What is with Skype.com? Everyone is talking about it and I’m thinking it could possibly be the end of my horrible long distance nightmares. I’m told that it costs approximately $16 Canadian for 10 hours anywhere in North America and most of Europe. Nice. Not that I have anyone in Europe to call.
"Did you get a copy of the Memo?"
Lightsaber Effect in YOUR Own Movie
It’s a how-to guide for adding the famous Star Wars Light Saber effect into your own footage. Very cool effect and maybe something I’ll use this summer if I get the New Media Movie Making Camp job again.
(via BoingBoing)
Sandtastic
Here is an image that I took in Disney’s California Adventure a couple of years back (December 2002).
The reason I bring it up is because I stumbled upon some more great images of sand sculptures. Their webpage could use a revamp, but the images are great.
Hitchhiker Trailer
It’s an, as of yet, unreleased Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Trailer. Looks cool.
(Via Waxy)
Update: To this day, I’ve never actually watched the movie but I love the books.
The True Story of Audion
Cool story about a two person company and their software that almost became iTunes.
Today is Free Mojtaba and Arash Day
From the Committee to Protect Bloggers comes Free Mojtaba and Arash Day.
“Free Mojtaba and Arash Day is a day set up by the Committee to Protect Bloggers to create awareness for two Iranian bloggers who are imprisoned in their country.”
Seeing as I have become more aware of Iranian culture through my old roommate and some new friends I made at school, not to mention the fact that I’m a pretty big fan of blogging, I thought it appropriate to give a little attention to my fellow bloggers in the Middle East.
Copyright Criminals
Excellent trailer for a CC-licensed documentary on sampling culture.
MSN Forcing Upgrade
A few days ago, when I tried to login to MSN an error message popped up explaining that “A newer version is available. You must install the newer version in order to continue. Would you like to do this now?”
I installed it, as I was forced to, but to my surprise the “newer version” was the same version I already had! Well whatever, it’s irritating but it’s no big deal — I guess. But what is irritating is that at school MSN asked me to upgrade again and this time I didn’t have admin priviledges so I couldn’t — now that’s frustrating.
I can’t wait for google to come up with an instant messaging program.
Update August 2005: Yay they have. Download Google Talk now!
"Vice presidents from Disney don’t contact just any old Joe Schmoe off the street."
After reading this Newsday.com (Updated link:) wdwmagic forum article about a scuba-diving dentist that claims Disney and Pixar Animation Studios stole the idea for the hit film “Finding Nemo” from him, I think he may have a case.
He claims he submitted an illustrated manuscript to Disney and talked on the phone about his story with a writer from Pixar. (The two companies have a distribution partnership.)
A Disney vice president told Sternberg in 1996 that although the story had “great potential,” it did not fit into the studio’s “development slate” at that time, according to the suit.
Seven years later, Sternberg was in a movie theater and saw a preview for the upcoming release of “Finding Nemo.”
“I thought, ‘Hey, I’m the scuba-diving dentist. Those are my characters, that’s my story,”‘ he told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Wednesday’s editions. “It made me sick to my stomach.”
One big similarity: Sternberg story has a character named “Nimo.”
The thing is, before he submitted his manuscript he signed a two-page waiver that said he would be entitled to only $500 if he were to claim that the company used his material without permission or authorization. His lawyer is asking the court to void that waiver.