Best Time To Go Pee During A Movie? There's An App For That.

Yes, there really is an app for just about everything. And RunPee is proof of that. The app, which is downloadable for the iPhone, Android and Windows phones, is pretty damn genius. Not only has Dan Florio come up with a wonderful idea for movie watchers with small bladders or enlarged prostates, but he has also created and implemented the app in such a way that it is truly helpful and more informative than one might think.  

Note: The logo, social media sites and website are in desperate need of a redesign, but I'm going to disregard that for now.



How Does It Work?
After carefully watching newly released and in-theater movies, RunPee determines the best "Pee Times," 3-4 minute windows during which nothing crucial, extra funny or visually fantastic is occurring, for a large database of commercially produced films.



You start a timer at the beginning of the movie and your phone will vibrate (no bothering fellow movie-goers) a few minutes before each Pee Time so you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the movie.



It offers "suggested Peetimes" - Not all peetimes are the same. Some are better than others. The apps have a short message before the peetimes informing you which one we would recommend using and which ones might be for emergency use only.



There's even a synopsis of what you might miss during a particular Pee Time (you can read that on the toilet):



Scanning the movies to find these times where you need not worry you wasted your hard-earned movie ticket money and you can slip right back into the movie, able to pick up where you left off without having missed anything major, is only part of the app.

Additional Features:


• Gives you a synopsis of the first 3 minutes of most movies just in case you’re running late.

• Check-in to social media sites Facebook and Twitter



• Lets you know if there is anything during or after the end credits that you should stick around for like bloopers, outtakes, epilogues or funny jokes. No more waiting 8-10 minutes for nothing. [Note: This is also very helpful for those movie theaters with crowded parking lots so you can just duck out the second the movie ends]



• Quick access to RottenTomatoes.com ratings as well as information about the cast and crew from IMDb.com



• Uses local storage to store movie data on your phone for use later when in case you are offline inside the theater.

• Sign up for an e-mail notification as to when a movie is released on DVD/Blue-Ray.



• Post movie reviews to Facebook from the app without the trouble of texting:



• View ratings/ reviews by other RunPee app users




The website RunPee is free to use, but the mobile app has certain advantages over the free web service, such as most of those listed above. The movie list on the free website only goes back 3 months but the mobile app let you view every movie in the database - covering nearly ever wide release movie since Summer of 2009.


above: Dan Florio, the brainchild behind RunPee, came up with the idea for the app while watching the 2005 three hour remake of King Kong.

In addition to the aforementioned, the Run Pee page on Facebook also gives you a peek at movie trailers for upcoming releases and reviews of new movies.

With the help of movie critic, Shanee Edwards, who now works for the folks at RunPee, they have access to movie screenings before a movie is released to the public, so that in most cases PeeTimes for a newly released movie are posted quickly.



The app is only .99 cents, which is a great bargain.

Download it here:

Chipotle's "The Scarecrow" : The Film, The Game and A Look Behind The Scenes.

Following up on the success of their 2012 Cannes Grand Prix winner "Back To The Start" (shown below), Chipotle and CAA Marketing have released a new short film and an interactive game that take an ultra-critical look at Big Food in order to highlight its own sustainably-sourced ethos.

Back to The Start:


“The Scarecrow” is at once an addicting game, a poignant short film, and a project that reflects what the folks at Chipotle believe in. The city of Plenty is a glimpse at a future that may not be far off. Processed food, animal confinement, and the use of synthetic growth hormones, non-therapeutic antibiotics, and toxic pesticides are rampant in our food supply. Educating people about alternatives is a journey for the Scarecrow, and it continues to be a journey for us.

The Short Film


In a dystopian fantasy world, all food production is controlled by fictional industrial giant Crow Foods. Scarecrows have been displaced from their traditional role of protecting food, and are now servants to the crows and their evil plans to dominate the food system. Dreaming of something better, a lone scarecrow sets out to provide an alternative to the unsustainable processed food from the factory.




Produced by Chipotle, the film was created by Academy Award®–winning Moonbot Studios and is set to a remake of the song “Pure Imagination” from the 1971 film classic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Beautifully performed by Grammy Award®–winning artist Fiona Apple.

