The startup, which helps consumers discover new beauty products through a monthly subscription-based box of samples, on Thursday said it was partnering with Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop on a special edition box, featuring more Europe-based brands.

While goop initially gained popularity (and some notoriety) for its weekly newsletter, it has grown into a fuller lifestyle publication and e-commerce site. For Birchbox’s special edition box, goop’s London-based editors selected the items, drawing from a more global pool of brands.

The box is only available to Birchbox’s U.S. subscribers but, as the company looks to increase its global presence (with the purchase of JolieBox, which had previously acquired similar startups in Spain and the U.K.), the goop partnership could help the company elevate its profile among European brands.

“It shows the kinds of partnerships we could be doing and our awareness of other brands,” said Birchbox co-founder Katia Beauchamp. (Hear more about Birchbox’s expansion from Beauchamp at our RoadMap conference on November 5th in San Francisco)

In the past year, Birchbox has partnered with a handful of other fashion and lifestyle media properties, including Teen Vogue, Glamour and the TV show Gossip Girl, on special edition boxes. The partnerships keep the experience fresh for subscribers, Beauchamp said, as well as enable the partnering companies to use Birchbox as a marketing vehicle to reach new consumers.

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If you’ve used a smartphone — like an iPhone or an Android, or one of the newer BlackBerry devices — for a long time, here’s a challenge: go for a day or two without it, and see how it feels. I don’t mean hiking the Appalachian Trail; try to go without it during a regular day in a city, or better still, do it when you’re on a business trip to an unfamiliar city. I did that on a recent day in San Francisco after my iPhone locked me out for no reason, and it was a painful experience.

It was painful because suddenly I was disconnected. I don’t mean that I couldn’t make phone calls (in fact, that was the part about the phone I missed the least), but I couldn’t look up where I was in Google Maps, or find out where I was going, or measure how long it was going to take me (I was trying to get to the Apple store, so they could help me fix the phone, which suddenly started asking me for a passcode, even though I hadn’t set one). Particularly in an unfamiliar city, this kind of tool is hugely useful — and even in my home city, I use it all the time.

But it was more than just that. I couldn’t take photos of my surroundings, which is another thing I like to do with the iPhone as my main camera. I like to snap photos, upload them to Flickr or Facebook — and share them with Instagram — a service that posts your photos to a stream your friends can follow and comment on, but also automatically cross-posts them to other services as well, including Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and Tumblr.

Twitter and Facebook were the other two things I missed. As anyone who follows me on Twitter (I’m @mathewi) probably knows, I share a lot on Twitter — thoughts, but mostly links to interesting content. It’s become an integral part of my day (and often of my night as well); not just posting things that I come across, but reading and commenting on the things that others post. I know it’s an overused term, but it really is a conversation, and it was something I missed a lot.

But it was more than that, too. I also missed the ability to look up anything I was curious about at a moment’s notice. Why is that building called that? What does that sign mean? Why is there a giant bow and arrow sticking in the ground near the Embarcadero? Lots of questions occurred to me, but I was incapable of finding the answers. Sure, I could have bought a guidebook, or I could have stopped someone, but the ability to do it from a handheld device on a whim is something I have become fairly addicted to.

This isn’t about the iPhone either — it’s about how smartphones have changed our lives in hundreds of tiny ways, and it isn’t until we try to spend a day or two without them that we find out exactly how dependent we are on them. Is that a good thing? I don’t know, to be honest. Maybe I should remember more things, instead of relying on my ability to look them up in Google. But I do know that having those tools at my fingertips is incredibly powerful — and for better or worse, there’s no question that we are becoming inextricably linked to devices, and particularly those that allow us to connect with our family and friends. And from my perspective, there are way more benefits to that than there are disadvantages.

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Post and thumbnail photo courtesy of Flickr user SuperFantastic

The e-book industry was kick-started with the release of the Kindle by Amazon, and the Nook by Barnes & Noble. Both companies have produced apps for the major smartphone platforms, turning most smartphones sold today into devices for consuming digital books. The New York Times Best-Seller list for e-books should drive sales of digital content, as consumers will have the same reference of popularity that has existed for printed works for so many years.

The Times have partnered with RoyaltyShare, Inc., a company with technology to help the paper validate reported sales figures from the major retailers of e-books.

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For those of us in roles that involve problem solving or creativity of some kind, and who spend our lives at keyboards and meetings, it can be hard to switch off at the end of the work day. It’s even harder if you’re “always on” — if your computer or phone is always within reach, and some part of your mind is always engaged with the world at large courtesy of your web connection.

Why Does Switching Off Matter?

A web working friend of mine laughingly comments that he gets his best ideas in the shower. He attributes this phenomenon to the fact that the practical, rational side of his brain is occupied on a task (washing his hair), leaving the creative part of his mind free to run wild.

