What if your car was a robot like in the movie Transformers? Sounds cool right? ...or is it?

In Michael Bay's movie version of Transformers, Shia LaBeouf has to deal with giant robots walking all over his mom's garden and backyard. When you are busy saving the world, who cares about a garden. But how well do Transformers fit into everyday life?

What if you had a transforming car that you drove to work everyday? Would it act like this in front of your coworkers? Car manufacturer, Chevy, answers those questions with this clever commercial. [watch clip]








methodshop

Labels: video

Ever play one of those Lucky Dip or "claw" games before? It's a game of chance commonly found in arcades or family restaurants. You use a joystick to maneuver a claw into position and then drop it and hope the claw grabs a prize. As a child, you probably wished you could reach your hand inside the machine and grab the toy you wanted right? Well this Australian kid managed to not only slip his hand inside... but his entire body.

When the kid dug his way to the surface of all the stuffed animals he must have been excited. But that joy obviously turned to horror we he realized he was trapped. As you can see from the video, the kid is obviously terrified. Here's a video of the claw incident from Australia's Channel 9 news.












In the video, the reporter says security staff had to "dismantle" the Lucky Dip to get the boy out. Actually that statement was a little over-hyped. To "dismantle" the machine, all the security staff did was use a key and open the glass window. After all, how do you think they put more prizes inside the Lucky Dip? Have a little boy crawl in with a sack of stuffed animals?.


methodshop

Labels: offbeat, video

What happens when a friendly pole dancing lesson between two Belgium strippers goes wrong... well, probably something like this [video].




methodshop

Labels: video

This Canadian Global news reporter thought the bottom of a sledding hill was a great place to do his broadcast. He was wrong.

Watch the clip. After doing a full frontside flip and coming within inches of smashing his face, the guy finishes his report and professionally signs off.



Totally reminds me of the infamous Grapefall video when a Fox reporter falls off a platform while trying to smash grapes with her feet on live TV.

methodshop

Labels: video

Have you been "Rickrolled" yet?

1980s pop star Rick Astley is now making headlines again after years in obscurity thanks to millions of Web surfers being Rickrolled by pranksters. Webmasters and bloggers are purposely redirecting unsuspecting Internet users to a video of Astley performing his hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

How does a Rickroll work? It's basically a bait and switch. Let's say I make a link that says Sexy Paris Hilton Video and you click on it. Instead of actually seeing Paris Hilton, you'd be directed to a Rick Astley music video. That's a "Rick Roll".

Tuesday YouTube decided to get in on the joke. Several links on the YouTube homepage purposely "Rick Rolled" users. Why? Tuesday just happened to be April Fools’ Day.

The act of Rickrolling has even evolved beyond cyberspace. Pawl Fisher, a student at Eastern Washington University (EWU), recently "Rick Rolled" a March basketball game at his school. Pawl actually taped parts of the video before the game and edited in some game footage. So he didn't actually stop a game in progress. But it's still really funny. Here's the clip:





So what has this done to Astley’s record sales? They are way up. Even his iTunes sales are up. His record label is trying to get a re-release of Astley greatest hits album out not only to keep up with demand but to obviously cash in on the Rickrolling craze. Astley recently spoke to the LA Times and called the phenomena "bizarre" and only hopes that his daughter receives no embarrassment over it.

Personally I think it's one of greatest phenomena ever to sweep the Internet. By the way, the error page for MethodShop is a "Rickroll".

So the next time you randomly click on a link and see a short guy with red hair wearing a black shirt and a tan trench-coat singing... congratulations, you've been Rickrolled.


methodshop | youtube

Labels: internet, video

As computers get faster, they get hotter. Hardware manufactures do their best to cool things down like adding heatsyncs and small fans to internal components, likes high-end video cards and processor upgrades. But eventually heat will become an issue and you'll have to try reducing heat by adding internal fans or some liquid cooled parts...

Or you could just submerge your entire computer inside an aquarium tank filled with mineral oil.

