Technology & Pop Culture

22 Minutes Of The Technology Behind Avatar = Geekgasm

Posted by Bradley under Movies, Personal

Avatar revolutionized the world of digital, 3D filmmaking.

Many of the groundbreaking technologies that went into the production were created by James Cameron and his visual effects team specifically for Avatar.

If you are into making movies or just curious about how they are made grab a seat and some popcorn and check out this 22 minute behind the scenes featurette courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.

Who needs the Blu-ray special features?!

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809804784/video/17711648

Google Nexus One Unboxing

Posted by Bradley under Android, Personal, Technology

Today I welcomed a package from Google!

The Nexus One Superphone.

Here’s how it went down…

http://www.google.com/phone/

Tags: Android, Google, HTC, Nexus One, Unboxing

1986 Worlds Of Fun Theme Park Map Takes Me Back

Posted by Bradley under Kansas City, Personal

Remember when admission to Worlds of Fun was $14.95 and such awesomeness as the AMC Incred-O-Dome Theatre, Omegatron and the Wobble Wheel still existed?

Theme Park Maps has a great collection of propaganda from the park’s 1980’s heyday.

Maps and brochures from most theme parks across the US are also available if you care not to recall the teenage horror of centrifugally-vomiting inside the Finish Fling.

http://www.themeparkbrochures.net/maps/1989/wof1989.html
http://www.themeparkbrochures.net/1986/wof1986_2.html

http://www.themeparkbrochures.net/main.html

[IMG via themeparkbrochures.net]

Tags: 1989, AMC Incred-O-Dome Theatre, Kansas City, Map, Omegatron, Retro, Theme Park, Wobble Wheel, Worlds Of Fun

Blatant Mockery Productions Present: “GLOW” (NSFW)

Posted by Bradley under Movies, Personal

Blatant Mockery’s latest production entitled “GLOW” is online!

It was our entry into the 2009 Wild West Film Fest Scare Factor.

Special thanks to everybody who helped make this movie a reality this year.  I couldn’t have done it without you!

CONTENT WARNING: Not safe for work!

http://indigenouswino.com/GLOW.html

Tags: 2009, Blatant Mockery, GLOW, Indigenous Wino, NSFW, Scare Factor, Scary Movie

OFFICIAL: Fringe Returns Thursday, September 17!

Posted by Bradley under Personal, Television

Fringe fans at ease.

Your precious, precious returns to Fox on September 17, 2009 at 8:00 PM Central.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/06/15/fox-announces-fall-tv-premiere-dates/

Tags: 2009, FOX, Fringe, J.J. Abrams, Season 2, September 17

Vintage Dharma Initiative Ads Are Not Real. Or Are They?

Posted by Bradley under Personal, Television

If you are a fan of Lost like me these fan-created, vintage Dharma ads are right up your alley.

Convinced?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hotmeteor/sets/72157615214095434/detail/

[via io9.com]

[IMG via Hot Meteor's Flickr]

Tags: Ads, Dharma Initiative, Jumpsuit, LOST, Vintage

BREAKING: NIN/Janes Addiction To Play Starlight May 27!

Posted by Bradley under BREAKING, Music, Personal

Just announced!

Trent Reznor and Janes Addiction will perform at Starlight Theatre on May 27!

From NIN.com:

Here’s what we can tell you so far:

Fri-May-08 West Palm Beach, FL [Cruzan Amphitheatre]
Sat-May-09 Tampa, FL [Ford Amphitheatre]
Sun-May-10 Atlanta, GA [Lakewood Amphitheatre]
Thu-May-14 Albuquerque, NM [Journal Pavilion]
Fri-May-15 Phoenix, AZ [Cricket Wireless Pavilion]
Sat-May-16 Chula Vista, CA [Cricket Wireless Amphitheater]
Mon-May-18 Las Vegas, NV [The Pearl]
Wed-May-20 Irvine, CA [Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Irvine Meadows]
Fri-May-22 Mountain View, CA [Shoreline Amphitheatre]
Tue-May-26 Englewood, CO [Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre]
Wed-May-27 Kansas City, MO [Starlight Theatre]
*** Fri-May-29 Chicago, IL [Charter One Pavilion] NINE INCH NAILS Only
Sat-May-30 Noblesville, IN [Verizon Wireless Music Center]
Sun-May-31 Clarkston, MI [DTE Energy Music Theatre]
Tue-Jun-02 Toronto, ON [Molson Amphitheatre]
Wed-Jun-03 Darien Lake, NY [Darien Lake Amphitheatre]
Fri-Jun-05 Camden, NJ [Tweeter Center At The Waterfront]
Sat-Jun-06 Holmdel, NJ [PNC Bank Arts Center]
Sun-Jun-07 Wantagh, NY [Nikon at Jones Beach Music Theater]
Tue-Jun-09 Columbia, MD [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
Wed-Jun-10 Burgettstown, PA [Post-Gazette Pavilion]
Fri-Jun-12 Charlotte, NC [Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre]

See you there!

Tags: 2009, Janes Addiction, May 27, NIN, Starlight Theatre, Trent Reznor

Get Ready For Windows 7 By Using Large Quick Launch Icons

Posted by Bradley under Personal, Technology

Microsoft’s next version of Windows is due sometime after September of this year and fundamentally changes the way you think about the task bar.  (That’s the thing at the bottom of your screen that shows the programs and windows you have open.)

In Windows 7 each program gets a large icon that represents a program whether it’s running or not.

As you can see in the screen shot above Microsoft has eliminated the text that is traditionally seen to the right of a program’s icon in Windows XP and Vista in favor of large icons.  Similar to the dock on a Mac.

You can somewhat mimic this behavior on Windows XP and Vista by following these steps:

1. Unlock your Task Bar by right clicking and choosing “Lock the Taskbar”
2. Make sure the Quick Launch toolbar is enabled by right clicking the Task Bar and choosing Toolbars, Quick Launch
3. Right click in the blank space before, after or in between a Quick Launch icon and choose View, Large Icons — somewhat janky, try it a few times and it’ll work

Now your Task Bar and Quick Launch icons should look similar to mine.

Granted I am using Vista and I have moved my Task Bar above the newly enlarged Quick Launch icons.

By following this technique you can make the transition to Windows 7’s large icon style Task Bar much easier and make your icons prettier in the process.

For more on Windows 7 check out Gizmodo’s “How to Use Windows 7’s New Interface“.

Tags: Interface, Large Icons, Task Bar, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Hilarious J.J. Abrams Interview Brings Up Spoilers

Posted by Bradley under Movies, Personal, Television

If you have half an hour to kill and are as entusiastic about J.J. Abrams as me you should check out this fun and quirky interview from the BBC’s The Chris Moyles Show.

Spoilers, plot devices and what to look out for in Star Trek, Cloverfield, Fringe and Lost all-in-one.

HAM SANDWICH!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chrismoyles/la/2008/video/video16.shtml

[via fringetelevision.com]

Tags: BBC, Chris Moyles, Cloverfield, Fringe, Interview, J.J. Abrams, LOST, Star Trek, Video

Yeltsin To Play Lawrence This Thursday

Posted by Bradley under Music, Personal

SSLYBY (that’s Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin to you n00bs) will be at the Jackpot Saloon in Lawrence, KS this Thursday at 9 PM.

Cats optional.

http://www.morawk.com/boris/

[IMG via coxy's Flickr]

Tags: Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence KS, Someone Still Loves You Boris, SSLYBY