Viral videos of the week – 28/10/2012

28 Oct 2012

We take a look at some of the most-viewed and most-shared videos on the web. This week features Apple’s piano pitch for the iPad mini, an incredibly agile robot, the Rubberbandits’ guide to chemistry, a cyber-magic card trick, a word from Android fans, and a rogue swan.

More than 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, 500 years of video watched on Facebook every day, and more than 700 YouTube videos shared on Twitter each minute, ensuring there is always video trending on the web.

With so much video available for viewing, we take a look at some of the viral videos that have caught our eye this week.

Piano

This ad for the new iPad mini debuted at Apple’s press event in San Jose, California, earlier this week. Like everything revealed by Apple that day, the short commercial has received both acclaim and derision, with some from the former camp classing it as Apple’s best product advertisement since ‘1984’.

Uploaded: 23 October 2012

DARPA’s Pet-Proto Robot Navigates Obstacles

Researchers in the US Department of Defence’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency – better known as DARPA – get to have all the fun with robots. We’ve already seen their Cheetah robot running faster than Usain Bolt, and the LS3 load-carrying robot navigating its way through rough terrain. This time it’s the turn of the Pet-Proto, a human-like robot whose capabilities include autonomous decision-making, dismounted mobility and dexterity. Here, a team is testing how the Pet-Proto overcomes obstacles in a dangerous, degraded environment. It’s impressive, to say the least.

 

Uploaded: 24 October 2012

Rubberbandits guide to Chemistry featuring Louis Walsh

Can science prove that communion wafer is filled with the haunted spirit of Christ? This and many other questions are not answered by the Rubberbandits in their introduction to chemistry – but their unique take on the iodine snake experiment could make a great Halloween centrepiece. The Limerick-made comedy duo created this video in honour of Science Week, which will run from 11–18 November.

 

Uploaded: 25 October 2012

Marco Tempest: A cyber-magic card trick like no other

Halloween is almost upon us so why not inject a bit of magic into this week’s viral videos? Here, cybermagician Marco Tempest uses an everyday deck of cards and some not-so-everyday augmented reality glasses to demonstrate a card trick like none you’ve ever seen before, in front of the TEDGlobal audience.

 

Uploaded: 26 October 2012

Shit Android Users Say

We’ve already heard from the Apple fanbois, now it’s the fandroids’ turn for a lampooning in the ‘Shit people say’ style. Personal favourite: “Even the magazine is twice the price.” Enjoy.

 

Uploaded: 22 October 2012

Swan on O’Connell Bridge

Just a swan. On O’Connell Bridge in Dublin. Nothing to see here.

 

Uploaded: 24 October 2012

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com