An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube

I found this video the other day from a guy by the name of Mike Wesch. He's the Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the Kansas State University in the USA.
I found the speech to be very informative and also very humorous. I highly recommend the watch. It does go for an hour but it will be a very worth while hour.

Info from the author:
Presented at the Library of Congress, June 23rd 2008. This was tons of fun to present. I decided to forgo the PowerPoint and instead worked with students to prepare over 40 minutes of video for the 55 minute presentation. This is the result.



More info:
http://mediatedcultures.net

CubeDesktop

From my obsession for modern applications and futuristic designs, I have found a cool little application that enhances the Windows desktop GUI into a 3D experience. Applications like this have been used in Apple Macs with Spaces and I believe there is also Linux based apps similar as well. However, this is the best and most user friendly system compatible with Windows I have found to date.

The software is called CubeDesktop and has been developed for a company called Think In Bytes. The software goes for around $30 or so but they do have a demo download you can try first. Of course this is a little gimmicky but I for one found it quite an experience to behold.

Now that I've been using it for a while, I get onto other computers that I haven't got the software installed on and of course on countless occasions, find myself trying to trigger the desktop hot-keys to activate the virtual arrangements, looking for another desktop to use. It's a very light program and has many features you can manipulate, including; setting alternate wallpapers for all six virtual desktops, changing activation hot-keys, Modifying performance options, selecting the style of the switching display and much much more. I recommend this software mostly to those who want a little more style in there lives, without sacrificing functionality.



Think In Bytes:
http://www.thinkinbytes.com/en/home/

CubeDesktop:
http://www.thinkinbytes.com/en/products/cubedesktop/

OmNomNomNom

I really, really feel like a beer!

Tinnanbar

There is a small town up north called Tinnanbar. Some very good friends of mine have a small getaway house up there that has become somewhat of a tradition to stay at during the Christmas/New Year holiday. The place is a magical little town, situated Right on the water, totally excluded from the rest of the world.

Tinnanbar has this amazing ability, relaxing any who choose to stay there. You can almost feel the pressures of everyday life slip away, just at the thought of being there. It used to be a more popular venue for holiday folk before the closure of the local caravan park, which closed down a number of years ago. Nevertheless, it is still a peaceful and ideal way to spend a much needed holiday.



I love it.

What? You Googled Yourself?

Yep, I did it, I googled myself (again) and this time I found some interesting things.
For one, I found something said about me as an artist (Musician).
It read:
Jimothyk has been around since the late nineties, playing everywhere and anywhere a guitar can be plugged into. His works air on Triple J, and his collaborations with Brisbane acts such as “Idle Cranes” continue to prove he is one of the best and longer lasting artists of the Brisbane Music scene.

Now I'm not sure this is a fair assessment of my history as a Brisbane musician, but the words are nice to hear anyway.
It's incredible to think how much of our personal life appears on the Internet and I suppose, it's mostly the fault of the individual. With the depth of social sites like Facebook, Myspace and even this one (Blogger), we are starting to become an online organism. I for one, do spend a lot of time contributing to the growth of my online personality but there is a fair amount that makes it's way onto the net without my knowing or consent. A little scary if you think about it but then again, you'd have to be a complete moron to allow yourself to be victim to any kind of identity theft (I presume).

Have you ever had your identity stolen?

Powers Beer: Do they even make that shit any more?

I was thirsty and found myself fishing around in my father's beer fridge the other day and pulled out a can of Powers Gold. Powers Gold? I didn't even know they still made that shit.
I popped it open and joyfully swizzled it down and wondered to myself, where did Powers come from? So I did a little research and found out some interesting facts.

It all started in 1981 when Allan Bond (or Bondie, as he was known to the common Aussie) acquired Swan Brewing for a cool A$164 million. It seemed that old Bondie acquired the taste for owning breweries, because two years after winning the America's Cup for Australia in his 12-Metre yacht, the majestic Australia II, Bondie's corporation bought QLD's giant Castlemaine Tooheys for a whopping A$1200million.
But then the dickhead made a number of asshole changes that pissed a lot of Aussies off, particularly the Queenslanders. First he removed the XXXX sign from the Milton brewery and replaced it with a BOND CORPORATION sign... uh, no way captain fuck wit! We don't like that one bit! Queenslanders everywhere made it quite clear that he was mad and sure enough, soon the XXXX sign was returned. But this was only one success, as the Bond Corporation did a number of other things that pissed everybody off. One notable factor was the cutting of the payment period for beer from 30 to 7 days. This totally annoyed the shit out of publicans everywhere and prompted one by the name of Bernie Power, to start his own brewery; Powers.
Remarkably, the brand grew very quickly, stealing up to 10% of the QLD market within just two years of production. This is Queensland we're talking about, that's a lot of beer.



