If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Countdown to Christmas Eve With Google's New Santa Tracker, Chrome App and Interactive Website.

For the past few years I have been writing posts about Norad's Santa Tracker (once a partner of Google's) and how it works as a nice online activity to enjoy with your children and friends. Now that Microsoft's Bing has partnered with Norad, Google has gone all out and created their own Google Maps' Santa Tracker and until it launches on Christmas Eve, you can explore a fun interactive animated site with plenty of games and goodies or download a Google Chrome app for added entertainment.

above: screen grabs of the Village briefing and windtunnel

Santa’s many developer elves, who are hard at work in the North Pole helping Santa prepare for his big day, have combined their elf magic with the latest and greatest in Google Maps technology and sleigh engineering to allow you to follow his progress around the world, and also learn a little about some of his stops along the way.

above: a sneak preview of the Google Santa Tracker which launches on Christmas Eve.

Even without using Google chrome as your browser, you can enjoy the following at the Google Santa Tracker Site:

•Create a Custom Phone Call from Santa in the form of an mp3 file you can send to your friends (This is really cool. It takes a few minutes to make the first one, but it's worth it.)

•You (or your kids) can play one of three games that operates with your keyboard.

Present Drop:

Village Racer:

Jetpack:

If you use Google Chrome, you can download the app and enjoy even more fun like a dashboard tracker, play around with Santa's blimp or elf bus and write messages on a frosty browser window.

•You can Follow Santa on Google+

The friendly elves have also invited you to explore Santa’s village while Santa gets ready for his journey. So go ahead and explore his village, you might just find some fun activities and meet some interesting elves.

The Google Maps Santa Tracker is created and developed by Google, with a little help from Santa’s elves. Need help or have another question? Visit their Help Center to learn more about Santa Tracker.

Related links:

The Complete Collection of Hideaways by Rosalie Monod de Froideville

above: The HideAway Adult cozy, made of soft wool

If you ever wanted to just curl up and hide, I have yet to find anything more suitable than Rosalie Monod de Froideville's HideAways.

From the Netherlands this product line of bizarre cozies for everything from adults to dogs has been an ongoing series. Sorry, they don't have any for tea kettles.

Rosalie began the collection with the introduction of the adult, baby and dog wool cozies in October of 2005 and was described as follows:
"We all have these moments when we wish the world could just stop existing for a while. Whether it's to get away from a personal crisis or from universal threats, from time to time all we want to do is curl up and hide. Now, for these moments we have the perfect soultion: the HideAway. Pre-shaped in the hiding-position, this cover has a snug fit and is easy to use. you can get into it fast and easy, anywhere and at any time."

above: The HideAway for Adult

above: The HideAway for Baby

above: The HideAway for Dog

In December of 2005, she added the wool customizable Hideaway Memory Deluxe (also called the HideAway Custom:

Later, in 2006, she began using other materials for outdoor use and added the HideAway Corporate, the HideAway Thug-life and the HideAway Trench:

above: The HideAway Corporate, pin striped with room for briefcase

above: the HideAway Trench

above: The HideAway Thug-life is very 'street'

At this point, the HideAways were available to order directly from the Netherlands. Here's a look at the brochure:

I do not know if they are still available to order, but to inquire, you can contact them at HideAwayenterprises@gmail.com

In June of 2007, the Excursion HideAway came about, set on wheels, complete with handle:

above: the Excursion HideAway

In April of 2008, the Migratory HideAway was born, a compliment to her piece, The Migratory Home

above: the Migratory HideAway

Since then Rosalie has continued with unusual products which you can find on her site here.

From Pac Man To Porcelain, Five of The Most Spectacular and Unusual Christmas Trees From All Over The World.

This year, Korean Pop music transcended boundaries and took the world by storm. Cover songs, parodies, and "do-it-yourself" music videos from all genres entertained us in countries near and far. And you participated in conversations at a global scale, uploading videos to share ideas on everything from nonprofit campaigns, to political satire, to new and surprising voices and talents. Plus, all over the world, you tuned in for the most up-to-date news footage of presidential elections, natural disasters and more.

