October 2011
1 post
Hi again, Tumblr!
Hello, Tumblrfolk! Hope all is well.
I got a little burnt out on the daily blog earlier in the year, so I took a long break. Now that I feel ready to return, I realize that you all are much better than I am at finding and sharing stuff. I just can’t keep up!
While I’m going to continue to enjoy everyone’s posts (and am very grateful for them), for my own stuff it’s time...
March 2011
6 posts
Mississippi Records' Mix Tapes →
Ah, VSL, you’ve done it again.
This time you hooked us up with weird and wonderful music, courtesy of Root Strata’s Blog and Mississippi Records.
Dig around and download some of these tapes, and be transported to other worlds of sound, from old beat-up dregs to hipster funk, soul, and psychedelic. There’s even some great world music thrown into the mix.
Not all of the...
irvinebrown » Music for Shuffle →
Matthew Irvine Brown has instantly become a musical hero to me, now that he’s released a series of tracks that can be loaded in iTunes’ shuffle mode and played as one big, endless song.
Beautiful, brilliant, and inspiring electronic music.
[via Waxy Links]
Welcome to Pine Point: An Interactive Documentary →
VSL reveals the power of new media to engage us like nothing else by highlighting the National Film Board of Canada and Goggle’s Welcome to Pine Point interactive documentary.
The story is haunting and resonant, and the experience richer because of the active role we have engaging in it. This effort pulls together talented storytellers, visual artists, musicians, animators, filmmakers, and...
Firefox 4 RC →
It’s out! Get on the cutting edge of web browsing with today’s release candidate (RC) of Firefox 4. I’ve been using the betas for several weeks, and find it to be a great improvement over Firefox 3.
Keep in mind that some add-ons won’t work, and that the final version will be out soon, so there’s no problem with waiting either…
I’m just the kind of geek...
February 2011
11 posts
Canadians continue to rage against metered billing →
It’s very compelling to see how Canadians are reacting to planned changes in the way their Internet access is billed. This Ars Technica article describes where things stand at the moment.
Metered Internet, where you pay based on the amount of bandwidth you use, is being pushed for adoption in this country, too, and has an excellent chance of succeeding. Online video takes a lot of...
Scientists Connect Global Warming to Extreme Rain →
The New York Times reports on an important milestone for climate change research:
“[T]his is the first time researchers have been able to point to a demonstrable cause-and-effect by using the rigorous and scientifically accepted method of looking for the “fingerprints” of human-caused climate change.”
I doubt it’s going to change anyone’s mind, but having...
Would the Bard Have Survived the Web? →
After all these years of promoting things like Creative Commons, I’ve been looking for a concise, well-written argument against those who say that current copyright law is stifling innovation and creativity.
The New York Times has delivered exactly what I’d hoped for with yesterday’s Op-Ed. It’s not screechy, or written by lawyers for the RIAA or MPAA. It’s...
Why an expansion of low-power radio stations could... →
The Neiman Journalism Lab considers the potential impact of President Obama’s new Local Community Radio Act, which makes it easier for communities to operate low-power stations.
I think this is a fantastic move, and one that’s long overdue. The ability to cover hyper-local news, culture, and events can transform a group of isolated residents into a real community.
Combine that with a...
Clive Thompson on How Tweets and Texts Nurture... →
Wow.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my purpose for having this blog lately. When this Clive Thompson article crossed my transom (thanks to Waxy Links) today, I think it may have been a sign.
Tweeting and short, daily Tumblr blog posts (like the one’s I’ve been doing for most of the last 3+ years) seem to essentially serve the same purpose: giving back to the ‘net...
Why you should care about Egypt →
In today’s USA Today, Shadi Hamid puts forth an eloquent explanation of why citizens of the United States should be vitally interested in what’s happening in Egypt right now.
I’ve been riveted by Al Jazerra’s remarkable live coverage of events, and think that the prospect of a more democratic Arab world is worth supporting, even if the current dictators are supposed to be...
Learn to Code: The Full Beginner's Guide →
Ever wanted to learn a little coding, but not sure where to start? The awesomeness that is Lifehacker has your back.
