September 30, 2004
Music Videos Tap Video Games
[from wired.com]
Over the past few years, entertainment has become more incestuous than ever. Rock stars became actors, comic book characters morphed into title roles in blockbuster films and everyone involved goes to the same after-parties.
Now, the blending of popular culture has gone even further with a new MTV show of animated music videos featuring popular video game characters performing bands' songs.
Today's the Day. Known as "video mods," the videos star characters from The Sims 2, Tribes: Vengeance, BloodRayne and other games jamming on guitar, break dancing and belting out the latest tracks from Evanescence, the Von Bondies, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Fountains of Wayne and other bands. MTV2 showcases these videos in a half-hour show called, what else, Video Mods.
"Music videos and video games (are) two roads that have been pointing to each other and about to intersect," said Alex Coletti, executive producer for MTV2, which broadcasts Video Mods. "I know that our audience, when they're not watching music videos, they're playing video games. Here's a way to do both."
Posted by richard ting at September 30, 2004, 11:28 AM
September 29, 2004
interSMS
Send SMS Text Messages for only 5¢ PER MESSAGE!
Now you can send SMS messages right from your computer. InterSMS allows you to create your own SMS Mobile Marketing Campaign or communicate via Text Messaging instantly.
InterSMS connects you to virtually every mobile phone in the world. It is a simple, but very powerful application that resides in your Outlook program. Sending a text message is as easy as sending an email!
Posted by richard ting at September 29, 2004, 10:33 AM
"Tokyo Game Show 2004" (Sept 24-26, 2004)
[from eurotechnology.com]
The "Tokyo Game Show" is probably one of the most important - maybe THE most important - game show globally to set the trends.
Over 100 game software companies preview their lates releases. This years highlights was SONY with a stunning display of the new "PlayStation Portable" - PSP - .
In a stunning arena around a huge upscaled PSP model, visitors could play with the software SONY partners have prepared for PSP. SONY also arranged an amazing preview display of the new "Gran Turismo 4" racing game to come out later in 2004. "Gran Turismo 4" is typical for the hyper popular car racing game sector. DoCoMo also had a stunning display area, highlighting 15 of DoCoMos most important partner companies. DoCoMo has over 4000 i-mode content partners aligned, and games are one of the most important area on the i-mode menu - many customers are driven to buy the next handset upgrade for the new game content they can play. Therefore DoCoMos display was centered on the 900i FOMA/3G handset series.
Posted by richard ting at September 29, 2004, 10:15 AM
September 24, 2004
Hot Enough? Art, Activism, and Wireless Technology During the Republican National Convention
[from flavorpill]
when: Mon 9.27 (7pm)
where: Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, The New School (55 W 13th St, 212.229.5488)
price: $8
links: Event Info
Most New Yorkers recognize a cell phone as more than just a device for making calls. From uploading pictures to building text messaging networks, our cell phones enable us to be simultaneously free, yet connected. During the RNC, protestors' call to action also became a call to innovate, and many used more than just phones to make sure they were heard. Tonight, Jonah Peretti of new media nonprofit Eyebeam hosts a panel of activists in a discussion of how wireless technology was employed during the convention. Participants include: Yury Gitman, whose Magic Bike acts as a mobile wireless hotspot, and Joshua Kinberg of Bikes Against Bush, who constructed a wireless Internet-enabled bicycle which prints text messages onto the streets of Manhattan. (JA)
Posted by richard ting at September 24, 2004, 11:08 AM
imagination
Explore your imagination here.
Posted by richard ting at September 24, 2004, 11:00 AM
Lee Jeans - 90 Foot Babe
Lee Jeans launched its teaser campaign online, in the form of a blog. The blog, written by "90-Foot Babe," has garnered a fair amount of traffic since launching, due to the fact that there is a phone number, complete with message, on the ads and flyers that are being distributed around major metro areas. Fallon Worldwide created the TV campaign for Lee Jeans, and lookandfeel New Media developed the online pieces.
Posted by richard ting at September 24, 2004, 10:46 AM
September 23, 2004
From Boxes and Arrows: Personas
Making Personas More Powerful: Details to Drive Strategic and Tactical Design
by George Olsen
Personas ought to be one of the defining techniques in user-focused design, but they've unfortunately become more of a check-off item than a useful tool. So how did we get here?
