July 24, 2009
Staff Picks: Weed App, Giant Robots, Donny Osmond, Ghost Music, Rental Car Rally and More
David
Dream Come True for Robot Anime Fans
Growing up with Japanese super robot cartoons such as Voltes V and Daimos, as well as the US-dubbed Transformers series, I always wondered what these mechanical marvels would look like had they existed in the real world – geeky, but true.
A couple of recent exhibits qualified as my personal pick for the week precisely because they’ve helped bring to life these childhood dreams of powering up my very own robotic mobile suit of armor and blasting the enemy to kingdom come. The San Diego Comic Convention gave us a life-sized, 2007 version of Bumblebee , while in Odaiba, Japan, the makers of the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series commemorated its 30th anniversary by constructing an amazing, 60-foot, 1:1 scale replica of an actual RX-78 Gundam unit. Make sure you check out all the pictures!
Andrea
Remember when everyone was buzzing about using fingerprints as a security measure for electronics? Old news. Now Hitachi is turning employee’s fingers (specifically the unique blood flow in the finger veins) into supreme purchasing power at the company vending machine. After they’ve internally proven that the system works, they’ll look to roll it out for military use. No word yet on when this technology might be available mass market.
Jeremy
When we typically think about documenting our travels, it's in the context of what we've "seen." Media like photo and video is an important part of the documentation experience and typically what is shared with friends and family when we return. However, this automatically ignores our other four senses like hearing, touch, smell and taste.
In this interesting project, Giles Turnbull of The Morning News goes on an "audio trip" through London, documenting the many unique ambient sounds and conversations of the environment. The built-in audio capture capabilities of any mobile device can potentially power this experience, offering further richness to how we explore and relate to the world around us.
Valerie
I guess you don't want to talk to me anymore
I recently attended the opening for "Summer Reading" at the Jen Bekman gallery. The show includes some of the pieces from photographer Kelly Shimoda's project in which she has been documenting text messages. It is appropriately named and features a work titled "I guess you don't want to talk to me anymore."
I have been following the project online (full disclosure – Kelly is a friend and a former handset of mine is included in the project), but seeing her prints on the gallery wall made me view it with fresh eyes. Working in the industry, we often discuss text messages as a metric (20¢ per, unlimited, bounceback rates) or technology (SMS). However, seeing text messages so publicly displayed and at a larger than life-size scale reminded me that they are also an extremely intimate communication medium between people.
Reming
The life of a celebrity is soooo exhausting and difficult. You’re always dealing with TMZ and other paparazzi invading your personal life. Well maybe not anymore. Adam Harvey, a current ITP student, developed the “anti-paparazzi clutch bag” a device that has a build in LED light that ruins any photographs taken after dark. It senses the camera’s flash and then counters it with a brighter flash that ultimately blinds the paparazzi’s camera. Life in LA may be over as we know it, friends. Because besides Lady Gaga, who wouldn’t want one?
Allison
The third Rental Car Rally is being held August 21, heading from NYC to Detroit.
Organized by StreetWars’ "Supreme Commander" and Steve Bryant of Wiimbledon, RCR is a 36-hour, backroads-only road trip that must be completed in a rental car while wearing a ridiculous costume. Style is more important than speed-- think Nascar meets Barnum & Bailey.
The rally hits crazy checkpoints -- an abandoned PA ghost town with a mine fire burning beneath the streets, a drive through strip club, etc -- and then partying in a downtown Detroit hotel casino, where they’ll gamble their way into insolvency, according to Bryant.
Chris
Forget About Music, Ringtones Measure an Artist's Clout
People think that an artist's fame and fortune can be measured by record sales, radio and TV airtime, fans' dedication, mega packed stadiums, and long world tours. Well, not only. Zed, a digital entertainment company, has found that massive gossip news generates a significant increase in artist ringtone sales. Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch has cancer? Sales went up 64%, T.I. goes to jail? Up 19%, Fergie gets married? Sales drop 10%. And of course, the king of pop dies? Ringtone downloads increase 9,544%!!. You don't even have to make new music anymore.
Tristan
There are plenty of music apps out there, for potentially every need (although genre specific apps would be cool). With Ghostly Discovery app, you set your mood (introspective, energetic, sad...), and the style you want (organic, digital, slow...) and the app just creates a playlist for you. The artists are selected from Ghostly International's (its a label) pioneering artists and other partner labels, making for a really eclectic selection. It's nice seeing an app that is not trying to ride the top 40 offering, and goes with content that requires some learned appreciation.
Michael
Back in college I was a teaching assistant for a consumer behavior class (a nice $6.25/hr to pocket). Before the first day of class one semester I was looking through the roster and a name stood out for obvious reasons - Don Osmond. And just at the very moment, in walked in Don, Jr. looking exactly like his dad. My thought during class was, “what celebrity would name their child after themselves? How’s a kid going to ever develop their own identity? Maybe I should punch the dad in the clavicle?”
Turns out Don, Jr. embraces it, just like a true Osmond. He actually likes his dad and does understand the power in the brand. It’s taken him from being a reporter to a professional bobsledder. Now he’s entered a contest to “blog your way to Antarctica” for a free $20,000 expedition…now if I could just get Don to contribute to my personal blog, just think how my viewership would jump from its current number of 15/day.
Matthew
Apple, generally known for their stringent approval policies regarding their apps, is turning heads by adopting an oh so Californian, laid back attitude with one of their new applications. Cannabis, an application that can discover local pot shops, organizations, and clinics is now accessible for $2.99 on the App Store.
The app can also locate attorneys, cooperatives, and even legal coffee shops abroad to assist stoners in all of their 'weed needs'. The program allows searches by city, zip code, and bookmark listings and will only do so in U.S. states where marijuana has been legalized. The app only produces listings, and will not give access to marijuana for eager smokers without a proper medical prescription provided by doctor. There are also plans to add news, videos, and reviews (all related to weed of course) in future updates of the program.