I'm not kidding. You seriously have to see this video to believe it. The guys at Puget Custom Computers actually assemble a computer inside an aquarium and then fill it with mineral oil. Not only does the PC look stylish, but heat no longer becomes an issue because the entire computer is liquid cooled! They call it Mineral Oil Submersion Cooling.

There's a surprise at the end of the video. I won't spoil it. You'll just have to watch it and see.





If you want to copy this video off of YouTube and watch it on your iPhone or Apple TV then check out this tutorial: How to Copy Files Off YouTube.


methodshop

Labels: tutorial, video

What happens when you combine OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) with a job that entails a monotonous daily routine... like delivering mail?

A "perfect storm" of weirdness.

Video: OCD Mailman



You'll probably laugh your ass off while watching this clip. Then afterwards feel sorry for the guy. I do.


methodshop

Labels: video

Everybody knows that the iPhone can make phone calls, play movies and music, surf the web, and a lot more. But will it blend?

There's a podcast called Will It Blend?. It's kind of silly. They promote blenders by putting random objects inside a blender and recording it in slow motion. So what happens when you turn on an iPhone and put it in a blender? Watch this video and find out.





methodshop

Labels: iphone, video

Hulu.com, the long-gestating Internet joint venture between NBC Universal and Fox, emerges from limited testing on Wednesday to make its catalog of TV shows and video clips available to anyone on the Web.

The streaming-video site displays free, ad-supported shows and feature films from NBC, Fox and more than 50 media companies, including Sony Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

On Wednesday, Hulu is also planning to announce that the Warner Brothers Television Group and Lionsgate will add content from their libraries. Hulu will also give sports fans highlights from N.B.A. and N.H.L. games, and full-length N.C.A.A. men’s basketball games from the last 25 years, the company said.

Hulu’s videos also appear on AOL, MSN, Comcast, MySpace and Yahoo. Over 5,000 Web sites have embedded clips from Hulu, the company said.

Hulu has so far failed to recruit two major television networks, ABC, a division of Walt Disney, and CBS. Jason Kilar, Hulu’s chief executive, said that he was still having regular conversations with executives at the two networks. But even without them, he said, the company has quadrupled the number of show titles in its library since testing began.

“We won’t stop until we have everything in terms of premium content. That is our mission,” he said. “I just think back to the fact that 24 months ago, there wasn’t anything online legally in terms of full TV episodes or films. In just 17 weeks, we have gone from nothing to over 200 premium titles.”

NBC Universal, a division of General Electric, and Fox, a division of the News Corporation, announced their joint venture to much fanfare nearly a year ago. The then-unnamed company was at first viewed skeptically by many in the industry as a desperate attempt to keep up with the Google’s YouTube, the dominant player in online video.

Recently, Hulu has received high marks from media and Web executives for creating an easy to use site with high-quality video and professional content attractive to advertisers.

Hulu has been in a password-protected testing period since October, but has slowly been inviting users to enter the site. Mr. Kilar said that more than five million viewers have watched Hulu videos in the last 30 days, and that 80 percent of the shows on the site are viewed at least once a week.

Hulu is experimenting with giving viewers a choice in advertising. During certain shows, viewers will be able to choose which commercial they want to watch — for example, whether they want to see an ad for Nissan’s Rogue S.U.V., Maxima sedan or Z sports car.

Some viewers will also be given the opportunity to watch a two-minute film preview before a TV show, and then skip all the other advertising breaks.

One challenge Hulu faces is building a predictable and stable library of content. To protect DVD and Web download sales, media companies often make TV shows and films available free on the Web for certain periods of time and then remove them. For example, there are 11 episodes of the TV show “24” on Hulu — beginning with episode 18 of the first season.

“If those episodes keep disappearing, they are going to have trouble getting people to go back and recommend TV shows on Hulu to their friends,” said Bobby Tulsiani, an analyst at JupiterResearch.
[Learn: NYTimes]

methodshop

Labels: internet, video

I found a very interesting video on bpmonaco.com today that shows how people in different regions of the world count money.

