With Robert Downey Jr. on the cover, it features throughout the funky graphics shown being sat upon over. Concept is this being the augmented reality (as referenced in this blog post done a month ago) issue... and by using the camera in any camera-having computer one can view on said computer information triggered from the printed page graphic.
As to the content within the actual issue, quite a potpourri of interesting writing and topics covered:
- "Psyop Makes Ads You Actually Want to Watch" is about the New York-based creative shop that both worked on the augmented reality portion of this magazine and did the "Happiness Factory" Coke commercial viewed 6+ million times on YouTube... and which can be viewed from the article link. What's interesting about this to me is the Social Media implications of a company doing ads so compelling that links to which are being passed around and viewed via Social Networks. Basically marketing gold.
- "How Peter Orszag's Budget Team Makes the Government Work" from Esquire writer John H. Richardson. A fascinating look at both the financial machinations of the Obama White House and those who create and implement them.
- "Meet the Man Who Could End Global Warming" about Scientist Eric Loewen. Also by John H. Richardson, the piece details the efforts of one individual who believes he has the answer as to how to both provide clean energy w/o depleting resources and deal with nuclear waste.
- A review of the forthcoming novel "Union Atlantic" and it's author Adam Haslett. Trumpeted in this piece by Tom Junod as being "first great novel of the new century."
- An essay from Philadelphia based evangelist Shane Claiborne titled "What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff?" Interesting writing in which Claiborne attempts to separate from one another the concepts of God and organized religion as many know it.
- "The Emptiest, Loneliest, Highway in America" from Chris Jones. Very short well written piece about ruminating on the past, planning for the future and taking a long solo drive.
