Archive for category digital entertainment
Tech writers: Tecca is looking for you!
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment, gadgets, games, mobile, publishing, technology, web on September 30th, 2010
About us
Tecca is a consumer electronics content and commerce startup based in Santa Monica, CA. We’re building a new online destination in the personal technology space and are looking for smart and creative folks to be a part of our freelance writing team.
Want to know more about Tecca? Read about us on GigaOM or check out socalTech’s interview with CEO Mickie Rosen.
About you
You should have lots of interest in technology as well as ideally some experience producing content in the realms of personal technology and consumer electronics. You should enjoy working in a fast-paced publishing environment and have the self-discipline to work effectively in a distributed virtual office. You’ll be expected to be able to talk about a broad range of technology topics (or a smaller set of topics in depth) to all levels of technology consumers, from the experienced to the technophobic. You must have a fun, friendly, and positive attitude, and should love helping others solve technology problems and learning more about the industry.
Tecca is looking for writers!
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment, gadgets, games, mobile, publishing, technology on August 31st, 2010
About us
Tecca is a consumer electronics content and commerce startup based in Santa Monica, CA. We’re building a new online destination in the personal technology space and are looking for smart and creative folks to be a part of our freelance writing team. Do you love gadgets and call writing your craft? Read on for details on how to apply.
About you
You should have lots of interest and expertise as well as ideally some experience producing content in the realms of personal technology and consumer electronics. You should enjoy working in a fast-paced publishing environment and have the self-discipline to operate in a distributed virtual environment. You must have a fun, friendly, and positive attitude, and should love helping others solve technology problems and learn more about the industry.
Writers
We are building out our team of freelance contributors. We need people who can speak to all levels of technology consumers, from the experienced to the technophobic. You will be part of a large team crafting fun, easy to understand guides to and original feature columns about topics in consumer electronics. You’ll be covering both the buying process and usage after purchase. You’ll need to excel at working in a virtual environment and covering a broad range of topics (or a smaller set of topics in depth, if you have expertise in a particular area: home theater, mobile, car tech, etc.). We expect you to both tackle assigned tasks and bring your own original ideas to the table.
How to apply
Send an email to apply AT tecca DOT com with the following information:
- Your background — let us know what you’ve been working on, what you feel your skills are, what your experience in the realm of personal technology/consumer electronics is, and what interests you about this position. If you have special expertise in any category of CE, be sure to let us know.
- Your contact information — full name, email address, phone number, instant messenger handle, where you’re located, the best methods and times to reach you, and your general amount of availability for freelance work.
- Example work: 3 or more bylined writing samples linked somewhere online. No attachments, please!
- Column pitch(es): You are also encouraged to pitch us on an original feature column idea (or several). For each column you’d like to pitch, please give us the overall theme and title for your column and between 5 and 10 example topics you would feel confident covering that fit within the overall theme.
We look forward to reading your application!
Insanely cute kitten being fed with chopsticks
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment on November 17th, 2009
The internet is trying to kill us, people. Set the Cute Threat Level to RED!
Also, is that a kitteh or an Ewok? Srsly.
This dude gets +7 to resume creation… seriously
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment on November 12th, 2009
Auto-Tune the News does Kanye West, Balloon Boy
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment on November 12th, 2009
Love. These. Folks.
First music videos shot entirely with iPhone 3GS start rolling
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment, gadgets, mobile, technology on July 8th, 2009
Some of these might have to haggle over who was truly “first,” but the interesting point is it took so little time for them to appear after the launch of the video camera-capable iPhone 3GS. Those who hate on the relative lack of “image quality” including haters of the Flip Mino series really miss the point here — it’s about convenience, ease of use and the empowerment of a new breed of digital creatives. Much like the falling cost of recording equipment spawned a surge in bedroom production from talented (and untalented…) unknowns and amateurs in the realm of music, so too will we continue to see an uptick in compelling and relevant video productions from unexpected places. We’re lucky to be witnessing the era of read write culture kicking off.
Below is a track by Kenny Mosher set to video produced by Showdown Productions. After the break is “Love, Love, Love” by Reyna Perez.
Music Video Shot on iPhone from Kenny Mosher on Vimeo.
On the passing of Michael Jackson, pop legend and total enigma
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment on June 25th, 2009
“His death may have stunned the world of music, but those who knew Michael Jackson say the warning signs of his fading health were clear. They claim his long-term addiction to painkillers is the obvious underlying health issue which – combined with the considerable pressure of attempting a showbusiness comeback – may just have claimed his life. Only last month, the Daily Mail reported that Jackson was struggling to make even a handful of the rehearsals for the comeback tour which was due to start in July at the O2 in London. He had been to just two out of more than 45 rehearsals.”
He’s steeped in my memory from childhood but I lost total interest during the creepy years (which, sadly, were the majority of the past 2 decades). Why is it then that his death finds me suddenly fascinated by such a strange personality and bizarre larger-than-life life — a sad, twisted product of childhood abuse and resulting psychological disorders, the intense pressures of superstardom, almost continuous medical treatment morphing into 25 years of prescription drug addiction, a disturbing obsession with plastic surgery and the peculiar two-sided coin of unrelenting media scrutiny combined with a reclusive, self-delusional private fantasy world enabled by wealth and a sycophantic entourage of opportunistic handlers.
Michael Jackson was a completely and utterly fascinating icon of the ravages and consequences of the American supermedia machine and resultant hyper-celebritism. He was also a phenomenally talented musician, singer, songwriter, dancer and entertainer who was loved around the world and broke so many records we’ve lost count. Whether he really was a child abuser or simply a psychological and emotional child himself unable to grow mentally into adulthood due to physical and emotional abuse from his father from a young age and complete sheltering from adult reality (or both), it was a sad and terrible long decline for a star once so bright. Whatever he became, it’s clear he so long and so desperately wanted to become someone else. It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
Thoughts on re-imagining the music retail business
Posted by barb dybwad in digital entertainment, technology on June 23rd, 2009
Digital music kiosks take another spin
Reading this gives me crazy ideas about completely transforming the music retail experience into more of a social experience — get rid of 80% of the CD racks, keep some premium inventory around like box sets and limited editions, put in a coffee shop (seems to work wonders for brick and mortar book retailers) and create a space for music lovers to hang out and share tunes with each other. Put in digital “jukebox” computers, let people stream whatever they want (volume might be an issue… maybe the tables have headphone stands, or hire a brilliant sound engineer to baffle everything properly so tables/stations don’t bleed too much audio), and some percentage will buy MP3 files on site (and continue to buy some physical media). Others won’t buy anything but the occasional coffee but will be 100% free and avid promoters to others. Have concerts and special events in stores constantly. Hold workshops for would-be and independent music makers.
Even better: provide a celestial jukebox service to any customer who buys anything from you, ever. Store whatever tracks and albums they buy, ever, and let them stream it from any device they own. Let them re-download anything at any time when they have a hard drive crash, clean system install, get a new computer/NAS/PMP/phone/game console/etc.
