Barely a month or two after launching the Y Combinator-backed photo-sharing service Popset, the team realized they were solving the wrong problem. Users weren’t struggling to share their photos with groups; they needed tools to help them organize and manage their photo libraries across a variety of platforms and services. So the company decided to change its course, and today it’s… → Read More
In 2010, Qwiki captured the TechCrunch Disrupt cup, thanks to an ambitious product that sought to transform the way people consume information online. Like an interactive, multimedia version of Wikipedia, Qwiki essentially combined images, audio and video for pretty much anything you could search for on the Web into a multidimensional, narrated movies. → Read More
PowToon, an animation platform that lets anyone build marketing videos on the fly, is announcing it has raised $600,000 in outside funding. The investment doesn’t come from traditional VC backing, but rather from Startup Minds, a newer L.A.-based accelerator with a non-traditional strategy where investments can range anywhere from $25,000 up to $600,000. The accelerator also doesn’t have time… → Read More
As Twitter tries to surface more content from its network, it continues to beef up tweets and its Discover section of the site. Today, the company announced a few new features to make sure that you know the context behind a story so that you can figure out why it’s being shown to you within another big feature, Search.
Context has been the missing piece to Twitter all along and the company is… → Read More
Netflix has just released its second quarter 2012 earnings report, in which the video rental veteran outpaced estimates, improving on last quarter and meeting most expectations and even beating some. Revenue increased to $889 million compared to the same period for 2011. Earnings per share came in at $0.11 per share. In the weeks leading up to the release, analysts had been projected Netflix to… → Read More
We’re so over PowerPoint presentations, right? Well, that’s the common refrain, at least. And we haven’t even been super-enthused about the new-fangled PowerPoint alternatives in a while – not since companies like Prezi, Animoto, and (VMWare-acquired) SlideRocket were making the rounds in the startup scene, that is. Even SlideShare, the service that made presentations social, launched a web… → Read More
Last year, YouTube announced the ability for its music partners to begin selling merchandise, digital downloads and event tickets through a new YouTube feature called the Merch Store. Today, the company is expanding that effort and is making the option available to all YouTube partners, not just musicians.
Also rolling out today, is a new merchandise provider, which will help beef up YouTube… → Read More
Social video network Twitvid has closed another acquisition today, following its March deal which involved bringing the team from daily deals aggregator Frugalo on board. Today, the company is announcing it has acquired Cull TV, an independent music video sharing site, which CTO John Hurliman describes as a little bit like Pandora mixed with MTV. → Read More
Parents looking for a curated selection of music and videos that’s a little more kid-friendly than YouTube have another option now, thanks to the launch of Jitterbug.tv. The new iPad app is the first subscription-based music service for kids, and is targeting the 2-7 age range. Included in the app are videos and music from top kids artists like 23 Skidoo, The Jimmies, Laura Veirs, Milkshake Music… → Read More
Social video browsing app Showyou just launched version 3.0 of its iPad application, a major update with a ton of new features. Competing in a hot space with competitors like Fanhattan, Shelby.tv, Squrl, Vodio and others, Showyou offers a grid-like view for browsing the videos your friends are sharing on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and Vimeo. Once connected, you can… → Read More
These things are pretty old but sometimes it’s nice to see two dudes really happy about a piece of technology that really works. This ornithopter is made by the guys at FlappingFlight and comes in multiple models including the Park Hawk with “instant glide” feature that allows you to stop flapping and swoop around like a bird of prey at the touch of a button. → Read More
Vodio is a new iPad app that’s somewhat along the same lines as iOS app Shelby.tv. Like Shelby, it also brings you videos being shared by your friends on social networks. But where Shelby.tv only focuses on those “socially shared” videos, Vodio instead uses its social features to bring “a dash” of personalization to its video recommendations. → Read More
The U.S. comScore Video Metrix stats are out now for October, revealing that 184 million U.S. Internet users watched online videos last month, with an average of 21.1 hours per viewers. The total U.S. audience viewed 42.6 billion videos, an all-time high, says the measurement firm. Meanwhile, “Google sites,” led by YouTube, retained its number one ranking. However, in October, Facebook staged a… → Read More
DSLRs are a powerful and popular tool for creating video, but it’s likely that very few users of this fairly new product category have gone deep into its settings. For taking pictures and the occasional video, the defaults are fine, but if you’re interested in putting a little more love into your production, it pays to know a few tweaks you can make.
