BlackTech Blog

BlackTech Blog http://1001read.info Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 en Blogger: We Should Team Up to Take On Big Media http://1001read.info/content/blogger-we-should-team-up-to-take-on-big-media/ http://1001read.info/content/blogger-we-should-team-up-to-take-on-big-media/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:59 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/28/Blogger:-We-Should-Team-Up-to-Take-On-Big-Media.htm ]]> ]]> http://1001read.info/content/blogger-we-should-team-up-to-take-on-big-media/feed/ Minorities are shopping more online http://1001read.info/content/minorities-are-shopping-more-online/ http://1001read.info/content/minorities-are-shopping-more-online/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:59 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/27/Minorities-are-shopping-more-online.htm http://1001read.info/content/minorities-are-shopping-more-online/feed/ Social Responsibility Summit http://1001read.info/content/social-responsibility-summit/ http://1001read.info/content/social-responsibility-summit/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:58 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/26/Social-Responsibility-Summit.htm

<a rel="nofollow"]]> http://1001read.info/content/social-responsibility-summit/feed/ Facebook is still taking over the world http://1001read.info/content/facebook-is-still-taking-over-the-world/ http://1001read.info/content/facebook-is-still-taking-over-the-world/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:58 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/25/Facebook-is-still-taking-over-the-world.htm New Facebook privacy features invite abuse
Tuesday night Facebook rolled out enhanced privacy features that allow users to customize the p]]> New Facebook privacy features invite abuse
Tuesday night Facebook rolled out enhanced privacy features that allow users to customize the p]]> http://1001read.info/content/facebook-is-still-taking-over-the-world/feed/ Where Are the Black Tech Bloggers? http://1001read.info/content/where-are-the-black-tech-bloggers/ http://1001read.info/content/where-are-the-black-tech-bloggers/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:58 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/24/Where-Are-the-Black-Tech-Bloggers?.htm Where Are the Black Tech Bloggers?" in regard to the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://video.sxsw.com/2008/mov/sx_johnson_west_interview.mov"]]> Where Are the Black Tech Bloggers?" in regard to the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://video.sxsw.com/2008/mov/sx_johnson_west_interview.mov"]]> http://1001read.info/content/where-are-the-black-tech-bloggers/feed/ Yahoo to Launch Flickr Video Next Month http://1001read.info/content/yahoo-to-launch-flickr-video-next-month/ http://1001read.info/content/yahoo-to-launch-flickr-video-next-month/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:58 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/23/Yahoo-to-Launch-Flickr-Video-Next-Month.htm http://1001read.info/content/yahoo-to-launch-flickr-video-next-month/feed/ YouTube Adds Crazy APIs for Developers http://1001read.info/content/youtube-adds-crazy-apis-for-developers/ http://1001read.info/content/youtube-adds-crazy-apis-for-developers/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:58 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/22/YouTube-Adds-Crazy-APIs-for-Developers.htm announced new APIs to allow you to add YouTube's features, content and more to your own site. The full API can be accessed at <a rel="nofollow"]]> announced new APIs to allow you to add YouTube's features, content and more to your own site. The full API can be accessed at <a rel="nofollow"]]> http://1001read.info/content/youtube-adds-crazy-apis-for-developers/feed/ 100 Grand Bar: The Bachelorette Party http://1001read.info/content/100-grand-bar-the-bachelorette-party-2/ http://1001read.info/content/100-grand-bar-the-bachelorette-party-2/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:57 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy tag:johnthreat.com,2008:jt.General

Check out this Commercial Spec I cobbled together for 100 Grand called: The Bachelorette Party.

It features Jonelle Ownes, Chantel, Aiesha Tong and Michelle Reynoso as girls who are partying with their favorite friend - the 100 Grand Nestle Bar, but unfortunately while dancing energetically the candy bar rips it's clothes and the girls see the raw naked power of a fully operational candy bar in all it's splendid glory which transports them to nirvana. Roslyn Tate also kicks in for the finale mouth eating scene and voice over.

