one last thing before I quit

I don't spend a lot of time watching videos on YouTube. There are hundreds of viral videos that I can honestly say I have never seen, and I'm not really phased by it. I just never seem to have the time for it.

But today I came across something I hadn't seen before. What seems to be a New Zealand pizza chain called Hell Pizza has come up with a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' / Zombie chase video advertisement. You goal is to help Steve get across the city to deliver his pizza without being killed by zombies! If you manage to make it all the way, you can get entered to win a year's supply of pizza. I'm assuming you've got to be from New Zealand to actually win that though.

It's not too often that we see something new on a Jumbotron at a sporting event. I still remember the dancing hot dog at Winnipeg Jets games. It was a pixelated animation that didn't quite loop properly, and it was shown up through their last game in the 90's.

I came across this new technology called CrowdWave. It's an entertainment platform that's controlled by the fans, live! A bunch of cameras and software determine the movement of the crowd and translates it on screen. There seems to be a Guitar Hero example where you have to move your arms left, right or up at the right time to score points. There's also a hockey game where you have to move your arms in a direction to make a save. Super cool.

I don't agree with their statement that it'll bring more people to the games and generate more revenue, but I do think that it's a great way for the crowd to actually feel like a part of something. It could lead to less cameras panning around and looking for someone to dance silly, and actually help kids who struggle to sit through a full game move around.

I was unable to find any examples on YouTube, so I recommend that you go to their site and check it out there.

I've never been a big advocate for putting stickers on my electronics. I just figured that I'd grow old of it very fast and surely regret it as I'd never be able to scrape off all of the glue. But as many of my opinions have changed over the years, thank you technology, I am all for this stuff. Presenting GelaSkins.

GelaSkins are these custom covers that you can put on to protect your electronics, but also don't look like 2 dollar off-the-rack purchases. They are also removable.

NYC | eBoy

The Life Tree | Anthony Hurd

Underworld | Colin Thompson

Anatomie | Jason Freeny

Boombox II | Lyle Owerko

Tres | Alberto Cerriteno

The Enamored Whale | Alberto Cerriteno

Monopoly is a game I've certainly enjoyed. Sure, I haven't played it in many years but that's mostly due with the fact that it can potentially take three weeks to play a full game. Now why bring it up? Well, I don't mind the 731 spin off games that they've made, as I understand the niche demographic that they're made for. But their new 75th anniversary edition just seems strange. A circular board, no cash but a credit card. Weird.

Yes, I know what's going to happen. One of my friends will buy this and we'll end up playing. I'll get suckered into the new modern look and enjoy the lack of having to pay attention to counting bills. I shall get reeled in like many others, I'm sure. Crap.

Despite my unquestionable enjoyment for varieties of music, my actual musical capabilities are quite low. I spent my elementary years playing the traditional recorder, xylophone and wood blocks to a T, but that came to an abrupt end once middle school started. I did pick up a bass once though, in my college years. I learned about a dozen songs in two weeks and played a New Year's Eve at a frat house for, and with, a bunch of friends. That bass was never touched again. I've just accepted that I'll forever live my rock star dream vicariously through my best friend.

But maybe I can learn this. A company called Misa Digital has come up with this ... touch-pad guitar?! INSANE!



Here's the simplest description of it's possibilities that I've found: In electronic music, the timbre of the sound can be morphed in an infinite number of ways. For a guitar to do this, the strumming hand needs more control than just plucking strings. Apparently it allows you to control elements of the sound, such as sustain, pitch, filter cutoffs, contour or any other synthesizer parameter, in a way that has no physical constraints.

And yes, you can plug it right into your regular amp and fire away. I'm curious how long it'll be before Harmonix gets their hands on something like this for a new Rock Band experience.

I'm not as big of a fan of pillows as some people I know. It's not that they aren't comfy, I just don't see the need to have a ton of them. I make due with just a couple. But hey, sometimes a few just isn't enough. Especially when they're in the shapes of rocks!


Smarin Design has a line of these pillows. They're shaped and colored to look like stones. Enough said. This is cool.



Side note: This, too, is cool.


They're pillows designed by Keetra Dean Dixon, FromKeetra. Ans yes, it is supposed to look like someone died. Fun!

Speculation can merely end up as being nothing but a dream. I surely hope that that isn't the case with this.

Many sites have been saying that a new Apple store will be opening up in Winnipeg really soon. As soon as October some say. This is exciting. The closet store that we've got would be in Minneapolis, a good 8 hour drive away.

Would this store change lives?! Well, maybe a little. It might open up a large amount of eyes to something that's wonderfully awesome to people that wouldn't have thought otherwise. But the mere factor of having a place to pick up a new toy, or get something fixed up quickly in my own backyard, is extremely exciting.

Now, nothing has been officially announced, which raises one to question whether or not it's just a rumor. But if you were to venture off to the Apple site and go through the job section, there's a Manitoba selection available. Huh. Here's hoping.