I am absolutely in love with the relatively new technique of storytelling through what is being called "cinemagraphs." The technique isolates key points of interest in a still photograph and brings them to life through very subtle and elegant animation. The result is truly beautiful story-telling.

The advent of HTML5 has created stunning new ways to create exciting user experiences online. My favorite sites as of late are the unique ones that tell their stories primarily through vertical parallax and the scroll function. Perhaps the most-discussed example is the Nike Better World microsite launched earlier this year by w+k. Here is a collection of wonderful sites featuring scroll-controlled storytelling, starting with the aforementioned Nike Better World.

Nike Better World – w+k's beautiful site encourages you to scroll 14,246 pixels toward a better world. Experience a stunning parallax effect along the way.

Atlantis World's Fair – Portland designer Frank Chimero's site takes us on an illustrated journey under the sea. I absolutely love the concept behind employing a scrolled experience here.

Ben the Bodyguard – Another great concept. Meet Ben as you navigate the mean streets of a seedy fantasy world.

Beer Camp – This site will have you thinking you've had one too many beers. As you scroll down, you actually zoom into the site. The reference to the film Inception is quite appropriate as its design is equally as mind-blowing.

My Starbucks Signature – With 87,000 expresso drink combinations available, Starbucks makes finding your signature drink easy through this scroll-controlled "how to" site. 

Resolution IM – All engines scroll! We have liftoff!

TEDxPortland – Yet another slick vertical parallax site from the Pacific Northwest. 

SXSW, shot & shared on Instagr.am: Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley, Doc's (S. Congress), Big Boi private show

Another SXSW has passed and one thing we learned is that the number of exciting ways to interact with the event's most popular iPhone app, Instagram, is going to continue to grow exponentially. Having debuted only less than a year ago, Instagram has only been available to its 2 million+ users on the iPhone. However, with the release of their API, we're beginning to see a wonderful onslaught of innovations fueled by Instagram not only in the digital realm, but in the physical world as well. Perhaps the most visible example at SXSW was Breakfast NY's Instaprint, a location-based photo booth powered by Instagram hashtags. The company's rapid growth reminds me of the early days of Twitter where we saw a number of third-party Web apps developed to improve the user experience. This propelled the growth of the micro-blogging service and I believe that the new online innovations being introduced around Instagram will have the same effect on social photography.

Here are my favorite Web clients for Instagram:

Inkstagram – All of the social functionality of Instagram in a beautifully designed interface on the Web. Add comments, "like" photos and follow friends, all in your browser. 

Instagre.at – Beautiful scrolling interface allows you to peruse photos and "like" your favorites. Great if you have a touch-sensitive mouse/trackpad. 

Webstagram – The most basic, cleanest and easiest Instagram Web app with all of the social functionality included. 

Snapfinch – Another basic Web app that closely resembles Webstagram's interface.

Gramfeed – Another simple interface with all of the social functionality built-in plus location.

demo.instagram.com/ – While it's not a Web client, this is the official real-time demo of the Instagram API. Very cool. 

Find me on Instagram at KhoaLe

In what is arguably the first major adoption of Facebook's location-based feature, Facebook Places, the world's largest hamburger chain has partnered with the world's largest social network service to benefit the Ronald McDonald House charities. Starting this week, every McDonald's check-in on Facebook Places will automatically donate $1 to caring for children.

Facebook Places launched in August 2010 on the heels of location-based trailblazers Foursquare and Austin's own Gowalla. This marks the first large corporate partner to embrace the service. And with this week's introduction of Facebook Deals, it will be interesting to see if the service will reach the same level of success that Foursquare and Gowalla have enjoyed. It will also be intriguing to see how other future partners employ Facebook Places into their marketing efforts down the road.