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Enjoy a terrifying 10,000 foot GoPro camera freefall
Got your dramamine and/or hallucinogenics? Either will work for the latest video starring a tough, but not-very-well-attached GoPro camera. Its owner lost it during a skydiving formation gone wrong, and it continued the rest of the 10,000 feet down without him, spinning crazily the whole way. But the camera and video survived and were picked up by a resident of Kristianstad, Sweden, who figured it had been sitting in a meadow "for several years." He posted it on YouTube (below) to find the rightful owner, and the trick worked -- it was claimed by a parachutist from a nearby flying club. Unfortunately, it may also give you some horrific new falling dreams.
YouTube Find: A crushing look at the iPhone 5s
There is no shortage of videos on YouTube that show the iPhone being blown up, blended or otherwise destroyed under extreme violence. Those videos have their own charm, but I enjoy this slow-motion recording from Dbrand that shows an iPhone 5s being crushed. Unlike its more brutal counterparts, this segment has a graceful air -- with the mellow music and slow-moving vice, the flattening of the phone is a somewhat beautiful experience.
Before Macintosh there was Lisa and its incredible demo video
Sitting in the shadow of the revolutionary Apple Macintosh is the Mac's lesser known sibling, the Lisa. The Pete Best of the Apple world, Lisa was released in 1983 and discontinued three years later, left behind in the dust of the Macintosh's overwhelming popularity. Its major failing was the insane $9,995 price tag, roughly $23,866 in todays dollars. Just one year later the similarly powered Macintosh 128K hit the market at just $2,495. Ultimately, the Lisa's price tag left it out of reach for most consumers. In spite of its powerful graphic capabilities, a number of odd quirks coupled with that crazy price tag kept it from ever truly picking up steam. While Lisa was eventually driven from the market by its more reasonably priced sibling, it's legacy lives on in this incredibly dated demo video. Set against a delightfully 80s John Carpenter-styled keyboard soundtrack, the Lisa demonstration video walks you through the work process of a well-manicured caricature of a business man. Just listen to him purr "you see, Lisa's screen is special." Our narrator wouldn't feel out of place in a Die Hard rip off, but the work he demonstrates shows a device already attuned to the needs of future office workers. Powerful spreadsheets that be translated into graphs? Heck, yes! Even while typing with only one finger from each hand, the Lisa allows him to do hours of work in no time flat. It's interesting to note that the video presents the idea that the increased productivity gains offered by computers would lead to more leisure time for workers. There's something adorable about that level of optimism. Even though the Lisa only lived a few short years, it's important she not be forgotten. RIP Lisa. You can watch the complete video below in two easy-to-view parts.
YouTube Find: Line-waiting and cheering at the original iPad launch in NYC
Four years ago this week, Apple started selling its first iPad model.The iPad was announced on January 27, 2010, by Steve Jobs during an Apple press event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Pre-orders began in March, and the tablet went on sale starting April 3, 2010. I was able to secure an iPad without waiting in line, but many people braved the elements to get their hands on an iPad on launch day. Here is one first-person video from Apple's iconic Fifth Avenue store -- the best part is the near non-stop cheering once the store opened.
Found Footage: Three iPhones, one video
This video, called Trapped in an Phone (watchable after the break), is pretty ingenious. Artists Ronen Verbit and Vanya Polunin apparently took three different videos and assembled them to play on three different iPhones, both standing on their own and moved around as they play to fit different setups. Make sure you stick around to the end as well, where there's a little fourth wall breaking, some also-ingenious credits made possible by an iPhone, and the revelation that the whole thing was apparently filmed by an iPhone, too (you can see the reflection in the last shot). Pretty wild stuff. [via RazorianFly and Cult of Mac]
Found Footage: mashup fun with the iPad, iPhone and iMovie
Here's a fun one for the first Sunday of 2011. Ellen Hinton (Ellen Once Again) found herself talking with family and friends about how the iPad and iPhone were more than just "toys" and decided to prove it. With a MIDI interface, an array of music apps and a little time in iMovie ... well, read on to see for yourself as she performs a mashup of Train's "Hey Soul Sister" and Yael Naim's "New Soul" with full iPhone and iPad accompaniment.
Found Footage: An iPad-controlled robot that attacks
Thanks to the iPad and TouchOSC, robot Hikari can now be controlled by our favorite tablet device. The system for control on the iPad is powered by TouchOSC, a remote control application that sends commands to an external device using the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol. These commands are sent to a Max patch running on a Windows-based PC. Commands are then relayed directly to the PC-connected robot. In the YouTube video after the break, owner Darkback2 uses this system to make Hikari walk and stand up from both a face-up and a face-down position. You should watch out, though, as the iPad controller can also be used to make Hikari attack, an action that fits in nicely with the video's drum-heavy theme music. For those that are wondering, ... no, robot Hikari does not dance. Thanks Bob for sending this in!
