posted by Scott Beale on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
I met up with Violet Blue today to geek out and tour the Macworld Expo. It was a very mellow scene, with a much smaller crowd than previous years. We caught up with friends, visited some of our favorite Mac companies and saw Woz giving a demo, but overall it was fairly uneventful. Here are a few photos I shot while there.
If there were any questions that Macworld would go on without Apple, they were answered by the big sign at the top of the escalator that read “Macworld 2010, The start of a new era.”
posted by Scott Beale on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
“MacHEADS The Movie”, a feature length documentary about loyal Apple fanatics and their obsession, premiers tomorrow night, Wednesday, January 7th at Macworld 2009, screening at 6:15pm in room 131 of the North Hall of Moscone Center. The film was make by brothers Kobi Shely and Ron Shely of Chimp 65 Productions out of Tel Aviv.
MacHEADS is an in-depth examination of just what makes the Mac, the iPhone, and Apple’s other products a cultural phenomenon, rather than just run-of-the-mill consumer electronics. The film explores the loyalty of Apple followers and their obsession. MacHEADS captures events from Steve Jobs’s historic Keynote addresses, the iPhone’s first release in NYC, and other historic moments. This unique film also combines visual evidence from archives of early Macworld Expos.
While roaming the Macworld Expo Hall today, Violet Blue and I ran into MacHEADS filmmakers Ron and Kobi, who traveled from Israel for the premier. Violet is featured in the documentary, in soon to be infamous scene where she candidly admits that “she’s never, ever slept with a Windows user”.
posted by Scott Beale on Monday, January 5th, 2009
Apple has just announced the MacBook Wheel, an innovative new laptop with a touch-sensitive click wheel instead of a traditional keyboard. The 40GB model is only $9,960!
posted by Scott Beale on Monday, January 5th, 2009
They guys who organized last year’s amazing meme exploration conference ROFLCon in Cambridge and the follow-up event ROFLThing in San Francisco, are now doing ROFLThing NYC on January 24th at Santos Party House in Manhattan.
I’ll be attending the event along with Lori and Laughing Squid is one of the sponsors of the event. While we are in town, we’ll be doing a Laughing Squid NYC Drinkup sometime that week before the event.
posted by Scott Beale on Monday, January 5th, 2009
London design consultant Tom Ballhatchet has created a prototype for a Hamster Powered Paper Shredder. 45 minutes of hamster wheel running will shred a piece of paper which then becomes bedding for the hamster.
posted by Scott Beale on Monday, January 5th, 2009
EDW Lynch warns us that a Solstice Killer, known to authorities as “Lumber Jack”, has been murdering Christmas trees in San Francisco and then dumping their remains on sidewalks around the city. This sick individual first “decorates” his victims before killing them with a saw or asphyxiation by spray-on snow.
Detectives and forensics experts scoured the Mission Saturday in search of the notorious Solstice Killer, the only documented Serial Tree Murderer. He strikes San Francisco shortly after Christmas each year and leaves a trail of dead trees on the sidewalks of sleepy residential streets. Photos of the ongoing investigation have just been released. WARNING: The photos are graphic and depict dead conifers in various states of decomposition.
Authorities are hunting down the Solstice Killer aka “Lumber Jack”, the serial tree murderer who strikes after Dec 25 of each year. Motive is unknown though the killer tends to “decorate” his victims shortly before their death. Preferred method of death is by saw or asphyxiation by spray-on snow. Tree remains are dumped all over the city with special emphasis on residential neighborhoods.
Join us for The Crucible’s Tenth Anniversary when we present another stunning Fire Ballet Fundraiser; Dracul: Prince of Fire, conceived and directed by Crucible founder, Michael Sturtz, with choreography by Viktor Kabaniaev, and stage direction by Mark Streshinsky.
In an original twist on the tale of Dracul, the father of Dracula, the story reveals the beginning of the vampire legend in a way only The Crucible could imagine. Set during the age of industry, it’s a dark tale of passion, fire and blood.
