BeoVision 10 Would Be Perfect for My Bachelor Pad [Television]
I just got my new apartment. A studio. Veehee cute, but small. That’s why the BeoVision 10 has my name all over it. I mean, if my name was Bang & Olufsen. Or if I had a spare $8,700.
The thing I like most about the BeoVision 10 is not the 40-inch LCD panel or the big integrated speaker system or the brushed aluminum frame. The thing I like most about the BeoVision 10 is that it can be hanged on the wall, and then it can automagically rotate on one of its sides to fit your angle of vision. So I would be able to see it in the living room and in bed. This is how it works:
Yes, naff, but cool anyway. [epn.dk via Engadget]
Posted: October 19th, 2009
at 4:35pm by Jesus Diaz
Topics: Bang & Olufsen, Bang & Olufsen BeoVision, BeoVision 10, Television
Life: Think of It As Planet Earth Part II [Photography]
Life, the BBC’s latest totally unbelievable nature documentary, is airing in 10 episodes between now and Christmas. Not only is the footage as incredible as you’d expect; the studio sent some production notes our way explaining how scenes were shot.
“Filming the bouncing toad was very challenging; the remote mountain plateau is one mile high and 26 square miles in area, whilst the toad is one inch long and very elusive. The tarantulas which prey on them are also very hard to find. To give the crew the best chance of finding and filming them, the expert on these creatures came on the shoot. He searched for a week before the crew’s arrival to find both species and a location where they could come together and where the toad would demonstrate its bouncing-ball method of escape. This allowed the cameraman to set up his slow-motion camera in the right place. The scientist was able to ensure that the toad was never in danger of being harmed by the tarantula as a result of us filming them. The technique was a total success – the toad tucked its legs in, rolled and bounced, allowing the crew to film its method of escape in slow-motion detail.”
“Filming the bouncing toad was very challenging; the remote mountain plateau is one mile high and 26 square miles in area, whilst the toad is one inch long and very elusive. The tarantulas which prey on them are also very hard to find. To give the crew the best chance of finding and filming them, the expert on these creatures came on the shoot. He searched for a week before the crew’s arrival to find both species and a location where they could come together and where the toad would demonstrate its bouncing-ball method of escape. This allowed the cameraman to set up his slow-motion camera in the right place. The scientist was able to ensure that the toad was never in danger of being harmed by the tarantula as a result of us filming them. The technique was a total success – the toad tucked its legs in, rolled and bounced, allowing the crew to film its method of escape in slow-motion detail.”“A Jesus Christ lizard running on water is so fast that a human would have to run at 65 miles per hour to achieve the same trick. The speed makes it an enormous challenge to film. After consulting with a scientist at Harvard University who has made a ground-breaking study of the lizard’s water sprint, the crew decided that as well as filming the behaviour at normal frame rates they would attempt to capture the close up details of the lizard’s run with a slow-motion camera filming at 2000 frames per second (i.e. slowed down by 80 times).
“A Jesus Christ lizard running on water is so fast that a human would have to run at 65 miles per hour to achieve the same trick. The speed makes it an enormous challenge to film. After consulting with a scientist at Harvard University who has made a ground-breaking study of the lizard’s water sprint, the crew decided that as well as filming the behaviour at normal frame rates they would attempt to capture the close up details of the lizard’s run with a slow-motion camera filming at 2000 frames per second (i.e. slowed down by 80 times).It’s very hard to predict exactly where and when a lizard will run, what’s more it’s all so quick that once the lizard is spotted it’s gone in a blur! Learning from the scientist’s observation methods was essential and as a result it was decided to film the details of the sprint would need some degree of control to ensure that the crew had some idea of where and when the lizard would run. They travelled to Belize, home of the lizard, to work with local animal experts who had some lizards in natural forest enclosures. If, and when, these lizards decided to run, they always ran along the same stretch of water, where the cameraman could station his camera.
The key to success was using the latest digital slow-motion camera that continuously records into a memory buffer, so that when the cameraman hits the trigger button he downloads the action that took place a second or so before that moment. Whenever a lizard sprinted past the cameraman over the water the cameraman hit the trigger, desperately trying to keep the lizard in the frame and in focus. The final end result of this was stunning, slow motion shots of the lizards, with every drop of water visible as they sprinted through the surface.”
OK, we don’t actually have any notes on how this was shot. But the macro shot of water beading up on the gecko’s hydrophobic skin is gorgeous.
OK, we don’t actually have any notes on how this was shot. But the macro shot of water beading up on the gecko’s hydrophobic skin is gorgeous.The above clips are from Episode 2: Reptiles and Amphibians. The series is playing now on BBC One.
Posted: October 16th, 2009
at 2:00pm by Mark Wilson
Topics: Bbc, Bbc life, Clips, Life, Macro, Movies, Photography, Planet Earth, Television, slow motion, video
Family Guy Windows 7 Clip Does Not Have Me Rushing To Set My DVR [Windows 7]
Earlier this morning we heard that Family Guy is teaming up with Microsoft to promote Windows 7 on an upcoming show. If this clip is anything to go by, I wouldn’t get your hopes up for comedy.
Again, Microsoft’s sponsorship of the show means that it will air commercial-free. Let’s hope the final version makes sitting through 30 minutes of this actually tolearable. [win741 via Ars Technica]
Posted: October 14th, 2009
at 3:10pm by Sean Fallon
Topics: Ads, Clips, Microsoft, Television, family guy, video, windows 7
Microsoft to sponsor commercial-free Family Guy special on November 8th
Lest you think Microsoft isn’t serious about Windows 7, get this: on November 8th the company will be sponsoring a big commercial-free Family Guy special on Fox.
According to AdAge.com, “The Microsoft-sponsored variety show, whose working title is ‘Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show,’ is a mix of live-action ‘Family Guy’ musical performances, animated shorts and celebrity guest appearances, and is part of an all-Seth MacFarlane night on Fox.”
The special is being produced as a collaboration between Microsoft, MacFarlane, popular ad-agency Crispin, Porter & Bogusky (Microsoft’s Windows 7 campaign, Burger King, Domino’s, Best Buy, Coke Zero, etc.), and Universal McCann.
It’s not quite clear how Windows 7 will work its way into the show, but according to Microsoft ad exec Gayle Troberman, “You’ll see us deeply integrated into the content… We’ll be evoking the cast of ‘Family Guy’ in some interesting ways that integrate the product messages.”
[via AdAge.com]
Family Guy ’s Seth MacFarlane and Microsoft Team Up for Hackiest Hackathon That Ever Hacked [TV]
Hack-tacular comedy murderer Seth MacFarlane is teaming up with Microsoft to create a commercial-free, partly live-action special in which the Windows 7 brand-name will be integrated into the show’s content. Commercials might actually have improved this idea.
The show, which will have some live-action performances of the unbearable musical numbers featured in MacFarlane’s animated sitcoms, will supposedly “feature unique Windows 7-branded programming that blends seamlessly with show content.” In case you don’t remember, or are lucky enough to have repressed this memory, MacFarlane actually teamed up with a giant corporate sponsor once before, and it led to humor abortions like this:
Anyway, it’s not totally clear how Windows 7 will be integrated into the special (tentatively named “Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show”), but based on the Burger King disaster, it might not be much more than a halfhearted mention here and there and a few “this isn’t a commercial” commercials in between sketches. The special will air November 8th at 8:30 PM (PST and EST), and I give that time specifically so you know to avoid all television that day. [Microsoft]
Posted: October 14th, 2009
at 3:00am by Dan Nosowitz
Topics: Family guy windows 7, Microsoft, Seth MacFarlane, TV, Television, family guy, windows 7
