Category Archives: Video

Google Demo Slam contest gives ordinary people the chance to creatively shine

Design, Technology, Video, , , , , ,

The G-Men started to think how can we make tech demos fun so people would actually watch and learn from them? Demo Slam is their answer.  Google is relying on everyday people (ahem, you don’t need to be a fancy developer) to submit personalized demos that feature Google tech.  Using Android phones or Google on the computer, people can show off their creative side by coming up with ways to demonstrate Google tech like search by voice, updates in real-time, and universal search.  I’ve included my top five favorite Demo Slam videos in this post.  The one embedded above is called “Extra Spicy” and it features two girls using Google Translate to call a real Indian restaurant and order in Hindi.  Never thought of giving that a try, now did you?

Look after the break for the others; a group of friends recreates Mt. Rushmore and uses Google Googles to identify the them as the real deal, three brothers see how many marshmallows they can shove into their mouths until Google Search by voice cannot recognize the query “chubby bunny”, Maria Sharapova uses Google Search to answer questions in English and Russian, and then there’s the epic Google Docs animation.

Want to see more tech demos?  They are so much fun to watch right?  Head over to the official Demo Slam website where you can view all the submissions and vote for your favorites.  The contest is still happening, so unleash your creative side and show the world what you’ve got!

[Via GoogleBlog] Continue reading Google Demo Slam contest gives ordinary people the chance to creatively shine →

Motorola teases Android tablet, bills it as the next big thing in ‘Tablet Evolution’ video

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Check out this slick animated teaser from Motorola.  In it the tech company takes us on a journey through the evolution of tablets, from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic tablets to the modern ones like the iPad.  Speaking of the iPad, Motorola made it their mission to slam the Apple tablet in the video: “It’s like a giant iPhone… but it’s like a giant iPhone.”  Burn!  And if you’re of the speculating kind, let’s dig deeper into the teaser.  Though Moto does not unveil the final product, their shiny new red Motorola logo attracts a buzzing bee at the end of the clip.  A bee, hm?  That matches up quite nicely with the name of Android’s next mobile OS: Honeycomb.  Google’s Andy Rubin recently previewed a Motorola tablet running a new version of Android and he boasted that Honeycomb will include features made from the ground up specifically for the touchy tablet form factor.  One more thing: Verizon teased via Twitter that they plan on showing off  a whole bunch of LTE Android-based devices at CES in January; and this lines up perfectly with the CES 2011 tease at the end of this clip.  Will we see a Motorola tablet running Android’s next-gen Honeycomb OS with Verizon LTE support next month?  Only time will tell, but I’d put money on it.

[Via Engadget, here & here]

Google Maps 5.0 available for Android devices now

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The next version of Google Maps for Android-powered mobile devices is now available as a free download in the Android Market.  Google’s Andy Rubin previewed it (and I provided you with details) a little over two weeks ago.  In a nutshell, the new Maps uses vector graphics to provide 3D modeling of streets and buildings with a skyline; there are new multitouch inputs like tilting, rotating and smooth zooming; in compass mode the map will start rotating to match your perspective; offline caching will proactively save  large mapped areas on your device based on where you use Maps the most; and with offline rerouting you no longer need to rely on a network connection once you’ve started a route and find yourself lost.  In fact, Google claims that viewing maps now requires almost 70% less mobile network data overall than before; you should notice considerably faster speeds in Maps.  Android 1.6+ devices can run version 5, but 3D and offline features require Android 2.0+ devices.  If you’re reading this on your phone, click here to access the Maps download page.

[Via GoogleMobileBlog]

Conan hires zany decorator Kenny Irwin, Jr. to pimp out his TBS set

Hilarity, Video, , , , , , , , ,

Coco enlisted holiday decorator Kenny Irwin, Jr. to turn the late-night studio into the craziest Christmas-themed set I’ve ever seen.  You can say Irwin, Jr. imagined the most unique decorations made for television, ever since the history of storytelling began and humanity first came upon this world going back into the past and into the distant future at the same time.  Irwin, Jr. is a bit off his rocker, but that doesn’t take away from his decorative scheming genius.  Watch the interview between Conan and Irwin, Jr. above, then hop after the break to witness the unveiling.  Warning: Mr. and Mrs. SanMagnatron Claus might look a bit disfigured due to a massive microwave explosion.

[Via TeamCoco] Continue reading Conan hires zany decorator Kenny Irwin, Jr. to pimp out his TBS set →

Watch “I Just Had Sex”, the lead single off The Lonely Island’s next album

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This weekend The Lonely Island (aka The Dudes, comprised of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer) premiered the first single off their upcoming (rap) comedy album due out in 2011.  The SNL Digital Short features vocals from Akon and outrageous cameos from Blake Lively, Jessica Alba, and John McEnroe.  Watch the viral hit here and begin anticipating the followup to 2009’s sensation that was (and still is) Incredibad.

Look after the break to watch their “Huge-Ass Announcement”.

Update: The single is now available for purchase on iTunes.  And it managed to break the iTunes top ten singles chart; it currently sits at #9.

[Via TheLonelyIsland] Continue reading Watch “I Just Had Sex”, the lead single off The Lonely Island’s next album →

Augmented reality-based instant translation? There’s an app for that.