P.S.: The Candy bar is a stripper. Girls just wanna have fun! :)

I shot this spec in my apartment and the girls screamed which almost made me legend in the building. My neighbors heard the commotion and saw the sign on the door and they thought I was giving a private show for some girls and I must have been delivering the goods, because the girls were really shouting loud and dancing hard to the music.

Later I hand animated with candy bar with a variety of methods, from hand to strings although you only see a few seconds of it - after all - less is usually more in these situations and it's only a 30 seconds spot. Women really seem to dig the spot,but undressing candy bars may be better suited to Europe.]]> http://1001read.info/content/100-grand-bar-the-bachelorette-party-2/feed/ Betty Crocker Warm Delights - Best Ingestible On The Planet. http://1001read.info/content/betty-crocker-warm-delights-best-ingestible-on-the-planet-2/ http://1001read.info/content/betty-crocker-warm-delights-best-ingestible-on-the-planet-2/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:57 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy tag:johnthreat.com,2008:jt.Bachelor Tips
I recently capped off a 10 day fast by going to the store ravenous. I came across this new product I had seen in the cake and confection aisle and began to stare at it. Enter: Betty Crocker's Warm Delights. Three minutes to a warm molten chocolate cake. Impossible, one thinks!. I purchased it for the nominal price of $2.00.

What a mistake that was.

Thirty something bowls of Warm Delight later - I haven't really gained that much weight from it, but man this thing is literally the best tasting confection on the planet. I'm no Orhan Yegen, when it comes to tasting food - but I have criss-crossed the the planet in search of gastronomic delights, and I have yet to come across something so tasty whose barrier to preparation and cost is so low. I was doing like 2 hits a day at one point. Microwavable crack, really.

I warn you, for god's sake man, do not buy this thing.]]>
I recently capped off a 10 day fast by going to the store ravenous. I came across this new product I had seen in the cake and confection aisle and began to stare at it. Enter: Betty Crocker's Warm Delights. Three minutes to a warm molten chocolate cake. Impossible, one thinks!. I purchased it for the nominal price of $2.00.

What a mistake that was.

Thirty something bowls of Warm Delight later - I haven't really gained that much weight from it, but man this thing is literally the best tasting confection on the planet. I'm no Orhan Yegen, when it comes to tasting food - but I have criss-crossed the the planet in search of gastronomic delights, and I have yet to come across something so tasty whose barrier to preparation and cost is so low. I was doing like 2 hits a day at one point. Microwavable crack, really.

I warn you, for god's sake man, do not buy this thing.]]> http://1001read.info/content/betty-crocker-warm-delights-best-ingestible-on-the-planet-2/feed/ Slim Fast Viral Video http://1001read.info/content/slim-fast-viral-video-2/ http://1001read.info/content/slim-fast-viral-video-2/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:57 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy tag:johnthreat.com,2008:jt.Film/TV

I just wrapped shooting a Silm Fast Viral Video. It features 3 women (Hazel Dolphy, Rhonelle Bruder, and Lauren Munger ) who tell their stories about becoming comfortable with their own body image in an organic way and talk about a friend they have to help them count calories and reach their goals.

That friend of course for the video is an actual anatomically correct working milk chocolately flavored can of slim fast - that they can confide in, dance with, drink richly from, talk to, and cry with. The can is a metaphorical allusion to a whole group of products and services provided by Slim*Fast - from actual low-calorie great tasting snacks and meal replacements - to a community website for support and ideas and issues related to reaching your weight goals.

Here is a couple of pictures of the different phases of can creation - it wound up looking good on camera, although I admit when looking at it in person - it's a lot less impressive:

1) I picked the barrel up from a Carribean shipping company - and some spray paint from Home Depot - and laid down the white base.

