Living in Busy World

YouTube maestros The Fine Brothers have created another 8-bit interactive YouTube game, this time targeting one of the most iconic Saturday morning sitcoms of all time: Saved by the Bell.

Following the “Choose Your Own Adventure” motif of previous Fine Bros. games for Twilight and Harry Potter, the interactive video series tasks viewers with figuring out the sordid underbelly that is the Palisades.

Just kidding. Actually, you play as perennial teen heartthrob Zack Morris and choose to help Kelly, Jessie or Screech in their moments of crisis. You know, those moments of crisis that are utterly unlike anything that actually happen in high school but seem so utterly believable when watching the show in elementary school?

The game is chock-full of references, characters and humor that will leave any SBTB superfan (like myself) laughing out loud.

What was your favorite Saved by the Bell episode? (Mine was when the gang did the rap version of Snow White.)

[via Vulture]

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SiriusXM satellite radio plans to offer personal radio channels like Pandora’s that can replay, skip and ban songs, along with five hours’ worth of time-shifting capabilities on most channels and unspecified on-demand features.

Part of the long-rumored SXM 2.0 technology, SiriusXM will soon be a service akin to a TiVo for music. Beyond the new music discovery features, the company plans to make 25% more channels available.

But to use these new features and channels, you’ll need a new radio. At the end of this year, SiriusXM will roll out two next-generation radios capable of handling these new features, and an unnamed auto maker will roll out a 2013-model car equipped with the 2.0 tech next year.

According to Seeking Alpha, SiriusXM said in its quarterly earnings call:

SXM 2.0 is a major upgrade and evolution of our satellite- and internet-delivered networks that span our hardware, software and audio and data content. We are rolling it out in phases, bringing more content and capabilities to our satellite platform, while also employing connectivity technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth and the Internet to create exciting complements to our core radio services.

This is big. SiriusXM has just eliminated the main reason why I stopped subscribing to the service last year: I preferred the music discovery features of Pandora. With the new radios, bandwidth and features, Sirius will now be able to compete on more of an equal footing with other Internet-based music services.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Ian Hayhurst

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Today would have been comedian Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday, and to commemorate the occasion, there’s an interactive Google Doodle for your viewing pleasure.

If you don’t recognize that boxy device in the picture above, that’s what TVs used to look like back in the ’50s, and if you go to Google.com, click on that TV’s channel changing knob and you can watch your choice of seven of the funniest and most memorable clips from the vintage TV hit I Love Lucy.

SEE ALSO: Google’s Musical Doodle Lives On — On Its Own Web Page

My favorite, the chocolate factory conveyor belt where Lucy can’t quite keep up, is the best of the bunch, and even though I’ve seen it hundreds of times it still makes me laugh every time.

Happy birthday, Lucy!

Here are some other interactive and animated Google doodles you’ll enjoy:

View As Slideshow » Each package gets larger with a mouse-over, and a click on it returns search results pertinent to a specific country or the particular items featured in a scene. This one is from December 24, 2010. The Google Doodle team stars in an homage to the silent film era’s greatest star’s 122nd birthday, April 15, 2011. This Doodle commemorated John Lennon’s 70th birthday in October 2010. Debuting May 10, 2011, this Google Doodle marks dance choreographer Martha Graham’s birthday. Commemorated the birthday of the inventor of the Bunsen burner, German chemist Robert Bunsen on March 31, 2011. The great inventor’s birthday was honored on February 11, 2011. Marking Independence Day 2010. A real crowd pleaser was this playable Pac-Man game, which appeared on May 21. 2010. Here’s a playable version.

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The Internet can be an infuriating place. Especially on Friday afternoon, when online fatigue is at its weekly high and those of us who are left at our desks during the “summer Friday” season are stewing in envy.

So what could be a better Friday diversion than a browser plug-in that destroys the Internet? Well, maybe actually leaving your desk. But that’s probably not an option, so bear with us.

“Kick Ass” is a browser plugin that lets you shoot nostalgic video game fighter pellets at elements on any website in order to destroy them. Annoying pop-up ad? Gone. Stupid forum comment? Zap. The web page of your least favorite congressperson? Aim and fire.

The game can be launched via drag-and-drop bookmarklet to very handily destroy anything on a web page. Even though the destruction is only visible in your browser, it’s an oddly satisfying little plugin. Simply steer the tiny triangle around the page with the arrow keys and shoot with the space bar to destroy. After you hit escape, the triangle and any damage you’ve waged using it will disappear.

