Facebook gave profile pages a new look, and an employee from the Stinson Design agency quickly figured out how to create the coolest profile, period. I believe it was French artist Alexandre Oudin who figured out how to visually express himself in this manner first, and the Stinson man ramped it up with the embedded YouTube video. Look after the break to see Oudin’s profile page. Continue reading The new Facebook profile page design put to good use
Call of Duty IRL
Freddie Wong is back with one of his best action-packed videos to date! It’s a video game first person shooter recreated in real life with some animations added for effect. Wong used a GoPro mounted to a helmet to get the job done. Look after the break to catch a behind the scenes look into how it all came together.
Skype brings video calling to the iPhone
Today Skype updated its official iPhone app and version 3.0 brings with it video calling over WiFi and 3G. Two-way Skype-to-Skype video calling can take place between two phones and between phones and computers (Windows, Mac, or Linux) at no charge. In addition to the iPhone 4, the app is also compatible with the iPhone 3GS, the newest iPod touch, the third gen iPod touch, and the iPad all running iOS 4.0 or higher. Since the latter two devices do not feature back and front-facing cameras they are restricted to only receiving video. And note that since the 3GS does not pack a front-facing camera it will only broadcast video from the back-facing camera.
I gave the app a test drive and it worked flawlessly…over WiFi, that is. With that stable connection I was able to successfully connect to a desktop Skype client and video chatting worked as advertised. With the iPhone 4 you have the option to broadcast video from the front-facing camera and switch it to the back one on the fly, as well as options to mute the conversation and switch between portrait and landscape modes. When I disabled WiFi and attempted an iPhone 4-to-desktop video chat the video appeared noticeably more pixelated and laggy until it decided to cut out completely and drop the call. But that’s 3G for you; heck, at least it works.
The free Skype update is available to download now at the App Store. Apple might have had a leg up on the video conferencing competition with FaceTime since iPhone 4’s introduction, but with Mac and Windows support–plus 3G support–plus a giant user base in the millions–Skype is enabling the futuristic functionality for a significantly larger community of iOS users. Press release and (creepy) introductory demonstration video after the break.
[Via Engadget] Continue reading Skype brings video calling to the iPhone
Apple products destroyed in the name of art
Digital-imaging and CGI artist Michael Tompert is fascinated by the destruction of Apple products. Ever wonder what an iPad would like after a sledgehammer beating and torch treatment? Your inquisitiveness get resolved in the image above titled “Book Burning.” Sick and tired of antenna issues and feel like pounding your iPhone 4 with an eight pound sledgehammer? Don’t do that–just flip through the gallery below and visualize it. There you’ll also find “Breathe”, a MacBook Air with 12 rounds in it (damaged by a Heckler & Koch handgun); “Liquid Crystals”, a sledgehammered and torched MacBook; “You’re So 2000&L8”, a disfigured iPhone 3G; and “Caltrain Fatalities: Left Track/Right Track”, a rainbow of iPod nanos ran over by a train.
All of these disturbing images are part of Tompert’s 12LVE photography exhibit located at the WhiteSpace Gallery in Palo Alto, California. “The images are large-scale yet microscopic, providing a canvas for contemplating our relationship with fetish, fashion, freedom, and bondage,” says Tompert. The inspiration behind the gallery is rather simplistic; when Tompert got tired of his two sons fighting over an iPod touch, he took it from them and smash it on the floor. “They were kind of stunned — the screen was broken and this liquid poured out of it. I got my camera to shoot it,” he told the LA Times. “My wife told me that I should do something with it.” And the rest, as they say, was history.
It’s important to note that Tompert is not anti-Apple; in fact he calls himself “an Apple fan from Day 1”. If that doesn’t do it for you, he’s a former Apple graphics designer.
Again, take a look in the gallery below to gaze at the beautiful destruction and head over to Cult of Mac to gain insight into the making of the gallery.
[Via CNET]
Beer cannon flings you a cold one on (iPhone) command
Now this is flipping brilliant. A college student has transformed his old mini fridge into a beer cannon! Check this: Using a custom-made iPhone app, he can select a desired beer brand (the system vends four types of beer), adjust the fridge temperature, manage the beer’s final destination, and fire the beer with a force of 50psi to the selected position. That’s right–the fridge is decorated with a webcam and the app has a viewer to help guide the beer to its target. In addition to launching beers on command, the fridge records every fling and broadcasts them via Twitter so that all your friends can know when you’re using the coolest thing ever invented…ever.
[Via Gizmodo]
The Brits take on popular tech jargon with fruity puns
British comedians Ronnie Corbett and Harry Enfield exchange punny quips about Apples, BlackBerries, and more!
