Filed under: Feature | Tags: Blog, Social media, TECHNOLOGY, The Net, Twitter, Twitter Whore, us, Video
ONLINE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: TWITTER WHORE
Recommended to me today by my favorite Angelino, Twitter Whore chronicles the life of one Twitter-obsessed girl. I personally, abstain from Twitter much like I try to abstain from reading US Weekly. . .except on special occasions.
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Filed under: GAMING | Tags: Digital media, EA, Electronic Arts, IKEA, Media, Sims 2, TECHNOLOGY, The Sims
Electronic Arts, producer of the computer game “The Sims 2,” has inked a marketing deal with IKEA. Players will soon be able to furnish virtual homes with the Swedish retailer’s products. “We know not only players’ passion for creating their own content but their desire to interact with brands. It’s an environment in which players like to blur the line between the digital and real world,” said Nancy Smith, the EA global president for The Sims label. (The Guardian (London) 5/15)
Filed under: Feature | Tags: 50 Cent, Apple, Ayo Technology, Google, iPod, Ladybug, Mobile, Samsung, Sony, TECHNOLOGY, Valentine's Day, Vestalige, Yahoo, YouTube
FEEL THE LOVE: AYO TECHNOLOGY
Happy Valentine’s Day all.
I’m tired of using technology, I need you right in front of me.
Nothing says Valentine’s Day like 50 Cent’s song ‘Ayo Technology.’
In the spirit of the day, I thought I would bring you notes from the technology world that brings the love.
Ladybug iPod Speakers
Samsung Mobile Phones
And of course. . .
Apple RED iPod
YouTube definitely wins the award for V-Day logo this year. Google. . .slacking.
Google’s V-Day Logo
You Tube’s V-Day Logo
Yahoo’s V-Day Logo
Filed under: Feature | Tags: Be Kind Rewind, Jack Black, Michel Gondry, Mos Def, Retro, TECHNOLOGY, The Ring, VCR, VHS
GET RETRO: BE KIND REWIND
As defined by Wikipedia, retro translates to “backwards” or “in past times”. This implies a focus on the past rather than movement towards the future. Defined by Marauder, I see the retro as being the missing link in understanding the future. In our rush to understand new platforms and new forms of consumption, we forget how relatively recent our methods of consumption were completely different. Understanding our past helps understand our blaze towards the future and just how fleeting all of this chit chat about new platforms could turn out to be in the future.
In the spirit of keepin’ it real, I am bringing it retro in a 3-part series inspired by the upcoming film Be Kind Rewind, in theatres February 22nd .
Part 1: VHS Love
Here’s some things I had forgotten about the VHS tape of my youth:
- Failure to rewind fees at the video store. Who has the time to painfully sit idyll while the VHS tape whirs to the beginning?
- Accidental erasure. I’m betting we have all had one of those holy shit moments after realizing that we’ve erased Karen’s birthday party. Sorry Karen.
- Tape degradation. After playing Dream a Little Dream 50 times as a youngin’, the Coreys didn’t quite look their best. Don’t hate. You know you loved the Coreys. . .
Thinking about all of these slightly less than positive qualities almost brought a tear to my eye. Ah, memories. . . As further evidence to the negative connotations associated with VHS, I present to you the following:
The Ring Trailer
The Ring: a story about a video tape that haunts the viewer setting in motion a host of events leading to death. Yup, just a wee bit negative.
In antithesis to the negative, the movie Be Kind Rewind reminds us of our past in a way that leaves the viewer smiling rather than cringing. The movie, directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black and Mos Def, takes a look at the anti-new media world. After all of the VHS tapes in a video store have become demagnetized (and therefore erased), the employees take about the task of re-creating the classics, including Ghostbusters and Transformers to name a few.
Be Kind Rewind Trailer
Here’s the quick history lesson on VHS:
1976
- The VHS tape, short for Video Home System, is introduced and competes with Betamax. Many now compare the Beta/VHS wars to the current rival battle of Blu-Ray and HD DVD.