The event is a fundraiser for EFF and they are asking for a $25 donation at the door. You can pre-pay for the party in advance using EFF’s Happy Birthday donation page, which includes an option for a discounted EFF membership.
Make: is the DIY series for a new generation! It celebrates “Makers” - the inventors, artists, geeks and just plain everyday folks who mix new and old technology to create new-fangled marvels. The series encourages everyone to invent, revent, recycle, upcycle, and act up. Based on the popular Make magazine, each half-hour episode inspires millions to think, create, and, well, make.
posted by Scott Beale on Friday, January 2nd, 2009
JPG Magazine, an innovative photography publication and community, along with it’s parent company 8020 Media have announced that they are shutting down as of Monday, January 5th. Brad Stone covers the closure in the New York Times.
I don’t actually care if Diesel is able to sell more jeans because of the weird videos they put up on their site. I am never, ever, going to buy any of their pants. But the videos are delightfully odd and entertaining and I don’t want them to stop.
But in the digital realm they are reaching new heights, their web video gallery is weird, wild and provocative. Some highlights below.
Hair Bath is exactly what it sounds like. A bath of hair, brought to you by Diesel. What? The young lady likes hair, would like you to send her yours, and in exchange will squirm around in it cooing like that chick from the old Pearl Drops toothpaste commercial. What!?!?
There have been 3 videos in the Hair Bath series so far, plus a short appeal which simply asks for you to cut and send more hair to keep bath-time going.
Makes more sense now? If not there are two more Pete-related videos to help inquiring and hungry minds digest the possibilities.
Another video called Flag Ceremony features an underage marching band in the that seems like a glimpse of the next generation of Extra Action Marching Band members, who will could be funded by residuals from an early age.
Rarely throughout does the Diesel brand name or any of their products appear noticeably in the frame. An exception is in their Dance Party series where contestants wear little more than Diesel undergarments. Overall it’s definitely a different take than the myriad dance competition shows that currently dominate the air waves.
Episodes 1 to 3 of Dance Party are up, but I guess we’ll have to wait til #4 to find out who won and what, if anything, they get. Diesel also deserves a tip of the hat for keeping Roman Numerals relevant in fashion. Also sacks over the head with Roman Numerals on them.
In addition to these video series the site also shows numerous shorts that tread a weird kitschy line between infomercials, late night evangelists and test patterns. For instance, if you need a little primer on Success, Diesel has that covered. And meet a woman whose life has changed for the better. Then there’s the wealth guru with very bad handwriting.
Sometimes a toll-free phone number pops up in these shorts: 888-559-5759. When I called it (why not it’s free!) I got a recording saying that eventually real people will answer this line. But in the meantime you can leave a message which they have the right to broadcast or use in any way they want. So if you want to shout into the Diesel phone hole….
Oh, and on the other end of the subtle & arty video creations above, here’s DIESEL’s 2008 Christmas ad, which is decidedly more commercial. In fact cynically and obsessively commercial. Also very very funny.
Lest you think their print campaigns are particularly less odd, note an example below starring model Jon Kortajarena for their 2009 men’s line, with a decidedly foot fetishist overtone…
posted by Scott Beale on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
Here’s our annual roundup of some of the events planned in the San Francisco Bay Area for New Year’s Eve 2008-2009. We will add more as it gets closer to NYE.
Warning: glimpses of nudity here and there, and it’s a bit brutal.
Although the Christmas season is over for this year, I think there’s room for one more Santa origin tale. From Finnish production company Woodpecker Films comes this short film on where Santas come from: “Rare Exports”, who have been delivering real Finnish Father Christmases since 1739. Warning: not for the easily squeamish. I’m never going to look at Santa the same way again.
Two years later, following a particularly bad incident, they had to shoot this reproachful safety film on the handling and care of the Father Christmas during shipping:
Hat tip to my friend Su, who pointed me towards these.
The legendary “hobo code”was a set of covert markings used to warn other hobos about danger or to clue them into good situations. As times have changed, a new set of code symbols have emerged to alert other hobos to circumstances in modern America. Perhaps you have seen them on your own city streets.