[Via Engadget]
College student mashes together 270 films released this year
Gen Ip, a communications student from Vancouver BC, loves movies. So much so that she went ahead and mashed together 270 of them! “I set out to make something that not only showcased this year’s films but also spoke to overall themes that we see in movies time and time again,” she explained to /Film. The mashup, which she calls “Filmography 2010”, took over two months to complete and features movies either produced or distributed in 2010 as well as a fantastic song collection. “Music was one of the most fundamental things for me”, she said. “Song selection took a while because I wanted to experiment with different moods within the same video.” Enjoy Ip’s 6+ movie mashup and bask in 2010’s cinematic offerings.
[Via EW]
DJ Earworm’s “United State of Pop 2010” mashup has arrived
DJ Earworm never fails to impress with his annual “United State of Pop” track. Again this year he has masterfully figured out how to mash together the top 25 hits according to Billboard Magazine. Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Taio Cruz dominate the five-and-a-half minute track, with some Train, B.o.B., Enrique Iglesias, Eminem, and Bruno Mars sprinkled in for good measure. You can watch the mashup come to life in the music video above, and then download the explosively catchy track right here. Look after the break to find a list of all the songs used in the mashup and some cover art.
How does 2010’s “Don’t Stop the Pop” match up to 2009’s “Blame It on the Pop”? Sound off in the comments below.
[Via DJEarworm] Continue reading DJ Earworm’s “United State of Pop 2010” mashup has arrived
Gorillaz produce an album on the iPad
We’ve seen some rather crude uses of the iPad forced to make music happen, but nothing like this. Alt-hip-hip group Gorillaz produced a 15 track album called The Fall using 20 iPad apps and just a few other instruments. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered in 32 days while the band was on tour. Frontman Damon Albarn fell in love with the iPad when he first got it, and shortly thereafter decided to “[make] a completely different kind of record” with it. Here’s the list of apps the band used:
Speak It! / SoundyThingie / Mugician / Solo Synth / Synth / Funk Box / Gliss / AmpliTube / Xenon/iElectribe / BS-16i / M3000 HD / Cleartune / iOrgel HD / Olsynth / StudioMiniXI / BassLine / Harmonizer / Dub Siren Pro / Moog Filatron
While it “has a much slower and more basic vibe than the Gorillaz’ normal high-production, technically superior collections” (as described by CNN), there’s no denying the sheer amount of ambition that went into this unique project. Preview the first track “Phoner To Arizona” after the break.
The Fall is a Christmas gift for the fans; right now it’s available in digital form on the Gorillaz website. (To stream the album you must supply them with your name and email address; to download a copy for keeps you’re required to become a fan club member.) The album will officially release in physical form sometime next year.
[Via Gizmodo] Continue reading Gorillaz produce an album on the iPad
Matthew Morrison teases upcoming album
Matthew Morrison’s debut solo album is almost here! To ramp up anticipation, the Glee star has put together a brief behind-the-scenes look into the record’s creation. He admits that his original intention was to gear the album towards the Glee crowd (think: pop music), but after time he made the decision not to make another Glee album and instead write more personal songs. Watch the video above to hear it from the multi-talented actor himself.
‘Inception’ featurette acts as a reminder to the Oscar crowd
In an attempt to remind the Oscar voters about the summer blockbuster that was Inception, Warner Bros. is pushing out this mini featurette to theatres and online outlets. Christoper Nolan’s script and direction and Leonardo DiCaprio’s stellar emotional performance should not be overlooked by more recent contenders found in The Social Network and Black Swan. Watch the featurette above and remind yourself how amazing the film really is, and let’s hope the voters feel the same way. No big nominations for Inception would be a total disgrace.
[Via Deadline]
Kinect, hacked.
Since its North American release date on November 4, Microsoft’s Kinect controller-free motion accessory has proved to be a boon for the open source community. Over the last month or so I’ve collated the most intriguing Kinect hacks and today is the day I’ve decided to let them live free inside this post. Tinkerers are constantly throwing up their latest creations online, so expect Kinect, hacked to become an ongoing series.
First up we have Yankeyan‘s Super Mario Bros. Kinect hack. Using OpenKinect drivers and NES emulation he’s figured out how to make the plumber’s on-screen movements mimic his physical jumps and arm flails. It doesn’t match up perfectly, but that doesn’t make the hack any less impressive.
Now go on, hop after the break to browse oodles of Kinect hack videos; I promise they are all super inventive! Continue reading Kinect, hacked.