The Scarecrow:


Behind The Scenes:






The Game:


The video is accompanies by a game for your mobile devices.



The Scarecrow needs your help to foil the evil plans of Crow Foods and break the crows‘ monopoly on food production and supply in the city of Plenty. Tilt your device to navigate through each level, outsmart the Crowbots, unlock extras, and restore hope for animals, farms, and the environment, while providing the citizens of Plenty a healthy and delicious alternative.






Download the free app at www.scarecrowgame.com and join the quest for wholesome, sustainable food.

The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Chipotle Mexican Grill to continue and strengthen its philanthropic efforts.



Dedicated to creating a sustainable, healthful, and equitable food future, the foundation supports farmers, ranchers, educators, and programs that are working to develop sustainable practices and teaching younger generations about issues in the food chain.

Over the years, Chipotle has contributed more than $2 million to fund initiatives that support sustainable agriculture, family farming, culinary education, and innovation that promotes better food.

Chipotle

Invisible Hieroglyphics. Turning Touchscreen Residue Into Art.

Invisible Hieroglyphics is an experimental collaboration Between Andre Woolery (whose wonderful thumbtack art I shared with you here) and Victor AbiJaoudi II.

The two artists studied how people interact with technology while using some of the most popular apps on the iPad (e.g. Angry Birds, e-mail, Facebook, Temple Run, Twitter, Camera and Fruit Ninja). They preserved the fingerprints and strokes left behind by the grease from use by photographing them and turning them into actual artworks.



Andre and Victor describe the project as follows:
"As the world becomes more digital, we pull further away from an analog, handcrafted world. However, the one remaining human component of the digital experience is touch. Our hands have become the communication conduit through devices with a series of taps, swipes, and pushes. Left behind, on our electronic devices like smart phones and tablets, are the oil-stained remains of finger smudges on a screen. We have extracted these marks and transformed them into vibrant, acrylic prints."



Examples of prints from popular apps are shown below.

Fruit Ninja:


Angry Birds:


Temple Run:


Camera:


E-mail:


Twitter:


Paper Toss:


WHY THE TITLE?


Hieroglyphics is a system of writing that serves as a form of communication. They represent an imprint of the world as it was told in the past for the future to decipher and understand. These writings are a window into another world. Today, the touchscreen interface is our window into another world and the writings are smudged onto the screen instead of carved into stone. Its subtle, but if you strip away the hardware and software, what’s left is a finger painting that illustrates the story of how we communicate.




THE ARTWORK
The colors are vibrantly portrayed on satin paper that is placed between a white backing and 1/4” acrylic glass. The acrylic glass gives each piece an incredible luminosity and optical depth that mimics an actual screen.



Also note that the limited edition B/W artwork offers a unique, 3D appearance as the white paint is on top of the acrylic:



THE ARTISTS


Andre Woolery:
“Its very much a representation of who I am. I work in digital media during the day and make art at night. So it is a manifestation of that collision of digital+analog, screen+hands, day+night, … Increasingly there seems to be a divide between the two and this is an interesting way to unify them in a natural way.“

Victor Abijaoudi:
“For me, it's about paying attention. By paying attention, you realize that art is everywhere. And by recognizing art, we recognize humanity. With all that is distracting in today's world, we could all use a little reminder of what matters most - being human. Everyone is creative and everyone creates. Even if just with your fingers as you check your email. ”

THE APPS


They collected a series of apps ranging from daily productivity to social networking and gaming. What they uncovered is a really interesting set of blueprints for interaction. A shout out to all the user experience designers that worked on all these apps… this artwork is as much theirs as it is a showcase of human intuitive pathways.

If you have an app not included that you would like to request a commission, contact them here.

GIVING BACK


As with every new project, there has to be a way to give back to the area of inspiration. In this case, digital technology has done so much for Andre and Victor's lives in various ways that they want to ensure its also inspires the youth. As the world progresses, the ability to understand technology is absolutely critical. Andre and Victor want kids to be able to code, design, prototype because that is at the core of the future's infrastructure. Therefore 10% of proceeds of this project will go to CODE NOW…

Purchase Invisible Hieroglyphics Prints here

Andre Woolery