Creator Erik Rothoff Andersson, an 18-year-old who recently graduated from high school in Sweden, says he put the browser plugin online more than a year ago. It only started gaining traction when he posted it on Reddit, but since then, the download page has had more than 1 million downloads and been Facebook Liked about 15,000 times.

Erik’s twin, Johan, designed the iPhone app [iTunes link] after Kick Ass started taking off.

Which means that for $0.99, you can continue your simulated attack on the Internet during your commute.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, Cote

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Too impatient to meddle with rocket parts? Jump right into the stars with Universe Sandbox, an incredibly detailed virtual planetarium.

Every known body in our solar system is accounted for in this game, each with its own granular roster of stats (mass, diameter, density, orbit eccentricity, etc.) that guide its movements according to Newtonian physics. Additional simulations show extra-solar bodies and neighboring galaxies in limited detail.

Zoom down to the surfaces of Saturn’s moons, or fly back thousands of lightyears to see our solar neighborhood in cosmic perspective. Quickly search for a celestial name, or glide your mouse across orbital trails to focus in on dwarf planets, moons and stars. The scope of these features alone makes Universe Sandbox a top notch simulation.

But that’s just the tip of the asteroid. As the game’s title suggests, this is a completely malleable universe. Manipulate any or all of the above stats to dynamically change the cosmos. Throw five extra moons into orbit around Venus, make Neptune a black hole, or give Pluto enough mass to reclaim its former planethood — take that, scientists!

Smash planets together, change the gravitational constant and watch the solar system spin into oblivion. The controls are so precise that you’re not just exploding celestial bodies — you’re deciding how many pieces they explode into.

Perhaps the only fault of this mind-blowing simulator is that the options are ridiculously granular — there’s so much to do, you may not even know what you’re doing half the time.

Dabbling in this scale model of the universe will certainly put things into perspective, and the meticulous attention to scientific detail should make it a go-to learning aide for every classroom.

Education Factor: Astronomy, physics

Price: $9.99

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Fran Maier is the president and executive chair of TRUSTe, the leading online privacy solutions provider. She speaks widely on issues of online privacy and trust and is active in mentoring women in technology. She serves on a number of Internet and trust-related boards, including the Online Trust Alliance.

At the peak of summer, the weather is not all that’s heating up – privacy, it turns out, has never been hotter. From senators to major news outlets, it seems everyone has privacy on the mind these days.

What does this have to do with your upcoming vacation? Well, chances are you’re packing more than a swimsuit and a beach book – what about your smartphone, laptop, tablet and digital camera? These devices are loaded with personal information and pose significant privacy risks if not properly protected during travel. Exercise a little common sense and follow these privacy tips to help protect your personal information and ensure a safe and relaxing vacation.

If you’re connecting to a wireless network, be it at a café or your hotel lobby, it should be password-protected to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing the network. You can also ask the venue if they have encryption enabled for their wireless router, which provides an extra layer of defense. If you plan to log in to your online accounts or enter sensitive credit card information over Wi-Fi, make sure the website URLs begin with “https,” indicating that they encrypt your data during transmission.

Computers, tablets and smartphones are popular theft targets due to their high resale value, but you can equip them with 21st century anti-theft protection. Choose from a variety of apps that allow you to track and potentially recover your devices in the event of theft. Some apps take photos of the perpetrator, geo-locate the stolen devices or even allow you to remotely log in to the devices.

Announcing your travel plans on a social media account can clue potential thieves to an opportunity to raid your vacant home. This threat is especially magnified if your social media accounts are public.

If you check your email at an Apple store or Internet café while on vacation, remember to sign out of your online accounts when you’re done. Simply closing the browser window is not enough – some accounts may keep you logged in. Therefore, the next person who tries to log in to their own email or social networking account will have full access to yours.

If you’re thinking about packing your work computer, remember it may contain sensitive information. Border agents have sweeping search powers upon country reentry, and have the power to search and copy the contents of your smartphone or computer. Depending on the device’s information, maybe it’s best to leave it at home.

A daily check of your credit card and bank account while traveling can’t hurt. Tourists are often prominent targets for fraud; therefore, daily monitoring can help target suspicious activity (like double-charges) right away. However, remember to only check these sensitive financial accounts using a secure Internet connection.

Your devices and the data they contain are more vulnerable when you are on the road or visiting an unfamiliar place. If you have sensitive information on your digital devices such as medical records, password-protect or even encrypt sensitive files for further protection. If your devices are stolen, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your data is safe.

If the place at which you’re staying doesn’t offer a safe, then securely carry them on your person.

