Category Archives: Video

Xbox One gets unboxed [Update: the new controller gets examined]

Technology, Video, , , , ,

Xbox’s Major Nelson unboxes Microsoft’s next-gen console for the first time in the video pasted here. Though the unboxing isn’t revelatory, the Xbox One and its many included accessories are beautiful pieces of tech to gander at.

Inside the packaging ravenous gamers will find the liquid black console, of course, along with one wireless controller (the limited edition “Day One” controller is embossed with “Day One 2013” in its center and features a chrome D-pad), the new and improved Kinect sensor, a Chat Headset, the power brick supply, and an HDMI cable (Category 2 rated for 1080P, 3D and 4K). The system boasts a 500GB hard drive, slot load Blu-ray drive, IR blaster port, HDMI input and output connectors, a S/PDIF interface, new Kinect sensor port, three USB 3.0 Super Speed ports, Wired and Wireless network support, and a Kensington security slot.

Fun fact: the Xbox One featured in this video is one of very few production units in existence–less than 20 have been made so far. But that’ll all change soon as we near the console’s November 2013 release.

Update (8/12): Major Nelson and Zulfi Alam, the general manager of Xbox’s accessory business, discuss the Xbox One’s controller in a video embedded after the break. The newly redesigned Xbox wireless controller packs over 40 improvements including an integrated battery pack, a screwless design, a better D-pad, and impulse triggers. For the full rundown, watch the 7+ minute examination below. Continue reading Xbox One gets unboxed [Update: the new controller gets examined] →

Stephen Colbert gets Daft Punk’d, performs his star-studded rendition of “Get Lucky”

Hilarity, Television, Video, , ,

This is too damn good so I’ll be brief. Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report had been hyping Daft Punk’s first live performance since their latest album Random Access Memories on his show. But then the French electronic duo cancelled their visit to the Report at the last minute due to contractual obligations with CC’s sister network MTV (they are both owned by media conglomerate Viacom). In a fit of anger and some booze, Colbert spilled to his audience what has supposed to be a surprise for VMA viewers: Daft Punk is scheduled to perform live at the MTV Video Music Awards later this month. It was the Report or the VMAs and Daft Punk chose the latter and legalese with MTV made it impossible for the artists to perform on Colbert’s stage, too.

Now that you have the story down pat, watch Colbert tell his side of the story in his entertaining way in the clip embedded above. And then, after the break, watch the host perform his very own rendition of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” with many, many surprise guests. It truly is a riot. Perhaps Daft Punk’s absence was a godsend because I doubt their live version of “Get Lucky” could ever best what Colbert put together here. Continue reading Stephen Colbert gets Daft Punk’d, performs his star-studded rendition of “Get Lucky” →

Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Ed Helms & Will Forte ARE Mumford & Sons in the band’s “Hopeless Wanderer” music video

Hilarity, Music, Video, , ,

If you aren’t laughing out loud with happy tears streaming down your face by the end of this video then something is clearly wrong with you. English folk rock band Mumford & Sons have enlisted funnymen Jason Sudeikis (SNL), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Ed Helms (The Office), and Will Forte (SNL) to play far-out versions of the four bandmates in this twisted, self-deprecating parody. The music video for “Hopeless Wanderer,” a track off M&S’ album Babel, gets sillier and sillier as it goes on and by the end you want to watch it all over again. From the unsuspecting start to the full on make-out sesh between Sudeikis and Forte, this is one unforgettable clip that proves Mumford can take a hit, laugh at themselves, and enjoy the ride.

Jay Z spontaneously performs “Picasso Baby” at NYC gallery, waxes lyrical about the art of performance

Music, Video, , ,

On Friday night Jay Z (rest in peace hyphen) premiered his music video for “Picasso Baby,” a track off his latest album Magna Carta… Holy Grail. But it’s more than just a music video, claims the rapper. He calls it “a performance art film” as it incorporates more than just him rapping along to his rhymes. Jay introduces the clip with reflections on performance and hip-hop as art. It’s a music video/documentary hybrid, if you will.

