Derek Wong Blog: fresh & hand-picked Internet

To Infinity and Beyond: SpaceX Makes a Giant Leap for Mankind

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:10:17 -0700

To Infinity and Beyond: SpaceX Makes a Giant Leap for Mankind:

After over 30 of stumbling progress, America’s fabled Space Shuttle program was officially shut down in 2011.

The forlorn spirit of NASAs Space Shuttle Program just rolled over in its grave.

SpaceX, an aerospace company based in Hawthorne, California, is the first privately owned company to sent a spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Billionaire and founder of SpaceX, Elon Husk, may just be the closest thing we have to Tony Stark a.k.a Iron Man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl07UfRkPas

Visa’s Olympics Commercial Wins Gold! Between studying...

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:51:50 -0700

Visa’s Olympics Commercial Wins Gold!

Between studying for Midterms and catching highlights of the NBA playoffs, the Summer 2012 Olympics in London is sneaking closer up on us week by week.

I just saw Visa’s brilliantly emotional commercial for the Olympics and was wowed by the cinematography of the spot. What really sets this ad apart?

The essential stamp of success: it’s narrated by Morgan Freeman.

Enough said, watch it now!

My Piece On Lin-Sanity

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:35:29 -0800

Mr. Jeremy Lin is quite the man around town (rather the world) right now.

Going from an undrafted no-namer to the biggest athletic phenomenon since Allen Iverson, Jeremy Lin has transformed the definition of the professional athlete.

Just a few months ago Lin was a benchwarmer on the home-town Golden State Warriors that was waived without a second glance by the front office in their half-hearted attempt to court DeAndre Jordan to Oakland.

Now? Jeremy Lin has blown up faster than a cheetah strapped to a F-22 Raptor.

Knicks tickets have never been this high. Jeremy Lin jerseys from the NBA.com store are backlogged and are more precious than diamonds. Asian mothers, fathers, and grandparents alike are cheering for their culture’s proudest icon.

Studious. Humble. Accomplished.

Few people know that I went to elementary school with Jeremy Lin and his family, and watched his success story from the very beginning. He took my cousins’ high school team, (Palo Alto High School) to a state championship. Rocked the rims of every Ivy League gym. Opened the eyes of every scout at the Dallas NBA Rookie Combine by shaking up and shutting down the First Overall Pick John Wall. I’m glad to have punched my ticket on the band-wagon .

As another Asian guy who loves playing basketball, we finally have another name to shout out when we make a game-changing play instead of just “Kobe!”

Thanks for making Asian people proud. Now we can keep our heads up high when we go to our next pick-up game.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter This will either go down as Tim...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:02:24 -0800

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

This will either go down as Tim Burton’s most unique cinematic creations, or a milestone moment in just how uninspired and desperate America’s screenwriters are at this point in time.

Taking Da Vinci’s...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:52:22 -0800

Taking Da Vinci’s finest into the 21st Century.

Pokemon meets Street Fighter?!? Too cool for words. Wish this...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:15:10 -0800

Pokemon meets Street Fighter?!? Too cool for words. Wish this came out 10 years ago when there was only 150 of them little critters.

IBM’s Social Media team put out this insightful,...

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:10:29 -0800

IBM’s Social Media team put out this insightful, beautifully-directed 3-minute documentary that explains just how important it is for businesses to adapt to the changing face of technology.

People trust each other, not just advertising messages!

Definitely worth a peek.

Chemistry is so cool. Check out what happens when you...

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:17:02 -0800

Chemistry is so cool. Check out what happens when you burn mercury thiocyanide!

Hollywood needs to make some B-movie horror/alien movie about this crazy substance. Wish we did more burning and less titration back in Chem AP!

Song: Why this Kolaveri Di? Credit: Thanks to my roommate Vinay...

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:08:00 -0800

Song: Why this Kolaveri Di?

Credit: Thanks to my roommate Vinay Somashekar who introduced and explained the significance of this song!

It’s been 2 weeks since this song was released on November 16, 2011 and there have been a staggering 11 Million Views on Youtube. It’s been the top trending topic worldwide on Twitter for 3 straight days.

