Home RFID reader and creator

Violet (the company that makes them) says the Mir:ror is the first consummer home RFID-reader. It seems the uses for it are only limited by your imagination.

Most confusing emergency exit sign ever?

Best explanation of this sign so far…
1. Find the nearest three headed monster
2. Jump inside it with your children
3. Run to the right?

 

Of course the irony is that we saw this sign whilst taking a tour of the Queen Mary 2. Happy to say that there was a pretty amazing lifeboat only 10 ft away from where we took this shot.

AdNews Agency of the Year 2009 Results

Another big night of awards and hundreds of lively Australian advertising people, agencies and clients. Hosted by Peter Overton surrounded by high school cheerleaders it was a fun night by all counts.

The good news for us; Amnesia Razorfish somehow scooped the Interactive Agency of the Year for the 3rd running. Admittedly a huge surprise for us as we felt all the other agencies in the digital category (Deepend, Soap, Host, and Tribal DDB) were all deserving given the great digital work they had all done in the industry in the last 12 months.

In addition Amnesia Razorfish also received a “Highly Commended” award in the Media Agency of the Year category – something we’ve been working hard on for a couple of years now  so great to get some recognition in this space.

The big award of the night, (the overall Agency of the Year) went to winner of NSW Agency of the Year, Host – a popular choice by all counts.

Thanks to AdNews for putting on another great night

Adnews Agency of Year Winners list 2009:

Interactive Agency of the Year- Amnesia Razorfish -
Media Agency of the Year - Ikon Communications
Media Agency of the Year-  (Highly Commended) - Amnesia Razorfish
Vic Agency – Clemenger BBDO Melb
Creative Network - DDB Australia
Promotion Agency – Momentum Worldwide
Experiential Agency – Play Communication
Media Network – OMD
Specialist Agency – Downstream Marketing
Emerging Agency- Colman Rasic Carrasco
Media Campaign – Naked “Sprite – Thirst for Truth”
NSW Agency  - Host
Ad Campaign- BMF TED 696 Project fro Lion Nathan
Overall Agency of the Year – Host

Congrats to all winners and finalists

The worst thing about working in Australia?

Buggers like this creep up on you whilst you are working at home!

Anyone know what variety this is?

A Totally New Way To Generate Renewable Electricity

Renewable energy company,SolarBotanic, unveils a revolutionary solution — Energy Harvesting Trees.

They will introduce artificial trees that make use of renewable energy from the sun and wind, they are an efficient clean and environmentally sound means of collecting solar radiation and wind energy.

how?

They are composed of Nanoleafs, which use nanotechnology designed to capture the "sun’s energy in photovoltaic and thermovoltaic cells, then convert the radiation into electricity and they also have stems and twigs which house nano-piezovoltaic material which act as generators producing electricity from movement or kinetic energy caused by wind or rain.

if you want more info read here

found on engadget

The answer to Microsofts surface table?

I am pretty sure MS is not faced with this new invention, but I think it is an interesting idea and I am sure people will come up with loads of things to do with it.

It is a flexible display consisting of foam and force sensors which is deformable. It’s called Impress and works with the parameters position and time like other touch screens as well, but in addition to that, it reacts, above all, on the intensity of pressure.

check out the video below:

impress – flexible display from Sillenet on Vimeo.

and more info here

11 plug-ins and scripts that will change the way you use Twitter. No technical ability required.

I wrote a few weeks ago about how anyone can easily change the Twitter web interface with Firefox and the GreaseMonkey plug-in (here). The great news is that this process is so easy that there’s little reason not to give this a go – you really are only a few clicks away from what’s shown below. Here’s some power UI enhancements I have chosen – and yes, this list goes to eleven.

Have fun, @Eunmac

Setup:

1. You’ll need Firefox. (here)
2. You’ll need to install the GreaseMonkey Addon (here)
3. Now click the links below to add new features to change your Twitter interface.

