Few people have created entire industries out of thin-air. Certainly, inventors during the industrial revolution were busy, but many of their inventions didn't move the needle very far. Nolan Busnell knows how to capture people's excitement and enthusiasm and has turned it into new forms of entertainment and industry for more than 40 years. Read on for our interview w/Nolan Bushnell.
42 Entertainment is a media agency that creates immersive entertainment, with a major component being alternate reality games (ARG’s). They make sure to utilize the ways people use technology and the ways communities come together across the web. In collaboration with Trent Reznor, they are also the brilliant mind behind Nine Inch Nail’s ARG, Year Zero. Year Zero was a project that spanned the twelve months leading up to the release of the Nine Inch Nails album with the same name. The game told the story of a not so distant, bleak future of how the world might be fifteen years from now, and the audience had to piece the story together. Fans had to find fragments of this puzzle anywhere from music, concerts, venues, street art, merchandise, thumbnails, even bathrooms. They followed the clues to piece together the snapshot of what the future meant. All of this hard work paid off with a small, lucky group of fans, unbeknownst to them, participating in yet another piece of the puzzle, getting whisked off in a bus to see a private Nine Inch Nails show at a warehouse in Los Angeles. The main objective of this project was to bring the album to life. The idea was that if the user was having a great entertainment experience while participating, then they would not be concerned with having to complete the tasks, they simply would just want to get ahead in the story. With the increasing penetration in broadband and mobile technology, more people are willing to interact with their favorite entertainment properties. Also, since Year Zero is considered a concept album, they wanted to look at how they could use technology and media to explode the album into the everyday lives of participants and make them feel like they are part of the album. When asked what the biggest challenges were of this project, they stated, simply keeping up with all of the opportunities. For all you hard-core Nine Inch Nails fans out there or those hoping to catch a piece of the Year Zero action, the game is yet to be over!
Check out more about what 42 Entertainment is up to or the case study for Year Zero at 42Entertainment.com/YearZero.
Last week, I spoke with Vangard Voice Systems Inc. CEO Bob Bova on controlling devices with your voice. We talk about new solutions out there from other big players and how voice is the best interface for a lot of activities. Finally, Bob mentioned how Vangard was started and gives good advice on your own startups (HINT: Never, ever give up!).
The interview is a little over 20 minutes long and is a good listen, even if you know nothing about voice recognition. Bob knows his industry and is a compelling advocate with their technology and the direction they are headed. Soon we can dump these 'quant' keyboards and have a nice chat w/our computers on CRM, expense reports and emails, without lifting a finger.
One of my favorite quotes by the late Arthur C. Clarke is "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In computers, the ultimate, magical input interface has always been voice recognition (i.e. "A keyboard? How quaint!"). Vangard Voice Systems recently released their Mobile Voice Platform (MVP) and I will be talking to Vangard CEO Bob Bova on December 4th about voice recognition, how difficult it is to create a voice enabled application and how to get into your voice enabled car if you drank too much. Join us live next Thursday, December 4th at 11am PST.
The future of branding is all about creating an interactive experience, well, basically everywhere. Michael Fiore of boutique, creative agency, The Loyalty, Inc. is pushing this concept in the projects he takes on at his agency. They do more than the traditional agency in that they focus heavily on industrial design. What does all of this exactly mean? According to Fiore, they integrate branding in spaces such as at trade shows, baseball stadiums, and even airports.
One of their projects for Angels Stadium was to create a Budweiser patio that was truly a brand experience. They admit they are not architects and do not design as if they were. They understand the importance of designing from a branded perspective to target the consumer.
Other projects they have worked on include creating a Mattel’s Hot Wheels website for adults and an interactive presentation for the publicity department for Fox Home Video.
The traditional way of marketing is changing and The Loyalty, Inc. is hoping to take it to the next level with branded experiences.
Aivea SharePoint Training -SharePoint 2007 Power User Training
Please visit http://www.aivea.com/sharepoint-training.htm.com for more details and registration ... more details More >>
The Coffee Bean - 8140 HAVEN AVE SUITE 100, Rancho Cucamonga, CA - 91730
Details:
Introductions
Technical chatter
Businses Opportunities Roundtable
Source Demonstration Please email ideas for further agenda details to the organizer(s). More >>
Address:
5405 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Our upcoming meeting will focus on the effect of social media on the film industry.
We will cover:
* Digital distribution
* Social discovery
* Marketing/PR in this new landscape
* DRM
* Democratized content
* Opportunities for indies
* The importance and power of community
* Legal considerations
* And much more More >>
About:
Here's your chance to present an innovative project, service or technology to the larger LA Tech Community. Format:
Five people get five minutes to wow the crowd, followed by five minutes of More >>
http://lajug.org/
The Los Angeles Java Usersâ Group is an informal non-profit organization that serves the greater Los Angeles area community of Java developers and enthusiast. More >>
Screen Actors Guild - 5757 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA - 90036
Details:
Thanks to all who made it out to the very social November meetup at Barney�s Beanery. Next Wednesday, December 3, we are hosting another Hollywood Web Television Meetup at the Screen Actors Guild in Los Angeles� Miracle Mile. More >>
Earthbound Media Group - Headquarters - 14988 Sand Canyon Avenue, Studio 5, Irvine, CA - 92618
Details:
Mixergy is bringing together the tech community in Orange County thanks to Earthbound Media Group!
About Lunch 2.0:
It's a very casual event. Earthbound Media Group will provide lunch. We'll all get to chat and make new ... more details More >>
