"I'll Make Pudding For You"

Today's episode of "Mayne Street" is just too funny not to re- distribute.

Of Course The Pocket Had The Meteor Video

Old Spice Wants You To Be Popular

If you feel like your Internet celebrity status is lacking, look no further than Old Spice's new minisite, "Old Spice Swagger."  The site lets you create fake news stories to be distributed around the net based on certain factors that you adjust.  I decided to vote high in the GOODLOOKINGESS toggle and GENIUSMANSHIP.  

One of my articles starts like this (thanks OldSpice):

The “eternal bachelor” simply enjoys the single life.

Many people call him a ladies’ man because of his past associations with swimsuit model Darcy Phillips.

Ryan Digicrest exposes that his casual sex associations are a result of not having enough time between filming documentary films like Powerbars and Powerbars II.

Right now, he’s happily single and living in Spain, where he can enjoy his free time and playing his snare drum.

Ryan Digicrest asserts that he isn’t a ladies’ man, just simply misunderstood.

"Guitar Hero" Releases "Bike Hero" As Viral Vid

“Bike Hero” was shot in North Hollywood by a production team called Droga 5. That team has pulled off other viral stunts like the apparent graffiti-tagging of Air Force Once for Marc Ecko’s clothing company. This time, Activision was working with them.

“We shot all through the night,” Brad Jakeman, Activision’s newly appointed chief creative officer. “We wanted it to feel gritty and of the medium.” The shoot took place about four weeks ago, and while it did involve a real bicyclist, those lights on the handlebars are the product of “some filmic magic.”

“This was always created and put out there to engage the creativity of our gamers. It didn’t take people very long, as we expected it to, for them to unlock the first of the codes, if you like,” Jakeman said. “We wanted people to first figure out that it was something in the marketing realm and then dig in and have more of the conversation that we’re having about how it was done, have people figure out where all the cutting points were, where there was potentially CGI, and engage with that. It’s not meant to be deceptive. It’s meant to be fun.” [via MTV Multiplayer]

Reebok Opens '80s Themed Store In NYC

Courtesy of NY Magazine:

Reebok launched its first-ever pop-up shop on Saturday, in a two-story, 3,000-square-foot art gallery on Bowery. In honor of next year's 20th anniversary of the Reebok Pump, the neon-splashed space is inspired by eighties New York style and stocked with vintage sneaker styles. The limited-edition designs were inspired by the men's Pump and women's Freestyle shoes, which a Reebok spokesperson called "eighties staples." Stocked with T-shirts printed with "169 Bowery," hoodies by Reebok and Rolland Berry, and waves of candy-colored footwear, the pop-up will introduce a different New York–themed item each week, from a "Bodega NYC" shoe printed with the image of an ATM machine to Coney Island–inspired men's Ventilator sneakers. Reebok also enlisted guest designers to collaborate on sneakers, like graphic artist John Maeda, Dean of the Rhode Island School of Design. Limited-edition footwear starts at $90. 

Click here for the photos.

'The Sounds' To Start Your Day

This Is Cool - Solar Powered Messenger Bag

All the wanna be hipsters carry messenger bags and it’s easy to spot the geek wannabe hipster cause he’s touting a solar charging bag. Eclipse is helping out that demo with another bag that claims to charge cell phones, MP3 player and rechargeable batteries while strolling outdoors thanks to solar cells. These bags come in either leather or canvas and are start at $129 for the non-cow skin edition.

The front flap features a light-weight, flexible, integrated solar charging module which can be utilized by using a common 12V automotive charging adapter made specifically for the brand and type of personal electronics you own. Using a cell phone as an example, you can trickle charge the cell phone battery during casual commutes to work or on campus.

Puppy Cam Continues It's Huge Success

It all started 5 weeks ago, when a SF couple decided to setup a live puppy cam on Ustream. Ever since they hit the “broadcast now” button things have been interesting around the Ustream offices. Due to the “cuteness” of the puppies, the show, to quote MSNBC news anchor and managing editor Brian Williams, “has taken the web by storm.” 4 million people worldwide checked in on 6 of the most adorable puppies we’ve ever seen. It’s been remarkable to see how 6 little puppies have gotten so “big.”

To see the puppies themselves...click HERE.

LIFE Photo Archive By Google

The Pocket has unearthed another gem of a find, and provided entry into the LIFE magazine photo archive.  The collection celebrates the worlds existence dating from Civil War times through today.  Every step of the way brings new meaning to our history and path to today.  Enjoy!