Here’s their starter guide to learning how to code, in several parts, including links to more resources. There’s nothing hard or intimidating here, and knowing more about how computers work is always a good thing. Think of the power you’ll have!
After starting...
BBC - Dimensions →
VSL points us to another excellent example of the power of the Internet to help us visualize data in ways never before possible.
This time it’s the BBC’s experimental Dimensions site, allowing us to superimpose famous sites and routes onto places we know well.
Overall, an extremely enjoyable and enlightening tool.
January 2011
11 posts
iOS Still Rules
2011 seems to be the year there will finally be some substantial competition to Apple’s iPad tablet, after last year’s glut of vaporware and lukewarm release attempts. The trash talk from vendors like Samsung has begun, and while I love competition, my thinking on the subject has evolved: I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is going to be as good as the next generation...
LibreOffice →
Some of you may know of (and even use) OpenOffice.org, the dominant free alternative to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
It’s a great suite of productivity apps, but there was a schism in the development late last year that’s resulted in a new, competing product: LibreOffice. The reasons behind the split are interesting, but I’d prefer to focus on the fact that...
Eighth grader's iPhone game knocks Angry Birds... →
How about another story of pursuing a passion that leads to success?
Here, Macworld tells us about Robert Nay, an eighth-grader from Spanish Fork, Utah whose iOS game Bubble Ball beat out the slickly produced (and quite fun) Angry Birds.
These people are inspiring. I’ve got to do something more than play Minecraft in my spare time…
Alan Taylor's New Home: In Focus →
The Big Picture redefined my idea of what news blogs could be. By featuring a gallery of large photos centering around a current event, I became absorbed in a way that I never could with text-heavy articles.
You can tell that it was a labor of love, too. Alan Taylor’s curation made it special, and the topics and images he’s chosen have been frequent highlights here over the years. ...
Why the Mac App Store Sucks →
Lifehacker offers some compelling reasons to not love Apple’s new Mac App Store. As someone who often tests software before purchasing it, that alone is enough to make me nervous.
The promise of a one-stop shop to find, update, and download software that’s been vetted by the computer manufacturer is compelling, but the freedoms lost as a result are simply not worth it in my opinion.
...
Why Journalists Aren't Defending Julian Assange →
Newsweek asks an important question about why there isn’t much of a First Amendment outcry amongst members of the United States media.
I’ve been wondering this, too. It’s not easy to support an organization that recklessly spews out information, seemingly without regard to personal safety, but that doesn’t mean they’re not legally entitled to do it.
I think that...
Reasons to be Cheerful →
All the best for 2011 to you!
Let’s start the year right, with a must-read post from author Charlie Stross that helps us begin with some perspective.
It certainly got my easily ego-centric head in the right place…
[via Waxy Links]
December 2010
16 posts
An Introduction to Net Neutrality: What It Is,... →
I just can’t resist posting this balanced overview of Net Neutrality, which I realize I’ve been writing about for years now. I still want as many people as possible to be well informed, though, so I’m plugging ahead.
Do you think the future of the Internet is crucial to our country? If so, it’s important to know each side of the Net Neutrality debate, to help get the...
Greenwald vs. Wired in 1000 words or thereabouts →
Rob Beschizza gives us some important perspective on the current fight between reporters at Wired and Salon regarding the Wikileaks whistle-blower chat logs.
It’s turned into quite a saga, and I’m transfixed at each step. Here’s a balanced introduction to the intrigue, which has admittedly featured bad form on both sides.
An incontrovertible question for Wired remains,...
WatchVariations on a Christmas Theme
Vimeo’d by Andrew Sorensen, who’s using the performance programming language Impromptu.
[via Waxy Links]
Wake Up, Geek Culture. Time to Die →
Wired Magazine features Patton Oswalt’s take on geek culture, and it’s right on the money.
I feel lucky that when I grew up and found my little islands of geekdom — sci-fi/fantasy books, comics, obscure music, RPG’s, Japanese pop culture, zines, computers — the heart of them wasn’t instantly available in full to anyone with a search engine, or already...
RSS Feed: A Few of My Favorite Reads →
I enjoy highlighting particularly exceptional or relevant articles I’ve read here in the blog, but I definitely read a lot more than I post.
