the house itself. The characters took a day or two and the landscaping another day. The stair car took two days. Keep in mind that when I say "day," I do have a full time job so this means only a few hours a night if that, with more time on weekends, and I'm certainly not building every day.

YU: Who's your favorite AD character?
MDL: Tobias. I actually went out and bought an entire set [of Legos] just to get the right headpiece for him. Which I then blue.

See more of Matt's amazing Lego creations on his Flickr here -- he has worked on Futurama, Star Wars, Toy Story and more. Beware: Your eyes will be occupied for hours and you will be tempted to buy Legos.

Photo: Flickr/Pepa Quin

Jon Bon Jovi and the Other Celebrities Who Did Not Die in 2011

Jon Bon Jovi
When stupid sources reported that '80s rock icon Jon Bon Jovi was found dead in a New Jersey hotel, it wasn't long until it would go viral. Within a few hours, it was all over Twitter and is trending today on Google. But, he's alive and finds the humor in the story. He posted a pic of himself on Facebook holding up this sign: "Heaven is a lot like New Jersey -- rest assured that Jon is alive and well. This photo was just taken."

Lil' Kim
Due to poor reading comprehension, Lil' Kim was also rumored to have died just this past weekend. But no, people-who-can't-read-properly-and-tweet-nonsense, it was North Korean leader Kim Jong Il who died. Go back to school.

Eddie Murphy
Just this month, actor Eddie Murphy was said to have died in a freak snowboarding accident.

Charlie Sheen
Previously(?)-troubled actor Charlie Sheen was also rumored to have died in some freak snowboarding accident, too. I mean, c'mon -- if you wanted your rumor to be believable, you would've picked one of his known vices, no?

Britney Spears
In 2011, the pop star was reported to have died in a car crash with ex-beau Justin Timberlake. A constant victim of the celebrity death hoax, in 2010, a chain email was passed around claiming she had committed suicide, and in 2009, someone hacked her Twitter account and told followers she passed away.

Justin Bieber
When "RIP Justin Bieber" started to trend on Twitter in 2011, teens and pre-teens across the nation wept. Luckily, it wasn't true. The singing sensation has "died" online numerous times -- supposedly in 2009 in an apparent suicide and in 2010 as a result of a drug overdose.

Scott Baio
"Charles in Charge" supposedly died in a jet-ski accident while vacationing in Turks and Caicos, according to sources. Supposedly the actor struck a concrete boat slip in a marina. Gotta love the details, but no, the D-lister is still alive and well. If you care.

Photo: Facebook

Year in Photos 2011

Flickr/Yahoo! just compiled their Year In Photos, a collection of uber-memorable images you can't get out of your head even if you tried. My favorite from the lot, which summarize 2011 in a nutshell...

May 2: President Barack Obama huddled with his national security team in the White House Situation Room as they monitor via live video the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.

July 8: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program.

October 5: Apple fans around the world mourn the loss of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

April 29: Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

September 17: Occupy Wall Street's "We are the 99 percent" begins.

September 11: Remembering 9/11, ten years later.

Photos: Flickr

Most Followed Person on Google+? It's Britney Bitch

In awesome-girl news, Britney Spears hit a record number of Google+ followers today! Hooray, for Brit-Brit. After some questionable moments in the last decade, the pop icon (who's probably my all-time-favorite autotuned singer) has truly made a comeback. And now, with over one million people on her Google+ (as reported first by The Next Web), she is vindicated yet again. She's the most-followed person on the social network, which launched June 28, 2011, and even ousted Google CEO Larry Page in the top spot back in November.

So okay, Google+ isn't the instant super-success many thought it would be, but is it finally gaining some traction? I know I've been resistant even though I have a (very inactive) profile. "While people nay say Google+ like it’s the MySpace of 2011, I'm part of the camp that believes that Google will slowly improve the service until it has a watershed moment, and we flood in like displaced seals when the icecaps melt," says Social Times.

Only time will tell.

