Tag Archives: anniversary

Letter from the editor: The future is brighter

[experience-it-all],

Dear readers, this April marks the blog’s seventh anniversary. Can you believe it? I hardly can; time flies when you’re doing what you love, I guess. Way back in 2009, I started experience it all as a hobby of sorts. At the time I was interning at G4’s Attack of the Show (RIP), and I found its premise completely fascinating; it was a program that smashed together technology and pop culture. I grew up taking apart and building computers with my Dad. In high school, my utter obsession with TV began thanks to 24, Lost, and Prison Break. When I was young I was always dumbfounded by my parents when they could list off every actor on screen at the movies, and now my brain somehow manages to process, store, and regurgitate everything pop culture. In sum, my creative outlet was an inevitability.

A spark was ignited the summer of ’09. From AOTS I ventured to 30 Rock working at Today, SNL and Late Night when Jimmy was there. And then I moved my life to Los Angeles to work in TV production and development at Nickelodeon and 20th Century Fox. Throughout it all, across all seven years, experience it all never wavered. A single day hasn’t gone by since its inception that I haven’t thought about making it better. It has been rewarding to see it transform from a hobby into a professional destination for the latest industry coverage. My blog stands for everything I am so passionate about: entertainment, technology, and pop culture collide here, under my terms and in my own words. From CES in Vegas to E3 in LA and San Diego Comic Con, it’s been a wild, exhilarating ride covering these ever-evolving industries for you. And I’m happy to report that there’s no end in sight. To celebrate seven years, I’ve updated the site with a brighter theme featuring colors that pop and text that’s easier on the eyes. It plays nicely on mobile devices now, too. I’ve maintained the minimalism, because at the end of the day it’s always about the content, front and center. I’m always open to feedback, of course.

The future is brighter at experience it all, and you can expect even more fun and unexpected content to make its way here (hint: it’s about time I fired up YouTube again). From me to you, thanks for going on this journey with me. I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner. -sm

YouTube turns 10 and outs a jam-packed retrospective video

Entertainment, Video,

Believe it or not, YouTube is celebrating its 10th birthday and what better way to do just that than with a YouTube video that quite successfully captures the broad range of viral goodness to come from it. Backed by Blackalicious’ famous rap “Alphabet Aerobics,”  the video “The A-Z of YouTube” crams over 75 references and 18 filmmaking styles to show off the sheer amount of creativity and variety its content creators have contributed from the past decade. A personal favorite of mine makes the cut; do yours?

Macintosh turns 30

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The Macintosh was introduced to the world on January 24, 1984. This year the Mac turns 30 years old and Apple is celebrating this major milestone with a special new portal on their website featuring an interactive, nostalgic and knowledgeable Mac Timeline. You can scrub through every year from 1984 to 2014 and discover how the Mac has made such a significant impact in the world. There’s also a section called My First Mac and you can share your story with the Apple community and learn what people did with their revolutionary computers.

And it wouldn’t be a proper Apple celebration without awe-inspiring video to go along with it. Embedded after the break are three. In “Thirty years of innovation” creative types like Moby and Hans Zimmer wax poetic about the Mac and how it changed their lives and even more so the world. The next video is even more powerful; on January 24, 2014–on the Mac’s 30 year anniversary–Apple sent 15 camera crews armed with iPhone 5s’ all around the world and the end result is pretty incredible. Over 70 hours of footage was edited down to a 1 minute 27 second clip that acknowledges the sheer power and capability of modern technology. Watch it–along with a behind-the-scenes video narrated by director Jake Scott (son of filmmaker Ridley Scott)–after the break.

Truly remarkable stuff. Happy Birthday, Mac. Continue reading Macintosh turns 30 →

Xbox LIVE turns 10

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On November 15, 2002 Microsoft turned on Xbox LIVE and over the past ten years what began as a multiplayer service for video gamers has evolved into an entertainment service that provides not only live multiplayer gameplay around the world but also a hub for the latest in movies, TV, music, and sports. Microsoft took a gamble when they charged gamers to pay a yearly fee for an online subscription; after ten years of supporting blockbuster games and other entertainment outlets it turns out that the price of admission was well worth it.

Here are some fun facts about LIVE Microsoft is sharing today:

  • Initially available to U.S. and Canadian Xbox players, the service is now available in 41 countries and territories around the world.
  • In the 10 years of LIVE, nearly 14.5 billion Achievements have been unlocked worldwide, accumulating a total combined Gamerscore of more than 270 billion.
  • This year we had an average of 9.4 million people a week using multi-player gaming on Xbox LIVE.
  • During the week of Nov. 6 through Nov. 13, our members spent more time on Xbox LIVE (gaming and watching entertainment) than any other week in the history of our service: a total of 442 million hours.
  • Halo 4, which broke entertainment industry numbers, resulted in the LIVE community unlocking 43 million achievements in just the first five days of gameplay.

In an open letter to Xbox LIVE members, Microsoft’s Marc Witten shared his enthusiasm about the service and how far it’s come. “Over the last 10 years you’ve helped us define LIVE as the best place to play online and the definitive online gaming experience for two generations of Xbox consoles, and you’ve helped us evolve LIVE into a full entertainment service, delivering amazing games, sports, movies, TV and music,” he said. “If the last 10 years is any indication of what’s possible in the next 10 years, imagine the innovation yet to come,” he continued. “One thing is for sure – we will continue to offer some of the best entertainment, from premium games, sports, TV, movies, web to music. To the members who’ve been with us since the beginning – I sincerely thank you, both for your support and your feedback. And for those of you that have just become members, a very warm welcome.”