Rewind YouTube Style:

2012 was a big year for YouTube. You’ve been watching over 4 billion hours of video a month. Millions of creators are using YouTube channels to experiment with innovative forms of entertainment, explore their passions and interests, take creativity and pop culture to new levels. 2012’s top trending videos and top channels showcase this creative ingenuity in ways we'd never before thought possible.

Here's a "Behind The Scenes" video featuring a look at the making of the Rewind YouTube Style 2012 video:

Globally, here’s what we were all talking about in 2012:

Top Trending YouTube Videos (playlist):
• PSY - GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V
• Somebody That I Used to Know - Walk off the Earth (Gotye - Cover)
• KONY 2012
• "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen - Feat. Justin Bieber, Selena, Ashley Tisdale, etc.
• Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney. Epic Rap Battles Of History Season 2.
• A DRAMATIC SURPRISE ON A QUIET SQUARE
• WHY YOU ASKING ALL THEM QUESTIONS? .. #FCHW
• Dubstep Violin- Lindsey Stirling- Crystallize
• Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen.
• Felix Baumgartner's supersonic freefall from 128k' - Mission Highlights

Top YouTube Channels of 2012:
• boyceavenue
• ERB
• HolaSoyGerman
• JennaMarbles
• lindseystomp
• PrankvsPrank
• TheFineBros
• ThePianoGuys
• theslowmoguys
• Vsauce

METHODOLOGY and FAQS:
How they determined the top video list:
This year, YouTube looked not just at views, but also shares, searches, likes and responses to identify the 10 videos that everybody was talking about in 2012. On YouTube people don’t just view a popular video, they remix, share, and parody, building a fan community that extends far beyond the watch page. They took all of this into account to ensure that they truly captured the “watercooler moments” of the year.

Is "Gangnam Style" the most viewed YouTube video of all time?
Yes. Currently, "Gangnam Style" is the most viewed video on YouTube and it will likely become the first video to hit one billion views.

Where you can see the trending videos that were popular in other countries this year:
You can see the top trending video lists for each country that has a list on the 'Browse' tab of the global YouTube Rewind channel. You can also choose from this list of country channels to visit the channels in their native languages.

Why isn't a top trending video list available for every country?
YouTube tried to make top video lists for as many countries as possible based on available information. YouTube is popular globally. 70% of views come from outside of the United States, so their global list is also representative of what people all around the world were watching in 2012.

Just how much YouTube were people watching this year?
An astounding four billion hours of video every month on YouTube.

Why they decided to make "YouTube Style" and what went into the making of this video:
For the last few years YouTube has made a video to highlight the top videos of the year. This year talented YouTube creators had billions of views on their channels and they helped entertain the world all year long, so YouTube wanted to celebrate these creators and have a little fun while they were at it.

A full list (and links to their videos) of the stars who appeared in this "YouTube Style":
PSY
Walk off the Earth
AlphaCat
KassemG
DailyGrace
MysteryGuitarMan
DaveDays
DeStorm
PyroBooby
BarelyPolitical
RealAnnoyingOrange
FreddieW
CorridorDigital
RhettAndLink
Smosh
FeliciaDay
ChesterSee
iJustine
EpicMealTime
MyHarto
JennaMarbles
ShitGirlsSay
JuicyStar07
GloZell
ClevverTV
SmoshGames
RyanHiga

all information courtesy of YouTube

The Three Most Modern Nativity Sets You've Ever Seen.

For the past few years I have been compiling my shopping picks for modern Christmas Decor (including Nativity Sets) on This Next.com.

If a child of 1910 could glance at today’s toys, he or she would likely be confused by the endless games consoles, gadgets and TV-inspired toys. Back in the early twentieth century, the teddy bear was the most popular toy, followed by train sets and construction-themed toys. There was not an electronic device in sight!

