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Tag: Mashups

  • Listen To Wikipedia Brings Music To Page Edits

    The idea of Wikipedia does not necessarily produce Zen-like feelings. A good resource for quick research, or a place to catch up on missed story arcs, perhaps, but tranquility is not the first thing that pops into your head. Especially in a world where Wikipedia entry defacement and manipulation is a very real thing. However, thanks to the efforts of the “Listen to Wikipedia” project, you can get closer to Zen whenever someone edits a particular entry.

    Simply enough, the project, which was created by Stephen LaPorte and Mahmoud Hashemi, plays soothing, ambient-style music whenever a Wikipedia pages is edited. The about page describes the process, which also uses a visual representation:

    Bells are additions, strings are subtractions. There’s something reassuring about knowing that every user makes a noise, every edit has a voice in the roar. (Green circles are anonymous edits and purple circles are bots. White circles are brought to you by Registered Users Like You.)

    Apart from being a hopefully-pleasant audiation, Listen to Wikipedia (L2W) also addresses a couple other inquiries we’ve gotten more than a few times:

  • Whereas RCMap only displays anonymous edits, L2W presents all edits to the main namespace in real time, with special handling for new-user signups for good measure.
  • L2W uses color a bit differently, too. By making edits from unregistered/anonymous users green, and edits from user-driven bots purple, we hoped to give a relative visual sense of traffic from those sources. (Spoiler alert: anon/bot edits represent less than a fifth of total edit traffic. L2W is a lot more active than RCMap.)
  • Finally, because it used a world’s worth of border data, RCMap was a fairly heavy application. L2W’s more abstract approach to visualization should provide a lighter touch suitable for resource-constrained environments.

    • The page keeps a list of the edits that generated corresponding sound, and according to the counter, Wikipedia is currently averaging about 80-85 edits a minute, giving “Listen to Wikipedia” plenty of bells and strings to continuously broadcast. The result is, indeed, very soothing and relaxing; again, qualities that may not be readily applicable to the world of Wikipedia.

    I’ve been listening to it while creating this post, and the ambient bells and strings are never intrusive or distracting. In fact, it brings a sense of calmness to the sometimes-contentious world of Wikipedia editing.

  • Breaking Bad/Weird Al Mashup ‘Albuquerque’ Is a Delight

    There have never been two better cultural creations to come out of Albuquerque, New Mexico than Breaking Bad and Weird Al’s 11-minutes opus “Albuquerque.” Argue with me if you want, but I’m standing my ground.

    Image my surprise when this popped up – a mashup of those very two things. Incredible! Don’t watch this if you’re trying to avoid spoiling Breaking Bad. But if you’ve yet to watch Breaking Bad, I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you, and you probably wouldn’t like this anyway. For everyone else, sit back and enjoy.

    Weird Al approves:

    [via ibrews]

  • Games of Thrones’ Red Wedding Gets a Glorious Princess Bride Mashup

    If you haven’t seen last Sunday’s breathtaking episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones and you plan to watch it at some point – do not watch the following video.

    But if you have seen it, and you enjoy a good mashup – well then, by all means enjoy the following gem from YouTube user Andrew Kasch. It’s glorious. GRANDPA THIS CAN’T REALLY BE WHAT HAPPENS, CAN IT?

  • If You Ever Find Yourself in a Movie, Don’t Go in a Phone Booth

    If you ever find yourself in the middle of a movie, there’s one rule you should remember. Well, there are actually plenty of things that would be handy to know, but this one is pretty important. Whatever you do, for the love of all that is holy, do not go into a phone booth.

    If you’re in a phone booth, things are going to end poorly. For the younger kids out there wondering what this “phone booth” thing is, it’s a death trap. Plain and simple. Thank the heavens for cellphones.

    [via Slacktory]

  • What Happens When Tom Cruise Swaps Faces With Jack Nicholson?

    Fans of terrible 90s movies may remember Face/Off. In the film, John Travolta and Tom Cruise switch faces. Through the power of video editing magic, one YouTube parody filmmaker has brought the magic of Face/Off to other movies and celebrities.

    In this famous scene from A Few Good Men, Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise have their faces swapped. The result is actually pretty creepy:

    YouTube user FaceMashups has a number of these videos. They are all equally hilarious and terrifying.

    Here’s Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Stewart:

    Here’s Penn Jillette and Neil deGrasse Tyson:

    [h/t: BabsonMcChonkers via Reddit]

  • This Daft Punk/Soul Train Mashup is Brilliant

    “Get Lucky,” the lead single off of Daft Punk’s new album Random Access Memories is awesome in a funky kind of way. I mean that Nile Rodgers riff, right? In fact, the whole album is awesome – but that’s another article/possible argument.

    Soul Train in the 70s was also awesome. And what do you know, the two make a perfect match. Best mashup you’ll see this week, by far. Here’s DAFT TRAIN:

  • Here’s the Daft Punk Random Access Memories/Electroma Sync You Didn’t Know You Wanted

    If the internet seems a bit quieter today, it’s probably because the initial rush has died down from Daft Punk’s early release of their new album Random Access Memories. Boy, that was a hell of a Monday.

    While you’ve been listening to the new album two, three, four, maybe a dozen times since then, redditor fkobbe has been doing something magical. What happens when you sync Random Access Memories with Daft Punk’s 2066 film Electroma (which didn’t originally feature any Daft Punk music)? ELECTR.A.M., that’s what.

    [F Kobbe via reddit]

  • Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue Is Predictably Awesome

    Two of the greatest compositions ever written, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, apparently share a lot more that the word “rhapsody.” As YouTuber Scott Bradlee shows, they’re a real killer when you mash them up.

    Simply beautiful:

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Gets the Mid-90s Sitcom Treatment

    Last week, we showed you the incredible re-imagining of AMC’s hit series Breaking Bad as a mid-90s sitcom. At that time, I told you of my fondness for these types of things.

    So it should come as no surprise that I’m equally as excited about this VHS-era reworking of HBO’s Game of Thrones, inspired by the Breaking Bad video.

    Terrific work. Please keep it up, internet.

    [hunterlsanders]

  • Breaking Bad as a Mid-90s Sitcom [VIDEO]

    The first YouTube mashup that successfully and hilariously reframed a classic film/TV show to fit a different style that I remember seeing was called “Shining,” and it used clever editing and a certain Peter Gabriel song to make the classic horror film look like a family comedy.

    Ever since, I’ve loved this sort of thing. With the right music and editing, you can transform any piece of media into something completely different.

    Take for instance this new trailer for Breaking Bad that re-imagines it as a mid-90s sitcom. It’s wonderful.

    Breaking Bad has a long and storied history of being mashed up. For more, you could check out Pinkman, the Seinfeld mashup. Or maybe this amazing mashup with an old Mentos ad.

    [via YouTube]

  • Give This Nine Inch Nails/Call Me Maybe Mashup a Chance. No, I’m Serious.

    Peanut butter & jelly, on a burger. Calling your ex-girlfriend at 3am “just to talk.” Mashing up Nine Inch Nails’ “Head Like a Hole” and Carly Rae Jespen’s “Call Me Maybe.”

    One of these three things is a bad idea, and the other two are great ideas. One of the ones that is a great idea actually sounds like a terrible idea. That’s the one that you’re about to experience and most likely love. Or at least tolerate it – which is a miracle in its own way.

    Seriously, I’m not kidding. It’s pretty good.

    [pomDeter via Gawker]

  • Argo Home Alone Is the Best Movie Mashup You’ll See This Week

    The only thing better than Ben Affleck’s (no-longer-existent) beard is this incredible mashup of Academy Award winner Argo and perennial classic Home Alone. Trust us.

    [dogfoodfilms]

  • The Game of Thrones & Downton Abbey Theme Songs Get the Mashup They Deserve

    Since two of the best shows on TV (Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey) also have two of the best theme songs around, it only makes sense that someone would mash them up into one supersong.

    Today is that day, and Sagar Jethani is your man.

    The accompanying voice you’ll hear is Duncan, Mr. Jethani’s direwolf.

    [h/t BuzzFeed]

  • Chandler Style Is Your Inevitable Friends/Gangnam Style Mashup of the Day

    You thought Gangnam Style was dead, didn’t you? Well, it kind of is – at least according to PSY. But fear not, another dance craze is ready to rise up and take its place.