2) Next I used some stencils to spray paint the main logo. I actually painted it the wrong way up in my haste to make the deadline! This robbed me of being able to keep the metal top for more realism. Instead I had to use the cardboard bottom for the top.

3) Next was the weird yellow area which spraypaint was good at laying down the fuzzy lines for it.

4) Last was the splash which unless I was Taki 231 or a Coney Island t-shirt airbrush expert I wasn't going to be able to nail 100%. - but I got the general feel of the splash and then I stenciled in the last of the text on the can with multi-coloured sharpies.

5) Rock out! Finished Slim-Fast Can - Shake Well My Friend.]]> http://1001read.info/content/slim-fast-viral-video-2/feed/ Bad Blogger http://1001read.info/content/bad-blogger/ http://1001read.info/content/bad-blogger/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:57 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/21/Bad-Blogger.htm ]]> ]]> http://1001read.info/content/bad-blogger/feed/ Youth Vote Triples in South Carolina http://1001read.info/content/youth-vote-triples-in-south-carolina/ http://1001read.info/content/youth-vote-triples-in-south-carolina/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:57 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/20/Youth-Vote-Triples-in-South-Carolina.htm From Future Majority: From Turnout in the Demo]]> From Future Majority: From Turnout in the Demo]]> http://1001read.info/content/youth-vote-triples-in-south-carolina/feed/ AngryBlackBitch responds to Ms. Steinem http://1001read.info/content/angryblackbitch-responds-to-ms-steinem/ http://1001read.info/content/angryblackbitch-responds-to-ms-steinem/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:57 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy http://www.rochellerobinson.com/19/AngryBlackBitch-responds-to-Ms.-Steinem.htm Pittsburgh for the weekend. While I'm gone, please catch up on the very interesting points highlighted by <a rel="nofollow"]]> Pittsburgh for the weekend. While I'm gone, please catch up on the very interesting points highlighted by <a rel="nofollow"]]> http://1001read.info/content/angryblackbitch-responds-to-ms-steinem/feed/ Everex Cloudbook vs Macbook Air http://1001read.info/content/everex-cloudbook-vs-macbook-air-2/ http://1001read.info/content/everex-cloudbook-vs-macbook-air-2/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:56 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy tag:johnthreat.com,2008:jt.Cool Tech
Looks like Apple has unleashed another amazing laptop that literally would get you a partner of your choice for intercourse just by showing up to Starbucks with it. However appealing that is, I wouldn't shell out over 2k for the Macbook Air. It's ultra thin design looks great and it looks like a super reduction in weight, but can you imagine the cost to fix this thing? This thing is going to be prone to breaking. The thinness of this laptop will cause issues with heat and kinetic damage. This thing is going to snap in half very easily - and the miniaturization of it's custom components will mean that it will be like fixing something simple like a air filter on a Lamborghini - prohibitively expensive. It's very Bang and Olufsen - esque - but this isn't a good solution for real road warrior and mobile computing.

Enter the Cloudbook- coming out on the 25th of this month finally. It's the real future of mobile computing. This sub-notebook only cost $399 - so if you lose or break it - no need to stand in line like a dummy at the apple store - you can just replace it with you pocket change. It's got a full keyboard , wifi, and tons of other toys. It's what you need on the road. You won't be editing your film on this thing, but you can write, surf, email, look at youtube videos and pipe video out for presentation with this baby. It's super tiny, can survive a fall, go with you when you climb a mountain - or my favorite sport - downhill mountain bike hunting. You ride downhill and chase wild boar and jump off the bike an wrestle the animal and try to capture it. Now I can take my laptop with me and know I can bang out a graph for a Hackateer script right after my hollow victory over swine!

If your self-esteem is married to the superficial and you care what other people think and you also wish to engage in empty dialog with strangers that could result in sexual activity at some point - get the Macbook Air - and a black turtleneck.

