NBC joins Youtubefoolery

Youtube has been something of a phenomena. Not because people flock to the site to check out wildly hilarious videos uploaded by everyone from schoolchildren to your buddys DUI (that was hilarious) to grandpa's golfing mishaps (think your own America's Funniest Home Videos). But because its partly illegal. Youtube has an extraordinary amount of "illegal" clips from copyrighted shows, yet it continues to live and thrive onward. Youtube is a great media equalizer as well, allowing anyone to have access to their own media channel to publish movies, mash-ups or hilarious falls. Now NBC has signed a deal to promote its fall line-up (after hounding the site to remove its previous clips). Siiiiiiigh. This posts some issues for me. While i don't see anything wrong with the partnership, why is a major media company with all the capabilites in the world jumping on the band wagon? Im not sure of any major bump NBC will experience from the partnership. It's quite significant in the turbulent media world, signifying new media may have advantages over the old but, is it really a changing of the guard and do people on Youtube really go there to see show previews they can see on tv? Much of the delight is the unadulterated fun and wackiness of youtube, not pre-programmed spoonfed shows. To me NBC is trying too hard and could risk being the "corporation" on an organic website. Or are they smart enough to offer clips up for remixing? Will media companies form partnerships with 'appropriate channels' or will they continue to slut themselves away in the wake of itunes and Youtube? Comment away...
Look Ma No Hands!
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The Streets Are Saying Things

Graffiti is the ultimate and the original mash-up. Street artists using paint, canvas, and other things to enhance or remix a space. An interesting project that has been around in nyc is the bubble project. Ji-lee started the bubble project in 2001 after a career at an ad shop as an art director. He was fed up giving the public ads from large corporations that were propogating messages solely for profit. Sounds like a mid-lifer to me hmmm? Anyways he went about to create bubbles that could be stuck on art, posters, walls anything. He would come back a couple days later and photograph the results. Now he has published a book. Very simple concept, great idea to publish the book. These bubbles really are great catalysts, having seen quite a few on the LES. I had this idea a while ago, but never did anything with it nor did i have the visions for it Ji Lee did. His site is a great collections of public soundbites in the bubble form. Check it out.
Pop
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Wanna be a lawyer? Pay up Drew or think again!

The Internet is about the most useful thing since sliced bread. Among its many applications is the ever-popular exortion. Oh we have heard of the posting the risque significant other photo sites and whatnot. Now there is Extortr. It is a spoof-site that makes blackmailing easy, or as they put it “the most efficient way to blackmail the world.” You upload a scandalous photo or video as evidence, set a price, then email an anonymous threat. If your demands aren’t paid your upload goes public....The site also takes 10% of the demands to be paid. Yikes!! Why didn't i think of this.
Pay Up
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Experts at your fingertips

Web site Qunu is a chat-based community where users can go to get answers from people who know what they're talking about, or alternately, give answers as someone who knows what they're talking about. Think of IM with so-called experts. In whatever field it may be: Cars, computers, kites, hell even shoe polishing. The sites experts are heavy on technical things at the moment, but they are hoping to sequester more mainstream categories as more people sign up. This site could be very helpful when you need an instant answer or dialogue to fix something. I just wonder who is qualified and who isnt.
WhoknewitsQunu
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Shake Shack goes Digi: I gain 30lbs

A must stop in NYC is the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. The burger joint can have lines up 2 hours waiting for its delicious burgers(trust me i know). The shack' doesn't deliver and most people can't escape for a 2 hour lunch. Those who know, know the line is part of the deal. Getting the burger is an accomplishment. Whats a burger fanatic to do? Just yesterday the Shack cam went live. Now all the hungry New Yorkers can check out the line before they make the trek only to be heartbroken as it snakes around the entire park, before being forced to go settle for Wendy's. I think this is a fantastic way for a service provider (Shack) to communicate with its consumers. They won't lose business, and in doing so position themselves as a brand engaging in an active dialogue with consumers.

Chipotle has a fax-your-order in system, but that fails for a number of reasons. The first one being, who has time to go to the fax machine and do it? The second being, who thinks of the fax machine as the most effective form of communication these days? A webcam is the perfect solution to the shack's biggest problem. It would be interesting to see if other food providers online solutions which remedy real-life problems.
Cheese Fries
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Can a virtual world change a real brand image?

The second life has produced quite a following. PSFK has gotten quite addicted it seems. I myself am more addicted to halo, but thats another story. 2nd life is a virtual world, which can be inhabited by 250,000 residents at any given time. It's also a great place for brands to test and research ideas and good PR, so blogs like Influx/psfk/(dare i include) lifefilter will write about them. I have to give the thought prompt here to influx who wasnted to see if American Apparel will be able to compete with local merchants who operate in Second Life or if the brand power of AA will force them out of business. Fashion is the second biggest industry in Second Life. Its not surprising considering its the most accesible form of alteration on the web and the very reason many of the people behind the screen log on. It will be intriguing to see how brands invade the medium. Will it experience growth or will it reach its limit at 250k and become the mall? Much to the way that myspace has lost some steam.
I myself already have issues with AA. They champion themselves as progressive/ charitable cause, yet undermine this value by exploiting workers through soft-core porn advertising...Im thinking this move could damage the brand by positioning it as exploitive and somewhat unoriginal. I dont think moving online will change this. Can a virtual world change a real-life image of a brand? Clearly not if they are juxtaposing each otehr... The brand has experienced phenomenal growth though, and today's society is less cogniscent of the overtly sexual overtones. Time will tell
Xmarksthespot
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And then god created Goat-boy

From the AP "Scientists said on Wednesday they have created a distinctive red and yellow butterfly in the laboratory by interbreeding two different species in a way similar to what they believe has occurred in nature. The laboratory hybrid is nearly identical to a wild species of butterfly in Colombia known as Heliconius heurippa.
"We re-created the evolutionary steps that may have given rise to Heliconius heurippa, a hybrid butterfly species, in the lab," said Jesus Mavarez, of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama City, Panama. Animal hybrids are thought to be very rare because they are less able to survive. The mule, for example--a hybrid between a donkey and a horse--is sterile so it is an evolutionary dead end. But some hybrids survive and establish new species.

