Product Placement in Movies

So it seems Morgan Spurlock (of 'Supersize Me' fame) has come out with a new documentary entitled "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" which focuses on product placement, marketing and advertising in movies. 


This got me thinking...and re-watching an comedy favorite of mine - The 40 year old virgin.


I have watched this movie and come to find that well...Come to your own conclusions...

Televisions on store floor - Panasonic

Boxes in back dock (?) area - Panasonic (and GE Lighting)

Hey look, the customer bought a Panasonic...

The television in Andy's bedroom? Well for a store that obviously only sells Panasonic why have anything else?

Demonstrating Televisions...More specifically, Panasonic TV's with Panasonic promos

TV in Andy's Lounge Room? One guess

Way to sell a big screen TV...well, Pansonic's seem to sell themselves.

Fun fact, my Television is a Panasonic VIERA


There were other brands that seemed conveniently located, too many to go into right now but here are a few more of a Particular product/brand:

One thing I did consider was how difficult it would be to make a movie these days WITHOUT inadvertently/being able to avoid having sloganized products on screen - In fact it might even seem foreign and obvious that 'something wasn't right'


Well, thanks for viewing :)

Short Term Future of iDevices

Just a bit of speculation I have decided to share with you all after I read an infographic about feature rumors surrounding the release of the Apple iPhone 5. I'll point out now from the onset that I do not, and have not owned a iPhone before, the closest device I do have would be the iPod Touch I bought (model before cameras were introduced) to see if I'd like an iPhone, and the HTC Mozart that I got in place of the iPhone.

Firstly the inbuilt camera - The iPhone 4 is equipped with a 5MP camera, my HTC has 8MP. If Apple do not improve the camera in the next iPhone that would be a massive blunder - It is a safe bet that the camera will be improved.

Doing without the 'Home' button, or the relocation of this button. Personally I think they should stick with it - Overall I don't see this as that much of a big deal. With or without this button won't make that much of a difference.

A bigger screen with better resolution has also been rumored - Again, pretty standard improvements in the business, however there is only so big that a 'portable' device can get, before it becomes something else altogether.

Processor speed, Battery and RAM also commented on, and again are pretty much expected with new releases of technology.

A HDMI Output is touted, which would be quite the step forward and make the iPhone more 'friendly' with other equipment (monitors and television). For me however, I think there's something strange about plugging something that is essentially a mobile phone, into a big screen HDTV - I also see this as being perhaps unwelcome competition to other Apple products such as the Mac Mini / Server

Finally a new iOS for the new device.

With all the talk of cloud computing these days, DRM and itunes content - The prospect of taking away power from the user and replacing it with distractions is a scary thought to me, and also something that is frighteningly realistic.

Here in Australia Apple have already blocked Samsung's attempt at the tablet market with patent (??) violations cited and ruled. There is no mention in the rumors that I have seen about TV, which to me, is surprising - I'd expect it. 3D has been touched on, but no TV? Hmm but lack of speculation doesn't mean Apple aren't working on it.

What's everyone think?

Here's a pic for the purdiness and perhaps + lulz...depending who you are :)

Lulzy pictures from recent (August 2011) London Riots

Okay first up apologies to any visitors that take offense - I just like to see the fun side of things, that and I love a bit of mayhem.

RIP to those that have died during this incident, and get well soon to those that have been injured.

Now on with the show! :D

Have no fear London, the Police are here.

Casual as...

LOL the looters left the Apple Mac's behind

That sign was asking for it!

A happy customer indeed :D Look at that grin!

The guy on the left looking like he is casually whistling     ♫ do da do do dooo ♫

Hey look! It's one of those English guards that can't smile, talk, move or anything! This is going on my twitpic!

"Planking" like a boss

These cops on break are getting into the spirit of things

Lucky bastard got out with the prized rocking horse

Don't be fooled, the guy in the police car is not a chav, he is a police officer. 

Metropolitan Police: Working together for a safer London

This is a SONY warehouse burning down, it brings a tear to my eye and a smile to my face.

4 or 5 people liberating a giant lulzzzard - Possible ties with PETA

Whipped this one up myself

This is a SONY warehouse up in flames - I love it :)

The Top 5 of E3 2011 - My thoughts exactly

The following is a blurb from Rolling Stone Magazine - I've decided to share (For educational purposes) it considering it is right on the money as far as I am concerned. Read it and share your thoughts.


1) Game Publishers are scared. For all the bold predictions, the fact remains that E3 2011 was filled with sequels. Following the Global Financial Crisis, publishers are cautious about investing in new franchises with unknown appeal.


2) Motion games are sticking around. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft aren't backing away from their motion-controlled games. How this era will be judged in the context of history is yet to be seen.


3) Retro is cool. As well as sequels, publishers are re-mastering and updating old games. As with GoldenEye last year, Halo and Metal Gear Solid are set for high-def makeovers.


4) Blokes with guns are everywhere. Games like Mass Effect 3, Geras of War 3 and Modern Warfare 3 impressed, but are we starting to run out of ideas here?


5) Games are mainstream. The range is expanding. MiCoach, Rocksmith and The Deepak Chopra Project are just some aimed at a non-traditional audience.


Below is a cool gaming related pic I like :)

"You know how I know you're gay?"