If you're Google+'ing, you can follow Paris Hilton (639,046 followers), Taylor Swift (98,478 followers), Madonna (38,257 followers) and Alanis Morissette (9,247 followers)... Surprised by those numbers? I suppose T-swizzle-loving teenyboppers, chicks who were born before 1982 and people who actually like Alanis Morissette have not caught on yet.

As of  now, Britney's at 1,002,100 Google+ friends. And by the way, judging by her last post on Google+, is she engaged? "OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for. Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!!" she said.

Photo: Google+

The Things We Searched For This Year: Google's Zeitgeist 2011

Chills... What a year!

See Google's complete list here of most searched stuff in 2011...

I've Always Wanted to Make One of These: Schmidt's Online Dating Profile, Like Lauren Conrad's "Hills" Intro

My boyfriend and I are kind of in love with New Girl on FOX, and I've always been obsessed with Lauren Conrad. If you put the two together, you get this: Schmidt's online dating profile in video form that's just like LC's intro for "The Hills." (Yes!)

True story -- I've fantasized about making my own reality-show montage using Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" as my theme song. I can see it (in my head) now... A snapshot of me buying honey oat bread from Whole Foods, another one of me browsing the dress-shirt racks at Uniqlo, then having cocktails with friends as I flirt with the camera with a hint of a smile... (Oh you know you've thought about it too.)

I'm afraid I've said too much.

Just watch the video. It's funny.

Finally, Facebook's Timeline Is Available to Everyone

Today, social network Facebook rolled out its new profile design worldwide. Enter, Timeline:

My first impression: Oh, Myspace, how I've missed you so.

Although I've abandoned that social network a long, long time ago when I found other ways to discover indie bands, I missed the ability to personalize my profile page in an artistic fashion -- as in, I longed to put a giant image of myself on my page that expresses me. Me me me! All about me!

With Timeline, you can build your profile like a scrapbook, a montage, an assembly of fab photos, links and updates -- with dates attached so your forgetful self (and the creeps that troll your ass) will know exactly when everything happened to you. (So proceed with caution -- Timeline just made snooping way too easy.)

"This may be the first moment that many of Facebook’s 800 million members realize just how many digital breadcrumbs they’ve been leaving on the site -- and on the Web in general," says New York Times. The new format truly takes you back in time, conjuring up memories that were buried in your profile in the old design. Hopefully, you don't have any humiliating photos you forgot to untag yourself on.

Here are three of my favorite Timeline covers so far:

Britney Spears

Nicole Richie

Lea Michele

Enjoy, Facebookers!

Photos: Facebook

Top 5 Regrets of 2011 (by People on Twitter)

Although it's still a little too early to celebrate the coming of 2012 -- we haven't even opened presents yet -- #2011regrets is already trending on Twitter. With most of tweeters' year's regrets ranging from trusting the wrong people, spending too much money, hooking up with exes and not studying enough, there were a handful that I found to be quite exceptional, not to mention amusing.

#5

That is a major problem. You seem really affected by it, too.

#4

Hmmm... Perhaps another issue is that they're hoes.

#3

Amen! That's a great rule moving forward -- for 2012 and beyond.

#2

Oh totally! It's not an easy thing to accomplish. I feel you.

#1

Exactly.

Photos: Twitter

Funny Internet-y Thing Shared Today

The 20 Unhappiest People You Meet In The Comments Sections Of Year-End Lists

My personal favorite: "The Really Pretty Sure Person, Who Is Really Pretty Sure" who says something along the lines of, "I've never seen Game Of Thrones, but I'm really pretty sure it's not as good as Boardwalk Empire." But at least these types of commenters aren't like the ones I encountered when I was a tech editor for one hot minute. Those were mainly haters.

[via @caryn74, via NPR]

Gimme Gimme! The First-Ever Techulosity Holiday Gift Guide

Here's a list of everything I want (and everything you should ask for). Ranging from high and low, from silly to serious, and yes even mayo made the list, consider these for your friends and family or your own wishlist!

1. Side Bow Echo Touch Glove ($32 at EchoDesign.com): So you can touch and text in the cold comes in 11 different colors.

