Ideally, none of us have broken any of our New Year’s resolutions just yet. The hope that you are going to accomplish what you’ve promised yourself you would should still be springing eternal, five days into the New Year. Personally, like probably many of you, I have sworn to become better at this whole fitness thing in 2012; eat healthy, stay away from “Breaking Bad” marathon sessions, run more. With that in mind, take a look at this site, which is currently available for $0.99 in the Apple App Store. Simply put, it’s a running coach. All it asks of you is 90 minutes a week, eight weeks and a commitment from you to give this running thing a shot. Should be easy, right?
Tech
Monday, January 30th, 2012
Path.com/
This site calls itself a “smart journal that helps you share life with the ones you love.” Essentially, the app is a mobile social network, launched in November 2010 and based out of San Francisco, that gives you access to all of the modern conveniences and sharing capabilities of a social network. However, it provides the added wrinkle of being very serious about privacy. How? Well, for one, you can only add up to 150 friends. And you only see posts shared by friends who have accepted your friend request, and vice versa. On top of that, it notifies you when someone views anything you have published to your “path” (a timeline of your updates and activity) and who that person is. Combine these elements together and Path offers a safe environment in which you are sharing personal moments only with the intended audience. Available for both iOS and Android, it’s free.
Sunday, January 29th, 2012
Itunes.apple.com/us/app/action-movie-fx/
This is the first iPhone app from Bad Robot, J.J. Abrams’ production company that has been behind “Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol” and “Lost.” Inspired by the latest “Mission Impossible” movie, the app lets you create, or “direct,” videos using two special effects: a missile strike or a car being hurled at a target. It’s simple, just turn on the app, select which effect you want to go with, point your phone camera at your intended a target (my friend’s dog was the unfortunate victim of many attacks this past holiday season), and shoot away. Then, save it to your library or share them on the web. The sound design is courtesy of Skywalker Sound (oh yeah) and it’s free for a limited time; so get to it!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/action-movie-fx/id489321253?mt=8
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Vault.australianopentv.com/
Big fan of Pro Tennis? If so, you have to check out the AOTV Vault. The site has videos of 113 full-length matches and memorable moments at the Australian Open from 1998 to 2011. Matches featuring Agassi, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Sampras, Hingis and many more all on the site for you to stream, for free. You can browse the matches by player, year, championship matches, comebacks or great upsets. If you’re looking for a specific highlight, you can search the vault by various different types of shots (“cracking aces”) and moments (“match points”). Each video comes with full commentary as well. Developed for Tennis Australia by Thought Equity Motion, the site is powered by the video management and licensing services provider’s T3 platform. As part of their agreement, Thought Equity Motion will continue to work with Tennis Australia to manage and curate both archival and future matches.
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Video Game Maker Gets Out Of The Kids Licensed Entertainment Bidness
Video game maker THQ Inc. unveiled a new business strategy on Wednesday, saying that it will exit the kids’ licensed entertainment business. As part of the new focus, THQ is already in the process of ending its relationships with kids’ licensed entertainment companies, such as Viacom’s Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation, but said it would continue to sell certain previously released titles.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/video-game-firm-thq-exit-284797
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Againstourwill.org/
This site taps into a student-led movement to end modern-day slavery by providing young people with information on the issue and easy ways to take a stand against it. The campaign was launched in September 2011 at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in partnership with Free the Slaves, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services and The Polaris Project. Today at noon, the website is hosting a 30-minute special streaming on-demand that will feature interviews with survivors of human trafficking and active students and roundtable discussions on the matter with students. The special will also air a couple of music videos from musicians Lil Wayne and Rise Against. When you have the time, do check the site out. Ending a serious worldwide problem starts with awareness and then action, this website enables you to do both.
