Flipboard Keeps on Flipping

Flipboard, the world's first social magazine, continues define what a killer app can do. In the past week, the app added Google Plus accounts but the real addition is adding YouTube into the fold.

Flipboard can be found in both the App Store and the Google Play Store, takes links from Twitter, Facebook, etc and presents these articles in a magazine layout. The sleek stylistic app is simple to use and addictive at that. With three pages of sections (on the iPad, fewer on the iPhone) to customize and find new news sources, Flipboard has no end. The app is expanding past print, with a previous update adding select podcasts to the app, such as Soundhound and NPR. By adding video, Flipboard is only giving people another reason why they shouldn't close the app. By constantly evolving, Flipboard is quickly becoming the center of curated media on mobile devices. Now excuse me, I have to get back to flipping.

The Start of a New Legend

Who would think that a show that airs on Saturday mornings could be one the best shows on TV at the time? Well anyone who had faith Avatar: The Last Airbender knew this would be something special.

The Legend of Korra just finished its first season, and what a season it was. As the spiritual successor to Avatar: The Last Airbender (TLA), it follows the next Avatar, a loud abrasive Avatar in training Korra. In this and so many other ways, The Legend of Korra distances itself from TLA, and the previous Avatar who was more in touch with his spiritual side. With large shoes to fill, the odds were stacked against The Legend of Korra from the start, but the show never faltered and even shined more than TLA.

One of the main reasons that The Legend of Korra worked so well was the planning that went into the show. Originally, the show was meant to only be a mini-series rather than an entire show. These 12 episodes were planned to be the entire show and nothing more. But the word came that another, longer season was ordered, but not before the first season was planed out. Thus, The Legend of Korra was able to have creative freedom in the plot while avoiding spinning their wheels in episodes that did not serve any purpose. The main draw back here is that character developmental can get a back seat or seem rushed, but there are always trade offs.

The first season of The Legend of Korra also had a much darker tone, with the young Avatar and her friends loosing or being beaten much of the time. Victories were hard fought and felt worthwhile but the defeats were devastating. There were moments throughout the season where all hope seemed lost, not just towards the penultimate battle. This kind of tone is greatly appreciated, especially coming from a kids network.

The last ingredient that brings The Legend of Korra to the next level is the amazing score that the show has. Sound in general is outstanding, from the voice acting to sound effects, but the heart of the show can be found in the haunting jazz melodies that populate the show. Since The Legend of Korra takes place in an industrial revolution (close to our 20s), this rethought jazz fits in perfectly.

Superman vs the Elite

In the newest release from DC, Superman faces off against a different kind of opposition, one that is willing to kill in the name of justice. DC direct to home movie has had a mostly positive track record, and this is no different. Superman vs the Elite takes the "boy scout" that Superman man is and pushes him to his limits, both physically and emotionally. Though the final fight(s) of the movie are almost cheated by the ending, this film will appeal to any Superman or DC fan. One criticism of the film is the animation, which doesn't feel like it live up to DC has put out in the past. It is a distraction at first, but once you are use to it, it isn't such a big deal.

Emmy Nomination Time

Every year, the shell game of the Emmy nominations rears it's beastly head. Critics and fans speculate endlessly on whether or nor fan favorites should get the nod or should mass appeal rule the day. Nitch comedy shows that have amazing actors, or a scene of humor (cough, cough, Community) will most likely be overlooked for shows that everyone watches, or colors within the lines. The same could be said for dramas, where Game of Thrones is loved my all, but the strong fantasy element of the show, along with the plot, will probably keep the show out of getting any significant nominations.

Anyway, here are the nominations that Ken Tucker, from Entertainment Weekly, would like to see.
http://watching-tv.ew.com/2012/06/08/emmy-nominations-mad-men-breaking-bad-fringe-community/

Using Twitter as a Weapon

Live tweeting an event is not anything new. Sometimes it can be trite and cliche, but when one is discovered that is riveting and insightful, it can be a breath of fresh air. Below is what happens when a man hits on his seat mate on a plane. And he happens to be an "actor" who is married. And she is no fool. And people say that Twitter has no point. I scoff at that notion. Enjoy the insanity.

http://gawker.com/5916731/dont-ineptly-hit-on-your-seatmate-if-youre-married-and-shes-on-twitter

HBO: Time for a Change

HBO has some of the best programming on TV, since they are able to do anything they want. But with this boundless freedom comes a price. The super premium tired network comes tied with many strings, forcing the consumer to buy certain packages to just even have the possibility to pay for HBO. Paying for the chance to pay is always an added benefit in life. But one major upside to being a HBO customer, next to the programming, is HBO Go, which allows the user to view the entire HBO catalog of shows from the beginning of HBO. The Wire, Sopranos, Sex in the City, Oz, Six Feet Under and current shows: Game of Thrones, Veep, Girls, True Blood and more. Of course there are limitations to the number of accounts that can access one customer's HBO Go account, but there are many platforms that support HBO (Xbox, iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, etc).