As a designer, he also finds that he needs to engage himself with non-creative tasks on a regular basis. He feels that this allows him to recharge his batteries for the times of steady creative output.

The concept of switching off mentally from work is hardly new — we all need to take time out to relax at some point. Yet it seems that fewer and fewer of us make sure we get enough time away from the thought processes that accompany our daily work. Not only does this leave us mentally busy all the time, and risk burnout, as my friend suggests, it can limit our creativity and problem solving capabilities.

Three Ways to Switch Off … Completely!

Switching off doesn’t have to mean disconnecting from the web, isolating yourself, or ignoring the things you enjoy or care about. It just means swapping your everyday focus and thought patterns for something else. If you can find ways to switch off easily, you can do it as and when it suits you, rather than waiting for a vacation or long weekend to roll around.

Here are a few techniques I use to ensure that in the time when I’m not at work, I’m not constantly thinking about it. You’ll notice that each of these techniques involves switching my mind into a different thought pattern. For me, this is the easiest way to switch off.

1. Stop sitting down.

In my work, I spend most of each day sitting down. So if I finish work, then spend an evening reading, watching TV, or poring through the paper, I often find that my thoughts continue along the same paths they’ve been in all day.

On the other hand, pastimes that involve a different kind of movement — like sports, cooking, wandering through an art gallery, or playing with a yo-yo — require me to use my mind and body differently. They demand a different kind of focus and different skills, so they allow me to switch off. Find a pastime that requires a different kind of movement than you use at work, and you might find it easier to switch off from the daily grind.

2. Clear your mind.

If you can meditate, congratulations! Word has it that this is the ideal way to clear your mind and focus your thoughts away from the everyday. Not surprisingly, many people (myself included) find traditional meditation extremely difficult. Perhaps we just feel societal pressure to “be doing” all the time; perhaps we have too much nervous energy. But an inability to meditate doesn’t preclude us from clearing our minds, too.

There are a few tactics that those who don’t mediate can use to slow our thoughts and achieve a single non-task-oriented focus for a given period. Yoga, tai chi and similar exercises that require a focus on breathing are a great place to start. For some, jogging or swimming achieves the same goal. Perhaps for you, it’s brushing the cat. If you can identify the easiest way to clear your mind, you’ll always have a way to switch off when you need to.

3. Focus on an easy challenge.

I’ve always been pretty terrible with numbers, so I find Sudoku puzzles a bit of a challenge. Similarly, I find jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and most games that involve skill, rather than knowledge, engaging. Since I rarely attempt them, when I do, they take up all my attention — there’s no mental space for work at those times.

For you, the easy challenge might be learning to knit, to sing, to play cards, or to dance the Tango. The fact that you’re learning it (though it’s not too difficult!), and it’s not related to the kinds of mental processes you use for work, can help to focus your thoughts toward a goal, and shift your thinking away from your everyday trials, to an entirely different realm.

These are the techniques I commonly use to switch off mentally from my work, but what are yours?

Photo by stock.xchng user amoor.

This is the ultimate roundup of essential apps for your iPhone from 2009.

Best Game: Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid

The sequel to 2008′s Rolando expands on the tilt ‘n’ swipe platforming action of the original. This time round, we’re brought an entire troupe of colorful Rolando characters to protect, alongside a tropical island inhabited by new baddies and a lost Rolando tribe. The artwork is gorgeous, the gameplay is excellent and, thanks to NGMoco’s Plus+ awards system, it’s got bags of replay value too.

Runners-Up Best Game: Gangstar: West Coast Hustle, Doodle Jump

Best Social & Communications App: Tweetie 2

Having formed his own development studio after working at the Cupertino campus, Loren Brichter has established himself as one of the premier App Store developers. Brichter’s skill is feeding his experience at Apple into his apps, Twitter client Tweetie 2 is an impressive showcase of his ability to distill a feature-rich experience into an app with a clear user interface. The app also rolls in a few unexpected new features including video tweeting, profile management and improved location-based searches.

Runners-Up Best Social Communications App: Skype, foursquare

Best Use of Push Notifications: Boxcar

Despite the arrival of push notifications on iPhone earlier this year, it’s still taking many developers time to implement these handy pop-up notifiers in their apps. There’s no push for most Twitter clients, no Facebook push and not even native email push from Apple. Boxcar is the missing push notifier for your favorite apps. The app includes push for Twitter, email, Facebook, RSS and even Growl.

Runners-Up Best Use of Push Notifications: NotifyMe, Ping!

