3D YouTube Video

Cory “Mr. Safety” Williams, the YouTube professional who gained fame through the Mean Kitty video, continues to revolutionize the internet video world with a new 3D video.  With 3D becoming more and more popular (mostly thanks to Disney and Pixar), everyone is finding new ways to make it a part of their production.  Some television shows have done 3D episodes, and even the Grammys used 3D in one of the songs during the awards.  Now Cory Williams has made a short and simple music video in 3D on his YouTube channel.

There are different ways to watch the video.  If you have the red and blue 3D glasses you can use those, or you can use the “cross-eyed” method, which is how I watched.  It’s like looking at one of those magic eye pictures that used to be popular.  You slightly cross your eyes until the image on the left “moves” over to overlap the image on the right, making it 3D.

The video is pretty simple, but it’s nice to see someone trying to bring something different and interesting to YouTube.  Cory Williams is always trying new approaches to keep people interested in his online videos.  You can view more of his videos and subscribe to his channel here.

Note: If you do use the red and blue glasses to watch the video you will need to double click on the video to go to the actual YouTube site and select the viewing method below the clip.

Regifting Robin

Regifting Robin can read your mind…she can figure out which item you choose every time.  Follow the instructions on the first page, then find your item, and she will know what you chose.  It had me amazed for a while, but being the “need to know everything” sort of person that I am, I finally figured it out.

Can you figure out how Robin reads your mind?  Feel free to guess on the comments section, but if you get frustrated, I’ll post the answer in a few days, so come back and check.

http://www.regiftable.com/regiftingrobinpopup.html

Cold War Kids Interactive Music

One of my favorite bands, Cold War Kids, has found a unique way to premiere their new single, “I’ve Seen Enough.”  On MTV.com, they’ve released an interactive version of the song.  You can mute the different instruments or vocals to hear the song broken down into different parts.  Other aspects of the song can also be adjusted, which helps listeners to better understand what goes into the production of a song.  It allows us to see the song more as a musician would see it, with all the pieces fitting together to make one full track.

Cold War Kids’ newest album which contains “I’ve Seen Enough” is called Loyalty to Loyalty and was released in September 2008.  It’s an amazing album, a great follow up to their 2006 album Robbers & Cowards.  Cold War Kids have a very distinct sound, and they’ve really begun to pick up a larger fan base with this new album.  Getting exposure from MTV is definitely going to help, and the interactive music is something that you can expect other artists to begin to pick up on.

Click here to visit the interactive song on MTV: “I’ve Seen Enough”

Click Read More to hear the singles from Loyalty to Loyalty.
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Blerping All Over The Web

Now that you’ve finally learned what “tweeting” is, it’s time to discover the next step up: “blerping.”  Blerp.com is the newest social networking site to hit the web, and soon it will be the one everyone is talking about.  Blerp takes ideas from Twitter, Facebook, and other sites and has transformed them into an informational and social based site where users can share opinions and ideas about everything on the web.

After setting up a profile on Blerp, you can go to any website through the Blerp search bar.  On the left hand side of your screen, there will be a section where you can start discussions, post opinions, or ask questions of other users about the site’s content.  You can even post links to YouTube videos, Flickr photos, and other sites to enhance your discussion.  You can also add other Blerp users as friends and follow their “blerps” in real time.  Have debates about serious issues, or just discuss your favorite celebrity’s latest fashion disaster.  You direct Blerp to your own specific interests and go from there.

“Blerp liberates the web,” says Steven Hoffman, CEO of RocketOn, the San Fransisco based company that is launching the site.  “It hands the web over to the users and lets everyone start discussions wherever and however they please.”

I’ve been using Blerp for a few weeks now, and I’ve found it to be easy to use and fun.  It’s nice to be able to actually get involved with the things I find on the web instead of just looking at them.  And hearing other people’s opinions on different topics gives you new views that you never would have heard otherwise.

You can also use Blerp to promote your own sites.  Start discussions about your new website or blog and get people involved.  Show people your favorite places on the web and find out what they think.  There are many options with Blerp and you choose how you want to use it.  Some people just use it for fun, others use it as a promotional or networking tool.  I use it for both.

The site is completely free and doesn’t require you to download anything to use it.  Browse the site and then sign up for your own profile at Blerp.com and make sure to add me as a friend (my username is sydoz).  Feel free to join in the blerping about CulturePopped!

