VIDEO : Mini New York City to Hype Windows 8 Launch

Microsoft is celebrating the launch of Windows 8 in an unusual way: By creating a miniature replica of New York City.

Well, not that mini. “Microtropolis” as it is known, will stand at 160 feet. The goal is to promote the new OS, though it’s not clear exactly how. In a blog post explaining the installation, Kristina Libby, a Microsoft pr manager wrote that Mictropolis “creates the ultimate hands-on demonstration of Windows 8, with the city of NYC as the backdrop.” Libby then added:

As you walk into the installation, you are literally walking through the avenues and streets with skyscrapers towering above. This interactive experience has hundreds of devices placed on rooftops within the city, customized to the neighborhoods in which they are placed.

The creation features 25 of New York’s neighborhoods, which include Start Screens curated by “notable New Yorkers.”

For those in the area, the installation will be on display at Hudson River Park’s Pier 57 from Oct. 26-Nov. 3.



-mashable.com

YouTube to Allow Links to External Websites

Some good news here. YouTube publishers will soon be allowed to create clickable hyperlinks to their own website from within a video using annotations. Thus, if your YouTube video explains how to boil an egg, you can insert an annotation linking to your blog post where the steps are described in greater detail.

Dror Shimshowitz, YouTube Head of Product for Creators, made this announcement last week while speaking at a YouTube Partner event in San Bruno.

YouTube does support clickable annotations at this time but a limitation is that these links should either point to another YouTube video or a search results page on the YouTube website. With the new changes, publishers in good standing will be able to drive traffic to their own website from YouTube videos.

Dror didn’t exactly specify the time frame when this feature will go live but, hopefully, the wait shouldn’t be long as another feature discussed at the same event – Invideo Programming – is already live on YouTube.

How to Win $5,000 Dancing ‘Gangnam Style’?

Well, today is your lucky day because, if you’re really good at dancing Gangnam Style, you will not only receive the admiration of your friends but you will also have a chance to cash in with some bucks — 5000, to be precise.

All you need to do is create an animated GIF of you doing your best Psy impression. The imaginary horse riding contest was launched by startup Gifboom and Psy himself. Gifboom is an Instagram-like mobile app that lets you easily create GIFs using your smartphone.

SEE ALSO: Prison Inmates Perform ‘Gangnam Style’ in Pouring Rain

To participate, just dance, take a pic and wait. The winner will be chosen from the 50 GIFs who garner the most likes. Psy will also give out two $500 prizes to his two favorite dancers.

Will you participate in this contest? Tell us in the comments.