Your smartphone and laptop aren’t the only devices with personal data. Last year I lost my Wi-Fi-equipped camera while traveling abroad. After my return to the U.S., I discovered that the camera had automatically uploaded pictures to my online account. Lo and behold, they were not my photos! The new camera owners had unwittingly uploaded their family vacation photos to my online account via the camera’s Wi-Fi-enabled memory card.

When you return from your travels, it may be tempting to immediately upload your vacation photos to your social networking account, but take a minute to review your privacy settings beforehand. That photo of you taking tequila shots at the poolside bar could end up in the network feed of your boss or a future employer.

Images courtesy of Flickr, Giorgio Montersino, jjprojects, Jack Zalium.

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Beer ads have a reputation for hitting the lowest common denominator. Just get a few babes in bikinis, throw in a fart joke or two and you’re done, right?

Actually, this list of the most-shared beer ads of all time, as measured by Unruly Media, is bereft of both elements. True, a few of the ads don’t have much to say beyond “men are pigs,” but one or two could be called poignant.

Others, however, might better be called “weird,” including a deadpan paean to Pabst Blue Ribbon by a guy named Tom Raper, and what looks like a brewery run by Willy Wonka.

SEE ALSO: International Beer Day: 8 Social Websites for Brew Lovers

So, on International Beer Day, sit back with your favorite brew and check out these top ads.

View As Slideshow » Bud’s ad acknowledging the 9/11 attacks ran only once — during the 2002 Super Bowl. The ad shows the brand’s Clydesdales seeming to bow before the New York skyline. 2. “Walk-In Fridge” (Heineken) While women get excited about big walk-in closets, men are tickled by a walk-in fridge with lots of Heinekens. And no, you’re not going mad. The people in this ad are speaking Dutch. 3. “Men With Talent” (Heineken) A variation on “Walk-in Fridge” shows men getting excited about a TV talent competition. Why? Because the contestants are doing their stunts with Heinekens. A bunch of friends decide that it’s important to spend time together in this ad for Argentine brand Quilmes. Shout out to Alain Espinosa for the translation. 5. “The Asteroids Galaxy Tour” a.k.a. “The Entrance” (Heineken) A James Bond type enters a bar where a retro-looking singer is crooning an annoyingly catchy song in this rather over-the-top ad from Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam. A big hit from Budweiser’s failed Bud.tv venture, “Swear Jar” never aired on TV, probably because it was too edgy. 7. “Pabst Blue Ribbon Commercial” (Pabst Blue Ribbon) The hipster’s favorite beer gets a deadpan ad by a man named Tom Raper who is proud of his country and disappointed in Anheuser-Busch, which was bought out by “some Arabs who probably don’t even have a country.” He also ushers in what may be the best beer tagline ever: “Drink it, you assholes.” “Wassup” had the misfortune of hitting in 1999 — way before YouTube. Still, it was pretty viral in its day, when people used to repeat lines they heard in ads rather than just send links. 9. “Most Epic Beer Commercial Ever” (Hahn Super Dry) Imagine the coolest brewery ever, with an in-house drummer whose set is used to filter the beer and a giant Elvis suit. Now add the Knight Rider theme. 10. “Clydesdales Donkey” (Budweiser) A plucky donkey becomes an honorary Clydesdale in this Bud spot saluting the, uh, underdonkey.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ultramarinfoto

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A man in Denmark is setting up a lottery that would allow startups to trade 1% of their equity for a user base.

Startups that participate in the Startuplotto will set a minimum number of sign-ups for which they’re willing to part with their equity. The lottery will introduce one company every month to members of its listerv, who can enter the lottery by signing up for the startup’s service. If enough people sign up, then the equity will be raffled off to one of those new users.

So far, about 2,000 people have signed up for the listserv, but Startuplotto creator Thomas Bro imagines lottery participant limits as high as 750,000 users.

“Startups get money from investors and use it get PR, this is just another way to get to potential users,” Bro says. “And maybe you don’t need to put in 10% or 15% maybe you can do it with just 1%.”

Considering that non-founding CEOs usually receive around a 5% equity grant, 1% is not an easy number to persuade startups to part with.

Yet Bro says he’s managed to get about 10 startups to sign up. Among them are a startup-management software company, a visual shopping search engine and a training tool for swimmers. Bro also plans to put his own startup up on the lottery list when it’s out of stealth mode.