Read more.
Extending a Technique: Group Personas
by Mike Kuniavsky
Entertainment, education, and collaboration software is often used by two or more people simultaneously. Each of these groups has a different set of needs and expectations, and each can be modeled as a group persona, rather than as individual users.
Read more.
Posted by richard ting at September 23, 2004, 12:48 PM
Advertisers Beware: Blog-Fortified "Copy Cops" at Your Doorstep
by Pete Blackshaw
Blog and bloggers have made a huge mark in 2004, and this should give every major marketer and advertiser pause for deep reflection.
Bloggers gave Howard Dean's campaign early, unexpected momentum. They fanned the flames of the Iraqi prison crisis with rapid distribution of photos, especially the most controversial ones. They catapulted into the mainstream Burger King's "Viral Chicken" campaign, as well as the controversial "Swift Boat Veteran for Truth" anti-Kerry video. More recently, blogs have showcased new and promising ways for brands like Microsoft, Nike, Nokia, Sun, and HP to reach out to consumers and other stakeholders.
But let the word go forth - to marketers and agencies alike -that the blog revolution brings with it unmistakable tradeoffs and potent new "rules of engagement." Ignore them at your peril.
New Rules of Accountability
Like it or not, bloggers promise to hold marketers to new levels of accountability, impacting just about everything advertisers do, say, and claim.
Posted by richard ting at September 23, 2004, 10:54 AM
September 22, 2004
New Orchard Street Dunks
Anybody know the deal behind the new orchard street dunks? Are they in anyway related to the 'Sneakerheads' documentary?
Posted by richard ting at September 22, 2004, 10:35 AM
Vodafone to release 7 new 3G phones
Vodafone Japan is releasing seven 3G mobile for the holiday season.
One of these is the Nokia 6630 (Vodafone 702NK) which is a rather cool Symbian Series 60 mobile.
Nokia 6630
The Nokia 6630 is Nokia’s first 3G phone based on Symbian OS. It features always-connected email, mobile broadband access for multimedia content, live video streaming and video conferencing. The 1.23 million pixel camera has 1 to 6x variable digital zoom for picture and video capture, manual exposure control, sequence mode for fast picture capture and up to one hour of video recording. The 6630 is optimized for 3G (WCDMA), EDGE and 2G networks worldwide and is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2004.
Check out the Nokia 6630 site.
Posted by richard ting at September 22, 2004, 10:18 AM
September 21, 2004
Pony's new street advertising
Spotted in Soho and in Williamsburg.
Posted by richard ting at September 21, 2004, 10:32 AM
September 18, 2004
Newest Video Ads from EyeWonder:
Sky Captain
Video Banner Ad Tabs and Downloads
Check it out.
Sega NHL 2K5
Video Banner Ad with Polling
Check it out.
Posted by richard ting at September 18, 2004, 12:19 PM
Gallery of Computation
Quote from the programmer:
"I write computer programs to create graphic images.
With an algorithmic goal in mind, I manipulate the work by finely crafting the semantics of each program. Specific results are pursued, although occasionally surprising discoveries are made.
I believe all code is dead unless executing within the computer. For this reason I distribute the source code of my programs in modifiable form to encourage life and spread love. Opening one's code is a beneficial practice that both helps the community and grows the strength of the programmer."
Posted by richard ting at September 18, 2004, 12:10 PM
I Want My MP3: Former VJ Offers Web Users Syndicated Shows On MP3
by Ross Fadner
As it turns out, you can do more with mp3s than just play music. Adam Curry, weblogger and former MTV VJ, has started offering visitors what he calls a "daily audio log" of syndicated radio shows through an iPod or other mp3 player. The project is called iPodder, and it uses RSS (really simple syndication) feeds with mp3 enclosures to allow users to download audio files from the Web to their mp3.
