This past spring brought forth a trend in which artists and entrepreneurs alike expressed their profound sense of collective gratitude. Months later, while unsettled sentiment about the current state of the world persists, portholes of positivity are going viral, demonstrating that even amid an unrelenting onslaught of downer headlines, escapism is still highly relevant to Gen Y.
Internet High Five: Sometimes the simplest websites can help people avoid forced participation in gratuitous repartee. For instance, Let Me Google That For You offers a reliably snappy comeback to mindless inquiries. The latest instance of such a site is markedly friendlier, however. Though Internet High Five’s signature graphic can be traced back a couple of years, the site has been making the online rounds over the past few weeks, including appearances on Swissmiss and Urban Outfitters’ global blog. Of course, those stuck behind a screen could just meet up in Hangouts to deliver a high five so seemingly real that, when going in for the slap, they can almost see the sweat on the recipient’s palm.
Long gone are the days when one would arrive at Blockbuster only to find every title in the New Release section checked out for the weekend. Lacking fresh titles to choose from, many customers would end up going home empty-handed and disappointed. Fortunately, with today’s glut of digital movie rental services, streaming platforms, and recommendation engines, those days are history. Here’s a look at three of the newest:
Zediva: Though one of Netflix’s main draws is its continuously multiplying selection of films, it’s still beholden to the release “windows” enforced by film studios when it comes to new DVD releases. Now, with new startup Zediva, hounds of the Hollywood machine can stream studio pictures online as soon as they are released on DVD. Registered patrons select titles from an online library—current selections include The Fighter, Love and Other Drugs, and 127 Hours. A $1.99 fee allows them to rent the DVD and a DVD player remotely, the latter of which streams the movie to a TV, computer or even a smartphone. Registration is currently full, but there is a waitlist for those who want to join.
If they’re not playing Angry Birds on their iPhone or catching up on the day’s headlines, more than a few bus and train commuters are burying their noses in a volume of The Millennium Trilogy. Engrossing as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo may be, its linear print format could one day be seen as old-fashioned, as the digital age is ushering in dynamic new methods of storytelling that could augment the way we digest fiction.
SENT: Reading through your own email archives can be a pretty tedious exercise, but there’s something about the email format that lends itself particularly well to a slowly unfolding narrative. SENT is “the world’s first novel told by emails.” Penned by screenwriter Victor Levin (Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, Mad About You), one e-mail arrives in subscribers‘ inboxes daily. Similar to most other daily emails, the copy is both concise and engaging. But what sets it apart is the sense of voyeurism that comes from reading an ongoing exchange between two, albeit fictional, strangers. Though the email format probably won’t replace a paperback (or a Kindle) when it comes to beach or bedtime reading material, at the very least it gives subscribers a reason to be excited about checking one’s inbox at work.
The confluence of two presiding social trends (especially among young people) – understanding how things work and rediscovering one’s roots – makes it unsurprising, perhaps, that architecture would obtain a new level of cultural relevance. Enter location-based apps (currently used for things like running for mayor on Foursquare and, now, being able to assert your sense of placeness on Facebook) and curious gadget heads can transform into virtual explorers, unearthing the architectural and historical significance of buildings we see every day.
SepiaTown: Ever wondered what historical gem existed in your neighborhood before the retail giants and fast food joints moved in? SepiaTown is a new website that explores “from here to then” by mashing up Google Maps with vintage site photos, thus allowing users to get a snapshot of what various locations looked like before strip mall facades crowded the landscape. In addition to viewing images already on the site, users can upload photos from their own collections and pinpoint their locations for other digital historians to explore. More than 500 images have been uploaded to the map already, with the highest concentrations coming from Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris. New features, including a mobile app, sound bites, video clips, and even a 3D version, are in the works. While we love examining the old time photos, we can’t help but feel nostalgic for the mid-century modern drycleaner that used to be down our street…it’s now a Mickey D’s.
