Diana Mini from Lomography

What is the Diana Mini you ask? Well, it’s the little sister of the Diana F+, but more specifically, it’s an analog camera that shoots a retro square format with an amazing half-frame feature that allows you to pack 72 shots onto one roll of 35mm film! Check out some more detailed specs on the Diana Mini below:

DIANA MINI FEATURES
• Square and rectangular half-frame formats at the flick of a switch
• Takes all types of 35mm film
• Shoots up to 72 shots per film on half-frame mode
• Shoots up to 36 shots per film on square mode
• Requires standard 35mm film development
• Ultra-compact and pocket-sized
• Multiple exposure functionality
• ‘B’ mode for long exposures
• Cable release attachment – a Diana first!
• Sunny and cloudy exposure settings
• Tripod mount
• Diana Flash Plug (Diana Flash available separately)
• Overlap frames across photos for endless abstract panoramas
• Compatible with the stunning Diana Flash

Full Square Frame

Half Frame

View everything else you need to know about the Diana Mini over here.

Fill out this entry form after the jump for a chance to win your very Diana Mini. Contest ends November 22, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. A random winner will be notified and selected on November 23, 2009. Contest is only available to US residents, 1 entry per household, multiple entries will be disqualified.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

There has been a bevy of wireless news in the past couple of days (some of which actually affects us New Yorkers), and I’ve been meaning to post about it or Twitter about it, or something, so here’s my attempt to catch you up.

In a move that looks conciliatory, but really kind of seems like a big who cares when you think about it, AT&T bowing to pressure federal regulators, in its beneficence, has decided to let iPhone users use Skype over 3G as opposed to Wi-Fi only. I don’t really know anyone that exceeds their minutes on their iPhone, nor do I know anyone who really uses the Skype app either, but hey, it’s better than a poke in the eye with a stick. I can see this as a boon for people use their cell phone to call long distance a lot, but like I said, other than that, it seems like a bit of a non-event.

In other wireless news, still smarting from the AT&T/iPhone exclusivity deal (I mean, they have to be smarting right?), Verizon has decided to try and go the other way, and partner up with Google and Android for a new batch of handsets. (Can a Zune handset be far behind?)

Verizon and Google plan to co-develop several Android-based devices that will be pre-loaded with applications from both parties as well as from third-party developers. A family of Android phones built for the Verizon Wireless network will come from “leading handset manufacturers,” according to a statement issued by the two companies.
…
The agreement will come to fruition within the next few weeks as Verizon Wireless introduces Android-based handsets. [InternetNews.com]

Not to be outdone, according to a report in the Wall St Journal, AT&T is planning on launching a new Android phone in early 2010 in partnership with Dell.

Finally, In news that is sure to make the next episode of CommandN, Rogers is about to lose its exclusive deal as Canada’s only iPhone carrier when rivals Bell Canada and Telus Corp. start selling them next month. Perhaps a little competition will give Canucks a break on their monthly phone bills (Canadians used to have the highest cost of iPhone ownership in the world):

Bell announced Monday that it will launch national service in November on the $1-billion next-generation wireless network it has been building with Telus, months ahead of schedule. The project extends the two companies’ existing third-generation (3G) networks to include the same technology standard employed by Rogers, the nation’s largest cellphone company. [GlobeandMail.com]

Holiday season is just around the corner, and while it can be a little hit and miss at times, there are usually a few good buys to be had during Dell’s 8 Days of Deals event.

If you’re in the market for a new Nano or possibly a new iPod Touch, you might have noticed that they seem to cost the same about everywhere you look. However, if you’re looking pay less than retail, there are a few outlets where you can save a buck or two. Costco carries iPods at their brick and mortar locations, and as of this weekend, the iPod Nano 8GB was retailing for $139.99, which is $10 less than MSRP. They didn’t have anything else in stock at the time, but if my memory serves me correctly, when it was $399 everywhere else, the 32GB 2nd Generation iPod Touch used to sell at Costco for $369. In terms of other bargain locations, Adorama (on 18th St in Manhattan) typically has the best prices for iPods across the board. Before the new models were announced, Adorama was selling the 32GB 2nd Generation iPod for $359, which was the lowest I’ve seen it offered anywhere, online or offline. I’m not sure what their pricing will be on the new line of iPods, they should be getting them in stock towards the end of this week. The only catch of course, with buying an iPod from Adorama is that you have to be able to get to the store and while Manhattan is a big city, there a still a lot of people who won’t be able to take advantage of the in-store special. Finally, Amazon.com itself is actually a good place to get a discount on an iPod even before you employ the methods I’ll be talking about below. For instance, if you check the site right now, you’ll see that the new Black iPod shuffle is $59.00 (instead of $79.98) and the new 8GB iPod Touch is $189.99, $10 below MSRP.