    OPPA CHANDLER STYLE.

    Comedy Central UK created this amazing little mashup for a New Year’s Eve Friends promo which features two incredibly popular internet memes. First, Gangnam Style (of course). Second, the Chandler dances on things meme, which as the title suggests, consists of Chandler Bing doing his little dance on various objects. Pure internet gold.

    This is probably the best use of the Chandler dancing meme since someone decided that Chandler Bing needed to dance on the Bing logo. Which he does.

    (image)

    [via The Daily What]

  • Mitt Romney’s Best (and Worst) YouTube Moments, Remixed

    With the Republican National Convention underway, What’s Trending thought it would be a good time to compile some of the most popular Mitt Romney-themed videos into one big supercut.

    “Mitt Romney accepts the Republican nomination for President at the GOP Convention in August 2012. So what better time to look back at Mitt’s long and storied YouTube history than right now? Included in this timeline of Mitt’s Greatest Hitts are his official campaign ads and announcements, parody music videos, impressions of Romney and even Romney remixes and auto-tunes,” they say.

    And what we get is neither an endorsement or an attack on Romney, but simply a history of how the candidate has been represented on YouTube, based on how many views were garnered by specific videos from 2007 on. Of course, the majority of the popular Romney-centric videos come from 2012 – and the parodies reign supreme.

    Check it out below:

    Romney is set to speak at the RNC on Thursday night, as he wil presumably accept the Republican Nomination for President. I wonder if he’ll say anything worthy of getting on the next Mit Romney YouTube mashup.

  • Another Day, Another Awesome Breaking Bad Remix

    Funny, catchy, impressive, inspired; everything a great remix should be. Today, I present the best Breaking Bad remix that you’re likely to hear this week.

    I say this week because not only are remixes popular on the interwebs, but Breaking Bad remixes in particular have really taken off as of late. It’s understandable – I mean, it is the best show currently on television. But there is something truly special about taking a show that’s so serious, dramatic, and unnerving and turning it into something light and carefree.

    Take for instance the recent Breaking Bad/Seinfeld mashups, or the mildly more amusing Breaking Bad/Mentos ad mashup. Both excellent, but neither as good as this.

    Courtesy YouTube user placeboing, check it out below [obvious spolier tag for those who haven’t watched seasons 1 and 2]:

  • Pinkman: The Breaking Bad/Seinfeld Mashup You Didn’t Know You Needed

    Did you hear about the Breaking Bad spinoff that’s set to air when AMC’s landmark series finally goes off the air next year? Don’t worry, it looks like it’ll be much more lighthearted than Breaking Bad itself, as it stars everyone’s favorite purveyor of the word “bitch,” Jesse Pinkman.

    Ok, this isn’t real. But I’d watch a sitcom staring Jesse, wouldn’t you?

    This season of Breaking Bad has been difficult to watch. It’s not only nerve-wracking, but it has included some of the most painful moments I’ve ever seen in moving pictures. And I’ve watched some some seriously messed up stuff. And, like last week’s Breaking Bad/Mentos ad mashup, this parody video take some heavy subject matter from the most awkward scene from last week’s episode and makes it funny.

    Kind of.

    Check it out below [mild spoilers, maybe]:

    [h/t HuffPo]

  • Mashup Pays Tribute to Bill Ghostbustin’-ass Murray

    This isn’t the first Bill Murray mashup to hit the internet, and it won’t be the last. Why is it important, then? Because Bill Murray needs as many tributes as the internet will allow, that’s why.

    This tribute to the man, the myth, the legend come courtesy of Eclectic Method. Its shining moment comes in the mashup of Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes with Zombieland; because what’s better than a Bill Murray remix? A Bill Murray remix featuring Woody Harrelson and RZA & GZA.

