A Dutch design studio bought as many human billboards on eBay as they could, and published an awesome photobook. One more somewhat NSFW picture after the jump.
A Book of Human Billboards
A Dutch design studio bought as many human billboards on eBay as they could, and published an awesome photobook. One more somewhat NSFW picture after the jump.
What Do You Call Two iAd Units?
If one ad on Apple's new network is called iAd, what do you call two ads? Well, not iAds, because the "iAds" trademark belongs to someone else -- the Innovate Media Group (see record).
All Your TVs Are Belong To Hollywood
The FCC "approved a request to allow companies that sell movies via video-on-demand services to activate signals that would block the copying or other re-use in home entertainment systems of recent releases." (NYTimes, via @stellawongo)
In other words,
- Content owners will be able to turn off, remotely, certain plugs on your new fancy TV or set-up box to prevent copying of new VOD releases;
- Some cable channels will be viewable only if you have a new fancy TV -- equipment that supports the Selectable Output Control tech.
These guys are pretty upset; BoingBoing isn't happy either.
In other words,
- Content owners will be able to turn off, remotely, certain plugs on your new fancy TV or set-up box to prevent copying of new VOD releases;
- Some cable channels will be viewable only if you have a new fancy TV -- equipment that supports the Selectable Output Control tech.
These guys are pretty upset; BoingBoing isn't happy either.
Screwing with people's hardware is just wrong. Next thing, they will power down my fridge because I cook recipes off the net instead of buying an authorized cook book.
Let's see who and how soon will be the first to suggest an idea to remotely shut down TVs of people who routinely skip commercials.
Private Customized Adventures
Cleaning up an old archive, I found this. Hope the company is still in business.
Do you remember movie The Game in which Michael Douglas character participates in a game that blends with life, designed by a company called Consumer Recreation Services? Well, there is a company that provides just these kind of services. "Hire us to manipulate your or someone else's day. Using characters and scenarios designed specifically for the targeted individual, we excel in making, or breaking someone's day."
Directory of Fictional Phone Numbers
Here's a very comprehensive directory of the fictional 555 phone numbers from movies and TV shows. Add to your Rolodex the contact for the Fight Club's Project Mayhem: 555-1534.
Record Analog Podcasts With Gramophone
Fire up your Skype and record that interview old-school style, with a real gramophone.
The Gakken Premium Gramophone ($149) "supports all record sizes, features speed and tone adjustment, and even lets you record music! No file formats to worry about, no batteries to replace, and the warm, nostalgic sound of analog - this just might be the perfect music player."
Your Family Pictures, Now With Limited Commercial Interruptions
Here's one genius idea whose time is yet to come: let people stream online pictures from their accounts on sites such as Facebook and Flickr to the digital frames on their desks, walls and nightstands along with news, stocks and weather updates, and an occasional ad.
There's a company called Thinking Screen Media that does exactly that via its FrameChannel service. Get a wifi-enabled frame, plug into the info stream via FrameChannel and select among dozens of sources, and there you have your own Captivate screen you stare at during elevator rides in the office. Only now it's in your bedroom. Incidentally, Captivate's founder is on the board of this new company.
The company has done tests with IPG and plans to start selling its ad inventory some time this year. It also has just launched an iPad app that turns the device into digital frame.
The idea is genius because as hardware prices drop and people's comfort with the tech grows, everyone will soon have as many screens on surfaces around them as they now have old-fashioned paper photos. All of these screens will be online.
The idea is early because today wireless frame penetration is at 5%.
Some 5.9 million digital frames shipped in 2008 in the US and the market will remain flat until 2013, and IDC expects that by then two thirds of all frames shipped will have a wireless capability.
Funny, there are people who have already figured out how to block ads on this barely emerging medium (lie about your location during sign-up).
Eventually, digital frames will become wallet-sized. They will be monetized as well: every tenth time that you open your wallet you'll see an ad. Then, our windows will be internet-ready as well.
There's a company called Thinking Screen Media that does exactly that via its FrameChannel service. Get a wifi-enabled frame, plug into the info stream via FrameChannel and select among dozens of sources, and there you have your own Captivate screen you stare at during elevator rides in the office. Only now it's in your bedroom. Incidentally, Captivate's founder is on the board of this new company.
The company has done tests with IPG and plans to start selling its ad inventory some time this year. It also has just launched an iPad app that turns the device into digital frame.
The idea is genius because as hardware prices drop and people's comfort with the tech grows, everyone will soon have as many screens on surfaces around them as they now have old-fashioned paper photos. All of these screens will be online.
The idea is early because today wireless frame penetration is at 5%.
Some 5.9 million digital frames shipped in 2008 in the US and the market will remain flat until 2013, and IDC expects that by then two thirds of all frames shipped will have a wireless capability.
Funny, there are people who have already figured out how to block ads on this barely emerging medium (lie about your location during sign-up).
Eventually, digital frames will become wallet-sized. They will be monetized as well: every tenth time that you open your wallet you'll see an ad. Then, our windows will be internet-ready as well.
Starling Preps App For Social TV Viewing
For those of you who were interested in the last week's post about social TV, here's another recent announcement (also written up in Contagious and Creativity):
"Starling builds on the emergent trend of 'co-viewing,' which generates active social media chatter when fans of a show gather online. It connects fans with other fans of the show, and friends to what their friends are watching. Users engage each other around the shows they already enjoy, and discover new shows through the social graph.
Starling builds the experience by sorting popular comments, and comments from the viewer's friends. Comments that appeal to the viewer can be voted upon. Voting is simple. Viewers tap the screen to 'star' a comment and viewers with well-received comments are awarded points in a global scoring system."
Some relevant Nielsen stats from q4 2009: "59% of TV viewers now use the Internet once a month; the amount of time Americans spent using the Internet while watching TV reached three and a half hours a month."
Trippy Japanese Ads for Schizophrenia Drug
This collection of Japanese ads for psychiatric drugs made rounds a few years ago; my favorite is the series for Serenace (haloperidol) that is used in the treatment of schizophrenia and, acute psychotic states and delirium.
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