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Scott Winning

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Robot built to fetch inventors beer

The selection process for our weekly Beer O'Clock newsletter (The Best and Worst of Anthill TV) involves a surprisingly complex number of considerations, such as balance, educational content, local relevance, chuckle-factor and good taste. That's why it was pleasing to stumble across this short clip at 4:22 this afternoon (yes, only minutes ago). It's now that special time of day. So... enjoy.

Hanging loose. The youth of today could soon make yesteryear’s heroes a reality.

Hibiki Kono is a 13-year-old, self-confessed, Spiderman fan who spent five months developing the technology to climb like his idol. Using two 1,400-watt vacuum cleaners (purchased from a local supermarket), the King's College School, Cambridge, UK student, modified a suction device that enables him to crawl up walls.

Have you made mistakes as an entrepreneur? Five key errors to avoid.

In this nugget of wisdom from 2003, Jerry Kaplan shares insights from his 20-year career as a veteran computer industry entrepreneur and innovator to explain what he sees as the five biggest and most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make. Wise words (and funny too).

The power of you: Exploiting user-generated content

The advent of social media and real-time web networks means that the youth of today are more likely to source information from someone they know than via traditional media. Not only does this undermine most previous media models but it also poses the questions of how do you predict this trend and, more importantly, how do you capitalise on it? Here, Managing Director of venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) Steve Jurvetson, speaking at the 11th Annual Top Tech Trends at the Churchill Club in 2009, gives his view on what the next five to six years hold and where he sees the opportunities in federated media.

The Ford Model T still going strong after 100 Years. The legend that is.

At 100 years young, the Model T is probably the most famous car in history. Here you get to see how it was made and the revolutionary technology that got it onto the streets.

Super Mario gets some stop motion madness treatment

Mario must be getting a bit long in the tooth these days considering that he's been head butting bricks and chasing mushrooms for more than two decades. In that time he's experienced a number of transformations, from games character to (not so successful) film star. Well, now he's been transmogrified into a physical presence once again with the help of some modern stop motion trickery.

The not-so-new iPad stand: Apple brainchild meets great great great grandparent

The third-party gadget floodgates have opened and we're already becoming inundated with optional extras to help us play and adapt our new shiny toy. That's why this video caught our attention. Not only is it a novel way to display your iPad, but it's... kind of cool, with a hint of 'chindogu' madness likely to impress both early-adopters and luddites.

Big problems need tiny answers: Sutherland sweats the small stuff

Rory Sutherland uses the theory of behavioural economics and a number of humorous but valid examples to explain that, when faced with big challenges, the common response of most corporations and governments is to seek big, expensive fixes. In doing so, more obvious and cheaper solutions that stand a higher chance of success are generally ignored.

‘Rollable’ screens coming to a street near you soon

Sony has recently developed the prototype of a rollable OLED (organic LED) screen that can be bent and distorted while still rendering crystal clear 432 by 240 pixel video images. It's hard to not imagine the effect that something like this could have on outdoor advertising and the magazine industry.

Strive for your impossible dreams like a mustacheod, Honda-driving hero

Building on the success of its2006 'Impossible Dream' campaign, Honda has released a new extended version for 2010 to air across 28 nations. The ad still features the original and distinctly 'Village People-esque' hero as he strives from one impossible dream (honda product) to the next, but is 20-odd seconds longer and flows a lot more smoothly. More importantly it features a greater number of Honda's technological achievements including the HondaJet, the CR-Z Hybrid Coupe, the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity and the humanoid robot ASIMO.

Is your idea sticky? Making your message memorable.

Is it true that we only use 10% of our brains? No, yet many believe it. Remember the tale of the guy waking up in a bath of ice with a missing kidney after accepting a drink from an attractive stanger in a hotel bar? Well, it actually never happened. Heath Chip has studied many of the legends that seem to draw us in so that he can apply their common traits to create messages that will break through the mass of ideas we're confronted by every day and stay lodged in our heads.

A tribute to Lego (and some awesome stop motion)

We love Lego. And we have no doubt that you do too. This Friday, we've assembled three of our favourite Lego-related videos, from the educational (MIT’s Eric von Hippel: Open Innovation) to the inspiringly creative (My Desk is 8-Bit by Alex Varanese) to the mind-blowingly, bodaciously awesome (Pixels by Patrick Jean). Happy Friday Anthillians!

Iceland: From boom to bust to haven to where-the-bloody-hell-are-you?

Being a single industry economy is notoriously dangerous. And few countries understand this better than Iceland. Not wanting to remain in the doldrums, Iceland is trying to re-brand itself as a journalistic haven, centre of creativity and popular tourist destination. Cue cart-wheeling citizens.

Sell ‘why’ not ‘what’ to inspire belief from your customers

In this TEDx talk, Simon Sinek explores the reasons why only some companies and leaders succeed when the tools and materials for success are available to everyone. Drawing examples from Apple, the Wright Brothers and Martin Luther King, Sinek uses his simple but powerful model of the 'golden circle' and the question 'why' to illustrate how inspirational leaders achieve greatness.

How to walk on water: A new form of subliminal advertising?

The internet has enabled ever greater possibilities for creative viral marketing, which encourage potential customers to jump on the meme bandwagon and fuel the dissemination of commercial messages with their own enthusiasm. However, as with most things on the internet, the lifespan of this approach is generally short lived. A new approach that seems to be gaining popularity is embedding your product within a short film that, on face value, is documenting something entirely different.

Small is the new ‘black’… again

Throughout the '90s and Noughties the trend in technology was to get devices as small and lightweight as possible. Well it would appear that, in conjunction with the advent of the iPad, LG believe that small is once again beautiful with the release of its ultra lightweight X300 notebook: so lightweight in fact that you can tape it to a wall.

Google phone service interrupts users’ conversations with targeted ads [Video]

It is said that in today's mass media society we are exposed to hundreds of ads every day. Well, according to satrical news broadcaster the Onion News Network, that seems likely to rise with Google's new phone service that listens into live telephone conversations and plays targeted ads based on keywords picked up during the chat.

Think Mums and Dads are jiggy with it? Toyota does. [Video]

Collectively, the money spent on car advertising in a year must be enough to end third world debt. And what for? So we can watch another well-crafted, beautifully shot and stylish depiction of a beautiful, well-crafted and stylish car that we'll probably never get the chance to own. Promoting the latest and greatest to run off the production line has become amazing and predictable. Which is why this recent ad from Toyota comes as a refreshing change.

Animated Tweets parade to marching band music

Just when you were sure that Twitter applications couldn't get any whackier, isparade.jp has launched the unusual animated app Twitter Parade. By simply entering your username or keyword the app will return an evergrowing procession of real tweets, portrayed as animated figures, based on the search result.

How to create the perfect TED Talk

Be it persuasive, ingenius, fascinating, inspiring or jaw-dropping, there's no denying the riveting value of TED Talks -- and it's no secret that the Anthill crew are fans. Well, have you ever thought of what it would be like to deliver the perfect, audience grabbing talk? Here's how it's done.
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