New York City is a photographer's dream. In addition to iconic urban landscapes nearly everywhere you look; it's a city ridden with photo galleries. And, that goes for well beyond the obvious Chelsea and 57th Street areas. Gallery-hopping is a frugal and less stressful alternative to a day-long museum jaunt because galleries are almost always free, and if you attend an exhibit opening, you're further blessed with free drinks et al. For good measure, however, we've included two museums worthy of your photographic desires. Consider these picks when you can't bear another abstract painting or ironic performance art.
You can stream Massive Attack’s new Heligoland Remix EP on their Facebook Fan Page, all you have to do is be a “fan” for the stream to unlock itself.
Here is the tracklist: Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix) Pray For Rain (Tim Goldsworthy Remix) Fatalism (Ryuichi Sakamoto & Yukihiro Takahashi Remix) Girl I Love You (She Is Danger Remix) Paradise Circus (Breakage’s Tight Rope Remix) Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Dub)
Heligoland is out February 9th via Virgin Records.
Tags: music
Photo by Jonathan Percy.
A few months ago I read news of Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi working on a solo album, called Go, with accomplished arranger Nico Muhly (Grizzly Brear, Anthony and the Johnsons) and producer Peter Katis, who has worked with Interpol and Frightened Rabbit.
Other than that, not much is known about Jónsi’s solo album. The first song to sprout from Go is called “Boy Lilikoi”, and what a song it is. Immediately after the song’s whimsical 36 second intro, you will notice that Jónsi is singing in English, a pleasant surprise for most Sigur Rós fans (I hear most of the album will be in English).
The song progresses beautifully, becoming a symphonic anthem that Jónsi, as part of Sigur Rós, has been known to work with. I’m not one to complain about gorgeous orchestral pop, but what separates “Boy Lilikoi” from being another Sigur Rós number?
The LP’s producer said this about Go: “It’s going to be a largely acoustic guitar record but also with a lot of ‘out there’ string arrangements…strings, woodwinds, brass, and double bass, actually.” Are you excited yet?
MP3: Jónsi – Boy Lilikoi
© Nelson Garrido
Architectural photographer Nelson Garrido shared with us an amazing set of photos for the Axis Viana Hotel by VHM in Viana do Castelo. This Business & Spa Hotel is an ode to cantilevering, as you can see on the section shown below.
© Nelson Garrido
The overlapping stacked volumes generate a series of different perspectives, ranging from a full box in a frontal view, to a complex column when seen from the sides. The 2 lower levels have a concrete structure, with the rest of the boxes resolved in a steel structure sitting on top of it.
© Nelson Garrido
© Nelson Garrido
© Nelson Garrido
© Nelson Garrido
It's always an interesting Sunday when the front page of the New York Times business section features a mostly-glowing piece on the dynamics of the App Store, leading off with some facts and figures from Freeverse's Ian Lynch Smith (who also appeared in our own video visit to Freeverse last month). Smith let the Times know that one month of sales for chart-topper Skee-Ball, an app that took two months to develop, came to $181,000. Not bad at all.
The entire article is worth a read, and it at least gives a brief nod to the ongoing struggles between independent developers and Apple's review process than we're used to hearing about (including a mention of one unlucky VoIP shop with an 'in review' time measured by the year). The anecdotal evidence is starting to mount that Apple is thinking seriously about how the App Store's failings are effecting the ecosystem and driving quality developers from the platform: direct executive intervention to approve apps, responding to allegations of review fixing, and quick turnarounds on low-logic rejections all help matters. What would help more than those examples of good exception handling? More clarity, more transparency, and more equity -- assuming you're not in favor of my modest proposal to subvert app review entirely. Since there are now suggestions that even non-jailbroken phones might be vulnerable to data theft from malicious apps, it seems unlikely that Apple will let unreviewed apps through anytime soon.
TUAWNY Times Business section features the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST.
Envision a web service that lets you record and share your entire life online: That’s the lofty goal LIFEmee wants to achieve. The eponymous Tokyo-based startup behind the service (which is available in both English and Japanese) relaunched its site today with a redesigned interface and a set of new features. (LIFEmee launched back in September this year as a TechCrunch50 DemoPit company.)
To recap, LIFEmee allows you to store, manage and share all significant aspects and events of your life: Your daily health condition, relationships, jobs, schools, possessions, hobbies, family members, pictures, notes etc. etc. The main idea is to give users a platform for organizing their lives online by collecting and structuring this kind of information for lifetime use. Users can not only review all data they fed into their “lifestream” (all data aligned along a time line) in retrospect but also lay out their plans for the future. The information can be shared or kept strictly private.
