Side Salad: But What About a 'Mini' Data Center On Your Property?
June 26,2026
Good morning from Dieline’s editor-in-chief, Bill McCool. Here’s your daily side serving of design news, short musings, brand stuff, and forgotten ephemera.
What’s my medium? Oh, that would be saxophones and high heels (Loving Willie Cole’s mixed media sculptures).
I wouldn’t call this an “absolute must-have lifestyle piece“ because that would be silly, but Supreme and Coppertone collaborated on an SPF 50 spray.
Yesterday, I learned of the existence of installing a “mini” data center on your property. The idea here is that by essentially harnessing your home’s excess power capacity, you can offset the costs, delays, and environmental footprint of these resource-draining warehouses (and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but people really hate them). San Francisco startup SPAN has also thrown in quite the kicker—potential free internet and electricity. It’s likely not that cut and dry, and I’m sure there are also some issues around privacy and harnessing data, not to mention getting on board with the AI industry to cut down on your utility bills. Anywho, this is all to say that free ain’t ever free.
I do enjoy a good catalog.
I really thought it was gonna’ be Scotland’s away jersey or the Mexican home jersey that would take home the gold for yours truly, but in the end, it was Curacao’s away uni!
Come, join me in crying about grocery prices.
Charlotte interviewed logo and lettering specialist Tobias Hall.
The global memory shortage has led Apple to raise prices on Macs and iPads. What affordability crisis!
Wired on the Google x A24 partnership: Rosenfield regards the deal as a form of positive PR, at least on the part of Google. “They’re saying, ‘We want to launder our reputation through you,’” she says. “We want to make it look like serious artists are going to be making things with these tools. Because serious artists, by and large, aren’t.” (Asked if the Google deal was a form of reputation laundering, A24 offered no comment.) Personally, I am not sure I trust anyone who says they want a “seat at the table,” when, for the most part, I would like to see the table hacked to pieces with an axe and then sold for kindling.
Go outside and play.
-Bill
The Early Bird rates expire Tuesday. Here’s exactly what changes.
Through Tuesday, June 30: Concept $95 · Indie $195 · Pro $295.
Wednesday, July 1: Concept $115 · Indie $225 · Pro $325. Same judges, same 19 categories, same global stage. The only thing that changes is what you pay. Five days left.