2. Juicy Couture Watercolor Mouse and Mouse Pad ($39.99 at JuicyCouture.com): Will make your co-workers sooo jealous.

3. J&D's Baconnaise ($5.99 at Baconnaise.com): It's two of my favorite things in one -- bacon + mayonnaise.

4. Space Ice Cream ($5 at FredFlare.com): Brings you back to fond childhood memories.

5. Nikon J1 ($649.95 at NikonUSA.com): Will someone give me this please?!

6. Domino Bots ($15 at UncommonGoods.com): Geek up your desk with these adorable things.

7. Kim the Talking Clock ($39.50 at UncommonGoods.com): Reminds me of the Jetsons -- so futuristic!

8. Lego Star Wars Pens ($10 each at FredFlare.com): Pick from C3PO, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and Yoda. 

9. Telephoto Phone Lenses ($20 to $25 at Photojojo.com): Turns your iPhone into a professional camera -- sort of.

Tetris for Your iPhone... Wee!

Just in time!

I have just beat Angry Birds (the original), Angry Birds Seasons (2011 and working on 2012 as new levels become available) and Angry Birds Rio. And although I've been playing Words With Friends, I'm realizing it's not as addictive as I'd like it to be. Partially because my friend, Purnell (who's a word wizard), is kicking my ass, and also because waiting a day for your next turn leaves little to be desired.

At last -- my new obsession: Tetris on your iPhone. Wee!

Although most of the app reviews say the game misses the mark, you be the judge. I'll start playing it this weekend, too, in between my holiday shopping. Stay tuned.

Vogue's New $1,575-Yearly-Subscription Site, and the Things You Should Buy Instead

Vogue's new archive website went live today. Quiver! It contains every single page from every issue of the magazine since its 1892 debut. Chills! Subscribers can search by decade, brand, designer, even photographer -- it's every fashion-obsessed girl's eye paradise. Just think of all of the retro outfit inspiration that lie in these digital pages and the knowledge -- my god, the style knowledge!

"It's a wildly impressive undertaking to organize such a massive amount of information, and bravo to Vogue for providing a great tool for researching the historical context of moments in fashion and society," says New York mag's The Cut blog.

I see you -- opening a new tab now to find this coveted collection of content already... Not so fast, fashionista. It's not as easy as typing "www.vogue.com." First, you have to go to WGSN's site (the host for this "impressive undertaking"). Then, you'll have to fill out this form. Then, you just wait. The site states, "In supplying your contact details you are agreeing to WGSN responding to your inquiry about the Vogue Archive." So that doesn't even get you in apparently.

And oh, it'll also cost you a whopping $1,575 for a yearly subscription. (Womp womp.) And to that, I say, geezus christmas, holy crap, for realsies?, why lord why?! That’s a little steep for access to something you can't even own. You can use it, sure, but it's not on your bookshelf like the rest of your Vogue issues. Lame.

So I propose to not be this idiotic. Instead, splurge on these other things that also cost around $1,575:

Anya Hindmarch Mini Huxley Woven Leather Tote ($1,595 at Net-A-Porter), a high-shine metallic leather carryall that is to die for. Perfect for an overnight stay or for your everyday shopping needs, this will give your wardrobe the wow factor.

Maison Martin Margiela Goat Hair Vest ($1,525 at Barneys.com), something you can wear with turtlenecks, sweaters, even T-shirts. It’ll keep you warm all winter, not to mention stylish. Plus, when you're done with it, you can store it in your very own fashion archives.

Christian Louboutin Vicky 120 Suede Boots ($1,595 at MyTheresa.com), which I have no words for. It's just a classic pair of boots that you can wear for years and years to come. I'm in love! OMG!

Starbucks Every Single Day ($4.30 per day at any Starbucks in town) -- I did the math. At $1,575 per year, that's about $131 per month or roughly $4.38 per day, which gets you just about any designer beverage -- hot or cold -- from our beloved chain coffeehouse in the tall size.


The end -- just don't be stupid, that's all. If you've got it to spend, use your moolah wisely.