Tag Archives: speech

Microsoft aims to bring “natural user interface ads” to Xbox

June 23, 2011Technology, Videoads, advertisements, gestures, interactivity, Kinect, Kinect for Xbox 360, Microsoft, Microsoft Xbox 360, social, social interactivity, speech, Twitter, Video games, voice, voice commands, Xbox 360Scott Meisner

Teenagers are social creatures; it is known. That’s why Microsoft is experimenting with Kinect to bring interactive and socially-inclined advertisements to Xbox 360. Such ads that take advantage of gestures and speech captured by Kinect are being called “natural user interface ads,” or NUads for short. Imagine you spy an ad for Coke that piques your interest. Say aloud “Xbox, tweet” and the console will automagically send out a short message and link to the ad to all your Twitter followers. New scenario: You see a spot for Adidas that’s advertising a promotional event and want to learn more about it. Simply say “Xbox, more” and instantly you’ll receive an email with more information about the sponsored event. Here’s another: You see an ad for NBC’s The Voice and you can’t miss tomorrow night’s new episode. Speak “Xbox, schedule” and the console will send a reminder to your Windows Phone and you’ll be alerted before the episode begins. Watch the video embedded above to see all these voice commands and gestures in action. Others include “Xbox, near me” and voting for your preferences by waving your hand.

Ads suck in general. But new innovation like this might just inject a spark of excitement into the viewing experience. Social interactivity is all the rage these days; add these elements to advertisements and perhaps the act of watching them will be less painful.

[Via MicrosoftAdvertising]

Watch Conan O’Brien deliver Dartmouth’s commencement address

June 13, 2011Hilarity, Videoadvice, college, commencement address, commencement speec, Conan, Conan O'Brien, Dartmouth, graduating class, graduation, speechScott Meisner

Yesterday morning late night talk show host Conan O’Brien delivered the main address at Dartmouth College’s 2011 commencement exercises. The 25 minute speech is chock full of jokes, but it’s the latter half that really hits home for the students. Conan’s transition from NBC to cable TV proved to be an enlightening experience for the comedian, and so he was able to share valuable advice with the graduating class. A couple choice quotes:

“It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention.”

“Whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.”

Watch it in full above.

Obama’s “State of the iPad Address”

January 30, 2010Hilarity, Technology, Videoannouncement, Apple iPad, mashup, speech, State of the UnionScott Meisner

President Obama shared the spotlight with Steve Jobs Wednesday when the State of the Union Address coincided with the Apple iPad announcement. You knew this mashup was bound to happen. (And it’s quite good, actually!)

[Via Gizmodo]

Happy New Year! Now watch this in its entirety.

January 1, 2010VideoApple, commencement address, speech, Standford University, Steve JobsScott Meisner

INSPIRATIONAL. MOTIVATIONAL.

Those are just two words that instantly come to mind when I think back to this video. In 2005 Apple CEO Steve Jobs gave the commencement address to the graduating class at Stanford University. In it he urges them “to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks — including death itself.” He harkens back to three pivotal moments in his life (when he dropped out of college, when he was fired from Apple, and when he was diagnosed with cancer) and shares the life lessons he learned from each of them. This speech shook me at the core and I thought it’d be best to share it with all of you. As we enter a brand new year and make those obligatory resolutions, take to heart what Jobs says here and think about your place and purpose in life.

“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

[Via TED]

John Hodgeman, true nerd, shares thoughts with Obama

June 20, 2009Hilarity, Technology, VideoCollege Humor, John Hodgeman, Obama, speechScott Meisner

John Hodgeman, best known for his role as “PC” in the Apple commercials, presented a speech at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner. The speech is directed at President Obama, who Hodgeman considers a nerd at heart. He says, “This is a historic moment…some people say [Obama] is the first nerd president of the modern era.” It’s a good watch.