You can be a Streaming Media GOD! Wii-Netflix

“Two great taste that go great together”

Wii. Netflix.

Here’s the review.

I love this idea. Debuting this month, Netflix, the online DVD rental, now can stream movies directly through your Wii.

First, I’ve drunk the Netflix cool-aid. Yes, there’s Red Box and yes, there’s Blockbuster. But somehow, nothing does efficient, lazy-ass movie rentals like Netflix. The Hubster has been a member since inception in 1997 (one of the first 1000, and all he got was a lousy -shirt!) The basic gist- you manage your DVD list online, you pay for the amount of DVD’s “checked” out at anyone time, once you finish viewing a DVD you return it via snail mail in the pre-paid envelope it arrived in. No late fees ever.  It’s pretty awesome.

Now we get it streaming? Sweet.

First, the Pluses

Instant Gratification. You pop it in. Select what you want and it loads and plays. Hello? This is awesome calling, and I’ve just made your life easier.

Intuitive Instructions. Wii is intuitive. And the Netflix UI (User Interface for the rest of us… the controls) are just as intuitive. Pop the Wii disk, select the movie from Your Netflix “Instant Queue” and it plays. Viola! You are a Streaming Media God.

Feel the Power. You are hero. To the impatient, the overly-tired. The cranky. The obsessed. The forgetful. You feed their insatiable habit for flickering digital images of delight… well, instantaneously. If only you could George-Jettison fresh pizza out the coffee-maker– wow, you’d truly would be all-powerful.

Now, the Sucky side of Wii-Netflix

Selection Spotty. Well not exactly spotty but you’re not going to get AVATAR when it’s released. You can get a lot but just don’t get snippy when it’s not everything. This is all new, so I’m going to give them some time get things i,n order. I got BOLT, but that’s been out for a while. I checked out other titles- for example Entourage, all the past seasons are available except the first– this I don’t get.

But what you can see is where this is going. All streaming all the time. Price points will be altered to reflect. No more driving to pick up a movie ever. No more returns. On-demand: in the home, on the iPad, on your smartphone, on the computer. In your brain… wait.. maybe that’s not such a great idea…

Picking Instant Movies Online Isn’t Intuitive… at first.  I’ll spare you the five minutes it took me to figure this out. Look for the movies you’re interested in and the ones available for streaming will be a part of the “Add to Queue” button you normally hit. Touch and it will ask you if you want to add it to your “Instant Queue” (that’s the list you choose from on the Wii.) And you want to hit yes. You can also go though regular “Queue”- ones available with the “Play” button are the ones you can add to your Instant Queue. Hit the title and again it will be apparent how to add it to your “Instant Queue.” Honest, it was 5 mins before I figured out that out. You can send me a ham later.

And Just So You Know (Extra Bonus Round)

Wii isn’t the only way to stream movies. You can also stream from XBox-360, PS3, Roku Digital Player, Seagate FreeAgent Theater + HD Media Player, a bunch of Internet Connected Blu-Ray Players and HD Internet Connected Televisons, just to name a few.

So don’t think Wii is only way you can be a streaming media God.

But you knew that already.

Brief follow-up to the best complaint letter ever.

Recently I posted on The Best Complaint Letter Ever. Ever. Ever.- One man’s disappointing flight on Virgin Atlantic hysterically detailed. There was a rumor that Sir Richard Branson, the fabby head of Virgin, called to thank the author for his letter and apologise.

I believe it.

Consider this evidence supplied by Guy Kawasaki, AllTop founder, Social Media and Apple Computer Legend:

Backstage in Moscow. Richard Branson is speaking before me. He asks me if I ever fly Virgin; I admit that I never have.

He asks me to try it. I say to him:  “If Richard Branson asks me, I guess I have to.”

He then gets on his knees and starts polishing my shoes with his jacket in order to convince me.

Can it get any better than this?

You see the personality that makes a mega-successful entrepreneur ( Virgin Records, then Virgin Music, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Air and finally Virgin Galactic… among others.)

Yeah, he’d totally call.

And invite him to Necker Island for a drink.

The Fab Short “Pixels” – NYC terrorized by retro 80′s 8-bit creatures

I was doing my usual blog rounds and came upon this really fantastic short by Patrick Jean.

