It’s been a while since I started looking for quality street food in Paris and I can’t believe I’ve only just found this real gourmet food truck (with a chef in the kitchen): Le Camion Qui Fume. Read More
Sprint Passions
Reality Bites!
Guillaume | June 9th, 2012
The Simple Gaming is the most Dangerous
Claire | May 27th, 2010
I am not much of a gamer, but there are some games that really get me. They are usually the stupid simple ones, the ones that you can play online on Facebook without downloading. For some reason these games are alluring to me. They lure me in, they suck me in, and they trap me in their web of addiction. Their simplicity is what draws me: the ease of use. With a login and a click of a mouse shazaam! I’m in business. Games like Wordscraper, Farmville, and Tetris. Even my grandma got addicted to the Gameboy version of Tetris. But now you can play anytime, on any computer without downloading anything! This strikes me as rather dangerous.
NASCAR Remains Mystifying, But Sports Media Continues to Democratize
Arielle | May 24th, 2010
They're just driving in circles, right? (Photo CC by 2.0, via Darryl W. Moran on Flickr)
I have to admit that NASCAR itself has always mystified me, as it seems overly simple and complicated at the same time. To an outsider it just looks like people driving around and around in circles, with spectators basically waiting for a crash – but there has to be more to it than that, right? Perhaps one of the changes it will undergo is that it will become more accessible. Maybe someone will make all the noise and heavy metal make sense for more people, especially us females. Read More
Hulu Itself May Not Be the Future of TV, But Something Like It Probably Is
Arielle | May 24th, 2010
Hulu: Slowly making cable and satellite TV unnecessary. (Image CC by 2.0, via thms.nl on Flickr)
Over the next couple of years TV-watching is, of course, going to be less and less about tuning into a specific channel at a specific time, than following a show itself as a brand and streaming it when you want to. More and more of my friends aren’t bothering to subscribe to TV service, because, let’s face it, why bother?
Movie Theaters May Soon Induce Total 3-D Fatigue
Arielle | May 24th, 2010
Apparently, this stuff is almost as valuable as gold at the movie theater. (Photo CC by 2.0, via PunkJr on Flickr)
In two years, I see the movie theater experience, above all else, as being more expensive! I like going to the movies, and I go probably more frequently than a lot of my other (single) friends. Current ticket prices, in my area, of $10 or $11 seem okay for a couple hours of entertainment – although I’m sure I would feel differently if I had a family with kids! Still, all the attendant costs seem like price-gouging.
Increase Productivity Through Telecommuting, But Maybe Not Through the iPad
Arielle | May 24th, 2010
This is what my mobile "office" looks like. (Photo CC by 2.0, via Mikael Miettinen on Flickr)
It’s clear that work is going to grow increasingly mobile, even for people who are technically full-time employees and not freelancers. This works out better for everyone involved. Employers don’t have to keep as much physical space, employees often get to – at least to a certain extent – complete projects at times that work best for them, and everyone saves time, money, and frustration on needless commutes.
The Future of Gaming: Low-Tech?
Arielle | May 24th, 2010
Wii is best with friends. (Photo CC by 2.0, via daveynin on Flickr)
I have to admit, I don’t spend a lot of time “gaming” per se. Most of the new video games are dazzling, visually, but a little confusing and offputting, probably especially to me as I’m a female. All the games seem to be either too violent, or specifically too girly and almost infantilizing. The one exception is the Wii. This is the system that has finally succeeded in getting people who would never otherwise play video games – like me, or my Boomer Mom – to give in and buy a new system.
The Word “Celebrity” Is Bordering on Meaningless
Arielle | May 23rd, 2010
This isn't Kate Gosselin, but we can blame her for this haircut. (Photo CC by 2.0, via aaron_anderer on Flickr)
The definition of “celebrity” today is somewhat sad; the bar is so low. The subtle difference between the words “celebrity,” “fame,” and even “infamy” has become hopelessly muddled. Someone who’s infamous, or famous for something stupid, now is a celebrity, despite any void of real talent. Seriously, Jon and Kate Gosselin are now celebrities because they took a bunch of fertility drugs a few years back?
