No, not a multimillion pound lawsuit, but a race between a F1 world champion and 28,800 Facebook users. The race is organized by Vodafone Netherlands to mark the release of its upgraded mobile data network and will put it’s broadband connection to the test against the mighty McLaren car.
Who is gonna finish earlier: Hamilton, who has to speed over a trail of 2.7 km, or the virtual Facebook car of 288 MB?
Shepard Fairey's Joaquin Phoenix beard image spotted in Central Square - Boston.com
In late 2008 Joaquin Phoenix announced his retirement from a successful acting career, to concentrate on his music. Understandably people were surprised, by the premature decision from a talented actor in his early thirties. What was even more shocking was how less than 6 months later, sightings were reported of him fully bearded and carrying a large gut. At about this time he decided to appear on Letterman for an interview in which he barely spoke, let alone answered questions.
It wasn’t until it became apparent that Joaquin’s journey was being documented by his brother-in-law Casey Afleck, that the pieces began to fall into place. Could this all just be a mockumentary? Either that or Casey had struck gold.
More than one year on and we’re finally close to finding out the truth, as the documentary, I’m Still here is released. If the trailers anything to go by, it’s going to be brilliant and cringeworthy insight into the mans spiral.
What’s also interesting about this movie is that with all of the speculation and internet talk, it should survive without a lick of marketing and still be a massive hit. Especially with a bit of guerilla marketing, courtesy of Shepard Fairey.
In conclusion, Joaquin Phoenix has absolutely lost it, or he’ll turn out to be one of the best actors of all time. Either way Casey Afleck will probably end up with one of the best documentaries ever.
Being in my late twenties, I have grown increasingly envious of the success stories of those younger than me. I could make a huge list, but I think the fact that James Dean had imortalised himself in cultural history by the time of his death aged 24 says it all really.
Who’s to know what he would have gone on to do. “Dean might have become a junkie and done a Marlon Brando, but we prefer to think he’d have lived a long and wholesome life” (the Guardian) says Keith Rose, director of the advert that has imagined what he could have become.
The advert was created by South African agency King James for investment management firm Alan Gray. It’s a thought provoking execution that tries to remind you to make the most of you life.
At first sight the pure immaturity of the Popeye Series currently on display at the Serpentine Gallery feels like a joke. My girlfriend had a completely bewildered look on her face when we were welcomed by the two inflatable rubber-rings suspended on the giant iron moustache – probably the reaction shared by most people unfamiliar with the work of Jeff Koons.
It’s not until you point out that the toys are fact a trompe-l’oeil of recast aluminium, meticulously painted to reproduce both the texture and colours of the original that the sophistication of the work really sinks in.
The Serpentine is filled with an elegant display of blow-up beach toys and mixed with rubbish baskets, stacks of patio chairs, stepladders, industrial chains and mesh fences. A raft of cooking utensils dangles beneath a dolphin’s belly, all of course made from the same materials. A lobster balances between a rubbish basket and a wooden chair. Huge photorealistic paintings cover walls mixing up retro cartoon illustrations with naked ladies.
Despite being a huge Koons fan for a number of years, this was the first time I had been able to enjoy the man’s imagination and originality firsthand and found the exhibition completely refreshing.
The Popeye Series will leave you feeling as lightweight as the inflatable toys Jeff Koons recreates.
Check out the hoodie I designed with the Champion Hooddie Remix interface. Users can choose from a range of colours and patterns, and enter it into a competition for it to actually be created, all in a nice little effort to bolster their eCRM database.
By all accounts, the Obama inauguration was the most-watched live event in the history of the Web. Hundreds of thousands of photos streamed onto Fickr, Twitpic and Photobucket. Blogs were updated and newspapers carried inch after inch of news of the event. All to also make it the most documented event in history.
CNN.com which partnered with Facebook to allow users to watch the event online while chatting with friends. I personally enjoyed Stephen Fry’s frequent Twitter message during the speech as I watched it online via BBC iPlayer.
This sheer amount of documentation and coverage accumulated in a range of amazing visuals to be enjoyed online. The GeoEye-1 satellite took a remarkable set of images from space that have been processed into a Google Earth file that you use to explore the geography.
CNN to produced a PhotoSynth of the whole scene, whereby users can navigate through the scene in a near-seamless montage of of both professional and amateur photographs.
In a mark of digital visualisations penetrating traditional mediums, the Guardian printed a word cloud of he words most often used in his speech. However, the New York Times created an even better interactive version that allows you to scroll through a timeline to compare speeches across presidential terms.
The changing of the tides also produced a couple of fantastic adverts. In typical Australian style Eurorscg Australia created this hilarious advert to sum up relief currently being experienced by pretty much the whole world.
DDB London also came up with a timely advert to promote the Philips portable battery pack.
I could go on and on about Barack Obama’s presence on the internet. But of course his influence is appearing in all walks of life. The interest and passion that he has stirred up is like nothing ever experienced before. I’m just glad it’s happening at a time when we need it most.