Flash and The iPhone: Keep Dreaming

Wired Blog has a great analysis of the Flash - Apple - iPhone relationship, and why we won't see it turn into anything for quite sometime. A great read, so I won't offer any spoilers save for this; Apple has it written in their Terms of Service agreement with app developers prohibiting the use of Flash.

AT&T Launching Touch Screen Phone For PCs

I agree, it is both confusing and silly that AT&T would launch a touch screen phone that is similarly priced as an iPhone ($199). But hey, what the hell do I know. The LG Incite comes loaded with Windows 6.1 operating system, 3G capabilities, GPS opportunities, WiFi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0, and a 3.0″ touchscreen. It has a full multi-tasking operating system with access to your Microsoft Outlook and other mailbox contacts, calendars, and tasks. You can edit Microsoft Office documents - Mobile Word, Excel, OneNote. View PowerPoint and Adobe® PDF attachments.

I get it, its a corporate friendly touch screen, which does have value I guess. But isn't AT&T already banking on the new iPhone OS being more Microsoft product friendly? Is this a secondary option to that end?

"I'm a PC" commercial lovers eat your heart out.

Nike's Latest Environmental Effort: Air Jordan XX3

Nike is releasing the Air Jordan XX3 with a different spin than the other iterations of the classic basketball sneaker. The potentially last Jordan model to be released is being constructed using almost no adhesives at all, and is being constructed like a jigsaw puzzle. Being sewn together and not glued is part of the "Nike Considered approach," that uses environmentally-preferable materials, reduces toxic chemicals and curbs waste.

Hannah Jones, Nike's vice president of corporate responsibility, told Fortune that the Air Jordan XX3 demonstrates that environmental considerations need not require compromises in design or performance. Her hope, she said, is that the new sneakers will influence not only other Nike shoes, but the rest of the footwear industry, too. She said the Air Jordan XX3 is the equivalent of "a Tesla, not a Prius," referring to the $98,000, all-electric, luxury sports car being made by Tesla Motors.

"Too often 'green' means less of a consumer experience," Jones said. "If you sacrifice performance or style, you're doing a disservice to the consumer and to the sustainability movement."

Click here for the full article about the Jordans.

Head over to this article to find an interesting graphic describing the different recycled materials used to make different parts of the Nike Pegasus, a running shoe at the forefront of the "Nike Considered" movement.

Clicking on the top image will take you to CNN's video player to watch Hannah Jones discuss the making of the new Jordan.  (Thanks to CNN for removing their video embed option)

Blackberry Storm In 4 Days

It looks like the wait is over.... let the holiday iPhone - G1 - Storm battle begin!!

Mark Cuban Pulling A Martha Stewart?

Wild news in the world of Mark Cuban.  Wild in that another ridiculously rich bastard had some inside info and made a play to not get his ass handed to him in his financial portfolio.

The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commision) alleges in a civil action that Mr. Cuban sold his entire 6% ownership stake on June 28, 2004, after learning that Mamma.com was raising money through a private investment in a public entity, or PIPE. [Ed's note: PIPE means that the company is creating more shares and selling them at a discounted price in order to raise cash, thereby brown-holing those that already own the stock] The next day, on June 29, the company announced the PIPE financing and shares of the company dropped by more than 10%. By selling his stake, the SEC alleges, Mr. Cuban avoided more than $750,000 in losses.

Say what you will about Cuban, but I still think he is a brilliant business man.  He writes a great blog that you should check out called Blog Maverick.

In defense of the SEC charges, Mr. Cuban stated, “I am disappointed that the Commission chose to bring this case based upon its Enforcement staff’s win-at-any-cost ambitions. The staff’s process was result-oriented, facts be damned. The government’s claims are false and they will be proven to be so.”

Hulu and YouTube Battling Ad Revenue Projections

Great story from CrunchGear comparing the revenue projections of video giant YouTube and NBC/Fox internet front Hulu.  As a big Hulu fan and someone who has been bashing media buyers for buying ad space on YouTube, this article really made me happy.

Something’s wrong with YouTube, and it looks like Hulu stands to benefit. 

YouTube, as you’re all painfully aware, is primarily comprised of short videos of guys falling off their skateboards (embedded here), dudes playing video game songs on the piano and illegal Seinfeld clips. Those types of videos aren’t attractive to advertisers. That may explain why YouTube, which had 83 million unique hits in September, is only expected to generate $100 million for the year.

