Month: August 2016

Things of note for the week ending Sunday August 28th, 2016.

It’s 07:45am on Sunday August 28th as I sit down to begin this week’s edition. Work has changed recently (for the better – more soon) and finding time to even open WordPress just once throughout the week is proving difficult.

Note: this is a good thing.

An output of this increased workload however,  is that FToF will arrive more and more frequently on a Sunday. While I’m sure this isn’t too much of a problem for many of you (I mean, can you imagine? ‘What’s that Whatters? This amazing weekly newsletter of quasi-interesting stuff that you do for me completely for free is MOVING its publishing date!!! Screw You!!’ – ha!)  I’m fairly sure that if you had an issue with this you’d just stop reading.

Right? Right.

PS. There’s a LOT to get through this week. So sit back, relax, and PUT THINGS IN YOUR EYES.

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1. THE LOTTERY OF INDECENCY

via @LaSauvageJaune.

The only good thing to say about the horrendous burkini stuff happening in the news cycle over the past week or two is that there might finally be a light at the end of the [very dark] tunnel.

 

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2. USE WHATSAPP? READ THIS.

This has been pretty much everywhere this week BUT I figured I should share it all the same.

In a move that genuinely did surprise everyone, WhatsApp announced a new change to its privacy policy this week that will enable it to share your data with its parent company, Facebook.

What data? So far the list includes:

• Your WhatsApp Phone Number
• Your ‘Last Seen’ data
• What OS you’re using (eg: Android 6.0 or iOS9 etc)
• Country code
• Carrier info
• Device info

Crucially, there’s no message data being shared. You may recall earlier this year when WhatsApp switched on end-to-end encryption. In short: WhatsApp couldn’t read your messages even if it wanted to.

So when it comes to this, it comes down to personal choice:

Do you care enough to keep your data hidden? Or do you genuinely want ‘better’ advertising and will therefore allow aforementioned data to be shared?

The good thing is: you have a choice.

When the new terms pop up, scroll to ‘read more’ and then untick the box. If you’ve already just hit ‘OK’, don’t panic, you still have 30 days to opt-out. (details via the Independent).

Additional things to be aware of (that will not doubt be circulating in the trades for a little while yet):

First, 2014. Jan Koum, co-founder of Whatsapp, said this on the WhatsApp blog:

“Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA, and we built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible: You don’t have to give us your name and we don’t ask for your email address. We don’t know your birthday. We don’t know your home address. We don’t know where you work. We don’t know your likes, what you search for on the internet or collect your GPS location. None of that data has ever been collected and stored by WhatsApp, and we really have no plans to change that.

If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn’t have done it. Instead, we are forming a partnership that would allow us to continue operating independently and autonomously. Our fundamental values and beliefs will not change. Our principles will not change. Everything that has made WhatsApp the leader in personal messaging will still be in place. Speculation to the contrary isn’t just baseless and unfounded, it’s irresponsible. It has the effect of scaring people into thinking we’re suddenly collecting all kinds of new data. That’s just not true, and it’s important to us that you know that.”

So there’s that.

Second: both the UK and the US are allegedly looking into the legalities of this change.

This one could go and go…

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3. BEHIND THE SCENES

I used to work in TV. Long time ago. The vision mixer / director is the person that chooses what you get to see during a live TV broadcast. At one point this was something I really wanted to do (I used to sit behind the people at GMTV and watch them do it – I even completed a couple of training courses on it).

This four minute video, looking at the behind the scenes of perhaps one of the largest vision mixing responsibilities in the world, The Oscars, focuses in on the 1997 awards and, well, it’s really really worth a watch.

Such passion!

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4. A QUANTUM LEAP, BUT FOR REALS

This week, China launched the world’s first quantum satellite. That’s right, China is actually going to try and teleport information outside of the known barriers of space and time.

I think we need to let that settle in for a minute.

…

Done that?

OK.

Now go and read an expert’s take on it.

Truly potentially world-changing stuff.

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5. SHARING A GIF? CAREFUL NOW.

Four days ago, sports writer, Jim Weber, wrote about how he had his Twitter account permanently deleted simply for SHARING A GIF. I know what you’re thinking…

But don’t worry too much. Well. Maybe. Said GIF was from that world-leading and uber-progressive social media content event, THE OLYMPICS.