MacBook Air versus PowerBook 145B video smackdown
The oldsters at TUAW (yeah, I'm one of 'em) just love it when someone does a comparison of some nice new shiny Apple technology with Michael Spindler-era Apple products. Today's example comes from TUAW reader and Duke University sociology professor Kieran Healy, who kept the PowerBook 145B that helped him throughout grad school. As he says in the blog post accompanying the video (after the break), "despite being such a seemingly underpowered dinosaur, it (the Powerbook) nevertheless cold-booted faster than any computer I've owned since." That "dinosaur" had a 25 MHz 68030 processor, 4MB of RAM, and a huge (for the time) 40MB hard disk drive. Healy recent purchased an 11" MacBook Air, which he put to the test versus the aging speedster. The Air won handily in the bootup race, loading OS X and even a few applications (I saw 1Password appearing on the Air's screen) before the PowerBook finished loading all of those extensions. Enjoy the video, and especially the final shot comparing the size of the two laptops.
Found Footage: Christmas songs played by an iPad band
Not quite in the holiday mood yet? Here's just the thing to get your chestnuts roasting -- on the next page you can watch a video of the North Point Community Church band (a megachurch in Alpharetta, GA) performing some Christmas carols on iPhones and iPads. I heard "Carol of the Bells," "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree," "Feliz Navidad" and a few other classics in there as well. In the YouTube comments, you can see a few of the apps used being called out: iGOG is on drums, Pocket Organ fills in some of the melodies and Guitarist puts in the chords. I can only guess that the auto-tuning on "Feliz Navidad" is done by I Am T-Pain. Very cool, and just the thing to make sure you're ready for the upcoming holiday. Merry Christmas to all! Thanks to everyone who sent this in
Found Footage: Steve Jobs demonstrates NeXT Step
Here's a great piece of Apple history. In this video (check it out after the break), Steve Jobs gives a demonstration of a NeXT computer. You'll remember that Steve formed NeXT in 1995 after being ousted from Apple. Years later, in 1996, Apple purchased NeXT after Steve's return. Much of the current Mac OS X system is built on the OPENSTEP foundation. You needn't look too closely to see the predecessors of Mac OS X, like the dock, the services menu, the home directory and windows that display their contents while being dragged. It's also interesting to hear Steve put the Mac down on a couple of occasions. For a nice illustration of how NeXT features became a part of Mac OS X, look here. Looking at this, one could argue that Steve's dismissal from Apple was the best thing that happened to the Mac OS. [Via Reddit]
Found Footage: Injection molding process for the Glif
Over the holiday weekend, we noted that the Glif is now available for ordering (although it's not shipping quite yet). The iPhone 4 stand / tripod mount gadget is a triple threat: functional, attractively designed and the owner of a great backstory. The Glif guys wanted to share the experience of producing their product, so they released a short video covering the injection molding process out in South Dakota. If you're a fan of the Science Channel's hypnotic How It's Made show, you'll dig this clip. It's embedded in the second half of this post. Again, congratulations to team Glif on taking their idea from the napkin stage to physical realization. Thanks to Dustin for the heads-up.
Found Footage: The Woz on how Apple got its name
For all you trivia buffs who may not know the real story, TV Deck has posted a short video where the Woz explains exactly how Apple got its name. An amazing thing is that Steve Wozniak didn't really know himself until recently. The quality of the video isn't the best, but for all you completists, this is today's geeky cocktail party conversation starter. Click "Read More" to catch the video.
No Comment: iPad used as protest sign
As if you needed yet another example of how there's no limitation to the uses people will find for the iPad, here's another one for you: 9to5 Mac points out this use of an iPad as a protest sign. In a recent Lithuanian protest, observers noted and recorded a video of one industrious person who made his own app -- or, possibly, just a video or web page -- to display his own protests in animated form upon an iPad. There's just never enough room on those giant poster boards to get your message across, so why not get their attention with flashing messages on an iPad taped to a piece of wood, right? Given, it's an expensive sign to make, but at least it gets the word out. Check out the full video after the break. This certainly deserves our Friday No Comment.
