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Tag: video

The JLE Guys are at it Again with Banned iPad Mini Promo

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 9:56 AM on October 29, 2012

Not long ago the comedians behind JLE created quite a stir with their “Banned iPhone 5 Promo” and now they are at it again with a new video honoring the recently announced iPad Mini.  These guys have perfected the art of spoofing big tech launches and they do a great job of looking very Apple employee-like.  This latest three minute video takes on the iPad Mini camera, connector and display to name just a few things.

Today was supposed to be the big Google Nexus event where we were going to see new products like the LG Nexus phone, the Nexus 10 and and the 32 GB Nexus 7.  The last of those devices apparently launched without the event, as it has shown up for sale at several retail locations this morning, including Wal-Mart.  With all of that news now postponed indefinitely it’s a perfect day to kick back and enjoy a good, quick comedy video.

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Posted in Apple, IPAD

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GoPro Hero3 Black Edition

Posted by Andrew at 12:55 AM on October 18, 2012

GoPro have announced the latest addition to their lineup of action cameras, the Hero3 Black Edition and it’s some camera. Capable of 4k video recording, albeit at 12 fps, and 60 fps at 1080p, this captures adrenalin-fuelled action in all its glory. Other features include burst modes, time-lapse, wi-fi video preview and a wi-fi controller.

GoPro Hero3

 

If you want to show off your extreme adventures, this is the camera to have. It’s pricey enough at $399 (£379) and there are lesser models at $299 (£279) and $199 (£179) for the silver and white variants respectively. As expected, there’s a range of accessories for attaching cameras to machines, helmets, bodies and other sporting equipment. The Black Edition will be out in November.

To show off the features of the Hero3, GoPro commissioned this film which was shot entirely with a Hero3. It’s stunning.

“Mermaids!” says my daughter.

 

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Posted in Photography, snow board, Toys, video, wifi

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YouTube Adds Nearly 100 New Original Channels

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 7:52 AM on October 8, 2012

Early this morning YouTube announced the addition of almost 100 new original channels, this time including non-U.S. locations such as France, Germany, and the UK.  The roll out included two new BBC channels for science and nature, as well as many others, including local cuisine, health and wellness, parenting, sports, music, comedy, animation and news.

Aside from the BBC, there are quite a few other big names included in the list.  You will find Motor Trend, Car and Driver, The Onion, eHow Home, Howcast, Fuse, Slate, the Wall Street Journal, SB Nation, and many more.   In addition, YouTube also provided a little insight into how their original channels have been performing since their launch.

  • Our top 25 original channels are now averaging over a million views every week
  • 800 million of your are watching 4 billion hours every month, that’s up from 3 billion hours earlier this year
  • The number of people subscribing has doubled y/y
  • And partners this year are reaching the 100k subscriber mark 5x faster than they were just two years ago

There is no word on when these will go live, but some of them already are, while others are providing a sneak peak.  You can browse the whole list here.

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Posted in video, YouTube

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Apple Store Robbery Gone Wrong (Video)

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 5:06 AM on September 15, 2012

Perhaps the only light side of crime is when robberies go horribly wrong and end up as amusing stories.  It’s even better when there is video of the failure, which is becoming more common given the prevalence of surveillance cameras in our society.  Such was the case recently when three would-be thugs attempted to rob an Apple store by smashing their BMW SUV through the front window.

In-store cameras captured the mess as it unfolded.  Getting into the store wasn’t a problem and the thieves grabbed as many display products as possible.  However, a security gate closed behind the vehicle, blocking the getaway path.  After multiple attempts, the BMW eventually smashed it’s way out but, in the process, lost it’s license plate and gave the vehicle two flat tires.

After realizing his license plate had been left at the scene of the crime, Equonne Howard returned to the store to reclaim it and was promptly arrested.  On Wednesday he plead “not guilty” to charges of attempted burglary and parole violation.  Given the video and license plate though, he may have a tough time beating this rap.

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Posted in Apple

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Bill Nye Stands up Against Creationism

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 4:51 AM on September 5, 2012

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and don’t necessarily reflect the site or it’s sponsors.