More on how to get 10% at amazon.com after the jump.

So, what’s this you say about getting an additional 10% off at Amazon? How does one do it you ask? Well, it’s easy, more of less, if you’ve got a little patience and access to at least 2 Amazon.com accounts. First things first, pretty much anyone and everyone can get 4% off any Amazon.com purchase if they buy the item through an affiliate link. To sign up for the amazon affiliates program, go to amazon.com/associates and fill out the application. Once you become an associate (membership is free), you’ll be able to generate URLs for items that look a little like this: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002L6HDQA/YourAssociatesID. Then, anytime someone buys an item using your link, you will earn a 4% commission on the sale. The only catch with the Associates Program is that you cannot purchase an item for yourself with your own referral link. So here’s where the second account comes in: I’m sure most people know someone with an amazon account aside from themselves, a spouse, a parent, a close friend, etc., you get the picture. So as not to violate the terms of the associates program, you need to get them to purchase the item for you, which is fairly simple: you just send them the link with your ID in it and then they buy the item, and presto you get 4% off. Granted, you need to square away the finances of the transaction and make sure that person ships you the item and doesn’t pocket it for themselves, but if it’s someone you trust, it’s unlikely that that will happen.

OK, so I’ve described how to get 4% off, but where does the other 6% come from? Well, the remaining 6% also involves a little bit of planning I guess, but it’s not really so difficult. The other day, when I was purchasing an Amazon.com gift card, I realized that I could earn a commission on that transaction, so I used my Associates ID and bought the gift card through the following link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00067L6TQ/bumpershine-20. That purchase earned me a commission of 6%, and while I didn’t use the GC for myself, the thought occurred to me that I could have used it in combination with one of my own purchases. If you’re a little confused by what I just said, here’s a summary of the “three special steps” you need to get 10% off any qualifying purchase (auctions and zShops item are excluded) at amazon.com:

1. User 1 signs up for Amazon.com Associates program
2. User 2 purchases a gift card using user 1’s referral link (earning 6% cash back for user 1) and sends to user 3.
3. User 3 buys an item using user 1’s referral link and sends it to user 1 (earning 4% cash back for user 1)

Alternatively, (but this method is untested), you could do this:
1. User 1 signs up for Amazon.com Associates program.
2. User 2 purchases a gift card using user 1’s referral link an chooses “print gift card” option. (This will definitely earn 6% commission for user 1.)
3. User 2 buys item for item user 1 using user 1’s referral link and the gift card they have just printed out. (I’m not 100% certain this step will garner an additional 4% commission, though I suspect it will work just fine.)

Pretty simple right? OK, OK, OK, it’s not that simple, especially if you actually have to involve two separate members of your family to do the deal, the far easier method is to have one Machiavellian user with control over multiple accounts run the whole show (not that I am advocating that in any way). Good luck, but most of all, don’t blame me if you screw it up!

Number 9, Number 9, Number 9? Today is an auspicious day for music fans and gamers alike. The entire Beatles discography has been given a complete and long overdue digital overhaul and will be lovingly reissued (in both mono and stereo) on CD today. The stereo albums will be available for purchase as a complete box set or as individual CDs. Mono mixes of the first 10 Beatles albums will only be available for purchase as part of a limited edition boxed set, an early buying frenzy actually lead the initial run of the 10,000 mono box sets to sell out completely before their official release date, EMI has since stated that more copies will be produced to satisfy the demand. Eventhough I’ve got most of the Beatles catalog on CD in their original analog releases, I’m having a hard time resisting pulling the trigger on the new stereo box set. The increased fidelity would surely be a welcome to my home stereo system, but for a music geek, the new packaging is kind of exciting too:

Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original UK album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album.