Last month Hova took over  Chelsea’s Pace Gallery in New York City for six straight hours where he rapped “Piscasso Baby” in front of a crowd consisting of excited fans off the street as well as famous artists, actors, dancers, and performers. Mark Romanek, who previously collaborated with Jay on his 99 Problems music video, directed this eight minute video (the final two minutes or so is all credits) and shot it all using eight different cameras. Celebrity cameos include Alan Cumming, Judd Apatow, Michael K. Williams, and Wale.

It’s definitely one of the most candid and straight up fun music videos I’ve ever seen. Jay seems to be having a genuinely good time amongst his people and his high energy is contagious to the viewer. So, enjoy this performance art film music video documentary, or whatever you want to call it.

Justin Timberlake takes back the night in music video for “Take Back The Night”

Music, Video, , ,

JT keeps the party going with his latest music video for his new 20/20 Part 2 single “Take Back The Night.” The creatively-edited clip bounces back and forth between Justin dancing in the street, headlining his Legends of the Summer tour in Yankee Stadium, and tearing up the dance floor at a NYC nightclub. Go on, listen to the MJ-inspired track again, this time with some fun and sweaty visuals.

Kid Cudi & other artists design unique beer bottle labels for Beck’s

Images, Music, Video, , ,

Musician Kid Cudi was approached by Beck’s to design a unique label for their beer bottles. It’s an annual tradition for Beck’s; this year six artists from different disciplines were selected to participate in creating limited edition beer labels. Over 13 million bottles featuring custom labels imagined by Cudi, fashion designer and entrepreneur Marc Ecko, artist and musician Willis Earl Beal, multi-medium artists The Date Farmers, interactive digital duo TM Sisters, and photographer William Hundley will sell for the remainder of the summer. Check out this clip from Beck’s starring Cudder as he details the label design he came up with; the three rings that make up the background of the label represent Cudi’s Man on the Moon albums (yes, a third album to close out the trilogy is in the works).

Eye the new designs in the gallery below, and watch the other artists’ videos at Beck’s YouTube channel.

TV teasers: ‘Homeland’, ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Sherlock’

Television, Video, , , , , , , , ,

Here we have three tantalizing TV teasers for fans of some of the hottest shows today: Showtime’s Homeland, AMC’s Breaking Bad, and BBC One/PBS’ Sherlock. Warning: spoilers within!

Above, the Homeland teaser titled “Signals” begs the question: Where is Brody? At the end of season 2, a car bomb destroyed the CIA and it was made to look like Nick Brody was behind the devastating attack. Carrie, of course, believes him when he says he didn’t do it and she helps him escape the country. “Does Carrie know I’m here” is just one of the many “signals” broadcast in this 30-second teaser that unfortunately shows zero footage from season 3. Homeland returns September 29.

After the break you’ll find the teasers for Breaking Bad and Sherlock. Continue reading TV teasers: ‘Homeland’, ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Sherlock’ →

Movie trailer round-up: ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, ‘Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa’ & ‘Machete Kills’

Movies, Video, , , , ,

Ben Stiller deviates from his usual comedy fare to direct and star in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a film adaptation of the classic 1939 short story by James Thurber. Stiller plays Walter Mitty, a LIFE magazine employee and daydreamer who fantasizes about a life much more exciting than his own. When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. The stylistic trailer scored with the song “Dirty Paws” by Of Monsters and Men captivates. Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt and Adam Scott also star in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty out Christmas day.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, ‘Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa’ & ‘Machete Kills’ →

Meet Moto X, the smartphone designed by you and assembled in the USA

News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , ,

On top of the three new Droids detailed last week, Motorola–a Google company!–dropped another new smartphone into consumers’ laps. While the 2013 Droids are Verizon Wireless exclusives, the newly announced Moto X is coming to all major U.S. carriers. What also sets the Moto X apart from its cousins is that it’s highly customizable in the looks department. Motorola is developing a website called Moto Maker that will allow customers to personalize their handsets before ordering them. Specifically, prospective buyers will be able to select from a wide range of colors to paint the back plate and accents of the phone; Moto claims over 2,000 combinations are possible. The front plate, meanwhile, can be made black or white. Additionally you can add a signature to the back of the device. Internally, you can customize the memory (16GB or 32GB) and even set a personal wake-up message and wallpaper before it ships to your door. Before checkout, you can also choose a case, matching headphones by Sol Republic, and a wall charger featuring two USB ports to boot.

