Viddler

There’s no doubt that mobile gaming has increased in popularity since the release of Apple’s App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. There’s thousands of games which range in price from FREE to around $20.

Personally, I’ve only tried free versions because I’m not much of a gamer. That said, I’m interested in trying old classics like Myst (currently $6)! Free games are usually limited in gameplay and leave addicted players wanting more, hence there’s usually a ‘full’ or ‘pro’ version.

One of the best ways of finding new and fun iPhone/iPod Touch games is through word of mouth (read: Twitter). Justine (subscribe) is notorious for tweeting about her iPhone game obsessions. I recently downloaded the free version of a game she mentioned and I finished the game in a few minutes. I’m using all my strength not to buy the full version. It’s tough, but I’m managing.

Summer (friend her up, yo!) just reviewed face-paced iPhone/iPod Touch game called Eliss Lite (opens iTunes). Yes, there’s a full version for $3. The aim of the game is to create supernovas. Although the official app description words it differently: Your job is to keep up harmony in an odd universe made of bendable planets.

However you choose to justify the gameplay of Eliss, I’m sure you’ll be addicted after the first sector.

Go forth and enjoy your universe.

I must say that Summer’s branded player also looks mighty awesome! The colors go very well together and her logo is just kick butt!

Don’t forget: You can suggest a video to be featured on the Viddler Blog and front page just by sending me a message or leaving a comment on this post.

“My Humps” by The Black Eyed Peas is a catchy song with some deep bass. It made it to #1 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. I certainly listened to it hundreds of times during 2006 and probably a fair amount in 2007 too! Cranking it in the car to 11 with friends; good times!

At the beginning of April, 2007, Alanis Morissette released a parody of “My Humps” in the style of a ballad and it became a viral hit online; getting millions of hits on her website.

Wikipedia cites that Fergie (the lead singer of “My Humps”) thought that Alanis’ parody was “hilarious” and “genius”. Fergie also said that she sent Alanis a cake in the shape of a “derrière”. Ha! I would have loved to see that! Anyone have photos/video?

Thanks to LoopyTube (subscribe), I can share this fantastic music video with you. Laugh. Enjoy. Share it with your mom!

LoopyTube is a video sharing website that contains funny, wacky, and viral videos. If it went viral, they have it.

Do you have a video you’d like featured on the Viddler Blog and front page? All you have to do is send me a message and tell me about it for me to consider it as a feature. Simple, hey!

There are endless possibilities in the way music can be created these days. Not only have computers allowed us to be able to create entire albums without even picking up a physical instrument, but the instruments we do pick up have evolved in to amazing musical devices.

Anything that makes a sound could be considered an instrument. Is a falling tree in an empty forest an instrument? That depends whether or not you think it’s a sound.

Blue Man Group is a great example of a successful band (they call themselves a creative organization) that has stepped outside the box when it comes to their chosen instruments — mostly comprised of PVC pipes.

Ellis Guitars (subscribe) is an Australian company — based in Perth — that makes acoustic guitars and acoustic stompboxes. If you’re a musical newbie like me, you may ask: What’s a stompbox? Well, it’s a small wooden box that you can stomp on to make music. Stompboxes create a subtle but unique sound that can fit well in all genres of music.

While watching this video I noticed that I tap my aluminum MacBook Pro in the same way that the guy in the video taps the stompbox. Surprisingly, my MBP makes a similar sound. Maybe I could make music with it… Maybe not.

Have you seen an awesome video on Viddler lately? Did you link up all your friends to it? Then, you should definitely link me too! The front page of Viddler gets seen by same amount of people that live in Perth. The majority of people have two eyeballs. So that’s A LOT of eyeballs! Millions and millions, yo!

It’s been less than 24 hours since Michael Jackson left Earth to be with the likes of Elvis Presley and Farrah Fawcett, but no doubt you’ve heard or seen all the juicy news about it. Even if you don’t have a television or the Internet (highly unlikely), you would have heard people talking about it in passing, at work, or even your friends calling you.

When my sister told me this morning, it felt exactly the same as when I heard about the Twin Towers collapsing; it took me a while to wrap my brain around it.

If you do happen to have a T.V. then you’ll have access to a plethora of programming featuring the life and times of Michael Jackson. I knew who Michael Jackson was when I was younger, but I didn’t grow up in his ‘era’. As much as I don’t like watching T.V., watching news programs about Michael’s life makes me connect better with him and his music.

For the next few days Viddler will be spotlighting videos related to and inspired by Michael Jackson. If you have any such videos you’d like to share, just send me a message.

Here’s a fantastic version of the Thriller zombie dance which occurred a couple of years ago in San Diego.

You rocked our world, Michael! <3 Everyone at Viddler.

Update:
Here’s a tribute from Bradley (friend him up, yo!). He talks about the awesome legacy that MJ left behind and what you’ll leave behind as your legacy.

Earlier in June the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) held a minitrade show — named CEA LineShows — in New York City. This event wasn’t as big as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is every year in January, but the CEA felt it was important to let the media and analysts know what technologies are on the horizon.