Space invaders. Donkey Kong. Pac Man. Tetris. Pong.

Pong? Yes…Pong!

Plundering iconic Big Apple like a hurd of inebriated Vikings.

This baby is fresh. In the Freshy-Fresh-Fresh sort of way.

So very clever. So charming. You’d be straight off the bus from Hateration (and you know Mary J. Blige won’t like that) if you don’t crack a smile.

Enjoy. Tell your friends. Pass it on.

And spread the love…

Oh, and have a happy Friday.

PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. – Arts and animation videos.

The World’s Greatest Thermometer

No kidding.

Imagine this.

You’re get up, you feel just awful or maybe it’s one of your kids (if you have them.)

You need to take a temperature. Now. You stumble into the bathroom looking for a thermometer. Is it the old fashion mercury don’t-drop-and-break-it-or-you-instantly-lose-braincells-from-exposure? Maybe it’s the 5 min or 2 minute stick in the ear variety? Or, as LeBetsy shudders,  the rectal baby thermometer.

Whatever. You’ve managed to locate the damn thing but you can barely see ’cause your contacts are out or you have a severe case of eye boogers, or both…

Desperately you try to get the temp, did you wait long enough? Was that a beep? Yes… no.. yes? Crap, you did it wrong. Do-over.

All you want to do is take the damn temp, take the appropriate meds and limp back to bed.

By now, you’re more awake, paying attention and you got it. The Temp! YOU GOT IT! You (or your significant other you’re dealing with) REALLY IS sick. Meds. Bed.

And now you can’t sleep. You’re awake.

Damn.

Short of a shot of NyQuil, you’re not sleeping. But it’s too late for that.

And you have work tomorrow.

This totally sucks.

Stress no more.

Enter in the World’s Greatest Thermometer!

Hooray!

Not as sexy as a Porsche but when it’s that late (or early depending how you look at it,) it starts to look pretty damn fiiiine.

Meet The Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer.

Having twins, when one gets sick about 3 days later the other would also be projectile vomiting. Crying babies (in stereo!) and taking temperatures any other way was not an option. Our pediatrician introduced us to the Temporal Artery Thermometer, they use it to take all the kids temp at each apt. One quick swipe, maybe 3 secs, and WHAMO! temperature is taken.

(Cue heavenly sent savior music)

What no kids? I tell you, I don’t care if you’re Old Mother Hubbard or one of the boys from Entourage, you need this. Nothing stinks than being sick and having to wait for confirmation that, yes, you are feeling like crap for a reason. Especially at 3:30 am.

It’s also much more hygienic, no shared bodily fluids as it’s a swipe across the head.

Best deal- it’s  freakin cheap (around $33!!) and super easy to find.

Go to your Walgreens or Babies’R'Us (if you’re single say you’re shopping for a shower gift!), Walmart, CostCo and Sam’s Clubs.

Or make it easy and get it at Amazon.

Speaking of baby shower gifts, it’s not the cutest present, but this is what I give. And I always get a call from the new mother thanking me. It’s usually starts “I thought it was an odd gift, but last night at 3:30am (and it’s always 3:30am, why, I don’t know.)….” and ends with “and it saved our sanity!”

I should be on commission.

NEW! Gaga & Beyonce’s “Telephone.” Whoa. (Second Update)

Sort of NSFW, but definitely not for the kiddies. Just saw this and thought, immediately, “holy crap.”

Not that I post that many music videos, but I have to agree with the original source, Perez Hilton, that this is groundbreaking.

People are going to be talking about this. Storyline be damned. It pushes boundaries.

(Update: Let me make myself clear, by saying “groundbreaking” I mean she’s pushed some real buttons- love it or hate it- deem it a sexually and ad ladened Kill Bill derivative, you still go “Whoa. What the HELL was that?”  I think as far as Lady Gaga goal concerned, “Mission Accomplished!” You’re having a visceral reaction to it, and in this day and age, that’s hard to do. And you’re going to talk about it with others.)

It cements Lady Gaga as a force to be reckon with, like Madonna, and show us a whole new dynamic to the amazing force known as Beyoncé.

I don’t see Lady G, as a one or two album wonder. Think the girl is here to stay.

