*notcot - 04.14.08 , 18:44 -

RED Scarlet

scarlet.jpgThere has been much talk of NOTCOT TV… actually scratch that… by *talk* i mean *pressure*. And we’re definitely interested, but keep in mine we’re 2 people running 4 sites, with help from a tiny handful of part timers who help when they can. If you asked me what i’d be doing now, three years ago, this wouldn’t have even been in my realm of possibilities! BUT, that being said, i’ve been buzzing with ideas, just not the time/resources to pull it off quite yet… and when i saw the new Red Scarlet “pocket professional” camera that got announced at NAB 2008, i couldn’t help but drool a little. Before even getting to the insane guts this thing has, the aesthetic alone is drool worthy…

As Engadget describes “The teensy 3K resolution camcorder is based on a 2 / 3-inch Mysterium X sensor, can shoot at 1 to 120 FPS and records to dual CompactFlash cards, which can handle up to 100MB per second of REDCODE RAW HD video. You can preview your shot on the 4.8-inch LCD, and there’s a 8x RED zoom lens included. HMDI, HD-SDI, FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 inputs are built in, and the device is compatible with “many” RED ONE accessories. WiFi control is also included.” - and it has still mode too!

NO Pre-orders, and it’s supposedly going to be just under $3,000, slated for early 2009… So i’m sayin’ it right now, if somehow people manage to get one of these in my hands to play with, i will make NOTCOT videos happen, and they will be fun and quite probably quite unlike what you’re used to seeing in podcasts today. (Notice how i’m basically not promising you video until earliest 2009? I guess i’d better start brushing up on my final cut now… and/or looking for people to work on this potential new project…)

More pics to drool over after the jump as usual…

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*notcot - 04.11.08 , 20:01 -

Courvoisier + LRG iphone, etc

lrgmain.jpgOn collabs i didn’t see coming… Courvoisier is going all out on their new Exclusif Cognac! Including a multi-city tour (LA, SF, Houston, Miami, NY) this spring to show off an exclusive line designed by urban/skate brand LRG, inspired by Courvoisier… including a Napoleon Rubberband Jacket.

Ok, but seriously, we both know that’s not why i’m posting this. What grabbed me is that they even customized some limited edition gadgetry - iPhones, Blackberries, and iPods to be specific, and i’m surprised, but i’m kind of loving the the napoleonic/spy logo thing thats going on, and while orange isn’t usually my color, this shade is kind of interesting on electronics… check out more sneak peeks after the jump!

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*notcot - , 03:50 -

Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People

strongbadg1.jpgWiiWare!!! Coming in June ~ Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People! As you can tell, i’m pretty excited about this one… can you believe Home Star Runner has been running for 8 years now?!?! Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

SAN RAFAEL, CA, April 10, 2008 - Interactive entertainment pioneer Telltale, Inc. is pleased to announce Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People (SBCG4AP), a new series of episodic games for WiiWare™, in partnership with Videlectrix. Starring Strong Bad, the self-proclaimed coolest person ever, the series is based on Matt and Mike Chapman’s online animated series, which has been running at Homestarrunner.com since 2000. SBCG4AP will launch on WiiWare this June.
As the very first episodic series for connected consoles, Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People has been designed specifically for WiiWare, with easy-to-use controls and WiiConnect24™ features. Like Telltale’s popular Sam & Max series, SBCG4AP will be released as a five-episode “season” akin to a season of television. The episodes will come out on a monthly schedule. Release dates and pricing details will be revealed in a future announcement.

But the exciting part for today… the launch of the video trailer… and the “well paid advertisement” flash strong bad email! via the wonderful 4 Color Rebellion!

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*notcot - 04.09.08 , 20:55 -

Anthro eNook vs IKEA PS

enookikea.jpgBack in October of 2005, I wrote about Anthro’s new eNook, a thin, wall mounted laptop/charging hideaway… it was a brilliant idea, but with a $399 price tag, it was a bit steep to prioritize over buying a proper desk or chair… Well today i noticed that three years later Ikea has jumped on the design (oh ikea, *shakes head*), and in standard Ikea fashion, they moved the decimal point to $39. Far more tempting isn’t it? And while i don’t condone copying… at that price it is tempting to organize tech charging into a hidden box on the wall… See further comparison imagery below!

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*notcot - 04.07.08 , 17:17 -

Portal: Bondage + Assisted Suicide?

glados.jpgARGH, does anyone else still get the Portal song stuck in their head? If not, feel free to see the video after the jump and see if it buries itself in there for you too. Game play, addictive music, the awesomeness of portals to pop in and out of… put that all aside. Kotaku pointed out this insightful analysis (and imagery!) over at Game-ism… where he (with the enlightening assistance of his wife) visually analyzes GlaDOS in Portal, and as even you can see in the images, she’s pretty much tied up and hanging upside down taunting you endless throughout the game… until you “free” her… and he ventures into theories that you are being trained to accomplish her assisted suicide?

