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It’s clear from all the buzz The Avengers and The Dark Knight have generated that comic book characters are still a pretty huge aspect of our culture, and for good reason! We’ve always needed heroes and there may not be a time that we won’t. The comic book universe has given us something we can’t find anywhere else. Its long history has given us heroes with every power we can imagine and just about any story we could want. It’s a strange and great combination of writing and illustration that’s an art all while largely not being considered one. Comics are still, by and large, considered for kids, despite years and years of movie success and a demographic switch aimed at adult white males. People of every age and gender walked out of The Avenger with a favorite hero, and that was only a team of 5.
For anyone not in the know, this week is a big one for the digital world. New Yorkers are taking part in the annual Internet Week New York City. It’s a week for unveiling new tech, for awesome new internet businesses to get some exposure, and to explore what just might be in the internet’s future. Since the internet is an entire world of possibility, the event is a great mix of just about everything. From memes, to fashion, to food, the week is like a convention for just about every interest, focused, of course, on the internet.
Pete Cashmore is one of the most interesting and inspiring success stories of the blogosphere. At just 26 years old he has accomplished more than people twice his age, and continues to innovate not only within the tech world but in the media business as a whole. He stands as a figure of originality and what can be accomplished when you strive for your goals. His journey from teenager to media mogul started back in Aberdeen, Scotland when he was just 13 years old and suffered complications after having his appendix removed. His condition left him bedridden and his only escape and connection to the outside world was through the internet. By the time he was nineteen he had launched Mashable.com. His little personal blog (he described as "not very good") went on to become one of the biggest most influential blogs in the world. We were lucky enough to get in on his Webby Session at Internet Week yesterday to hear his story and insights live. (And for those of you wondering, yes, he is just as tall and dreamy in person!)
Check it out:
Internet Week is upon us, and that means mixers, and parties. Jump into the digital world with a drink in your hand and mingle with the up and coming stars of the web. Here's a glimpse of the parties going on this week. To buy tickets to these events, and see what else Internet Week has to offer, check out the schedule, HERE.
MONDAY, MAY 14th
Official Internet Week NY Opening Party
What better way to celebrate everyone being connected than heading out that door and experiencing Internet Week, right here in New York City!
Not just for nerds, techies, friend stalkers, or angel investors! For the past 8 years, Internet week has hosted a series of networking events, meet ups, and conferences sure to appeal even the layman of web users.
Starting this Monday, May 14th, through May 21st, be apart of the “ever-changing digital landscape.” The festival, like the Internet itself, is open to everyone. Check out the schedule and map out the things that interest you!
Nerd alert! On the internet there are tons of cat pictures, but in real life, we have Internet Week. Since 2008, Internet Week began as a City wide celebration of the digital community which includes nearly 200 events from May 14-17. Industry insiders and innovators convene at different locations through out the city at web-focused events to discuss the current trends, history and future of the World Wide Web. Check out these featured events and you might learn something!
MONDAY MAY 14TH
According to a new CNN article and website Invite a Bite , women are so dependent, insecure, and self-conscious that they can't dine out alone. In fact, it's such an issue that they need a website to go find strangers/other "lonely" women to wallow in self-pity and relieve their horrendous embarrassment.
At first, I thought there had to be some sort of hyperbole or sarcasm, but nope, these people are 100% serious. They even go on to tell the sordid tales of women feeling "awkward," and like "lonely spinsters." And of course, the story wouldn't be complete without the ol' gender comparison, "'Men seem to have no such obstacles,' suggests Peachey of the stigma of eating alone. 'My husband happily walks into any place in any city for a drink or some food. So why do I scurry in and act like a lunatic?'"
At the Tribeca Film Festival, audience members are finding that once the film is over, there’s so much to come together about. Whether it’s film discussion, looking for venue information or even what restaurants to hit up next, there is now a tool specifically created to enhance the Tribeca Film Fest (TFF) experience.
For those of you interested in maximizing your festie experience, Bombay Sapphire and the widely popular geo-social application Foursquare have teamed up for the first ever interactive map of New York City geared toward TFF attendees. Make the most out of the festival, which is going on now through April 29th. Easy to navigate, these series of tools and rewards will help make this year's festival experience unlike any before.
Move over Siri, the future of the slightly creepy interactive robots just got a lot more handsome. Prometheus, the prequel film that’s getting a lot of well-deserved buzz just released a few viral videos featuring David, the latest in android innovation. He’s intelligent, capable of taking on tasks human beings cannot, and bears a striking resemblance to Magneto. Like all movies featuring robots built with a lot of power, David, as played by Michael Fassbender is a little frightening for reasons that are hard to put into words.
That is to say, David is a little too trustworthy, capable, and handsome. Certain movies have taught us one thing--the trustworthy robot designed to understand humans is going to kill us. The great thing about this film teaser is that David himself is a prototype for the very same type of android that taught us to not trust human-like robots. Alien and Aliens are classic sci-fi films that prominently featured androids that made two very different moral choices. One, featured heavily in the first film, puts the entire crew in danger. The second, generations older, and featured heavily in Aliens, saves the lives of the main characters. David is perhaps the great grandfather of them all. He is the first of his kind and given what we already know about the Alien franchise that can either spell disaster or make him a valuable ally.
According to insiders at Business Insider (naturally), Facebook made the decision within 24 hours to buy Instagram for $1 billion. After word got out that the wildly popular 2-year-old photo-sharing/media company had just received $50 million in funding from investors at a $500 million valuation, Facebook went into "flip out" mode.
CEO of Instagram, Kevin Systrom, reportedly did not want to sell the company and had full intent to grow his business with the $50 million investment. The funding, which came from Thrive Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Greylock Capital, proved to be too much heat in the kitchen for Facebook, who has been reportedly threatened by Instagram for some time. In a move that took even the most tech-savvy individuals by surprise, Facebook solidified the $1 billion deal within 24 hours -- literally doubling Instagram's value over night, while subsequently taking out one of their biggest rivals. In case y'all didn't get the memo, Zuckerberg does not appreciate competition and will do what is necessary to maintain his reign. Even if that means buying and creating other multi-millionaires! (You hear that Pinterest, Twitter?) If divided evenly (they aren't, unfortunately), Instagram's mere 13 employees would be worth $76.9 million each.
In case you're not grasping the magnitude of this acquisition, take a look at this nifty chart of past high-dollar buy-outs:
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