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Nazi 3D Films Discovered
I thought this was an Onion spoof when I first saw it, but apparently the Nazis were shooting in 3D as far back as 1936 - 16 years before Hollywood first started its tedious flirtation with the gimmick.
They probably invented it so they could shoot Iron Sky in the format.
8th Mar 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet
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Simulated Return From Mars
We reported on the simulated mission to Mars in April 2009 - and now after a two week simulated holiday on the red planet, our trusty simulated astronauts are heading back, for a simulated landing in November 2011.
Via Engadget (including simulation joke)
P.S. Don't miss their write up on the 100 Year Starship initiative to send ageing astronauts on a one-way mission to Mars by 2030.
3rd Mar 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet
iPhone Camera Upgrade
turn your iPhone into a slightly more complicated camera with this TurtleJacket add-on
"Turtle Jacket turns your iPhone into a unique multi-purpose digital camera. There are 2 tripod mounts, 2 strap holes and a 37mm thread (female) for conversion lenses."
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26th Feb 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet
Babelfish in your pocket
Google's Babelfish gizmo now comes in app format for iPhone - allowing you to stick a mic in the face of some innocent Japanese person and translate what they are saying to you. Or vice versa.
Android version here.
10th Feb 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet
Slow Motion Fruit
What's so special about a cheesy ad with some slow motion fruit?
31st Dec 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
The Babelfish is here...
...but only in Spanish for now. Amazing video of an augmented reality app that converts written text between English and Spanish. In reality it's apparently not quite as slick as the video, but not far off.
Via Engadget
21st Dec 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Google Googles
Ever since Shazam wowed the world with their call-this-premium-number-to-ID-some-music trick, I've been wondering when the concept will expand to other searches - such as faces, book covers, posters and more. Google goggles does that through their Google App.
Only problem is, if it's a book cover you can probably already tell what it is, by the power of eyes. Check out two tests below of stuff in my office. Goggles ID'd Jennifer Aniston OK, but for some reason they think the Chimpomatic logo belongs to The Misfits...
28th Nov 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Guess The Lighting
v interesting photography blog: guess the lighting
"Armed with only a wacom tablet, less-than-mediocre drawing skills and an acute sense of smell, professional photographer Ted Sabarese guesses how individual images were lit by other photographers and then sketches corresponding lighting diagrams. It's what you always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask."
26th Nov 2010 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Plane Graveyard
Ever wondered where that airplane graveyard that looks so good in films and on TV is? It's here.
18th Nov 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
1080p is the VHS of the future
How's that 47", 1080p, Full HD-ready TV working out for you? Nice try, but it's already out-of-date. What you really want is a Super Hi-Vision plasma screen, capable of a resolution of 7680x4320 - 16 x better than 1080p.
OK there is a projector, but while the TV sets don't exist yet (you can use 4 x 4K sets together) the camera does - and the BBC and Japan's NHK just did a test broadcast of a studio session from The Charlatans. Not quite sure how that content decision came about.
The quality is so clear that a special lens had to be built to cope, and much like 3DTV, the format has dictated a shooting style of its own - with a single camera wide-shot being so big and clear that the viewer would be distracted by too much editing and can just cast their eyes around the screen instead.
Watch more at the BBC
16th Nov 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Muji Apps
With smart phones and iPads starting to replace old-school hardware like the notebook, Muji must have started to question the future of their cute little business. Luckily, they decided to digitalise their offerings and now have a range of iPad Apps out.
Muji Notebook
Muji Calendar
Muji To Go
Muji Apparel App
Muji Notebook could be fun, but at $4 I don't really need to find out. Calendar doesn't suggest it will work any better than Apple's own calendar, but Muji To Go sounds like fun ... and it might just help me to wear the right clothes for the weather. A problem I have never quite conquered.
15th Nov 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Piracy Comics and Sales
interesting case study of piracy and sales
23rd Oct 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
MosKeyTo
Check out this tiny USB drive - so small you can leave it plugged in all the time without worrying about it catching the cat's tail as it cruises by the sofa. Available in up to 16GB sizes.
7th Sep 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Pingu iTunes 10
anyone annoyed by the new "Album By Artist" heading in iTunes Pingu can turn it off under View > As List
and PS, no iTunes, I don't want to follow Lady Gaga or Yo-Yo Ma. thanks
PS2: anyone worked out how to turn the colours back on?