David Begun from HotHardware (subscribe) stopped by the event to take a look at what new technologies companies were showcasing.

Sandisk shows off their new slotRadio™ player which can hold 1,000 songs per microSD card — cards will only work in slotRadio-compatible devices. The player is a little larger than an iPod Shuffle, but have a screen where you can see the song data — which the iPod Shuffle lacks.

Bre Pettis (friend him up!) explains what a MakerBot is and how almost anyone could afford to begin making things with it! I really want to save up for one of these, but it’s still just a little too expensive. Especially, when I don’t quite know what I’d make with it. What would you make?

Smartfish Technologies has an ergonomic keyboard that moves depending how much your stressing yourself by typing. ST states that they have created an intelligent and healthy range of “injury avoidance” ergonomic devices. Those keyboards the separate the left and right side of the keyboard aren’t comfortable to me. I can’t imagine it would make typing easier. I wonder if it will actually make me look healthier though… If anyone tries out one of these keyboards, let me know what you think.

FLO TV is a service available for smart phones which allows you to watch live, time–shifted, and simulcast programming over the the air thanks to MediaFlo’s owned an operated television broadcast network. MediaFlo, which is owned by wireless chipmaker Qualcomm, has built a mobile TV broadcast network using wireless spectrum that was previously being used to broadcast analog TV signals in the United States.^[1] FLO TV is currently being resold through AT&T and Verizon in the United States. They expect to be in over 100 markets soon. The $15 dollar a month price tag is a little steep. Especially, when I highly doubt Australians will get to watch LIVE U.S. television broadcasts and vice versa.

The Lightglove is the an innovation phase of a Minority Report style of interaction with a screen. It’s cool, but looks a little cumbersome in its current iteration.

Contour Design make several ergonomic computer peripherals such as keyboard add-ons like the RollerMouse as well as right AND left-handed mice. I’m left-handed, but I can use a mouse with both hands. A well-sculpted ambidextrous is something I would like to see.

Storage Appliance Corporation has a really simple way to backup your data. Many companies are trying to make backup as simple as possible. I suggest trying as many as you can. Especially if they’re free! Storage Appliance Corp. offers a combined hardware and software solution in the form of Clickfree™. Check it out!

There’s some pretty neat stuff in there. Do you think you’ll want any of these for Christmas? I’d like MakerBot, please. Drop it off under the Viddler tree.

Footnote
[1] FLO TV gets high marks on Inauguration Day – CNET

As always, feel free to send me a message if you have a video you’d like featured on the Viddler Blog and front page.

Logos. Whenever anyone creates a company or identity there is often a logo that goes along with it. Sometimes the creation of a logo takes months of research, designing, and reviewing. Is the logo really that important though? Some companies have very basic logos, yet they are very successful.

Shawn Hickman (he’s the guy wearing the awesome monkey outfit) created a website to learn and discuss such things. It’s named Yagglo (subscribe). (Now there’s a name that stands out! Although, I keep thinking of Yahoo!.) Yagglo is videos aimed at simplifying the web for anyone that’s new to it. Mostly comprised of tutorial screencasts, the videos are only a few minutes long an teach one step at a time.

For most people that already use the web on a daily basis Yagglo’s video tutorials will detail things that are second nature to you. That said, there are some hidden gems like the following rant that might teach even the experienced web user a thing or three.

I’m sharing this rant/discussion about the importance of a good company logo because it’s relevant to just about anyone. If you’d like to check out Yagglo’s Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, and other tutorials, I’ll have links below the video.

Being unique these days is difficult, but very possible! Think different. Think big. Rock it!

Yagglo has tons of videos teaching simple things like learning how to send an e-mail in Gmail to an explanation of @replies, ReTweets, and DMs are on Twitter. The videos are all neatly categorized on the Yagglo website, but you can also view them all on Viddler.
These videos are great for first-time web users like elderly people, young adults that only check Facebook, young kids, cave people, and extraterrestrial aliens.

Of course, you can follow @Yagglo on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and see more methods of contact on Yagglo’s contact page.

The Viddler Community Spotlight shines on members of the community that are doing an exceptional job at embracing interaction with people through their videos. If you feel someone is doing a tops job at this, feel free to send me a message and tell me all about it.

Ever since my second hard drive failure I’ve been telling everyone and their pets about the constant need to backup all the important data on your computer. I probably go a little overboard, but that’s because I know what it’s like to lose data (and have to hundreds of dollars to recover it). Most people don’t realize the importance of backups until they find themselves in such  situation.

Luckily our avid video creator and friend, Clintus (friend him up, yo!), has the right idea about backing up his entire hard drive. First of all, it frees up space on one’s computer, and secondly it’s safe from a hard drive crash because it’s not plugged in to anything.

I believe Me Right Now began on photo sites such as Flickr and Dailybooth, but quickly became popular in video too. In photo form it’s how you look right now. No changing clothes, adding makeup/lighting/props, or uploading it at a later time. It’s real, and it’s right now. The same goes for videos. It’s just like a MeToday, but it is about what’s happening right now rather than your entire day.