LIFEmee is still loaded with too many buttons and icons, but the new site is much simpler to use than the TechCrunch50 version. The site’s co-founders say after having collected feedback from early users all around the world, they tried to make it more accessible, integrate it with existing social networks and redesign the entire layout. A Japanese version was added a few weeks after TechCrunch50, too (at the event, LIFEmee launched in English only).
In the new version, users don’t need to register on the site anymore but can log in via Facebook Connect. Status updates on LIFEmee can now be pushed to Facebook and Twitter profiles automatically. But what’s more interesting is that it’s now possible to scrape Facebook status updates and tweets and post them on LIFEmee where they will be (theoretically) stored forever and in one place.
Layout-wise, a few key elements were dropped from the splash page. You won’t find the “Last Will” button anymore, for example (early LIFEmee users deemed the option to upload a Last Will and Testament as “too dark”).
The central “MyLife” area was replaced with two distinct functions, DailyBoard and LifeBoard. Whereas DailyBoard operates similarly to Twitter (asking “How are you feeling now?”), the LifeBoard is the place to go for writing a diary, keeping track of your health condition or making future plans. For example, you can upload a picture of the dream house you plan to buy 5 years later on the LifeBoard and lay out which steps are to be made by which points in time to achieve that goal.
And LIFEmee added a number of other bells and whistles (i.e. a new search function that lets you search up comment and status update from LIFEmee, Twitter and Facebook at the same time, easier uploading of pictures and items, additional options to invite friends etc.) that make the service a bit more worthwhile. But the question is if we are already at the the stage where we are willing (and dedicated enough) to store our entire lives on the web.
LIFEmee is still in alpha, which means there are still a few kinks that need to be ironed out, but the site is ready for you to take at least a test run. LIFEmee competes with similar offerings like dandelife, thisMoment and Rseven on the mobile.
The Japanese cell phone company Softbank launches a new TV spot featuring Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino doesn't direct. He acts the role of a samurai uncle. Or something.
TURN is the answer for open living. This fireplace can be rotated round 360 degrees and can also be locked in position at set increments. The cosy view of the fire can now be enjoyed from every conceivable angle. This means that fireplace planning is no longer tied to the living room environment and offers the desired scope for change. In its form, the horizontally located fireplace communicates the lightness of the free-floating fire. The requirement for heat takes centre stage. TURN is always involved. The fireplace has been tested as a free-standing installation. For extra security, it is screwed down onto the floor through the holes pre-drilled in the base plate. Alternatively, an additional counterweight accommodated in the integrated storage element ensures that its own weight is balanced and stable. The combustion chamber door is right-opening, while the air supply is channelled through a practical regulator offering one-hand operation from below the combustion chamber. TURN manages without any grate or ash pan, thanks to its optimally regulated combustion process.
A preview of an upcoming collaboration surfaces as it involves Warriors of Radness and Gourmet. The model at hand features the low-top TRE, something soon destined to be a perfect summer time offering. The shoe features a thick gray/white striped motif with turquoise hits on the outsole and liner.
Source: Culture Shoq
I’m not exactly sure when Kid Cudi left in the first place, and that’s ok, I’ve always been the kind of person that will go to a birthday party without knowing who the birdthday boy/girl was — I just want cake.
On “Cudderisback”, Kid Cudi, or Cudder (terrible nickname, it just sounds dirty) raps over Vampire Weekend’s “Ottoman”. If you didn’t know, “Ottoman” was commissioned by the Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist people for an indietastic, better than New Moon Soundtrack soundtrack.
Other than the Vampire Weekend, “Cudderisback” doesn’t stray from Kid Cudi’s proven method of indie-rap song craftsmanship. Cudi touches base on a colorful array of topics, but again leaves me feeling like he doesn’t have much to say. He has nothing to worry about though, Ivy League afro-pop in the background makes everything better.
Apparently the Department of Defense believes that PS3s are a better value when it comes to supercomputers than IBM products specifically designed for the purpose. Granted recent price drops probably didn't hurt in justifying a 2,200 console order either.
This isn't the first time that the DoD is using PS3 consoles for supercomputing. In fact, these 2,200 units are going to be added to an existing Linux cluster of 336 PS3s used by the United States Air Force. According to Justification Review Documents, the purchase is all about getting the best value out the DoD's budget:
With respect to cell processors, a single 1U server configured with two 3.2GHz cell processors can cost up to $8K while two Sony PS3s cost approximately $600. Though a single 3.2 GHz cell processor can deliver over 200 GFLOPS, whereas the Sony PS3 configuration delivers approximately 150 GFLOPS, the approximately tenfold cost difference per GFLOP makes the Sony PS3 the only viable technology for HPC applications.
