The BBC had an item this morning about a hydrogen motorbike that “accelerates like a 125cc scooter. It’s smooth and easy to control, will do 50mph and has a range of 100 miles” and its only by-product is “water vapour”.
However when I saw the video of the reporter riding the bike, I couldn’t help thinking I’ve seen that bike design before.
Then it hit me….
The bike sure looks like the motorbike from 80’s Hit TV show Streethawk.
See for yourself.
Is it me, or is the amount of management doublespeak jargon increasing with every new web 2.0 website? Probably. But I found this viral to be quite funny about the whole web 2.0 doublespeak jargon being sprouted from “marketing experts”.
Hot on the heels of sites like Revver and Metacafe, Youtube has recently announced that it will attach advertising to user-submitted videos and give their creators a cut of the profits.
Joe Eigo of MultiLevelMovies is one benefactor of the recent pay-for-virals/cut of advertising model that Metacafe employs. Joe Eigo of Toronto has made nearly $26,000 posting his ‘freestyle’ martial arts videos on the Internet (Metacafe), however his main aim was to raise his profile not only on the Internet, but onto TV and into the film industry.
The essential details are scarce: the Youtube revenue sharing system will not be rolled out all at once, but instead will come over the next several months. There’s no word on who would qualify for revenue sharing, or how much that might amount to.
Nevertheless, some believe that the revenue share will be tied to advertising exposure, and will only be available to people who upload videos for which they own the entire copyright.
But they are playing catchup with sites like Revver and Metacafe, whom over the past year have differentiated themselves from YouTube primarily by offering compensation for content creators.
Revver shares “in-stream ad revenue” with users and Metacafe offers “Producer Rewards”, which functions in much the same way. Metacafe manages to set itself apart from YouTube a little bit more by reviewing and filtering content and catering more toward semi-professional video producers.
In my opinion it’s great to see that so many people are benefiting from virals, and they have moved on the from the Flash movies of the early 2000’s to the mash-up, full-blown movies that we see today; not only that – but they are getting paid for it. My only concern is that the spate of viral punch ups, fights and brawls as well as sexual content will be paid the most (well it seems to be very popular with today’s youth), and that would be a very sad thing.
If I had the time, creative output and could convince friends to do it, I would try to have a go at the whole viral scene, and I would – like so many others, go for the whole paid-for-content route – personally I’ve always wanted to make an over-the-top “fight” sequence much like that one in “Police Story 2“, or an out-and-out comedy much like “28 Days Slater” – but that’s a pipe-dream and probably never happen.
I personally enjoy the whole concept of virals, making them, directing them, producing them – it all fascinates me; I wonder how things were done and how things were shot, perhaps this growth of small online virals is the start of something big.
Links:
“Give a man a gun and he’s superman. Give him two and he’s god.”
It’s hard to believe that almost 15 years ago (1992), John Woo’s classic “Hard Boiled” hit the cinema’s and our respective TV screens (If you’ve not seen Hard Boiled, I seriously suggest that you do!)
I remember back in 1995/1996 when I first hired Hard Boiled from a video rental store under the tag line “Better than 10 Die Hards!!” – at that time I remember I only ever rented a movie depending on the number of exclamation points, and whilst Hollywood’s Die Hard clones and the usual Schwarznegger or Stallone feature had one, this movie had two! – So naturally I hired it right there and then.
Back then of course I, like many of my peers, were so into Hong Kong action movies from the ilk of Jackie Chan and to a lesser extent, Jet Li. Naturally, Hard Boiled – much like John Woo’s other movies, literally blew me away. The ballet of action, guns, bullets and Chow Yun Fat’s natural charismatic appeal just won me, and many fans over – and we went on to watch similar films such as “The Killer” (also directed by John Woo) and “God of Gamblers” as well his many Ringo Lam movies.
Although Woo, in my opinion, never recaptured the form of Hard Boiled once he went to America – even with films like Face/Off and the craptacular that was “M:I-2” – I felt that this was mainly because studio executives basically told him to redo “Hard Boiled” over and over again, and thus he lost his competitive edge through constantly rehashing ideas from the early 90s – and of course, nearly ever Woo movie had the same repeating of flying pigeons, or in some cases; doves. But this only de-credits what Woo has done for action, and what Chow Yun Fat has done for acting.