If you actually do work and create things and work hard to make the world a better place one battle at a time - you are an exemplary individual who values independent thought who would find against repressive totalitarian regimes - or you are just a cheapskate like me - then you'll go with the Cloudbook. Rock On!

]]>
Looks like Apple has unleashed another amazing laptop that literally would get you a partner of your choice for intercourse just by showing up to Starbucks with it. However appealing that is, I wouldn't shell out over 2k for the Macbook Air. It's ultra thin design looks great and it looks like a super reduction in weight, but can you imagine the cost to fix this thing? This thing is going to be prone to breaking. The thinness of this laptop will cause issues with heat and kinetic damage. This thing is going to snap in half very easily - and the miniaturization of it's custom components will mean that it will be like fixing something simple like a air filter on a Lamborghini - prohibitively expensive. It's very Bang and Olufsen - esque - but this isn't a good solution for real road warrior and mobile computing.

Enter the Cloudbook- coming out on the 25th of this month finally. It's the real future of mobile computing. This sub-notebook only cost $399 - so if you lose or break it - no need to stand in line like a dummy at the apple store - you can just replace it with you pocket change. It's got a full keyboard , wifi, and tons of other toys. It's what you need on the road. You won't be editing your film on this thing, but you can write, surf, email, look at youtube videos and pipe video out for presentation with this baby. It's super tiny, can survive a fall, go with you when you climb a mountain - or my favorite sport - downhill mountain bike hunting. You ride downhill and chase wild boar and jump off the bike an wrestle the animal and try to capture it. Now I can take my laptop with me and know I can bang out a graph for a Hackateer script right after my hollow victory over swine!

If your self-esteem is married to the superficial and you care what other people think and you also wish to engage in empty dialog with strangers that could result in sexual activity at some point - get the Macbook Air - and a black turtleneck.

If you actually do work and create things and work hard to make the world a better place one battle at a time - you are an exemplary individual who values independent thought who would find against repressive totalitarian regimes - or you are just a cheapskate like me - then you'll go with the Cloudbook. Rock On!

]]> http://1001read.info/content/everex-cloudbook-vs-macbook-air-2/feed/ Deviants Of Reality - Mystikal http://1001read.info/content/deviants-of-reality-mystikal-2/ http://1001read.info/content/deviants-of-reality-mystikal-2/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:56 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy tag:johnthreat.com,2008:jt.Music Video

Here is the final on the Deviants Of Reality Music Video for their European hit "Mysitkal." The artist asked for a retro 80's feel to the video so we shot with warm saturated colors with a close intimate feel with the artist and the extras. For some reason, people seem to really like this throwback style video - it really appeals to women with it's non-threatening vibe and crystal clear simplistic lyrics and warm visuals.

We shot the video over a one day period in Red Bank, NJ, which I had never even heard of. The feature girl, Mounia was flown in from Europe for the occasion, a model who was a favorite of Dj Alex J. There are two effect shots in the music video, which were composited by Johnathan T. Winbush. They should be easy to spot.

There was a scrapped scene due to time constraints imposed by a restless bar owner where the feature girl, Mounia would have walked backlit by a glowing ring almost like a body halo toward the music artist. Hopefully that scene reappears in another video one day.

The original treatment I submitted for the video included a climatic scene where the feature girl ultimately lure DJ Alex J to the kitchen and cooked him on the grill and ate their innards as he still performed - now that would have been mystical!

In retrospect, maybe the whole cannibalism thing wasn't really right for them - but one day!]]>

Here is the final on the Deviants Of Reality Music Video for their European hit "Mysitkal." The artist asked for a retro 80's feel to the video so we shot with warm saturated colors with a close intimate feel with the artist and the extras. For some reason, people seem to really like this throwback style video - it really appeals to women with it's non-threatening vibe and crystal clear simplistic lyrics and warm visuals.

