Chris Ullrich dot net - Page 18 of 93 -

Google Glass Meets Beer Glass

Posted on March 15, 2013

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In honor of St. Patrick’s day (on Sunday, you drunks), some enterprising folks thought about what it would be like to use Google’s Glasses during the holiday. Naturally, they made a video. You can see that below.

In other news, I made another step towards responsible adulthood today. There was a lot of paperwork, phone calls and, unfortunately, some harsh language. But in the end, it all worked out and basically boiled down to writing a big check.

To be honest, it was the biggest one I’ve ever written. And yes, it hurt. . . But only a little.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to one and all. Yes, I think I’ll have a beer. I know I’ve earned it today.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GAd1QDcutc?rel=0&w=525&h=295]

Really Living With Less

Posted on March 12, 2013

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about reducing the amount of stuff I have. I’m guilty of accumulating a lot of things over the years, as many people are, but I’ve realized I can live with far less.

That doesn’t mean giving up everything, but it does mean trying to reduce what I have to the more like just the essentials. A good rule I’ve heard, and this may not be new to you, is that if you haven’t seen, used or played with something in a year, you should probably get rid of it.

I like the idea and am starting to consider many of the things I have in those terms. Of course, some people have really taken that idea to a whole new level.

I don’t know if I could live like this, but the concept and execution are still quite impressive.

[vimeo 55389782 w=525 h=295]

A Helpful Coffee Chart for a Tuesday

Posted on March 12, 2013

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In the interest of being helpful, I found this handy coffee chart that you can use to determine exactly what you’re drinking and, more to the point, what your drink consists of. Of course, if you like coffee as much as I do, you probably already know all of this.

Still, I kinda like it and it could be helpful, so there you go.

Shakespeare and Joss Whedon? Heck Yeah

Posted on March 8, 2013

Joss-Whedon-Much-Ado-About-Nothing

In truth, this is one film I really wanted to see at SXSW. Sadly, due to other commitments, I won’t be going to Austin this year. Next year for sure. Of course, I said that last year too, so yeah, who knows?

Anyway, Joss Whedon has made an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. It’s got a great cast including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese, Sean Maher, Reed Diamond, Clark Gregg and Tom Lenk, is in black and white and is based on one of my favorite plays. And yes, it’s Joss Whedon so I, of course, pay attention.

Anyway, here’s the trailer. Enjoy.

‘Before VFX’ Is Fascinating

Posted on March 7, 2013

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A couple days ago I posted a video showing some before and after visual effects shots from various TV shows and movies. Many people were surprised at the number of effects being used and also that, in many cases, effects were used at all.

Yeah, Hollywood likes to use visual effects to do almost anything these days. They do it a lot. To help illustrate just how much, a new website has sprung up showcasing what the author calls “The Canvas” of visual effects.

It’s a fascinating look at the “Before” shots in lots of famous movies including The Dark Knight, Twilight, Captain America, Kick-Ass, Avatar and a whole lot more. Plus, it gives you a greater appreciation for what the actors have to go through. Playing a big, emotional scene with a bunch of dots stuck to your face can’t be that easy.

Here’s a few of the “Before” pictures. Head over to the Before VFX website for a whole lot more.

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“Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl”

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“Kick-Ass”

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“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”

Some News and a New ‘Mad Men’ Promo

Posted on March 5, 2013

I have been extremely busy the last several days and as such, haven’t had much to say here. Rest assured I’ll be back in short order. In the meantime, check out this promo for the upcoming season of Mad Men.

It’s in black and white, so you know it’s gonna be classy. Also, see if you can spot any new faces in the mix. I bet you can.

Cheers.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I03g36sbU8Y?rel=0&w=525&h=295]

The Green Screen Is Your Friend

Posted on February 27, 2013

If you watch a lot of movies and TV as I do (and occasionally even make them), you’ve probably sometimes wondered “How did they do that”? Well, as you’ll see from this video, they “did that” with a lot of green screen and visual effects.

Visual effects is a huge part of Hollywood and the men and women who work in that industry should be recognized and rewarded as such. This is only a small fraction of the work they do each and every day.

Enjoy and try not to be too shocked.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clnozSXyF4k?rel=0&w=525&h=295]

Steve Jobs and ‘One More Thing’

Posted on February 26, 2013

CC Apple Macworld

I had the good fortune to be at several MacWorld Keynote events over the years, including the one in 2007 where Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone, so this video was a real treat for me. In it, the enterprising folks of YouTube’s Every Steve Jobs Video channel have compiled pretty much all of the times Steve Jobs had “one more thing” to share.

And his “one more thing” was usually pretty awesome. He would have been 58 this week. RIP Steve.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QQLyS0MnzM?rel=0&w=525&h=394]

Some Useful and Interesting Things For A Friday

Posted on February 22, 2013

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Hey, it’s Friday. Congrats, you made it through another week! I’ve had a fun week (more on that below) but, as usual, I’m glad it’s Friday and the week is over.

Although, knowing me as I do, I’m pretty sure I won’t be taking the whole weekend off or anything. Much too much to do, especially with the new project and knowing we’re going to be moving again in a few months.

But that’s later. Now, sit back, relax and enjoy another edition of Useful and Interesting Things.

• My pal Matt Raub and I are back doing a podcast for The Flickcast. I’m very happy about it and you can listen to the brand new episode which kicks off season two right here.

• Confused about who’s who and who’s related to who in the Star Wars universe? Perhaps this handy chart will help.

• I know, you’re still sometimes having trouble with well-known punctuation like the comma “,” or the semi-colon “;” but that hasn’t stopped some enterprising individuals from coming up with 8 new punctuation marks to surprise and delight you.

• Feeling anxious or nervous? Lifehacker has you covered on how to beat it. No, alcohol or other controlled substances are not involved, sorry.

• If you make coffee at home and ever do a Pour-Over, you need a Hario V60 Power Kettle. They rock and I’m using one pretty much every day.

• Angry, sad, happy, undecided, indifferent about the end of Downton Abbey season three? Perhaps these tidbits about season four will help you feel better/worse/whatever?

Finally, a here’s a little video I like to call Lego Michael Jackson. Coincidentally that’s pretty much what the person who made the video calls it too.

Plus, in case you haven’t seen it, here’s a little bit of Alison Brie and her freestyle rap skills. This video is here mostly so I can put a photo of her at the top of this post. Yes, she’s eating ice cream, so?

What, you don’t like ice cream or something?

[vimeo 60169112 w=525 h=395]