Best News App: Byline

Under the hood, the app updates with the latest news in seconds, syncing happily with Google Reader. Unlike other news readers, while Byline is updating with the latest news, you’re able to keep browsing articles without suffering from any lag. It’s certainly not the most feature-rich news reader, but Byline brings together a clean interface with a robust RSS reader.

Runners-Up Best News App: The Guardian, Newstand

Best Use of Content: NFB Films

The National Film Board of Canada have brought a vast quantity of their video content to the iPhone, all of it wrapped in an easy-to-use free app. There are over a thousand videos available to browse, soak up and send to friends: from documentaries and animations to shorts and trailers for forthcoming releases.

Runners-Up Best Use of Content: McSweeney’s, Panelfly

Best Video App: ReelDirector

Apple may be stalling on bringing iMovie to the iPhone, but that’s nothing to worry about thanks to ReelDirector. With it’s powerful features, the app enables you to edit video footage into your own shorts before sending your latest amateur epic to your friends. In particular, the selection of high quality video transitions really add to the wow effect.

Runners-Up Best Video App: UStream Live Broadcaster, iTimeLapse

Best Photography App: Photoforge

Just like ReelDirector brings video editing to the iPhone, PhotoForge does the same for your photography. First-time users will be drawn to the impressive array of filters on offer, including Blur, Tilt Shift, Simulated HDR and Lomo. Once you’ve got to grips with the filters, there’s also a selection of Photoshop-style tools, including smudge, clone and brushes in a variety of shapes.

Runners-Up Best Photography App: Flickr, QuadCamera

Best Sound App: I Am T-Pain

The year’s most over-used and perhaps abused audio-effect, the auto-tune, has landed on iPhone as Smule’s I Am T-Pain. The app essentially makes even the most cat-screechingly awful singer sound as perfectly tuned as Kanye West. Most importantly, you’ll need absolutely no musical ability to have fun with this brilliant sound toy.

Runners-Up Best Sound App: Mujik, Touch DJ

Best Productivity Tool: NotifyMe

If you’re all about organization and productivity, NotifyMe will keep up-to-date with your task list. Thanks to a sleek user interface and ultra-fast startup time, there’s very little friction between you and the app, meaning you can be entering tasks and then getting back to work in moments. When it’s time to get a task done, the app will send you a push notification, plus there’s even a snooze option (perfect for habitual procrastinators).

Runners-Up Best Productivity Tool: Quickoffice, Pastebot

Best Lifestyle App: Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals

Jamie Oliver brings cooking to the iPhone and true to his style, the entire app is friendly, fun and approachable. There are currently 55 delicious recipes in the app, each one can be whipped up in 20 minutes. To help you along the way, in addition to a range of quick kitchen tutorials recorded by Jamie himself, there’s an interactive shopping list tool and portion calculator.

Runners-Up Best Lifestyle App: Couch to 5K, I Am Safe

Best Utility: Dropbox

The Dropbox service brought off-site backup to the masses. On the desktop, it runs in the background, securing your files and even letting you share them with friends, colleagues and clients with a couple of quick clicks. Although long-awaited, the iPhone app didn’t disappoint. You can browse your Dropbox using the app, plus share files and even save specific content to your iPhone for quick access.

Runners-Up Best Utility: OpenMaps, TimeTuner

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But most of us probably still do more driving than we really have to. I’m from California, the U.S. state with the most cars per capita. Driving is what we Californians do (as you may remember from the movie L.A. Story). It often can’t be helped, given how spread out everything is there.

My simple suggestion, with this post, is that you should try to walk more. Take advantage of the fact that you’re not tied to a desk and a schedule, that nobody’s checking how long your lunch hours are. We can often take the time to actually walk to the grocery store when there’s no rush-hour mob scene, and smell the roses along the way. It’s good for body, soul and planet.

How walkable is your neighborhood? I recently stumbled on Walk Score, a cool site that ranks 2,508 neighborhoods in the 40 largest U.S. cities for walkability. I plugged in my old address to test it:

I never realized there was a hardware store so close by! Or a yoga studio. You can click on the icons for more detail, and also expand the view. I was surprised to learn that 35 percent of San Diegans lived in more walkable neighborhoods than I did. There are other features and plenty of interesting info on the site too. (It’s worth noting that the app isn’t flawless; under “Movie Theaters” it lists an adult book store.)

Now I live in Paris and, like most Parisians, I don’t even own a car. A few years ago, I couldn’t have imagined such a thing. But the big difference is that Paris is the ultimate walkable city. After all, it was built when feet were pretty much the only transportation option available to most. I can’t wait till somebody does a site like this for Paris.

What else can you do? Everybody’s talking about different ways to reduce carbon emissions, but the idea of creating walkable cities is not getting the attention it deserves from the powers that be. Take a few moments to learn what a walkable city is and what walking can do for you and your world. Become an advocate of the movement. Do it for your own quality of life and that of coming generations.