Thoughts?

(2nd Update: In the three days it’s been up, Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” has been viewed 7 Millon times on YouTube.com, and touted as the successor to Michael Jackson’s Thriller (seriously, watch it and compare.) Jeepers!  It seems I wasn’t the only peep thinking something, good or bad- your choice, culturally epic happened with this video, The New York  Observer is citing the opinionists at The Awl , the pros and cons are laid out at United Kingdom’s The Guardian.

And if you think you’re too old to deal with this rubbish, think of yourself as pop culture Margaret Mead…  which even I am surprised I’ve made the connection to, but all in the name of high-brow. More Thoughts?)

So WRONG it’s Right: The Bucketful of Wrong Done Right

First off, thanks for the positive response to my last post, Bucketful of Wrong.

Personally, I feel like I’m still recovering from it– I don’t know about you, but that image will be seared forever in my brain. Or, at least,  for the next few days…

One of TheLiquidBetsy’s readers forward what can only be described as a “Bucketful of Wrong” done, well, done right. And it’s a great “Get.” (A moment of Cheers and gratitude to all that sent me items to post. Thank you.)

I think you’ll agree.

Courtesy of the talented hoodlums at Energy BBDO, I proudly present Canadian Clubs’ “Your Father…. Damn Right He Drank It” ads. This ad grabs you by the Noggins, makes you say “What?!?!! and then goes in for the kill with clever, nostalgic and just plain great copy.

Enjoy.

And another:

Courtesy of adsoftheworld.com

I LOVE the annoyed look on the faces of the Daddy fisherman- like someone asked if he was wearing sunscreen, or tried to stop them before they made a clean getaway.  Hysterical.

Hats off to the whole team.

Advertising Agency: Energy BBDO, Chicago, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Marty Orzio
Creative Directors: Derek Sherman, Jason Stanfield
Copywriter: Derek Sherman
Art Director: Jason Stanfield
Designers: Steve Denekas, Jason Hardy
Senior Art Buyer: Liz Miller- Gershfeld
Assistant Art Buyer: Jackie VanWinkle
Print Producer: Linda Dos Santos
Photographer: Robert Whitman
Account Services: Doug Ryan, Marzena Grecki

And

Brutal Baby- The Teenage Media Consumer

Veruca Salt, original brutal baby from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 1971

You in media?

Social Media, Media Products, Newspapers, TV, Cable, Mobile Phones, Computers, Gaming?

You want to meet your customer? Really meet them?

Say hello to Matthew Robson, the 15 year old “analyst” from Morgan Stanley (UK.) His recent piece “How Teenagers Consume Media” is causing a sensation, even being featured the front page of the Financial Times. He and his mates are your customer now and for the the next 20 years. Socio-econo-techn0-politically developed and served fresh. He’s being shaped by our recent past, present and future. He’s preferences will shape our world as he (and his pals) buy & consume, create and creatively destroy.

By just writing this sensational piece he’s probably already changed the future media landscape.

Out of the mouths of babes, the truth. Brutual. Beautiful. Honest. Complete with Oompa-Loompas lyrical commentary.

What are you going to do with it?

I just because I love this- Veruca Salt’s demise in 1971′s Chocolate Factory. Brutal Baby. Brutal. But perfect.

FLIP it baby, FLIP it REAL good.

The Sexy Little FLIP MinoHD Camcorder

Warning: Technology has struck again.

This is going to be quick, because I’m trying to train myself to be brief. And you probably have something else to do: RSS feed, emails, TV, Pilates, competitive disco dancing. You know, the usual.

So my husband brought home a FLIP MinoHD Camcorder home.

We have kids, and the hubby was, at one time, almost semi-pro photographer. So we document, photographically speaking, every step, snot-bubble and goofy grin from the “Wild Bunch,” as my progeny has been nicknamed.

We have kids, so that’s also why we’re on our 4th camera and 3rd video camera. They drop, they get used. They get left. On a bus. (OK the last one is not really true but it has almost happen an ungodly amount of times I feel I can at least include it.) Mostly they stop working for us, metaphorically speaking.

Too big, too small, too complicated, too cumbersome…. the litany of why goes on and on.

Enter the Flip MinoHD.