So I drank that tin of beer with pride.

Bonnier R&D: Reading Magazines on Handheld Digital Devices

This is a video I found from Bonnier R&D showing one design concept for a handheld digital magazine, that could be made possible in the near future. The video explores all the characteristics of a magazine reading experience and translates those aspects into a format that works seamlessly on a touch pad style tablet.

Just watching the video makes me want to buy one. The design concept is impeccable and the intuitiveness from the GUI looks amazing. The device could store any number of magazine issues, from any number of different magazine titles. Of course this device would be very useful for any number of additional functions, similar to that of any netbook or tablet style PC. With wireless capabilities, high resolution touch screens, quad core processors and high storage SSD's all common technologies today, I think this concept will be available to us sooner than we think.

Bonnier R&D Concept Video:

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

El-Egance - A Stylish Hearing Aid

I really dug the Tunnel Jewelry Hearing Aids from my earlier blog. The idea of taking medicinal, cyborg components and utilizing fashionable platforms for implementation, is a major step forward in the practical application of modern cybernetics.

I found these from the same site I found the Tunnel Jewelry Hearing Aids from Tuvie.com. The two blogs read similar but remarkably, differ genre and gender in their design. Whilst the Tunnel design is unisex and the El-Egance is primarily a female design, the two still cover a variety of demographics. Young, alternate, fashionable and elegant. I think there is a genuine embrace towards this kind of technology from within our modern culture. I also believe that devices like these, would contribute a lot to helping break down the final layers of prejudice, that may or may not felt by the hearing impaired individual.

Tuvie.com's original blog:
‘el’ is a hearing device concept that has been designed aiming to transform hearing aids into an elegant accessory. The concept comprises three main parts. First is the hearing device that can be worn in each ear to ensure clear sound for hearing impaired people by amplifying and adjusting sounds. Second is the two ring control unit, designed to be worn on each index finger that features a manual volume controller to adjust the volume of the hearing device . Inside the ring, a radio frequency receiver has been placed that remains hidden by the external piece. Finally, the display case, where the first two elements are placed that acts as a charging station for them. The entire design ensures stunning aesthetic appeal for users, while providing loud, clear and distinct sound for hearing impaired people.



Tuvie blog:
http://www.tuvie.com/

Original blog post:
http://www.tuvie.com/hearing-aid-that-never-compromises-with-style/#more-7333

Designer:
Ryan Kirkpatrick

Formula 1: Webber? Vettel? Alonso?

Last Thursday, Mark Webber came out and topped the times during testing currently being held in Barcelona this week. On a day that saw more red flags come out during testing this season, Mark remained on top with a time of 1:21.487 and appeared to have had the most successful performance of the day, completing 109 laps.

Though this success would be overshadowed today by a huge effort from the Spaniard, Fernando Alonso. Running a time in @ 1:20.637, 8/10 of a second quicker than Mark's Thursday time and 3/10 quicker than Alguersuari of Red Bull's, Toro Rosso. During testing today, Vettel ran around 5Th for most of the day, during times of heavy fuel loads and ran 4Th overall for the day. Schumacher, although making small modifications, finished 6Th for the day however, was rumoured to have been simply running track sequences and practising pit runs.

Once again, Trulli just fucking sucked.

So, I'm left with the question, who the fuck is going to win the driver's title this year? Well the short answer is, I don't know. I can however make some small assumptions and point out some things I think might be relevant.

Firstly, I sincerely believe that the main contenders will be; Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Hamilton and maybe, just maybe (because of the ever so ominous shadow that is) Schumacher.
Webber and Vettel performed so consistently last season and without any Major changes to their team, nor have they had any revolutionary changes to their car but rather an evolution, I think they will be far ahead of the competition. As far as development into pace is concerned, these two can now afford to make runs on heavy fuel loads.