3rd Sep 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Promo Promo: Arcade Fire - The Wilderness Downtown
taking pop videos to a whole new level thanks to some HTML5, Arcade Fire's latest interacts with your home town address for a personalised (ish) experience
#chimp71
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2nd Sep 2010 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Apple TV 2
Apple's Apple TV product is getting a re-vamp in an attempt to kick start sales of the under-appreciated device. For starters it's now only £99, but the main drive of the redesigned model is in its simplification. By dropping the hard drive, it's now essentially a simple way of streaming content from your Mac/iPad/iPhone onto your HDTV.
2nd Sep 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
The robots are coming
more advances in the world of Cylon-style robotics
30th Aug 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Phone Sex
iPhone users get laid more. And that's a fact. Apparently.
12th Aug 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
BBC Apps
The BBC has finally got the nod from its Trust to release its highly praised iPad/iPhone Apps. The BBC News app has been available in the US for a while, but had not been available in the UK. That's in the App Store now. BBC iPlayer and Sport apps to follow...
Via BBC (who else?)
23rd Jul 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
The reality distortion field is strong with this one
Bonkers video from Taiwan documenting Steve Jobs' descent to the Dark Side. It's in Chinese, with Chinese subtitles ....but I'm guessing a dubbed version would make even less sense.
19th Jul 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Major Minority Report News
Trials have begun in Tokyo of digital billboards that use facial recognition to target specific adverts at passers-by.... Wonder what I'm in need of buying?
#CSF
#AdNauseum
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16th Jul 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
How Lego Is Built
Tedious news from Aint-It-cool about the development of a possible Lego movie, but worth noting for highlighting this awesome video of how Lego is made. And how fast Lego is made.
2nd Jul 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Mr. Fusion
OK, it's not quite on a par with Doc Brown's banana skin eating Mr. Fusion, but Gucci web-developer-turned-physicist Mark Suppes has built his own fusion reactor in a workshop in Brooklyn.
Via BBC
29th Jun 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Freedom From Porn: The Movie
There seems to be quite an Apple backlash brewing recently, as Apple overtake Microsoft's spot at the top in more ways than one. While the closed eco-system of the iPhone/Pad/Pod certainly has its advantages, it's also a similar situation to that which led to Microsoft's dominating share of the browser wars - which were followed by years of anti-trust investigation and Internet Explorer's current position as bastard child of the evolving internet.
Steve Jobs' position on porn has been made quite clear, and some people don't like it.
14th Jun 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
3D HD Camcorder
when did this happen? Aiptek 3D camcorder: Aiptek's new 3D-HD camcorder is the most powerful on the market today. Utilizing powerful, dual-HD sensors allows you to capture 3D stills and videos that can be converted with the included software to work with most major brand 3D televisions. The 3D-HD has a built-in 3D LCD for instant playback, or you can connect it to your PC via USB, or to your HDTV via HDMI. It also has the ability to shoot video and capture still photos in standard 2D. Open up a whole new Dimension of video with Aiptek's 3D-HD camcorder.
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9th Jun 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
iPhone HD Rumour Roundup
only a few hours until Darth Jobs unveils plans for his new Death Star iPhone HD, here's a roundup of techspec rumours - and a possible photoshopped colour scheme
7th Jun 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
This Is Not The iPad You're Looking For
what if Steve Jobs gave his briefing from Yavin?
4th Jun 2010 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Sky Anytime+
they've been floating the idea for ages now, but it looks like Sky Anytime+ is finally on the way - Video On Demand (VOD) via broadband. lots of movies, TV etc, but SD only for the moment. Area Man not happy
4th Jun 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Mission To Mars(ish)
It's been 18 months since we last covered it - and they're only just setting off - but the Mars 500 project kicks off today in Moscow.
6 would-be astronauts will be sealed inside a simulation space capsule to document the effects of an 18 month round trip to the red planet. The simulator even includes a mock-up of the planet's surface - so the effects of EVA can be studied after the 6 month feet-up session.
One thing that has changed in 18 months is the arrival of Twitter - which Italian pseudonaut Diego Urbina will be updating during the trip. The mission also has a blog.
Via BBC
#CSF
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3rd Jun 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Roll Up, Roll Up
Sony's new TV tech can roll around a pencil. And here's a video to prove it.
27th May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
30 Years of Pac-Man
It's not just Empire Strikes Back hitting 30, Pac Man is also celebrating it's 30th birthday - and Google have a tribute on their home page - in the form of a playable version of the game.
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22nd May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
A Synthetic Life Form
a synthetic life form designed by a private corporation?! seriously, do these guys not watch films? yeah, that sounds like something that couldn't possibly go wrong!
UPDATE: Exhibit A
21st May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Pirate Bay Sunk?
