NerdBoyTV "Hot Off The Press" – Animated iPad Book, Netflix, MySpace

NOTE: Here's some tech-related stories we thought you might be interested in. Enjoy.

By John Pavlus, FastCompany.com

E-books are already a fraught subject for many readers, writers, publishers and designers, but children's e-books are even more so. Is it rotting their minds? Is it as good as good ol' paper? Is it too interactive for their own good? Obviously there are no practical answers to such questions, but at least one children's e-book/app/thingie (what do we call these things, again?) is doing it very, very right. It's called "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," and it's like a well-written bedtime story and an immersive animated movie at once -- without being "too much" of either.



READ article on FastCompany.com.

By Tecca | Today in Tech

Apparently all good things, or at least all good prices, must come to an end. Gone are the days of getting both unlimited DVDs and unlimited streaming video from Netflix for one low price; the company has just announced a new pricing scheme that separates DVDs from streaming video, and charges full price for both. Subscribers can now choose unlimited streaming video for $7.99 a month, or unlimited DVDs (one at a time) also for $7.99 a month. If you want both, you'll have to pay $15.98 each month for the privilege.

READ article on Yahoo! News.

by Stan Schroeder, Mashable.com

MySpace’s new owners, Specific Media, and Justin Timberlake — who has an ownership stake in the company — are considering plans for the site that include a possible talent show.

“Whether it becomes a talent competition or something like that, those are things that we will still flesh out,” said Timberlake’s manager Johnny Wright in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

“We definitely want to bring the industry back to MySpace to really look at the talented people that have put their faces there,” Wright added.

READ article on Mashable.com.

An Ex-Pixar Designer Creates Astounding Kids' Book On iPad

By John Pavlus, FastCompany.com

E-books are already a fraught subject for many readers, writers, publishers and designers, but children's e-books are even more so. Is it rotting their minds? Is it as good as good ol' paper? Is it too interactive for their own good? Obviously there are no practical answers to such questions, but at least one children's e-book/app/thingie (what do we call these things, again?) is doing it very, very right. It's called "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," and it's like a well-written bedtime story and an immersive animated movie at once -- without being "too much" of either.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore iPad App Trailer from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Part of why the book works so well is its top-shelf creative pedigree: author William Joyce is also an accomplished illustrator and animator who's published New Yorker covers, won a bunch of Emmys, created character designs for some of Pixar's first animated classics, and worked on many others for Dreamworks and Disney. With his cohorts at Moonbot Studios, he created an interactive book-app around the story and a standalone animated film -- so you can experience "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" however you like.

READ article on FastCompany.com.

Wanted: A Sexier Wristband For iPod Nano, By Incase

By James Gaddy, FastCompany.com

Gadget accessories maker Incase has been on a roll this year, from capsule collections with A.P.C. and Andy Warhol to its upcoming expansion into headphones later this year. But now the Apple loyalists have a new accessories obsession to hold them over until then: the Flex Wristband, the best attachment for the iPod Nano that we’ve seen since Scott Wilson’s feel-good story on Kickstarter last year.

Thankfully, the folks at Incase have kept the two best parts of Wilson’s model: The Flex Wristband employs an open-sided design that leaves the headphone port and connector exposed, so you can recharge or sync the Nano up without removing it from the wristband; and it also uses an easy snap-in locking hold that prevents scratches.

But that’s where the similarities end. Incase’s model classes up the joint a bit with a flexible, expandable, one-size-fits-all steel band that offers up a more professional, dignified approach while keeping the playfulness intact: it’s business and party in the front. And the matte finish in both silver and black is understated enough to go with just about anything.

READ article on FastCompany.com.