1. Nested Replies in Twitter: (install here)
This is by far the most useful script for me. It collates a threaded conversation of replies inside the twitter page. Without this it is very hard to see what conversation took place.

2. Add Bio’s to Friend Following/Followers page (install here)

When you’re checking out someone’s ‘following’ page you get no information other than a picture and a name. Useless! Anyway, if you add this script and you’ll see all their details including a bio, follower info and even last tweet. Here’s me checking out who Guy Kawasaki is following:

3. Sidebar Replies Panel (install here)
See all other replies sent to another Twitter user.

4. Auto shortening of URL (install here)

5. Mentions and unread replies: (install here)

6. Add Friend Name Helper (install here)
Auto suggests names from your following list.

7. Add Retweet Button (install here)

 

8. Power Twitter. (install here)
This is plug-in for Firefox. It displays videos and images nested inside conversations.

9. Expand Short URLs (install here)
Don’t get fooled by those short bit.ly urls anymore, this plugin will reveal the full url inside the web interface.

10. Endless Tweets (install here)
This is pretty cool, as you get to the bottom of the page, the page simply gets longer so you never have to move back and forth between pages.

11. Add search and Tools to sidebar (install here)
 

Other useful scripts:
Hide All re-tweets. (install here)
Block tweets with specific words (install here)
Reveal followers. Places icon over those following you (install here)
Shrink tweets with Tweetshrink (install here)

Want to see all the twitter scripts? There are over 300 on userscripts.org (here)

Found any more great tools? Add them to the comments please

US Online Video Viewing grows 13% in December

comScore have just released December’s numbers for Video viewing in US, showing growth continuing, with YouTube increasing their share of the market.

This growth can be attributed to a number of new sites appearing such as the High-Quality video site, Hulu, which streams some of the most popular shows in high-quality. All of these new sites, combined with a much larger broadband penetration and higher speed connections, has led to the growth.

One thing the report doesn’t include — and something that the companies keep close to their chest — is the quality that users are selecting, and the amount of bandwidth used. Hi-def videos are becoming more and more the norm, but how many people actually have the ability to watch at that quality?

Closer to home (well, Australia where I live, but home is England), the market has seen a large growth in Broadband penetration and an increase in overall speed making video delivery viable. Add to this the investment of CDN companies like Akamai, and the recent introduction and growth of competitors like Limelight, and suddenly video is more affordable and accessible to companies than they realise.

The biggest challenge for this market is the sheer size and spread of the population. The government is working to deliver broadband to the more remote areas, but the actual speed won’t be fast due to the distances covered. Add to this that the CDN’s are concentrated in the cities — the best place for them -– and the gap between cities, and you start to see the potential latency issues that affect delivery.

Overall though, the quality of video in Australia has grown a lot in the last few years, and I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in some of the fantastic work going on this space over here. It’s exciting times, and I think customers are only now starting to realise the full potential that this once cost prohibitive media now has for their brands online.

Technorati Tags: video,CDN,Content Delivery,Video Delivery,Online Video,akamai,australia,broadband

Art of the GoogleBot

Antonio Lizarazu Balué has visualized the GoogleBot.

Looking at his other work with Fractals, you have to wonder if this is actually based on some behaviours of the GoogleBot such as the numbers of pages crawled, frequency and time spent crawling the site.

Introducing Ubiquity

A new prototype browser plug in from the Mozilla Labs is promising to help connect different web services using natural language. They state the goals as:

Empower users to control the web browser with language-based instructions. (With search, users type what they want to find. With Ubiquity, they type what they want to do.)

Enable on-demand, user-generated mashups with existing open Web APIs. (In other words, allowing everyone–not just Web developers–to remix the Web so it fits their needs, no matter what page they are on, or what they are doing.)

Use Trust networks and social constructs to balance security with ease of extensibility.

Extend the browser functionality easily.

Check the video out.

