via Riverfront Times

It was great, yes, but you may have noticed the word ‘Hollowgram’ in the title of this post. That’s because it was a sham, a magician’s trick using (almost literally) smoke and mirrors. It wasn’t even real footage of Tupac but some (very expensive) CGI whipped up especially for the occasion. It wasn’t even true 3D as the ‘trick’ involved projecting the image onto a flat piece of glass. Hollow.

But, on the plus side, it made all these memes possible. My favourite (of course):

via Know Your Meme

So what’s next? How many more deceased artist reunions are we likely to see? Queen are going to try it, but what about The Beatles reunited? Nirvana? The Doors? Seriously, there could be a whole weekend festival line up. But Jason Rosenbaum over at Riverfront Times reckons that there is a whole legal minefield to be negotiated before anything like this could happen. Image rights issues, trademarks, copyright and more have to be cleared before anything like the Tupac stunt could happen again. But what about appearances from historical (non-musical) figures? Einstein delivering lectures, or Malcolm X?

What do I think? I think it might well have been a one-off, a gimmick that got the attention it was meant to. Job done, move on to the next innovation to get people celebs talking (warning: NSFW language). Anyone that does this now will be tarred with the ‘Yeah, but Dre and Snoop did that back in 2012′ brush. Maybe it will open the doors for something better, more lifelike (although I think the fans at Coachella were kind of impressed). Who knows? Only time, and the future, will tell….

Where do you see this technology taking us? Or do you think it’s dead already, a one-trick pony? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter or in the comments below, and see where the discussion takes us.

Felt hearts made from upcycled woollen jumpers, via quinceandquire

Upcycling is, quite simply, the process of turning old materials or waste products into a new product that is of better value than the original. You’ve probably seen those bags made of newspapers and sweet wrappers (if you haven’t, where have you been!), but what is this new phenomenon, and how can you get involved? I spoke to Italian designer Gianluca Gimini about his upcycling project to turn toothbrushes into coloured pens – here’s what he said:

What is upcycling?

‘Upcycling is a way of helping a product directly into a second life. Many products are made of compound materials which will eventually need to be separated and sorted, then brought to a mouldable state so they can go back into the production process from its very beginning. Giving things a second chance before they have to go through all this is poetic and – if properly done – also environmentally friendly.’

What inspired you to start upcycling?

‘I started the rethINK project I was living in Shanghai… Consumerism is really big over there and at the time I used to walk through two rubbish dumps every day on my way to work and in one of them they used to sort all kinds of scrap material from iron to plastic bottles and used-up fireworks. So I started looking at all my rubbish from a different point of view and decided I would keep my used toothbrushes just because the handles were still brand new: initially I had no idea what I was going to do with them.’

Pens made from upcycled toothbrushes, via gianlucagimini

Is upcycling an alternative to recycling?

‘I don’t see upcycling as an alternative to recycling: you can’t upcycle for ever. But still, it can help postpone that (energy consuming) moment. In my opinion it should be done only if it’s really worth it both from an environmental point of view and from a “designer’s” point of view: if it can’t be turned into a useful/desirable object or if it takes too much of an effort to do so, it should just be taken to the recycle-bin.’

What advice would you give someone who wanted to start upcycling?

‘The main risk is probably ending up with something that looks as if it were made with garbage… My advice is to look around you and see what is available. When you have spotted two or three candidates then you can start thinking about what can be made with them based on the characteristics of the material. For example I had some small colored toothbrush handles that were very suitable for writing from an ergonomic point of view: colored pens seemed logical and it didn’t require much work, actually just a drill and some refills for ball point pens. So my advice is to always try to exalt the properties of the object you are starting from, never to hide them!’

There’s pretty much no limit to what you can upcycle – old clothes, furniture, packaging, food waste, mobile phones… You could even turn used umbrellas into waterproof dog coats like this one here:

via Taryn Zychal

Inspired? Have you tried your hand at upcycling? Send us your pictures of upcycled items @Nokia_Connects!