Compare that to Hulu, which primarily consists of professionally made NBC and Fox shows and clips—I just wasted quite a few minutes watching a few “popular” Simpsons clips, for example. That all of the content there is nice and legal makes it more appealing to advertisers, which explains why, even though with only 6 million hits in September, Hulu is expected to generate to $70m.

Both sites are expected to generate $180 million next year. Don’t think that’s because, overnight, Hulu increases its viewership 10-fold.

In other words, people (“analysts” and the like) are now wondering how, if ever, will Google will turn YouTube into a monetary success.

Don’t forget that Google paid $1.65 billion for the site two years ago—that’s a lot of skateboarding videos for which to sell ads.

Webisode #2 "Mayne Street"

Kenny meets his new 26-year-old wunderkind boss, Evan Mintz, who gives him a taste of what ESPN will be like in the future. Kenny begs to differ.

Google Speech-To-Search iPhone App

This is unbelievably cool.

Why I Love English Premier League Football

It's fans like this that make me love English Premier League football, ahem, soccer to the American's in the room. Despite the fact that I'm a Gooner and support Arsenal, this Chelsea fan is top class comedy.

Google Officially Launches Voice and Video Chat

GChat now has voice and video conferencing capabilities. I am already looking at it as a great substitue for tricky in person meetings.  Watch out iChat, watch out AIM, GChat is now a full competitor...that didn't take too long.

Build A Wireless Finger Phone

ESPN Launches "Mayne Street" Webisodes

Joining the movement towards made for Internet content, ESPN has officially launched their own online series titled "Mayne Street."  The 4:30 minute webisodes follow funny man and ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne as he shoots episodes of Sportscenter, and generally acts dry and muted. Webisodes will be posted Tuesdays and Fridays.  The opener is called "Fixes." Enjoy!

Sprint's New Widget Gives You A Taste Of "Now"

Sprint has launched their "Now" widget and it really is unbelievably cool. It provides info on just that, "Now." Little snippets of information regarding the amount of babies being born to the top Google searches going on at this moment. It's designed to live in all the major environments; iGoogle, MySpace, Facebook, or your desktop. Give it a click and see what's "Now."

Email Targeting Knows I lived In Romania

I've long been a proponent for email targeting in advertising. While it may seem invasive for Google to let me know about airline prices while I'm emailing my buddy about going to Vegas, its also unbelievably convenient. I'm on the side of offering more information to advertising companies because the Web will only develop as a personalized medium when consumers allow it to. And bottom line, anyone who has ever had a credit card has already given up more personal information than any ad targeting company will collect.

Having said all that, I was truly amazed this morning to find this email in my inbox..."Been Looking For ROMANIAN Products?" The capitalization of Romanian is a dead giveaway that my email somewhere crossed with Romania as a trigger. I have no idea who Idakoos is or who they've contracted for their emails, but this is unbelievable Out of left field I'm getting ads for t-shirts that say "Everyone Loves A Romanian." This is amazing because not only am I part Romanian, but I also lived there for 4 months last year. I hadn't emailed or spoken to anyone about this experience in months, and then this email shows up.

Well done Idakoos. However you found me, I'm damn impressed.

Ashton Kutcher Blowing It As High School Football Coach

This story has special meaning for me as I grew up walking distance from Harvard Westlake, Ashton Kutcher's now place of employment. For anyone who doesn't know, he's been on the coaching staff of their Freshman football team and apparently everyone hates him, including me.

If you thought appearing in a bunch of shitty movies and banging some waif who was barely girl-next-door hot 20 years ago would impress a group of high school freshman football players, dude, you'd be, like, totally wrong and shit! There's a fun report out from Star regarding Ashton Kutcher's latest role as an assistant football coach, and indications are that his ineptitude from TV and film transitions nicely into the world of athletics. That is to say, he seems to be loathed equally in both fields by his respective audiences.

Coach of the year? Not quite. Ashton Kutcher has been having a ball as assistant coach to North Hollywood's Harvard-Westlake School freshman footballers. But the feeling isn’t mutual.

"The kids want him gone," says an insider. "They think he doesn't know what he's talking about and can't stand his tough-guy attitude."

Out of the huddle, the kids mock their famous coach and have even given him a special nickname: "Ashton Doucher!"

DJ AM and Travis Barker Kill It

To go with the DJ AM theme of today...

Fix Your Face

McCain Is An Abba Fan

Normally I'd take this opportunity to make lots of jokes and sarcastic comments, but this one will have to speak for itself...