Human weights

Sorry, this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in a while. Who would want to bench press a human? It’s not like you can just drop them after a really intense set. Imagine being laughed at by a midget for not being able to lift him for one more set…

Other brilliant ideas from this gym..

"chav fighting" a course on beating down chav’s? And "WAG workouts" designed to make women more attractive to footballers.”

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24946500-38200,00.html

Why TweeterGetter will not and does not work.

The site Tweetergetter.com offers a ‘pyramid-like’ system suggesting that from a single tweet you could net 19,530 followers within 5 degrees of retweet from a single tweet.

In the last 7 days GaryMcCaffreys message has been retweeted over 11,000 times. This Retweet is a “forced” tweet that occurs when a user enter their twitter name and password. The verbatim message below is delivered to your followers with your name inserted at the end of the tweet.

“RT @garymccaffrey has a crazy idea. 19,530 new twitter followers in 30 days? Check it out http://tweetergetter.com/username“

Shown above: RT Data from Retweetist.com on the above retweet: (http://www.retweetist.com/users/garymccaffrey)
Note that the decay has already started in terms of the viral effect with the retweets peaking on Feb 12.

The logic as shown at retweetist.com.

Of course like most pyramid schemes the offer seems logical, but it of course is flawed – the maths require perfect conversion with no dropoff at any stage in order to get close to the numbers shown. No matter how early you jumped in on the chain, the slightest splintering drops users out of the pyramid as quickly as they came in.

The Evidence:
We took a broad sampling of around 30 users who signed up to the scheme early on and tracked their results through http://www.twittercounter.com. Results showed that in most cases the growth was limited to a handful of followers usually around 15-20, nothing like the dozens, hundreds or thousands of followers that tweetergetter suggested was possible. The fact that the curves we see level off very quickly in each case is evidence that the model is not sustainable. If tweetergetter was working, the curve should actually be accelerating upwards fairly quickly, especially with the nature of fast burnout that naturally occurs with tweets which have a very short shelf life. Viral behaviour is normally recognisable as a distinguished ‘J’ curve and indeed the tweetergetter chart above suggests that is what ‘should occur’ “even with conservative estimates”.

Illustrated Samples:
The examples below are a random sample base from some of the 30 that we checked from Feb 11 to today:

Growth of these accounts are provided by TwitterCounter which monitors twitter account growth on a daily basis.

 

 

 

To sample these results for yourself follow the twitter search here then take the user name and append it to the end of the twittercounter url  http://twittercounter.com/ insert_twitter_name

Conclusion:
In a nutshell, the only likely recipient of any mass following is Gary McCaffrey himself (who by default gains a new follower from every transaction). Of course TweeterGetter is essentially an opt-in campaign – so it is simply a case of ‘buyer beware’. It’s up to you if you decide to use the site.

Of course it is also up to you who you might “unfollow” at the end of it all

I’m sure each and every one of you reading this will find many great follows with or without TweeterGetter.
Regards,
@eunmac

Test Yourself: Can you tell which is a 3D image and which is Real?

The real world and virtual world are gradually blurring together. Fooling the human mind into not being able to separate these two worlds is still a challenge because our brains are pretty hard wired to spot incredibly subtle details that allow us to identify the fakes from reality, especially when computer graphics are in motion. At some point in the not too distant future it is likely that we will not be able to tell. Can we really trust what our eyes are telling us?

Spotting the difference is harder with still images. Can you tell which ones of these are real and which are fake*? Answers at the bottom or on rollover.

Take the test: Real or FAKE:
(Answers shown as you rollover image)
*Please click on the image for the original references and sources.

(1)

(2)
(3)

(4)

(5)

(6) 

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)
 

Want to share how well you did? – Tell us how many you got right in the comments

Select/ highlight the text between the brackets below for a summary of the answers.
[ 1,2,5,7,8 - REAL
3,4,6,9,10 - FAKE / 3D]

Siftables

TED has just published David Merrill’s demonstration of Siftables.

