There are good advertising campaigns… and then there is “What Starts Here Changes The World.”

Everyone who has watched a football game in the last couple of years or has heard of the University of Texas probably knows what I am talking about. Simple, to the point narratives stretched over different imagery of Austin and the campus, the ads ‘give you the chills’ if your a UT student / alumni and pretty much tell everyone else what they are missing out on.

First off the tagline is great. It is carried over in all the literature and campaigns that go on around a university and has become commonplace on campus, but when voiced over by David Carradine (the whataburger commercials) evokes a completely different emotion. It has its roots in the new plan of the University to not just be a world class institution of higher learning but to spread its emphasis in research and a few other areas; but has coincided with a spreading of UT’s image for a couple of different reasons.

This is not the sole reason, but UT Athletics in the past few years has an absolutely unprecedented string of notable achievements. There is still no greater advertisement than a winning football team. (Applicants to the university shot up 50% after the national championship team and continue to destroy records every year since then) The university was already headed in a very positive direction pre-Vince Young, but the ability to showcase that on a national scale can’t be matched. Then UT came along and got serious playtime for this bunch of ads during that time.

Everytime this commercial comes on (they play them during the football games on the godzilla-tron) it gets the same kind of cheering you would expect from a winning touchdown. Every arm is raised with the ‘horns up and eye turned toward the screen. What kind of ad evokes that reaction? It really is powerful not only to the 100,000 in the stadium on gamedays but every time it is played on TV.

The ads are simple but the images are powerful . Watch ‘ em.

Put Your Horns Up During game :

Quicktime Links
(favorite) : Horns Up
(same vid, different message, hook’em horns)Rallying Cry

Breakfast Tacos

Soul

It seems like all I have been posting about lately is TV shows, but thats how it goes at the beginning of the fall seasons. This will be my last one I promise. However, I must re-iterate that you SHOULD be watching Fringe (tuesdays), The Office (premiere thurs.), and How I Met Your Mother which premiered yesterday. Those are the must-watches.

This is less of a review and more of a command to watch this show. The first 3 seasons are available on DVD and I would recommend you watch this one from the beginning because some of the jokes are cumulative. Seriously just sign up for the 2 week free trial of Netflix and the cheapest 5.95/month plan and get the first seasons at your doorstep. In 2 months you can watch the first 3 seasons for a total of 10 bucks.

If however, you are cheap, jump into season 4 you will get 90% of the laughs, and you can pick up the characters easy. Barney (Neil Patrick Harris aka Doogie Howser) is my favorite character on the show, so I bring you some of his greatest moments below.

If you don’t know who David Foster Wallace is, don’t be too ashamed, I didn’t either until two days ago. He is considered one of the great authors of the last couple of decades and has been awarded many prestigious awards during his lifetime. On Friday of last week he actually commited suicide in what is a pretty sad story but you can look further into that if you feel so inclined. I was introduced to him because of his death, as one of my teachers decided to let the class know who he was.

Anyways, I enjoyed this short story entitled Good Old Neon, the text of which can be found here so if you have some time its worth a read. I also plan on reading in the near future Infinite Jest, one of his most famous works, and I have been told it is fantastic. So, a literary work is my contribution to the blogosphere today.

To preface this review I want to do a quick rundown : 

Google Chrome sort of came out of nowhere in the last week when they (Google) accidentally released a little promo a little early. It was released (in beta) today to the world and will surely get torn apart over the next couple of days to see what is going on behind the scenes but my review is a broader review covering my first interaction with it.

Google : As you know the leader in search but also massively expanding in online apps with an online office-like suite of products, gmail, maps and all those other products you are used to. However, I have said before on this site I think google gears is where the future is going to take the web. Integration with google gears allows a site to work both online and offline, to work alot more like a standalone desktop solution which negates the main negatives of an internet solution by removing the NEED for internet connectivity.

 

Ok, to the browser. It is open source and based off other open-source materials, namely some of Mozilla’s codebase. The wonderful thing about this for the internet community is that Google has to give code back to the community just as it takes it, spawning more inventiveness and collaboration. Also its using a proven technology, the beta has so far been stable for me.

I love google products, I really do and I use most of their suite in my daily life. However their design aestethics, the minimalistic, blue, gmail-like scheme sometimes rides on me. I have a couple plugins to mess with that cause its a little annoying, child-like in my opinion. So I was worried when I saw the first screenshots of Chrome. However, it is pulled off nicely. I wouldn’t say it is as crisp as Firefox’s theme which I have really gotten used to, but it goes in a different direction with smaller icons, less menus, and focusing on a few things well instead of trying to incorporate everything. 