I'm all for balancing cost and features, but isn't it just a bit curious that someone thought to save on upgrading the supercomputer just after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released? [Ars Technica via Boing Boing]
Best plan: A two-mast schooner to go live around the world. Second best plan: A house like Universe, in Roca Blanca, Mexico. And neoprene suits, surf boards, and diving gear. OK, and a two-mast schooner too. Come in and chill:
We always feature the most amazinglytastic and awesomerest architecture, packed with high-tech materials and impossible shapes. And yet, every time I come across something like the Universe house, I keep coming back to the same thought: The best architecture is the simplest one. No need for titanium plates, no need for complex computer-aided design—just good design integrated in the perfect natural spot. Add a hammock and an internet connection, and you'll be set, thank you very much.
Created by Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco and architect Tatiana Bilbao, Universe's design is based in the Jantar Mantar Astronomical Observatory, which was built in Delhi in 1724. Orozco visited the observatory in 1996. After seeing it, he wanted a house that captured the concept of Jantar Mantar. Bilbao's office drafted the detailed plans after his sketches, and a team built the house in the traditional way, which included the help of a donkey called Panchito, who ferried some of the materials and stones into this wild spot of the Mexican Coast. The house offers a 360-degree view, with no glass windows—just some wood planks in case a hurricane comes by—with a swimming pool in the middle replacing the observatory bowl from the Indian temple. A design change that I strongly agree with—and I would enjoy, Margarita in hand, if I were so lucky as to watch the sun set from there. One day. [Tatiana Bilbao and Interview with Gabriel Orozco via Archdaily]
The other day we gave you a first look at the upcoming adidas Originals Star Wars Collection. Today we can report about a collaboration between Porter and Star Wars. The line consists of tote bags, backpacks, shoulder bags and wallets. They used a Stormtrooper and a lightsaber all-over pattern on the bags. We appreciate the fact that they kept it pretty subtle with the colors and patterns, at least compared to what they could have done. The collection will be released at Zozo in January 2010.
More images of the Porter x Star Wars Luggage Collection follow after the jump.
(...) Read the rest of Porter x Star Wars Luggage Collection
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When Roku released their new HD-XR box, they mentioned that big new features would be launched in the coming weeks via software update. Now the Roku Channel Store is finally here, but it's awfully short on excitement.
The Roku Channel Store is an open platform for delivering content to Roku boxes beyond the already-integrated Netflix, MLB.tv and Amazon channels. We all had high hopes for full-length streaming video, and rumors pointed to Hulu, but alas, it is not to be. The first ten "channels" were released today, and Hulu is not among them. The list:
Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe.
The Channel Store itself seems pretty open-ended, with a freely available SDK so developers can add to the Store's selection—and we hope they do, because these offerings are pretty meager at the moment. The Roku Channel Store is a free and automatic upgrade starting today, and works on all Roku devices, but there aren't any killer apps here (and neither Pandora nor Flickr is really a barn-burner at this point—at this point, every gadget I own, including my alarm clock, does that stuff). Here's hoping for some serious development efforts. Press release is below. [Roku]
Roku Launches Open Platform for Delivery of Content to the TV; Announces First 10 New Channels
Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe all now available on the Roku player
Silicon Valley, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players, announced today the Roku Channel Store and the first 10 free channels for Roku customers to enjoy on their TVs. From internet radio to video podcasts, professional web content to photo sharing and personal videos, the Roku Channel Store provides an open platform for delivering quality content to the TV. New channels now available for customers to add today to their Roku experience via the Roku Channel Store include: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. For the complete list of channels and specific channel descriptions and features, please go to http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store.
These first 10 channels are just the beginning for Roku. Many other developers are working on Roku Channels now, and Roku expects additional developers to adopt the Roku platform over time. New channels will appear in the Roku Channel Store automatically as they become available.
The Roku Channel Store represents an opportunity for content owners and publishers to reach an already large and growing audience of Roku customers. By creating an open platform for delivery to the television over the Internet, Roku has leveled the playing field for content owners.
"The Roku Channel Store turns the Roku player into the world's first open platform designed specifically for the TV," Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc said. "Now content producers and distributors – from single person shops to billion dollar corporations – can deliver their content directly to consumers without having to go exclusively through cable operators, satellite networks or TV affiliates."
To create a channel for the Roku Channel Store, a developer creates an application using Roku's free software developer kit. This SDK is available free upon request by emailing partners@roku.com.