Stillmotion has put together an informative… → Read More
While I may have created some sweet spaceships in my days constructing LEGO, I never guessed how serious people would get with their blocky creations. Guns, computer cases, even a Tetris-playing device and a robotic hand. So I shouldn’t be surprised that someone has created a CNC mill with their Mindstorms NXT set.
Check out the video inside. → Read More
Take two minutes out of your day and watch this beautifully-made and interesting little short documentary about Shikai Tseng and his interesting photographic technique. Tseng uses a custom-built multi-pinhole box to expose objects, which have been coated in “Liquid Light,” to their environments. → Read More
You may recall the SmartBird, a robot we saw back in March that mimics the flight of birds, flapping its wings like the real thing. The video we saw then was a bit too edited to get a feel for the bot, but luckily one of the inventors was invited to do a TED talk, and of course they had to set the thing free in the auditorium.
Check out the video. → Read More
It’s hard to keep up with all the developments in the bionics and cybernetics worlds: so many universities and private institutions are working on so many projects that by the time you report one, another has leapfrogged it. PBS News Hour has put together a nice little survey of the current tech, interviewing Dean Kamen and a number of other inventors and researchers in the field. Feeling out of… → Read More
You probably know what to expect out of this one. Since the critics have been almost uniform in their judgement of this storied and unfortunate title, and Yahtzee’s take was likely to be even one step further. Actually, he has some sympathy for the game, and while it’s not a good game, its failures are comprehensible in a way some modern games errors aren’t.
I’m glad it got released, and I can’t… → Read More
One of the hardest things to do when filming a nature documentary is convince the animals you’re not there. Sometimes it means constructing an elaborate blind and waiting for hours, days, or even months. Sometimes you have to send a remote-controlled proxy out there, if you’re filming, say, polar bears. But these little robots are loud and difficult to effectively disguise. Who knew that making… → Read More
Although we weep for the Polaroid of yesteryear, the world of instant film hasn’t just disappeared. As we’ve noted over the last couple years, Dutch company Impossible has taken it upon themselves to keep the old Polaroid film factory running — no small task. This little 10-minute documentary shows some of the process and a few of the people involved. → Read More
Not content with Canon’s claims that it is simply unicorn tears that makes their in-lens stabilization work, Camera Technica decided to take apart an 18-55mm IS and record just what was going on in there. Aren’t you curious too? → Read More
This odd robot, made of spare parts, has more in common with the IT-O than anything of this world. It can float around for 8 minutes on one charge and goes 40 miles an hour. Plus it’s a unique form factor for this sort of RC drone, making it a real one of a kind. Add some spinning blades and an arc blaster and you’ve got a party. → Read More
F1 racing has long been a technology battle, and while the driver is an important component, his role has been increasingly supplemented by computers and engineers. This is perhaps no more visible than on the steering wheel which, once just the way you changed the direction the tires pointed, has turned into an Xbox-esque controller for a huge variety of precision settings and high-tech abilities. → Read More
To be honest, the performance of this pneumatic cannon isn’t really blowing me away — but the noise it makes is cracking me up. Can you spare fifteen seconds to watch the video? I knew you could. → Read More
Remember a couple weeks back, we saw that sweet crossbow that shot machetes instead of bolts? Well, the creator of that engine of destruction has put together a new contraption: a slingshot that fires six 20mm steel balls at once. It powers through that watermelon like there’s nothing there. → Read More
The guys on Camera Technica’s Vimeo channel stuck a laser pointer on the top of a Canon 7D and took this video, showing just how much the camera moves when you’re holding it or taking a picture. Not exactly scientific, but it’s worth watching. → Read More
If you’re interested in lenses at all, this video is worth a watch. While the high-volume output of the Canons and Zeisses out there is amazing, Cosina’s F/0.95 25mm prime (sold under the Voigtlander brand) is a bit more old-school. Every piece is assembled by hand, manually cleaned and oiled, and tested individually for flaws. The result is one fantastic lens. → Read More
http://player.ooyala.com/player.swf?embedCode=c4NGFlMjoem1Q2DXLwMaYYmyhzXl9xJu&version=2 Short version: The original Element Case Vapor certainly looked slick, but it had problems accepting larger 1/8″ headphone plugs — like the original iPhone. The latest revision, the Vapor Pro, addresses some of the complaints, but there is still an issue with the design. → Read More
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