The main thing you are going to notice at first is the tabs are above your address bar. Instead of the file, options menu that you would normally see, its a string of tabs running the top of your window. At first this sounded stupid to me because I use those tabs all the time, why put them farther away? i have seen no difference in my browsing since moving them, it didn’t even take time to get used to. Problem one bypassed.

The other thing you see is there is no google search bar in the top right. What? How does that work? You would think google would do everything in their power to integrate search in here. Well, they do, the address bar is now an ‘everything-bar’ allowing you to type a url , a search term or whatever else floats your boat. Unlike Internet Explorer’s annoying attempt at something like this, this works. Plus, it rides on Firefox 3’s new address bar tech of searching for whatever term you are typing throughout urls, titles etc… so you get good results when you use it. 

The UI is your basic UI, nothing special , the basic buttons you are used to, and that makes the switch simple. The FF3 back / forward button while intuitive sometimes throws off new users just because it looks different. This will be an easy switch for everybody.

My only complaint so far is that I right click to open in a new tab quite often and it seems the open in new tab / open in new window / open in incognito window are right on top of eachother. I have 2 or 3 windows open right now because I clicked the wrong one.

May just take time getting used to that set-up.

Quick rundown of other things I like : history / downloads organization (looks like a webpage as opposed to sidebar etc…) , imported all FF data with no problems, developer console added in by default , its SUPER FAST, should have commented on this above but it seems to be flying. Most importantly, I’m not missing anything yet. It seems to have cut away the fat which runs the risk of leaving me short on something I use since I am outside the realm of a normal internet user, but I’m not missing anything yet.

I’m not going to talk alot about the real programming changes becasue I am not versed as well in that area but do want to hit upon a couple experience changes.

1) Incognito mode - Turns off the saving of any date (urls, cache, ip addresses etc) to your computer while you browse, also limits cookie interaction and only uses ones necessary to continue browsing, which it deletes when you leave this mode. This can be accomplished via FF add-ons, and I don’t really use it on my personal computer, but some people find this useful.

2) Gears integration - Of course google integrated Gears into this release. It will make running online apps that much easier and you won’t have to install any add ons anymore. Along with this they made linking to apps via desktop icons very easy, so you can just load up gmail via a shortcut made by Chrome. This has always been possible but if Google pushes it then more people may get used to it, and it will again push their online services.

3) Tab Manager - I don’t know too much about how the tabs work in Chrome. Apparently they run completely seperate from each other with their own processes, memory etc… which should result in better performance. Google also has a nice tab view / history view when you load up a new blank tab or as a start page.

– Note there are also other coding advances such as better javascript for increased speed and functionality and other things I will not get into in this post.

I have not been able to test interaction with every website out there such as netflix but since the codebase is familiar with FF I assume its going to be similar in what I can and can’t do online. (Remember most things you can’t do aren’t a result of the browser not being able to it but is a byass against those browsers…. Netflix and IE integration is stupid.)

Result. I am loving Chrome right now. Its slick, the fastest browser on my desktop, it surprised me with how good it looks, all the changes seem to be for the better, and it makes browsing both easier and more attractive. Way to go Google you really have hit a very good shot with this beta. I know your version of beta is practically a stable release so I don’t expect many changes and we might have just gotten another valid competitor in the field of browser wars .

Download Chrome Beta Now

I have reviewed a lot of good shows on here recently. Californication , Dexter and Arrested Development being the big ones of the group…. and I continue to push you to go watch those if you haven’t, but I have something special for you if you haven’t seen this show.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is fantastic. Created by Aaron Sorkin, the guy behind West Wing (one of my top favorites of all time), it follows the daily in and outs of a Saturday Night Live-like show aptly named Studio 60. The two main characters are Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford - West Wing) and Matt Albie (Mathew Perry - Friends). Can you get much bigger than that for your two leading stars. Supporting cast is made up of Amanda Peet, D.L. Hughley and Timothy Busfield (also from The West Wing). It really is a great cast beyond that also, smaller names but who play their parts great.

Its a Comedy-Drama that only lasted 22 episodes (1 season) for NBC and really one of those shows that after you watch it you will wonder how it got cut. The last episode aired in the summer of 07 so its been off the air for a year, but that works out for you because now you get to watch it all for free. Thats right. Free. On hulu of course. So… Here is the pilot : linkage . You need to check it out. It gets 5 stars from me.

Everything about this show is produced top notch which is Aaron Sorkin’s style. The writing is excellent and holds no punches politically, socially or even fights at time against the TV networks (which probably didn’t help keep it on the air). If you have never seen The West Wing or Sports Night you are in for a treat with the witty banter and fast paced dialogue, paired with the 10 minute scenes that you watch in wonder of how they were shot. Everything fits together here. I can heap no more praise, so go watch it… now.

