Open The Dialogue

Viacom Loses Copyright Case Against YouTube

Viacom lost a billion-dollar case against YouTube. It’s been ruled that YouTube is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) against copyright infringement. This is a huge success for internet users everywhere.

Smile-Activated Sundaes

SapientNitro and Unilever have created the first ever smile-activated ice cream vending machine. As if ice cream wasn’t reason enough to smile.

1.5 Million iPhones Sold on First Day

The internet has been buzzing with reports of the astounding amount of customers who lined up to purchase the iPhone 4 this week. The official reports are in and the iPhone sold 1.5 million phones on its launch day.

Controversial .XXX Domain Name Option for Porn Sites

The organization that oversees regristraions for the internet and domain names has decided to approve the .xxx TLD (top level domain) for pornographic websites. This is a move that has been criticized by many groups including both conservative activists and pornographers.

Maybe it’s because USA just won (by an amazing goal at the very end of the second half), but I’ve been all over the World Cup this past week.  From New Zealand’s amazing tie with Italy to USA winning Group C, you just can’t beat that.

Nike got tons of coverage and attention for creating the most viral video ever on YouTube (if by some chance you still haven’t seen it – check it out here), but I’m also loving the digital installation that they’ve created in South Africa.

Basically, Nike has created a huge LED display in Johannesburg, and Chalkbot style, is letting fans from around the world use social networks like Facebook to send messages for potential posting.

You can tweet your message to #NikeFuture for a chance for your message to be on of the 100/night that are broadcasted across the display.  Go for it.  And go #USA!

People use their iPads for various purposes, but most are pretty basic: word processing, email checking, photo uploading, and newspaper or magazine reading.  All of these tasks can be performed on a laptop or desktop, which is part of the reason why I had trouble understanding its purpose at first.  There are a handful of people, however, who really think “outside the box,” so to speak, and not just fiddle with the device, but come up with ways to use or hold it. Some for science, other for entertainment, but all of these variations are very clever.

In Italy, a multimedia exhibit was created in honor of the 20^th anniversary of Dolce & Gabbana’s menswear collection.  The walls of part of the exhibit were lined with iPads that displayed images from a new book “20 Years of Dolce & Gabbana for Men” that could be scrolled through by drawing a hand across the touch screen.

Other variations of ipod holders and stands consist of a wooden frame that amplifies sound, a cardboard arcade cabinet, and a hollowed out iBook or Macintosh Classic.  The iPad also can be attached to a via USB and can be used as an old typewriter.  Science has even taken part in creating an iPad gadget by creating a wireless microscope that delivers video to the device.    It is said that “the expected use of the device is to help users examine skin texture and blemishes on the iPad,” but who knows, it could be used for science and research purposes as well.

Then there’s my personal favorite, the chocolate-covered iPad.  It serves as a doubly-awesome gift as it is both edible and practical.  After being coated and frozen in chocolate, the iPad was still in perfect condition.  The creativity that goes into all of these designs is quite innovative.  I can’t wait to see more that I’m sure are in store in the near future.

As a young child, my best friend and I played with a Barbie fashion designer computer game.  Every play date we had, we would rush to the computer and make a new hairstyle and color for Barbie as well as pick out her clothes.  Fast forward about fifteen years, and we can do the same thing for humans, and then purchase it.  In the past few years, this concept of “virtual mirrors” has become more and more prominent in the fashion industry.

I am very hesitant about purchasing things online; I want to be able to feel the material of the sweater, or be able to make sure that a watch fits my wrist correctly.  With online shopping, the tactile aspect of shopping is avoided.  Some people would argue that virtual mirrors have fixed my complaint about online shopping, while others would disagree.

Companies such as Adidas and Ray-Ban have you scan in a picture of yourself and then allow you to “virtually” try on products.  Yes, one can better visualize how the product would look on a person, but can this tool really make or break a sale?  Another company, Innova, has a step-by-step process in which the customer makes an appointment to get a “body scan” and then, they will virtually tailor your clothes for you based on the measurements taken.  While this concept is quite innovative (hence the company name), is it worth the time, effort, or money?  A picture of a product held up to a picture of a person can’t really determine if it will fit correctly.

While I’m not quite convinced that this is the future of shopping and tailoring, I did think of a really cool way that the virtual mirror concept could be used.  A program could scan in the barcodes from certain stores and an image of the piece of clothing or accessory appears.  From all of these scans the “closet has been built.” This program could appear on a computer (or even a television screen) along with an image of yourself, and essentially play Barbie fashion designer every morning (and could even be done from your bed!).

Restaurant Chain Serving up Social Media

Most brands are navigating their way through the social media space and learning how to use social media as a marketing tool. This summer, a New York City restaurant chain is turning the strategy around and creating a restaurant around a social media strategy. Not only will customers be able to order using iPads and place orders at home, they will also be able to name their creation and post it on Facebook or Twitter. They will also utilizing Foursquare and additional social media tools.

The HTC Not-So-Incredible?

The HTC Incredible droid is selling like mad but there may be a bug that compromises the device’s security. The Incredible stores screenshots of the contents of your web browser occasionally – which is not abnormal for these types of devices. The security concerns are that these JPEG files are very difficult to get rid of – even after a full factory reset.

Get Mashed with Mashable’s SummerMash Tour 2010

Mashable has announced their U.S. SummerMash 2010 Tour dates and stops. The tour will be stopping in Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Chicago and New York City. These stops will include networking, sponsor introductions, music, drinks and appetizers. Tickets are limited to between 300 to 600 attendees.

Now Possible to “Facebook-Like” Things in Everyday Life

Facebook enthusiasts everywhere, rejoice! It’s now possible to take the digital idea of “liking” something on Facebook and apply it to the real world – with a fun new rubber stamp! The rubber stamp, which was created as a concept, may soon be going into full-scale production.

Apple Says “I Do” to Tiffany & Co

A leader in the luxury world, Tiffany & Co has joined forces with Apple to help make it easier for lazy and commitment-phobic men everywhere to pop the question. Their new application includes a sizer which helps determine ring size and allows users to browse different options such as carat size, design, metal, shape and setting and then view them in a true-to-size scale. These creations can also be sent via email, text, Facebook or Twitter.