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Classic Apple iPhone 4 Case
I pray to sweet baby Jesus by way of Saint Steve Jobs that this concept for an iPhone 4 case gets made! I’ve never wanted a case for iPhone 4 because I regard the 4 and the 4S as the most prefect piece of industrial design humanity has enjoyed so far.
But THIS! This idea from a design firm called Les Forges MDK is the only external case for the iPhone 4 or 4S that can be justified.
The Tweet Choir @ Microsoft’s 2012 Press Conference
Tonight I was listening to MacBreak Weekly and they were talking about Microsoft’s use of a gospel choir to sing tweets during the Microsoft keynote. I love me some gospel music and the idea of words about tech set to the sound that floats my boat got me googling.
Here it is …
Read MoreThe Gadget Report
Just in time for CES, I’ve launched a new Gadget News show called The Gadget Report at GadgetReport.TV. I’m using the first couple episodes to work out my workflow and attempt to get it up to speed by Monday.
There are a couple major challenges I have being on camera. So far, my biggest problem is bringing enough energy to my presentation. My natural speaking voice is very soft. I kick it up when I talk to strangers. I have to kick it up even more when I talk through a camera. It’s a matter of practice. I’ll get there quick enough. The other challenge for me is a tendency to talk with my hands. People found it distracting on episode 1, especially since my hands don’t necessarily relate to what I’m saying. 
In episode 2, which I’m editing now, I calm my hands. It turns out, though, there is some degree of correlation between how much my hands move and the amount of energy I put in my voice. It will be interesting to see if anyone notices that.
When you watch the first episode, I hope you’ll be reminded of the spirit and humor of GeekBrief.TV, and I hope you’ll get a sense of where I’m going with the show. I’m starting with a look back at some of my favorite gadgets, in different categories, from the last year. Tomorrow, I’ll start covering CES remotely the way we did with GeekBrief.TV.
I’m a pretty harsh self-critic, and I have to read the advice Ira Glass from This American Life gives to creatives from time to time …
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” -Ira Glass
Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.
The first few episodes of The Gadget Report will have flaws, but they’ll give you a taste of what I’ve imagined. It will take a bit of time to work out a workflow that isn’t interminable. I like making extremely produced shows. That takes a lot of time. Episode 1 took at least 20 hours to post-produce. I’m building template elements that are already helping me speed things up. My goal is for it to take six hours from writing to upload. It may take months to get to that point. I expect to release an episode approximately every other day.
If you haven’t seen the first episode of GadgetReport.TV, please watch it now and help me spread the word. Subscribe and give thumbs up at Youtube, and then subscribe in iTunes once it’s available there as a podcast later this week! I appreciate you giving it a shot and need your help in matchmaking the show with the audience that will enjoy it!
The script and transparent .png files of gadgets I cover will be available at GadgetReport.TV / episode number, so for example the script and images for episode 1 of The Gadget Report is at GadgetReport.TV/1.
Read MoreA Lullaby for Bedtime
Listening to Jake Shimabukuro play Bohemian Rhapsody on ukelele is the closest thing I can offer if you’d like to drift off the sweet dreams induced by a lovely lullaby … but then … just as you’re ready to close your eyes with a smile on your lips, the TED audio logo will blast you back to being awake!
Read MoreWhat is the Difference Between a Geek and an Nerd?
I agree with some of this. The part I disagree with most is the movie differences. I’d put smarter movies on the Geek list … I think. Maybe not since I didn’t exactly put smart movies on this list. What do you think? Are you a nerd or a geek or a normal?
From: MastersInIt.org
Bring the Energy to Web Video
When someone asks for tips about hosting a good Web show, I tell them to bring more vocal energy than feels natural. Aim for Disney Channel energy and you might get close to the level of energy that works.
The old idea that the camera adds 10 pounds doesn’t apply to HD, but the camera sure seems to subtract energy. Of course it depends on the type of show you’re trying to do. One of my favorite Web TV shows is Kevin Rose’s Foundation. It’s very laid back and it works extremely well. It isn’t created to appeal to a Youtube audience, although that’s a great place to watch it.
If you’re just getting started, Youtubers are an important target market and people who do well bring a nuclear level of energy to their work. I’m just getting started in front of the camera and I don’t want to induce coma.
Yesterday, I shot a show and then promptly deleted it. Even though I thought I was bringing the energy. I wasn’t. Karina Stenquist is one of my favorite presenters (and one of my favorite sources for information about the Occupy movement). She told me to, “Drink 8 cups of coffee and pretend that everyone who will watch you is slightly deaf and will have to rely on your intonation to figure out what you’re saying.”
A great example of someone bringing the energy and doing well on YouTube right now is meekakitty. I’m not going to bring THIS much energy, but I’m shooting again to land somewhere between meekakitty energy and a tranquilizer.
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OMGfun!
- Happy Dog … As Long as the Music PlaysThis video is super cute. It features a golden retriever watching someone play a guitar. Guitar playing … dog has a happy face. Guitar stops … dog has a sad face. […]
- Puppies and Christmas Wrapping Paper!Delightful video with puppies, enchanting Christmas music, and wrapping paper. […]
- Rozzi Crane Skips American Idol and Shows Awesome on YouTube!The best thing about new media is that it gives any talented person access to the world with nothing separating their talent from the audience. Rozzi Crane shows the world she matters in this video. No great lighting. No audio magic. Just real talent. […]