In Tamil, Kolaveri Di translates to “Murderous Rage.” In context of the song it refers to the anguish that arises from unrequited love. Kolaveri Di is a treasure hidden in the midst of the uninspired and mundane “songs” that litter our radio stations. Instead of talking about “poppin’ bottles” and reckless binge drinking at clubs, Kolaveri poetically paints the sentiment of rejection and romantic failure.

“Kiss my ass and my anus, I’m finally famous” - Nicki Minaj

(Above) Not so poetic, Ms. Minaj. I’m sure your High School Literature Teacher is endlessly proud that you finally grasp the concept of slant rhyme.

From the opening rhythms of the Indian drum to the final trills of a jazzy trumpet, this song represents both a milestone in Southeast-Asian music, and a pinnacle in the marriage of musical elements.

Though Jay Sean’s “Down” and “Ride It” may have found international success (especially in the UK), its lyrics and focus were entirely foreign. In these best-selling hits, Sikh-born Jay Sean departs from traditional Indian musical elements and instead relies on the appeal of mainstream instrumentation.

In contrast, Kolaveri Di retains its traditional cultural roots through its in-language lyrics. Yes, there are fragments of English sparsed throughout the work, but they’re sung and pronounced in a proudly accented inflection.

Whether or not Kolaveri surpasses Rebecca Black’s Friday or not, it’s a song that is testament to the fact that good music knows no languages.

Enjoy.

I like to say “Go Bold or Go Home.” Jeopardy...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:39:37 -0800

I like to say “Go Bold or Go Home.” Jeopardy Contestant Roger Craig does exactly this. Two times.

Meet 12-year old Blue Jay, the most talented music prodigy since...

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:14:19 -0800

Meet 12-year old Blue Jay, the most talented music prodigy since Amadeus Mozart. He graduated Julliard music school and composed 5 symphonies while most kids his age are collecting Pokemon Cards.

Justin Bieber, you officially suck compared to this genius.

First, there was Planking. Then there was Owling. We thought...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:40:27 -0700

First, there was Planking. Then there was Owling. We thought Coning would be the end of it, but the Viral World is ready to meet FALLING.

It’s as simple (and stupid) as it sounds: falling in public.

Take a peek.

No NBA season still, but at least Derrick Rose is staying in...

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:26:25 -0700

No NBA season still, but at least Derrick Rose is staying in game-shape with this sweet new commercial for his shoe, the adiZero Rose 2.

Perfect Arrangement of John Cage’s masterpiece...

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:09:01 -0700

Perfect Arrangement of John Cage’s masterpiece 4’33”, one of the greatest inventions in orchestral music.

(It’s actually 4 minutes and 33 seconds of absolute silence, followed by thunderous applause, check it out!)

Meet the Throwable Panoramic Camera. I can think of a million...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:31:42 -0700

Meet the Throwable Panoramic Camera.

I can think of a million and a half awesome ways to use this invention, from military recon to capturing the beauty of one’s landscape.

Innovation is something truly beautiful.

5,755 Apples a Day* could not keep the Doctor away. Rest in...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:32:24 -0700

5,755 Apples a Day* could not keep the Doctor away. Rest in Peace, Mr. Steve Jobs.

*800,000 iMacs were sold in first 139 days since release

Meet BMW’s most impressive car yet, the BMW i8. Looks...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:55:34 -0700

Meet BMW’s most impressive car yet, the BMW i8.

Looks like Will Smith’s car from I, Robot met Tom Cruise’s ride from Minority Report and had this amazing creation.

First Smartphones, now it’s Tablets. This new Ebay...

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:34:50 -0700

First Smartphones, now it’s Tablets. This new Ebay commercial speaks to the ridiculous Tablet Craze going on.

“People Person: Meet the Prius Family” I was really...

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:33:01 -0700

“People Person: Meet the Prius Family”

I was really fortunate this summer to be part of the Saatchi & Saatchi Account Management Team that produced this advertisement. Not going to lie, it’s pretty creepy but you definitely remember it.

NBA 2K12. The game of true champions. I’ve seen people bet...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:33:10 -0700

NBA 2K12. The game of true champions. I’ve seen people bet next month’s rent over a game of NBA 2K. Loving this new commercial and integrated campaign featuring Michael Jordan, the Greatest of All Time. Pretty nice spokesperson.