1997
- The DVD is released.
2002
- DVD sales outpace VHS sales.
2005
- The last movie in VHS format is released in the US (History of Violence).
All this aside, the VHS still inhabits many homes from coast to coast. The technology isn’t dead as much as it’s on its way out. For more information on the evolution of the VCR, click on the image below.
In essence, keep it real kids and don’t get too caught up in the news of the now. Every day, there are more and more viewing options but linked throughout all of these new platforms is the desire that has been the case since before before: instant gratification. We have always wanted it now. The only difference is that we can finally get it immediately. Now, all I can demagnetize is my credit card. Awesome.
This post has been heavily inspired by an intriguing article from the Sunday NYT by Dennis Lim: Instant Nostalgia? Let’s Go to the Videotape.
Get ready to salivate. Part 2: the talk box. Can you dig? More retro action next week.
Filed under: Feature | Tags: Apple, Comparison, Computer, MacBook Air, Sony Vaio TZ, TECHNOLOGY
MACBOOK AIR, MEET THE SONY VAIO TZ
Last week at MacWorld, Steve Jobs unveiled the thinnest computer in the world, aptly named the MacBook Air. In his keynote, he compared the newest MacBook addition to the previous thin record holder, the Sony TZ series. I thought this comparison deserved a closer look. Let’s check out the features to see who the real winner is in this tête a tête. (Note: In comparison, I compared both standard models for the MacBook Air and Sony Vaio TZ)
Thinness: MacBook Air
At .76” at its thickest section, the MacBook is thinner than the Sony Vaio at 1.17” at its thickest section.
Weight: Sony Vaio TZ
The MacBook Air may be thinner but it’s a wee bit heavier than the Sony Vaio TZ.
Screen: MacBook Air
The screen on the MacBook Air is the same viewable screen as the MacBook at 13.3”. The Sony in comparison is a bit small at 11.1”. That said, the resolution on the Sony is slightly better than the Macbook Air.
Price: MacBook Air
The Sony is listed as $2099 on the Sony Style website but available for $1849 on the B&H site. Click on the Sony image at the bottom for the B&H site. Still, the MacBook Air is cheaper.
Hard Drive: Sony Vaio
Both are 4200-rpm PATA drives. Sony’s has 100GB to Macbook Air’s 80GB.
RAM: MacBook Air
Apple’s comes with 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM. Sony’s comes with 1GB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM.
Speed: MacBook Air
Both have Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The MacBook Air’s runs at 1.6GHz while the Sony’s runs at 1.06GHz.
Connecting on the Go: Sony Vaio
Being the sometimes proud owner of an Apple iPhone, I have become overly in tune with the Wi-Fi hotspots in NYC. Based on this hyper awareness, I understand the catastrophe that would occur if someone clipped the wings on my Edge network. It may not be 3G, but it’s a Wi-Fi replacement when I need one. In addition, it works quite well in the standard Google search realm. The MacBook Air offers wireless and Bluetooth connections. The Sony Vaio offers wireless, Bluetooth, Sprint EDVO, Ethernet, and a modem (OK, a little overkill on that last one.) The Sprint EDVO, available by monthly subscription, offers a nice mobile replacement when Wi-Fi is unavailable.
Battery: Sony Vaio
The Sony offers 4.5 to 7 hours of run-time and as an extra incentive, the battery is replaceable. The MacBook Air offers 5 hours and, as is generally the case with Apple, cannot be replaced.
Keyboard: MacBook Air
Apple offers a full keyboard as compared to Sony’s mini me. In addition, the Apple keyboard is backlit in low lighting situations as typically found on overnight flights and in dark conference rooms.
Optical Drive: Sony Vaio
The long and short. The Sony has a DVD drive. The Apple doesn’t. Apple claims the sacrifice on optical drive is satisfied by a remote drive feature. I say: That doesn’t help me on a NYC to LA flight. I want my DVD drive yo.