So what is it?

Siftables aims to enable people to interact with information and media in physical, natural ways that approach interactions with physical objects in our everyday lives.

Wait for the math and music demo’s. Made of awesome.

Google mapping Victorian Bushfires

Official emergency service sites in Victoria were suffering under huge amounts of traffic over the weekend due to the horrific bushfires. If you need information on the fires or want to check on locations you should use the site that Google have set up to track the fires.

Keep traffic clear of the sites that are urgently needed by people in the area affected.

DONATE TO THE RED CROSS BUSHFIRE APPEAL

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected. Stay safe.

Customising the Twitter Web Interface

I don’t use the Twitter web interface too much. Tweetdeck is so far ahead in terms of usability and functionality. However… This weekend I was pretty surprised when I saw a tweet from @MichDdot (here) who had a totally different web interface to mine. I was thinking he must have some inside beta version, but it turned out that what he had was available to all of us…

Anyway, he was kind enough to let me know what he’d done, so I thought I’d share with you how I have managed to make my Twitter web interface much more usable (screenshots below):

Above: Notice changes in interface screenshot (from top to bottom)
- Grader information
- Twitter Search and People Search
- Retweet
- Nested conversations
- Embedded replies
- (I’ve done a heap more on the homepage too)

Above: On the homepage (twiiter/hone) I’ve added:
- Ability to autotype follower names when typing @ or D
- Search
- Following names
- Nested conversations

How is this done?

1. Install GreaseMonkey plugin for FireFox (here)
2. Add custom GreaseMonkey scripts (here) from USerscripts.org

There are dozens of scripts available for customising Twitter, the above are just the ones I chose but there are many more.

Simple! Thanks again to MichDdot for the headsup – a recommended follow!

Any Q’s – ping me on Twitter -  Regards, @eunmac

Why Australia could fail in the event of a large Tsunami and how social media could prevent disaster.

We’re over 2 years since the terrible Tsunami of Dec 26 2006. At the time, most countries around the world had failed to put adequate measures in place capable of warning citizens in low lying areas. Since then a lot of work has been done. Australia has a monitoring system (of sorts), however it is seriously flawed in my opinion.

Why? Quite simply, by not embracing existing technology and modern consumer behaviour, tens of thousands of lives (maybe more) are at risk if a large scale tsunami or mega-tsunami were to hit our shores – especially at night. Historical events indicate Australia has experienced them in the past and experts don’t doubt there will be more (here).

Australia is surrounded by plate tectonics that are capable of generating a large tsunami.

The biggest threat is that there is only a 2-4 hour window from first warning until a tsunami hits Australian shores. A night-time tsunami could be devastating.

Australia has 1000′s of beachfront dwellings, metres from the ocean.

Here’s the problem with the AU system: The method of warning people of an approaching tsunami is outlined on the Bureau of Metorology website (here) – in fact it states:

Need Emergency Advice? Please listen to your local radio and TV announcements or call 1300 TSUNAMI (1300 878 6264) for latest warning information. For emergency assistance, call your local emergency authority on 132 500

Which raises a vital question: Exactly how is this system supposed to work if a tsunami hits Aussie shores at 4am when we’re all sleeping? Are we supposed to be tuned into our TV’s or listening to the radio at 4am? Is the siren going to sound and wake us? Nope. In fact there is a process shown on the BOM site, but it doesn’t explain how anyone will actually be alerted if we are all sleeping.

The diagram below shows the official process that will be initiated in the event of a Tsunami, but I would argue that with such short warning times (2-4 hours) any such system should be connected direct to publicly accessible data feeds.