I am all for inventive, new ways to use the internet. I think we should all go to sing-along blogs. Some people think these videos are only available for download on itunes (with a price) but no, you can get Dr. Horrible’s 3 part series for free on Hulu.

Well, today, I’m going to do a little public service and post all three here for you. Enjoy.

Like I said in the last post I am a big Hulu fan. This summer has really changed the way I watch TV. I’m a little late to the party because I don’t have a TIVO, but I don’t watch normal television unless for a very specific show I want to see live.

Hulu has the best quality short of torrenting the files, and is only improving that with the addition of the HD gallery. This tech is new (its hard to throw that much data across crappy DSL lines) so the gallery is very small , 5 or 6 shows now, and just for testing purposes I do believe. I am watching ‘24′ right now on a 24 inch wide screen monitor and it looks great, I would really love to test this out on a large tv and just see what kind of image it gives off, its hard for me to tell from here. However if you are watching on a desktop, be assured it looks damn good. I am using a 6mbps connection so I am above average for most people, Hulu suggests 2.5 mbps but even with 6 I get a few artifacts in the buffering process it seems. They are few and far between, but exist, so I can only imagine it being unwatchable at basic cable speeds.

Mark Cuban is famous for being one of the largest tv-via-internet critics and is quoted many a times for saying HD TV will never happen via the internet. I think he should take a second to think about that after watching Hulu. I’m sure its not the same type of resolution ,its not gonna be 1080p, but even a year ago this much would not have been deemed possible on a large scale, I think it shows that maybe in a few years we could see the internet being the main content provider for many consumers. At least among my age group this sort of technology is taking off even among the less tech-inclined. Hulu makes it easy to find the shows you want, and watch them, without all the in-between steps.

Another nice going-on at Hulu is the Days of Summer additions to the catalog. Every day this summer they add another feature to the collection (mostly movies but some tv shows) and the list is pretty nice. Not everything is a hit but I’ll take what I can get. That still is the one detraction is the catalog selection movie wise. As far as tv shows gp I haven’t worked my way through my list of want-to-watch shows yet, but can also see that barrier in the not too distant future.

SOOOO… you now have HD AND a bigger collection. I completely and fully suggest you get your Hulu on before you resort to any illegal tactics to grab your shows. (Coming from the guy who got contacted by NBC, its just a wise move)

My Californication review was a big hit, a bunch of eople who apparently had never heard of it got turned on to one of the best running shows IMO. So, I’m gonna take another stab at it with Dexter.

Dexter is about to go into its 3rd season , so its more developed and has a larger fan-base, but due to being on Showtime you may not have heard of it yet. Now that I finally am plugged into a cable provider that gives me showtime I’m pumped because I have seen the first two seasons and am ready for the new one.

Dexter is, much like Californication, a sharp, well-written and witty series… my favorite genre. Led by Michael C. Hall, the shows premise is …. well different. Dexter is a vigilante serial killer who also happens to work for the Miami Police Department as a blood splatter analyst. Note that ‘vigilante serial-killer’ part because a large part of the show is Dexter fighting is demons while pursuing a noble goal to rid the city of the bad guys.

It really is a very good show. I won’t say its as good as Californication, but definitely worth moving to the top of your Netflix Queue.

I checked my google analytics today and apparently 42% of my readers are morons. Please, look in your browser right now, look in the top right corner, if you see an ‘e’ then you are who I am talking to.

It is 2008. Use Firefox. Firefox 3 is out. It is the fastest downloaded piece of software in the history of the universe. No really, it has a guiness record. Mozilla.com

It is faster, more secure and better than what you are currently using. Remember those tabs that Internet Explorer ‘invented’ for you? Firefox had them first, and IE followed, just like its following in compatibility with internet languages and usability. Firefox is the standard, use IE and you are behind. Get it now.

I just wanted to spread some dreamhost love. I got a couple of people to sign up for it this week and they are loving it. It really is the best hosting company out there IMO. I know there are some lovers of mediatemple out there but for a site of this size really there is no comparison. I have a stupid amount of overkill with my ten bucks a month. I’m currently using 200mb out of my 600 available gigs of space. Yeah, and 200 of that is backed up crap, I think the site itself is 50mb.

So, go sign up, and don’t forget to tell them I told you about it. capty99@gmail.com Remember that. (I didn’t tell the other 3 I got going on it so I get no rewards, they love it though so I guess thats a reward.)

Also, you should do a google search for dreamhost promotion codes. There are always good ones. I think right now its 50 bucks off which negates the set-up fee that accompanies all accounts. Then you have a fully functioning site with everything you need for 5 bucks. WOO HOO.