The second time I played through I turned the director commentary on, and got confirmation by way of a description of the things they attempted to make GlaDOS look like as they were making the game. What turned the light bulb on was the line “Botticelli’s Venus hanging upside down, but we decided to go with something else and use some feminine lines within the structure.” I’m paraphrasing; it’s late and I don’t feel like booting up the game again to get the quote exactly right. The spirit is there in the paraphrase, though, because I think they went for something much more sinister than a Venus.

In a follow up post, he even completely dissects the SONG lyrics! Using this to further back up the assisted suicide concept. I feel silly, but beyond gameplay, its fascinating to see the artists rendering of how he views her, as well as reading all of this analysis of what is so easy to just play and ignore.

Portal ending credits and closing song by Jonathan Coulton embedded after the jump for your viewing pleasure.

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*notcot - 03.28.08 , 11:30 -

Blackberry 9000… PSP+iPhone?

blackberry9000.jpgOver at Engadget Mobile, they’ve gotten their hands on one of the future Blackberries… the elusive 9000! Which looks like a blackberry that got with an iphone and a PSP… this chimera has the body of the iPhone, the glossy ui of the PSP, and the brain of a Blackberry… with a very impressive result that makes me slightly sad when i look at my new curve now.

Basically the exterior design seems very iphone like with its sleek black face and chromed out edge… and the simple white on black icons (down to the style) and the way they glow is much like those sexy infographics seen on the PSP and PS3… does that wavy wallpaper seem very sony/apple as well? See some of the images of the slick UI after the jump, as well as a video… i can’t wait. i’m drooling already.

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*notcot - 03.10.08 , 16:29 -

Amazon Kindle Unboxing!

kindlemain.jpgBlame the Kindle for the extra quiet Monday as far as posts go. This unexpected new toy showed up on the doorstep this morning, and i’ve been a bit distracted since. In all honesty, as far as first impressions go… i LOVE the packaging and use of playful typography and book like packaging… as well as using the same patterns on the non-slip rubbery back of the kindle itself. As for using the actual Kindle to read books/newspapers/blogs/wikipedia… i was skeptical, never figured it was for me. But, i’m kind of hooked. Unlike the Zune experience, this worked like a breeze out of the box. Finds its connection, lets me scroll around, even give me a little intro/walkthrough as one of the first files to check out… and the readability of the screen is SO nice on the eyes… (i’m *this* close to getting a new macbook pro and ditching this current one to go back to a matte screen before they get rid of them all)… flipping pages is a such a nice gesture, and i’m in love with the mirrored little scroller squares. I know i’m a bit late to the game on this one, but check out the pics after the jump to see how nicely done the packaging is!

So far, i have impulse bought the new Sophie Kinsella book Remember Me (embarrassing as it is, i’ll admit it, i read a few of those Shopaholic books on the beach while on post-uni euro trips) to try out, and have been surprised how quickly i’ve been flying through the pages between working on the laptop today and taking calls on the pearl (this may be terrible for multitasking!)… i am also trying out the WSJ and NYTimes subscriptions, but so far it feels a bit too RSS like for my tastes, and i think newspapers are still most fun in print for me, but this is definitely nice to slip in the purse. And of course… i’ve browsed the NOTCOTs on the web browser, and while we’re not the best optimized for advanced kindle rendering… in default mode its not half bad! Also tried browsing gmail a little…. anyhow, check out the unboxing pics below, probably more to come on this new toy later…

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*notcot - 03.04.08 , 12:38 -

Incase MacBook Pro Hardshell

hardshell.jpgIncase sent over a MacBook Pro Hardshell case in Plum a few weeks ago (i spaced, and the pics of this review got momentarily lost in the pending MT posts, apologies!) ~ if you recall, it was in that gorgeous press kit! So below you can check out pics of it in person (and how nicely my NOTCOT sticker subtly shows through!) as well as images and info from the catalog of this *coming soon* case. Currently only the Incase Hardshell cases for Macbooks are available on their site. Additionally there is a video walkthrough from Incase on how to properly put one on! See all the details below.

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*notcot - 03.01.08 , 16:58 -

Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition

GTAstuff.jpgGrand Theft Auto IV Special Edition comes with lots of fun schwag - Special Edition is presented in a customized Grand Theft Auto metal safety deposit box and contains Grand Theft Auto IV in special packaging, The Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book with never-before-seen production artwork, Selected Soundtrack CD with exclusive material to this release, Rockstar Keychain for the safety deposit box keys, and a Limited Edition Rockstar Duffel Bag And Amazon pre-orders also get a free Liberty City GTA License Plate as well. Retailing at $89 and releasing on April 29, 2008 for the PS3 (and the 360). I impulse bought my PS2 specifically for GTA back in college… and now i’m extremely tempted to impulse buy another PS3 (the first one i bought i left for my ex)… although perhaps its worth holding out for the super slim PS3 to come? Trailer videos below!