In this video Clintus shares what he’s doing right now with his new hard drive. It’s green!

What are you doing right now? Share it with us!

It’s Friday. The weekend is almost here. Let’s clear off any bad energy from the work week so that we can stroll on in to the weekend sometime around lunch today and be all mellow for the says that start with “S”.

Karin Rozell (subscribe) is a wellness coach and marketing maven. Two quite different skills, but she does them both well.

If all the stresses that life is throwing at you is getting to much, then Karin has a simple way to get rid of it all; shake it out. Seriously, it’s that easy. Whether you choose to dance or just shake your body all over there’s no better way to relieve your built-up tension. Karin chooses to rock out to some M.I.A. after a bit of yoga. Now, that is chillin’!

Go on. Dance. Frolic. Do whatever kind of jig you need to in order to get all loosened up.

If you have some Friday Fun you’d like to share with the Viddler community, then feel free to send me a message and tell me of your glorious idea!

2009 is a transition year in technology. Australia will soon upgrade its Internet (one can only hope), the iPhone 3GS finally has everything it should have had in the first generation model (now there’s a list of wants), and Guitar Hero can be played with a close-to-real guitar. Today, we’re talkin’ about Logitech’s Wireless Guitar Controller for Xbox 360.

Logitech (subscribe) are known for great wireless computing and gaming peripherals, but also make some smashing audio devices (more about those below the first video) to make your experience in the digital world a little easier. I’m actually using a wireless Logitech mouse with my iMac right now. Apple’s “Mighty” Mouse is horrible to operate.

Guitar Hero (released in 2005) and its rival Rock Band (released in 2007) have gained a cult following since their consecutive debuts, and now most owners of gaming consoles own either of the games (if not both). The fact that gaming controllers are no longer limited to hand-sized devices with a joystick, a few buttons, and connected via a cord means almost anything can be a controller. One of the best advancements is that all consoles now have the ability to connect many wireless controllers for gameplay.

Logitech just announced their new Wireless Guitar Controller for Xbox 360 on their blog named BLogitech. As Ruben describes in the video, this new controller for Guitar Hero is close to a real guitar. There’s real wood and metal which gives it more weight, and all the buttons are much quieter so you hear more of the music rather than the clackity-clack of the controller.

You know, I quite enjoy the clacks of the original controllers, so I’m very interested in hearing how much quieter Logitech’s controller is. If you have Logitech’s Guitar controller, don’t hesitate to make a video of you rocking out on it, and send me a link to the video once you’ve uploaded it to Viddler.

Here’s another video from Logitech featuring their Ultimate Ears Studio and Sugar Ray loving their UEs!

Dude. Ear moulds. That’s getting pretty technical. But you don’t need to be in a band, have a lot of money, and get ear moulds to enjoy Ultimate Ears. You can get universal fit UEs with different functions and features from their online store. Rad!

Also check out Ultimate Ears’ Ear Art Gallery. There’s some wicked designs in there!

If you’d ever like your video featured on The Viddler Blog and front page, then don’t hesitate to send me a message (and some cupcakes too ).

Hasn’t coffee always been portable? Not according to Starbucks. Thus, they have created it.

In this episode of Bottles, Blends, and Brews (subscribe) Zack Luye grabbed a couple of BBB crew members (Chip Stone and Dave Livingston) to try out Starbucks’ VIA™ Ready Brew coffee. It’s their new instant coffee that’s more instant that any other instant coffee ever created. The coffee beans go through a magical secret process that turns them in to micro coffee grounds that dissolve in water. Thus, all you need is water and a tiny packet of VIA™. And milk, sugar, if you require that.

That’s some pretty instant coffee. I was a little freaked out when they just poured it in to their cold water though. Then I remembered that the only coffee I like is when there’s a hint of it in a frozen frappuccino. I guess most people just like their coffee hot. As the guys mentioned in the show; you can just stick your water bottle (it would probably be a good idea to remove the lid) or cup in the microwave for a few seconds and it would be hot.

After further research on Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew, I discovered that it has been twenty years in the making. According to the videos at StarbucksVIA.com people can’t even tell the difference between fresh brewed and VIA™. The handy thing is that they come in small elongated sachet packets about the size of those sugar packets you have at the table in most cafes or restaurants. The sachets come in 3 or 12 ($10) packs, and there’s even a that new tumbler ($23) that Zack mentioned which includes six sachets.

VIA™ currently only comes in two flavors: Columbia and Italian Roast. I’m sure they’ll expand to other flavors soon though!

What’s next? Portable tea? Perhaps a portable cocktail? We’ll wait and see.

If you want to keep up-to-date on Bottles, Blends, and Brews you should probably just subscribe to the show, follow Zack (@radzack) and Dana (@dananana) on Twitter, and you’ll be set!

Heck, you can even follow @Starbucks on Twitter if you’re a coffee addict. Like @ijustine.