metastential.com » excellence

Thank You Facebook Song

Derek Phillips — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:37:51 +0000

Wow, where to begin? Um, this is a music video thanking Facebook, for…um…being Facebook? Dedicated on the day of the social network’s IPO, this song and video have to be heard and seen to be believed. “We Are the World” it ain’t.

Learn more on their dedicated Facebook page, natch.

Ignore Hitler!

Derek Phillips — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:11:56 +0000

We all know how hard it is to not think about something after that something has been mentioned. Think: Pink Elephants. Now, don’t think about Pink Elephants! Impossible, isn’t it?

Now imagine being told not to think about the most notorious, evil, iconic figure of the 20^th Century…as part of a game. It’s twisted, it’s brilliant, it’s hilarious. Now, ignore Hitler.

Indian Dub Step

Derek Phillips — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:01:40 +0000

Two brothers lay down some crazy-ass choreography in this short dub step clip. Regardless of whether you like dub step as a musical genre, this is worth watching.

John Goodman’s Face on Anime Girls

Derek Phillips — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:14:49 +0000

Because our previous post on the faces of Walter Sobchek continues to be our top traffic driver (because you’re out of your element, Donny!); Because Photoshop memes are our faves; and because—yes—John Goodman is beautiful…

We give you: johngoodmansfaceonanimegirls.tumblr.com

Robot, by Jim Henson

Derek Phillips — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:15:00 +0000

When I was a kid my parents took my sister and I to Autoworld in Flint, Michigan. It was supposed to be an amusement park dedicated to educating the world on the importance and innovation of the auto industry. One of the first things visitors saw upon entering the complex was a robot that welcomed you to the “wonderful world of automated assembly,” which was transforming the way we built cars in America. I vividly remember my dad leaning down to whisper in my ear, “Yeah, and I wonder how the guys that’s putting out of work feel about it?”

In this hyper-connected technology age it’s hard to imagine a time when people were afraid of robots, but they were. We were. Maybe not afraid like we’re afraid of nuclear Armageddon, but there was certainly anxiety there and uncertainty in regard to who would be in control if and when the robots got as smart as their human masters.

That’s the theme of this short film created for The Bell System by Jim Henson in 1963 and unearthed by the AT&T Archives. While lacking in subtlety (spoiler alert: the robots NEED us!), it’s an early look at Henson’s ability to humanize objects and inject them with personality. It’s also a fascinating look at how the early tension between man and machine played into our cultural psyche.

Now please excuse me as I tweet this from my iPhone…

Walk Into the Light; All Are Welcome

Derek Phillips — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:00:45 +0000

I love that Jesse Rosten acknowledges right up front that this isn’t necessarily a practical solution or use for iPads. I mean, why must everything be practical? Sometimes innovation just is. The practicality of the invention sometimes comes later, with revisions and refinement. The saying is “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Practicality isn’t mentioned.

iPad Photoshoot from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

That all poses the question: if we are so focused on practicality and efficiency and function over form…are we missing out? Is there real value in simply creating—without reason or without application or without need? What might an experiment lead to? That we don’t know is what makes it exciting.

Via @gregory_geiger

Content Optimized: SOLD.

Tom Bennett — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:55:11 +0000

I love this for about a hundred reasons. Word Lens is a brand new App, with a very compelling value prop… but the real reason I fell for it immediately is the demo. Take a look- I want you to experience the discovery for yourself:

Okay, so why am I so into this? First of course, augmented reality is coming, and this is a fantastic early implementation that meets a need, right now. About a year ago, I worked on a huge pitch to a high-tech company who was selling a “reader” device with similar features, but here it is right on my mobile- now.

But the real reason is the demo. It is a beautiful example of content optimization for the Web. The features and benefits are self-evident, without any unnecessary language. This dog does tricks, without bullet points or disclaimers (are you listening Microsoft and Intel?) It came to me via Twitter (Thanks @semaphoria) and I bought it within 5 minutes. For me, a perfect example of Socially Optimized Content leading to revenue.

So okay, funny story though. I suspect this tool works better on printed text. I tried to be all romantic with the demo last night, and it didn’t do as well from the screen. I shot this….

and got this…
SCHOOLS SO HAPPY OF AXIS, YOU ARE TO MY WIFE JUDY YOU MASTER.
—Maybe I need to read the instructions.

Can’t Get There From Here

Derek Phillips — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:21:14 +0000

We love this sort of stuff.

1.Go to Google Maps 2) Click Get Directions 3) Type Japan as starting point 4) Type China as ending point 5) Go to # 43 on the direction.

We’re busting out our wetsuits.

Hat tip to Lil’ Kevin

Mental Health Break

Derek Phillips — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:37:06 +0000

I am having a great time watching this chick have a great time. I only have one question: Is she single?

Via The Daily Dish

Getting to the source of Viral

Tom Bennett — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:45:57 +0000

Props to Mashable, as they’ve put out what I consider to be some of the really good reasons why content becomes sharable. The whole joke about “Viral” went #meta a long time ago, but this time Dan Greenberg has put out some true human motivators that make the content art-form more worthy of a share. I am glad to see the world begin to move past linkbait into discussions of creative solutions that achieve both goals, connectivity and shareability. Worth a read. Go Dan!