Month: May 2014

Five things on Friday #74

Things of note for the week ending May 30th, 2014.

1. ‘Super Important Tweet’
I first found out about this web app via the always interesting Web Curios newsletter. Basically, the premise is that you can add ‘importance’ to a tweet by creating a text-based-image that you can embed in your tweet which subsequently hammers home the importance of what it is you’re trying to say.

However, what it actually does is allow you to create a perfectly sized image for Twitter. That’s right brands, a simple web app now does that thing you all seem incapable of doing.

Amazing, right?

Try it.

2. Ocean Piglets, Shield Toads, and Naked Snails
Aka, how to name animals in German. I used to study German at school and while I’m not a big one for publishing infographics on this here blog of mine, there’s no harm in linking to one.

Seriously, this is brilliant.

3. Beautiful Brands on Instagram

Beautiful Instagram Brands

The value of branded activity on Instagram is still very much a point of argument amongst the marketing folk of today. Does it drive any meaningful value? Can you actually measure anything? Why are we bothering? – are all questions that float around when this comes up for discussion, and you really have to know your onions to formulate a decent response.

If you don’t know your onions and want to know more about how Instagram can ‘work’ for brands, the blog of those folk at Nitrogram is a good place to start. There’s a ton of stuff to read up on and, if you’re looking for inspiration, they’re latest post isn’t a bad read at all.

4. Faking Cultural Literacy

It’s not lying, exactly, when we nod knowingly at a cocktail party or over drinks when a colleague mentions a movie or book that we have not actually seen or read, nor even read a review of. There is a very good chance that our conversational partner may herself be simply repeating the mordant observations of someone in her timeline or feed. The entire in-person exchange is built from a few factoids netted in the course of a day’s scanning of iPhone apps. Who wants to be the Luddite who slows everything down by admitting he has never actually read a Malcolm Gladwell book and maybe doesn’t exactly understand what is meant by the term “Gladwellian” — though he occasionally uses it himself?

This, from the New York Times, is remarkably spot on.

Go read it.

Properly.

Without skimming.

The final paragraph is a knock-out.

5. Gorgeous Art, at High Speed

From this:

High speed art before

To this:

High Speed Art

Cool, right?

Made to been seen at high speeds, these colorful patterns form a sequential whole for commuters whizzing by at top speed. Dubbed ‘Psycholustro’, the artist (Katharina Grosse) created the work as a way to ‘engage everyday travelers with a project that addresses their in-motion perspective and the passage of time’ (more at the source).

I think it’s awesome and, bizarrely enough, similar to an idea I had for the Channel Tunnel when I was nine years old.

It’s OK, I’m pretty sure she didn’t copy me.

 

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Celebrating 100 Episodes

Of our mobile news podcast, The Voicemail.

Stefan & James, together on Episode 60

Back in May 2012, Stefan Constantinescu and I were in search of someone to podcast with.

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Thanks to a sharp-eyed friend (thanks Michael) we were connected over this mutual need and committed to not only doing a podcast, but doing it properly. Organised over Twitter at first, Stefan and I bought the right kit and then, less than two weeks later, sat down and recorded our first episode of The Voicemail.

The Voicemail 001

Our first episode was just a bit of history about our mutual interests in mobile but from episode two onwards we decided we’d cover that week’s latest mobile news and cast our eyes over what was hot (and what was not) in the industry that we’re both so passionate about.

We’re an opinionated pair at times – ahem – and don’t always agree however that combination turned out to be quite popular and now, some two years later and now with over 1000 listeners every week (!!!), we’re still going strong.

This morning Stefan and I recorded our 100th episode.

It shouldn’t be that much of a big deal, it should be ‘just another episode’ and in many ways it was. However it’d be unfair to get this far without pausing to reflect upon the brilliant support we’ve had along the way.

So this post is a big fat THANK YOU to everyone that’s listened, commented, tweeted, facebook’d, blogged, chatted, gossiped, even mentioned us in passing to a fellow geeky friend – your positive word of mouth has helped us grow and grow and grow. It’s amazing to know we have your continued support. Thank you.