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Academy Set To Implement Electronic Voting System For Next Year
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has partnered with Everyone Counts, Inc to implement an electronic voting system for next year’s Academy Awards. Everyone Counts will work with PwC, the Academy’s accounting firm of record, whose role in tabulating Academy members’ votes will remain unchanged. Over the next year, the Academy will undertake a rigorous security and user-acceptance testing process. The selection of Everyone Counts is the result of an 18-month search conducted by the Academy.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/academy-set-to-implement-electronic-voting-system-for-2013-oscars
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada
Well, it’s now 2012, which means there’s an election in 11 months, and BBC.com has officially launched its 2012 Election Hub. It represents the website’s first step towards snaring a greater presence in North America via a more dedicated focus on the upcoming presidential elections. What does it offer to ensure that you’re kept up-to-date on the path to the next election? Well, quite a lot. Aside from need-to-know information on each Republican candidate, the site also offers resources on who is backing which candidate, the election campaign calendar, a guide to the caucuses and primaries, information on the Electoral College and even a glossary on U.S. elections. The hub will feature original video content throughout the election. It’s not a bad bookmark to have until the tail end of 2012.
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
Buy.louisck.net/
Comedian Louis C.K.’s latest concert film, Live at the Beacon Theatre, has been available for download and/or streaming for $5. He’s already cleared a million bucks on it. As the site says, the download is DRM-free, has “no restrictions. You can download this file, play it as much as you like, burn it to a DVD, whatever.” It marks a bold step by a comedian, especially of Louis C.K.’s caliber, as it foregoes the regular distribution model of releasing an official DVD by way of a televised special on a channel such as HBO. The entire production and distribution of the special came out of the comedian’s own wallet, so if you have the time, and find Louis C.K. hilarious (which, let’s be honest, is hard not to), check it out. It’s, as usual, riotously funny.
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
NBC Wants To Be On Your Tablet In More Ways Than One
On Monday, NBC News announced the creation of a new publishing arm, NBC Publishing. The network’s new arm, which will be based out of NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters, will be tasked with creating tablet and e-reader content from the company’s brands based on current events, documentaries, biographies, profiles and trends. Content from “Today,” “NBC Nightly News,” “Dateline,” NBC Sports and additional properties (including Universal Pictures and Telemundo) will be used to populate the eBook venture. Peter Costanzo, previously of F+W Media and Perseus was also named creative director, and Brian Perrin (Rodale) is now director of digital development of NBC Publishing.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbc-news-publishing-tablet-e-reader%20-284047
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
If You Need Wi-Fi In The UK, Thank The Olympics, Because It’s About To Be Everywhere
U.K. media authorities are preparing for what they promise will be the “biggest media event in history” by boosting the U.K.’s wireless signal handling capacity and spectrum ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games. To meet the extra huge demand from broadcasters using ever more advanced technology, the London 2012 Organizing Committee will borrow additional spectrum capacity from the defense department as well as using capacity freed up by analog switch-off and currently unlicensed spectrum. Around 26,000 journalists, cameramen, photographers and broadcasters are expected to descend on London for the Games, creating “unprecedented” broadband and wireless demand, media regulator Ofcom said Monday. New technologies including wireless microphones, wireless networks for secure communications between team members, sports officials and support staff as well as the increased use of wireless cameras to achieve dramatic close-ups are expected to lead to more than double normal demand, the regulator said.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2012-olympics-uk-boosts-wireless-283967
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Storylineonline.net/
This is a video streaming program from the SAG Foundation that features videos of SAG members reading children’s books out loud; it reaches an average of 1 million views per month across the globe. Each book that is read is accompanied with activities and lesson ideas. Fun, and good for you!
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Focus Forward Finds Footing With Short Film Plan
CINELAN and Vimeo announced the global day-and-date premiere of the first five three-minute films in the “Focus Forward — Short Films, Big Ideas” initiative, which will be presented at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The films will make their world premiere tomorrow at 12pm EST on vimeo.com and at a special screening beginning 6pm MST at the Holiday Village 1 in Park City. These films will also be paired with features in the U.S. Documentary Competition and World Cinema Documentary Competition sections at Sundance.
