Cool New Social Platform - Tiscali Streamago

 

Streamago is a cool new social platform with a difference. Powered by Tiscali, better known for their broadband offers users a free interactive live broadcasting tool with Facebook integration. Streamago is primarily a community of video makers so if you don’t fancy creating a channel of your own, you can always follow another one.

 

Why we think it's cool?

Having joined the Streamago community, we can see it being great for sporting events, weddings, concerts/festivals and other special occasions. We will be attending many festivals this summer including Glastonbury and Reading so will try to stream some footage to friends and then record the rest to show them later. We also reckon traveller's will also find this service very cool allowing them to upload travel videos whilst away from family and friends to let family know what they have been up to etc.

With 10GB of disk space, the capacity is high enough to upload loads of footage.

Streamago is integrated with Facebook and, at any time, you can publish the channel directly into your wall. Here’s the link to their Facebook page.

 

What do you need?

The only thing you need is a PC with a webcam, but we have seen a couple of channels that were streaming live video games, so there may also be a way of linking up a video capture source.

 

Interface

The software itself is handled by a web interface, so there is no need to download any additional programs. In terms of ease of use we have to say it was very simple to join. You can simply sign up using your existing Facebook account or you can create a separate unique account using a valid email address.

After you have confirmed the latter you can then configure your profile, such as adding an avatar or creating your channel name, along with the category your videos/live streams will fit in. There is also a neat option for scheduling your live events, so for example you can let your followers know the time/date when you will be broadcasting.

 

Recording

When you are ready to go live you are taken to your control booth, which is essentially your broadcast window. In here you can set your source i.e. where you are taking your recordings from. The default is your web cam.

Quality and FPS (frames per second) can be adjusted also, though the 28fps is just about enough to present smooth recordings, though for games it would be a little under par, however in fairness some of the game channels we have seen looked pretty smooth. There also appears to be a live chat feature, so people can ask you questions in real time – nice!

If you want to record your stream for future you can tick the box “Save Recordings”, additionally if you want to share your Live link with others you can click on the share with Facebook option. Other than that you just click GoLive and away you go.

Once you have finished your broadcast you can then press the Green stop button and it will ask you to save your recording.

 

Live Broadcasting anywhere

Interestingly you are not tied down to your PC desktop as there is a free app available (via the app store) for iPhone users that allows you to use your cameras and Wi-Fi/3G connection to broadcast live footage from wherever you are. We have not seen this in action but it would offer another unique way of recording.

 

Applications for this

So far we have been impressed with the intuitive interface and setup, but the application for streaming live footage would be the biggest draw to users in our minds. As reviewers ourselves we could easily use this platform to post reviews of products in real-time and the fact that viewers can chat away and ask question would lead to a better experience for those interested in a particular aspect, of say, a mobile phone. Budding reporters could also use this by performing live broadcasts out in the field thanks to the iPhone App. 

 

Streamago is available at: http://www.streamago.tv

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Sci-Fi Art by Vitaly Samarin Alexius

Vitaly Samarin Alexius is a cool artist and photographer who creates cool sci-fi fantasy art using pencil, oil paints and Photoshop. His works combine the themes of fantasy and real life using a range of traditional and digital techniques. Lets take a look at some of his coolest pieces of work to date:

1 cool picture to rule them all

With this cool picture, we can drive Harry Potter, Star Wars and Lord of The Rings fans insane all at once.  

Bin Laden had no chance!

Cool picture of Obama and team watching Bin Laden capture live on tv and why Bin Laden had no chance of escape.

Photograph by Pete Souza for The White House

Standing, from left, are:
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Binken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured.

Nadal cool tennis shot against Djokovic

Check out Rafael Nadal's amazing tennis shot called the 'hot-dog lob' against Novak Djokovic in Madrid Masters final lobbing his opponent with a through-the-legs 'hot dog'....cool!

Top Ten Most Popular Cars in the UK

Moneysupermarket.com has published a list of the ten most popular cars in the UK. This has been determined by examining the number of car insurance searches which have been conducted on their price comparison service for each model of car which is available in the country.

None of the cars featured on the list are powered by engines larger than 1.8 litres which car insurance expert Peter Harrison claims is due to the escalating motoring costs, with fuel and insurance prices continuing to increase.

10. Honda Civic
The Honda Civic narrowly piped the Ford Ka into the top ten by just over 800 searches over the course of 2010. The Civic is not just the only Honda car in the top ten, but also the only Japanese car.

This is surprising given that Toyota is statistically the best selling car manufacturer in the world. However, no Toyota car even broke into the top twenty. The average model of Civic searched for by the 402,000 motorists was a ten year old 1.6 litre version.


9. Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen beat the Civic to 9th place with their Polo model by 30,000 searches. This helped corroborate the claims that smaller models are now more popular; with the average engine size of the Polo’s searched for being 1.2 litres.



