Beef With….

Today, we’re dropping a new feature. Well, at least I am because I’ve been dubbed a “hater” here at the office. I tend to not really like a lot of stuff. Most stuff. Very few things hear the words “I like” coming out of my mouth. So, to let my hate out, I’m creating a new feature called “Beef with…” where I will detail a person, thing, place, etc. that I don’t like for some odd reason that only my weirdo self could stew up in the cauldron of my tiny head.
So, without further ado, I got Beef With…

YouTube.

Yes, the popular internet video site. What I hate about this site lies in the fact that some of the videos I posted on this blog have ended up with a “Video no longer available” sign over top of them because of copyright issues. What the fuck? Why would someone have a copyright issue with segments (SEGMENTS, not even full length stuff, I have yet to find a YouTube clip that’s over ten minutes)? Look, YouTube is basically a free advertising site. Shit on there is instant, quick advertising that can get you 3 million hits in a week, wayyy more than a print ad. Look no further than the success of the SNL digital short “Chronicles of Narnia.” It founds it way onto YouTube, got a ton of views, NBC got pissed for some reason, and it was curbed shortly after. Then, NBC pulled their head out of their ass and realized that YouTube is a viable option for getting people to think that SNL is funny again (it’s not, the digital shorts/Andy Samberg stuff is), so they started their own YouTube profile and uploaded a ton of videos. Same goes for music videos that are taken down for copyright issues/they don’t honor the contract your label has with MTV. The record industry sucks right now, and taking down music videos on YouTube is probably the worst thing you can do since it’s allowing people who stopped watching MTV to see a new video from a potential new favorite artist. YouTube is a place of discovery and you’re fucking it up copyright-worriers. So, perhaps my beef isn’t with YouTube, but with people with sticks up their asses.

-dan

Add comment May 31st, 2007

Air Guitar Now Has A Whole New Meaning

Watch out Guitar Hero, the next wave of virtual rocking out has just been released in Australia: the wearable instrument shirt.

“Scientists at the CSIRO’s Textile and Fibre Technology division in Geelong have woven electronic sensors into a T-shirt so that it can be played liked a real guitar. Movements by the wearer’s arms are mapped and beamed by radio to a computer, which interprets them and turns them into musical notes The wearer only has to act out playing the instrument to make sounds. ‘The left arm chooses a note and the right arm plays it,’ said Richard Helmer, a CSIRO chemical engineer who led the project. The arrangement can be reversed for left-handed musicians.”

“You can play with yours hands above your head,” said Dr Helmer. “You can turn around and jump. Whatever you like.”

Now all your air band practices finally have a purpose

Courtesy of t-shirt alert

Add comment May 31st, 2007