Instant Film Will Make Its Comeback

Back in 2008, Polaroid created an uproar in instant film fanatics when they filed for Chapter 11 and announced their decision to cease production of their beloved analog instant film product. It spawned numerous groups and organizations dedicated to the impossible project of saving Polaroid film which stirred the photog community and erupted a social media frenzy. But in the end it was all worth it, because Polaroid will indeed be making it’s comeback.

Under a relaunch of the new corporation, Polaroid made a surprise move at CES by appointed Lady Gaga as their new creative director. This week they’re making even more buzz by announcing a redesigned version of their old instant film cameras.

Dubbed the PIC 1000, Polaroid plans to offer this camera for under $100 in some unique finishes, as shown below.

Supported by a strategic relationship with Summit Global Group, a longtime Polaroid partner, and The Impossible Project, the manufacturer of classic film for Polaroid film cameras, Polaroid will offer a completely redesigned, modern version of the Polaroid OneStep camera, the PIC 1000. The PIC 1000 will be available in a range of fun colors and use classic Polaroid Color 600 Instant Film to produce the brand’s classic white border instant pictures. The Polaroid Color 600 Instant Film will work with both classic and new Polaroid cameras and will be offered in packs of 10 pictures. The new classic PIC 1000 camera and instant color film will be available at national retailers in 2010. -Polaroid Press Release

I’m looking forward to picking one of these up when they hit the streets.

Pepsi Throwback

From Transformers references to slap bracelet remakes, I’m a sucker for merchandise tributed to my childhood. There’s just something about having a tangible trip down memory lane that titillates the hungry consumer in me. So when I heard about Pepsi’s Throwback campaign, I had to check it out.

Back in April, Pepsi released Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback, a niche product that used “real” or “natural” sugar. The Throwbacks were on shelves for an 8 week run, but then disappeared. It came and went quickly without many people really getting a chance to try it, including myself. So it was great when Pepsi announced in August that they were going to give us another limited return (December 28, 2009 – February 22, 2010) of the Throwbacks.

That said, the rereleased Pepsi Throwback is finally here!

The logo and branding is now set horizontally instead of vertical and sideways, more in line with standard can design, which was more popular back then vs. the 20 oz. bottles which dominate sales today. Rounding out the new design is a nice yellow callout banner on the retro logo denoting that this product is “Throwback” and available for a “Limited Time Only”.

I’m not really much of a soda drinker, so I don’t really know what ‘current day’ Pepsi is like. But I must admit, that went I took my first sip of Throwback, it brought me back to my childhood of eating Domino’s Pizza and watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Update: Yelper Sandy N. tipped me off with a note she received from Pepsi Co. stating that the Throwback campaign will be extended another 8 weeks beyond the original planned end date.

Domino’s New Pizza Recipe

There’s been a huge marketing campaign that’s been going around for Domino’s New Pizza Recipe. After a big uproar from the general public about how bland their pizza tasted, the pizza delivery chain acknowledged that a change was needed and it needed to be big. So they gave their core product a complete overhaul, with a promise of sweeter sauce with a red pepper kick; shredded, rather than diced, mozzarella with a hint of provolone; and a butter, garlic, and parsley crust. Tonight, I ordered a Philly Cheese Steak Pizza and a Fiery Hawaiian Pizza to see whether this new recipe really lives up to the hype. Did it? Read on to find out.

The online ordering system is beautifully simple. Customizing sizes, crusts, and toppings couldn’t have been any easier, not to mention applying coupons and re-customizing any aspect of the order. The only thing I’d suggest them to change is to live update the pricing as you change the order. But other than that, perfect. Even after checking out, I was brought to a “Domino’s Tracker” page where I could monitor exactly what stage my pizza was at.

Picking up the pizza took a good 20 minutes both ways. So by the time I finally got home to start eating, the pizzas were just lukewarm. But I was ready. I ordered two crusts: regular and thin. The new garlic and parsley flavor was actually pretty good. It resembles garlic bread, and is little better than the old crust. With the “100% real mozzarella” cheese blend, I couldn’t tell where the “hint of provolone” was. But it did taste better than the previous blend. Lastely, the sauce was actually a pretty nice improvement. It tasted a little less sweet than before, despite the advertised “sweeter sauce” from the campaign. I’m not sure if it was because of the addition of the red pepper, but the sauce was nicely balanced between sweet and spicy. This was probably the most impressive change in the new recipe.

Overall it’s still fast food pizza. This whole “pizza turnaround” campaign is more a marketing ploy than anything else. But Domino’s seems to be honestly trying their best to win over customers. I wouldn’t say it’s really much to rave about, but if you get a chance, give it a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Check out the documentary that started it all:

RamenBox – Ramen Delivered

It wasn’t too long ago in my college dorming years when I would scarf down packs of dry ramen day after day. They were super cheap and super easy, and really not even that bad tasting. For full time students with no time (or income for that matter), ramen is the perfect meal but a hassle to by. @Peachiesinla has the solution – RamenBox.

Ramenbox offers a new way to fulfill your ramen-loving needs. The idea is simple: mix and match from their selection of 29 ramen (with more on the way, I’m sure) into a box of 20 or 40 slots. Order. Then wait for your ramenbox to arrive and enjoy! “Each Ramenbox will include all the ramen that you selected off the website as well as everything you need to start slurping: Ramenbox branded disposable chopsticks, napkins, extra sauce packets, and most likely, free samples of ramen.”

The site looks is extremely user friendly with everything outlined to make the whole process a snap for an average consumer.

