‘Dumb Ways to Die’ Video Goes Viral

Check out this crazy yet AWESOME viral video that was put together by Melbourne Metro.

A catchy tune, some cute animated figures & a giggle at blood on the train tracks has delivered almost 20 million YouTube hits since it's introduction 9 days ago for an Australian passenger safety message called "Dumb Ways to Die."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw

The Movember Song

Check out this awesome video from local Cape Town comedy-pop duo Derick Watts & The Sunday Blues.

An awesome take on Movember for the guys who can't grow a full Mo'.
Hang in there!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bbKQvdLDAic

Red Bull Stratos: Mission Accomplished

As the Red Bull press release states, "Mission Accomplished." Nearly 7.3 milion people were watching Sunday as Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner reattempted and nailed the Red Bull Stratos extreme skyjump, free falling more than 128,000 feet to Earth at 1,342.8 kilometers per hour. He broke the sound barrier but no bones, and garnered a congratulatory tweet from NASA. Below, watch Red Bull backgrounder on its record-breaking, and latest, extreme sports stunt.

"After flying to an altitude of 39,045 meters (128,100 feet) in a helium-filled balloon, Felix Baumgartner completed a record breaking jump for the ages from the edge of space, exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane. Felix reached a maximum of speed of 1,342.8 km/h through the near vacuum of the stratosphere before being slowed by the atmosphere later during his 4:20 minute long freefall. The 43-year-old Austrian skydiving expert also broke two other world records (highest freefall, highest manned balloon flight), leaving the one for the longest freefall to project mentor Col. Joe Kittinger."

Well done Felix & the Red Bull Stratos team!!!

Red Bull Stratos - Live Video Feed

I have blogged about the test jump before, but if you want to watch something truly spectacular, tune into the Red Bull Stratos website to see the launch of the Red Bull Stratos capsule that will send the crazy Felix Baumgartner 120,000 feet into the Stratosphere where he will make a free-fall jump rushing toward earth at supersonic speeds before parachuting to the ground. His attempt to dare atmospheric limits holds the potential to provide valuable medical & scientific research data for future pioneers.

A retired United States Air Force Colonel, Joseph Kittinger, holds three of the records Felix will strive to break.  Joe's record jump from 102,800 ft in 1960 was during a time when no one knew if a human could survive a jump from the edge of space. Joe was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force & had already taken a balloon to 97,000 feet in Project ManHigh & survived a drogue mishap during a jump from 76,400 feet in Excelsior I. The Excelsior III mission was his 33rd parachute jump.

Although researching extremes was part of the program's goals, setting records wasn't the mission's purpose. Joe ascended in helium balloon launched from the back of a truck. He wore a pressurized suit on the way up in an open, unpressurized gondola. Scientific data captured from Joe's jump was shared with U.S. research personnel for development of the space program. Today Felix & his specialized team hope to take what was learned from Joe's jumps more than 50 years ago & press forward to test the edge of the human envelope.

Can't wait, gonna be EPIC!!!

ALMOST THERE!!!

Friends, I thank you for signing up on our soon-to-be online clothing store. I am in second place at the moment to win the iPad2. For those of you that have not yet signed up, please do so with the link below. 

All you need to do is hit the link & enter your email address. That's it. 

No spamming & all that stuff.

Please share with all your mates & contact lists...

BIG PLEASE!!!!!

http://stylemology.com/XBPgc

HELP ME WIN AN IPAD2 PLEASE!!!!!

Hi guys...

As most of you know, our company has been working on launching our own online retail clothing store with 8 of our own labels for the last year or so.
We will also be stocking overseas brands that aren't available in SA, some REALLY cool stuff...

Anyway, we will be going live soon & I need to ask you all a favour.
We are running a competition internally to win an iPad2.
Each employee has their own unique link, if people click on that link & sign up, it gives me one entry into the competition.
All you guys need to do is click on my unique link that I will provide below, sign up with your email & that guarantees me one entry.
Trust me, you will want to sign up anyway, as the stuff on the site is SUPER rad...
There will be NO SPAMMING & all that nonsense...