100th Entry!

Well, I did it, I've stuck with something I started. This entry marks View*Know*Do's 100th post.

At the time of writing, this blog has been visited over 6000 times (6108 'Satisfied Customers'), there are 227 members, the page opened on March 15 2011 and the content has been mostly focused towards the environment, government policy, general social commentary, discussion of technology, proof of concepts, deconstruction of news stories, money saving techniques and a few odds and ends to keep the look and feel of the place comfortable, interesting and fun :)

I'd like to thank everyone that visits regularly, especially the members - I do try to view as many as I can when I have spare time, but I am only one person...so please have patience!

To conclude this little celebration I have decided to  recall some of my favorite entries by yours truly.

The Waste Stream - Junk Mail
Farmville for Dummies
Container Deposit Legislation for NSW
Stigmata
My Folding @ Home Team
PSN Unplugged
Why it sucks to be an Aussie Gamer
Super Italia dot gif (showcasing my .gif making skillz)
Drug Prohibition gets Strange(r)

Making Ghetto Wine on the cheap

Hi all,

Just documenting and sharing something I've spent very little of my time on lately.

After seeing a product advertised online that allows you to make ordinary juice alcoholic in just a few days for $10 a piece (without the juice to do it with), I figured I could do the same thing only cheaper.

What I did was buy some grape juice (the supermarket sold X2 2.4L bottles of assorted sorts of juice for $6), and some blu-tack...I already had an airlock from a home brew kit I purchased years ago.

What I did then was poured out some juice to allow some head space (during fermentation CO2 is released and it bubbles/froths up) and added whatever sugar I still had left around the place (around 1 cup I suppose), activated some ordinary bakers yeast buy adding a little lukewarm tap water and putting it into the grape juice and shaking the bottle to mix it together well. I then cut a small hole into the lid with a knife, just big enough for the bottom stem of the airlock to fit through and screwed this back onto the bottle. I then sealed this up air tight with a bit of blu-tack...and that's it!

After 4 days it was still bubbling away, I got toey and decided to check the alcohol content (with an alcometer I also had from the brew kit) and it registered around 5.5% alcohol content! Wow, impressive. Considering it was still bubbling away I decided to keep it going until it slows down significantly. I am not a big drinker, I just wanted to go through with the concept. After fermentation has completed I plan on putting the batch into the freezer to make the water freeze and pour off the alcohol. I'm hoping for an end product that is about 14-16% alcohol/vol. Then I guess I'll clean the kitchen sink with it, or give it to an alcoholic friend that doesn't mind how it tastes...

Feel free to share :D

Here's a picture for you of the grape juice on it's journey to becoming some cheap, ghetto wine :)

Carbon Tax impacts the Aussie battlers

On 'Carbon Sunday', June 10 2011, Julia Gillard addressed the nation to announce that a new tax that hadn't been voted on and that the public were told wouldn't occur, had enough backing to pass through parliament.


Anyone that didn't like it were basically told to get used to it, and anyone expressing concerns were given assurances that it isn't a big deal. 


As a researcher and critic of Government I investigated the situation. Here it is, for the first time ever...my findings available publicly - Feel free to share, to quote...absorb and enjoy :) 

--------------------

The Labor Government's arrogant suggestion that everyday people won't lose out with a Carbon Tax is deceitful. You need an example? How about the price of margarine then? Given as being $0.016 extra per 250g with the tax added. 

 

A newspaper (Sunday Telegraph) article that ran alongside the announcement, informing of the price rises one can expect with the introduction of the Carbon Tax - As it used Julia Gillard's "Tim Tam" example, and that it received coverage with perfect timing suggests this was a targeted release with Labor Government influence - The Australian Federal Labor Government are now looking into investigating ethics in the media...as a knee-jerk reaction to the "cell-phone hacking saga"

The product used to illustrate that we "won't lose one cent" is Meadow Lea which *currently* costs $1.94 for 250g ($1.956 in 2012) which doesn't seem much of a difference really. However take the cheaper stuff that costs $1.09 per 500g (54.5c/250g) and the price increase obviously has a greater impact increasing the price to $1.122 (56.1c per 250g). Paying 56.1c for something that used to cost 54.5c represents an increase of 0.029%

People buying Meadow Lea ($1.94 to $1.956) only represents an increase of 0.008% 

The difference is those that can afford brand names will barely notice the minute % increase, whereas those on a tighter budget will notice a bigger % increase. This HURTS the low income earner more, despite Labor trying to convince everyone they will be looked after.

--------------------

One other thing to note is that 'pokie machine' (slot machine/poker machine) hater Andrew Wilkie apparently "demanded" benefits for the Zinc smelters (see image below). Which raises the question - Why does Andrew Wilkie single out the Zinc industry, where other industries are expected to cop the new tax on the chin? Is there a conflict of interest occurring? 

Source: The Sunday Telegraph - July 10, 2011. Pg. Unknown 

This takes me back to an earlier entry of mine discussing the specifications of the tax, which states "Australia's most polluting electricity generators will be closed and replaced with gas-fired units by 2020" - Which makes one wonder 'why is the Government steering the nation specifically towards gas for?' It's anti-competitive 

What are your thoughts?