A second THANK YOU goes to the numerous guests we’ve had along the way. Stefan and I don’t have many rules on the show but one of them is that we only ever have two of us on. If one of us can’t make it, then it’s the other’s responsibility to get a replacement. Which was fine right up until Stefan went travelling for four months and we had a new guest every single week. You know who you are and we appreciated every single one of you.

Finally, the last big fat THANK YOU goes to my Podcasting partner in crime, Stefan Constantinescu. Having a project buddy who can ensure you stay committed (and vice versa) is a really valuable thing. Not only is Stefan super knowledgeable in all things mobile, he’s also been there every week [nearly] without fail. Simply put: the show wouldn’t happen without him.

Episode 100 is now live [here’s the direct download link for the MP3, 30MB], this week we covered the LG G3, Apple [finally] buying Beats by Dre, and Google’s self-driving cars.

If you’ve never listened to us before, why not check us out and subscribe today?

You can find us on our website, on iTunes, or copy and past this RSS feed into your podcast app of choice and just go from there.

Here’s to the next 100 episodes!

Five things on Friday #73

Things of note for the week ending May 23rd, 2014.

DIVE DIVE DIVE

1. The birth of the $60 billion videogame industry
I think I picked this up from the rather excellent Web Curios newsletter (go subscribe) but I’ve only just got around to reading it. The bit I’m linking to is an excerpt from the book ‘Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation‘ and it covers off the creation of gaming icon, Sonic the Hedgehog.

The fax machine stopped sputtering, and Kalinske picked up the sketch. “Ah,” he said, trying not to sound repulsed. “Very interesting.” Kalinske stared at the drawing, trying to see in it what Nakayama saw, but it was no use. The hedgehog looked villainous and crude, complete with sharp fangs, a spiked collar, an electric guitar, and a human girlfriend whose cleavage made Barbie’s chest look flat. “I assume this is his girlfriend?”

I’m a gamer, so I loved it*. But its also a great insight into one of the biggest parts of recent pop culture came to pass, so non-gamers might love it too.

*So much so, I bought the book.

2. Godzilla (2014) is ACE.

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I loved it. Gareth Edwards is a fantastic director and, while there’s a few clunky bits in places, overall his interpretation is a brilliant take on the Godzilla legend (let’s face it, you couldn’t get much worse than the last attempt).

The good news is, Edwards has already been signed for not only Godzilla’s 2 & 3 but also the first Star Wars spin off film (as yet untitled) in 2016.

Tip of the week? Go and seek out his original creature-feature-but-not, Monsters.

Monsters

3. Good Art

Antonio Mora

Via.

4. Three new trailers for your eyes

New Pixar/Disney/Marvel film – Big Hero 6
The next big Marvel adventure – Guardians of the Galaxy
Christopher Nolan’s next epic – Interstellar

WATCH THEM ALL.

5. Tab Dump
My podcasting partner in crime, Stefan Constantinescu, writes Tab Dump pretty much every day.

He’s going through some technical difficulties at the moment (due to a lack of Internet while travelling) however you should definitely sign up to his newsletter, as it’s one of the best resources for interesting news (tech + real world) every day.

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See you next week!

Supes

 

Five things on Friday #72

Things of note for the week ending May 16th, 2014.

Screen Shot 2014-05-16 at 09.26.43

1. #SadBatman
I blogged about Ben Affleck’s new Batman recently opinion has been fairly divided (as usual). Whatever your thoughts, thanks to the amazingly morose stance Bats is in (in said new press shot), Batfleck just looks so sad.

Hurrah for new memes!

The Internet is a cruel mistress… chortle.

#SadBatman_1

#SadBatman_2

#SadBatman_3

Joking aside, I think he looks excellent. Especially in contrast to a) what’s gone before and b) what version of Batman we know he’s going to be based upon.

Now just deliver a great film (less destructo-porn this time though please, Mr Snyder).

Looking for hi-res wallpaper? Try this.

2. These guys

Creaturez

The Licker, The Happy One, and The Pooper. That last one is definitely my favourite.  You can see the rest of the family over at the website of their creator, Vanessa Ramirez.