On an "iPodder" Web site, which Curry created, he writes that those who syndicate their material via iPodder have found the tool helpful in distributing their work. He notes that iPodder is still in development--it's only a month old--but adds that hundreds of people are using it every day.
iPodder makes audio mp3 or Windows Media Player files available via RSS--an electronic content feed with a piece of XML attached to it, enabling the content to be delivered over real-time networks to recipients. Users choose the feed they want, and aggregators then cull the files from Curry's iPodder site and deliver them through an application to an mp3. Audio blogs currently being syndicated via iPodder include: Adam Curry's The Daily Source Code, RSS founding father Dave Winer's Morning Coffee Notes, IT Conversations, Evil Genius Chronicles, RasterWeb, Blogdigger Audio, and FreeFlow.
Posted by richard ting at September 18, 2004, 11:48 AM
September 16, 2004
ArtBots: The Robot Talent Show
LEMUR debuts ModBots installation at
'ArtBots: The Robot Talent Show'
Friday-Sunday, September 17-19, 2004, 12 - 6 pm
Third annual ArtBots held in Harlem for the first time, at The Mink
Building at 126th & Amsterdam!
LEMUR participates in 'ArtBots: The Robot Talent Show' from
Friday-Sunday, September 17-19. This is LEMUR's return to ArtBots;
last year, the New York artist collective received ArtBots' coveted
"People's Choice" award. ArtBots and LEMUR make their Harlem debut at
The Mink Building at 126th & Amsterdam for three days of robotic fun.
LEMUR debuts a new percussion ensemble consisting of thirteen ModBots
instruments. ModBots are miniature modular percussion robots in a
variety of styles and functions, including singing bell bots and
percussion "beater" bots. During ArtBots, the ModBots ensemble will
sometimes perform an improvised cacophony of percussive music and
sound; at other times, it will perform composed pieces, including
"Music for Robots", written by downtown composer and regular LEMUR
contributor Joshua Fried. Kids and ArtBots attendees will also have
the opportunity to play with the ModBots ensemble, using interactive
sensor inputs.
The ModBots ensemble was created by LEMUR artist Bil Bowen. Bowen is
a sound artist and engineer with a background in music composition
and architectural theory. He is a founding member of the Aires
Project, and is currently building mechanized idiophonic sculptures
for interactive installation-compositions within existing
architectural spaces.
Posted by richard ting at September 16, 2004, 03:39 AM
BMW1derland
BMW uses Macromedia Director MX, Flash MX, and Fireworks MX to deliver BMW1derland, a game/entertainment experience for its new BMW 1 Series, which targets a younger, funkier audience. (Sep. 16, 2004)
Posted by richard ting at September 16, 2004, 02:52 AM
September 15, 2004
Beat Society
Beat Society is a free platform for hip hop producers to showcase their talent. The website boasts over 300 producers and 3,500 beats from across the globe.
Posted by richard ting at September 15, 2004, 08:56 AM
September 14, 2004
Interactive fiction for gamers
[from trendcentral]
| By now it’s no new news that the gaming industry is rapidly becoming a leader in the entertainment world. The latest evolution in the gaming category is the genre of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs). ARGs are a form of interactive fiction that use a variety of platforms, such as television, radio, newspapers, Internet, email, SMS, telephone, voicemail, and regular mail to deliver stories and puzzles to enhance products such as video games, movies, and books. ARGs are typically comprised of a secret group of Puppetmasters who create and control the stories and puzzles and a public group of players, known as the collective detective, that try to solve the puzzles and thereby further the story.
