cooper

Cooperative movie making on the iPhone

Flixlab is a free app for iPhone that lets you quickly make movies and share them with your Facebook friends without a lot of hassle. A recent feature update includes a cooperative movie-making mode: you'll now be able to take pictures and videos of an event with your friend and then quickly share and combine the content from both of your iPhones into one video.

Flixlab takes all the busywork out of making good-looking movies by adding all the effects, transitions, and music automatically before you share them with your Facebook friends. Simply follow the app's step-by-step process … Read more

Aleloop Mini Coopers featured in Florida art event

Ten Mini Cooper art cars were part of an event featuring pop surrealist artist Aleloop in Florida earlier this month.

Each of the Mini Coopers featured a theme: Fine Arts, Grunge, Video Game, DJ, Mini Me, Free Hand, Comics, Pattern, Driver, and Nature, and an additional Mini, called Graffiti Mini, allowed event attendees to add their own artwork to the car.

The event took place from Dec. 1 to 4 in Miami and Miami Beach. The Mini Coopers, which traveled in a caravan, stopped at parties, art galleries, and restaurants.

At each stop, 40 performers dressed in Aleloop-designed T-shirts emerged … Read more

Photographer exposes MMORPG gamers in the meatspace

Photographer Robbie Cooper explores the modern convergence of personal and social identities in a portrait series that pairs gamers with their virtual avatars.

Cooper traveled around the world for three years, visiting places like Korea, China, France, and Germany to capture the online and in-person lives of MMO participants.

His photo project evolved into a photo book called "Alter Ego" that further scrutinizes the role of absorbed fantasy in the gaming metaverse through interviews, biographies, and essays.

The book also paints a range of identities behind the avatars. It's not just a bunch of oily adolescents mashing keyboards in a basement; Cooper's subjects range from a gold farmer in China, a paraplegic in Texas, and even an octogenarian who all teach a valuable lesson to never judge a gamer by his or her avatar.

Plenty more pictures of gamers and their avatars after the page break.… Read more

CNET Car Tech: 2012 Mini Clubman John Cooper Works

Does the Clubman fill a good niche in the Mini line, or is it just taking the shtick a little too far?

Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

You can also read CNET's full review of the Clubman John Cooper Works.

Global investors may benefit from expected U.S. solar growth

The U.S. is poised for a big expansion of solar installations as states, municipalities, and companies add more solar in order to fulfill energy portfolio goals.

The growth will spur from many entities attempting to add renewable energy to the mix, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) report released this week.

The report cites a prediction from the Solar Energy Industries Association that the U.S.'s global share of solar installations is predicted to triple within the next four years.

While that's good news for the solar industry overall, without the U.S. establishing strongholds this growth won'… Read more

Buzz Out Loud Ep. 1561: The world reacts to the death of Steve Jobs (Podcast)

CNET's extensive live coverage of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is hosted by Brian Cooley and Brian Tong with special guests, including Jay Elliot, former Apple vice president.

CNET Roadside Assistance 029: Gentlemen prefer Minis (podcast)

On this week's show, a listener asked if it's OK for a man to like the Mini; we help a buyer decide between a Honda and an Acura; and we get a car camera question.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 029 SHOW NOTES

• LOLcars (photos)

Car Tech Live 228: Mini Connected app (podcast)

Ford EV's will run on solar...sort of. Harman Kardon blends home tech and car tech. Andy Rooney could live without all of it. And we drive the Mini Cooper Clubman and its connected app.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 228 SHOW NOTES

• CNET checks the tech in the Mini Cooper Clubman JCW

• Ford offers solar panels to go with its EVs

• Google self-driving car crashes--it wasn't driving.

• BMWs will now read Facebook and Twitter updates to you

• CNET's LOLCars gallery!

Mini shows of 2012 Cooper Coupe in photos, video

Recently, we got a sneak peek at the upcoming Mini Cooper Coupe, the smallest--and possibly funkiest-looking--Mini of them all. However, the interesting bits of the new chopped roof were obscured by camouflage. This week, we've got photos and videos of the undisguised 2012 Cooper Coupe and it looks a bit like we expected it to.

Mini calls the new top a "helmet roof," but I think it looks more like the Coupe is wearing a backward baseball cap. Classy. The new top features an integrated roof spoiler that aids in channeling air over the rear window and … Read more

CNET Car Tech: 2011 Mini Countryman S All4

I generally like Minis (even though I've tired of the Roger Rabbit interior), but the Countryman just takes the formula one step too far for me. I'll take you for a ride, check the tech, and run into a surprising problem along the way!

(You can also read the full CNET review of the Mini Cooper Countryman here.)