In South Carolina last October, McCain confided in reporters on his campaign bus and told them that if he's elected ABBA would be the background music in "elevators all over the White House."

McCain told the deejays that before big speeches he pumps himself up by listening to the Swedish quartet's 1977 hit "Take A Chance On Me."

Oh just imagine what could have been.

Click here for the full article 

Lionel Richie, DJ AM, Ashton Kutcher...Digicrest?

MySpace Music through a party at The Old Mint last night as part of the week long Web 2.0 Summit going on here in SF.  A top class event from MySpace no doubt, with a fantastic bar selection, gorgeous decor, and of course, entertainment for all.

Lionel Richie started the evening with such classics as "Hello," "Say You, Say Me," and "Three Times A Lady."  Despite his mixing the words "MySpace" in with his usual lyrics, Lionel gave a killer performance and had the place jumping.

I'm a huge DJ AM fan, and followed the plane crash and the events that followed pretty closely, and like many of the attendees last night, questioned whether or not he would show up.  I got that answer when I quite literally ran into DJ AM as I turned a corner into the room where he was to spin later on.  Happy to see him healthy and doing what he does best, I danced my ass off with everyone else as AM killed the room with his classic mixes; Red Hot Chilli Peppers into Oasis, Bob Sinclair into Bob Marley, and so on.

Oh, and Ashton Kutcher was there.  Moving on.

Grainy cell phone photos for your liking...unlike a majority of other attendees, I couldn't manage a digital camera into my outfit that wouldn't get swiped by security guards.

Meet The Designers Behind The G1, XBOX, And More

In a world where gadgets and technology are commonplace as everyday utilities, I thought it'd be interesting to take a look at the masterminds behind the aesthetics of our favorite toys.

Allow me to introduce Mike and Maaike, designers extroardinaire.  Maaike Evers is a Dutch designer, and Mike Simonian is a California soul.  Together, they have crafted some of todays most exciting electronis, as well as furniture, household items, and sports equipment.  Think T- Mobile G1, Microsoft Xbox, and so on.

iPhone As A Legit Gaming Interface

That title is absolutely up for debate.  Just because there are gaming options on a device, does that mean it classifies as a powerful gaming interface?  The answer is obviously no, but this piece of equipment is supercool no matter what.

Marware has developed a Game Grip for iPhone 3G and the iPod touch.  I have an iPhone and I play the Audi driving game.  Would I ever spend $50 on this device.  Probably not, but who the hell am I?  I'm sure this is reasonable and important to someone.  Bottom line, it looks cool and I think could lead to the development of even more iPhone apps and games.

The Election Is Over....What Do We Talk About Now?

Obviously the work for change really starts now, but the best story the press has had for a year and change is now over.  So what should we talk about now?  I don't have an answer.  Later today I'll probably pick up with my inane offerings from around the web and gadgets and all that.  But for now, I thought I'd keep it light hearted and send everyone to Daily Puppy for some fun.  Why?  Because dogs are cute and are free from all of our daily concerns that keep us tired, stressed, overworked, underpaid, under inspired and everything in between.  

Yes We Can

Congrats to Barack and to all of us. A great man not of my political party said of tonight, "Change is on the horizon." This is a country where anything is possible. I've never felt a pride like this.

"Dear Red States..."

We all deserve a laugh...Oldest Living.

Great Election Day Quote

I wish I could credit the original source, but I found it at Oldest Living:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked so Barack could run.
Barack ran so our kids can fly.

Obama Supports Tech Innovation and Start Ups

John Gold and Levis= Hot and Racy Monday

I found this commercial a long time ago and was fortunate to stumble upon it again today and thought I would spice up everyone’s day.

John Gold is an amazing singer/songwriter from LA who has cult status between my friends and I, as well as anyone else who’s ever heard his music. When I first heard him on this Levis commercial, I almost lost it, thanking the advertising gods that true talent was finally being recognized. Huge props to Levis as well for making this fantastic spot.


Levis First Time - The most amazing home videos are here

iPhone Updates Coming Without Major User Issues Addressed

The latest iPhone update is on its way and is covering a variety of bugs and features within the unit.  Yet it’s missing most of the things that the consumer has seemingly been asking for.

Pleasefixtheiphone.com has been pulling together a list of the most requested features users want addressed.  Thanks to that list, and Wired getting a hold of what’s included in the coming update, the chart below shows a comparison of what’s coming what should be addressed:

I Just Watched "The Happening"

I wish I could have those two hours of my life back.