After I’ve read an article or story in Instapaper that I REALLY like, I “star” it. Instapaper then creates an RSS feed of these favorites that anyone can follow. Just click the link above, or check out the sidebar on the blog page,...
Ellie on Planet X →
Get in on the “ground floor” of a wonderful new webcomic by James Anderson. It’s a very funny, quirky, and quick read with a distinctive style (love the color palette), released regularly several times a week.
[via Wired, where you can get a bunch of other new webcomic recommendations, too…]
Seven Reasons Banks Pay Peanuts on Savings... →
Savers are in a sad state these days, while borrowers are getting deals of a lifetime. The reasons behind this can sometimes be a little murky for me, though.
This New York Times article explains it all, but the end result is resigning myself to a pathetic return on my emergency fund for the foreseeable future. Bummer.
[via Consumerist]
Freakonomics Podcast: The "No-Lose" Lottery →
Prize-Linked Savings Plans (PLS’s) are a fantastic idea to help increase the pathetic rate of savings in the United States. The idea is simple: use our love of gambling as an incentive to save money. In Wisconsin, for example, if you put at least $25 into a Credit Union’s savings account, you can win $100,000.
How can this not be a slam-dunk? Well, it seems that PLS’s are...
FindTheBest.com →
I predict the time will come when the wild, wooly days of the Internet’s infancy will transition into a mellower, more mature network.
There will be a layer of content floating through the usual noise, advertising, and general crap that dominates today’s online experience in which trust and truth are most valued. To add content to this layer people will be required to use their real...
10 News Photo Galleries To Catch All The Latest... →
Makeuseof.com shares some of the best places to find photojournalism online. So many stories in our world are best told with pictures, and the web is a perfect place to showcase and access them.
My only disappointment is that Boston.com’s Big Picture didn’t make the list, as it’s one of my favorites.
Will Comcast destroy net neutrality? →
A sad update to the continuing struggle to maintain Net Neutrality from Farhad Manjoo on Slate, with an excellent explanation of the current fight between Netflix and Comcast.
Should Comcast charge Netflix if its customers want to watch streaming movies, essentially charging twice (once to the cable subscriber, and a second time to Netflix)?
Then again, it’s not unusual for Internet...
KCRW DJs present their Top 10 Best Music Albums of... →
If you’re looking to find some good new music, this is a great place to consider exploring. One of my favorite radio stations, LA’s KCRW, asks their DJ’s to pick their top 10 albums of the year.
I’ve found a ton of new stuff to add to my list, as well as known favorites from the likes of Tame Impala, Flowering Inferno, Broken Bells, and Ali Farka Toure & Toumani...
50 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For →
I’m always a sucker for a good free software list, and once again, Lifehacker delivers the goods with these 50 applications.
Every one of these that I’ve used is top-notch, so I imagine that the ones I haven’t used are of similarly high quality and worth checking out.
In case you’re wondering, my favorites include Dropbox, VLC, Chrome, Firefox, Google Apps, CCleaner,...
November 2010
26 posts
NudgeMail →
NudgeMail is a brilliant web newcomer that’ll help keep me on track with dead-simple email reminders.
Just send an email to xxx@nudgemail.com, with “xxx” being the timeframe when you’d like to be reminded, fill out the subject and body with the details, and then wait until the appointed time, when you’ll be emailed a reminder. It’s that simple.
Timeframes are...
Navigate Deal Sites Effectively to Maximize Your... →
Although this Lifehacker post talks about Cyber Monday, the sites and techniques listed are helpful for all of your online shopping endeavors.
I’ve saved countless dollars just by looking for coupons before I buy anything, and check out the deal aggregators on a regular basis to find the best bargains on electronics and other media.
Onward to conspicuous consumption…
The Men Who Stole the World →
Time Magazine profiles four programmers who changed the way our world distributes information, creating a culture in which piracy became the norm, and yet the world didn’t end.
This is a smart look at the people behind Napster, Gnutella, BitTorrent, and DeCSS. It’s fascinating to see what’s become of them, and I’ve got to give Time credit for balanced reporting of the...
20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web →
Learn more about the web and what it can do with this wonderful online book. For web developers, it also showcases the amazing versatility and power of HTML5.
Something for everybody!
[via Waxy Links]
