These days we’re all pretty aware of how to get news online. There are so many information streams and so much content being created that you literally can’t even avoid it. It’s a huge mess really. Media mogul, Rupert Murdoch wants to tame this current media blizzard with a simple, elegant iPad app called The Daily. The title says it all. It’s a self-updating, fully interactive, daily publication complete with articles, videos and images that aims to set a new standard for media consumption. Here’s what Mr. Murdoch had to say:

“New times demand new journalism. (It is the) Best of traditional journalism combined with the best of contemporary technology. 360-degree photographs. Images that respond to the touch. The iPad demands that we completely re-imagine our craft.”

I’m sure this is the direction we’re headed in, but I don’t see this app becoming widespread just yet. Why? Most people don’t have iPads. The risk here is that sometimes you release a great product with the best of intentions, just that it’s too soon for the rest of the world. We’ve been rocking newspapers for millennia now. They had them in ancient Rome and China. So yeah, it’s going to take a while to evolve. Still, it takes bold moves to make changes and The Daily could be a powerful spark for this transition in news delivery. We must give it some time.

via PSFK

Posting about the Black Eyed Peas makes me feel kinda gross (sorry if you’re a fan), but their new 3D 360 interactive video experience for the iPhone shows off some pretty crazy technology. Yes, 3D 360, as in you can turn around in the video and see objects in 3D (the experience is limited to an iPhone screen of course). Reviews already tell me the production of the video feels rushed, since I guess you can see the cameraman’s hands at times, but still it’s kind of a game changer technology-wise. If you can tolerate this group enough I suggest watching the video about it below.

This idea certainly adds another layer to virtual experiences, allowing the user to feel more immersed in an environment. What can we do with this technology beyond the Black Eyed Peas? How can advertisers and marketers take advantage of 3D 360? Perhaps we’ll see commercials for iPhone/iPad that put you in a firsthand perspective of a branded environment. Maybe it can track what your eyes fixate on in the video and study you somehow or turn objects into actual links to purchase. Just some harmless brainstorming. Fun to imagine the possibilities though, right?

The video below explains how it all works and why they created this concept, but in short, locations partnering with WeSC will have a mat that will sense the RFID tags when they are stepped on and relay it to a server. The server not only checks you in on Twitter/Facebook, it could greatly change your social media engagement and opens a big door for retail marketers and ticketing as well. I also think the Flickr idea they propose is pretty neat too. We could see shoe companies earn some serious profits making promotional deals with stores, theaters, restaurants, etc. Watch the video below and see if it gets you thinking about crazy ideas…

Whether you like him or not, Daniel Tosh is turning into a face for the YouTube generation. It’s all thanks to his show Tosh.0, which riffs on the dumbest viral and buzzworthy web videos out there. It’s the stuff we all watch because we don’t want to fall behind on our quick-changing pop culture references. Daniel Tosh knows we all watch this stuff and that’s why his show now has it’s own blog too, featuring funny content relevant to his show.

As the audience grows for the Tosh.0 blog, it allows the show and blog to feed off each other – which should unearth some opportunities for clever interplay between the two entities. Imagine blog updates to check out during Tosh.0 commercial breaks for instance. Who doesn’t have their laptop or iPad out while they watch TV these days? I imagine Tosh will comment on blog happenings each week. If so, it could make people want to drop more post comments at the chance of getting mentioned on the show. What if the show rolls over onto the blog after it ends on TV? Whatever happens, this move should help reveal new ways to tighten the web connecting television and relevant areas of new media – especially the YouTube community.

A man named Francois Vogel demonstrates his discovery of a way to watch video in 3D without the annoying plastic or cardboard glasses. Instead he attaches these small devices to each side of his forehead (near the temple) and they cause his eyes to blink rapidly back and forth – which creates the same 3D effect (similar to the effect of the internet’s treasured “shakeygram”).

You won’t believe how fast this guy’s eyes blink in the video. It honestly doesn’t even look real. I mean, wouldn’t your eyes hurt after a while? Whatever. It’s not a real product yet. But it is something we might see come into play in the near future. And, it’s a step closer to exterminating super lame 2D stuff from the world. Something we all want right?

IDEO has always been great at thinking out loud. Since they have such a large collection of great minds at their disposal, it’s only fair that they let us know what’s in their heads. Over a year ago a team of designers from IDEO put out a book called I Miss My Pencil, that explores tactile experience in the increasingly digital world. Here’s a great quote from their website that explains the reason behind this project:

The shift between analog and digital is not permanent, people will want to ebb and flow between these two technologies. We see this idea represented in the market today in many ways. It is what sits between analog and digital that is unique, it is the combination that will create something new.

