Media, tech, news

• Jim Rankin (@Jleerankin) handed out five credit cards to five homeless people in Toronto to see what they would buy. It’s not a huge sample, and some might read too much into it, but it’s an interesting portrait of five people. [Toronto Star]
• Just how bad is Flash on the Android? Pretty flippin’ bad, it seems. [Technovia]
• Paul Carr: Quitting booze is easy. Quitting Twitter? Not so much. [Tech Crunch]
• Via @DaringFireball, Apple will be live streaming their big, mysterious announcement today. [Apple]

Your weekly inspiration

• For fans of the blog Things Organized Neatly. Michael Please shows off what you can do with a bit of styrofoam and a lot of time in a preview for his beautiful animated film The Eagleman Stag. [Vimeo]

The Eagleman Stag – Set Instillation from Michael Please on Vimeo.

• Discovered by @BenKMyers: Do you have as much clout as @GlennBeck? Enter your Twitter tag and find out. [Klout]

Fashion

• @Normlclothing provides an Ottawa lookbook for Lifetime‘s fall collection. Check out those classy jackets. [Norml]

Ottawa events

• Canteen’s Seduction of The Idiots exhibition runs until September 12. [Canteen]
• I can’t imagine why anyone would miss the Bytowne Burlesque Review on Saturday… [Apt613]
• …But if you’re not into naked people, the Lumière festival takes place the same night. Options! [Apt613]

Media, tech, news

• Slate’s Farhad Manjoo takes a look at how different races use Twitter. [Slate]
• Via @ThisMagazine, The National Post trolls the literary community with the 10 most overrated Canadian authors. [National Post]
• @KevinRose usually has reliable tech rumours, but this Apple TV takeover seems a little optimistic. [kevinrose blogg]

Your weekly inspiration

• Keiichi Matsuda predicts a future covered in digital interfaces and made this neat little video to demonstrate. [Vimeo]
• Mike Monteiro (@Mike_FTW ) of Mule Design offers some valuable tips on how to buy design. [Off the Hoof]

Fashion

• Put This On released the third episode of their highly-anticipated men’s fashion series. This episode deals with dressing for work. [Vimeo]

Put This On, Episode 3: Work from Put This On on Vimeo.

Ottawa events

• La Petite Mort Gallery’s alzheimer’s benefit is on Friday. You can’t beat tunes, art, and a good cause to kick off a weekend. [Facebook]

Curious about the the the batarang-like iPhone camera mount that the manufacturer claims will maximize the potential of you and your iPhone, Ian ordered the Owle BUBO. With the legion of creators and communicators out there abusing, hacking, and customizing their iPhones into a do-all device, I don’t doubt that the BUBO will be able to maximize someone’s potential to create. I just can’t figure out who that person is.

The case

Weighing just over a pound, the BUBO is made of aluminum, has 37mm lens threading, a 0.45x wide angle/macro lens, and four 1/4″-20 threaded tripod mounts on each corner (basically: it will fit into any tripod you’ll want it to).

The aluminum casing is heavy enough to feel sturdy, but not so heavy that it becomes clumsy. Once inserted, you won’t be able to answer calls or use apps, and even checking the footage you’re shooting becomes a little clunky.

The rubber that covers your phone for insertion into the case takes a bit of getting used to–you never really get over the cringe of forcing your phone into the tight-fitting aluminum. It takes a bit of care to ensure that the rubber doesn’t slip over the lens once the phone has been inserted.

The aluminum case grips nicely in the hands, and all of the iPhone parts are left spaciously unobstructed so you can keep your iPhone charging or wear your headphones while you film.

Owle recommends a small boom mic to plug into the iPhone’s audio jack. Strangely, the location of the jack means the mic juts out on the left side making the BUBO un-grippable.

The lens

The macro lens certainly increases the range of filming, though it’s difficult to tell if it adds crispness or colour like Owle’s website claims. It also leads to some very noticeable warping on the edges of video giving things an unintended fish-eye-lens effect.

BUBO footage from Travis Boisvenue on Vimeo.

The purpose?

The BUBO does what it intends to the best that it can. You won’t be getting wide-angle iPhone lenses without some warping, you can’t change the awkward location of audio jacks, and you won’t find a camera mount that won’t obstruct app usage. The question is: who is using their iPhone for long video shoots?

Until the iPhone has higher-quality video (and users are still awaiting an iPhone 4-compatible BUBO), I can’t imagine anyone filming intensive shoots on their phone besides the novelty of it. Limiting the iPhone to a video-exclusive device means that the casual user won’t be using it for, say, vacation videos–especially considering the $129.99 price tag.