All Roku players, including the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR models, are compatible with the Roku Channel Store. The new channels are in addition to the existing Roku channels already available: Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Video On Demand and MLB.TV.
Pricing and availability
The Roku Channel Store will be delivered as an automatic and free upgrade to all existing Roku customers over the course of the next two weeks. New customers will automatically be upgraded when they first install their Roku player. To browse and use the Roku Channel Store, customers will be prompted to create a Roku account. Existing customers who do not want to wait for their Roku player to update automatically can manually update their Roku player immediately. Detailed instructions can be found under the Roku Channel Store tab at http://www.roku.com/support/faqs.
First introduced in May 2008, and updated regularly with free software updates, the Roku player family provides the easiest, most affordable and reliable way for hundreds of thousands of Roku customers to watch their favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events instantly on their TV. All three Roku players are available immediately at http://www.roku.com starting at $79.99 and include free shipping for a limited time.
About Roku, Inc.
Roku is a market leader in innovative applications for digital media, opening up a new world of entertainment to the TV. Through its work in both software and hardware, the company develops and sells consumer products that give customers the ability to take charge over their entertainment choices, combining high-value content and immediate access to that content at a low price. Its products include: The family of Roku players and the SoundBridge Internet radio line. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: http://www.roku.com.
Wired writer Evan Ratliff spent 27 days in constant fear of getting caught as a small army of amateur and professional investigators hunted him. He had a bounty on his head and the Internet nipping at his heels.
Vanish, a combination of a manhunt and an experiment, began at 5:38 pm on August 14, 2009 as a bold headline on Wired proclaimed "Author Evan Ratliff Is on the Lam. Locate Him and Win $5,000." We would discover if someone could disappear in today's world, or whether the electronic trails from ATM, email, and cell phone usage would give him away.
Of course, in Evan's case it wasn't just a few concerned family members or police officers looking. It was any person on the Internet whose curiosity was aroused, either by the sheer challenge or by the bounty. Any and all traceable information would be shared over the next few weeks. Soon Evan's phone records, credit card statements, IP dumps, interviews with friends, and anything that his hunters could dig up would be posted on Twitter, Facebook, and Wired's own site.
The end goal for the hunters was to locate Evan, photograph him after giving the codeword "fluke," and then submitting that photo along with a codeword Evan would provide to Wired. And after 27 long days, someone did just that. Evan was caught.
You can read the entire tale here. As you do, consider whether Evan made any genuine mistakes or whether his capture was simply inevitable. Is there a way to disappear, without giving up travel and technology? How would you do it? [Wired]
Eric Haze recently presented a new series of works under his upcoming exhibition, New Abstracts and Icons on display at the Level 2 Gallery, set up by Sky Gellaty. The event featured an appearance by numerous high profile creatives while offering a closer look into the work of one of the more celebrated names in the world of street art. For those interested in attending, New Abstracts and Icons runs through December 10th, 2009. See more at Eric Haze New Abstracts and Icons Exhibition Recap
© Staff for Hypebeast, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Art, Eric Haze, Events
Filed under: Technology, Investing, Google , Apple
Google (GOOG) likes to blow up entire industries. Two weeks ago, the search giant dropped a bomb on the GPS industry with the release of its free and open-source voice-activated navigation app -- sorry, Garmin (GRMN) and TomTom. Google is also in the process of blowing up the productivity applications business with its Google Apps offering, a suite of online email, word processing and other tools that costs a fraction of the price of Windows Office and other Microsoft (MSFT) software. Today, Google's new Chrome browser-based OS came into clearer focus, and from the looks of it, Google may be en route to blowing up a handful of other businesses.
Continue reading Chrome doom: Google's Web-based OS could kill whole industries
Chrome doom: Google's Web-based OS could kill whole industries originally appeared on DailyFinance on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
To born and bred Southerners, the title of this post is probably laughable or insulting, or both. Pulled pork sandwiches in Brooklyn are like New York slices of pizza in Dallas; neither will live up to the "real thing," but some will come closer than others. If you've ever attended...
Stop pretending to do work and watch the video for the Charlotte Gainsbourg/Beck duet "Heaven Can Wait" right this minute. (Please.)
It's a Dada brainfuck directed by Keith Schofield that features a dinosaur in a wig (in a bathtub), a giant rat getting held up at knife point, a dude in a SpongeBob costume getting tackled by the fuzz, an astronaut with pancakes for a head, a guy racing a flying axe, a dude chilling on the street with a giant walnut, and one more guy with half a beard.
Charlotte's Beck-produced LP, IRM, is out on January 26 via Because/Elektra. The video is below and you're very welcome! (Via Spinner.)