Click Read More to watch a short video explaining a bit more about Blerp.

www.blerp.com

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Texts From Last Night

“Remember that text you shouldn’t have sent last night?  We do.”

Sometimes the best part about going out is laughing at your friends the next day.  The pictures, the stories, and the dreaded text messages.  Texts From Last Night is a site where you can post those embarrassing texts for everyone to see.  The messages are all anonymous, just posted with the area code.  So it’s safe to post and also fun to click on your area code and see what people in your area have been up to.  Because when text messages like this happen…

(508): hdsncx Gizmo asnqw toilet blanasdi
(214): ok, stay where you are, be there soon

…sometimes you just have to share it.

http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/

[Thanks to Andrew!]

Pick the Perp

Test your CSI skills on the Pick the Perp site.  A crime is listed at the top and you have 5 mug shots to choose from as to which pretty face committed the crime.  I discovered I would be a pretty good cop — at least I would if I could base the whole case on who had the creepiest face.  I can definitely tell a meth dealer from a reckless driver.  Unfortunately I also did this at about 1am before I went to bed, and my dreams were full of drug deals and murderers lingering around.  I’d recommend a nice afternoon edition instead.

http://picktheperp.com/

Nature Up Close

The Hancock Wildlife Foundation in Canada has set up a live webcam to watch a nest where a pair of bald eagles have created a family.  The live cam allows you to watch the babies grow, chirp for food, and be cared for by their parents.  It’s a rare glimpse into the life of an animal we hardly ever get to observe in its natural habitat.

I never thought I could be so fascinated just watching baby eagles all day, but I think I’m becoming attached to the little family.

The Hancock Wildlife Foundation has set up these live cams in the hope of educating people about animals they may not normally have a chance to understand.  It gives everyone a chance to experience the life and habitat of amazing creatures without disturbing them.  Hopefully this will bring more understanding and support to the preservation of wildlife and their environments.  The Foundation’s mission is “to promote the conservation of wildlife and its habitats through science, education, and stewardship.”

You can watch the live camera feed at the top of this article or by going to the website here: Hancock Wildlife Eagles

Also check out some of the other webcams available from Hancock Wildlife here: Hancock Wildlife

“Don’t Miss A Beat” Music Video Challenge

Interscope Records has developed an interactive music video challenge on YouTube.  Starting with Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” video and going through 14 others, you watch about 25 seconds of the video and then a question about the video pops up.  If you answer it correctly, it automatically takes you to the next video.  If you answer incorrectly you have the option to try again.  Each level asks a more detailed question than the last.

It’s a fun game, and it uses some of the most popular artists of today such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Soldier Boy, and Lady Gaga of course.  The fact that Lady Gaga was the first video is what sucked me in, but then the game ended up being really entertaining.  Even if you’re not familiar with the songs it’s easy to play.  I only made it to the 4th video before I missed one…how far can you get?

Dreams of Flying

Photographer Jan von Holleben created his “Dreams of Flying” series in 2002 and has been adding to the photos ever since.  The photographs focus on imagination and childhood wonder, creating inspired, visual worlds with commonplace objects.  Holleben has created a unique style within his photos, with the worlds set up on the ground and the kids lying on them in action poses, combining an aspect of realism with imagination and fantasy.  The children in the photos are locals from his neighborhood in South West Germany.

Click here to visit Holleben’s site and see the Dreams of Flying series along with his other photographs: Jan von Holleben

Click Read More to see more examples of the Dreams of Flying photos.

[Thanks to Andrew!]

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ZooBorns: Animal Babies from Zoos Around the World

I love cute things.  Cute baby animals especially.  ZooBorns is my new favorite website for this reason.  Not only do they have pictures of cute and exotic animal babies from zoos and aquariums across the globe, but they also give information about the animals and keep you updated on their stories.

ZooBorns also has the animals in categories, so if you love otters, click on the “otters” link and it will show you all the otter stories.  You can also sort by zoo or aquarium, so you can see the stories about the animals at your local zoo or your favorite zoo across the world.  It’s a fun site that is also educational and helps to promote the well-being of animals.  Click here to check it out: ZooBorns

Since I’m from Cincinnati, I looked up the Cincinnati Zoo stories, and there was a great one about a baby cheetah and a Anatolian shepherd puppy becoming friends.  Tommy T the cheetah and Pow Wow the puppy were introduced when they were babies and have become good friends.  The site has some adorable pictures and this great video of their first meeting: