Five things on Friday #305
Things of note for the week ending Friday, September 27th, 2019.
Newsletter #305: Introduction
Happy Friday fam.
What can I tell you? The week has passed in a flash. Workloads are high - but manageably so and enjoyable. New faces, places, and spaces abound. Generally: it has been a good week. Today, Friday September 27th, I have run one workshop, seen one INCREDIBLE piece of work (coming soon), and am about another fortnight out from my first piece of work for Digitas actually making it out of the building. Reader: I am excited.
Shortly, I am bound for Birmingham. The annual get together of my gamer gang is upon us so a weekend of laughter, merriment, and general nerding out about gaming is on the horizon. I can't wait.
Given the workload, the bonuses might be a bit light this week (I understand that for some of you this is actually the opposite of problematic). But overall, the quality is still high.
We are the choices we make.
Shall we crack on with this thing then?
LET'S.
1. THE AMAZING 3D RUGBY REPLAY THING
Have you seen this yet? No?
OK.
LOOK!
Right.
That gif is made from the video that was appended to this tweet (watch the whole thing). Your first thought (well, my first thought) might be 'Bloody hell, how do they play with that blimmin' drone flying about all over the place?!'
But here's the thing: it is not a drone.
Canon has created a whole new system called Free Viewpoint Video. It's running during all seven of the Rugby tournament matches to be held at the International Stadium Yokohama, including Ireland v Scotland, England v France, both semi-finals and the tournament’s final on 2nd November.
From the website TVB Europe:
"The system comprises multiple high-resolution cameras set up around a stadium, which are connected to a network and controlled via software to simultaneously capture the game from multiple viewpoints. Afterward, image processing technology renders the videos as high-resolution 3D spatial data within which users can freely move a virtual camera around the 3D space, resulting in video that can be viewed from various different angles and viewpoints."
This is MENTAL. So yeah, while all those folk bang on about VAR and all that jazz, Canon is implementing a quiet revolution in how sports fans can consume it all.
More here.
2. THIS WEEK AT NUMBER TWO: TWO QUICK FACEBOOK THINGS
First: Facebook Horizon.
Submitted without comment:
"Facebook today announced it’s building its own Ready Player One Oasis. Facebook Horizon is a virtual reality sandbox universe where you can build your own environments and games, play and socialize with friends or just explore the user-generated landscapes. This is Facebook’s take on Second Life.
Launching in early 2020 in closed beta, Facebook Horizon will allow users to design their own diverse avatars and hop between virtual locales through portals called Telepods, watch movies and consume other media with friends and play multiplayer games together, like Wing Strikers. It also will include human guides, known as Horizon Locals, who can give users assistance and protect their safety in the VR world so trolls can’t run rampant."
OK, maybe one comment: this is basically the first step towards OASIS isn't it?
Moving swiftly onwards - and for those of you that have been following the POLITICIANS ARE COMING trend - this interview with Damian Collins really is fantastic. Moreso because it appears on the consistently excellent Social Media Geekout podcast. For those of you that don't know, Damian Collins is the chair for the Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee. You must listen, if only for the excellent answer that DC gives to 'the reason why the independent council of Facebook won't work?'
"It's created by Facebook, paid, recruited by Facebook- to sit in judgement on Facebook." - when he puts it like that, it's hard to disagree.
So yeah. Read about HORIZON then listen to the podcast.
That's a proper shot/slammer combo right there.
3. HAND-CRAFTED KIT-KATS, LOL
Not kidding.
FOURTEEN ENGLISH POUNDS FOR A CHOCOLATE BAR, EVERYONE.
ACTUALLY TEMPTED TO WRITE THE WHOLE SECTION IN ALL CAPS OUT OF SHEET AND UTTER SHOCK AND AWE.
But I won't.
So yeah, this is interesting for a number of reasons.
The ongoing move to D2C models by big consumer brands. This will not pass.
The premiumization (not a word) of everything. I think the cool kids call it 'premium mediocre'. The east-coming-west trend is FINE and everything but when your first kit-Kat cost you less than 30p (showing my age there) ponying up the same amount for a Soho cocktail for a bit of standard in a nice box.
The perceived scarcity (only available at a pop-up at John Lewis - and online, in limited numbers).
Money maker's heaven.
Fascinating.
I bet you a box of these bad boys that 'luxury handcrafted' literally talks about the packaging process and nothing else. I BET YOU.
Bonus: the first time I read this story (and I've read it a lot this week) I was reminded of this EXCELLENCE.
4. GSUITE + GOOGLE: THE HORROR
This is just a moan. So skip it if this bores you but TO ALL MY GOOGLER FRIENDS THAT SUBSCRIBE TO THIS THING, THIS IS THE WORST.
Oh my God.
The pain. I've been a Google Apps now GSuite Legacy user for as long as I've had my own website.
A LONG TIME.
Recently, Google has taken to removing features from its consumer-facing services for Gsuite users.
After several of these second-class-citizen issues, I am now moving my WHOLE LIFE to Google/Gmail. Out of Gsuite.
Photos, calendar, email... you name it, I'm moving it. Well, mostly. Maps history won't move. Google Play Movie licences won't move. A whole ton of other stuff WON'T MOVE.
It all has to be done manually.
There is no easy 'import/integrate account' feature or button. Even Google Takeout, a download your data service from the big G, has proven to be utterly useless because it actually doesn't provide any upload feature for any of the data I download.
In short: GOOGLE SUCKS AT THIS.
If you're in the minority of people that are also suffering from this problem. Here's a a guide that may or may not be useful for you.
5. THE LAST OF US PART II
I can't wait.
No idea what I'm talking about? You're missing out on one of the finest games ever made (and it's free on PlayStation Plus from Tuesday next week).
THE ESSENTIALS:
The Essentials are the weekly links to the #MeToo movement. Any article. Any press. Any story. Any white male firing. If it happens, it's here.
THE BONUS SECTION
EXCLUSIVE BONUS LINKS.
ONLY FOR NICE PEOPLE.
Jodie Comer is superb - via Variety.
There'll be a lot that's written about the leadership of the United States of America. I try to keep this place a DJT-free zone. This, however, from NYTimes columnist David Leonhardt, is brutally in its simplicity.
Kinda beautiful (best bonus).
And so onwards, to the final section.