On their own, The Beatles reissues are a huge deal, (granted they would have been even more earth shattering five years ago), but today also marks the release of The Beatles Rock Band video game, which digitally chronicles the progression of the band from their early days at the Cavern Club to their final live performance on the rooftop of the Apple Corps in 1969. Not being a real gamer myself, I’ll admit that the meticulous attention to detail that has obviously gone into making this game has made me think twice about getting myself a little early chanukah present, here’s just a small example of what I’m talking about:

To turn classic Beatles songs into the stages of a video game, each song needed to be separated into its several components, so that if the person playing the guitar misses a note, the guitar sound can drop out while the music made by the other instruments is unaffected. Because the Beatles mostly recorded on four-track and two-track equipment, with multiple instruments sharing a tape, Martin had to spend months using digital filters to eliminate sounds at certain frequencies and not others.
…
Just as Giles Martin chose to walk a line between reality and fantasy when choosing and mixing the audio, Harmonix put an extraordinary amount of research toward a result that is at once meticulously detailed and purposefully ahistorical. They pored over reference books to determine which instruments the Beatles used on each song and studied photos of concert venues and their respective crowds in order to properly render 1960s fashion and hairstyles. When Olivia Harrison was worried that George looked a bit off, she invited the art team over to look through her personal photo archive — with a set of calipers. And when the designer of the guitar-shaped instrument controllers couldn’t find a high-resolution photo showing the wood grain on McCartney’s Höfner violin bass, he had the Höfner company send over a block. [NYTimes.com]

In honor of all this hoo-hah, I’m giving away a copy of the Beatles lithograph shown at the top of the page. To enter the contest, just send an email with your name and address (US entrants only) to contests@bumpershine.com and tell me the name of your favorite Beatles record. A random winner will be notified on September 18, 2009.

But wait, there’s one more thing… Today is also the day for Apple’s Annual Music Event, which will take place at Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, CA. Rumors are running wild about what might possibly be announced, but among the things that could happen are:

• A revamped iPod Touch lineup, including a 64GB iPod Touch with a camera and microphone
• The addition of cameras and increased HD capacities to the entire iPod lineup
• The scrapping of the entire iPod Classic lineup
• An update to the Apple TV device
• iPhone HD video out
• The return of Steve Jobs to the podium
• The new “Cocktail” digital album format
• iTunes 9 (a fitting day for a version number increment)
• The mythical Apple tablet device, and
• The Beatles catalog coming to iTunes

As for the last rumor on the list, Yoko Ono confirmed in a now-pulled Sky News article that The Beatles catalog is headed for digital distribution, but that the announcement will not be made today. For what it’s worth, EMI has also denied that any announcement will be made today [Engadget.com]. If you’d like to keep up with the minute by minute play by play of today’s music event, you can follow the live blog stream over here or here starting at 1 PM ET.

Apple Music Event

The Beatles remasters and The Beatles: Rock Band product shots after the jump.

The Beatles Remasters Mono Box Set

The Beatles Remasters Stereo Box Set

The Beatles Rock Band

So apparently, the music labels don’t really like it when you just buy singles. I’m not sure whether Apple actually cares that much as I was always under the impression that they just keep the iTunes store around as a means to sell iPods. Be that as it may, Apple is about to make a new digital album format, codenamed “Cocktail”, the next must have product for teens and tweens everywhere. (It was confirmed today that Apple’s annual music event will take place on September 9, 2009.)

Apple is working with the four largest record labels to stimulate digital sales of albums by bundling a new interactive booklet, sleeve notes and other interactive features with music downloads, in a move it hopes will change buying trends on its online iTunes store.
…
“It’s all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music,” said one executive familiar with the plans.

Apple wants to make bigger purchases more compelling by creating a new type of interactive album material, including photos, lyric sheets and liner notes that allow users to click through to items that they find most interesting. Consumers would be able to play songs directly from the interactive book without clicking back into Apple’s iTunes software, executives said. [Financial Times]

After reading this the first time, my immediate impression was, this is not going to work, this will not to revitalize album sales by any means. I know it’s easy to be a naysayer, but here’s why I reached that initial conclusion: first of all, I think the premise is a bit misguided, the problem isn’t that the people are “just buying singles”, the problem is that people aren’t legally buying music at all anymore. After re-reading the FT article though, it actually sounds like these are not the people Apple and the labels are going after, they seem to have already given up on those scofflaws individuals who file share exclusively, and now they are shifting their focus to the sector of the public that still buys music, but only cherry picks the songs they like from an artist’s catalog. For these people, a little more pizazz in a digital download package might act as an inducement to “buy an album” as opposed to a single, but I think for most folks, the move towards the iTunes store and an entirely digital content library has: a) made the single so affordable and accessible that people will be hard pressed to go to back to buying albums no matter the new format actually consists of; b) conditioned people to abandon whatever love they had for packaging, liner notes, and everything associated with the physical object and just focus on the music.
…
OK, so I took a few days off after writing the above paragraph and it occurred to me how I might be wrong, (as I often am when it comes to Apple products), and how Cocktail could potentially save the recorded music industry if they do it the right way. While no one really knows what Cocktail actually is yet, some reports have it as a format that includes “artwork, linear notes, lyrics, and videos”. After hearing that, I balked at the idea of “enhanced liner notes” or “albums with videos”, to me there is not enough added value there to get people to pay extra for an album. But then I got to thinking, what if Cocktail is more than that? What if it is more like an RSS feed that consists of a stream of frequently updated and exclusive content related to the artist and the album you just bought? Sure, buying an album and getting deluxe artwork and maybe a video is great, but what if you get exclusive access to the next video before the rest of the world because you bought the album? I don’t know about you, but that’s something I’d be willing to pay for. It doesn’t have to stop at pre-release videos though, “album purchaser only” concert presales, exclusive artist podcasts, and interactive games are all potential examples of the kind of thing I’d be willing to shell out some of my hard earned dollars for. Essentially, what I am describing is attaching a dedicated music blogger to every new record that comes out and then having that content pushed to your iPhone (or whatever) on a regular basis because you purchased the “enhanced version” of the album. To me there is definitely some value in the type of product I am describing, and in fact, when you think about it, what you’re really purchasing is the access to the premium content with the album is being thrown in much like an added bonus. Come September 9, I guess we’ll see whether they were listening to me or not.

The much ballyhooed ZuneHD is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com with a retail price of $219.99 for the 16GB model and $289.99 for the 32GB model (sadly, there is no 64GB model at this time). The release date for the ZuneHD is set for September 15, 2009, which is allegedly one week after Apple’s annual music event, (speculators say it will occur during the “week of” September 7, and quite possibly on September 9, 2009). If you’re in the market for a new mp3 player, as of today, the cheapest 32GB iPod Touch you can buy is $359 at Adorama (in store only), which makes a 32GB ZuneHD look pretty attractive at $289. However, according to numerous Internet rumours and a recent TechCrunch article the new iPod Touch 3.1 (which is pretty much a certainty at this point) will contain a camera and a microphone and come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB varieties, with the 32GB version being priced at $299. If, in fact, the price differential comes down to a mere $10, no matter how good it is, I think the ZuneHD will once again face a huge uphill battle in stealing any market share away from Apple. Futhermore, MG Siegler from TechCrunch makes a good point in regards to the timing of the Zune release:

What I’d really like to know is who plans these events for Microsoft? How on Earth didn’t they not realize that Apple has an iPod event pretty much every year now in the first few days of September? I’m sure it would have been a big pain in the ass, but why not put everything you have into ramping up production earlier and getting it to market before Apple can respond? [TechCrunch.com]

As for me, I’ve been jonseing for a large capacity iPod Touch since, well, pretty much since the original 4GB/8GB iPhones were announced (iPod Touches didn’t actually even exist then). Up until now, I’ve actually been holding out for something like a 100GB iPod Touch, but since I don’t see that happening anytime soon and I’m pretty interested in the app store, I guess I’ll settle for a “compact” 64GB model (should it actually be released this year).