At this point, there is little risk for these companies. If they set their limit at 100,000 users, for instance, Bro still needs to add about 98,000 members to his listserv before 100% participation would result in a raffle. There’s no downside to sending out a free introduction email to the 2,000 people who are already signed up to receive the emails.

But that’s not how Bro is selling it. He’s enlisted the help of PricewaterhouseCoopers to manage the lottery and potential equity transaction. Niels Henrik B. Mikkelsen, a partner at PwC, confirmed that the firm “expects to accept this assignment” though it has not yet entered into a formal agreement because the first drawing is not expected to take place until three to five months from now.

What do you think of this marketing strategy? Would you sign up?

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The Summer Blockbuster Series analyzes the social media campaigns behind major summer movie releases.

Rebooting a classic film franchise is difficult. Rebooting a franchise that already had a high-profile (if critically panned) refresh only a decade ago is even more of a challenge. That’s the task faced by director Rupert Wyatt and 20th Century Fox with the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which opened in theaters August 5.

Rise is a new origin story written as a prequel to the 1968 film, Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston.

Rise joins a growing list of Hollywood remakes or reboots of franchises that already tried (and failed) at making a comeback. Five years after Ang Lee’s Hulk failed to make the green hero into a movie franchise, Marvel Studios tried again with 2008′s The Incredible Hulk. After negotiations with director Sam Raimi broke down for Spider-Man 4, Sony opted to reboot the franchise from the ground up with Andrew Garfield. The Superman franchise is getting its own reboot in 2013, just seven years after Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns failed to bring the Man of Steel silver screen success.

And so, a decade after Tim Burton’s remake of Planet of the Apes hit theaters, 20th Century Fox is also trying again.

Let’s look at the social and digital strategy that 20th Century Fox is taking with this film.

The Facebook page for Rise of the Planet of the Apes is aiming for fan engagement. It’s asking fans to “Like” the page to unlock access to more features. These features include research videos, an iPhone app (also available in the App Store) and “exclusive content.”

We’re not sure how well this approach has worked for overall engagement, as the film only has 67,000 likes, but it’s a novel tactic nevertheless.

The rest of the page is sparse in terms of content and features, especially when compared to other films in our Summer Blockbuster series.

In the mobile arena, 20th Century Fox released a special iPhone app, Apes Will Rise [iTunes link] to help promote the film.

The app includes a memory game, access to information about the film, the film’s YouTube channel and access to online ticket information.

We like the app and its features but we wonder why this was limited to the iPhone. Many of these features would seem right at home on the film’s Facebook page or other mobile carriers.

The studio has its own Twitter account, @apeswillrise, and is also using the hashtag #apewillrise to promote the film.

Like Facebook, the Twitter promotion for this film is more limited than what we’ve seen with other would-be franchise films this summer.

The most comprehensive social media promotion for Rise of the Planet of the Apes is its YouTube channel. Not only does the page have a custom design with real-time updates, it also has a ton of HD video, ape films, behind-the-scenes moments, TV spots and various versions of the film trailer.

Even though the channel is just a few months old, it already has more than 32 million views and is in the top 30 most-viewed channels on YouTube for the United States.

WETA Digital, the special effects team behind the film, held a live video conference unveiling the apes in the film using Livestream.com.

This 30 minute presentation did a lot to show the techniques that went into creating the apes as well as the motion capture technology WETA Digital used for the project.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is expected to easily win the weekend. Early reviews of the film are also positive, which could lead to better word-of-mouth buzz.

Still, we have to wonder if the digital campaign behind the film is as strong as it could be. Rebooting an iconic franchise is hard work. A more robust social campaign would likely give the film a better shot at connecting with audiences.

Does the Rise digital campaign pass muster? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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In the war for social media supremacy, Facebook is king, but Twitter is a major player and Google is making both companies nervous with Google+. All three can’t be winners, though — most people simply don’t have enough hours in the day to use three different social networks.

So, we ask you: which social media service has your support?

That’s the question of the week for this special edition of the Web Faceoff, a series where we ask you, the readers, to choose between two competing web companies or products. Today, the question is simple: Do you prefer Facebook, Twitter or Google+?

It’s been interesting to see people compare Facebook, Twitter and Google+ against each other. Some say Google+ is a threat to Twitter, not Facebook, while others think Google+ will never go mainstream. More than half of Mashable readers in a recent poll we conducted said they intend to leave Facebook for Google+.

Clearly much has changed since 2009, when Facebook bested Twitter in one of our first Web Faceoffs.

So which social network gets your vote? Let your voice be heard in the poll below, and let us know why you voted the way you did in the comments.

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