Found Footage: The geekiest marriage proposal ever
Update 11/30/10: It's a fake. Mashable reports Frank popped the question according to script, if Kasey didn't catch the ring they'd have tried again another day. It was an attempt to create a reproducible formula for making viral videos. On October 24th, after a two year relationship, Frank decided to propose to his girlfriend Kasey in romantic Central Park, found in the heart of New York City. Lots of people have done this, but never as geeky. Frank got a bunch of techie friends together to pull off this one-take event. Employing musicians, playing Kasey's favorite song, a famous bridge, a rowboat, a bunch of iPhones running custom apps and a MacBook Pro to mix it all together, Frank popped the question. The result was a big "Yes!" and a video that looks like it came out of the credits of Trainspotting. It's a fun three-minute watch which raises a question: what would have happened if Kasey didn't catch the ring? Update: They would have tried again the next day. [via Macgasm]
Found Footage: iPhone concert on the B train
It's time for another installment of our favorite viral program, "Bands You've Never Heard Of Play A Song On Their iPhones." In this case, the band is Brooklyn's Atomic Tom, the song is the decidedly catchy Take Me Out, and the performance is live on the 6th Avenue line of the New York City subways, crossing the Manhattan Bridge on the B train. Add the degree of difficulty of shooting the video on iPhones, the noise and lighting challenges of the train, and the likelihood of an overeager "see something, say something" New Yorker getting the boys into trouble with the transit cops -- all in all, an impressive effort. Thanks Howdy! [via NYT Bits, Daily What and The Loop]
Found Footage: Chinese Steve Jobs clone intros new iPhone app
The amazing presentation skills of Steve Jobs have been the topic of many articles, but it's downright rare to see an entire press event done by a Steve Jobs clone -- especially one who is speaking in Chinese. The press conference in question was held yesterday in Hong Kong to celebrate the launch of the MTR Mobile subway app. This is an impressive app, using augmented reality to show the location of stations, displaying schedules and maps, and including a helpful route planner. It's also incredible for finding local goods and services. The clone at the conference was local celebrity Law Kar-ying, who has obviously watched enough Stevenotes to pick up a lot of the mannerisms of His Steveness, including "One More Thing," gulping bottled water, and plucking an iDevice from his jeans pocket. He's even wearing a close facsimile of the Jobsian wardrobe of a black St. Croix mock turtleneck, Levi's 501 jeans, and New Balance 991 shoes. As Winandmac.com reports, the Steve clone did something that Jobs never does at press events -- he gave away four iPhone 4's to audience members. Perhaps the real Jobs can learn a lesson here... Check out the video (in Chinese) after the break. [via Engadget]
Found Footage: The $900 'Mac Pro' in a cardboard box
Plato said, "Necessity is the mother of all inventions." He must have been talking about the guys at One Block Off the Grid, which is a cooperative of sorts for buying photovoltaic solar panels at a group discount. One of their staff members was running into issues trying to run Adobe After Effects on a slower Mac, so they had another staff member -- Kalvin -- build a fast hackintosh in the Amazon cardboard box that all the computer parts came in. That price doesn't include the labor involved in putting it all together, and it originally had a rather odd power switch, which was a standard jumper stuck on the end of a plastic cable tie. The computer itself has pretty good specs, with a 2.66 Intel Core i5 CPU, a 1 TB hard drive, 8 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 RAM, and an XFX Radeon HD 5770 1GB DDR5 Graphics Card. To run Snow Leopard on this computer, Kalvin used iBoot and MultiBeast. As noted on the 1BOG blog, "this procedure may potentially violate Apple's End User License Agreement for Mac OS X." On the other hand, it's a great way to get a fast computer and not spend a lot of bucks.
Found Footage: Woz on Big Bang Theory
Nerds squealed with delight last night as the geekiest comedy on American television, The Big Bang Theory, featured a cameo by Steve Wozniak. The Apple co-founder played himself in a brief scene with the gang from the show (Is that his daughter next to him at the table?). He was pretty funny and seemed comfortable on camera. In fact, Steve is an old hand at TV by now, having appeared on Dancing With The Stars and My Life on the D-List. In case you missed it, you can watch it above (sorry about the audio quality -- we'll keep an eye out for the official version). Good job, Woz!
Found Footage: A look at European FaceTime ads
Apple's advertising for the FaceTime video chat feature on the iPhone 4 is emotional and effective, and now the ads are making it to the European market. All of the ads are backed with the universally-known voice of Louis Armstrong singing "When You're Smiling," and there is no audible dialog, so these ads can be used in just about any European market. So far, they've made it to the U.K., Italy, and Spain. The ads are sponsored by carriers 3Italia, Vodafone, and Orange. Click the Read More link to view the videos. [via Macstories.net]
Found Footage: A clever iPod nano name badge
Although my Apple addiction usually means that I have to run out and buy whatever new shiny thing has flown out of Cupertino, I've been able to resist getting one of the new iPod nanos. My iPhone plays music and movies, and I don't wear watches, so I really haven't been impressed. Until now, that is. tipster Huey from Smack Dab Studios sent us a link to the video you see above. It's a simple idea; create name tag images, move them to the nano, then play them in a slide show while the nano is clipped to your pocket or lapel. The result? Something that will definitely capture the eyes of people you meet. It's certainly an attention-getter, and it's a lot better than those sticky "HI, My Name Is Steve" labels that they love to hand out at meetings and get-togethers. Of course, you could buy a lot of sticky labels for the cost of an iPod nano, but they just aren't as cool.