    “Here is how to tell if you are at the best party currently happening in America at any given moment: You turn around and there he is, mixing cocktails, cracking jokes, and making everything more awesome! Yeah he crashes normal people parties, yeah he assimilates naturally and perfectly, yeah he is the shit! Bill is a walking, talking memecon -an iconic meme. From SNL to Ghostbusters to Wes Anderson flicks, Murray has, more than just about anyone, had several ages of awesome”

    Indeed. Check it out below:

  • Sexting, F-Bomb, and Mash-up Added to the Dictionary

    As a word nerd, it’s always fun to see new words enter the lexicon. Language is constantly evolving, and every so often our dictionaries must adapt to the changing landscape.

    And a lot of the time, that means creating official entries for words engendered from pop culture, technology, and the internet.

    Now, if you look through the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, you’ll likely see a few new words that you’re probably already familiar with – you know, from everyday speech and all. Official dictionaries can’t quite keep up with the rapid pace of language evolution, but you have to commend them for doing what they can.

    And this year, that means adding new words like “sexting” to the official dictionary.

    Other tech/internet-related words gaining entry this year include “mash-up” and “cloud computing.”

    On the pop culture side, you have things like “man cave,” “earworm,” and “aha moment.”

    And then you have the most controversial new entry, “f-bomb.” or “the word f*ck —used metaphorically as a euphemism.”

    From a blog post:

    “Some of the new words this year provide colorful images,” says Merriam-Webster Editor at Large Peter Sokolowski. “Terms like ‘man cave,’ ‘underwater’ (when used to describe mortgages), ‘earworm,’ and ‘bucket list’ paint vivid pictures in your mind. They show that English-speakers can be very creative as they describe the world around them.” Merriam-Webster’s editors monitor the changing language and add new terms to the dictionary once those words come into widespread use across a variety of publications.

    In all, 16 new words were added for 2012 –

    1. aha moment
    2. bucket list
    3. cloud computing
    4. copernicium
    5. earworm
    6. energy drink
    7. f-bomb
    8. game changer
    9. gassed
    10. gastropub
    11. man cave
    12. mash-up
    13. sexting
    14. systemic risk
    15. underwater
    16. f-bomb

    By comparison, many of these words seem rather commonplace. Last year, the Oxford English Dictionary (online editions) added OMG, BFF, LOL, Twittersphere, NSFW, and newb.

  • Yeah, But Where’s The 3D? 2001: A Space Odyssey As A Modern Action Trailer

    The act of recutting a popular Hollywood trailer can produce some amazing results. I’m sure most of you have seen “Shining,” the brilliant recut that turns Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining into a delightful romantic comedy. Or what about the recut of the Mrs. Doubtfire trailer that makes it out to look like a terrifying horror film?

    Those classic creations are great because they completely change the target films through a clever use of edits and usually a clever song choice or two.

    The interesting thing about this latest trailer recut is that it still leaves many of the elements of the original intact, while still managing to turn everything on its head.

    Mashup artist ChugsTheMonkey, working at the behest of Film School Rejects, took the original 1968 trailer for Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey and turned it into a Michael Bay production – electronic soundtrack, jump cuts, and all.

    The funny thing is, as much is I want to hate it, it’s kind of great. Sure, it’s a giant joke on modern day trailer construction (which is a laughing matter), but it still manages to both be poignant and creepy – just like the original.

    Check it out below:

    [h/t Topless Robot]

  • Breaking Bad Meets The Dark Knight Rises in “Breaking Batman”

    In terms of entertainment, I’m not really sure how you could top next week. On Sunday, our favorite players in the most memorable drug game in TV history (sorry, The Wire) begin their tumble toward to end as Breaking Bad premieres.

    Then, just when you think you’ve taken in all of the painful artistry that you can contain, Friday comes and you’re hit with the finale of Christopher Nolan’s Batman reboot The Dark Knight Rises. I’ve been known to exaggerate before when approaching great show premieres and great film releases, but I can legitimately say that I can’t remember a time when I was more excited about an upcoming period in media assault.

    Someone must feel the same way, because they decided to just mash it all together. The result is this schizophrenic yet thoroughly enjoyable trailer for “Breaking Batman” courtesy of TheQuanrudes.

    Check it out below (Caution: SPOILERS) –

    Does it make sense? Not really. Does than even matter? Hardly. Except now it’s really hard to deny that Robin has a lot of Jesse Pinkman in him – or vice versa.

    [via Geekosystem]