You can always bank on British street artist Banksey to cause a stir. This is, apparently, his latest work and it follows in the the fine tradition of highlighting a social issue, in this case child labour.  As ever, he’s managed to combine a dark humour with his message, by making use of flags currently bedecking London for the Queen’s 60th Jubilee celebrations. If you want to see more of his amazing art, check out his website. We promise you won’t be disappointed.

via Wired 

This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘using the force’. It was reported today that two stroke victims have been controlling a robotic arm with their minds! Incredible news for paralysed people across the planet, one of stroke victims even managed to serve herself coffee for first time in 15 years.

The BrainGate2 clinical trial uses a brain-computer interface to empower people who have limited movement capability in their arms. The tests have taken place for years on monkeys but this is the first clinical human trial of its kind and represents the most complex task ever achieved by a human with a brain-computer interface. You literally think about moving your arm and it happens, this is truly revolutionary stuff.

via Roger Price

Depending on whether you were watching The Sound of Music or The Rocky Horror Show, donning a nun’s habit or hammy makeup used to be the closest most people got to being a film star. Now, thanks to amazingly accessible technology, it’s easier than ever to star in films we make ourselves. But what exactly does it take to dazzle the world with your cinematic vision?

Back to basics

Filmmaking used to be complicated, right? All those contractual things, distribution rights, intensive storyboarding sessions and creatives trying to agree. These days, your masterpiece could be in your back pocket, and there are plenty of places to help you unleash it. A guerrilla masterclass, for example, or one of the countless courses you’ll find online. Better still, you could strip it down to basics: a decent smartphone, an idea and some willing friends.

Space or small boy flying kite? The sky’s your limit

With the right technology, there’s no reason why you can’t produce broadcast-quality film of any genre.  Imagination defies limitation. Yeah, so big budget films have skilled modelmakers, but even they take short cuts. If cheap car parts from an old Cortina look good in a space ship, then they’ll use them. If you want to make Ken Loach style realism, then just shoot it. But for ghost, horror, or sci-fi flicks, you don’t need flashy special effects. Polystyrene moonrocks look real on screen. The Blair Witch Project set a precedent long ago – scary can be wobbly handheld Cloverfield suspense, with a breathless soundtrack, if you choose that style.

Where do you get your ideas?

It’s the stupidest question any creative person gets asked. There is a world throbbing with potential: people with secrets, strange what ifs and characters who look capable of great evil or enormous kindness. Check out Pinterest’s millions of pics or one of Reddit’s fantastic photographic communities. Something you see on the hoof might spark a complete script. It doesn’t have to be a riot or a tsunami.  Storyboards are a work of art in their own right, but if you can’t draw – scene notes are fine. We’re not working for Warner Brothers.

 via 3.19

Experience the joy of meglamania

The best thing about making your own film is you can chomp your own cigar, have the best dressing room and throw a hissy fit. Yes, you also have to buy your own loo paper and do your own catering – but you get to twist and turn the film as you see fit. You can mash up genres, throw in comedy when it seems least appropriate. Make a zombie/nymphomaniac out of Emily Bronte. Experiment. Just look what they did with award winning Love and Hamburgers. Then afterwards, in post-production, there’s plenty of software available to help you mould your work.

Where next for your masterpiece?

YouTube isn’t just for showing dancing cats. But if you are really proud of your modern day Prometheus, then why not enter a competition or join a community of film geeks and share resources, ideas and even suggestions for people who could act in your productions. If you are young enough, London has annual awards called Film Nation. Check out currently shortlisted entries for inspiration.

Everyone, it seems, is at it, from kids to grandmas. Ridley Scott, eat your heart out.

via Mashable

Like many Aliens fans out there I can’t wait to see Prometheus when it finally comes to a cinema near me. The Ridley Scott wonder is going to be epic, well i’ll let the hardcore fans do the talking before I jump to any conclusions.

To quench our thirst (before the release) Microsoft have set up the Project Prometheus Training Center, a transmedia and interactive experience in HTML5 (and it feckin rules!). You can conquer puzzles, do reflex tests and play plenty of logical games to your hearts content. I strongly suggest you give it a go.

Keep an eye out for the film next month, if you’ve not seen the trailer yet, you have now.