How walkable is your neighborhood?

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This is not only about my wanting a dog; it’s more about the lifestyle changes and bad habits that can gradually take hold when you start working from home, if you’re not careful.

Before I started working exclusively from home, I was an in-house tech writer at a software company. I lived in San Diego in a cute little shack, a block from where the San Diego River met the Pacific. There was a paved path along the river I used to rollerblade on. Six miles round trip — perfect for regular decompression and staving off full-body atrophy.

Let me be clear about one thing. I hate exercising. I like to rollerblade because I feel like a kid when I do it. The fact that it’s good exercise is just a fortunate side effect.

But after three years of working from home in Paris — not the most blade-friendly city — I’ve decided I have to make a change that will get me out of my chair more often and get the blood really flowing. I’ve noticed that I have less energy and less stamina than I did only three years ago. I don’t feel nearly as fit as I used to. In the last three years I think my caffeine intake has about tripled, too. I’m sure the two are related.

I find that these days work time at my computer blends much too seamlessly into play time at my computer. I spend far less time doing non-computer things I used to really enjoy, like cooking, and things I didn’t necessarily enjoy but was usually a little more diligent about, like cleaning the house.

Something’s gotta give. And since the cobblestones (and insane drivers) don’t lend themselves to rollerblading, I think the next best thing is walking. A dog. Frequently. Don’t worry, I’m an experienced dog mom, and getting out of the office is not my primary reason for wanting one. That would be wrong. A dog is a being, not a Bowflex.

So the plan is to find the perfect pooch, unplug a few times a day, be in the moment and the sun (at least part of the year), and stretch my lazy legs. Wish me luck.

If working from home led to lifestyle changes that you weren’t too happy about, please let us know what you did to shake things up. I could use the advice. And I’m sure I’m not alone.

Image by flickr user jpmath

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But Moment is still an interesting example of a series targeting a very specific demographic for a very specific purpose. WeHo residents will recognize certain elements of local culture as being familiar (among them the apartment building communal barbecues, the online dating meat market, even the popular Abbey night spot). And the key issues being discussed, such as like HIV prevention, drug use, and promiscuous sex, are put front and center.

This occasionally pushes the series into PSA territory, with at least one character getting an AIDS test and worrying about his recent bout of unprotected sex, and sometimes the show gets a little on the nose with its attempts to engage the gay community. The third episode begins with the characters reacting to the news that California’s Proposition 8, a statewide ballot measure banning gay marriage, was passed. “We should have gotten married,” one character remarks. “We should have done a lot of things,” his partner replies. (They then attend an anti-Prop 8 rally.)

The tech specifications overall are strong, the cast is likable, and the writing is up to the level of any traditional soap opera. In the Moment isn’t for everybody, but it’s not meant to be. And it’s connecting with those it’s targeted. The first episode received 30,000 views, according to creator Dave O’Brien, who put the series together in the hopes of starting a conversation about HIV prevention among young gay men — “a conversation that had dwindled lately,” he said via phone.

Hence the decision to include a social networking section on the official site, which invites local residents as well as foreign viewers to interact with each other and debate the show developments (each episode ends with a call-to-action question or issue for the audience to discuss online). And as long as Moment continues to balance out its more preachy moments with sincere drama, there’ll be plenty of fodder for debate.

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For me, the most relevant article focused on constant connectivity and how that affects people’s personal and work life balance. The general consensus was that different people handle it different ways (although I like that Jonathan Schwartz, the CEO of Sun, insists on two hours of “rolling around time” with his sons in the evening before getting back to work.)

My worry is that with constant communication and a social norm tending toward multitasking with work, play and our family lives, that a whole chunk of the population gets discounted or disenfranchised.

People like me, who leave at a certain time on most days and who don’t check their email/blogs/Facebook accounts except for once or twice on the weekends seem to be in short supply. And while people often talk the talk about family time being important, I’m amazed at the pitches I get for breaking news sent to me at 9 or 10 at night for news that will go out in a few hours or early the next morning.

I question why they would think I’m working and what they are doing working at that time. If it weren’t time sensitive news, I would consider it a function of their lives and schedules, but somehow thinking I might respond anywhere near that time is crazy. So this “all-work-anytime” culture is a problem in my opinion, because it expects a rapid response at any time of the day or night, and also breaks down an accepted time and place when business can be conducted. I doubt that is sustainable, and already is driving a lot of stress.

The moral? Turn off your CrackBerry, step away from the computer and take some time to read the articles, and think about what an always-on nomadic culture will mean for you. Then decide how you choose to participate in it. I’m choosing to turn off my computer now.

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