Look out Cupertino, the Swedes are coming. According to a recent article in The Observer, Spotify, the hugely popular Swedish streaming music service, is coming to the America “in the third or fourth quarter” of 2009. In the mean time, Spotify has developed an iPhone app, which is currently awaiting App Store approval, (check out the video demo above, it truly looks amazing). The killer feature of the Spotify app is the “offline mode” which allows you to listen to your playlists when you are not connected to the Internet (if you are on a plane or on the Underground for example). The big chatter on the Internets right now is whether or not the overlords over at Apple will approve the Spotify iPhone app for distribution through the App Store. As you may know, Apple is famously fickle about what gets approved. The $64,000 question of course is, will a free unlimited streaming (and downloadable) music app cannibalize iTunes music sales? (Doesn’t that question kind of answer itself.)

In other Spotify news, according to the Financial Times, the company is about to take on some new financing which would put it’s current value at $250 million:

The Li Ka Shing Foundation, the Hong Kong tycoon’s charitable arm; Wellington Partners, London-based venture capitalists, and others are closing in on a total investment of up to $50m, a bigger amount than expected that values Spotify at $250m (£148m), according to people familiar with the process. [FT.com]

Tom Davis, a veteran comedy writer and Al Franken’s writing and performing partner for many years, recently released a memoir entitled, 39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There. Davis will be making a one-off appearance at UCB on Monday (June 1) to promote his book (which was not so well received by the masses at amazon.com) on Inside Joke with Carl Arnheiter, and oh yeah, Dave Hill will be there too.

David Cross, another former Inside Joke guest turned author has also written a new book entitled I Drink for a Reason. Cross’ book isn’t a memoir, but rather a mix of “personal essays, satirical fiction posing as truth, advice for rich people, information from America’s least favorite Rabbi and a top-ten list of top-ten lists.” I Drink for a Reason hits the bookshelves on August 31, 2009

What looks good about the new Zune HD:

• New form factor (it looks somewhat familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on where I’ve see that look before.)
• Bigger (480 x 272) OLED screen, touch sensitive, multitouch enabled
• Built-in HD Radio receiver
• HD video (720p) playback via HDMI cable
• A full-screen Internet browser (IE) optimized for multitouch
• Wi-Fi enabled, capable of instant streaming from the Zune store

What details are still a little bit fuzzy:

• The press release makes no mention of capacity. If it’s not a 64GB device at a reasonable price, the chances of making a serious dent in Apple’s market share are pretty slim.
• “At Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.” This vague marketing speak makes no sense to me. Will they be making an apps store? Daddy needs some Twitter on his Zune.
• Will the Zune Pass ever include Video? As I’ve said before, having this feature would truly be a game changer, and probably convince a lot of folks (including me) to buy the Zune hardware.

Full Zune HD press release after the jump.

Microsoft Announces the Expansion of the Zune Entertainment Service to New Platform and Markets; Confirms New Zune HD Portable Media Player
Premium Zune digital entertainment service to be available internationally on Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 26, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

“The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we’re proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. “Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world.”

Zune Service Expands to New Platform
Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD
Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

*Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don’t like the song playing on your station’s HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.

*The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480×272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.

*The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*

*Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.

*Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press and http://www.zune.net/ZuneHD.

About Zune
Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune Marketplace online store, Zune Pass music subscription service, and the Zune Social online music community, created to help people discover more music. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Xbox LIVE
Xbox LIVE connects more than 17 million members across 26 countries to each other and the entertainment they love. Home of more content from one remote than can be found from any device connected to the television, Xbox LIVE is also a unified online social network bringing friends together, no matter where they are — in the living room or across the world. More information and Xbox LIVE membership can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

To upgrade your browser, go to “About Google Chrome” (accessed through the wrench icon), then click the Update Now button. Or, if you haven’t installed Chrome already, go to www.google.com/chrome and download a copy (try it, I think you just might like it). The biggest new feature in Chrome 2.0 is support for full-screen mode (F11), a welcome addition for those of us (like me) that like a good screen capture every now and then.

PS You can find the source code along with an explanation of how I created the event calendar over here.

Hey geeks, this is tonight (April 28)!