Now almost a decade and a half later Chow Yun Fat reprises the role of “Inspector Tequila” from John Woo’s influential action film, and you get to play him in the action game “Strangehold”
Much like “Max Payne”, “Strangehold” is a hyper-kinetic shooting game, complete with “Tequila Time” and features much of the hyper-kinetic, choreographed action and freeze framed sequences that Woo is known for.
The game looks great, all out action much like Max Payne; There are tons of trailers which are below – I only wonder though if the haunting music from the Hard Boiled Trailer will make the game – I sure hope so!
“Strangehold” Preview Trailers, and Resources;
Will Smith stars as Chris Gardner in this moving and powerful look at the American Tycoon’s life in the early 1980s.
The movie is about Gardner’s tough upbringing, trying to sell expensive medical equipment whilst trying to survive with his long-suffering wife Linda (played by Thandie Newton) and in the meantime bringing up their five-year-old son Christopher, played marvellously by Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith.
Gardner’s struggle to pay bills, pay taxes and sell what medical doctors don’t need turns Linda against Garrner – who is fed up with her husband’s promises of a bright future and lack of a regular income.
With no money, and no regular job Chris takes his son and are soon to forced to live, sleep and eat on the streets, in shelters – and once, sleeping in a public toilet, trying to survive from one day to the next.
Chris, determined to make something worthwhile of his life see’s a glimmer of hope when he enrols into an unpaid internship at a major stock brokerage firm, with the promise of a well paid job at the end of the internship to the most promising candidate.
In December of last year, a war of words between Rosie O’Donnell and Billionaire Donald Trump erupted and was widely reported across the Internet. But what started the feud? And what’s happened since?
With one pull of the rope, Saddam Hussein – one of the world’s most aforementioned dictators was hung – and within moments the video, audio was broadcast throughout the world for a baying 24 hour news media; and it was at *that* point I decided I would no longer have anything to do with the 24 hour news media.
To me, the photos of the Saddam hanging represents everything that is wrong with the 24 hour news media and represents the total gross hypocrisy, but then it’s okay – because it’s just news and by the middle of next week the editors, the people reading the Autocue don’t care – because they have a new story, a new agenda — well I’m sick of it! News broadcasters report the news, they don’t make the news, write the news or try to give 100% 360° 24/hour coverage on something that is, really, inconsequential.
the last time a major news organisation was covering a non-event was the OJ Simpson trial – during which millions died in Rwanda but the west failed to act preferring not to call it “Genocide”… and where were the 24-hour news media? That’s right, in the OJ trial, making judgements, calling the shots – zooming in, as they always do, into the person’s eyes – regardless of whether they are guilty or innocent – 24 hour news editors will make the decision for you — by simply zooming into the person’s eyes — that way, you *KNOW* the person *WAS* evil… and if he’s found innocent – oh well, that’s fine and dandy – cause you know what, we’ve got some “breaking news” and we’ll do the whole thing again, because you see – “news isn’t news – it’s fear. Fear sells news”.
Yes, Saddam was evil. He gassed his own people, he flaunted UN Resolutions left, right and centre – But by hanging him and displaying it on our screens, I somehow feel we’ve dropped the morale high ground that we, in the so-called, modern Western society claim that we have.
I agree with the many articles on commentisfree, which far more articulate than any one blog post than I can write about the subject; we’ve moved from “we are just because we represent what is right” to being just as savage, just as brutal as the dictator we sort to hang.
In addition to showing the brutal hanging of the dictator, the 24 hour news media mulled over the hanging in every detail.
What really pissed me off about 24/hour news was the whole Ipswich murder affair – when the news broadcasters hired ex-CSI investigators, criminal pathologists, Colombo-like ex-police detectives to try and beat each other over the whole “best coverage”…
Remember how the media poured over every minute detail hiring CSI-like analysts, psychiatrists and other people trying to outdo each other for the best coverage, trying to make it some kind of master stroke event that everyone will remember?