I love ’em.

3. The Flash is coming
Some of you may know of the [actually very good] TV show known as Arrow. Taking a realistic look at the development of the DC character, Green Arrow, the show has won acclaim from TV critics and geeks for its ambitious story-telling and smart creative choices. If you’ve not seen it, it’s worth looking it up.

Halfway through season two, they introduced a character named Barry Allen and well, thanks to a series of unfortunate lightning-based events, he’s now got his own TV show.

4. Fish
About a month ago, I finally laid my hands on a rather awesome Sony Z2.

It’s awesome.
It’s waterproof.

So I’ve been taking pictures of my fish.

That is all.

Sony Z2 Fish

If you’re looking for my thoughts on the phone, by the way, check out Episode 095 of my mobile technology podcast, The Voicemail. That’s where my initial thoughts can be found.

5. The Long Tail of ‘Feedback’

The Long Tail of Feedback

Via.

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That’s it for this week. Not only is it Friday, but the sun is shining (all weekend) and it’s going to be awesome!

YES!

WEEKEND!

Exhibiting at the Saatchi Gallery

Yup.

BACK STORY

In March I wrote a post about the reason why I use Google+. In short, it’s only really down to one thing, and that thing is a little feature known as ‘Auto Awesome‘.

What Auto Awesome does is automatically add special effects to the photos that it thinks could do with them. Obviously this is all done separately from your main folder, so you don’t ruin your originals, but the net effect is actually quite fun and cool.

The awesomes themselves vary but my favourite is definitely when Google+ spots a batch of photos that look similar, and then throws them together to create an animated gif.

THE COMPETITION

Shortly after that post went live, I was alerted to a Google-sponsored Motion Photography competition at the Saatchi Gallery (that obviously lent itself to the creation of these Auto Awesomes).

Google+ Motion Photography

Of the six categories available, I entered this one into the Urban category –

I didn’t win.

Boo.

BUT I DID MAKE IT AS A FINALIST!

Which means:

  1. My work was judged by film director Baz Luhrmann, artists Tracey Emin, Shezad Dawood and Cindy Sherman, and Saatchi Gallery CEO, Nigel Hurst – AMAZING!
  2. I got my name in The Londonist – BRILLIANT!
  3. My work is at this very moment on display in the Saatchi Gallery – SPEECHLESS!

And that’s pretty darn awesome.

As you can see, I’ve already been to see my stuff (and the rest of the entries, including the rather excellent winning entrants) and the whole exhibition is pretty special.

It’s an odd feeling, having work up in the Saatchi. It didn’t really hit me until I was leaving, just how lucky I am to have stuff there. The other work that has appeared in that building. The other artists. The effort.

I’m still a bit dumbfounded by it all really.

Whatley @ The Saatchi

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The Motion Photography Prize is on display on the top floor of Saatchi Gallery, King’s Road, SW3 4RY until 24 May.

Five things on Friday #71

Things of note for the week ending May 9th, 2014. This week featuring gorgeous art, fantastic film, and provocative pieces of YouTube fodder.

Things of note for the week ending May 9th, 2014

Don't Complain

1. What We Do In The Shadows
A couple of film previews this week, first up What We Do In The Shadows, a vampire mockumentary co-written and directed by he of Flight of the Conchords fame, Jermaine Clement.

Yeah, I’d say it looks suitable mental.

Via Total Film

2. 101 Things to love about NYC… in 1976
Scouting New York is one of my favourite casual blogs. Casual in that I don’t read it religiously, but I like to swing by every now and then and see what’s up. Written by a chap named movie location scout based in New York, it’s an awesome take on all things esoteric from the big apple.

His latest discovery is this list of 101 things to love about NYC and it’s pretty awesome.

101 things

More here.

3. The Phones Show Chat
Every week, pretty much without fail, my buddy and I, Stefan Constantinescu, record a 30 minute podcast covering about mobile technology. We’re not the only guys that do mobile-related podcasts, 361 degrees is one, Steve Litchfield and his Phones Show is another. In fairness, Steve’s actual show is a 15min video on YouTube, however it comes packing with an accompanying podcast covering that week’s topics in a bit more detail.