Here is the link to sign up - http://stylemology.com/XBPgc
If you are interested in "liking" us on Facebook to keep up to speed with things, click here - https://www.facebook.com/stylemology

Please guys, this is not a HUGE ask.
I have slaved for the past year, aged, got grey hairs & even pulled them out at times. ;-)
I THINK I DESERVE THE IPAD2.

Thanks so much everybody!!!!

The Best iPhone Photographers

The iPhone has revolutionised the ability to shoot, edit & share your photographs on one device. For many photographers, both amateur & professional, this integrated process has given them the freedom to experiment both within & across photographic styles.

To show you what’s possible with the iPhone, I’ve put together a showcase of talented photographers who use the iPhone as part of their photographic process. The photographers are from all corners of the world & span different styles including: landscape, portraiture (self and street), nature and wildlife, architecture, travel, street photography (colour and black and white), conceptual and documentary.


Portraiture – Jim Darling
Since picking up his very first camera over 25 years ago, Jim Darling has been drawn to the faces and stories of people he meets. According to Darling, “using just the iPhone and any number of great photography apps, the stranger/street portrait enters a whole new level. I love the spontaneity and the quick relationship that exists between me and the subject.”

Landscape – Robert-Paul Jansen

Robert-Paul Jansen is a Dutch photographer who uses an iPhone to take magical landscape photographs in the countryside around his home in the small village of Gemonde. Jansen started shooting on his iPhone because of convenience “the camera I always have in my pocket has shown me more small miracles, more tiny details, than I ever thought possible.”

Nature and Wildlife – Kaisa and Stanley Breeden

Kaisa and Stanley Breeden, based in tropical far-north Queensland, Australia, are usually known for their incredibly detailed focus stacking photography, as seen in their books Wildflower Country and Rainforest Country.  They have recently branched out into iPhoneography, inspired by the way the device and its many photography apps encourage people to look differently at the world around them.

Conceptual – Richard ‘Koci’ Hernandez

Richard “Koci” Hernandez is a national Emmy® award-winning video and multimedia producer who worked as a photographer at the San Jose Mercury News for 15 years. In 2007 after taking his first mobile photograph, he was hooked on the medium’s potential and immediacy, “not only is it the camera in my hand, but it’s the printing press in my pocket and more importantly, with the rise of social networks like Instagram, it’s become my satellite dish in order to instantly transmit, globally. I can share my vision at the touch of a button and receive instant feedback”.

Black and white street photography – Greg Schmigel

Greg Schmigel is not an iPhoneographer, rather a street photographer who happens to use an iPhone as his main camera of choice. Schmigel is inspired by a variety of photographers, both old and new, including: Garry Winogrand, Vivian Maier, Jules Aarons, Tim Cadman and many more. Schmigel was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1969, but has spent the majority of his life in and around the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area.

AikBeng Chia – Documentary

AikBeng Chia wanders the Singapore back streets at all hours of the day and night looking for interesting people, traditions, and stories. According to Chia, he uses his iPhone as part of his documentary photography because “it phone helps your subject to be at ease with you. Most of the people I meet are amazed and curious that I use such a small device to capture photos instead of a DSLR or a rangefinder”.

Here are three images from AikBeng Chia’s “Will you still love me tomorrow” series about the dying art of Chinese Street Opera in Singapore.

Architecture – Dan Cole

Dan Cole is a Seattle-area photographer who is using his iPhone to take architectural photographs, which he shares on Instagram to his over 100,000 followers.

Dan was educated at the Art Institute of Seattle and University of Washington, and has worked as an artist in the game industry for over 14 years. He has been pursuing photography since 2005, and has been an engaged member of the Instagram community since October of 2010.

12.5 Years of Daily Self Portraits

6 years ago Noah Kalina posted a video to YouTube that blew people’s mind – six years of self portraits put together into a video. The video was viewed over 23,000,000 times and was featured all over the place.

This week Noah posted a new video – this one takes the shots of the first video and adds another 6 years of self portraits to it! 12.5 years of daily self portraits with 4514 images! 

Here it is!

Apple unveils faster, thinner iPhone 5

Apple on Wednesday unveiled a thinner, taller, faster iPhone 5 at a highly anticipated event in San Francisco.