The achievement by Mavarez and researchers in Colombia and Britain, which is reported in the journal Nature, suggests animal hybrids could be more common than previously thought." While cloning legalities are still being worked out in the US, this to me seems like a giant step. While cross-breeding butterflies won't ruffle too many feathers, what happens when dolphin/manatees....or goats/children become hybrids?? It may not be as hard to play god as we thought....

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Oh the Possibilities

Business Week has a fantastic issue everyone is buzzing about. Its a great conglomeration of strategy, creativity and research. Gareth Kay's Modernista helped design it, they give quite a fair shake to the innovation world. This was seen as having a bright future in advertising by Alex Bogusky at the Future Marketing Conference. One of the issue's highlights is Google's Marisa Meyer's with 9 Rules For Innovation. These rules are smart because they turn corporate convention on its head, the kind of convention that usually stifles ideas.

1. They expect everyone to innovate, including finance
2. Share everything you can
3. Your brilliant, we are hiring- experience doesn't matter, smarts do
4. Employees get a day a week to develop new ideas
5. Innovation, not instant perfection- get the idea out then refine it
6. Don't politic, use data- idea evaluation should not let subjectivity get in the way
7. Creativity loves restraint- give people guidelines and a vision
8. Worry about users and usage and not money
9. Don't kill projects, morph them- salvage the best out of everything

Finally we are getting a little recognition, even though we didn't make the mag. Scary though cause that means more of you guys are coming for me. Gotta keep with the times i guess.....
BAM
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Im Back

Whoa whats going on you say?? Vacation + Major client work. Cant elaborate but Lifefilter is still in business. Stay tuned for some massive changes.
-RC

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Im Out

Im off to my homeland full of mama's cookin, beer and bbq. With a little surfing thrown in for good measure. Who knows maybe this means i will have more time to blog. Stay tuned...

Jamrock

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Beer for Bags

Thrillist( as they say is a "quick, free, 4-times-weekly email that sifts through the crap to find guys the best services, gadgets, gear, bars and restaurants. We have two editions: Thrillist New York, which covers things local to the City, and Thrillist Nation, with info for guys everywhere.") put this out a little while ago, but i can't take my mind off how great this idea is. Introducing the Beers for Bags sale, kicking off Saturday at both their NYC locations. Crumpler Bags (former Aussie bike messengers) are handing over high-end bags for specified brands and quantities of beer: messenger, laptop, and camera bags, cell phone and PDF pouches, even a bean bag -- perfect for crashing out on after lugging suds all over town. Crumpler says this frothy financing will translate into customer savings (e.g., about $30 on the McBains), but exactly how much depends on where you purchase your trade bait.

Ultimately, though, your bag will cost nothing: the company's inviting participants back for a party on the 11th, where they'll serve up the amassed brews for free -- making Crumpler the worst barterers since the Manhattoe tribe gave away this island for $24 in nonalcoholic beads. Wow. What a fantastic idea to not only get product out but create a user friendly environment. Crumpler is probably banking on WOM and people coming back to the party to purchase bags. I think this is a fresh approach to branding as the barter seems so much easier to swallow than shelving money out for product. Also im not sure how great the demand is for insulated messenger bags, but this gives a RTB and an occasion. While it may only have short-term effects for the brand, its a great step to long-term brand building as well as strong brand equity. Hats off to Crumpler and where is my Sapporo?

The exchange rates:
The Winkler: 4 cans Boddingtons
The Bundle: 40oz OE + 12-pack PBR
The Aggott: 12-pack Brooklyn Lager
The McBains: 12 cans Guinness
The Moderate Embarrassment: 1 case Sapporo + 1 bottle Soy Sauce
The Barney Rustle: 1 case Coopers + 2 Fosters Oil Cans
The Complete Seed: 1 case Leffe + 1 bottle Chimay
The Holy Bean Bag Chair: 1 case Pacifico + 1 bag Limes
The Entire Crumpler's Catalogue: 3 O'Doul's + Your Mom

Bag o' Beer
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Goooooooooooal4.09voltron

With the impending WorldCup upon us, might i remind our readers about the biggest side spectacle in Germany while all the foosballing is going on. No im not talking about the 40,000 prostitutes that Germany has brought to a nearby tent city to appease fans and officials alike. Im talking about Robocup2006!!!. Participants haha just kidding robots compete in various formats. The whole point of this tournament, where robots play against each other is to aide in the development of robot technology so that a team of robots will be able to beat the human world champions by 2050. Yikes, first Skynet, now this...the RoboCup will be starting shortly on June 14.



no shanks here

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Still Alive and Kickin'

Contrary to popular belief, we are still searching for LF goodness here. Sometimes work gets a little too hectic. Core77 has the link to the FWA (favourite website awards) which showcases some KILLER websites. All much better than this one. Check it out for amusement/entertainment/hours to kill. Some truly push the boundaries of what a website is.
Weblitz
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