Uptown Magazine - January 8/09
Want to be a successful wide receiver? Play lots of Madden
Part of one of the longest-running video-game franchises, Madden NFL 2009 is credited with helping Kansas Jayhawks’ sophomore Dezmon Briscoe have an outstanding year. When asked by the Kansas City Star what helped the receiver improve his play over his rookie year, Briscoe replied, “I mean, I play Madden a whole lot … They roll their defenses now. The game systems these days are just crazy. Me playing Madden, it helps me read the defense on the field.” While the idea of a college receiver improving his on-field performance by playing a NFL video game probably pissed off his coaches, there is no denying that video games are increasingly playing a role in professional sports. From teams being upset that their signature plays were included in the games to reports of athletes contacting gaming developers after they were disappointed with how their digital persona performed, the virtual world and the world of sports have never been closer.
Know Your Meme
Tired of your mom knowing about the newest buzz on the web before you do? Or maybe you’re sick of always being the person receiving viral videos from your friends instead of sending them? Either way, Know Your Meme will make you an instant expert on what keyboard cowboys on the web are talking about and help you catch up on what you have been missing out on.
Wanna make a movie?
Sure you could learn Final Cut Pro or iMovie, but Xtranormal is a new site that lets you write, edit and create your own movie online using text-to-speech technology and a huge database of characters, voices and action sequences. It’s only a matter of time before these sites start to spawn the latest viral videos. Jump on the bandwagon before there’s no room.
Quick Hits
Site of the Week: Very Small Array
First there was food porn, now it seems chart porn is the new buzz on the web. One of the best is the Very Small Array blog. Compiling and charting the No. 1 hit songs from various years, Very Small Array is an interesting visual representation of trends in the music industry.
Video of the Week: My Day, Yesterday
A new Flickr group dedicated to documenting your day via video in under 90 seconds. Who needs Justin.tv or YouTube?
MP3 of the Week: United States of Pop 2008 by DJ Earworm
Back for the second straight year, DJ Earworm has stitched together the Top 25 tracks from 2008 into one massive mashup flashback.