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Looking For The “Buzz” From Park City? Chris Kattan’s Got You Covered
Actor Chris Kattan will be the host of Sundance 2012 coverage on AT&T U-verse® Buzz. Daily coverage of the festival, including interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, will be offered by AT&T U-verse on their Buzz Channel (Ch. 300 and 1300 HD for U-verse subscribers), Facebook (www.facebook.com/uverse), Twitter (@Sundance2012), Instagram (#Sundance2012), U-verse Online (uverseonline.att.net/uverse/exclusive), as well as this dedicated Sundance website. In addition to the daily coverage, a comprehensive 30-minute special will air on U-verse Buzz February 15 through March 15.
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Indie Players Can Celebrate! Slated Is Now Here To Help!
As the Sundance Film Festival once again gets underway with its annual showcase of independent filmmakers and their work, Stephan Paternot and Duncan Cork are launching an enterprise that they hope will facilitate even more indie filmmaking. Called Slated, the online hub is designed to provide a private investment network for established independent filmmakers looking for backers, and investors looking for seasoned filmmakers with quality projects and solid reputations. Paternot, the new company’s chairman, and Cork, its CEO, aim to create an exclusive marketplace where filmmakers, distributors, investors and sales agents can interact with each other and track projects in an online environment protected and vetted by the community’s own members.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/sundance-2012-new-online-hub-283760
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Time Warner Cable? Yup. There’s An App For That
Time Warner Cable said on Friday that it has launched TWC TV for Apple’s iPhone. TWC TV allows subscribers of the second-largest U.S. cable operator to watch live TV from within the home, change channels on their set-top box and manage their DVR from their iPhone. The features are available at no additional cost to Time Warner Cable video customers that have a broadband connection.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/time-warner-cable-twc-tv-iphone-283551
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Fox Adds More Judges To New Writers’ Initiative
Fox has announced the slate of writers, producers and executives set to judge its inaugural Fox Writer’s Intensive, a new initiative for experienced writers with diverse backgrounds, including LGBT and people of color. Writer/director Gina Prince Bythewood and producer Suzanne DePasse will join the group of industry veterans from film, TV and publishing who will choose the final 10 writers to enter the program. Film Independent, one of the nominating organizations for FWI, is currently reviewing the hundreds of submissions and will make the first cut, selecting 20-30 finalists. The four-month-long intensive is said to focus on helping writers conceive original material, perfect writing skills for different mediums, and explore the business side of the entertainment industry. At the end of the program, one standout participant will be chosen as the Fox Writer’s Intensive Fellow, and will have his or her script purchased and developed by Fox.
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Yahoo Brings Sundance’s Short Films To You For FREE!
This was strictly a YouTube thing, but it looks like Yahoo has now taken over – for this year anyway, and only for the shorts. It’s still good to know that if you can’t experience Sundance in person, you at least have access to some of the films, and for FREE.
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
YouTube Presents: Your Film Festival
YouTube, Scott Free and Emirates want to find the world’s best storytellers and they’re doing it through Your Film Festival. YouTube users will pick 10 finalists; they will attend and screen their work at the Venice Film Festival. The top winner will also get a $500,000 YouTube original production grant for their next production with Scott Free. People are invited to submit a 15-minute, story-driven video of any format, style and genre here between February 2 and March 31. Fifty semi-finalists will be chosen by Scott Free; those 50 will compete for the YouTube audiences’ vote.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/scott-free-youtube-emirates-announce-your-film-festival-2012
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Megaupload Gets Hit With A Lawsuit…
Federal authorities have charged the owners and operators of the video locker service Megaupload with operating a criminal enterprise that distributes pirated material, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday. Although the sites they operate advertised that they provide personal storage for users’ content, the indictment claims they actually trafficked in hosting television shows and movies – often offering them to users before their official release.