You can already tell how this is going to play out:

Over to Jim:

It all started when I saw a GIF of her sublime first pass on the floor routine two weeks ago on the front page of Reddit. Wanting to share what an awesome moment this was, I downloaded the GIF and uploaded it to Twitter with these four words: “Aly Raisman: She’s good.”

–

I had read that the IOC was banning the press from using GIFs but I didn’t see how that applied to me. Sure, I didn’t have the rights to any footage at the Olympics — just like countless blogs and users don’t have rights to the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA footage that they create GIFs out of and profit from every day.

–

But I figured the worst thing that would happen is the GIF would be deleted from my account, as Twitter often does in these situations.

–

Boy was I wrong.

 

Hello Gif, goodbye Twitter account!

The IOC sucks at social media. We know this.

Turns out Twitter decided to play hardball too…

Damn.

 

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Bonuses this week are plenty –

• Here’s a rare interview with Rick Moranis from last year. I think I missed this first time around. Ignore the dated-Ghostbusters-remake-bashing headline and enjoy an insight into where Moranis has (and has not) been hiding himself since Spaceballs.
• Images, Snapchat and Mobile.
• Push and Pull.
• Creatures of the Deep.
• Our nearest habitable planet has been in the news this week; here’s why.
• The First Lady Bake-Off.
• Top tips for taking selfies.

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Right, it’s 10:30 (there were pauses to play Lego) and we’re done.

Until next time, my friends. Hope you don’t mind the casual shift to the occasional Sunday.

Oh, and enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend!!!

Whatley Out.

 

 

Things of note for the week ending Sunday August 14th, 2016.

1. GROUNDHOG DAY: THE MUSICAL

You’ve just read the headline of this ‘thing’ and you’ve thought one of two things:

1: WHAT? NO. UGH. IS NOTHING SACRED?
2: IT’S OUT ALREADY?! YES! CAN’T WAIT!

Unless you have a third option, which is mine, and it goes like this I’VE SEEN IT AND IT’S GREAT AND YOU SHOULD ALL SEE IT AT ONCE.

To the doubters, I’d say give it get over it.

I went in with a small amount of concern (and why not, Groundhog Day is arguably one of the best comedies/romantic-comedies/Bill Murray films ever made – of course you might be anxious) BUT the fact that it came from the geniuses (genii?) behind the MATILDA musical meant I had a good chunk of reassurance.

I went. I saw. I laughed a LOT.

You should go too.

It’s on at the Old Vic London until September 17th and if you can go, then GO.

It’s wonderful

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2. WHITE HOUSE BOT

This week in BOT NEWS – you can now send a message direct to The White House (read: ‘President Obama’) via Facebook Messenger.

AND IT ACTUALLY WORKS.

LOOK!

I have to admit, it took me a good few minutes (and a couple of rewrites after that) to work out exactly what I wanted to say.

…

Neato.

Via Fast Company.

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3. EVER BEEN IN A CORPSE CUPBOARD?

Aka: what happens when you die on a plane?

There are two ways to find out. One involves dying. Here’s the other one.

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4. LOOK AROUND YOU

Next year – 2017 – this satellite going to be launched into orbit around the Earth.

What makes this satellite so special? Well, this satellite will be carrying the world’s first VR CAMERA FOR SPACE.

SpaceX have confirmed it: it is happening. In 2017, we’ll be able to strap on a helmet and look around in actual space in real time.

Just let that sink in for a minute.

Amazing.

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5. SUICIDE SQUAD

…is a terrible movie.

I wrote a [fair] few thoughts on Teh Twitterz after I saw the movie last weekend but in case you missed that, here are a select quotes from a number of reviews:

Vanity Fair said:

Suicide Squad is bad. Not fun bad. Not redeemable bad. Not the kind of bad that is the unfortunate result of artists honorably striving for something ambitious and falling short. Suicide Squad is just bad. It’s ugly and boring, a toxic combination that means the film’s highly fetishized violence doesn’t even have the exciting tingle of the wicked or the taboo. (Oh, how the movie wants to be both of those things.) It’s simply a dull chore steeped in flaccid machismo, a shapeless, poorly edited trudge that adds some mildly appalling sexism and even a soupçon of racism to its abundant, hideously timed gun worship. But, perhaps worst of all, Suicide Squad is ultimately too shoddy and forgettable to even register as revolting. At least revolting would have been something.