The device, which is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S, is the thinnest smartphone in the world, according to Apple. With a four-inch screen, the iPhone 5 allows for five rows of apps -- one more than previous versions of the device, which sported a 3.5-inch screen.

Apple said the iPhone 5's processor speed is twice as fast as the previous version, an advance made possible by the company's new "A6" chip.

The iPhone 5 is also the first Apple smartphone to have 4G-LTE network connectivity, which allows for speeds of up to 10 times faster than 3G, or about the same as the average home broadband connection. In the United States, the iPhone 5 will be compatible with the LTE networks supported by Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.

The new smartphone features an improved "iSight" camera, with a better ability to take low-light photos and a new mode that allows for panoramic shots. It also allows users to take photos while shooting videos -- an increasingly popular feature found on rival smartphones.

Another new feature (correctly foreshadowed by rumors) is "lightning," Apple's new eight-pin connector, which is significantly smaller than the 30-pin connector that Apple has used since 2003. Apple will sell adapters so people can still use old chargers and legacy connectors -- but they're pricey. The gizmos will cost $29 each, or $39 for versions with attached cables, according to a listing in the Apple Store.

The iPhone 5 will go on sale on Sept. 21, starting at $199 for the 16-gigabyte version with a new two-year contract. Larger 32 GB and 64 GB versions will cost $299 and $399, respectively. Apple will begin taking pre-orders on Sept. 14.

As Apple has done before, the two previous iterations of the iPhone will continue to be sold at reduced prices. The 16 GB iPhone 4S will get a $100 price cut, selling for $99, and the iPhone 4 will be free with a two-year contract.

The updated iOS 6, the iPhone's new software, will be available for download on most older versions of the iPhone on Sept. 19.

Australians call for sanctions against SA

The new South African government's racist policies and affirmative action has led to calls for sanctions against SA. 

The National Chairman of the Australian Protectionist Party, Andrew Phillips called upon both the Federal Labor government and the Opposition to unanimously support the re-introduction of sanctions upon South Africa. 

"It is becoming increasingly clear the situation in South Africa warrants international attention once again", Phillips said. "Despite noble announcements by the African National Congress (ANC) of its intent to make South Africa an egalitarian society in which all people could live in harmony and have equal opportunity-the reality is quite different." 

  

His calls follow Woolworths SA asking that only "African Black candidates" apply for certain posts in job advertisements and South African Airways saying it will only appoint black pilots to its cadet pilot training programme. 

Phillips said "Australia is dragging its feet in recognising the reality of the New South Africa. Euro MPs Barry Madlener and Lucas Hartong have already called for the EU to cease giving millions in aid to South Africa and have already raised the issue of what can only be described as cultural genocide in that country." See our story "EU take on SAA in pilot racism". 

The Australian Protectionist Party recognises the right of all people, irrespective of racial, cultural or religious background to a safe homeland, self determination and the opportunity to control their national destiny in an increasingly globalised world. 

"With the advent of so-called majority rule, minorities such as the Afrikaner communities are experiencing ever increasing disadvantage and persecution based on the colour of their skin" Phillips said. 

"The South African government has done little to protect the lives of the nation's farmers and their families, actively promotes the on-going Anglicisation of the nation's government sector with the current debate of the "Languages Bill" and has reduced an estimated 10% of the nation's Afrikaner community to the poverty line through the introduction of a race based Affirmative Action policy - a situation President Zuma described as both "shocking and surprising", yet has done nothing to address". 

"Australia was quick to take the moral high-ground against South Africa decades ago, now is not the time to expose our hypocrisy by refusing to re-introduce sanctions and apply meaningful diplomatic pressure upon the ANC regime," Phillips said. 

Samsung Pays Apple $1 Billion In 5-Cent Coins

This morning more than 30 trucks filled with 5-cent coins arrived at Apple’s headquarters in California. Initially, the security company that protects the facility said the trucks were in the wrong place, but minutes later, Tim Cook (Apple CEO) received a call from Samsung CEO explaining that they will pay $1 billion dollars for the fine recently ruled against the South Korean company in this way.

