Something there is that does not love a Blog...

Oh, sometimes things happen too quickly to keep up with...

But I'm back, and there is something exciting in the works for this space. Stay tuned for details on this new, ongoing project...

Lost in Yankee Stadium

I am a fan of the group Improv Everywhere, who are known for staging offbeat public stunts in New York City.

As a former NYC resident, I know that the sort of things this group does are the sort of ideas that most people can appreciate, and the fact that there is a spirit of fun behind what they do - trying to give their unsuspecting audiences a break from normal, or at least creating a moment that they can tell their friends about.

I just read about their latest mission, in which one of their agents does a wonderful job getting lost on the way back to his seat at Yankee Stadium. Having been to a few games there myself, I can understand how that might happen, but this guy turns it into an art. And if you watch the videos on the site, you'll see how it brings people together in the stands. Another mission accomplished.

PRODUCT: Say it... with ketchup?

Here you go, America. The hot new idea for your Labor Day cook out - customized labels for your ketcup are now available at MyHeinz.com! Just think of the possibilites for gifts and memorable occasions!

Look at the site for their suggestions. Wouldn't personalized mini bottles of ketchup and mustard would be great for your wedding or bar mitzvah (it's kosher!), or perhaps order a dozen bottles to send to your friends to celebrate the birth of your child?

This is the coolest strange idea I've seen in a long time. Strange because I can't imagine who would want personalized condiments at a celebration like that, but cool because there is a part of me that feels I might be one of those people...

What do you have for us, Mr. Jobs?

Like any Mac fanboy, I can't help but get a little anxious, wondering what Apple will be unveiling on Monday (8/7) for their World Wide Developers Conference. Even former Microsoft blogger Robert Scoble seems to be salivating for the event.

Sure, we already know Steve will be leading a tour of the next OS update, Leopard. And there will probably be some new features and updates for iWork and iLife. But will there be something new for iTunes? The addition of feature films available to "rent" perhaps?

But wouldn't that require some nice new hardware? Perhaps the long-anticipated "true" video iPod with touch-screen interface? Or what about that iPod Phone rumor? At the very least, it seems there will be a shiny new Nano.

I think the only safe prediction on the hardware end is a new Mac Pro tower, with dual Intel Core Duo processors, and maybe a really sweet new widescreen monitor with built-in iSight camera to go with it. Beyond that, I think I'll just wait and be surprised.

POST-WWDC THOUGHTS:
Okay, so no exciting new iPod was released. But the new Mac Pro is very sweet, and I like the idea of that power. Interestingly, they didn't show off a new monitor to go with it, although they have reduced their prices on the lovely cinema displays, which makes me think that there may be a new monitor still coming. Perhaps by MacWorld 2007?

Coolest news? I think I'm gonna go with the Time Machine feature. Definitely something I could use at home, as long as you can control what it backs up. There I just certain things I want to disappear for good once I delete them.

Fingers crossed for new iPod updates for the fall!

IDEA: More 3D in the Future?

Okay, so recently I came across some homemade 3D images that were created out of footage shot from a CNN helicopter circling over the WTC on 9/11:

http://www.ironicsans.com/2006/05/911_in_3d.html#more

While it's kind of unfortunate that the images are of a sad subject, the technique is intriguing. The creator used near-consecutive frames as the camera moved horizontally to recreate L-eye and R-eye views, and the effect is realistic. He even posted versions that can be seen in 3D without the glasses (crossing your eyes blends the separate images into a floating 3D image). You might have seen this linked to in other blogs, and they deserve viewing because they are interesting and compelling in their own way.

But they got me thinking...

I mean, now that there is such an overwhelming amount of video footage on the internet, how many more of these could be made once more people learn about the idea? How about someone developing instructions for all of us to find scenes in our our own old home video footage to turn into 3D?

A simple search will find you several different websites that show how to make 3D images with your digital still camera using basic editing software and often with careful planning of how you shoot your image. But wouldn't it be great to go back to old videos of your children, or maybe even B&W home movies your grandparents took, and find a scene that can be brought into 3D?

And as the tools become more powerful in the coming years, who's to say we couldn't see a day when I find that brief shot that pans across the family posing in front of the Grand Canyon, I render the clip into a 3D still image, and send that to a 3D printer that 5 mintues later spits out a small sculpture for my desk of me and the kids at the Grand Canyon. In full color. Because framed photos are so 2008.

Oh, and let me email you the file so you can print one for your desk, too.

Anybody gonna make that happen soon? Let me know...