THE LOW DOWN:
At least in this comparison, MacBook has a slight lead with 6 leading features as compared to 5. That said, even though I don’t dig the mini me keyboard, I’d rather have a built in DVD drive than extra dependence on a Wi-Fi network or another box to carry around. The MacBook is sexier by far but a bit impractical. I’d have to go with the Sony Vaio. Either that, or could you just put the DVD drive back in Apple? A girl has to have her Peep Show on the plane.
Filed under: MISC | Tags: Canon Powershot SD850 IS, Flip Video Ultra, Holiday, Lawnbott LB3200, LG Voyager, Sagaform Bucket Grill, TECHNOLOGY
DAILY MARAUDER’S LIST OF FIVE HOLIDAY TREATS
Tis the season to be overly stressed about gift-giving. Here’s a list of five gadgets to make the techno-geek on your list happy.
For the overzealous picture-taker: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Click on the image above to see the CNET Review. Priced at $256, this camera packs in the features with 8 megapixels, image stabilization, face recognition, 4X optical zoom and a genuine optical eyepiece viewfinder. I’ve had a Canon PowerShot series for two years and have absolutely no complaints and thousands of priceless picture moments.
For the guy who would rather be golfing right now: Lawnbott LB3200
You’ve heard about the vacuuming robot that cleans your house while you relax on the couch. But have you heard of the robot that mows your lawn electronically? As an urban dweller, I don’t even HAVE a lawn. I still think this is hot.
Trimming up to 30,000 square feet, this little bot shifts direction whenever it bumps into an object at least 4 inches high or detects an owner-created perimeter wire. Lazy has now reached new depths. Price: $2,499 Trim on little bot. I’m going hammocking.
For the video blogger: Flip Video Ultra
Nicely accessorized in 5 colors, the Flip Video Ultra comes in either a 1GB (30 minutes of VGA-quality video) or 2GB (60 minutes of VGA-quality video) priced at either $150 or $180 respectively. The ultra compact camcorder offers on-board software enabling editing, organizing, and seamless uploading to AOL and YouTube. The Flip Ultra also comes equipped with a flip-out USB port for connecting to your PC. I’m in love.
For the iPhone Hater: LG Voyager
Everyone’s waiting for the iPhone killer to touch down and put some serious hurtin’ on Jobs’ baby. I’m not sure this is the product to do it but it does bring it with some very cool features. Click the image amove for InfoSync’s video review. The highlights for me:
· Haptic feedback on the touch screen: When the screen is tapped, a vibration lets the user know that a key has been depressed. Love it. Hook it up Apple.
· Camera: Similar to the iPhone, the LG Voyager sports a 2 megapixel on-board camera. While the camera on the iPhone can get a bit sloppy and doesn’t capture video, the LG Voyager excels with video capture and a camera that sports superior accuracy.
· TV Viewing
Above is a snapshot of the user interface for Verizon’s VCast Mobile TV product and 85% of the reason why I’m so enamored with this phone. For the time being, the channel offerings are limited to 8, but include CBS Mobile, NBC Mobile, NBC News, Fox Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN, MTV Mobile, and Nickelodeon under the basic package. The video offered is either streaming (live albeit for a few second delay as compared to standard TV) or on demand.
In short, I dig.
For the urban dweller who secretly wishes she had a back yard: Sagaform Bucket Grill
For us common city folk, your average grill is way too large for our modest-sized apartments. Enter compact grill above stage left. This tiny wonder offers 10 inches of grilling goodness; enough surface area for six hot dogs or three burgers. Click the image above for Wired’s review. Price: $40 I can’t wait for summer. Rooftop barbecue anyone?
TECHNOLOGY
Consumers looking to pick up a laser TV this holiday season will have to wait, according to Arasor, which manufactures the optical chip used in the technology. Laser TV has been marketed as a “plasma killer” that promises better images, thinner units and less electricity consumption. The Sydney Morning Herald (11/27)