The average age of Polo searched for was eleven years old, which is slightly older than many of other models on this list. This is perhaps a reflection of the slower depreciation rates associated with Volkswagens.

8. Fiat Punto
At number eight, the Fiat Punto is the only Italian car in the top ten with 467,000 quotes having been sought out for insurance on the model. This gives Fiat a surprising victory over Volkswagen with their Polo model, with the 1.2 litre Fiat having proven to be the most common choice amongst British motorists.



However, the average age of the Punto was actually two years younger than that of the Polo which is likely an indication of the higher depreciation rate on the Italian motor.

7. Peugeot 206
The Peugeot 206 is the first car to break the half a million search barrier, with the ever popular French motor the most popular from Peugeots vehicle range. The average age of 206 searched for is nine years old which is in line with that of the Punto.



However, the average engine size of the 206 is higher than the Punto; with the 1.4 litre engine the most common choice. This could be an indication of the increased popularity of Peugeot’s diesel offerings.

6. Renault Clio
Renault will be delighted to have comfortably beaten Peugeot to the honour of the most popular French car, with 160,000 more searches for insurance on the popular little Clio.

However, unlike the 206 the average engine size of Clio searched for is 1.2 litres which puts it in line with the Punto. The average age of the Clio owned was also slightly higher than that of the 206 despite having a similar depreciation rate. This could indicate better reliability from Renault.

5. Volkswagen Golf
Despite being a larger size than the Polo and therefore attracting higher insurance rates, the Golf attracted 300,000 more searches than its little sister and sits 5th with 719,000 searches in total throughout the whole of 2010. This goes against the general trend commented on by moneysupermarket.com of smaller vehicles being more popular.

Volkswagen also goes against the trend in terms of average engine size and age, with the most commonly searched for Golf being a 1.8 litre eleven year old model. The older average age is again perhaps an indication of Volkswagen’s slower depreciation rates, while the larger engine size could be a sign of an older average age for the owners of the vehicles.

4. Ford Focus
Despite regularly being in the top two list for most popular new cars in the UK, the Focus is only 4th in the list of most popular cars overall. It only narrowly beat the Golf to this position, with only 7,000 more searches.

Like the Golf, the Focus also goes against the general trend in terms of average engine size being 1.8 litres, which could again be a sign of a higher average age for Focus owners.

3. Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall will be delighted to have been beaten its big rival at Ford, with the Astra attracting 90,000 more searches than the Focus.

The Astra also appears to attract a slightly younger customer, with the average engine size being 1.6 litres which is more in line with what has been seen from other models of the smaller engined versions being more popular.

2. Ford Fiesta
Corroborating the popularity of smaller cars that are cheap to insure, the Ford Fiesta is now more popular in the UK than the Ford Focus with 200,000 extra searches.

Unlike the Focus, the smaller engined version of the Fiesta is the most popular with the average engine size being 1.3 litres. However, the average age is slightly higher than many of the others in the list. This is probably an indication of the cars popularity with younger motorists who are keen to take advantage of the lower insurance premiums offered to Fiesta owners.

1. Vauxhall Corsa
Not only is the Corsa the most popular car in the UK and allowed Vauxhall to once again triumph over Ford, it is also the only car which broke the one million search barrier on the moneysupermarket.com website.

The popularity of the Corsa also further underlines the popularity of cars that are cheaper to insure in the UK which has already been highlighted by the fact that 60% of the top ten is occupied by smaller vehicles.

Cool round the world in 2 weeks competition

Maurice Lacroix are giving one lucky person the chance to win a round the world tour to 5 destinations in 2 weeks! The winner will also have the chance to meet Maurice Lacroix ambassadors, such as Bob Geldof, Jimmy Wales and Justin Rose.

Cool Surfing Video - Dark Side of the Lens

Breathtakingly cool surf video called 'The Dark Side of The Lens' is by renowned photographer and bodyboarder Mickey Smith. The 6 minute short video explores his world as a true waterman - both as an athlete and artist. Below you can view some of the cool pictures and quotes from the video.Enjoy this beautiful video.

Mickey Smith photography and quotes from the video:

"I never set out to become anything in particular, only to live creatively and push the scope of my experience for adventure and for passion…The raw brutal cold coastlands for the right waveriders to challenge – this is where my heart beats hardest"

"Most folk don’t even know who we are, and what we do or how we do it, let alone what they pay us for it. I never want to take this for granted so I try to keep motivation simple, real, and positive… If I only scrape a living, at least it’s a living where I’m scraping…. If there’s no future in it, this is a present worth remembering".