At this stage, I am not going to try and make assumptions on Schumacher or Hamilton but one must notice the advancements being made over in the Ferrari garage. Typically, Alonso can bring 7/10 to any team and bringing those valuable times to a team like Ferrari, certainly makes me nervous, thinking about how competitive they will be this season. Don't worry about Massa, his career is over, it's Alonso's time now with the stallion.



Conclusion:
I still do not know, but I hope Webber can take it out in what appears to be his last season in F1, but he'll have plenty of competition from his good friend Alonso and of course, plenty to wrangle from within his own camp.

SleepBox

Fuck yeah! I'd use one.
I think this is a great idea to tackle the issues encountered during delayed flights, long gaps between transit or simply an economic solution to one night stop-overs in towns or cities between destinations, when travellers are usually bereft of a place to crash.
These are the sorts of ideas that will inevitably revolutionise the way humans will operate in the future. As the demands of business and personal lives increase the need to travel, we must look at these kinds of options to satisfy the growing demand for convenient and inexpensive, short term accommodation. The only addition I feel is needed to this sort of arrangement is the inclusion of toilet and shower facilities. Other than that, I think it's a great idea.

The designers had this to say;
The SleepBox concept is actually a freestanding box shaped sleeping capsule that are meant to be dotted around transport centers or expedition areas where people can have uninterrupted and sound sleep with great luxury. The bed of the concept is designed to change its linen automatically via rollers. The interior has been designed with functional ventilation system, Wi-Fi, TV, power outlets and storage space for luggage. Additionally, a quartz light has been used in between users to kill the inside germs. However, this thing has to be placed in a place where people really respect public property. Otherwise, they can be misused by different types of bad citizens.



Pretty cool!

Creaturism

I recently bought a t-shirt called "Bat Face" from a friend of mine and I think it's fucking awesome.
He makes really cool art under the banner "Creaturism".

I first met him through work and found him to be a valuable source of comedy in the workplace. He has an unbelievable knack for saying the most hilarious things without thinking about them, or their consequences first. Usually strange variations of what could happen, if we all lived in a comic book reality, or something just as unlikely.
Nevertheless, his art is amazing and translates wonderfully onto fabric for fashion.
I think his site is definitely worth checking out.

The synopsis states;
Creaturism, an up and coming creative services studio specializes in creating unique ideas through the beauty of graphic design and illustration.

Passionate about design, professional in delivery we provide creative solutions for any project, ranging from corporate identity/branding through to music packaging and illustrations.

Creaturism will embody your ideas with unique style that will produce award wining, head-turning results.

You can visit his website @:
http://www.creaturism.com.au/

Cats Getting Toe Up!

Catnip:
Nepeta cataria ("catnip", "catswort" or "catmint") is mostly used as a recreational substance for feline enjoyment.
Around 2 out of every 3 cats will be affected by the plant, and approximately 2 hours after an exposure, the feline will be sensitive to another dose. Whether it is growing in the wild or harvested and dried, felines will be affected by the plant.
The common behaviors that are observed are: rubbing on the plant, rolling on the ground, drooling, or consuming much of the plant. It is said that felines are affected by the smell of the plant more than anything. Felines have such a strong sense of smell that they can detect the chemical nepetalactone, which is the main active ingredient in Nepeta cataria.

This chemical enters the feline's nose, and produces semi-hallucinogenic effects on the cat.

These cats know how to party!

Tunnel Jewelry Hearing Aid

This I found from another blog called Tuvie.
This is what the blog had to say:

"The main idea of the Hearing Aid concept is to eliminate the effort of people to hide their earpieces, not to let other people know about their handicap. This innovative concept has been designed so stylishly that users can feel the confidence of wearing a piece of fashionable jewelry with it.

The main target users of the hearing aid are the medium level hearing disable people. Aside from incorporating the brand new TriMic system, this compact and lightweight gadget gives a near to perfect positioning of the microphone which is the key important aspect of the efficiency of a hearing aid. To make it a product for all, the designer offered a set of four different color alternatives to choose from."

Tuvie Blog:
http://www.tuvie.com/

Original Blog Post:
http://www.tuvie.com/hearing-aid-that-never-compromises-with-style/#more-7333

Designers Website:
http://www.designaffairs.com/

I dig it!