They even offer “free slots” by writing reviews, submitting pictures/videos, and enlisting in their You’ve-Got-Ramen subscription service. Be sure to check them out as they have more things to come.

Rite In The Rain

I purchased my first Moleskine notebook just about a year ago. I wanted something simple that would allow me to write down my daily thoughts. After finding out that I prefer tweeting, I’ve decided to only use it to jot down notes and doodles. But that still doesn’t bring me away from the importance of having a physical medium to express yourself sometimes.

First designed and made in the 1920’s, Jerry Darling created the first “Rite In the Rain” Waterproof Notepad. It was designed specifically to solve the problem of soggy paperwork for manly men of the Pacific Northwest’s Logging industry. Since then, Rite In The Rain paper has evolved to become some of the most durable paper money can buy. Though I’m still die-hard fan of the more popular Moleskine Notebook, the idea of a notepad designed to work in all weather conditions will definitely be at the top of my list as soon as I decide to be a mountaineer.

Philco PC – For Retro Steampunk Nerds

In the late 90’s, Apple was among the few computer companies forging ahead with new and innovative designs. Then through the 00’s, many companies tried to follow suit with ardent imitations, but remained unsuccessful. Right now Dell is showing some promise with their Dell Adamo. But it’ll take some radical changes before any new creative designs become fully recognized.

One such design has steampunk fanboys in a fervor – The Philco PC by David Schultze. Reminiscent of the 1954 design classic Philco Predicta, it carries retro aesthetic value. But being a concept design only, there no mention of technical specs. So for now, just enjoy it for the eye candy that it is.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7951005&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1

Sleeping On Ice

Living in California, I’ve been spoiled by its steady sunny weather. As I grew up, I would dream of snowy winters that my east coast relatives would dread. While I appreciate California’s beautiful weather much more now, I still have an affinity for some of the colder locales.

The Ice Hotel in Sweden is exactly as it sounds. Reconstructed each year, the entire hotel is built from 10,000 tons of ice, and 30,000 tons of snow, including everything you can imagine within. From the bar to the beds, you won’t be able to escape the frigid amenities.

Existing each year between December and April, the Icehotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi, about 17 km from Kiruna, Sweden was the world’s first ice hotel. In 1989, Japanese ice artists visited the area and created an exhibition of ice art. In Spring 1990, French artist Jannot Derid held an exhibition in a cylinder-shaped igloo in the area. One night there were no rooms available in the town, so some of the visitors asked for permission to spend the night in the exhibition hall. They slept in sleeping bags on top of reindeer skin – the first guests of the “hotel”. (via Wikipedia)

CNN’s Neil Curry reports on his cold stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden’s Lapland.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=international/2010/01/02/bs.curry.ice.hotel.sleepover.cnn

Interested in more? Here’s a few more pictures to hold you down:

Save on Plants with IKEA Flora

Over the Winter break, I got some last minute hibernation shopping done at Costco. As always, I did my best to not end up with a cartload of stuff that I didn’t need. But one item slipped by – an orchid plant. “Why an orchid?” you might ask. Because plants are expensive, and I figure I can just take advantage of Costco’s incredible return policy return it when it dies.

A fellow twitterer reminded me of IKEA’s occasionally moderate priced flora. While my local IKEA in Palo Alto doesn’t carry said bonsais, it does have a nice assortment of other greenery, including the every-so-feng-shui bamboo sticks.

While their selection is going to be very limited, you should still be able to find yourself something you could settle with. I mean hey, for a few bucks, we could all afford to IKEA-it-up a little.

Controlling With Your Muscles

Don’t mind the nerdy robot narrating the video. The video shows Microsoft’s new patent (PDF) allowing controlling through the use of forearm EMG (electromyography). This technology is nothing new, as many robotic prosthetics have offered similar functionality for years. But the video shows a new type of application where simple tasks can be accomplished more smoothly without the use of external controllers.

Some of the scenarios shown include:

• playing Guitar Hero without a guitar controller
• opening a car trunk while hands are full
• changing tracks on a PMP while jogging

While the simplification of these tasks seem unnecessary, the benefits of such technologies are far more reaching. Not to mention getting one step closer to a future reality of gesture controlling.

Stargate Studios Virtual Backlot

It’s just a little over a decade ago I caught a “making of” for The Matrix’s Bullet Time sequence. I had seen many behind the scenes documentaries before (not to mention almost every episode of Movie Magic), but the technology and innovation used in the Matrix was unheard of. To give you reference, this was a time when green screens started taking over as the color key of choice, and CG special effects were just beginning to replace older modeling techniques.

But now with the advancement of newer technologies and techniques, the bar has risen and the limits are being pushed. Virtually everything and anything can be done with CG and a little movie magic. Stargate Studios has released a demo reel (below) of some of the popular pieces they’ve worked on previously. Many that you’re probably familiar with.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8337356&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1

Stargate Studios’ Virtual Backlot™ is a proprietary technology that gives filmmakers unparalleled access to any location through a variety of techniques. These can range from totally immersive sequences shot entirely on green screen to simple set extensions that marry into principal photography.

The common thread between all the variations of the Virtual Backlot™ is that it has been designed as a seamless and unobtrusive addition to the first unit. The goal is to enhance the story as well as solve production issues. Each production has unique challenges and needs and the Stargate Virtual Backlot™ aims to meet those challenges and needs in a creative and cost effective manner.

On their official website, Stargate has also published a visual effects demo reel. So be sure to check that out as well.