While ARGs have been around for a couple of years (there was one surrounding the release of the movie Artificial Intelligence: AI) only recently have they really been taking off. I Love Bees is an ARG created specifically for the release of Halo 2 that is attracting a global fanbase. The latest I Love Bees stunt involved web-imbedded code with payphone booth coordinates, phone calls, secret passwords, and audio files. While ARGs haven’t quite hit the mainstream at this point, marketers should be taking note of ARGs, as their diverse media format seems conducive for brand integration and promotions. For more info, check out www.ilovebees.com and www.argn.com, the definitive website for ARG news and info. |  |
Posted by richard ting at September 14, 2004, 11:13 AM
September 11, 2004
File Sharing Goes Mobile
With all these different music download stores and file sharing apps, it was only a matter of time before everything started to go mobile. I recently wrote up an article at TheFeature about all the various music download offerings for mobile phones, but it looks like some are already going beyond that to offer some form of "file sharing" as well. EMI has talked about mobile file sharing in the past, but it seemed pretty watered down. Recently, Wippit, makers of an increasingly popular DRM technology that encourages limited file sharing announced plans to offer mobile file sharing by letting users get around many wireless carriers by sending the file in response to an SMS message. The latest, though, is that SK Telecom is showing off a mobile file sharing system in Korea that will let users swap music files, ringtones, videos and more via their 3G network. They admit that it has no copy protection at all, and even say, "we're not thinking about that type of problem." It's not clear if that's because they never plan to actually launch it, or they just don't care. Given that the recording industry in Korea wanted to sue wireless carriers for offering MP3 playing phones (even after they agreed to forcibly degrade the sound quality), you have to wonder how long such an application would remain on the market. Still, it's been said many times before: it's only a matter of time until a real Napster-style file sharing app is written for mobile phones, whether by the carriers themselves or (more likely) independently. And still, everyone in the wireless and music industry seems to ignore this potential problem and insist that overpriced ringtone revenue will be around forever.
Posted by richard ting at September 11, 2004, 07:05 AM
September 10, 2004
The New Nike
No longer the brat of sports marketing, it has a higher level of discipline and performance
In many ways, the sleek, four-story building that houses Nike Inc.'s (NKE ) Innovation Kitchen is a throwback to the company's earliest days. Located on the ground floor of the Mia Hamm building on Nike's 175-acre headquarters campus in Beaverton, Ore., the Kitchen is where Nike cooked up the shoes that made it the star of the $35 billion athletic footwear industry. In this think tank for sneakers, designers find inspiration in everything from Irish architecture to the curving lines of a Stradivarius violin. One wall displays models of every Air Jordan ever made, while low-rise cubicles are littered with sketches of new shoes. The Kitchen is off limits to most visitors and even to most Nike employees. The sign on the door says, only half in jest: "Nobody gets in to see the cooks. Not nobody. Not no how."
This is where, nearly 20 years ago, Nike star designer Tinker Hatfield came up with the Air Jordan -- the best-selling sports shoe of all time. Right now, Hatfield and his team are tallying the results of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Hatfield and his design geeks produced an array of superfast sneakers for the Games, including the sleek track spike called Monsterfly for sprinters and the Air Zoom Miler for distance runners. As befits a global company, Nike's sponsored athletes hailed from all over the world. They took home a lot of hardware from Athens, including 50 gold medals and dozens more silver and bronze. In the men's 1,500-meter run, for instance, Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco grabbed gold, Bernard Lagat of Kenya took the silver, and Rui Silva of Portugal won the bronze. All wore the Air Zoom Miler, while U.S. sprinter Shawn Crawford won the 200-meter gold in a pair of Monsterflys. And Nike apparel had its day in the sun, too. The top four finishers in the men's 100-meter race all wore the sign of the Swoosh.
Posted by richard ting at September 10, 2004, 05:26 PM
September 09, 2004
Your Own Hit Parade on a Hard Drive, With MP3 Files
by Yingdan Gu
In the same way that people used to record their favorite songs from the radio on cassettes or their favorite TV shows with VCR's, they can now capture streaming audio from the Internet on a computer hard drive.
A new piece of software called Audio Xtract is the key. After the software is installed on your computer, it connects you to a database of Internet radio stations that can be sorted by genre or bandwidth. Once you've found one that appeals to you, just click on Record. The software enables the computer to record the material in the form of individual MP3 files and stores them in a folder. The files are named according to their content, making it easy to delete those - like commercials - you don't want.
Because the contents are recorded as MP3 files, they can be played on computers and portable media players and burned onto CD's. Audio Xtract is $50 at www.audioxtract.com and at other Web sites, and has begun to reach stores. A professional version, which includes the ability to edit recorded material, is $70.
Audio Xtract can record as many as eight stations simultaneously, although a broadband Internet connection is recommended when multiple streams are being recorded. And you can even schedule recording sessions in advance.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 06:14 AM
Location and Presence in Mobile Data Services
by Jonathan Grubb and Shawn Smith
“Mobile technology is expanding our design toolkit beyond the desktop, and those who embrace this technology to enhance the core functions of their products will offer their users a superior experience.”The emergence of a handful of popular mobile data services has changed the way we interact with our phones. Now, several technologies on the immediate horizon are about to change the way we (and our phones) interact with the world. Imagine…
- You’re about to call your friend, but when you highlight her name in your address book, you see that she’s driving in the city. Since it’s just a social call, you decide to leave her a voicemail instead.