I never even thought that people counted money differently depending on where they are from. I guess we grow up watching other people counting money a certain way and then we get programmed to emulate what we see.





methodshop

Labels: internet, video

Olivia Munn, the foxy geek hostess from Attack of the Show (G4 TV) and Playboy Magazine (Feb 2007), is in a new viral YouTube video for Dell Computer called "IT Through The Decades."

The clip helps promote Dell's servers by poking fun at all the poor IT related decisions companies have made the past few decades (1978-2008). In the clip, Mike the IT guy suggests "new" technologies like databases and bar codes and gets made fun of by his colleagues.

Olivia doesn't have a ton of lines but she definitely adds some sex appeal to the YouTube clip. Warning: It's a little long (especially for a "viral" clip). Olivia fans will also probably get a kick out of seeing her dressed up in retro 70's and 80's outfits. You can save this clip off YouTube by following these instructions.





If you're looking for more Olivia Munn, just Google search her name. YouTube is full of clips of her doing things like riding a Hawaii Chair, seductively eating hotdogs and recovering from a baby oil slip. Too bad she's dating that turd biscuit Bryan Greenberg from One Tree Hill.

Video: IT Through The Decades - Olivia Munn



methodshop

Labels: internet, tech, video

If you're a gamer (particularly one with some history or if you just like retro items), take a look at the Classic Nintendo Themed TV Remote. It's actually a TV remote control. If you want some exercise than pressing buttons while seated on your couch, the Nerf Maverick is is next-gen Nerf gun (hit the link for a funny vid game-inspired video).

Onto the multimedia scene, there are at least two cool gadgets to check out – the Credit Card Size Digital Video Player and the return of M&K Sound. The former is a mini video player that has a 2.8-inch high resolution LCD multimedia player that lets you play video continuously for 4 hours or audio for 8 hours. M&K Sound is back! This is great news to all audiophile geeks, as this professional speaker manufacturer has bounced back into the market complete with new owners.

We also featured a coupple of reviews this week. First up is the Honestech's VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe which sounds just like its name, but essentially lets you take a video/audio signal from your VCR/camcorder/turntable/whatever and capture it on your computer for storage there or eventual burn to CD/DVD. No Starch press has put out a new edition of the book Hacking, The Art of Exploitation.

Are you a camper or a world traveler? Then the iStraw Emergency Water Filter is perfect when you need instant potable water on the go. The straw is created with several special micro-filters that can clean water and eliminate harmful organisms in it.

Amphibious cars were a novelty that you may have seen in 60s TV shows or James Bond movies, but the Rinspeed sQuba looks like it'll be a reality soon. Only question is how practical this really is.

Lastly, in case you haven't seen the news regarding the slew of unlimited cell phone plans, everyone including Sprint is in on it now too and Sprint may just have the best deal out there.

Source: Gizmos for Geeks

Labels: audio, autos, gadgets, games, toys, video

The Evolution of Dance is the most-viewed YouTube video ever. In the video, Judson Laipply, a motivational speaker, dances to a soundtrack that plays through various popular songs ranging from Elvis Presley to MC Hammer and Michael Jackson. As of February 2008, The Evolution of Dance has over 76 million views on YouTube, and is the most viewed video on the site.

Here's a parody of The Evolution of Dance performed by Optimus Prime from The Transformers called "The Evolution of Dance With Optimus Prime." Keep your eyes peeled for the subtle robotic crotch thrusts during YMCA. It might not be appropriate for younger Decepticons.



Gotta love the ending. Optimus Prime doesn't like the Macarena. He transforms and leaves the stage.

Surprisingly, this clip is not from the popular stop-animation comedy show Robotic Chicken. The guy who made it is named Patrick Boivin. Seth Green should give him a job.

methodshop

Labels: video

Got a few friends with iPhones and a Nintendo DS? Why not start an iBand like these guys.

Here's a clip from 5min.com (a YouTube ripoff) of a few guys jamming out using PocketGuitar and and iAno on their hacked iPhones. Both apps are available after Jailbreaking your iPhone and enabling Community Sources. But a bulk of the song is being performed by the Nintendo DS.