I am going to step on some toes in this article.  If you feel the need to click away then I understand.  After all I want to accommodate everyone’s beliefs, because everyone has a right to be heard.  That being said, Bill Nye, “The Science Guy”, recently made some comments that have raised a fire storm.  Bill isn’t backing down from them, and I support him 100%.

A video began circulating recently showing Nye demonizing parents for teaching anti-science to their children, specifically anti-evolution.  The video was titled, quite simply, “Creationism is not appropriate for children”.  The video has more than 4 million views, with a mix of supporters and detractors, but the vast majority have been supportive – 66,000 likes vs 13,000 dislikes.

In all seriousness, the U.S. currently has one of the worst track records for science education and creationists are largely responsible for this dismal record.  Religion has crept into our politics and states like Texas have even attempted to pass laws against the teaching of what is, in reality, a solid scientific theory.  Bare in mind that everything in science is a theory because it is always evolving as new evidence is found.  Evolution is every bit as solid of a “theory” as the theory of gravity.

Of course, religious groups have been up-in-arms over Nye’s comments with Ken Ham, who runs the Creation Museum, leading the charge.  Nye, in response, has appeared on CNN to defend his stance.  His views are no different than those of the vast majority of scientists, but he has the means to make them heard by the masses.  Sadly, Nye probably can’t change much, but if he sways just a few people away from trying to tell their children that the world is only 6,000 years old, then it will be a victory.

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Posted in Science, video

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Yahoo Updates Image and Video Search

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 5:18 PM on June 20, 2012

You may have written off Yahoo search, but the company themselves haven’t yet given up, even though they have outsourced most everything to Bing.  Today the former leader of the industry rolled out a brand new version of their video and image search.  Yahoo has strengthened their partnership with Getty Images to help power the new features.

Getty brings with them access to some of the highest quality images and they claim about 20,000 new images added daily and material from some of the highest-profile photographers.  In addition to the new images there are new features to go along with them.  Both image and video search have a brand new tiled thumbnail look.  The thumbnails become larger when hovered on, much like Bing and Google have been doing for some time.  Also borrowed from search competitors is the infinite scroll feature that Yahoo has now introduced.  There are also two new filters on the left column – HD and Recent.  ”For images, the HQ badge identifies photos with at least 2 megapixels and a 1024 x 768 aspect ratio. For Yahoo! HQ videos, we use adaptive streaming technology to optimize your viewing experience by continuously adjusting the quality of the streamed Yahoo! hosted video to match the capabilities of your network and device.”  Users can also search in the right column while watching a video in the main part of the screen.

 

The new features seem to be rolling out and not all users have access to them right now.  To see more images of the new features you can head over to the Yahoo blog.

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Posted in search, Yahoo

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Video of Tim Cook and Apple Legal Team During Surface Announcement

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 8:50 AM on June 19, 2012

Yesterday Microsoft held their mysterious event and unveiled the Windows Surface Tablets – both Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT versions.  It was a rare time for Microsoft – the pre and post-announcement created Apple-like buzz.  Fitting since the new tablets are expected to compete with Apple and Android in the marketplace.

Of course, rivals Apple and Google were watching this event closely and already planning their responses to this new device.  A new iPad is likely still a ways off, but Google is set to release their much-anticipated Nexus tablet, made by Asus, within the next month.  There also may be legal responses given today’s patent-happy tech industry.  In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook and his legal team watched the Microsoft announcement especially closely.

Fortunately the folks at WinSource were able to get video and audio of Cook and his lawyers during the LA event.  They have posted the clip online and you can watch and listen below.  If you can’t catch all of the audio then head over to their site where they have also posted a transcript of the conversation.

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Posted in Apple, Microsoft, tablet, Windows

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Lego SmartBricks Could Bring Computer Integration to Your Creations

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 4:30 PM on June 9, 2012

Before we get started let me just point out that Lego SmartBricks aren’t yet available, but they may be on the way if enough people get behind the product.  The “smart” Lego brick will integrated with a smartphone or tablet to relay their exact configuration.  The blocks have a small chip inserted within each brick that will communicate with both android and iOS devices.