Recently, the same team of designers brought an idea from the book to life; a device called “C60.”  They created a basic console loaded with sensors and connected to a computer – with a top surface reminiscent of a vinyl record. The console reads RFID tags embedded in small cards that, when placed on the device’s surface, begin to play a song. You can then arrange the cards in clockwise order on the device to create a playlist or mixtape. While this idea alone is pretty awesome, it opens up a vast amount of possibilites for entertainment, marketing, and advertising. I know your brain is already pumping out ideas. Watch the video below to learn more about the device and click here to check out the project’s website.

via PSFK

The other week Toyota UK posted this video of a 3D projection that creative agency Glue Isobar created for their new hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Auris. It’s pretty unbelievable to see this work on video, but I can only imagine the people who saw this in really life were completely blown away. Imagine if urban artists start messing with this technology. Shit could get really crazy on the streets. Watch the video below and also check out the “making of” too!

I didn’t predict a rant today, but here it goes. I’ve had a lot of thinking time this week.

Today I read an interesting piece of writing today from Russell Davies about today’s “lack of futureness” and while it’s just a collection of thoughts raising the issue, it had me thinking how this applies to new media and to people working in creative fields. Here are a few disjoined quotes to lure you into reading the whole disjoined article:

“Cafes used to be models of the future. Shiny and modern and pushy. Fashion used to be the same – space age fabrics, bizarre concoctions.”

“It seems that, in the evolutionary sorting of youth culture, goth is now an eternal fixture. Every pie has a slice of goth.”

“Clothes just haven’t evolved fast enough to cope with the stuff we have to carry these days. Those large, technologically oriented gentlemen you sometimes see in fishing vests are trying to solve that problem. But they don’t look cool. There must be a stylish way to have many pockets – tactical practicality – without looking like you’re pretending to be an assassin.”

Read the whole article here.

Without getting too philosophical I think Davies, through his own examples, brings up a great point. As part of the first generation that actually enjoys music and movies from our parents’ youth, I’d say I’ve lived this cultural shift – and helped move it too. We aren’t dreaming as much anymore because we have so many things to keep us busy and entertained. Let’s compare it to that feeling you get when constant emails are stifling your daily productivity.

It seems to me that creatives are recycling or reacting more then looking forward. Our biggest form of entertainment today revolves around “reality” (the now), not the imaginable. Let’s cloudy the water again. People in new media are, every day, experimenting and breaking existing molds. But there is also a lot of crap out there too. Many people getting thousands of other people to waste their lives watching them waste their own slightly more interesting life for the camera. I have nothing against entertainment, but all YouTube stars do is respond to current events. Maybe we’ll just find a way to the future through some worm hole created by people watching reality TV about people watching reality TV about people watching reality TV, etc… At least Twitter has attracted some sage figures like @johnmaeda and @fredwilson to produce teaspoons of wisdom.

I’m not going to sum this rant up in a blog post…not even come close. I’m not event sure how to develop the point further. I just know as a young creative it probably doesn’t hurt to keep this in mind. Maybe I’ll arrive at a more solid conclusion down the road.

I’m interested to see if Davies will draw any conclusions in the promised full article – he did already write a response.

For some time now I’ve had to explain to my non-tech savvy friends what Foursquare was – and mostly the response was something like “that sounds weird” or “bring on the stalkers.” I admit, I actually drew a line and have stayed off of Foursquare (if I’m going to give up my “20,” I’ll just spell it out on Twitter). Of course, now that Facebook incorporated their own version called “Places,” some of the former skeptics are now spilling their whereabouts left and right. I’ve been trying to understand where this trend is going until this morning when PSFK posted up a location-heavy “5 Trends That Will Shape Social Media.” I’ll let you read the list over on your own, but I will say their idea of a smart coffee thermos really gets you thinking about how this emerging technology will work itself into new and existing products out there.

Participating in quickly advancing social media has become a game of chicken for consumers worried about how transparent they want to make their lives online. Interestingly, marketers using cutting-edge social media for their campaigns seem to be indirectly luring people to adapt to these new services themselves. I wonder how many people joined Twitter because of a marketing campaign from another company? If they were smart, the marketing firm should’ve billed Twitter too! Now that marketers are all over geo-tagging, it would be cool to see data for how many marketing campaigns on Foursquare, Yelp or Facebook “Places” actually draw more users to the services.

House’s Greg Yaitanes
confirms via his Twitter:
A 5d finale.

That’s right!  In case you didn’t “read between the lines,” director Greg Yaitanes has disclosed that the season finale of House was shot on the Canon Mark II 5d.

As the latest development in the DSLR revolution we’ve been covering, Yaitanes echoes what has emerged as the most attractive feature of the DSLR: its incognito physical appearance.  The camcorder-in-disguise instantly dispels the fears, insecurities, and suspicions that come with a professional camera rig.

Hopefully this new embrace will finally give DSLR manufacturers everywhere the impetus they need to start catering directly to our needs.  That means improving sound by adding XLR inputs, image stabilization for going hand-held, increased compatibility with cinema lenses, and most of all streamlining workflow in post.  Question is: after all the upgrades it needs to be practical for professional usage, will it remain irresistibly cheap for us indie folk?

Only time will tell.