Going gaga for Google
Internet Titan Launches Yet More Convenient Apps
Anthony Augustine
New From Google — www.google.com/glm
— Along with making dump trucks full of money for their
stockholders, the coders over at Google have also been busy turning
out some fantastic free mobile tools. If you’re a fan of
Google Local, you can now get a beta version to run on your cell
phone or web-enabled device. Think about what this means: you’ll
never have to ask for directions or settle for crappy fast food
when you really wanted Thai. It’s like having a $1,000 GPS
system and full-time concierge at your fingertips. The app currently
only runs on some brands of cell, so check the page for compatibility.
A quick download is needed to be able to access the program for
the first time. The second tool is also for your web-enabled phone.
Google’s Web Stripper will allow you to surf pages that
normally clog up your browser. While it isn’t perfect, I’ve
already used the program to settle an argument about the name
of an actor in a movie and also to check my bids on an eBay auction
that was about to end. No download is needed, but it will eat
up data time on your cell plan.
James Lipton Reads Popozao—
gorillamask.net/jlpz.shtml
— Before Dick Cheney’s hunting accident became
the No. 1 joke on late-night talk shows, Britney Spears and Kevin
Federline seemed to be the favourite subject of most hosts. This
clip from Conan O’Brien’s show has Inside the Actors
Studio host James Lipton reciting the lyrics from Federline’s
first single, Popozao
Attack of the Show — tinyurl.com/baroj
— With all the attention focused on Britney behind the wheel
with her baby on her lap, you probably missed professional slob
and rookie rapper Kevin Federline jamming out in his home studio
Popozao. K-Fed plays air synth, lip-synchs, bobs his head, turns
some knobs and makes himself look like a complete ass while MTV
captures the whole thing. The crew over at G4 TV’s Attack
of the Show has whipped up its own parody of the segment, and
it’s as good as anything SNL or Mad TV has done in the last
few years. As Federline would put it, “That’s the
fire!”
Mash Culture — www.mashculture.nl/english
— Finding high-quality bootlegs and mashups has gotten a
lot harder since Get Your Bootleg On was shut down earlier this
year. No mega-portal has emerged as a replacement, but a number
of smaller sites have begun to carry the load. Not as much content
is out there these days, but you can still find recent sets from
mashup pioneers 2 Many DJs, New York trio The Rub and DFA’s
James Murphy. Mash Culture also offers links to a number of singles,
remixes and unofficial bootlegs.
Nickelback — tinyurl.com/e7p7b
— If you’ve ever thought Nickelback’s How You
Remind Me and Someday sound alike, you’re right on the money.
This page plays one song in each speaker, making it fairly obvious
that the tracks have similar dynamics, structures and melodies.
Anthony Augustine is a freelance music and pop culture writer
who spends way too much time in front of the computer. He also
hosts a weekly two-hour electronic music program on CKUW 95.9
FM Got a site you think he should see? E-mail him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com. |
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