Brain Food: Creative Marmite You’ll Either Love or Hate
This week we’ve been indulging in a few spoons of creative Marmite. Will you love or hate Amazon’s holographic phone, USC’s virtual therapist, and more? LBB’s Addison Capper gives you the details to help you decide.
1. Game Changer
I won't ruin the surprise but this is a game-changer. The game has been changed.
The mockumentary was made for the Creative Fuel conference, which is set to take place in Sydney on July 28. Full details here.
2. Ellie
Ellie was developed by the University of Southern California (USC) with funding from USA's Defence Department's advanced research centre (DARPA). She's a therapist and an avatar - a virtual therapist. And according to USC's Institute for Creative Technologies' research assistant professor Louis-Philippe Morency, "people love interacting with her". And once you get past the fact that she's a computer, her completely non-judgmental nature helps you see why. Read more about the concept on Business Insider.
3. Amazon's Mystery Product
This mysterious promotional film is for Amazon's latest product - rumoured to be a 3D holographic phone. The device includes four front-facing infrared cameras (on top of the standard rear and front-facing ones) that are situated in each of the phone's four corners. They reportedly track the position of the user's face and eyes in order to facilitate a 3D screen without the need for 3D glasses. If you're interested - and with the potential to reenact Princess Leia and her famous 'help me Obi-Wan Kenobi' hologram scene in real life, why wouldn't you be? - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to let the cat out of the bag on June 18, so keep your eyes peeled. Read more info here.
4. Lego Ideas' Female Scientist Mini-figure Set
In Lego Ideas, Lego fans have a platform to create, upload and share their own Lego sets with the possibility of getting them made into fully-fledged, touchable, buyable products. The latest winner that's set for the yellow-headed production line is this awesome female scientist mini-figure set that smashes all ridiculous stereotypes of pink dolly-worshipping women for a home run. The set comes complete with dinosaur bones, magnifying glass and more dainty accessories.
5. BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman is an animated Netflix original about a passed-it '90s sitcom horse of the same name. And to promote the new series Netflix has launched an awesome, but totally on purpose rubbish website for Bojack's old show, Horsin' Around. Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris and Alison Brie all star and it's set to launch on August 22nd. Check out the series' teaser trailer and 'Horsin' Around Mane Titles' below.
6. Vittel Refresh Cap
We're busy folk in the 21st century. So busy, in fact, that we now need a reminder when to quench our thirst. Unless it involves necking pints after work. This Ogilvy Paris designed bottle cap for Vittle starts a timer after every sip that buzzes an hour later, thus nudging you to take another.
7. Pink Troubles
I can't decide what I love more about Pink Troubles - the whimsical story or the charming aesthetic. The film's creators, Parasol Island, say: "‘Pink Troubles’ is the story of a lonesome flamingo whose morning routine is disturbed by an unforeseen cosmic event. It started as a quick exercise in rigging and character animation at Parasol Island’s animation department several years ago. What was planned as a quick showreel intro soon grew into a larger effort of a 4minute short film. After this proved to take too long to finish next to our actual projects, we decided to finish a shorter version of the original film – call it Episode 1 if you like!" Read more on the Parasol Island website.
