LIVE Google Earth?!

That’s essentially what a new update will be doing for Microsoft’s search engine Bing. Shown to an amazed crowd at the TED Conference in Long Beach, California, this new concept integrates live video into Bing’s mapping feature.

“Microsoft says this might be useful, for instance, if you wanted to see how long a line outside a restaurant was on Valentine’s Day.”

Now, I don’t know if this is just me, but I’ve been looking forward to something like this ever since Google Earth was first introduced about five years ago. I’m sure it will initially be in use only on much larger cities, but I hope it will eventually catch on. Does all of this mean that ordinary people will eventually have the power to spy on people they know through the internet? Time will only tell, but this application could have many practical uses, and I’d love the ability to try it out one day.

via: CNN

A Good Use For Floppy Disks

Artist Nick Gentry of London must see things from on optimistic point of view if he is able to turn forgotten technology into unique artwork.

“The whole world was totally reliant on these physical media formats. Now suddenly we are at a time where they are obsolete, replaced by countless intangible data files,” says the artist himself.

Aside from being visually pleasing, I also find that this odd artwork represents how quickly we discard old technologies as we grow further and further as a civilization. Every new idea that we conjure up is only a small part of the endless stream of technological advancement.

via: Wired

The National Anthem

This song sounds pretty American to me:

Despite its simplicity and lack of any real musical value, I find this song very catchy, for some reason. The lyrics mainly consist of two men proclaiming their location within a conjoined fast food restaurant… while repeating it over and over again… and I love it.

via: YouTube

3DTV

Panasonic has recently priced their first 3DTV at a whopping $5,900. I won’t be buying one anytime soon, that’s for sure, and even if I had that kind of money, I’m not sure that I would. I’m all for the idea of 3D television, and I’m almost certain that it will be a household item at one point in the future. However, it will not catch on immediately, due to the fact that only a small amount of the population is willing to shell out nearly six grand for a TV. Maybe sometime down the road, when they are more common, will I finally purchase one. For now, I’ll simply allow myself to be amazed at the fact that we have developed a 3D television for the general public to purchase. I can not wait to see what various technological advances we will make in the future, whether they are practical or not.

via: Gizmodo

…?

…?

I’m not sure exactly what this image means, or if it represents anything at all, but it immediately caught my eye as I was browsing FFFFOUND! It’s a man with a Giant Panda skull for a head, or at least, something that looks like a Panda’s skull. I’m not big on anatomy or anything like that, but the eye sockets on this thing seem ridiculously huge, and the fact that the artist only put fur on the ears is an interesting choice. Strange artwork such as this always makes me wonder what the artist had in mind when creating it, and why they created it. Art is always up to interpretation, but to know the truth behind a certain piece would be nice sometimes.

via: FFFFOUND!

The Future of Film

I’ve recently been reading The Pixar Touch by David A. Price, which explains the origins of the successful production company known for its animated feature films. One particular quote from the book really got me thinking:
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“Many in Hollywood wondered whether audiences would even sit through a full-length film in the new medium of computer animation. It was unclear whether computer animation would prove to be a sterile novelty that would quickly wear thin.”
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If at one point people doubted computer animation as a successful medium of film, then what ridiculous ideas of today will be considered the industry norms of tomorrow? Will every live-action film eventually be shot in 3D, as Avatar was? What about realistic holograms that could be projected in front of you? Or maybe the technology of future films is something that no one has even thought of yet. Regardless, film is an ever-changing form of media in today’s world, and I hope to be a part of that change.