Their song kind of sounds like something Jimmy LaValle from Album Leaf would write.



gigamegater from Digg.com had a clever comment about this clip that made me laugh:

Me: Hey baby, I'm in an iBand, wanna get it on?
Groupie: Sorry I'm only into Guitar Heroes.

methodshop

Labels: iphone, video

Here’s a rare video clip from when Nirvana, then a relatively unknown band, played at Maxwell's in Hoboken NJ. Maxwell's is a cozy club/pub co-owned by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley. (Note: MethodShop is based in Hoboken).

At the time this video was recorded in 1989, Nirvana consisted of Jason Everman (guitar), Chad Channing (drums), Krist Novoselic (bass) and of course Kurt Cobain. Sorry ladies, Dave Grohl didn't join the band until 1990. Yes he was in Nirvana before the Foo Fighters. I'm always amazed how many people don't know that.

The video looks like it was digitized from an old VHS tape someone found in the bottom of a damp box in their basement. So don't expect much in the way quality.

The full clip is about 10 minutes long and begins with the camera man taping their journey from Manhattan to Hoboken on the Path train. Check out the people on the train. Gotta love those giant greasy late 80's hair styles. Even Kurt Cobain had giant hair at the time. You might recognize some of Nirvana's future hit songs like "About A Girl" towards the end of the clip.



The camera is really close to the stage a gets some good shots of Kurt and the rest of the band. Like I mentioned above, Maxwell's is "cozy" meaning small. To get a better feel of how big Maxwell's is, watch Bruce Springsteen's 1985 video for "Glory Days." The bar scenes were shot at Maxwell's.

Personally I'm not a huge Nirvana fan. I'll take Alice In Chains or Mudhoney any day over Nirvana. But you have to respect them. Since Nirvana's debut, the band has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Hey, someone has to pay for all of Courtney Love's plastic surgery.


methodshop

Labels: music, video

The U.S. podcasting audience reached 18.5 million in 2007, according to eMarketer and was projected to top 65 million by 2012 with 25 million listeners downloading one or more podcasts a week.

Ad spending on podcasts in the U.S. is also expected to creep up, from $165 million in 2007 to $435 million in 2012.

Major podcasting networks like Revision3 are growing with the medium's success by revamping their websites and adding new programming.

If you're not already a podcast consumer, then check out the podcast section in iTunes. There's a lot of great stuff from tech shows to yoga workouts. And they are all free. I usually watch 5-10 podcasts a day on either my iPod Touch or Apple TV. Makes the bus ride to work much more enjoyable.



Here are a few favorites:

• Diggnation - weekly rundown of the front page stories on Digg.com
• Tiki Bar TV - drinking games
• Unboxing Live - take a new gadget, and open it up while the camera is rolling
• Midwest Teen Sex Show - explores topics concerning teen sexuality from gym class to syphilis
  
• The Totally Rad Show - movie, comic books and game reviews
• Make Podcast - how to tweak, hack, and bend technology any way you want
• Play Value - the history of video games.
• NBC Nightly News - the full TV broadcast sans commercials
  

methodshop

Labels: internet, podcasting, video

On a cold Saturday morning in January, a flash mob of Improv Everywhere Agents descended on New York City's Grand Central train station and left the entire concourse in a state of complete confusion.

Flash Mob - a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief period of time, then quickly disperse.

What did they do that had everyone so confused? This flash mob of 200+ people suddenly froze in place at the exact same second for 5 minutes in the Main Concourse of Grand Central Station. The frozen poses ranged from people tying their shoes and eating to someone who just dropped a stack of papers. Everyone from tourists to cops stopped in amazement to try to figure out what was happening around them.



My favorite part is the guy trying to drive his garbage cart. He sounds like such a baby when he gets on his radio to call for help.

{Beep} {Beep} {Beep}
"My cart is stuck. People are standing still.
{Sob}
"I need help."

If the video above doesn't load, you can view it here.

Labels: video