Get your Twitter ready. 92YTribeca and Mashable present a new series of social media discussions that will have you talking all over the internet. This second installment brings together the local startup community, as we hear about projects in their infancy and the startups that have grown into thriving small to medium businesses. Presenters include Philip James, CEO and Mark Angelillo, CTO of Snooth; Melanie Notkin, Founder and CEO of Savvy Auntie; Michael Galpert, Co-Founder of Aviary; Scott Belsky, Founder and CEO of Behance; and a closing presentation by Adam Ostrow, Editor-in-Chief of Mashable (or, as they’re known in Twitterverse, @philipjames, @markangelillo, @savvyauntie, @scottbelsky, @behance, @adamostrow, @mashable…and you can follow us @92YTribeca). [9YTribeca.org/talks]

Full list of winners after the jump.

The 81st Annual Academy Awards

Best Motion Picture of the Year
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Sean Penn
MILK

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Kate Winslet
THE READER

Achievement in Directing
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Departures Departures

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Achievement in Film Editing
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Achievement in Sound Mixing
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Achievement in Sound Editing
THE DARK KNIGHT THE DARK KNIGHT

Achievement in Visual Effects
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Best Documentary Short Subject
SMILE PINKI

Best Documentary Feature
MAN ON WIRE

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Heath Ledger
THE DARK KNIGHT

Best Live Action Short Film
SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)

Achievement in Cinematography
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Achievement in Makeup
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Achievement in Costume Design
THE DUCHESS THE DUCHESS

Achievement in Art Direction
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Best Animated Short Film
La Maison en Petits Cubes

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
WALL-E

Adapted Screenplay
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Original Screenplay
MILK

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

DOWNLOAD: Custom Field Template Plugin, Meta Data Event Calendar

Fig. 1 – Custom Field Template Plugin with Event Calendar Settings

First things first, download and install the Custom Field Template plugin for Wordpress. The CFT provides a nice GUI interface for adding metadata to each post which is what drives the event calendar. While you could do what I’m what I’m doing without the CFT plugin, it would be much, much more time consuming. Once you’ve got the CFT template installed and activated, you’re going to want to configure it a little in the plugin settings. I’ve got my plugin configured specifically for New York area events, and you can look at download my settings over here, of course feel free to change the options based on where you live. (I think the settings are more or less self explanatory, especially once you look at them in the context of adding a new post.)

Article continued after the jump.

Fig. 2 – Add The Calendar Template and Calendar Page

Once you’ve got the settings configured to your liking, install the calendar.php template in your active theme folder (eg. wp-content/themes/youractivetheme) on your webserver. Then the last thing you need to do is add a new page to your blog (Pages-> Add New) and make sure that “Calendar” is set as the default template. You’ll see this setting on the right hand side of your page (see Fig. 2 above). This is very important, if you don’t set the default template to calendar, the event calendar will not work.

Fig. 3 – Add A Sample Event (aka New Blog Post)

Once you’ve configured the Custom Field Template and added the new Calendar page, there really isn’t a lot to do other than commence normal blogging. Just remember though, the next time you add a post that references a future event, add in the details in the custom fields below the post and voila, it will appear on your calendar page like magic. Events are ordered sequentially by date (dates should be formatted like “2009/12/31″ or “2009-12-31″) and only future events show up in the calendar. Past events are still available in the database, and adding an archive page would be easy to do, but right now I don’t really see the need for it.

This event calendar isn’t the most robust thing in the world and it’s not meant to be. It’s just a quick little way to keep of track of shows without having to navigate off of the “add new post” page in wordpress. If you’re looking for something a little more hardcore, you might want to check out the Blogs for Bands Wordpress Plugin. If there is anything you can think of that might make this calendar better, feel free to let me know in the comments. Enjoy!

A Final Note: When creating an event, I don’t recommend combining a ticketmaster or ticketweb link together with the “other ticket link” textbox. Just use one or the other, if you use both, two “buy ticket” links will show up under the event. If you choose Ticketmaster or Ticketweb as the ticket provider, the calendar performs an automatic search for your show on the respective site. If your show isn’t sold through the Ticketmaster or Ticketweb, then you should use the “other ticket link” textbox and paste the full URL to the ticket purchasing page.