- Your phone rings while you’re in a crowded movie theater. You automatically know the call is urgent; otherwise, your phone would have automatically silenced itself.
- You’re wandering through the Paul Klee exhibit at the MOMA, enjoying the audio tour—and enjoying the fact that you didn’t need to borrow a special audio player; a hidden transmitter next to each painting delivers the content to your phone.
- You’re out and about, and your phone beeps to tell you there’s an open house nearby that meets the requirements you specified through an online real estate service. You don’t have time to tour the house, but you do have time to drive by. You stop in front of the For Sale sign, which contains a transmitter that delivers detailed information about the house to your phone.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 02:05 AM
Mobile gaming for masses
Another report, this time by Instat/MDR confirms gaming is going to be key contributor to wireless data usage and revenues. A couple of days ago the same indication was provided by Strategy Analytics.
According to Instat by 2009, mobile gaming services in the US will generate $1.8 billion annually, or approximately 4.4% of total wireless data revenues. The report "Mobile Gaming Services in the US, 2004-2009" also found out that, unlike with other emerging mobile multimedia services, such as video and music, consumers interested in mobile gaming do not necessarily match the classic early adopter profile.
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 02:02 AM
“Mama Said Knock You Out”: Def Jam Fight For NY Soundtrack revealed
It’s nothing we didn’t expect, but nonetheless Fight For NY’s soundtack features an impressive lineup of hip hop vets and up-and-comers.
The list is as follows (as posted on 1up.com):
”America’s Most” — Method Man, Redman
”Anything Goes” — C-N-N
”Are We Cuttin’” — Pastor Troy
”Bust” — Outkast
”Comp” — Comp
”Flipside” — Freeway
”Get Into It” — Comp
”Get It Now” — Bless
”Let’s Get Dirty” — Redman
”Let’s Go” — Shawnna
”Lil’ Bro” — Ric-a-Che
”Make It Hurt” — Busta Rhymes
”Mama Said Knock You Out” — LL Cool J
”Man Up” — Sticky Fingaz
”Mother Mother” — Xzibit
”Move!” — Public Enemy
”’Nuff Respect” — Big Daddy Kane
”O.G. Original Gangster” — Ice-T
”Pistol Grip Pump” — Volume 10
”Pop Off” — Joe Budden
”Poppa Large” — Ultramagnetic MCs
”See About Ya” — Beezle featuring Bonecrusher
”Seize the Day” — Bless
”Take a Look at My Life” — Fat Joe
”Walk With Me” - Joe Budden
”We Gon’ Hit ‘Em” — Deuce, Dub and the Junkyard Gang
”What’s Happenin’” — Method Man
”Yes Sir” — C-N-N
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 01:58 AM
T-Mobile blocked TXTmob messages during a portion of the RNC
[from Shibuya Epiphany]
Registered users of TxMob received the following e-mail from the admistration of TxtMob. It seems that wireless carrier T-Mobile blocked SMS messages during a portion of the RNC. [via Unwired.cc]
As many of you are aware, T-Mobile blocked TXTmob messages during a portion of the RNC. While we won't speculate on the reasons for this action, it would be extremely helpful if the hundreds of customers who were unable to receive TXTMob messages called T-Mobile to complain. Be sure to explain that TXTMob is an opt-in service that you have chosen to join, and to encourage their representatives to contact admin@txtmob.com if they have any questions".
Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 01:55 AM
Nike Air Force 1 Low (Olympic Silver Edition)
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Posted by richard ting at September 09, 2004, 01:30 AM
September 07, 2004
Soled Out NYC
Posted by richard ting at September 07, 2004, 11:28 PM
Resfest New York Starts Thursday!
