Yeah, it’s totally lame that we can’t all use Google’s comprehensive social cohesion service called Wave yet. Whirled Interactive were lucky enough to snag an invite and made the most of it by creating these very inventive year in review. It emphasizes a ton of Wave’s built-in features in a quick manner, highlighting many of this year’s top stories along the way. As much as I enjoy this, it’s still a glaring reminder that some people are enjoying Google Wave while I sit here and impatiently wait. (FYI the music is “Fader” by The Temper Trap.)
All posts by Scott Meisner
Celebrate 2009, JibJab style
Twitter and Iran, Octomom and Tiger Woods, Captain Sully and Michael Phelps, Balloon Boy and more! This past year was filled with so much insanity and only the brainiacs at JibJab could cover it all in a catchy musical number. Question is, did we top last year or the year before that?
The decade according to 9-year-olds
This video features a bunch of children who were all born in the year 2000. Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Kobe Bryant, and George Lopez are the biggest celebrities. Britney Spears has lost her touch, simply known to the kids as “the girl who cut her hair bald.” They all started using computers, iPods, cell phones, and portable gaming devices at very young ages. They never heard of Napster and the file-sharing saga. The sound of dial-up is foreign to them; they associate it with phone answering machines, not computers. They have a grasp on what it means to be green, though they aren’t too educated about the global warming phenomena. (Al Gore, get on that!) They share a keen understanding that Barack Obama is black. Biggest news story? When MJ died (not 9/11?). On the 9/11 subject they all seem to remember what happened that day, what a terrorist is, and the pains of living during wartime. Interestingly, immediately after discussing terrorism and wartime the interviewer asks the children to share their biggest fears and their answers remind us all that they are in fact a group of 9-year-olds.
Interviewer Allison Louie-Garcia has created sound clip time capsule with this short but poignant session with 9-year-old children. It’s humorous to hear that they can’t put their finger on the sound of dial-up. I’m glad I was born when I was. Every now and then I ask my grandparents what it was like growing up and how fascinated they were with the transition from black and white to color TV and living through the introduction of computers and MP3 players. I always used to complain that they saw so much and was able to live through many technological advancements. I would think to myself “where do we go from here?” This sound byte reminds me that I have lived through plenty of breakthroughs and I am convinced the next few decades will bring many more exciting advancements. Flying cars, flying cars!
[Via Gizmodo]
Ring in the New Year, “let there be courage”
Get your first look at the 2010 New Year’s Ball set in Times Square. Though they didn’t add to the previously installed 32,256 Philips LED lights, they did include new Waterford glass panels. Every year “a new hope” is constructed onto the ball, and this year the theme is “let there be courage.” This year’s ball is going to be a shining colorful beacon of brilliance.
For 2010 Waterford Crystal has designed a new sparkling “Let There Be Courage” triangle. The crystals feature a unique interlocking ribbon pattern woven into the Celtic knot. The triangles, each about 3/8″ thick and 6.8 ounces in weight are custom made and built to exacting standards to withstand the stresses of high winds, precipitation and temperature fluctuation that exist over 400 feet above Times Square. 288 are being installed alongside crystal installed in previous years.
And get this–a Waterford iPhone app has been developed for the special occasion. It’s called Clink-Clink and it’s a a virtual toasting application. When two iPhones tap each other and “clink” glasses, contact information is shared and can even posted on Facebook. Ah, ’tis the year of “there’s an app for that.” Am I right? Head after the break for an additional video showcasing the New Year’s Ball and watch how the Waterford app works.
Continue reading Ring in the New Year, “let there be courage”
It happens once in a blue moon–tonight!
“It’s simply the occurrence of two full moons in one month,” says retired high school science teacher Bob Hartley. Simple, yet so rare and beautiful. A “blue moon” appears approximately every two and a half years; and only once in every 20 years it appears on New Year’s Eve. When you’re out and about welcoming the New Year, be sure to look up at the sky and catch this month’s “extra moon” because it won’t appear again for a while. Keep in mind that while some blue moons may glimmer a bluish hue due to dense particles, most of them unfortunately do not. The name refers to the unusual pattern of its occurrence.