Remember how every single news channel suddenly forgot about this murder and they moved on to the next big thing, and suddenly a new race began? Who’d be the first to put pictures of Saddam’s hanging on live TV – and all for ratings?! Right, the 24 hour news media was in a frenzy – “we must be allowed to compete in this 24-hour news media!” we hear – well I’m sick of it, and I’ve turned off all 24 hour news channels – you can keep your 24 hour news channels and your need to be FIRST with the breaking news — I guess the only thing we don’t have to worry about is whether the BBC, ITV or Sky would have had an auction to present the hanging live on TV on Pay-per-view all in the name of “competition”.
And then, by the middle of next month the news media will have forgotton about it all, just like it forgets every “major” story it likes to cover and move on to the next agenda on their clipboards.
Well you can keep your 24 hour news and your so-called competition to be first with breaking news!
I’m done with 24 hour news!
If you’re like me, you probably spent Christmas either in the pub or in front of the TV recovering from an almost incurable cold, digesting the contents of the Turkey whilst trying to watch the movie “Big” for the tenth time, or try to avoid watching Bill Murray in “Scrooged” yet again, and most probably after realizing that there is nothing on, you’d turn to 24 hour news.
Except 24 hour news this December really, really scrapped the bottom of the barrel. Remember those murders that happened in the Ipswich area of prostitutes? Remember how the 24 hour news media decided to have a “ratings war”, almost turning it into a CSI episode? And all this to get the most “coverage”, whatever that means.
Sky News was the worst culprit, gloating over every detail – even going to the trouble of hiring ex-professional cops, professional forensic, and more analysts than you could shake a stick at.
It was sickening to see how they pouring over every minute detail. I’m also sick of the “slowly zooming onto the picture of people’s faces”, it’s like they are saying – “they are evil! EVIL! Just look at their eyes!”
Heck, at one point I actually thought Sky were gonnna introduce “Lieutenant Columbo” as their main detective, “Quincy” as their medical examiner and, just in case anything went awry, they’d probably hire
Although at least you could escape to movies, or the Internet (unfortunately it was down the whole month for me, so I was stuck with the TV and a horrible cold).
And then there are the soaps. Remember uplifting Christmas TV? No? That’s probably because of the soaps. Nearly every year, without fail you have a story about how great this Christmas is going to be, then WHAM! – The main protagonist gets the worst Christmas ever.
But at least we could depend on the national channels. BBC gave us the much hyped Disney movie, “High School Musical” which was fun, even though it felt like Grease, smelled like West Side Story and had more fake singing than that episode of Saved by the Bell where the cast start singing in a band that becomes an overnight sensation, for some reason.
And if there was any doubt that Lenny Henry was never funny, then the BBC gave us the rare opportunity to see Henry front a TV show that blatantly copies Harry Hill’s “TV Burp”, except it’s for the Internet and doesn’t require Henry to do anything of remote importance, except perhaps repeat jokes he did in the 80s.
ITV did show some good movies and had some interesting TV shows, whilst Channel 4 seemed to be taken over by “Deal or No Deal” – it’s getting boring now, as soon as they’ve lost the £250,000 it becomes uninteresting very fast. And what’s with the crowd exploding every time a box is opened? Why does Noel believe that chanting “Blue! Blue! Blue!” will change the contents of the box? Why is the camera man always fixated on the random blonde girl, which this month seems to be Nicola?
Channel 5 didn’t have much, but their US version did start showing the original Mission:Impossible TV series from the sixties.
Christmas TV, as always flattered to disappoint. There were some excellent highlights, and perhaps I’m being a bit harsh – seeing as I have a cold and expected a few comedies here and there.
All in all, Christmas was better with the TV off then the TV on.
I won’t be back (probably) before Christmas. I’m going on a long break and will give some thought about where else to take this blog, if indeed anywhere.
Have a great one!
Earlier this year, SEOmoz held the Web 2.0 awards with over 300 web 2.0 sites in 38 categories, and includes 21 interviews with the founders of the winning sites.
It’s an excellent resource to see what visuals are popular, what colours are popular and the methodologies used to create some of the more iconic “web 2.0” websites out there.
Link:
SEOmoz’s web2.0 awards