We shot the video over a one day period in Red Bank, NJ, which I had never even heard of. The feature girl, Mounia was flown in from Europe for the occasion, a model who was a favorite of Dj Alex J. There are two effect shots in the music video, which were composited by Johnathan T. Winbush. They should be easy to spot.

There was a scrapped scene due to time constraints imposed by a restless bar owner where the feature girl, Mounia would have walked backlit by a glowing ring almost like a body halo toward the music artist. Hopefully that scene reappears in another video one day.

The original treatment I submitted for the video included a climatic scene where the feature girl ultimately lure DJ Alex J to the kitchen and cooked him on the grill and ate their innards as he still performed - now that would have been mystical!

In retrospect, maybe the whole cannibalism thing wasn't really right for them - but one day!]]> http://1001read.info/content/deviants-of-reality-mystikal-2/feed/ Comment Spam, Image Verification and the sweet spot in between. http://1001read.info/content/comment-spam-image-verification-and-the-sweet-spot-in-between-2/ http://1001read.info/content/comment-spam-image-verification-and-the-sweet-spot-in-between-2/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:56 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy tag:johnthreat.com,2008:jt.Computing
I recently had abandoned this blog for a while because I had become overwhelmed by comment spam. It had put me into a tail spin because I couldn't find the focus to write a script that would stop the comment spam. Of course, once I actually sat down to write it: it took 5 minutes.

However during the process of testing the code, I accidentally deleted all the frigging comments in MYSQL via a clumsily placed less than sign. The lowest of operators had felled my comment database. 700 Comments gone, just like that...

So the current battle goes something like this chronologically.

Phase 1. Comment Spammers appear with automated scripts that post on blogs repeatedly by filling out forms or using unprotected query strings. They had free reign and life was good for spammers.

Phase 2. Comment and Registration verification images appear, to psych out robots. Random words or number strings appear in regular text that need to be input in the form to complete the process known as CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing Test). The Robots add OCR to their toolbox and circumvent this.

Phase 3. Comment verification images now include dots, smudges. lines,wave distortion, grids, and mismatched letter sizes and fonts to fool OCR script spammers. The technique works for a while but the OCR got even more sophisticated and they got around that.

Phase 4. Now comment verification images now include everything from phase 3, but now include multiple color patterns so they now look like Technicolor yawns or good LSD trips in little portable network graphic boxes.

Phase 5. We'll need to order stereoscopic 3d glasses to read verification words like the robot stats on the back of the original transformer toys.

Hold everything! Let's not get to phase 5. Why is everyone using a single image for CAPTCHA? Why not use a series of images automatically generated but sliced up and put together? All their software is concentrated on finding a single image. If the slices happen across letters, and the image names are random, the OCR would have a devil of a time finding the images and then putting them together in the right order in order to scan them.

Just stitch them together and it will fool the robot spamming software for quite a while. You could even make the number of slices random, to further confound the process. They would have to do OCR on each individual image, if they can correctly source it out of the code. I've instituted it here, let's see if the theory bares fruit. So far so good! The harder part will be if people post on this site again after such a long hiatus. :)

Whats your idea?

]]>
I recently had abandoned this blog for a while because I had become overwhelmed by comment spam. It had put me into a tail spin because I couldn't find the focus to write a script that would stop the comment spam. Of course, once I actually sat down to write it: it took 5 minutes.

However during the process of testing the code, I accidentally deleted all the frigging comments in MYSQL via a clumsily placed less than sign. The lowest of operators had felled my comment database. 700 Comments gone, just like that...

So the current battle goes something like this chronologically.

Phase 1. Comment Spammers appear with automated scripts that post on blogs repeatedly by filling out forms or using unprotected query strings. They had free reign and life was good for spammers.

Phase 2. Comment and Registration verification images appear, to psych out robots. Random words or number strings appear in regular text that need to be input in the form to complete the process known as CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing Test). The Robots add OCR to their toolbox and circumvent this.