To celebrate Xbox LIVE’s 10 year anniversary, Microsoft is offering special deals on Xbox LIVE Arcade games and you can win a custom-designed Xbox 360 console. Head over to the anniversary portal for more.

Cartoon Network celebrates 20 years with animated, nostalgic music video

Television, Video, ,

Cartoon Network is celebrating twenty years of animated entertainment today; the channel first launched on October 1, 1992. CN collaborated with record label Mad Decent and London-based design shop ILOVEDUST to create this original trippy tribute. The music video contains nearly 100 cartoon characters that have graced the network’s lineup during the course of its existence. Look it’s Dexter and Johnny Bravo and The Powerpuff Girls and Courage the Cowardly Dog and Samurai Jack! See how many classic ‘toons you can spot. Enjoy your trip down nostalgia lane.

Nintendo Wii Remote Plus comes stateside for $39.99, bundled inside celebratory red Wii console

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We knew it was coming, but Nintendo has made it official.  The Wii Remote Plus (or the newly designed Wii-mote with the MotionPlus accessory built inside) is coming to U.S. Wii players for an exciting low price of $39.99.  Ninty confirms the Wii Remote Plus will become the new standard Wii-mote to come stuffed inside all Wii packages and bundles when it releases November 7.  It will come in the following tints: white, pink, blue, and black.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. game, Nintendo decided to deck out the Wii in a red coat of paint for Japanese gamers.  Today I am happy to announce that the company who invented Mario is bringing the celebratory console to the States.  In addition to the red Wii console, the limited edition bundle includes a red Wii Remote Plus and matching Nunchuck, Wii Sports, and a copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.  The bundle costs $199.99 and ships November 7.

But the fun doesn’t stop there!  A special-edition Nintendo DSi XL bundle lands November 7, too.  The red DSi XL features three iconic Super Mario Bros.-themed graphics and comes bundled with a copy of Mario Kart DS and preloaded with Brain Age games and a Photo Clock.  It’s priced at 179.99.

Let’s hear it for the most iconic video game characher ever–happy birthday Mario!

[Via Joystiq]

Happy 15th Anniversary, PlayStation (part deux)

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Remember way back on December 4, 2009 when we celebrated the 15th anniversary of PlayStation.  Well apparently that was celebrating the birth of the brand in Japan.  The original PlayStation console wasn’t introduced in North America until September 9, 1994.  So now we must celebrate the birth of PS in the US.  Do it by reading all these PlayStation fun facts (like did you know that seven percent of PS gamers won’t date non-gamers?) and browsing the PlayStation timeline that spans from the original console to the PlayStation Move in the gallery below.

[Via Gizmodo]

Google celebrates 2 years of Chrome with new spankin’ version

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On September 2 Google celebrated Chrome’s second birthday by releasing version 6.0.472.53.  The faster and more streamlined version of Chrome features an even more minimalist and stripped down user interface.  “We combined Chrome’s two menus into one, revisited the location of the buttons, cleaned up the treatment of the URL and the Omnibox, and adjusted the color scheme of the browser to be easier on the eyes,” reads the Google Chrome Blog.

It’s hard to believe that so much has changed since Chrome was introduced in August 2008.  Back then JavaScript was 10 times slower and HTML5 support was pretty much non-existent.  In fact, Chrome’s JavaScript performance is three times faster than what it was in 2008.  Google boasts all of the handy features they’ve introduced over the years:  a more customizable New Tab page, browser themes, side-by-side view, password manager, better privacy controls, built-in Adobe Flash Player, Autofill, automatic translation, HTML5 capabilities and synchronization of various settings such as bookmarks, themes, extensions and browser preferences.

Wow, that was a mouthful.  Go ahead and download the new version of Chrome here.

[Via GoogleChromeBlog]

Back to the Future celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Blu-ray release

Movies, News, , , , , , ,

On October 26 the unforgettable Back to the Future trilogy will release on Blu-ray (for the very first time) and DVD.  Though pricing details have not been disclosed, Hollywood News has picked up on the loads of bonus material.  They include 16 deleted scenes, a six-part retrospective documentary with interviews by Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, director Robert Zemeckis, and making-of and archival featurettes.  So if you happen to be a long-time BTTF fan, you’re gonna want to get this. Continue reading Back to the Future celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Blu-ray release →

Happy 10th Anniversary, PlayStation 2

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Can you believe it’s been a whole ten years since PlayStation 2 reinvented the video game console on March 4, 2000?  For many it was their first DVD players, for others it brought sheer pleasure with games like God of War, Guitar Hero, SOCOM, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Gran Turismo 4, Devil May Cry 3, and Grand Theft Auto III.  It was the PS2 that officially knocked Nintendo off his high horse, introducing video playback and the desire for better, high-end graphics for immersive games.  The legacy of PS2 will live on in our nostolgic hearts and minds.  Check out this timeline (if you haven’t already) that Sony put together in celebration of 15 years of PlayStation.