[Via HomerTribune; Gizmodo; Wiki]
YouTube celebrates the most memorable videos of the year
David After Dentist, Auto-Tune the News, (Do You Wanna) Date My Avatar, Improv Everywhere, Evian Roller Babies, Keyboard Cat, Susan Boyle. You’ve seen ’em all and laughed ’till your stomach hurts. Head on over to YouTube to relive the 31 most memorable YouTube videos of 2009. IS THIS REAL LIFE?
Update: Looks like YouTube took down the page already! Strange. Anyway, you know how to find them.
How the decade was supposed to turn out
This commercial for Nuveen Investments aired during the Super Bowl in 2000. It imagined a future with major advancements in the struggle against AIDS, cancer, and spinal cord injuries. That’s right–the late Christopher Reeve makes a touching appearence when he walks onto the stage. The ad promises “In the future, so many amazing things will happen in the world.” Though it’s interesting to see what an investment firm envisioned for the first decade of the 2000’s, what’s even more impacting is that we still aren’t there yet. Support your charities; we can all lend a helping hand in the fight against deadly diseases and injuries and make the world a better and safer place to live in.
[Via Gizmodo]
The Modern Thinker
As we enter the year twenty-ten it’s only appropriate to re-imagine Auguste Rodin’s age old “The Thinker” with a Tesla-enhanced “Modern Thinker.”
[Via Tesladownunder; Neatorama]
My favorite music video of the year
This rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” is one of my favorite music videos of all time. It comes from the award-winning documentary “Playing For Change: Peace Through Music.” What’s so great about it is that it splices together all different kinds of people from around the world singing the song with their own voices and instruments.
Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world.
It’s just so cool how it all fits together; it sounds like all the musicians sat down in a recording studio together! There is this sensation of peace and unity that overcomes you when you listen to the music and watch the videos. And there’s more where this came from. Playing Through Change the album is available on iTunes; the deluxe version includes videos for “Don’t Worry,” “One Love,” “War/No More Trouble” and others. I urge you to download a copy of this album, listen to the music, and watch the videos. This international collaboration showcases the transformative power of music in a way you have likely never seen before.
Note: I am aware this video was published in 2008. In fact the project itself began in 2004. However, the album was released this year and that is when I (and I’m sure many others) discovered it.
[Via PlayingForChange]
DJ Earworm is back with the ultimate 2009 mashup
From the Black Eyed Peas to Lady Gaga to Kings of Leon, 2009 proved to be a big year for music. DJ Earworm is back with what he does best–mashing together the top 25 Billboard hits of the past year. Watch “The United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It On the Pop)” above and download it for free here. Oh, and look after the break for the full listing of songs used in it. It’s been one wild year for music, indeed!
[Via EW-MusicMix]
Continue reading DJ Earworm is back with the ultimate 2009 mashup
Remembering MJ
Watch this posthumous music video for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It.” It’s a Spike Lee joint, so don’t miss out. It highlights MJ’s journey from childhood to worldwide fame. Instead of mourning the loss celebrate the inspiration that MJ brought to us all. Director Spike Lee did not have any footage of MJ singing this song for the video, and he did a great job of putting together a thoughtful and touching remembrance piece. Enjoy.
[Via EW-MusicMix]
Complex.com names Man on the Moon: TEOD ‘Best Album of 2009’
Aw yeah. Complex.com has placed Kid Cudi’s debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day at the #1 spot on their top 25 best album of ’09 list.
Hip-hop’s lonely stoner threw the “debut rap album” blueprint out the window with his bold opening statement, a somber trip into the mind of Scott Mescudi. With producers Emile, Plain Pat, and Ratatat driving most of the music, Man On The Moon shows a remarkably fully-formed sound—dark, melodic, spacious—a feat that most unfocused artists strive for their entire career. Mixing the easy thump of hip-hop with the relentlessly introspective sensibility of indie rock, Cudi pushed the boundaries of both worlds, perfectly capturing 2009’s unapologetically creative spirit.
I wholeheartedly agree. MOTM: TEOD was most definitely the best album of the year. Congrats, Cudder. Looking forward to what you have in store for 2010.
[Via DatNewCudi]