When using the SmartBricks, anything you create with real Lego can appear in digital form on your tablet or phone.  This allows the builder to model something like a racing vehicle in the real world that would then be converted into a digital version automatically so you can test it out against other people’s creations in a sort of Mario-Kart-like game.

The possibilities for this product are endless. The SmartBricks is currently a concept posted on the Lego Cuusoo page and they are hoping for enough attention to get picked up and funded.  That should not be a problem given the already-high interest being given to this potential new product.

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Posted in video

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BlackMagic Intensity Extreme with Thunderbolt Connection [Review]

Posted by J Powers at 11:48 AM on May 9, 2012
Blackmagic Intensity Extreme

Blackmagic Intensity Extreme with Thunderbolt Connection

Two weeks ago, I wanted to bump up my live camera action. Knowing that camera companies like Canon have decided to remove DV and component video connections on their newer lines of cameras, I had to find a solution to pull video from the HDMI output. Therefore, I bought the Intensity Extreme.

BlackMagic Intensity Extreme Advantages

The biggest feature on this device is that I can connect directly to the Thunderbolt™ port on my MacBook Pro. This is the machine I do the majority of my video, using Wirecast to record and broadcast.

The BlackMagic Intensity Extreme can also get video from a composite source, using the breakout cable (included). Therefore, it’s a perfect way to stream your gaming session to uStream or Justin.tv. If you have an SD camera, you can also connect to the Intensity Extreme to broadcast. Therefore, I could connect my Kodak Zi10, or a Flip camera using the composite cable.

Intensity Extreme is compatible with Avid, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premier, DaVinci Resolve, Wirecast, and many other programs. You can even use it for a program like Screenflow, to enhance the video with your face in the corner.

No Windows Drivers – Yet

The Intensity extreme does not have Windows drivers just yet, so you Bootcamp users out there will want to use your Mac for recording. It doesn’t mean you cannot get it to work in Windows, but you will not have support just yet. You will have to purchase the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle to have Windows support.

BlackMagic Intensity Extreme – Overall

The device is simple to set up (camera to Intensity to computer). There is no external power, so you don’t need to worry about a battery or plug. The Thunderbolt cable does not come with the Intensity Extreme, so you will have to drop another $50 for that.

The BlackMagic Intensity Extreme is $284, and is a perfect way to add a 16:9 camera to your mix (like the Canon VIXIA R20 I used). This can give your recordings more depth because you will have focus, white balance, exposure, zoom, and other features a webcam cannot offer.

The Blackmagic Intensity Extreme is also part of Todd’s new High Definition Mobile Broadcast Studio.

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Posted in video

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Google Hangouts Live Opening to the Public

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 7:22 PM on May 7, 2012

Google Hangout Live One of the problems that Google Hangout has it is limited to 10 people and you can’t record or embed it on your Web site or YouTube. Over the next couple of weeks Google is going to open up Google Hangout Live, which was being tested by a limited number of users to the public in countries around the world. Now you can do a hangout and have any number of people watch it live. There is also an embed code so you can have people watch the videos live directly from your Web site or your YouTube account. This will allow people who aren’t part of Google + or even Google to watch the video live. The videos will also be recorded and upload to your YouTube channel and to your Google+ post. In order to start a hangout on air yourself you do have to agree to the terms of services. This will link your Google + account with your YouTube channel.

If you are on Google+ you can see what hangouts are live and you can watch by click on the Google Hangout symbol on the left. The top group are the hangouts that available to watch. It also has a list of hangouts that you can join and participate in. So far the ones I have started to watch have not had any commercials, the question is whether this will continue. If it does then this could be a big blow to sites like Justin TV and Ustream.

It will be interesting to see how this works as more and more people start using it. One problem I see already is that some Google Hangouts that are going live, may not be work place or family friendly. I am not sure how to solve this problem. Also although Google Hangouts Live has opened up around the world, it is still limited to a small group of countries and China is not one of them, although it is available in Hong Kong.

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Posted in google, Information, Media, video

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