The solution:
Our world has changed. We no longer rely on traditional media channels to broadcast information on a one to many ratio. The reality is that we are hyperconnected through the Internet, social media networks, broadband mobile networks. We are almost permanently wired. Twitter has shown to be a proven method of breaking news faster than anything else we have ever experienced allowing ‘people’ to be the carrier of a message, rather than a media channel like TV or Radio. In essence we have a global system made of networked people that could be alerted at high speed in the next emergency. A basic RSS feed direct from the tsunami system would allow applications to be built and installed on Phones, iPhones, computers, custom wifi or internet based products all of which are capable of alerting citizens quickly. Individuals receiving such an alert would be more likely by virtue of the technology, more highly connected than average and potentially capable of  transmitting the message far and wide through new digital channels, and in numbers this would likely be quicker then any government body or emergency at alerting mass numbers.

The Result:
Devices most consumers already own (phones, ipods, Laptops) will be capable of generating warnings with the right software installed, (even at 4am via alarm based apps), providing high risk-low lying coastal areas more warning time than they have currently.

What needs to be done immediately:
1. BOM site to install an RSS feed direct from the tsunami warning system. (Public could develop its own apps using this feed).*
2. Official warning apps made available across all digital devices capable of receiving the feed, made accessible from BOM site.

* I estimate that in terms of cost to produce (1) this would be little more than a couple of days work in development time for an experienced team.

I’ll be sending this blog post to Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull – via Twitter of course. Note: I’d send it to Senator Conroy (Minister for broadband / Internet), but he’s unfortunately still MIA when it comes to social media technology.

Update: 14/3/2011
Following the devastating Japan Tsunami on 11/3/11 I have reviewed this article. Most of what I have said still stands and the threat of a nighttime Tsunami is very real to Australian shores. There has been a little progress, but not enough:

The AU govt has introduced a new system http://www.emergencyalert.gov.au/ but unfortunately there are a many issues in relation to a major tsunami threat. As it says on the site “It was not technically possible to incorporate a location based capability”. Bottom line it is still a push alert system and will leave many at risk until users are able to ‘opt in’ to alerts.

However there is a private company that offers free AU Tsunami warnings via SMS etc here: http://www1.ewn.com.au/ – until the government gets its act together it’s probably the best option to get an alert to your phone in the middle of the night.

Regards – @eunmac

The spread of the Japan Tsunami 11/3/11

 

Nacho Pop Stars in It Started with a Mule

 

Nacho Pop as Jackie T

Nacho Pop, hip hop choreographer on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AUSTRALIA and the self proclaimed ‘King of Poppin’ in Australia, is starring in Amnesia Films new project itstartedwithamule.com.

Set in L.A. in the 1940s, It Started With A Mule is a classic Hollywood detective story. Nacho Pop plays Jackie T, a southern gentleman and owner of the swanky Savannah Lounge.

Nacho Pop, originally from New York, has performed with groups like N.E.R.D. and is one of the most respected voices in HIP HOP dance in Australia.

Source Binder

Following on from Stephan’s post i’d like to share something that I found quite a while ago. This is from the website…

“SourceBinder is a node based visual developing environment for Flash.

The main idea behind SourceBinder is to give a lightweight framework where open source ActionScript classes and code snippets can be inserted and visually connected together to build custom Flash applications.

Inserted to the framework, the ActionScript classes become instant “nodes” of the visual environment which can be connected together via input and output connectors representing public attributes and functions. Introducing new nodes to the system can be done by anyone, which results a rapidly expanding, community-based development environment.”

If all this seems a bit Greek you seriously need to watch this video to see what it can do.

SourceBinder sample video: creating a globe with atmosphere from Balazs Serenyi on Vimeo.

They were the winners of a Flash Forward Rubber Arrow Award for this piece of coolness. It seriously kicks some major rear. Check out the demo’s as currently it is in closed alpha.

It Started With A Mule

Checkout the latest instalment for Smirnoff. It is a daring mystery game where you have to save Ginger. There is a fair bit to do here but it is worth the play. Also try making a Mule. http://www.itstartedwithamule.com.au