The Lure of Internet Celebrity News
Kate | May 20th, 2010
I try my damndest not to get sucked into guilty internet pleasures as ubiquitous as blogger Perez Hilton, TMZ or Gawker. Read More
Cinema: A Local Adventure
Kate | May 20th, 2010
Austin is a lucky, lucky town to have the incredible Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters. There are now nine throughout Texas, but Austin’s are still the best. These folks know what makes a movie experience special, and I am fortunate that they cater to people like me. If I’m going to spend $10 to go to a film, I want it to be something unique. I want to drink a local beer, eat something fresh. I crave an EXPERIENCE — not a corporate, cookie-cutter Saturday night.
As sites like Hulu and mailing services like Netflix continue to gain influence and technology, the immersive movie-watching adventure is the future of watching cinema in a public environment. Show me something new or weird and make it an adventure. 3D could be a part of this future. Although I watched Avatar in 3D for the campy experience, not because I actually took the film or the technology seriously. Still, I admit it: It was a fun ride. Don’t tell anyone, ok?
Cable TV and the Jump to Hulu
Sage | May 20th, 2010
A lot of people did not switch to digital cable and are now turning to sites like Hulu for free syndicated shows. Hulu could very well be the future of TV. The fantastic thing about it is the fact that we don’t have to pay for it. If Hulu switched to a subscription or pay-per-view model, I would not be willing to pay for it, that’s for sure. In fact, the main reason I don’t subscribe to cable is the cost.
As for 3-D, it is not something I think about very often. The last time I watched a 3-D movie, it was Captain Eo at Disneyland. I’d enjoy the experience, but it’s not a priority to me.
Increasing Cinema Ad Placement
Sage | May 20th, 2010
I believe the cinema experience will become increasingly expensive for viewers. I think there will be much more brand advertising during the preview section of the movie. The last movie I went to had more ads than I have ever seen before a film. Even a rented DVD now comes with more product ads than ever before. There will always be marketers clamoring to advertise with the next big blockbuster, and theaters will always be filled with captive audiences. I think 3-D technology will be used more often in an attempt to dazzle the average, bored American viewer, but I am not sure it will work.
The Real Celebrities
Sage | May 20th, 2010
Celebrities in our culture are typically pop music stars, models, actors and the wealthy. I don’t know too much about celebrity news these days, but what I do know I hear from someone else. I used to check Perez Hilton.com for celebrity gossip, but I began to feel that it was either too gushy or too mean, so I stopped reading.
Also, I’ve never really cared too much about the scandals of sad little rich girls and boys. The real celebrities are the people making progress towards cures for life-threatening diseases, a solution to global warming, and the technology to provide clean drinking water to people all over the world. This sort of ‘real’ element is lacking in celebrity media coverage today as our ‘stars’ are increasingly unreachable people placed on pedestals, people who are on a plane high above the common man.
This of course makes us even less interested in their goings-on since we cannot identify with them in any way. Their status inherently creates this wall, a clear distinction between us and them.
Personally, I’d rather read a blog about real celebrities, people who are making the world a better place.
3-D RPGs, Idle Games and the Facebook Vampire
Sage | May 20th, 2010
I think gaming could become more interactive between two real people playing virtual chess or poker with one another online, but maybe for real prizes. I also think that the advancement of graphics and 3-D technology will continue to mesmerize and attract the consumer in RPGs (role-playing games in which there is a lead character).
For some, the convenience of being able to download a game on a smartphone or mobile device might allow the pass-time of playing video games to trump reading books or magazines as activities done during time otherwise spent idle (for example, in a doctor’s office lobby or at a subway platform).
Also, Facebook is as big a game as anything else. Some people collect friends, try to garner responses by saying something shocking as a status update, or leave a status update as an open-ended question, attempting to force a response from their network of friends. The next step is to either deal with people in the real world or not at all. Facebook is a time Vampire.
Technology; Distraction or Aid?
Sage | May 20th, 2010
I see a lot of people who are supposed to be ‘at work,’ but they’re actually spending time on their iPhones, instant messenger programs and social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. They are also often spending their work time conducting telephone interviews, postings their resumes, and emailing or texting hiring managers at other organizations. A computer with internet access can make it seem like a person is ‘working’ or doing something for the benefit of their employer when they’re actually conducting personal business.
On the other hand, certain technologies can help an employee be more productive. Music often helps people focus, so an mp3 player might be a very useful tool in helping a person pay more attention to the task at hand. An untethered device (like the iPad) can be useful for a task like finding information. Unfortunately, these devices are as much a means for distraction from productive activity as they are a work aid.