If you are looking for something funny to watch online you now have another place to look, thanks to launch this week of Independent Comedy Network TV. ICN.TV, a Santa Monica, California based startup, looks to offer unique comedy programming with 5 original scripted series.
ICN.TV is comedy but different than the Will Ferrell project, Funny or Die, as ICN.TV offers actual comedy series rather than just random shorts, skits and improvisations.
With the Hollywood writers on strike many of my favorite television programs have either stopped production or have had to improvise. 30 Rock where Alec Baldwin portrays a NBC executive is included in this list. A video surfaced before the holidays of another role that Alec Baldwin has recently taken on as AOL's Extra Senior Vice President of Special Excellence.
Continue reading "AOL's Extra Sr VP of Special Excellence?" »
Are we in another Web bubble? The Richter Scales has produced a parody video that my friend just sent me that takes on an old Billy Joel tune to convey some Web 2.0 bubble thoughts. Regardless of if you think that another Web bubble is about to burst or not, it is a very well done video and will most likely make you grin.
With the Facebook news wall users get an aggregation of friend updates to keep tabs on whats going on in their social circle. Wouldn't be great if you could just watch your Facebook news wall just like the evening broadcast news on television? Well now you can, sort of...
There have been many people that have become "Internet famous" thanks to the shift to the user contributed content of Web 2.0. Thanks to the animation of Dan Meth, on his ChannelFrederator series The Meth Minute 39, we now can enjoy a tribute to all those viral video stars of the past couple of years. 
Looking for comedy on YouTube? If so, you might want to check out Funny or Die. The site launched a few months ago but has been attracting some attention as it offers up community-vetted viral comedy videos produced by some popular comedians. You may have already seen The Landlord (shown below) is short sketch that stars Will Ferrell. Interestingly, Gary Sanchez Productions co-owned by Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, took the idea of Michael
Kvamme and created Funny or Die.
The idea behind the site is simple, Funny or Die enables its users to upload funny videos and then the community can vote on the videos and decide whether they are funny or die by being sent to the crypt. According to the site there are a few additional levels which are explained as follows:
Immortal: This video shall live forever like Thor or The Fonz.
Walking Tall: In great shape.
Kinda Cute: Worth a chuckle or perhaps a guffaw.
Uh-Oh: Not doing so good.
The Crypt: This video flat lined.
For an Immortal video and if you cannot get enough Will Ferrell you might want to also check out, Third Date (shown below) or Will Ferrell as George Bush. Jimmy Fallon also has joined in and produced a spoof of Internet famous lonelygirl15, called lonelyfallon32. Bill Murray will also be making an appearance soon.
Bottom-line: Funny or Die is a great place to upload and vote on funny videos and laugh a little bit.
JibJab, the online video site which came to fame during the 2004 U.S. presidential election with videos like "The Land," has created a new video series called the "The News" and has decided to include some bloggers. Bloggers Mike Arrington, Robert Scoble and Chris Pirillo were featured around the 1:20 mark of the video below. If you squint while watching, you might catch a glimpse of my face in the crowd of people.
Have you ever dreamed of starring in your very own comic strip? You may have previously looked to Comic Life but now Comeeko offers an online option that makes it possible to create a comic strip with your photos or other images you upload to the site.
Comeeko, an Australia-based beta product, offers an Ajax interface that makes it easy to generate comic strips with limited drawing skills. Comeeko enables users to choose a comic layout by selecting the number of panes and the layout of the panes. Each pane can have photos added to it by uploading them directly or by tapping into Flickr photos. Users can add speech bubbles and effects and share the completed comic with friends and family. If you have a social network page or blog you could add some humor to your page with Comeeko. I created a comic strip and displayed it below. 
Bottom-line: Comeeko offers an easy to use Ajax interface to create and share custom comic strips.
Gizmoz, an Israel-based company, offers a suite of tools for generating animated avatars and buddy icons thus enabling users to create messages to share over email, the web or even instant messenger. You can create an custom animated message by selecting an avatar to deliver the message and then either recording a 20 second message, typing a message to be converted into an audio voice or by selecting a pre-recorded message. Upon selecting an avatar and message option you can preview the animated video before sharing it with others. However, all messages that are created on the site are placed into a public gallery of Gagz for others to watch, rate and share. I created an animated avatar and have embedded it for viewing above or by visiting this link.
Aside from animated gag creation, Gizmoz offers a free plug-in to bring talking heads to just about every instant messaging client available (i.e. AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, Google Talk). The software enables users to share gags and exchange instant messages via a Gizmoz talking head. Find out more here.
In addition, Gizmoz is working a product called Headz Maker that allows anyone to create a custom talking head from a facial photo. TechCrunch previously reported more details on the head maker. It sort of reminds me of Max Headroom, are we catching up with the technology forecasts of 1985?
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits on earth. They offer nutritional value by possessing potassium and dietary fiber. What does this have to do with the web and technology? Nothing until now, as Somewhat Frank recently fell victim to Banana Name.
Banana Name is a new blog that showcases the names of other sites as well as local businesses in lights written on a banana.
"Changing the world one banana at a time."
Banana Name is a unique way to discover new things on the web. Banana Name is the brainchild of Ed Kohler and leverages people's love for their name in lights which I have discussed previously on Somewhat Frank. Also it sort of reminds me of Post Secret, the project that allows users to contribute their secrets to be published anonymously on the web and in a book. While Banana Name doesn't ask for user contributed content, you can get your name on a banana by requesting it. Go bananas!
So you probably have seen by now the slew of articles that start out
"What superhero are you?", "What superhero am I?" or "I am <fill in the blank with a
superhero name>." To further amplify the signal of this blogospheric chain-letter, I will participate in one final meme of 2006. A few weeks ago I was tagged for the "5 things meme" and participated by posting 5 things about me - this time it is the "superhero meme." Upon answering a number of random questions on a rather amateur looking, Google Adsense-heavy web site, I received the following results:
You are The Flash
|
Fast, athletic and flirtatious. |
I guess all those years of childhood wearing superhero underoos have somehow paid off! Which Superhero are you?
Photo attribution: POSITiv via Flickr
Continuing with my recent theme of exposing humor related to web 2.0 as I have here and here, I would advise you to check out Geek And Poke. Geek And Poke offers a nearly daily cartoon focusing on clowning web 2.0, podcasting and blogging concepts. Many of the cartoons are time or event sensitive so anyone with their fingers on the pulse of the web 2.0 movement should find them clever. So check out Geek And Poke and ease into the weekend with some comedy.
Green Monster Games is a startup founded by an interesting combination of people which includes Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, the creator the the comic book Spawn, Todd McFarlane and sci-fi writer, R.A. Salvatore. With this all-star cast of founders it appears they are hiring programmers to actually develop the product.
GMG is looking to change the landscape of online gaming. It is not totally clear what type of games they are looking to create but I think it would be safe to assume that it is going to be some sort of epic journey looking to engage players for hours and hours (i.e. Second Life or World of Warcraft).
Startup Mixology: Tech Cocktail's Guide To Building, Growing & Celebrating Startup Success by Frank Gruber