Posted by richard ting at September 07, 2004, 11:17 AM
September 06, 2004
Yellowarrow.org
|
[from trendcentral]
A new way to tour the city We've already told you about a number of games that utilize modern technology to explore the urban landscape (the games people play TC) and now there's another to add to the list. One of the newest concepts to hit the streets in New York City is Yellowarrow. Here's how it works: thousands of YellowArrow stickers are distributed at various events such as concerts, gallery openings and festivals around town. Each sticker features a code. Participants place the arrows on anything and everything (pointing onlookers towards a specific place/object) as a means to share opinions, tips and trivia to passersby. When an arrow is spotted, passersby can text the code to Yellowarrow.org, and then receive a text back, with an explanation for that particular sticker. YellowArrow has plans to expand to San Francisco and LA this fall. This exchange of information seems to be creating a sense of community, something that young people today are increasingly looking for. Don't be surprised to see some yellow arrows around your neighborhood. |
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Posted by richard ting at September 06, 2004, 11:02 AM
September 03, 2004
Diesel Dreams
Posted by richard ting at September 03, 2004, 02:54 AM
September 02, 2004
Philly Considers Wireless Internet for All
By DAVID B. CARUSO
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Forget finding an Internet cafe. For less than what it costs to build a small library, city officials believe they can turn all 135 square miles of Philadelphia into the world's largest wireless Internet hot spot.
The ambitious plan, now under discussion, would involve placing thousands of small transmitters around the city - probably atop lampposts. Each of these wireless hot spots would be capable of communicating with the Wi-Fi network cards that now come standard with many computers.
Once complete, the $10 million network would deliver broadband Internet almost anywhere radio waves can travel - including poor neighborhoods where high-speed Internet access is now rare. The city would likely offer the service either for free, or at costs far lower than the $35 to $60 a month charged for broadband delivered over telephone and cable TV lines, said the city's chief information officer, Dianah Neff.
"If you're out on your front porch with a laptop, you could dial in, register at no charge, and be able to access a high speed connection," Neff said. "It's a technology whose time is here."
If the plan becomes a reality, Philadelphia would leap to the forefront of a growing number of cities already offering or mulling a wireless broadband network for their residents, workers and guests.
Chaska, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis, began offering citywide wireless Internet access this year for $16 a month. The signal covers about 13 square miles. Cleveland has added some 4,000 wireless transmitters in its University Circle, Midtown and lakefront districts. The service is free for anyone who passes through those areas.
Posted by richard ting at September 02, 2004, 07:18 AM
Hex Marks the Spot
[from earplug]
Since starting out as VJs for Ninjatune's famous Blue Note Stealth night, Hexstatic's Stuart Warren Hill and Robin Brunson have spent nearly a decade at the forefront of audio/visual collage art. The pioneering duo were the first AV team to perform live at the Guggenheim Bilbao, they've produced work for the BBC and Channel 4, and have been instrumental in developing the newly released Pioneer DVJ-X1 DVD mixer. Timber, their award-winning collaboration with Coldcut and Greenpeace, was an early indication of what would become the duo's trademark — culling their sound sources from video and then synching the video back to the sounds. Yet what has always separated Hexstatic from other AV artists is their ability to write songs every bit as accomplished as their Ninjatune labelmates. Their 2002 installment in the Solid Steel Mix CD series, Listen and Learn, is generally considered a classic, and their first full-length on N-Tone, Rewind, is every bit the equal of their cut-and-paste video work, splicing classic electro with left field funk, global groove, and jokey samples. Last month, Hexstatic won the Best Film Music award at London's Portobello Road Film Festival, and they are set to perform live in New York as part of this year's RESFEST. With their upcoming CD/DVD Master View, Hexstatic take it one groundbreaking step further, including six 3-D anaglyph videos that can be watched with accompanying '60s sci-fi glasses. Beam us up. (SM)
Posted by richard ting at September 02, 2004, 07:13 AM
September 01, 2004
Zoie Films proudly sponsors: Its first annual *Cellular Cinema Festival*
[from their website]
We are the proud sponsors of this innovative film festival for the cellular screen...to showcase the video content and technology that will be screened via Tin Can Mobile and Nokia mobile phones. Cellular video and flash entertainment is an exploding market worldwide and one that offers a new forum for filmakers to be seen. Zoie Films is presenting sponsor and partners with Tin Can Mobile and Nokia cell phones to present this unique festival.