Inverse said:

Even if Suicide Squad was a competent movie and not merely a series of disconnected scenes, it would still have one major problem: The way it handles race and nationality. Suicide Squad is so blatantly, outrageously, almost comically offensive, with stereotypes galore and cellophane-thin characterization, you’d think it was doing it on purpose to be subversive — only, it isn’t smart enough to.

Deadspin:

I suspect the disjointed nature of this movie owes to the fact that it is two separate stories director David Ayer is doing a very half-assed job of trying to present as one. The first is a romance between the Joker and Harley Quinn. This element seems like the result of Jared Leto wanting to make a music video about how badass the Joker is, and Warner Brothers deciding they should build a movie around it using another film they were already shooting, a divorce and morality tale surrounding Will Smith, who must fight powerful monsters with his friends.

There are a ton more I could link you to but they’re all fairly depressing.

In short: don’t see this movie. Suicide Squad is a terribly dull movie and it really isn’t worth your time or your money.

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6. TRUMP TWEETS

Which ones does he write? Which ones do his team write? Someone looked at the data and guess which one they found to be angrier of the two?

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7. SUMMER DESSERT PLANS

Yes. That is exactly what you think it is.

OH YEAH.

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Bonuses this week are all gaming related:

• FIREWATCH (PS4 & Steam) is probably the best example of story-telling-as-gameplay I’ve seen since the highly commended/awarded LAST OF US. And, without doubt, is the best game I’ve played this year. Here’s a short video interview with the creators that give you a small insight into exactly how they did it.
• I’ve gone all in on NO MAN’S SKY and I am LOVING IT. I linked to this piece, from The New Yorker, back in May when I first started talking about it [NMS] so if you missed it then, read it now. If you have no idea what the fuss is about, it will tell you all you need to know.
• Spotify launched Spotify Gaming – playlists for gamers. An intriguing concept given that there are many who enjoy in-game choons but hey, I’ll give it a shot. Will you?

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And I’m done.

Until next time…

Whatley out.

 

 

 

 

Things of note for the weekending Friday August 5th, 2016.

What a GLORIOUS DAY IT HAS BEEN!

Also: the newsletter is on time. What the flop?

Amazing.

Shall we?

1. GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE, WATER PISTOLS DO

If you’re an iPhone user, then you might already know that Apple’s latest firmware test release (aka – iOS 10 beta 4) features a number of really great emoji updates.

One of them though is perhaps not so great.

E.g.:

You can see how this might be a problem.

Emojipedia has a great write up on the above (and more).

Go read it.

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2. PROPER TRANSFORMERS

This live-action version of classic Transformers is actually brilliant.

And probably 10,000% better.

Go watch it.

Don’t even start me on the newly announced version of Hot Rod. Jeez.

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3. BANKING IN NEPAL

This is amazing.

“In Kagbeni, Nepal, a village of fewer than 1,000 people nestled high in the Himalayas, rupees change hands inside shops and barley is traded for buckwheat in the streets, but there is no modern way to store wealth. The nearest bank is a three-hour hike away; while most villagers have a drawer or plastic bag filled with badly worn rupees, few bother making routine deposits or withdrawals. So when a family finds themselves with a little extra money, or in need of some, they look to their rooftops, where the Kagbeni version of a savings account is neatly stacked.”

Uh huh.

More here.

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4. FLOCK TO UNLOCK – UNLOCKED!

Hey, look at this NEW thing.

About two yeas or so ago, if you worked in any kind of communications agency, you’d have had a conversation with a media agency about this SUPER NEW AND EXCITING new feature from Twitter called ‘Flock to Unlock‘.

Here is an article covering a Puma execution from August 2014.

If I recall correctly, the price of entry for use of said feature was about £50k. Might’ve been $50k. Can’t quite remember. Anyway, point being, jump back to August 2016 and Twitter have [finally] rolled it out for all and sundry with no huge media spend up front (seemingly, at least).

I think Marvel did it last summer too…

Yes, they did.

It didn’t go down that well.

So look, ‘Flock to Unlock’ is now available. It’s got a new name and you can find out about the details over on Twitter’s blog.

Go on, off you pop.

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5. USE THIS

It isn’t new but it is useful.

Thanks to TNW for the reminder.

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Bonus items this week are as follows:

• Handy guide for brands tweeting about the Olympics: don’t do it!
• Subversive Typography
• Intellectual Jokes
• Same
• Lol

And I’m done.

Oh.

One more thing.

What’s got two thumbs and is off to enjoy his weekend?