Phase 3. Comment verification images now include dots, smudges. lines,wave distortion, grids, and mismatched letter sizes and fonts to fool OCR script spammers. The technique works for a while but the OCR got even more sophisticated and they got around that.

Phase 4. Now comment verification images now include everything from phase 3, but now include multiple color patterns so they now look like Technicolor yawns or good LSD trips in little portable network graphic boxes.

Phase 5. We'll need to order stereoscopic 3d glasses to read verification words like the robot stats on the back of the original transformer toys.

Hold everything! Let's not get to phase 5. Why is everyone using a single image for CAPTCHA? Why not use a series of images automatically generated but sliced up and put together? All their software is concentrated on finding a single image. If the slices happen across letters, and the image names are random, the OCR would have a devil of a time finding the images and then putting them together in the right order in order to scan them.

Just stitch them together and it will fool the robot spamming software for quite a while. You could even make the number of slices random, to further confound the process. They would have to do OCR on each individual image, if they can correctly source it out of the code. I've instituted it here, let's see if the theory bares fruit. So far so good! The harder part will be if people post on this site again after such a long hiatus. :)

Whats your idea?

]]> http://1001read.info/content/comment-spam-image-verification-and-the-sweet-spot-in-between-2/feed/ Video Mashup: Amerie -vs- Betty Boop http://1001read.info/content/video-mashup-amerie-vs-betty-boop-2/ http://1001read.info/content/video-mashup-amerie-vs-betty-boop-2/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:56 +0000 Black Tech Feeds copy tag:johnthreat.com,2008:jt.Video Mashup

The second installment is a re-imagining of the music video for Georgetown University's Amerie summer anthem "One Thing." This video uses high energy cuts, transitions on movement to keep the energy level high. There is also some other tricks of the trade to keep the mouth in sync.

Oh yeah.. I Showed it to Amerie, she loved it! She even put a comment on my myspace page. Hope I get to direct a video off her next album!

Check it out in:

Windows Media | Quicktime| Flash| PSP

This post has been screenhead approved!]]>

The second installment is a re-imagining of the music video for Georgetown University's Amerie summer anthem "One Thing." This video uses high energy cuts, transitions on movement to keep the energy level high. There is also some other tricks of the trade to keep the mouth in sync.

Oh yeah.. I Showed it to Amerie, she loved it! She even put a comment on my myspace page. Hope I get to direct a video off her next album!

Check it out in:

Windows Media | Quicktime| Flash| PSP

This post has been screenhead approved!]]> http://1001read.info/content/video-mashup-amerie-vs-betty-boop-2/feed/ Open Question: What are some interesting facts about simulation technology? http://1001read.info/content/open-question-what-are-some-interesting-facts-about-simulation-technology/ http://1001read.info/content/open-question-what-are-some-interesting-facts-about-simulation-technology/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 02:33:07 +0000 Yahoo! Answers: Search for http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080504193307AAOKk3J http://1001read.info/content/open-question-what-are-some-interesting-facts-about-simulation-technology/feed/ Open Question: are there REAL MERMAIDS?!? http://1001read.info/content/open-question-are-there-real-mermaids/ http://1001read.info/content/open-question-are-there-real-mermaids/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 02:17:12 +0000 Yahoo! Answers: Search for http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080504191712AAmV1Pg http://1001read.info/content/open-question-are-there-real-mermaids/feed/ Open Question: WORLD HISTORY!! changes and continuities….8000BCE-Present BEST ANSWER 10 PTS.? http://1001read.info/content/open-question-world-history-changes-and-continuities8000bce-present-best-answer-10-pts/ http://1001read.info/content/open-question-world-history-changes-and-continuities8000bce-present-best-answer-10-pts/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 02:13:45 +0000 Yahoo! Answers: Search for http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080504191345AA9ypu5 http://1001read.info/content/open-question-world-history-changes-and-continuities8000bce-present-best-answer-10-pts/feed/