Archive for August, 2008

How Passive Consumers Became Active Trollers

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

Take an hour out of your life and watch this important video. It’s an excellent overview of the evolution of new media’s impact on human interaction. It highlights the role that YouTube is playing in the development of Fan Fiction (a somewhat inaccurate yet my current preferred euphemism for User Generated Content). If you’re short on time, skip to the conclusion at 45:15 and listen to Lawrence Lessig’s take on the cultural inflection point that we have communally reached due to the connectivity and access provided to us through digital distribution.

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An Open Response to Gemini Division’s Brent Freidman

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Brent,

I expect that yesterday’s Gemini Division release was a highly anticipated and frenetic moment for you and the web-at-large and wanted to make sure that my message wasn’t misconstrued in the noise that surrounded it. (more…)

Why Gemini Division Disappoints

Monday, August 18th, 2008

It should go without saying, but don’t read this post if you’re not interested in my editorial opinion of Gemini Division’s first two episodes.

I just watched the first two episodes of Gemini Division, the much hyped Rosario Dawson online sci-fi series that launched today and is having its moment in the spotlight as web-series de jour.

Along with many folks, I had high hopes for Gemini. I saw it as a chance to move the ball forward for web video. On paper, the project looks strong: Rosario is a recognizable celebrity with digital and genre crowd street cred, Electric Farm is a production company with funding and previous online experience and NBC Digital is a major distributor with enough promotional muscle and presence to drive traffic where and when it desires.

Along with many folks, (update:more here, and in the comments on Hulu here), I’m disappointed with the first two episodes.  Here’s why: (more…)

Bernie Brillstein (1931 - 2008)

Friday, August 8th, 2008

Legendary Hollywood manager, producer, author, innovator and mentor, Bernie Brillstein (1931 – 2008) passed away last night.

He was 77.

Everyone at the Safran Company and Safran Digital extend their condolences to Bernie’s family and friends.

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How to Stream Porn on Your iPhone 3G and Why That Matters to the Business

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

The first real instance of the ubiquitous, mobile web on a consumer-friendly handset is the Apple iPhone 3G. It’s a game-changer and a technology market-mover. We all know that. But as we also know, what drives technology development and adoption more than anything else is porn. Just as users will always find ways to get their porn, smart technology companies will find ways to provide and monetize it.

But how does one find free porn video content on the new iPhone? You can’t find it on Youtube, which comes native as a featured applicaiton, and some of the better-known adult streaming sites like Youporn, Redtube, Eskimotube all serve their content for free, but in Flash video, which isn’t supported on the iPhone.

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