Pros: Slim and lightweight (3.3 oz,) Easy (One touch recording & digital zoom a true Idiot’s Delight,) Nifty (Flip-out USB arm plugs directly in computer, launches built-in FlipShare software)

Cons: We only bought one (so this one totally mine, hubby can borrow.)

First off, I am not being reimbursed, paid or sponsored (via cash or swag) by FLIP for this love letter of a review. I just like it and if fitted the “Good is Good” mantra of TheBetsy.

So if I’ve been too subtle up to this point, let me say I love this little tasty piece of high-def technology. Smaller than an iPhone it fits in one my pocketbook (the big and little ones)– and though it only takes 60 mins that really is plenty for me and the myriad of parties, events, holidays that I usually film anyway. For business this is great for quick interviews (yes, I have one in the works for TheLiquidBetsy) and if you are at all a person in the visual arts (photo/design) this is a MUST or if have a project that you might need to want to take quick visuals for (decorating, marketing, etc.) What I like most about it is that it is with me. All the time. At the ready. And at $192 (at Amazon.com)  it is inexpensive enough to make it worthwhile.

On an interesting business note, FLIP was purchased by CISCO- for $590 Million. Bandwidth. Bandwidth. Bandwidth. But that’s another story folks.

This might even make one of my top 50.

And because I know the title made you hum a little mad Salt ‘n’ Peppa here you go:

TheLiquidBetsy’s Newest Partner- The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

In an effort to expand my horizons and legitimize my endeavors on TheLiquidBetsy I decided to see what trouble I could stir up by offering to champion a cause or product, so long as it fit Betsy’s motto: “If it’s Good, it’s Good.”

Well, it doesn’t get much better than The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and The Campaign to Cure Paralysis. It’s as good as good can get, and I am honored to be able to help.

The thing is, spinal cord injuries don’t discriminate- they are an equal opportunity life destroyer. The ripple effect of these types of injuries affect not the victim but care-givers and loved ones, friends, co-workers. And it not just an injury, these people need “whole life” treatment with services and assistance, not just therapy and medical care, to get back to being productive, contributing members of society.

But what if we could just cure paralysis? What would it be worth to you, to a loved one?  This is a “pay it forward” type of prevention. No one can mitigate a spinal cord injury, paralysis- cutting out the fat, taking up running or eating organic isn’t going to do the trick. Because it often finds you, via accident or injury.

So join in the Campaign to Cure Paralysis– ’cause if it’s Good, it’s Good.

This, my friends, is just Good.

The art of folding, running and walking away.

Kenny Rogers, the original Gambler

Sometimes, as Kenny Rogers says, “You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away and know when to run.”

Often the hardest is to learn to walk away. Being stubborn, too smart for my own good, I have had to learn this the hard way, several times, both in business and in life.  There is a fine balence of what you can push and make happen or what can only unfold or evolve on its own. And sometimes there’s the third, where try as you might, putting as much dedication and perserverence it goes no where, or only gets worse.

Some call the force that shapes the direction destiny, others call it fate.

In my own way I believe there is a current that shapes our lives. Times you just flow into new experiences and achieve new things almost effortlessly, others you’re swimming against stream and can achieve nothing no matter what. I’ve come to find that when you’ve tried everything, and nothing is working, perhaps it’s time to say sayanara and move on. Perhaps it was a life-lesson you needed to learn, or an opportunity to learn new things that will help you in the path your meant to be on.

When you’re with the current, things are beautiful. When you’re swimming against it, it can incredibly frustrating and disheartening. You try and try and try and keep hitting a wall. That can’t be fun.

So stop.  I’m all for the Jeffery Katzenberg “If a door closes, find an open window” approach but it you’ve tried every window, the basement, the doggy door, the chimney– perhaps it’s time to burn the house down? Or at least walk away and perhaps revisit later? When the price is less? Or the sellers are more wiling to sell?  (Can I take this house metaphor any farther? No? Ok…)

I believe everything has a reason for being and happening. If it is meant to be ,  it is meant to be. Tenacity is an awesome trait– but also is wisdom. What is that AA prayer?  ”May I have the courage to change, accept what I can not, and wisdom to know difference.” 

Not a bad prayer.