New Old Spice Commercial

I love the new Old Spice commercial.
Fucking hilarious!

Part I:



Part II:

Media Browser for Windows 7 Media Centre

Prior to Windows 7, I wouldn't usually run Media Centre, as it was prone to crashing and was generally a slow application however, with the stability and ease of Win7, I use this set up.

This is a far better way to experience your media collection.
It runs very smooth however, became jerky once screen captured (@ 10fps in the video) *Standard Excuse*



You can download Media Browser from:
http://www.mediabrowser.tv/

If you wish to play MKV files through Media Centre, download and install Haali Media Splitter from:
http://haali.su/mkv/

The best site I've found to help with Media Centre hacks and mods is:
http://www.hack7mc.com/

If you want a good meta data gatherer, I recommend MCM (Media Centre Master):
http://www.mediacentermaster.com/
The guy who wrote the software is very responsive in his forums and doesn't talk nonsense.
I think his name is Pete. Donate if you can. Indie Coders Win!

This is a link to his forum explaining the features of his software:
http://forums.mediacentermaster.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=49

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments.
I will try to answer them.

Anyone for a GREEN KIT-KAT?

My neighbor just popped his head through my window (as he does) waving a small green packet about, with his kiddish grin smeared ear to ear.

It was a Green Tea flavored Kit-Kat. He had ordered a box of them from Japan and insisted that I try one.

Well, it sure looked good as it was flailing about in front of me but the kicker was when he told me that the chocolate covering was actually GREEN!
I HAD TO TRY IT!!!



Needless to say, it was awesome.

Myer Computer Fail

I was in Myer the other day in the computer department, when I noticed their computer terminal.
It was like looking into the past man!
This old green screen DOS based piece of shit is what the staff have to use to search through stock lists and find prices and stuff like that.

I couldn't believe it!
A computer department with a relic of a machine!

Myer, you fail...

CRYOSLEEP radio from Bluemars

Ever wanted to have a soundtrack to your life behind a computer, late at night as you're surfing the web, writing a book or Facebooking the shit out of the net?
Ever wanted to feel like you're life is the plot of some epic, futuristic space saga?

Well if so, CRYOSLEEP Radio from Bluemars is definitely the answer!
CRYOSLEEP radio is music for the space traveller. Perfect for a time lord or wormhole enthusiast. It boasts "Zero Beats Guaranteed" in it's on screen catch and is also easily listened to on the go, with the Radio Box Internet Radio app.

You can find the links to CRYOSLEEP @:
http://bluemars.org/cryosleep.php

Also, Radio Box Internet Radio app @:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/internet-radio-box/id293623806?mt=8

I highly recommend them.

bloggie

Got my new Sony bloggie yesterday.

It's their new FullHD 1080 video recorder for only $299.
Plus it has a cool 360degree lens attachment.
It lets you record a full 360degrees of footage in this dome looking style, then the software it comes with lets you unroll the footage to look like a huge panoramic view of everything that's around you. I can't wait to use this thing at a festival or gig; or at a party. Just think, you could drop the thing in the middle of a table and record everyone around it. Awesome!

Later I will upload some demo footage of the 360degree feature.

You can see the bloggie @:
http://www.sony.com.au/productcategory/msc-bloggie

Johnny Lee

So I stumbled on to this guy the other day called Johnny Chung Lee. He has been able to hack a Wiimote to be able to emulate a VR 3D experience on any computer or TV, by simple making up a headset for like, $20 and running his software.

He hopes that some game designers catch on and start making games that can use this kind of thing. The cool thing about this kit is that you don't need any expensive 3D TV or monitors to use it.

I dig it.



Also, he has used the Wiimote to make a variety of other devices, such as a cheap interactive whiteboard. Some schools have used his software and design to implement this whiteboard in their classrooms.

His website is:
http://johnnylee.net/

He's a really tallented dude. More of an artist than a programmer.

blogging cures insomnia

After spending the last few months staring at my computer screen while I can't sleep, refreshing my facebook page and watching the massive decline in myspace activity, I have finally had enough of trying to entertain myself.

So I am vowing to try to update my blog and tweets as often as I can.
I am going to write about the most non-relivent subjects and bore the shit out of any poor fools who happen to read any of this tripe.

Good luck!