The funny part is that the signed document does not specify a single payment method, so Samsung is entitled to send the creators of the iPhone their billion dollars in the way they deem best.

This dirty but genius geek troll play is a new headache to Apple executives as they will need to put in long hours counting all that money, to check if it is all there and to try to deposit it crossing fingers to hope a bank will accept all the coins.

Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, told the media that his company is not going to be intimidated by a group of “geeks with style” and that if they want to play dirty, they also know how to do it.

"You can use your coins to buy refreshments at the little machine for life or melt the coins to make computers, that’s not my problem, I already paid them and fulfilled the law."

A total of the 20 billion coin delivery, hopes to finish this week.

Let’s see how Apple will respond to this.

Whites to boycott Woolies

I came across this really funny take on the whole Woolies saga...

See below - Compliments of Hayibo

Whites to boycott Woolies until their craving for salmon becomes too strong!

White South Africans say they were will boycott Woolworths for as long as possible to punish the retailer for allegedly refusing to employ whites. “I will never shop at Woolies again, until later this afternoon when I will go and get salmon and malva pudding,” said one irate shopper.

In a wave of activism not seen since the SABC broadcast the Survivor finale out of sequence, thousands of whites have reacted with outrage over allegations that Woolworths reserves certain jobs for black, coloured or Indian applicants.

“We are going to fight this injustice every inch of the way, until we get bored, possibly by the weekend,” said Marie-Antoinette Guevara, 50. “We need to protect the right of minorities, or, in this case, the right of a minority to keep earning eight times more than the majority.”

Clive Frothing-Rayge, 42, said it was “total reverse racism”.

“Why is racial discrimination OK in 2012 when it was wrong under apartheid?” he demanded. When it was put to him that affirmative action favouring blacks was an attempt to redress 350 years of affirmative action favouring whites, he stuffed cheese in his ears and yelled, “Nya nya nya nya not listening!”

Chante Neocon, a mother of two, said it was “disgusting” that neither of her daughters could apply for a job at Woolworths. Asked if they had wanted to apply, Neocon said, “Oh God no! I would be laughed out of Bridge Club either of my girls worked at Woolies. But it’s the principle of the thing.”

According to Connie Servative, the best way of showing Woolworths that they had “crossed the line” was by destroying their products.

“In fact, me and my girlfriends are going there this afternoon, and we’re going to buy 20 kilograms of meat, and then burn it in public,” she said. “Well, more like char it, and maybe marinade it first. Yes, OK, it’s a braai.

“But we’ll definitely congregate around the pool with a martini and have an angry conversation about how kak life is for whites. And in case we want to use strong language, we’ll ask Precious to take the kids inside, and maybe Wellington can take the dogs for a walk too, because you know how they get around meat. Dogs, I mean, not blacks.”

Underdogs!!!

Seth Casteel knows how to bring out a dog’s wild side. The pet photographer has snapped surreal photos of more than 60 dogs swimming underwater & diving into pools to chase after a coveted tennis ball or squeaky toy.

Casteel’s underwater dog photos were posted on the social news site Reddit.com & they became an instant viral hit, collecting thousands of "likes" on Facebook. Traffic to his Little Friends Lifestyle Pet Photography website jumped from around 200 visitors a day to more than 100,000 a day, he said, overloading his server. He said he’s received thousands of emails & over 1,000 inquiries for private shoots from clients in 20 countries.

Casteel is an “underwater dog whisperer” if you will. He turned to pet photography full time about four years ago & has mastered the art of coaxing four-legged subjects to get the shot!!! He won't reveal how he does it though... :-(

Check out some these truly amazing images below - 

Kalk Bay Firing Off It's TITS!!!!

Last weekend we had crazy storm surf in the Cape, okes getting towed in @ Dungeon's on Sunday & all that madness...

On the opposite side, Kalk Bay had felt like it missed out on all the fun.  So on Monday, it decided to fire just in front of the harbour, on what looks like a really shallow slab of reef. Some of the thickest "lips" I have ever seen in SA.

We were just @ The Polana for lunch 2 weeks ago for a friends' birthday, check out the pics of the waves breaking into the restaurant, we were sitting right there by the window.  HECTIC STUFF!!!!!