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*notcot - 02.25.08 , 09:28 -

Adobe Light-Field Camera

adobecam.jpg I think i nearly drooled on my keyboard reading about this Adobe Light-Field Camera. I am by no means a traditional (or even a good) photographer. I know i’d be no where without Photoshop, playful compositions, and a fancy camera. As a product of my technology, i am sitting here dreaming about what could be done if each image could contain 19 different depths of field… a magical adobe “focus brush” that would paint using the seemlessly morphing interstitial images the software already created from all the image data. Watch the video after the jump.

Seriously this fly-eye lens capturing multiple perspectives and instantly being able to process all the various pieces of data completely changes the possibilities of not only photo-editing, but HOW we perceive photography and imagery… ok, i’m giddy for the day. See more images and the video below!

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*notcot - 02.18.08 , 18:24 -

iHole of Scot Hampton

ihole.jpgiHole… yes, someone has gone and done it - made use of that gorgeous iPhone box and turned it into a camera! Scot Hampton announced “the world’s first iHole™; the revolutionary analog photographic device constructed from the recycled packaging of digital technology.” (i wonder if he really trademarked that?) on his blog Feb 13th… see more of the fun pics after the jump. He suddenly has me overflowing with silly homemade cameras from recycled packaging ideas… like a collection of portraits of products as taken by their packaging?

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*notcot - 02.15.08 , 15:28 -

Incase Press Kit

incasepk0.jpgIncase: A better experience through good design. The UPS and FedEx guys always seem to make my day. Today it was the delivery of the Incase press kit that has my love of packaging design gushing. With a tagline like “a better experience through good design”, you would think it would be hard to live up to… but apparently not, from the time i sliced the tape open on the box they continued to surprise me with impressively high quality new products for 2008, incredible attention to detail in the catalog/boxes/design, extremely efficient use of space, and ultimately the whole press kit experience was like a designer’s babuska doll of surprises. So come unbox it with me in the photos after the jump! And more to come on the incredible macbook pro hardshell case soon…

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*notcot - 02.07.08 , 11:57 -

Oscar Motorola ROKR E8

motopage.jpgOoooh fun packaging for the personalized Motorola ROKR E8’s going to Oscar nominees. “Each nominee received their ROKR E8 in a personalized, custom-made box. Keeping up with the latest red carpet trends, the ROKR E8 arrived encased in a keepsake box wrapped in an iridescent faux iguana print with a contrasting, yet complimentary, textured inside. Female nominees received a fashionable fuchsia colored box (with a rose pink interior), while the male nominees received a handsome cobalt colored blue (with a dusty blue interior) box. Each box was personalized with the nominee’s name and category.” Not so sure about the “faux iguana” thing… (but i’m biased i do miss my childhood iguana that grew from about 6” to 6’) Check out more on the press release! And congrats to Ellen Page and Johnny Depp! via Laura Sweet

*notcot - 01.31.08 , 23:18 -

Working Class Heroes Unfold

unfold1.jpgSneak peeks from the latest from the Working Class Heroes which will be available Feb 4th… introducing the Unfold laptop bag. This new “premium cognac leather”/”washed slate cotton canvas” combo will be perfectly filled with a 17” macbook pro, but when using a smaller laptop (macbook air?), it takes a cue from the trendy Foley and Corinna style city totes you can easily have it folded in half to more of a messenger bag proportion. With “comfy handles and a reinforced shoulder strap, the bag is also padded with a protective layer to keep whatever you carry safe”. Its interior is a soft cotton lining with small leather logo. See more images of the Unfold after the jump!

Seem familiar? Working Class Heroes has been previously seen on NOTCOT and the gift guide due to my obsession with their brilliantly designed grey wool felt and leather laptop sleeves i have two of.

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*notcot - 01.30.08 , 17:25 -

Not Your Usual Zune Review

zune1.jpgSecret: after CES, i kind of wanted to love the Zune. Well i got curious enough to want to play with one at least… they’ve been doing great things with the arts community (i really do love those crazy Zune Arts animations - and their artist collaborations for Zune designs are fun), they’ve been supporters of NOTCOT with advertising, and the packaging/design details/UI were intriguing… i really do like the font they use on their main interface, and the way it glows as you scroll around! But sadly, much like the ratings option they give you… i’m going to have to rate the experience so far with a ‘broken-heart’… i’m not even sure what that means? Is it that i no longer love the song? Basically i’m completely behind on posts today b/c i had to delve into the painful world of windows - which for this Zune i actually tried to give a second chance. I blew through one dell xp laptop, and had to move on to a tiny sony vista machine before i was able to even get it to let me play a song. Anyhow, more on all of that below… but while i spent ages installing, etc, i fell in love with the design details and packaging… particularly the Zune Premium Headphones. See many pics of the packaging and headphone details ~ as well as the CES Zune section with all the artists pieces up after the jump!!!

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