However, you can see definite themes running through the popular toys of the past 100 years. For example, although the construction-based toys faded from fashion for a while, in the 1980s Lego became a must-have toy. And the board game shot to the top of wish-lists in the 1930s and 1940s, and experienced another surge in the 1970s – and even today, although replaced in many homes by the computer game, board games are still wheeled out when the family gets together for the festive season!

Dolls continue to be popular too, with the Bratz Dolls of 2000 following the success of the first Barbie in the 1950s. Similarly, boys still have action figures on their Christmas lists, perhaps changed in name from GI Joe to Power Rangers but fundamentally the same.

The computer marks the big change, though. From the first video game in the 1970s to nowadays, games consoles have soared in popularity. This Christmas, a console or handheld device is sure to be on most children’s wish-list.

source: cashgenerator

Thermochromic Table Lets You Make Your Mark. Temporarily.

The thermographic finish on this table and bench designed by Jay Watson of Oxfordshire reacts to heat by going clear temporarily to expose the wood beneath. It leaves an interesting ghostly print of either body parts or dinnerware for a brief amount of time. Makes for great dinner table conversation.

Handmade from solid european oak with a black thermochromic finish. In response to heat the surface temporarily goes clear to reveal the timber beneath. Suitable for heavy duty indoor use. Made in the UK.

Colors:
Black on solid European Oak.
Other colors & timbers available on request
Dimensions:
Table 200cm x 85cm x 73cm high
Seat 180cm x 30cm x 43cm high
Low table 120cm x 80cm x 42cm
Price:
£1 850.00 including VAT
(£1 541.67 excluding VAT)
Available:
6 - 8 weeks

Jay Watson Design

One Badass Briefcase. The $6000 Bulletproof Attaché by Tumi For Those Especially Rough Days At The Office.

Carrying top secret documents? Loose diamonds? Just want the illusion of importance? Then let me introduce you to the limited edition Tegra-Lite™ Bulletproof Attaché unique to Tumi. At just under $6,000 USD it's trimmed in vachetta leather, features interior pockets for an iPad or other e-Reader, a file divider, accessory pockets, plus a false bottom to conceal valuables and a handcuff attachment for added security. The case weighs 12.3 lbs.

The demonstrates the proven strength and unparalleled performance of Tumi's exclusive TEGRA-LITE™ collection and is a reflection of the brand's heritage of innovation, advanced technology and precision craftsmanship.

Each of the bulletproof cases is individually numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity:

This case is specifically designed to protect items stored inside it; it is not intended to be used for personal safety or self-defense; it is not for official use by government agencies, the military or law enforcement personnel.

The cases are created using 65 layers of Tegris® to create an anti-ballistic material that meets NIJ Standard 0108.01, Threat Level 1:

Interior pocket for iPad, Kindle or Nook:

False Bottom to conceal valuables:

Combination lock closure:

A Handcuff Attachment:

Tegra-Lite™ is a breakthrough collection that combines the highest levels of durability and impact resistance with the ultimate in lightweight ease and maneuverability. Tegra-Lite™ is made from Tegris®, a revolutionary polypropylene thermoplastic composite material created by Milliken® for use in lifesaving armor, NASCAR race cars and protective gear for NFL players; it is exclusive to Tumi for travel and accessory products around the world.

Product Details
Monogramming Available: Yes
External Dimensions (including handle and wheels): 13.25" x 18.25" x 4.25"
Construction Material: Hardside

External Features:
• Leather top carry handle
• Combination lock closure
• Handcuff attachment
• ID tag
• Protective bottom feet
• Leather monogram patch

Internal Features:
• Hidden compartment
• File divider with leather strap closure
• Pocket for iPad
• Leather media pockets with leather closure
• Leather card pockets
• Leather pen loops

Price $5995.00
Buy it here.