Jen Robinson dot FM

YES!! It’s like Rocksmith, but works on Mac!...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:24:00 -0800

YES!! It’s like Rocksmith, but works on Mac! FINALLY.

(via Guitarbots: Like Guitar Hero for real guitars, in your browser - The Next Web)

I participated in the LA Video hackathon at Google Los Angeles...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:52:00 -0800

I participated in the LA Video hackathon at Google Los Angeles this weekend. It was a two day affair at GOOG’s Venice office — a Frank Gehry building featuring a rad Claes Oldenburg sculpture.

I pitched an idea I’ve been kicking around for a while and was able to assemble a great team to pull it off. This is rough and hosted on a dev box, but if you’re curious:

http://v1.goddamnyouryan.com/giggle/

We called the project Giggle — “Gigs powered by Google” — and it combines Songkick with YouTube to play a continuous stream of videos from bands who are coming to your city. You can skip artists you don’t like and buy tickets for those you do. Conceptually, I think it enables both active and passive awareness of artists and events, which is cool.

The execution is super simple, and the genre field doesn’t really work because the data is incomplete, but I think the straightforwardness is what appealed to the hackathon audience. We also optimized the design for Google TV so it looked great on the big screen for the demo.

Every attendee got a Google TV and winning team members got a Nexus 7. So far I really like both. A very successful weekend!

If you want to see my demo, the video’s on YouTube (natch).

"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and..."

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:30:49 -0800

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of Le Petit Prince. (via zachklein)

I just hired Big Frame’s first engineer. IT’S ON.

uchicagoadmissions: Indiana Jones Mystery Package We don’t...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 06:51:43 -0800

uchicagoadmissions:

Indiana Jones Mystery Package

We don’t really even know how to start this post. Yesterday we received a package addressed to “Henry Walton Jones, Jr.”. We sort-of shrugged it off and put it in our bin of mail for student workers to sort and deliver to the right faculty member— we get the wrong mail a lot.

Little did we know what we were looking at. When our student mail worker snapped out of his finals-tired haze and realized who Dr. Jones was, we were sort of in luck: this package wasn’t meant for a random professor in the Stat department. It is addressed to “Indiana” Jones.

What we know: The package contained an incredibly detailed replica of “University of Chicago Professor” Abner Ravenwood’s journal from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. It looks only sort of like this one, but almost exactly like this one, so much so that we thought it might have been the one that was for sale on Ebay had we not seen some telling inconsistencies in cover color and “Ex Libris” page (and distinct lack of sword). The book itself is a bit dusty, and the cover is teal fabric with a red velvet spine, with weathered inserts and many postcards/pictures of Marion Ravenwood (and some cool old replica money) included. It’s clear that it is mostly, but not completely handmade, as although the included paper is weathered all of the “handwriting” and calligraphy lacks the telltale pressure marks of actual handwriting.

What we don’t know: Why this came to us. The package does not actually have real stamps on it— the outside of the package was crinkly and dirty as if it came through the mail, but the stamps themselves are pasted on and look like they have been photocopied. There is no US postage on the package, but we did receive it in a bin of mail, and it is addressed to the physical address of our building, Rosenwald Hall, which has a distinctly different address from any other buildings where it might be appropriate to send it (Haskell Hall or the Oriental Institute Museum). However, although now home to the Econ department and College Admissions, Rosenwald Hall used to be the home to our departments of geology and geography.

If you’re an applicant and sent this to us: Why? How? Did you make it? Why so awesome? If you’re a member of the University community and this belongs to you or you’ve gotten one like it before, PLEASE tell us how you acquired it, and whether or not yours came with a description— or if we’re making a big deal out of the fact that you accidentally slipped a gift for a friend in to the inter-university mail system. If you are an Indiana Jones enthusiast and have any idea who may have sent this to us or who made it, let us know that, too.

We know this sounds like a joke/hoax… it’s not (at least, from our end). Any hints, ideas, thoughts, or explanations are appreciated. We’ve been completely baffled as to why this was sent to us, in mostly a good way, but it’s clear this is a neat thing that either belongs somewhere else— or belongs in the halls of UChicago admissions history.

Internet: help us out. If you’re on Reddit (we’re not) or any other nerdly social media sites where we might get information about this, feel free to post far and wide and e-mail any answers, clues, ideas, thoughts, or musings to indianajonesjournal@uchicago.edu (yes, we did set up an email account just to deal with this thing).

Hello Big Frame!

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:05:00 -0800

Hi friends. A quick professional update. I’m happy to share that I’ve joined Big Frame, an exciting new media company here in LA. Big Frame helps independent video creators produce, market and monetize their work. I will lead Product Strategy for the company.

We work with producers like DeStorm, Mystery Guitar Man, and What’s Up Elle. We also run the networks BAMMO and Forefront, with more in the works. If you want to follow along, subscribe to those channels! And for a little glimpse into office life at Big Frame, check this video featuring many of my colleagues and starring my desk — the Thanksgiving table.