MediaStyle is an energetic start-up communications company specializing in content creation, communications training and has recently opened a multimedia studio in downtown Ottawa. We work  with progressive organizations, NGOs and non-profits.

We are looking for a full time communicator to start in early September.

This person will be part producer, writer, researcher and teacher. The ideal candidate will have excellent written and oral communications skills, be able to edit video, understand the value of great sound and be willing to learn in a fast-paced small firm. MediaStyle is a creative workplace. Our newest hire will understand the power of the social web and be able to demonstrate their successful personal use of them.

MediaStyle’s ideal Ottawa-based communicator will have:

• a post secondary education in a communications related field
• one to three years of related communications work experience
• strong writing and editing skills
• ability to shoot and edit video
• confident communications and presenting skills
• experience working to tight deadlines
• ability to work in French (considered an asset)
• demonstrated understanding of progressive issues

Salary: $32,000 – $35,000

Please submit a letter to ian [at] mediastyle.ca describing why you would like to work at MediaStyle; along with any requisite links of work, profiles, materials or other information you think will help us make our decision. A note: We’re less interested in what your resume looks like and more focused on what you have created. We’ll be interviewing in the first week of September. Only qualified applicants will be contacted. Questions can be sent to ian [at] mediastyle.ca

Applications are due no later than Friday, August 27th at 5pm (EST)

News, Media, Tech

• Reporters Without Borders writes an open letter to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after their Afghan War Diary revealed the names of Afghans who worked with international military. [RWB]
• @RyanBriggs sent me a link to a great online newspaper, The Morning News. Internet news that isn’t just a blog or an aggregator? More of this, please, Internet. [The Morning News]
• @Mettlelurgy found these journalism warning stickers that are so true they almost aren’t funny (wrong: they are hilarious). [Vanity Fair]

Your weekly inspiration

• Good design and stop motion: True Colors is your stupid-impressive video of the day. [YouTube]
• @NonStopNickTV finds the feel-good web app of the year: the Twitter parade. [IS Parade]

Fashion

• Lifetime offers up their Spring/Summer 2011 video Lookbook, with a twist. Produced in Vancouver. [Vimeo]

Lifetime Collective Spring/Summer 2011 from Salazar on Vimeo.

Ottawa Events

• The PepTides are new-born babies in band years, but they’re already Ottawa super stars. Check them out at the Mercury Lounge this Saturday. [Facebook]

News, Media, Tech

• Everything you wanted to know (so you could hate) music-copyright enforcers. They’re people, just like us! [The New York Times]
• The viral thing of the week (cute girl quits job via dry erase board) is a hoax, and probably fake content for something boring. This is why our children won’t trust anything. [Techcrunch]
• How Star Trek envisioned the iPad two decades ago. [Ars Technica]
• Jake Adelstein gets real, scary Yakuza to review the video game Yakuza 3. [BoingBoing]

Your weekly inspiration

• Andreas Hykade offers a meditation on influence. With a drugged-out, psychedelic cartoon, naturally. [Drawn]
• Via @RyanBriggs, Monocle publishes a newspaper issue more beautiful than any other newspaper, because they can do whatever they want. [A Continuous Lean]

Fashion

• Jake Davis shoots street fashion, but with classy Vimeo instead of boring photos. Be sure to check out the rest of his great fashion blog. [Jake Davis]

Ottawa Events

• If you want to see the best power pop bands in the world, check out the Paul Collins’ Beat show on Friday with Mother’s Children, Sonic Avenues, and The Walnut Kids. [Punk Ottawa]
• Get to the Folk Festival this weekend. Arrested Development is playing! [Ottawa Folk Festival]
• Ottawa organic farmer and artist Jess Weatherhead will be exhibiting her oil paintings at ZenKitchen until November 7. Like you needed another excuse to go to ZenKitchen. [ZenKitchen]

Media, Tech, News

• Via @ShawnDearn, how Apple’s app store censoring works (or, maybe, doesn’t work). [Gizmodo]
• The New York Times on how to live in an online world where nothing can be forgotten. [New York Times]

Your weekly inspiration

• @KanyeWest is finally on Twitter, and you should care. Buzzfeed has collected some of the best Yeezy tweets paired with New Yorker cartoons. Brilliant. [Buzzfeed]
• This isn’t the first Vimeo-chic video of the Mast Brothers’ Brooklyn chocolate shop, but it’s the latest. Try not to eat chocolate after this. [Vimeo]