Technology, Video, , , , , , , ,

This has to be the coolest app made for the iPhone yet.  Word Lens uses augmented reality to instantly translate printed words from one language to another.  It’s simple: Hold up your phone’s camera to a sign containing foreign words and the app will convert it to your native tongue on-the-fly.  This terse explanation doesn’t do the app justice; you’ve gotta watch the demonstration above to get the full effect.

An app so powerful has to have limits, right?  Word Lens only supports Spanish-to-English and English-to-Spanish translation for now and it cannot read very stylized fonts, handwriting, or cursive.  The demonstration shows the app working quite flawlessly; realistically there will be times when conversions are not 100% accurate so the developer (Quest Visual) allows users to manually type in words to find translations.  But here’s a plus: the app does not rely on network or Internet connectivity to make translations happen.

Word Lens is available now as a free download in the App Store; however you must pay $4.99 for an in-app purchase language pack to get things started.  It’s compatible with iPhone 4, 3GS, and the latest gen iPod touch.

Rockstar uses MotionScan tech to bring video game realism to a new level

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Rockstar is currently developing “a dark and violent detective thriller” video game set in the 1940s called L.A. Noire.  In addition to using motion-capture suits, the developers are utilizing a new kind of facial capture technology called MotionScan.  The suits capture character movements, and the MotionScan data “provides an unprecedented level of realism, detail, and emotion” to their facial expressions and reactions.  The game actors sit in a room surrounded by many cameras; they are dressed up for the part and speak their lines aloud as the cameras captured their facial movements from every angle imaginable.  All of this gets converted digitally and the result is a high resolution 3D model of the actor’s head.  Said result is impressively realistic and promises to make it easier to discern when an in-game character is lying; a major theme of the game is to detect when people are lying.  L.A. Noire is due out for Xbox 360 and PS3 next year.  For now, take a look at how the MotionScan tech creates the 3D models in the video above; this will certainly change the way games are made in the foreseeable future.

Did you catch Fringe‘s John Noble make an appearance in the clip?  Get a closer look at the man and his 3D composite after the break.

[Via Joystiq] Continue reading Rockstar uses MotionScan tech to bring video game realism to a new level →

Trailer: Paul

Movies, Video, ,

The next movie from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost made waves at Comic Con last summer, and now the trailer for Paul is available for the public at large to enjoy.  The English comedy duo, whose recent outings include Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, enlisted Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) to direct.  The flick follows Pegg and Frost trekking across the America and what happens when they find an alien named Paul voiced by Seth Rogen.  It also stars Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Jane Lynch.  Paul hits theatres March 18, 2011.  (Want more Paul?  Here’s a short teaser.)

The sound of TRON: Legacy

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By now everyone knows that Daft Punk created a stellar soundtrack for TRON: Legacy.  However, the digital world of The Grid couldn’t come alive without the intricate environmental and vehicular sounds produced by the film’s sound editors.  In this Sound for Film Profile, you will get a glimpse into how the editors mixed and matched artificial and natural sounds to supplement the fantastical landscapes.  Sound re-recording mixer Gary Rizzo, supervising sound editor Gwen Yates Whittle, and sound designer Steve Boeddeker are featured in this nine minute profile you don’t want to miss.  +1 for sweet behind-the-scenes action.

Trailer: Fast Five

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The Fast and the Furious.  2 Fast 2 Furious.  Tokyo Drift.  Fast & Furious.  Now get ready for Fast Five.  That’s right people; Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are teaming up for yet another street racing film set in the Fast and the Furious universe that was born back in 2001.  The fifth installment is directed by Justin Lin (who directed the previous two) and features “returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise” including Jordana Brewster, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderon, and Don Omar.  (No sign of Michelle Rodriquez’s Letty–what gives?  Perhaps she died in one of the many sequels?  I don’t know.)  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joins the ensemble cast as a federal agent attempting to capture former cop Brian O’Conner (Walker) and ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel).  Looks fun to me.  Fast Five hits theatres April 29, 2011.

Fringe is about to “re-animate” Friday nights

Television, Video, , , ,

Following news that the best sci-fi show on television Fringe is moving to Friday nights, FOX put together this trailer that is all kinds of awesome.  At least we know that the network is willing to push hard for the show to keep it relevant.  The showrunners must be loving this.

Says Dean Norris, Fox senior VP of marketing and special projects: “We are trying to rebrand Friday, and what we’re trying to do with this show specifically is make it kind of like forbidden fruit. We want that teen demographic that might not be our audience right now to say, ‘That this is a show my parents might not want me to watch — but I’m going to watch it, anyway.’”

How the world searched, tweeted, and YouTube’d in 2010

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Ah 2010, what a year it has been.  What’s the best way to find out what was on everyone’s minds over the course of the past year?  By looking at the top Google searches, top Twitter trends, and most watched YouTube videos, duh!  The search giant has gone all out this year with their public Google Zeitgeist 2010.  What were this year’s hottest search terms?  Well, just look in the bar graph above!  The creepy video chat service Chatroulette took the top prize as the fastest rising query, and the rest of the list includes celebrities Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Apple’s iPad, game portals Friv and GameZer, ringtone maker Myxer, and social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.  Click here to browse the entire Google Zeitgeist report.  Search terms are categorized subject matter and region, and Google also put together some snazzy interactive maps to support the data analytics.

Look after the break to learn about the most popular Twitter trends and the most watched YouTube videos of 2010. Continue reading How the world searched, tweeted, and YouTube’d in 2010 →