Sadly, yes, there is one catch. All of this exciting customization (as well as the option to upgrade memory to 32GB) through Moto Maker is exclusive to AT&T customers. Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular customers will have to choose from a stock black or white handset. Lame! Since Moto X’s specs and Android functionalities are so similar to that of the 2013 Droids’, the Moto Maker personalization is this device’s major selling point. The fact that it won’t be available to all carriers is downright disappointing.

The Moto X sports a 4.7 inch AMOLED 720p (316 ppi) display and is powered by Android 4.2.2 running on Motorola’s X8 mobile computing system. There’s a 10MP shooter on the rear and a 2MP front-facing one and they both support 1080p video capture. A 2200mAh battery promises “mixed usage” up to 24 hours. The most fascinating bit about the Moto X’s design is that it’s the first smartphone to be wholly manufactured in the United States. After you customize your phone through Moto Maker, it will be shipped to you within four days direct from an assembly line in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Software-wise, the latest version of Android Jelly Bean brings the following to Moto X: Touchless Control (say “Ok Google Now…” to wake up the device and perform a function), Active Display (the device will intermittently reveal important information (i.e. the time, new notifications) without you having to press to the wake up button), and Quick Capture (with two twists of your wrist you can access the camera to shoot stills or video).

Moto X is coming to the US, Canada, and Latin America in late August/early September at $199. AT&T subscribers can upgrade to a 32GB model for an extra $50. Click after the break to watch the Moto Maker experience and see the Moto X in action. Continue reading Meet Moto X, the smartphone designed by you and assembled in the USA →

Netflix introduces personal profiles for all subscribers

News, Technology, Video,

It’s been a long time coming and now the Netflix feature you’ve been waiting for (whether you realized it or not) is finally here: personal profiles.

So you’re a Netflix subscriber and you share your account with family and friends. Say you’re into action films like Thor and your little brother is high on animated comedies like Phineas and Ferb. Netflix will recommend both action movies and animated series aimed at children to you. Sure, it’s not the end of the world, but wouldn’t it be better and more efficient if the streaming service was able to compartmentalize the shows you watch and are into versus the other type of programming your younger sibling might be addicted to?

Now, Netflix subscribers can create his or her own profile (no extra fees required) to enable “a uniquely personalized experience based upon their individual watching habits, their personal favorite shows, and favorite genres, all driven by Netflix recommendation technology.” Up to five profiles can be created per account. When you log into your Netflix account, you can select which profile you’d like to jump into and you’ll be presented with recommendations based solely on the content you watch. Brilliant! Netflix posits that you can also set up profiles headlining various genres like “Date night” or “Hanging with the bros.” You even have the option to personalize your profile further with a fun profile picture; and if you choose to link your Facebook account to your Netflix profile your picture will automatically show up as your Facebook profile picture.

Netflix started rolling out this new feature on August 1 and the company says profiles will be accessible globally for all subscribers by August 15. New members will be notified about creating profiles during the sign up process; existing members can add profiles on Netflix.com and on the PS3 Netflix app. According to the company, “profiles can be accessed on most devices that support Netflix, including the Netflix website, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV and other iOS devices, and most smart TVs. Additional devices will be added over the coming months.” So if you don’t see it yet on your device, patience.

After the break, a video demonstration. Continue reading Netflix introduces personal profiles for all subscribers →

Google’s Chromecast makes streaming affordable, portable (also, Nexus 7 tablet refresh)

News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , , ,

On Wednesday Google made a couple product announcements and what we’re doing now, we’re diving right in.

First up is Chromecast, a new way to wirelessly stream content from your personal devices to your big screen TV. The hardware itself resembles a small USB stick, except inside of plugging into a USB port it goes into an HDMI port located on your HDTV. After being plugged in, Chromecast requires two things to function: it needs power (using included cables you can either plug it into a standard wall socket or a USB port on your TV) and WiFi. Land on the correct TV input and blam, you’re connected and ready to go.