It’s a fascinating time in the evolution of the television business, and I’m thrilled to be in on the action. Stay tuned!

On November 4, 2008, I snuck out of my Philadelphia office...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:50:00 -0800

On November 4, 2008, I snuck out of my Philadelphia office mid-afternoon, drove to the airport, and bought a ticket for the next flight out to Chicago. It was becoming clear from the early results that Obama was going to win the presidency, and I had to be there.

I was in Grant Park as polls closed across the States, votes were counted, and the election was won. When Obama and his family took the stage and he gave his victory speech, my heart swelled with pride for my fellow citizens and our new President.

Four years later, I am as proud of President Obama as I was on that euphoric night in Chicago. Vote Obama 2012.

Venice Skate Park via Cinemagram

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:40:05 -0700

Venice Skate Park via Cinemagram

20 Reasons to Love Cycling

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 07:44:14 -0700

20 Reasons to Love Cycling

I hiked up Mount Lee for the first time a couple weekends ago....

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:45:28 -0700

I hiked up Mount Lee for the first time a couple weekends ago. As a resident of an iconic place, you’ve got to be sort of cool about the sights and stars, but I took unchecked pleasure in this adventure. If you’re in LA, it’s worth the easy 3 mile trek from Sunset Ranch (of Mulholland Drive fame, natch).

kpseesee:

The Hollywood Sign is undergoing a major new paint job and facelift for the first time in 35 years.

The sign was first hauled up to the top of Mount Lee as an advertisement for a new land development called “Hollywoodland.” In 1949, the “land” portion of the sign was taken down, leaving the shorter, more generic and now more famous nine-letter sign: “Hollywood.”

Now a crew is working on scraping off all the graffiti and old paint jobs that have built up over the years.

See more photos by KPCC photographer Mae Ryan and read about the project here.

Hilarious and awesome overview of Instagram by Casey Neistat....

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:28:15 -0700

Hilarious and awesome overview of Instagram by Casey Neistat. Well done.

fred-wilson:

If Facebook is lucky charms, Instagram is just the marshmellows

A Brief History of John Baldessari The epic life of a...

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:36:20 -0700

A Brief History of John Baldessari

The epic life of a world-class artist, jammed into six minutes.

Narrated by Tom Waits.

Commissioned by LACMA for their first annual “Art + Film Gala” honoring John Baldessari and Clint Eastwood.

“I will not make any more boring art!”

Patagonia is on Tumblr. A must follow if you love photos of...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:01:21 -0700

Patagonia is on Tumblr. A must follow if you love photos of people having fun outdoors.

This happened up the coast in San Luis Obispo. The best part is...

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:13:00 -0700

This happened up the coast in San Luis Obispo. The best part is that girl nonchalantly standing on a paddle board, taking a photo while a 4-ton animal emerges from the deep mere feet away. I want that girl’s nerves.

My first earthquake! Or, the first I’ve felt....

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 07:27:00 -0700

My first earthquake! Or, the first I’ve felt. Mysteriously, I was wide awake when it hit at 3:18am. Resisted the urge to go outside and watch for the tsunami to come up the hill.

"If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine."

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:41:49 -0700

“If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine.”

- Jim Barksdale, former CEO of Netscape (via brycedotvc)

The Last Waltz

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 18:46:51 -0700

The Last Waltz

lacartaajena: GO, MAROON!! From the NYT’s article about the...

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 11:53:57 -0700

lacartaajena:

GO, MAROON!!

From the NYT’s article about the 1972 Olympic Trials. Rick Wohlhuter (left) ran for the University of Chicago Track Club. (Read the 1975 SI piece on the Club (and Wohlhuter) here.)

(Hat tip: Tobias Switzer)

The world’s awesomest gift pack arrived at my door...

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:18:00 -0700

The world’s awesomest gift pack arrived at my door yesterday courtesy Cypress Grove Chevre. In a nutshell, the good folks at Cypress Grove didn’t like the look of a wheel of Humboldt Fog I Instagram’ed last week. So they sent me a replacement PLUS a sweet selection of their other cheeses, a rad tshirt and a very nice note. As Rebecca said upon tearing into this last night, “thank you social media!”

I’m a big fan of Humboldt Fog, but had never tried their other cheeses. The Lamb Chopper and Truffle Tremor are delicious, and I expect the other three to be just as good.

Thanks, guys! Way to kill it at customer service.

Also, thanks to lacartaajena, the rightful owner of the original cheese, to Jacob for the gift, and to Shipyard Brewing Company for making the Smashed Blueberry that accompanied our cheese-out last night.

“Same-sex couples should be able to get married.” —barackobama

Thu, 10 May 2012 05:56:13 -0700

“Same-sex couples should be able to get married.”

—barackobama

“I’m President Barack Obama. And I too want to slow-jam the...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:47:40 -0700

“I’m President Barack Obama. And I too want to slow-jam the news.”

Via barackobama