Fashion

• An interview with Inception‘s costume designer, Jeffrey Kurland. Spoiler alert: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is totally adorable. [Clothes On Film]
• @IanCapstick shares this beautiful new canvas bag from San Francisco-based Mulholland. [Selectism]

Ottawa Events

• Go see Montreal’s Dirty Beaches at the Manx on Saturday! Order the smoked tofu wrap while you’re there. [Punk Ottawa]
• La Petite Mort gallery has a group exhibit of Underground Montreal artists opening Friday. [Facebook]
• And don’t forget the Outdoor Mystery show this Saturday, starring punks from across Canada at a secret location. [Facebook]

Media, tech, news

• Jim Orban steps down as publisher of the Ottawa Citizen. [Citizen]
• Get your Instapaper ready: Kevin Kelly compiles the greatest magazine articles of all time. Via @JKottke. [Cool Tools]
• A great find by @RyanBriggs. Craig Mod used the brilliant Kickstarter to fund an art-book project. Mod has written and designed a history of the project, showing the step-by-step creative process, sharing the data behind Kickstarter fundraising, and philosophizing about the process of creation in the Internet age. [Craigmod]

Your weekly inspiration

• There’s something about elegant design that goes really well with completely impractical objects. Check out the clock that tells time in every timezone. [Buzzfeed]
• @IanCapstick shares the Oil Spill Charity F-Bomb-A-Thon. Headphones up, there’s a ton of wonderfully NSFW language.

Fashion

• @MeaghanWalton reminds us that Mr. Newton has been shooting some of the best street fashion in New York lately. [Mr. Newton]
• And don’t forget Apt. 613′s monthly street fashion feature, the 613 Style File by @ElleChronique and Melanie Yugo. [Apt613]

Ottawa events

• The latest GenYOTT event is tomorrow. Get your cheap nachos and your social networking in one spot. Looks like they might be out of invites for the event, but it’s free and they like new faces, so get out there! [GenYOTT]
• File under: super cool. Odyssey Theatre is hosting a series of free talkbacks in Strathcona park after performances of They All Do It. More details on their brand new site. [Odyssey]

Media, tech, news

• What not to do when the entire world hates you: release an obviously doctored photo of your oil spill crisis centre.  [MSN]
• @PotterJenny and @ACoyne were two of the many people abuzz over Flipboard this morning. Looks like everyone finally has a reason to get an iPad. Bonus: the online ad explaining the social-media/real-time magazine app was created by MediaStyle favourite Adam Lisagor. [YouTube]

Your weekly inspiration

• Via @jkottke, a beautiful interview with legendary designer Dieter Rams. [Kottke]
• @IanCapstick shares the most helpful infographic you’ll see today: the perfect pour for 20 kinds of coffee. [designyoutrust]

Fashion

• Not only is Bleubird Vintage one of the best online vintage stores, they also have a wonderful blog that covers all things retro. [Bleubird]
• The New York Times‘ Bill Cunningham takes a look at how Manhattan’s suited men are keeping cool in the summer. [NYTimes]

Ottawa Events

• @IanCapstick shares the buzz about the Moonroom on Preston St. Check it out. [Moonroom]
• @MeaghanWalton recommends you go to DJ Male Nurse this Friday–for free–at Raw Sugar. We agree. [Facebook]

Media, tech, news

Canwest newspapers to be called Postmedia Network. Investor Paul Godfrey wrote in a memo, “We are at the beginning of a new company with a new name and an ongoing commitment to transforming our business and our culture.” [Marketing Mag]

Is Twitter going to profit off of its new name search function? [Techcrunch]

Meanwhile, in the Small-But-Good-News-Report: Canada’s music gem archive, Weird Canada, has been included on Altered Zones blogroll, the new website from hipster-bible Pitchfork media. [Altered Zones]

Your weekly inspiration

@IanCapstick recommends this classy little cooking video, a guide to cooking duck breast, potatoes, and salad. Need more of this. [Doobybrain]

Fashion

@IanCapstick points us toward Red Canoe, a great brand who has a new store in Toronto. [Red Canoe]

Mad Men season four starts on the 25th! Let’s celebrate by reading this Mad Men Unbuttoned post about Continental-style suits. And then let’s read the rest of the blog, which acts like a Mad Men annotations guide. [Mad Men Unbuttoned]

Ottawa events

Friend-of-MediaStyle @JacksonCouse is contributing to Bodies In Trouble, an exhibition opening at Club Saw on the 22nd. [Facebook]