Chromecast doesn’t actually boast a user interface. Everything is streamed and controlled by your personal device. For example, if you want to stream an episode of Arrested Development from Netflix, you’d open the Netflix app on your computer, smartphone, or tablet and click the “cast” button to wirelessly stream the video content to your TV. Once the content is projected to the TV, the device you’re streaming it from becomes the remote control allowing you to play, pause, and scrub through whatever you’re watching.

In addition to Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Google Play Music, and Chrome are currently compatible with Chromecast. In addition to streaming video and music with those apps, the inclusion of Chrome allows you to stream Tabs so you can browse the Internet on your TV. Google is letting developers get their hands on a Google Cast SDK preview so that more apps can become compatible with Chromecast. In the pipeline already is a new version of Pandora that will work with Chromecast with more promised on the way. And Chromecast works across a variety of devices; in addition to Android phones and tablets it also functions with Apple products like the iPhone and iPad, as well as Macs and PCs.

So why buy Chromecast, especially if you already own an Apple TV or Roku or the like? I can think of two reasons right off the bat: one, it costs $35. Yeah, that’s it. You’ll want to own this thing just because you can. And then there’s ease of portability. Sure, you can unplug your Roku and bring it around the house, TV to TV, whenever you like. But can’t you imagine how simpler it’d be to transport something as small as a USB stick to get the job done? The only issue here, of course, is that Chromecast doesn’t support Hulu and Amazon Instant Video and all the other video streaming services out there. Yet. But once it does, Chromecast has the potential to shake things up in the entertainment space. For now, though, see it as an extremely portable and affordable way to bring Netflix, YouTube, and other Google services with you provided an HDMI slot is available to play.

Chromecast is sold at Google Play, Amazon, and BestBuy.com.

Hop after the break to learn about Google’s other product announcement, if you dare. Continue reading Google’s Chromecast makes streaming affordable, portable (also, Nexus 7 tablet refresh) →

Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ sets the tone in 4 minute season 4 trailer

Image cache, News, Television, Video, , , , , , , ,

The Walking Dead premiered a four-and-a-half minute trailer for its coming fourth season. Did you get that? Sitting right there above these words is a video that contains over four minutes of brand spankin’ new footage. Go on, mash play! I’ll be here when you’re finished.

Freakin’ awesome, huh? With more hands to help fresh off the bus from Woodbury, the prison is as fortified as ever and yet the zombies break in still. Looks like we have a mole, somebody who doesn’t want our heroes to survive. “We might be safer outside those walls,” says a suspicious Hershel. What’s really great about this extended trailer is that it manages to set the tone of the new season without spoiling the goods. So if that’s what you’re worried about, don’t be; this is a safe watch that successfully hypes what’s to come in terms of mood, not so much plot. I’m getting a watch-your-back, paranoia-type vibe here; what about you?

Now what was learned at the panel? First, The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, October 13 at 9PM followed by Talking Dead with host Chris Hardwick. Just like last season, this one will be split in two; eight episodes will air in the fall and after a hiatus AMC will air another eight starting in February 2014–16 eps in all.

Andrew Lincoln shared a change in his character that fans will notice in season 4. “The relationship with Carl is integral to the beginning of this season,” he said. “Carl turning into a sociopath at the end of last season definitely woke [Rick] up.” Rick will no longer serve as the leader of the group and we’ll find him “in a completely new place; he’s renounced a lot of his responsibilities for the sake of his children.”

And what of The Governor, who mysteriously does not appear in the trailer. “At the end of last season, he was in a very dark place—but he feels like they betrayed them and that’s just not going to go down with the Governor,” his portrayer David Morrissey said. “There was a switch in him, and now we see him dealing with what that switch is; what is it that makes that switch go down?”

Check out the Comic Con exclusive Walking Dead poster featuring Rick, Daryl, Tyrese, and Michonne after the jump. Continue reading Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ sets the tone in 4 minute season 4 trailer →