Archives For February 2011

New Google Translate Features

February 15, 2011 — 6 Comments

Listening and watching… and trying to keep up with Asian entertainment means that I use Google Translate often. This is why I think these are new features. I knew Google Translate could read out loud English… and German, but this is the first time that I’m aware it can read Japanese, Mandarin and Korean too.

Of course I chose BiBi’s Just to Meet You song to test, because that’s one of the songs that I butcher whenever it plays on my iPod. And it not only “translates,” but now you can also read it phonetically…

and you can listen to it read it out loud. O_O

Three very important things about this:

1. This is amazing… if you’re starting out a language.

2. A lot of sites that dedicate themselves to pinyin, romaji and Korean romanization just got their work cut down… or have some serious competition. With this, anyone can post lyrics…

3. This just made a whole new generation of lazy.

In Language, Pinyin, Rants, Romaji, Romanization, Screencaps, Sharing , , ,
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The Thomas Beale Cipher by Andrew S Allen

A mystery colorful version of a Film Noir that meets Pythagora Switch (1).

To be honest, this short could easily have gotten an Oscar nod… dunno if it was eligible this year, though. Maybe next time? It’s definitely stylish, and if it holds clues… worth repeat viewings xD

The film contains 16 hidden messages that hold clues to the characters’ secrets. Eight are fairly easy requiring only a close eye. Six are moderately difficult using various encryption methods. Two are extremely difficult requiring a genius mind to decrypt.

Posted on February 13, 2011 In English, Sharing, Short Films ,
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Minami he (To the South)

February 12, 2011 — 5 Comments

So… you don’t live in Tokyo? Or you live in Tokyo but don’t have the time or money to spend a couple of hours in the theater? Well, tough luck!

Yu-chan’s at the theater in her brand new play with Satoshi Tsumabuki, as previously reported.

Tsumabuki portrays a seismologist named Minami who is station at the foot of the fictional Mt. Buji, a volcano that is getting ready to erupt. Aoi portrays Amane, a woman found wandering the slopes of Mt. Buji. The only thing is she may not be Amane at all. Aoi’s character keeps changing the story of who she is, where she comes from and even what her real name is.

via J-Film Pow-Wow (Chris MaGee’s awesome, non?)

Check J-Film Pow-Wow for more information and a photo where Yu’s on the side looking different. Then there’s a video of Yu-chan commenting on the play, and inviting all of us (who can’t go) to see the play.

But it’s not embeddable, so head over here for the video.

But really, even if I were in Tokyo… and I had the time and money to go watch Yu on stage, it’d be for nothing! Because I’m not fluent in Japanese. It’d be like a wasted seat on someone who would just stare O_O and that’d be creepy.

So… is anyone going? And does anyone want to share their thoughts on it?

In Celebrity, Clips, English, Japanese, Screencaps , , , , ,
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Oscar 2010-2011 Watchlist

February 2, 2011 — 4 Comments

I know, I know… I haven’t been blogging about any of the awards since I launched YAM. But hey! If you were following YAM on Twitter, you’d know I’ve been commenting on them~

Did the Globes [Firth, Portman, Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Paul Giamatti, Melissa Leo + Christian Bale, + The Social Network wins for Movie+Score+Script+Director] Did the whole SAG Awards [Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Melissa Leo + Christian Bale (The Fighter) + The King’s Speech for Cast), and the Oscar noms aren’t really that surprising, but there were a couple of nice things.

First, Yay Javier Bardem, Yay John Hawkes.

Here’s my list of watched and not-watched films.

Light blue – Watched
Hot pink – Dying to watch.

In DVD/BR, English, Films, French, Fun, Screencaps, Sharing, Spanish, Torrents & Digital Streams , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Conductor by Alexander Chen

I remember in school we studied the London subway system’s map. Simplified… easy (not really), but immensely easier than New York… according to a friend who’s been to both cities anyway.

You can see how the New York simple (is not) the subway system works…

[iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/19372180?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff” width=”560″ height=”315″]

Posted on February 2, 2011 In English, Illustrations, Motion, Sharing ,
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Old BiBi Interview with English Subtitles

I think this is the only video of Bibi with English subtitles. It’s short, barely three minutes of it… but makes me miss BiBi circa her NOW/WOW albums… which reminds me, gotta review those.

[iframe src=”https://www.tudou.com/v/_H6cID-4vsU/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″]

Her last bit singing gives me the shivers.

From the last few performances she’s done, something is amiss. Her voice is quite not right, and I think it might be due to the production of her last album.

*sighs*

Forgive the lack of updates, but then again… you do know there’s YAM, right?

Posted on February 1, 2011 In Celebrity, Chinese, Clips, English, Music, Sharing , , , , ,
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