Fan Expo 2009: Robert Duncan McNeill
Robert Duncan McNeill was kind enough to take a few minutes to talk with Ryan about both some of his past work, as well has his role as an exec producer and director on the fan fave show Chuck.
Read More87 cool things: A presentation by Google’s Creative Labs
I’m at Advertising Week in New York City, and I just left the theatre at the Times Center on West 41st after a brilliant presentation that was led by Andy Berndt, the managing director of Google’s Creative Labs. The point of the discussion was to talk about how devices like home-brewed APIs, webcams and video have all contributed to the success of digital campaigns, collaborations, and events. Berndt’s points were illustrated by what he considered to be the 87 most creative, unique, exciting and interesting online creations Google could find….
Read MoreFlickr Generates Virtual Cities
Last year, Microsoft released its Photosynth application, which allows users to build 3D environments based on their photo libraries. Now, computer scientists at the University of Washington’s Graphics and Imaging Laboratory have one upped Photosynth by using the same imaging algorithms to create full, virtual cities of Venice, Rome and the Croation city of Dubrovnik, by analyzing thousands of photos posted on Flickr. The same labs created the algorithms for the Photosynth software, but have now been drastically enhanced to take pools of photos ranging up to the 100’s of…
Read MoreWacom Bamboo Touch Tablet
It’s been a long time since there’s been a major change in a product line from tablet maker Wacom. All that has changed though. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, Wacom makes tablets that allow you to draw naturally on a computer. Using a piezoelectric pen, the harder you press on the surface, the thicker the line, or the heavier the ink flow, which makes the old days of trying to draw with a mouse seem positively comical. The last time Wacom introduced something revolutionary as opposed to…
Read MoreFan Expo 2009: Montage!
The whole rgbFilter crew had a blast at Fan Expo 2009, and in the midst of putting together our interviews, we’ve cut together this montage of bloopers, gaffes and random silliness. There’s still more interviews to come after this, so stay tuned!
Read MoreFacebook becomes profitable. Mark Zuckerberg orders pizza to celebrate.
For the first time ever, Facebook is making money. In a blog post by CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, the site generated more money than is spent last quarter, putting them half a year ahead of their own projections: Earlier this year, we said we expected to be cash flow positive sometime in 2010, and I’m pleased to share that we achieved this milestone last quarter. This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term.
Read MoreAlive in Joburg: Neill Blomkamp’s original idea that spawned District 9
There’s a lot of secrets in District 9, and apparently at least one Easter egg. This is “Alive in Joburg”, Neill Blomkamp’s 2005 short film about a race of alien refugees living in Johannesburg. In it you can see his sensibilities and unique vision shine through, and also catch a glimpse of some of the creative changes made to create the feature-length version, not the least of which is taking away the Prawns’ somewhat threatening presence and turning them into the imbicilic creatures of District 9. Definitely worth the watch….
Read MoreBrutal Legend: In The Beginning…
A corporate merger, lawsuits and counter lawsuits couldn’t keep Brütal Legend finally making its way onto your gaming console. The action game starring the voice and caricaturized semblance of Jack Black, sees the demo released for both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 tomorrow, Sept 17th. The above video, of the first five minutes of the game (no axe shredding gameplay) will either have you hitting refresh on your Demos page, or saying “Too much Mr. Black, Jack”, depending on your sensibilities. Personally, I’m leaning towards the former. [via Joystiq]
Read MoreGamers Looks From Behind The Monitor
Whenever one goes to a convention, there’s invariably things one misses. On that list this year was the screening of GAMERS, a documentary feature film turned web series, focused on the lifestyles of, well, various types of gamers. The first episode focuses on the MMO crowd, and can be watched above. The press release follows the break…
Read MoreCanadian Copyright Consultation: Deadline Extended
The deadline to make submissions to the public copyright consultation has been extended until Tuesday night. In case you haven’t already voiced your opinion, there are a number of ways to do so… If you missed last night’s deadline, there is still time to craft your own submission, use a form letter, or send out a quick email. [via speakoutoncopyright.ca] The speakoutoncopyright.ca link also has a number of recent submissions, links to public roundtables and much more.
Read MoreWiFi 802.11n Greenlit?
It was a long time coming, but the high speed WiFi standard that’s been available in ‘draft’ mode for what seems like forever has finally been approved. According to a PCWorld article… Despite lack of an official announcement, task group chairman has sent out a notification to a listserv for task group members. For years now, the draft version, which is essentially beta, has been available on a number of networking devices, and millions of users have been able to take advantage of marked wireless transfer speeds. Many existing routers…
Read MoreFan Expo 09: The Anthology Project
Nick Thornborrow, one of the members of The Anthology Project, was kind enough to sit down with Ryan for a few minutes to explain some of the details behind the goals of the project. After the video, be sure to visit their site to see some great work.
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