Arrrrrr! is it all over for the Pirate Bay? this Guardian article thinks it might be
UPDATE: Of course not. Back online.
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18th May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Why I Steal Movies... Even Ones I'm In: Peter Serafinowicz On Piracy, Downloads and the death of Hard Copies
v interesting take from peter @serafinowicz on the whole digital v hard copy debate that we know a lot of chimps out there are having at the moment
"In the meantime, I'll be suing myself for pirating my own show. And I'm pretty scared, because I have an amazing lawyer."
#chimp71
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15th May 2010 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Jeff Bridges HD
Some interesting stats on the lack of Jeff Bridges movies available in High Definition. Strange, considering his seemingly solid box office appeal and recent Oscar confirmed status.
All this is really just an excuse to pull a couple of quotes from the man when he recently picked up a handful of awards for his movie Crazy Heart.
On The independent Spirit Award: "Now THIS is really gonna tie the room together".
On The Golden Globes: "You're really messing with my under-appreciated status here".
14th May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
@ferris_bueller_? @ferris_bueller_?
in another pointless/brilliant exercise from the online world, someone has tweeted the whole of Ferris Bueller - twitter.com/ferris_bueller_
13th May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Real Life Flubber?
well, not quite, but Wired have an interesting story on the development of Sugru a kind of mega-silly putty substance "with waterproof, adhesive and heat-resistant qualities, and it sets at room temperature."
12th May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
iElectribe For iPad
Korg have launched an app version of their analog-synth/sequencer Electribe-R for the iPad. Have to say, this is the first iPad-specific app I've read about that's made me think it could be anything more than a slightly slippy flatscreen
11th May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Will It Shred? iPad
Built To Shred host Jeff King and pro skater Chad Knight test the new iPad 3G
#chimp71
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10th May 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
ACDC vs Rochester Castle
This kind of Architectural Projection or Augmented Reality Projection is popping up more and more recently, but here's a great example of AC/DC turning it up to 11. Nice to see marketing getting a little more adventurous than just posters-on-buses.
30th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Cruise Missile To Go
An enterprising Russian company seems to be attempting to solve the age-old problem of how to conveniently move your cruise missiles around without the unwieldy bulk of an aircraft carrier. Their solution is a not-quite-pocket-sized shipping container - catchily titled the 'Club-K'.
It's not too clear how far in development this is, but it's far enough along to warrant the handy graphic simulation that the company have produced (above). No big worry though, Venezuela and Iran are the only countries to have so far professed an interest.
Maybe we need to get Jack Bauer of of retirement already.
30th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Jobs v Flash (ah-ah)
so hang on Steve, you do or you don't like Flash?
30th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Spotify 0.4.3
It's still a long way off even a 1.0 release, but Spotify is getting a major upgrade today - bringing a load more iTunes-like functionality.
Major features include the ability to import and play the music on already on your computer, share your playlists and likes publicly, integration with Facebook for playlist sharing and starring of tracks and an auto-playlist from those tracks.
All the details here.
Of course, all this is moot if iTunes turn around with a similar offering - quite likely since their purchase of the US equivalent of Spotify, Lala.
27th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Drunk iPhoning
It seems like some Apple doofus dropped his iPhone 4.0 prototype in a bar in California recently ...and now tech-snitch website Gizmodo have it.
They have a major piece running on their site about the specs and features of the TBA next-generation of the iPhone. It's something of an aesthetic update on the last couple of models, comes with more storage, both front and back facing cameras - the main one of which is bigger and with a flash.
Tons of better pics and video on the Gizmodo website.
19th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Life At Google
Interesting slice of life at Google over at newly-hired Tim Bray's blog.
Via Gawker.
15th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Spotify Plus
The developer community is building around Spotify's platform - as noted by their recent community awards. Playlistify was the overall winner, allowing you to convert an iTunes playlist into a Spotify one. Minus the songs they don't have - which is still proving to be their weak link.
You can see a Spotify clickable export of the Chimpomatic master library here. Although it's a couple of months out of date. Will send word down to the tech basement requesting an update.
13th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Trailer Park: Erasing David
Interesting surveillance doc - you can run but can you hide? cinemas from April 29th; More 4 on 4th May.
See the film's website here, the website set up by the private eyes chasing him here (Spoliers!) and the private eyes' own site here.
12th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
Digital Economy Bill Slips Through In Wash-Up
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8th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet
The iPad Is Going To Save Comics Too...
is there no end to its voodoo powers?! here's another miracle cure from the magic iPad. thanks iPad!
6th Apr 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet