Category Archives: Technology

London’s Shard is beautiful

Architecture, Images, Style, Technology, , , ,

the-shard-by-renzo-piano-31.jpg

“The Shard, a mixed-use tower at London Bridge in London, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop.”

“Construction work has started on the 306 metre-high building, which will sit on an irregular-shaped site adjacent to London Bridge station as part of a new development called London Bridge Quarter.  The design consists of several glass facets that incline inwards but do not meet at the top, and is inspired by the masts of ships that once anchored on the Thames.  The  72-storey building contains offices, apartments, a hotel and spa, retail and restaurants and is topped by a 15-storey public viewing gallery.”  The Shard is “due to be completed in 2012.”

Check out the gallery below for more images of this architectural marvel.  It is very sci-fi-esque; it reminds me of a structure from the Halo series.

[Via Gizmodo; Dezeen]

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The Big Bang, the ten dimensions explained

science, Technology, Video, , , ,

!INTERESTING ALERT!  WATCH THESE VIDEOS AND YOUR BRAIN WILL GROW AND EXPAND EXPONENTIALLY.

Well, maybe it won’t, but still.  These two videos are highly interesting and worth watching.  The first one features astrophysicist Janne Levin explaining her model of the Big Bang theory and the potential ways it may have occured.  The second video discusses the ten dimensions in great detail, integrating the notions of space and time.  Although it is explained in layman’s terms with situational examples, the concepts can be difficult to entirely grasp.  I’m telling you, though, it is worth the 11 minute trip.  Sit back, relax, and get learn’d.

[Via Gizmodo]

Teaser trailer: James Cameron’s Avatar

Movies, Technology, Video, , , , , , , ,

A teaser trailer for the highly anticipated CG/live action film Avatar has been released.  Although I am looking totally forward to this movie, I am disappointed in the teaser trailer.  It did not reveal any plot line whatsoever, and more importantly it did not pique my interest.  Director James Cameron (Titanic) is looking to shift the way films are made by introducing 3D to mainstream cinema in a way it has never been experienced before.  After the 2D teaser trailer was released, eager fans of the upcoming film got the chance to watch 15 minutes of 3D footage at their local theatres.  Initial reactions were not so good.  Moviegoers do not seem to be convinced that Avatar will revolutionize film-making like Cameron believes it has the chance of accomplishing.  However, I will keep my fingers crossed and hope that the final product turns out to be a success.  It definitely has stiff competition now with a CG/live action film like District 9 blowing me away in standard 2D.  Avatar comes out on December 18.

CBS & PepsiCo to make video-embedded ads a reality

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The future has arrived, people.  Video advertisements will start to populate your magazines this fall!*  In a joint venture with PepsiCo, CBS will be promoting its fall TV season lineup in the September 18th issue of Entertainment Weekly with an interactive video advertisement.  More specifically, the ad will promote the CBS Monday prime-time lineup and PepsiCo’s PepsiMax soda.  They call it “Monday to the Max.”  This issue will feature the first video ad to appear in print, said George Schweitzer, CBS marketing president.

The battery-powered advertisement is manufactured by LA-based Americhip.  CNET has the details on the technology: “the screen, which is 2.7 millimeters thick, has a 320×240 resolution. The battery lasts for about 65 to 70 minutes, and can be recharged, believe it or not, with a mini USB cord–there’s a jack on the back of it. The screen, which uses thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD) technology, is enforced by protective polycarbonate. It’s a product that has been in development at Americhip for about two years.”

Advertising Age got the scoop on how it’s going to work: “When Entertainment Weekly readers open the magazine to the ad pages, they will see a small screen flicker on and start to load a video. A brief segment featuring actors from “The Big Bang Theory” will explain how to use the player, while talking about features from Entertainment Weekly and the different video selections a reader can choose. By pressing one of five different buttons, readers can watch a video montage of [the CBS Monday lineup programs].

*The insert advertisement will only appear to EW subscribers in the New York and Los Angeles areas.  Subscribers from elsewhere and newsstands will receive regular print versions of the ad.  So if you want to be one of the first to witness the potential future of advertising, find a friend who is a subscriber to EW in those areas…or move and become one!

Schweitzer: “It was axiomatic: If you ran an ad in TV Guide, people would watch your program. Not anymore.”  Does this new ad tech seem gimicky?  Yes.  Could it potentially be the future of ads?  Who knows.  Although no pricing was specified, I am sure the decision to use video technology on a battery-powered chip in a magazine did not come cheap.  Let this first try be a test run for marketing companies.  I am interested to see if such a promotional ploy could work.  Be on the lookout this September and decide for yourself.

[Via Gizmodo; CNET; Advertising Age]

Blow your light on and off

Hilarity, Technology, Video, , , ,

The Blow On Blow Off light switch does just the trick for all you lazy folk.  A single breath of air directly in the switch will turn the light on and off, no worries!  Think of it like The Clapper, only it’s your breath not your hands doing the work.  It doubles as an ordinary, finger-flicking light switch as well.  If only Billy Mays was around to promote this; rest in peace, buddy.  Check out an image of the product after the break.

[Via Gizmodo] Continue reading Blow your light on and off →

Video: PSP Minis, Digital (comics) Reader revealed

Technology, Video, , , , , , , ,

Shortly after being announced today at GamesCon, the two most exciting new software ventures on the PSP (and the upcoming PSP go!) have revealed themselves in video form.  Take a look for yourself above; the 100MB bitsize digital download-only games look great, and the Marvel comics reader with the “Autoflow” panel changer looks promising.

[Via Joystiq]

Cheaper, slimmer PS3 is official, finally!

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Let’s get right to the details of the PS3 Slim:

  • 32% smaller, 36% lighter, 34% less power than its chunkier brother, the original PS3
  • Boasts all the same features of the bulkier PS3, so still no backwards compatability with PS2 games
  • Adds one feature: BRAVIA Sync – you can browse the PS3 XMB with your Sony TV remote, PS3 will power down when TV shuts off (if both devices are connected via HDMI)
  • Removes one feature: The ability to install an operating system (like Linux) is gone.
  • Matte finish
  • 120GB HDD
  • 2 USB ports (down from 4)
  • Price- $299; release date – early September
  • UPDATE: According to Engadget, the power and eject buttons on the front of the console are physical buttons that press down now; the HDD is swappable; the PS3 logo does not rotate; feels siginifcantly lighter in hands compared to the old PS3.  Also, according to Gizmodo, Sony plans to change the PS3 logo and reformat the PS brand name from PLAYSTATION 3 to Playstation 3.  That’s better!

Arriving concurrently with the PS3 Slim hardware is the 3.0 firmware update:

  • XMB redesigned
  • Information Board replaced with “What’s New” – populated with news and information from the world of Playstation (latest and greatest games, videos, etc); you can launch immediately from recently played games
  • Playstation Store game and video sections placed under the Games and Video icons in the XMB, respectively
  • Animated themes are available in the PS Store (themes can change with time of day, etc.)
  • Upper right hand corner – space for avatar, friend icon w/ # of friends online, mail
  • More avatar selections available through the PS Store (free and premium)
  • Available via a free download on September 1

At the GamesCon in Germany, Sony had additional announcements concerning PS3, PSP, and the Playstation Network (PSN):

  • Effective today, all PS3 systems will cost $299; that is a $100 price drop.  Once the PS3 Slim releases in early September it will take the place of its thicker older brother.
  • Sony introduced Minis; they are “bite-sized” games that will be made for the PSP & PSP go! and will sell as digital downloads only in the PS Store.  The titles will have a 100MB size limit.  The first bunch of Minis will be made available on October 1, the same day as the release of the PSP go!  Sony has planned to release 15 Minis for launch, and about 50 games for the remainder of 2009.  Some of these games include Tetris, Field Runners, Hero of Sparta and Minigore.
  • PSN video store and PSN cards will be available to access and sell, respectively, in Europe this fall.  The video store will initially sell movies only, and will expand its library from there.  The PSN cards will sell in 20 and 50 euros demoninations.
  • Sony announced the PSP Digital Reader; the plan is to digitize a bunch of comics, sell them in the PS Store, and make them available to read on the PSP.  Sony’s first major partner is Marvel and they plan to have “hundreds available, including the Marvel Comics stable.”
  • Three new PSP color variations will be sold in Europe this November: “Turquoise” blue, “Lilac” purple, and “Blossom” pink.

See the galleries below for: (1) official PS3 Slim shots; (2) Engadget’s PS3 Slim unboxing shots

Look after the break for: (1) a video tour of the PS3 3.0 software; (2) firmware 3.0 full details; (3) a video of PS President Jack Tretton talking about the new announcements; (4) PS3 Slim spec sheet

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo; Joystiq; PlaystationBlog]

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