DRUM MEN AND THEIR TOYS
DIGITAL MAN MEET JEREMY LACROIX, A DIGITAL GEEK WITH A WILD SIDE AND A RATHER INSIGHTFUL WAY OF OPTIMISING GADGETS FOR WORK AND DAILY LIVING
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WRITER: PAUL OMONDI PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF JEREMY, 9TO5MAC, MOTORCYCLE-USA,MCS, TECHNOLOGYTEL,CREATIVEFAN, C4CENTRAL,
first met him at a conference in Cape Town. His tall lanky figure and insane sense of humour had the audience hanging on every word, delivered with a blasé ease, like every day banter. His expansive tattooed arms sawed the air animatedly to drive the point home, revealing the confluence of his geeky and arty sides. And he knows his stuff. Art and the digital media seem to define his life. After studying Design and Illustration at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Jeremy freelanced as an illustrator, which led to his first magazine design job at The Industry Standard. His 10-year stint as a creative for various magazines culminated in his celebrated position as Art Director at Wired magazine. Not one for repose and routine, Jeremy hankered for something even more challenging. “In an effort to stay ahead of the technological shift in the publishing industry, I joined CNET networks, later bought by CBSInteractive, to work on lifestyle websites such as chow.com. When the mobile revolution broke out, I joined AOLMobile as a Creative Director, building two digital publishing platforms and working with brands such as The Huffington Post and Engadget,” says Jeremy, who has since moved to be the Head of Product Design & UX at Issuu, an ecosystem that enables publishers to connect with new audiences through innovative technology. As a ‘digitally endowed’ professional, Jeremy has loads of gadgets for his work and play routines. One of his most prized possessions is a 1956 Chevy pickup truck that jars him to everyday reality away from the virtual and digital world of computers. “I like it because it’s all mechanical with no hydraulic assist, no power steering or brakes. It’s a workout to drive. Plus, it’s a straight six with a top speed of around 65 miles (104 kilometres) an hour. The lack of speed and
mechanical feel keeps me grounded after working on computers all day,” explains Jeremy. He owns two motorcycles. A Triumph Street Triple R “which is great for the city” and a Ducati Multistrada “for long rides.” The Ducati has a great feature called Skyhook technology that powers the suspension, allowing the rider to choose from six distinct riding modes on the fly. Like any other gadget buff, he has the typical suite of Apple products - Macbook Pro 13 inch retina for work and a MacBook Air 13 inch for regular tasks. “I have four or five iPads. my favourite is the retina mini and I keep it in a BookBook cover, which makes it look like an old worn book. Probably my favourite gadget is my iPhone 5, which is with me 24/7,” Jeremy discloses. He keeps his phone constantly juiced using a mophie juice pack. He is also an avid Instagram user and has been addicted to the app since its launch. “There are a number of third party photo editing apps I use, my favourites are IGCroprotate, Pixlr Express and Filterstorm. Also, I have a Nexus 7 tablet and a Galaxy 10,” says Jeremy. He has a wacky craze for
MEN AND THEIR TOYS DRUM phones and has a boxful of them. “I keep a box of old phones going back 10 years…I want to make a long panoramic framed piece showcasing the evolution of the handheld from 1998 through now, that would be cool! My collection includes the Razor, Treo, first iPhone, and Blackberry.” One of his beloved pieces of tech is a Wacom tablet. “It’s a tablet that enables you to use a pen instead of a mouse to manipulate the GUI. I prefer the smallest size tablet as it gives me the best combination of ease of use and portability,” he explains. Presently, Jeremy is obsessed with Phillips HUE lightbulbs. “Everyone who sees them freaks out and it’s so cool because all the electronics are in the base of the bulb itself, so you can transform any light fixture into this new mood light. It really transforms a living space. You can even sample a photograph and replicate its colour palette in a room,” Jeremy explains. Which leads to his other obsession with the Nest thermostat, which can also be controlled from an app. Says Jeremy, “the Nest is the most amazingly simple pieces of tech I use daily, it’s so easy to schedule and it learns from you behaviour, so I’m not sure If I use it anymore or it uses me!” On his wrist, he alternates between a Nike FuelBand and a watch called the Vue that was a collaboration between Yves Behar and Issey Miyaki. “The one I have was the actual fifth one brought into the USA, Yves signed and numbered it on the backside with a Dremel tool right in front of me! I use the Nike FuelBand to monitor my activity, both daily and over time.” He’s currently on a hunt for the next generation wearables. “I want something that can really monitor my caloric intake, cholesterol and heart rate together and give me alerts in real time that I can take action on,” explains Jeremy, who is arock aficionado. He’s been playing in bands for over 20 years as a frontman/singer. He plays acoustic guitar and relaxes with a Takamini ef-307.
Bookbook cover
Mophie juice pack
Wacom Tablet
Phillips HUE lightbulb
Nike Fuel Band
Triumph Street Triple R
42 April 2014 DRUM
1956 Chevy pickup
Vue Nest thermostat
Ducati Multistrada