"The aesthetic choices. The personal decisions. It’s all what’s happening behind the camera, the place no audience sees, the “dark side of the lens.” You can find the full transcript of Smith’s commentary after the jump"

"I see life in angles, in lines of perspective – the slow turn of a head, the blink of an eye, subtle glimpses of magic – other folk might pass by. Cameras help me translate, interpret and understand what I see. It’s a simple act that keeps me grinnin’. I never set out to become anything in particular, only to live creatively and push the scope of my experience for adventure and for passion. They still all mean something to me, same as most anyone with dreams. My heart bleeds celtic blood and I magnetize the familiar frontiers. The raw brutal cold coastlands for the right waveriders to challenge – this is where my heart beats hardest".

"I try to pay tribute to that magic through photographs. Weathering the endless staunch for rare glimpses of magic each winter is both a blessing and a curse I relish. I wanna see waveriding documented the way I see it in my head, and the way I feel it in the sea. This is a strange set of skills to begin to acquire. This is only achievable through time spent riding waves. All sorts of waves on all sorts of crafts. There is more time spent learning out on the water, floating in the sea amongst lumps and swells, you always learn something. It’s been a lifelong wise old classroom teacher of sorts and hopefully, it always will be. Buried beneath headlands, shaping the coast, mind-blowing images of empty waves burn away at me".

"Solid ocean swells powering through deep cold water, heavy waves weighs in wait, coaxed from comfortable routine, ignite the imagination, conveys some of the viny spark, whisper possibilities, conjure the situations I thrive amongst and love to document".

"We all take knocks in the process – broken backs, drownings, near-drownings, hypothermia, dislocations, fractures, frostbite, head wounds, stitches, concussions, broke my arm – and that’s just the last couple of years, still look forward to getting amongst it each winter though".



"Cold creeping into your core, driving you mad, day after day, mumbling to yourself while you hold position and wait for the next set to come. The dark side of the lens – An artform that to itself and us, silent workhorses of the surfing wake. There’s no sugary cliché. Most folk don’t even know who we are, and what we do or how we do it, let alone what they pay us for it. I never want to take this for granted so I try to keep motivation simple, real, and positive".

"If I only scrape a living, at least it’s a living where I’m scraping.

If there’s no future in it, this is a present worth remembering."

"For fires of happiness and waves of gratitude. For everything that brought us to that point on earth at that moment in time, to do something worth remembering with a photograph, or a scar -I feel genuinely lucky and hand on heart say I love doing what I do. And I may never be a rich man, or live long enough, then sadly I have a tale or two for the nephews. And I dig the thought of that."

Streaming HD thanks to Veebeam

Streaming HD content is becoming easier and better with the introduction of 40mb, 50mb and soon even 100mb home broadband which allows the streaming of full 1080p HD easily. It has been inherently awkward or just not as enjoyable to watch a HD movie on your PC or laptop, especially if you are used to your lovely big HD plasma tv! Well the times are a changing as Bob Dylan would say because along has come Veebeam HD which is a cool little product that lets you stream in full 1080p HD from your computer to your TV easily!
This cool gadget wirelessly puts the stream onto your TV. It also includes optical audio output so you can also enjoy your surround sound system while you watch. The flexibility makes it a great solution without the need to worry about cables or configuring some fancy high tech system.
As a product, the VeeBeam HD looks like a very cool and easy to use product, with helpful usability features like the “play to” function so (after installing the software) enables you to stream files straight to the TV without it needing to display on your laptop monitor – very helpful when someone else needs to keep using the computer while you lay back and relax.
VeeBeam HD consists of two parts, one that plugs in to your HDMI or Composite video ports of your TV and another wireless USB key that sends a signal to it over a wireless network.
The Veebeam allows you to stream free Hulu, Megavideo or any other website movie service right to your HDTV. With Veebeam there are no limitations, no channels but it does have the inconvenience of you having to find and queue your movie on your laptop or PC so it can stream to your living room TV.
Veebeam works very well and we highly recommend the Veebeam 1080p if you don’t want to buy Netflix, Hulu+ and want to leverage only the free movie streaming services online and beam them to your HDTV. This almost acts like a wireless projector for your laptop or home computer because you can pretty much share anything with it. One thing to bear in mind is there's about a 2 second delay on the streaming which make it incapable of being used for gaming or anything that would be constrained by the delay, this delay is imperceptible when watching even 1080p movies as it doesn’t cause stagger but merely means your laptop screen might be ahead by a second or two compared to what is being output to the HDTV.
The Veebeam was a pleasant surprise and here at cool stuff we endorse it as strongly as we do the Roku XDS as an option for Internet streaming. It's a better option if you don’t want to have to purchase a Netflix or Hulu+ subscription and have a laptop already the only caveat is you need a fairly powerful PC or laptop at least dual core 2.2 ghz if you want someone to do any sort of multitasking on the PC at the same time. With Veebeam you can stream anything you can hit with your browser to your big screen TV without paying any sort of subscription.
Check it out and learn more on VeeBeem’s site and Buy it now on amazon.


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