Why am I talking about it this week? Steve invited me on as a guest and it was probably the geekiest and best conversation I had all week.

MP3 Download Link

4. Untranslatable Words Illustrated
New Zealand artist, Anjana Iyer, recently undertook a personal project to ‘illustrate words found in foreign languages that cannot be Anglicised word for word’. The series, entitled ‘Found in Translation‘, is wonderful –

Mamihlapinatapei

But it has to be said, this one, for ‘Rire dans sa barbe’, is definitely my favourite.

Rire dans sa barbe

Via

5. The Most Important Sexy Model Video Ever
Caught this in Marketing Week yesterday.

Just watch –

Opinions in the comments please.

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Bonus thing this week, from one Mark Jennings
In 1692, some 270-odd years before Pantone, an artist decided to document and describe every colour imaginable over 800 (completely handwritten) pages.

The result is amazing.

Not Pantone

More.

Bonus bonus thing: Mark Jennings also goes by the moniker of ‘Mark of Respect‘ and is the sole proprietor of Drinks Galore – ‘elegant drinks tasting for spirited amateurs’. There’s an event coming up in June that is all about gin.

For a reasonable price you get –

  • 5 incredible gins – 3 of which will be neat to show you the true essence of gin
  • Hands-on gin and tonic masterclass
  • A cocktail on arrival
  • Chill out in the wonderful private space at The Hox
  • Friendly, expert information about the gin

If you like gin, you should go. Tickets are available now.

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That’s me done, see you next week.

Five things on Friday #70

Things of note for the week ending May 2nd, 2014.

GASP

1. GASP!
The shot above is, unfortunately, not ‘real’. As in, it was manipulated to be that way. However, it’s still awesome. You can find the original image, and a whole other ton of stuff, over on this guy’s Instagram account.

Go give him a follow.

2. Self Loathing Personals
This rundown of the personal ads from ‘The London Review of Books’ is probably the funniest thing I’ve read this week. Here’s one example –

I like my women the way I like my kebab. Found by surprise after a drunken night out, and covered in too much tahini. Before long I’ll have discarded you on the pavement of life, but until then you’re the perfect complement to a perfect evening. Man, 32. Rarely produces winning metaphors.

Amazing.

(thanks, Nicola)

3. 3D sketches

SHARK ATTACK

The 2D/3D art is awesome.

More.

4. Perfect Pitch
I shared this on Facebook earlier this week but it’s worth repeating.

LJ Rich is Awesome

Uber gadget geek and technology presenter for all kinds of techy televisual stuff (and all round nice person), LJ Rich, has a condition known as ‘Perfect Pitch‘, which Wikipedia defines as ‘a rare auditory phenomenon characterised by the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone’.

When I first met LJ (many, many moons ago) I remember her talking about it at length, even going so far as to tell me what note I speak in! Perfect or Absolute Pitch, as it sometimes known, comes up from time to time on LJ’s blog (LJ has, somewhat unsurprisingly, a musical flavour to her technological geekery) however, earlier this week, the lovely Miss Rich put electric words to internet paper and wrote ‘Living with Perfect Pitch – what it’s really like‘.

It’s a fascinating blog post and absolutely my recommended blog read of the week.

5. Blue Jam / Bad Sex
Chris Morris is a UK satirist famous for all sorts of controversial comedic-based efforts. From 1997 to 1999 he produced a Radio 1 ‘ambient comedy’ show called ‘Blue Jam‘ which, amongst other things, featured a highly NSFW segment called ‘Bad Sex’. I was reminded of this recently when, for the first time since broadcast, Radio 4 repeated the Blue Jam episodes and I found myself dying with laughter at this particular segment.

Someone has, rather brilliantly, collected all of the Bad Sex segments together and uploaded them as one 15min video on YouTube. It is bizarre, surreal, gross, weird, mental, and generally just very, very dark.

REALLY. DARK.

You have been warned.

 

Listen at your own risk.

 

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That’s me done, see you next week.