But where HBO is dropping the ball is in the way people now consume media. If I was to go on iTunes and try to pay for Game of Thrones Season 2, I would be out of luck. The same could be said for Amazon. And if i wanted to buy the DVD, well that wouldn't happen for almost a year. So that leaves me the option of either becoming an HBO customer or downloading the show from somewhere else. And lots of people have done just that. Game of Thrones Season 2 will mostly likely be the most illegally downloaded show of 2012. And more people illegally downloaded the show than watched it on HBO, and millions watched it on HBO. But for the consumers who can't or doesn't subscribe to HBO and wants to pay for the content, the internet has started an online campaign to change HBO's mind.

Take My Money HBO (http://takemymoneyhbo.com/) allows people to say how much they would pay for HBO Go and tweet it to the world. It seems that the average price per month people are willing to pay for HBO Go is somewhere around $12. HBO responded to this campaign and a TechCrunch article where some of the realities of trying to do a monthly payment wouldn't work for HBO. HBO agreed with the TechCrunch article, but seems to acknowledge the problem and may be working on a solution.

I see the problem that HBO is facing, since they need to change to fit they audience, who is willing to pay, but can't ignore the deals and contracts with cable / satellite providers who compensate HBO. HBO would possibly lose millions, if not more. But they are losing millions of viewers by cutting out pay per episode on iTunes and Amazon the next day. Waiting 7 or 8 months if just too long and by then those who want to see the show have already downloaded it from another source.

Cartoon Network's DC Nation Adds Another Show

The current one hour block of DC Nation on Saturday morning's on Cartoon Network is adding yet another show to future programming, Teen Titans. Yes, Teen Titans is making a comeback, thanks in part to the DC Nation shorts that run between some of the commercials during DC Nation. The entire gang will be back (Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire and Raven) and be voiced by their original voice actors. The show will match the shorts as a more comedic look at the young superheros. Look for the show to come to Cartoon Network in 2013.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/08/teen-titans-returning-with-new-full-length-episodes

Game of Musial Thrones

Starbucks Free App is Worth the Trip

I've seen the news that Starbucks is giving away free App Store apps, but nothing has really seemed that interesting until now. Today, as I went to get some napkins from the coffee condiment station (does this have a name?), I spotted the free app card. Shocked by what I saw, I grabbed two and hurried back to my table. One for me and one for my mother.

The cream of the crop in read it later apps, Instapaer is free at Starbucks. I've always wanted to try out the app, but the $5 commitment has always kept me away but being free all caution is thrown to the wind. And may I say, the app is everything the hype has been, a superb way to store and read articles offline in a simple yet intelligent presentation. With full customization including: social media integration to read links your friends have posted, a wide variety to post to different social media and syncing options, Instapaer has it all and . So drop by Starbucks and pick up a free app card. And get something for yourself while your there, or not. It's free either way.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/4/3063921/good-deal-instapaper-starbucks-free-app-of-the-week

Childhood in a Picture

Figure It Out is Back

Nickelodeon is taking some sounds advice and turning the network back into the popular juggernaut that it was in the 90s (I'm slightly biased as being a product of the generation ), but with the resurgence of Figure It Out, hopefully more great 90s shows will find a new footing in the Nick audience. Now all Nick has to do is remake Are You Afraid of the Dark, and make it as terrifying as before.


http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/06/08/nickelodeon-figure-it-out-reboot/

Jimmy Fallon, Carly Rae Jepsen & The Roots

Jimmy Fallon continues to prove himself as one of the funniest people on late night TV. More please.

Twitter Fame

On Saturday, June 2nd, a simple pasta dish changed my Twitter life. I had the house to myself and decided to cook some pasta and picked Giada de Laurentiis pasta and sauce (both from Target). I also added oven roasted broccoli and some garlic bread to even out dish.

After some careful plaiting and several photoshoots, I had the finished product and uploaded a picture to Instagram and tweeted the picture out, with a caption of what the meal was. Two days later I received my response from Giada. (Note, this was not tweeted at her or hashtaged at all).

Monday, June 4th, I heard several notifications from my phone from the next room and knew they were from Twitter. But this many, back to back, in the morning was a rarity. Most of my Twitter conversations happen in the middle of the day or at night, so this had to be a special occasion. Giada had retweeted my Saturday night dinner out to all of her followers and responded that the picture looks delicious and what a beautiful picture. So June 4th was like any other Monday, aside from a Food Network Star tweeting about my cooking. No big deal.

Parks and Rec Food Sayings