September 2010
31 posts
Now's a Great Time to Consider Checking Out China →
Arthur Frommer compares recent travel packages to China with packages to Europe on his blog, and finds them comparable in price … which is amazing, considering how much farther away China is, how much better the hotels in China are, and how many “extras” are covered in the package price.
He highlights the tour company I used on my solo trip to China last Summer, China Spree, and...
Game: Grow Valley →
The latest in the Grow series of games is as good as the rest. If you need some delightful distraction, here it is.
You’re welcome.
[via Good Experience Games]
Technology coverage either praise or warning →
The San Francisco Chronicle takes a close look at technology reporting, finding significant differences between the content of newspaper and TV stories and the content of blog posts and Tweets.
Crime sells, of course. No surprise there. It also looks like the old dog, Microsoft, is getting lost in the shuffle these days. No real surprise there, either.
Americans Vastly Underestimate Wealth Inequality,... →
If you meet me, there are two highly-cliched things I generally won’t talk about: my personal political opinions and religious beliefs. Why? I don’t know any more than anyone else about this stuff, and I’ve changed my mind about a lot of it over the years. At this point, I just know what works for me.
YMMV, and it’s up to everyone to make their own decisions. ...
A Case for Singletasking: The One-Task-At-a-Time... →
I am a terrible multitasker. I can’t even listen to certain music when I’m working, or I get hopelessly derailed. Give me an environment were I can take care of one thing at a time, however, and I can blow through my todo’s like Mr. Clean blows through a filthy raised ranch.
What a relief to find out that I’m not alone — it turns out nobody’s a great...
Early Kodachrome Images →
Following up on Monday’s post of images created by pairing a cutting-edge camera with a lens that’s over a century old, here’s a fascinating and beautiful collection of images created when color film first became available to the average American, back in the 1930’s.
I’m so used to seeing color in modern photographs, these familiar-yet-foreign images of...
Why Net Neutrality Needs to Be Extended to Mobile... →
Scott Jones, CEO of ChaCha, shares a letter on TechCrunch about why Net Neutrality needs to be extended to mobile devices as well as traditional fixed-network ones.
He makes two particularly important points:
It’s not a problem that’s waiting to happen. Content is being censored and extorted by cellular carriers right now.
He states that “in the not-so-distant future, most...
State of The Blogosphere in 2010 →
The Blog Herald features an interesting infographic about the state of blogs on the Internet in 2010.
I had no idea that more blogs come from Japan than the US, or that the average hobbiest blogger spends over $1,500 annually to keep it going.
102 year old lens on a 5DmkII →
Timur Civan has taken an early 20th Century 35mm lens and Frankensteined it to state-of-the-art Canon EOS 5D MkII digital camera.
His first subject? New York City.
The results? Sublime.
[via BoingBoing]
The true cost of the Iraq war: $3 trillion and... →
I am stunned by the analysis of war costs presented by Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes in The Washington Post.
They argue, quite plausibly, that had we not engaged in this war, our situation with Afghanistan, the high price of oil, government debt, and the global financial crisis would all have been better.
This is definitely a lesson we need to learn, especially with most Americans...
Long Exposures of 8-Bit Video Games →
Rosemarie Fiore’s long-exposure photographs of classic 8-bit video games are beautifully abstract.
My favorite is Qix 7.
[via Kottke]
Should You Buy New or Used? 40 Recommendations →
To me, there’s something cool about lists like this. I post in hopes that it might be useful to you, too.
The only thing I don’t agree with is the advice on timeshares: used or new, they’re a bad deal and I’d never purchase one.
[via Consumerist]
Don’t Waste Money on a New Computer for College →
Having become a regular user of the most recent Ubuntu, I can heartily agree with this advice on CrunchGear…
For school, you don’t need a fancy new laptop. Buy a cheapo used model, slap Ubuntu on it, and you’re set for the basics. For gaming, use a dedicated console like the Wii, XBox, or PS3. For the rest, use the school’s computer lab.
This way, there’s less...
The Death Of The RSS Reader →
Please don’t take away my Google Reader!
More and more people are saying that people-following services like Facebook and Twitter are going to kill site-following services like Bloglines and Google Reader (which rely on RSS feeds that sites use to broadcast their updates). Well, sure enough, Bloglines is dead. What might be next? I prefer to not even think about it.
Hey, I love Twitter,...
Police: Thieves Robbed Homes Based On Facebook... →
I can’t believe how many people post their whereabouts publicly online. It seems like common sense to keep information about when you’ll be away private, right?
Spread the word, then: while chances are that you won’t get burned, why risk it? I’ve had my share of break-ins and stolen/destroyed property, and it sucks every time.
Skeptics can check out the above news from...
H.U.V.A. NETWORK - Ephemeris →
When a French ambient artist (Vincent Villuis) and one of Sweden’s finest trance masters (Magnus Birgersson) collaborated last year, something special happened.
Humans Under Visual Atmospheres’ sophomore album, Ephemeris, has been keeping me smiling a lot lately, with wonderful, swirling electronica, strong chill beats, and a clean, icy groove throughout.
Highly recommended. Samples...
YouTube Deal Turns Copyright Videos Into Revenue →
What? The market is finding a way for everyone to make money when someone posts a copyrighted clip on YouTube … without lawsuits and takedown threats?
You bet. This NY Times article reveals that more than 1/3 of YouTube’s views contain copyrighted material that’s purposefully left right where it is, and that they’re helping to make YouTube (and the copyright holders)...
Scanning Electron Microscope pictures of grains of... →
These are really quite beautiful, and I’m a sucker for microscopic photography anyway. The forget-me-not closeup is my favorite.
As a summer and fall sufferer of allergies, it’s particularly relevant to me right about now.
Sniff!
[via BoingBoing]
Microsoft Security Essentials →
If you’re a Windows user using a paid anti-virus solution like McAfee or Norton, or even a free one like Avast or AVG, ditch it. Do the same with your anti-spyware programs, too.
Microsoft provides comprehensive virus and spyware protection with Security Essentials, which is free and completely integrated with the operating system. That means fewer glitches, easier updates, and...
Organic = Better →
Science Daily weighs in on the benefits of organic farming vs. conventional. It’s nice to see some valid scientific data demonstrating that artificial pesticides and fertilizer are inferior.
While I’m not exactly a “back to the earth” type — feeling that if we can use science and technology to make our lives healthier, happier, and more sustainable, we should...
US Banknote Redesign →
Dowling Duncan redesigns our paper money, with fantastic effect. The thinking behind each design is sound, as well, and it’s a radical enough change to make the world take notice.
Something cool like this is overdue in the 21st Century, don’t you think?
[via Kottke]
The Mona Lisa Curse →
VSL lets us know about a provocative and entertaining look at the impact caused by the commoditization of art in this free YouTube documentary.
Robert Hughes has lived through the New York City art scene for years, seeing it transform from collectors who buy art because they love it, to collectors who buy art because it’s worth a lot of money.
I can’t say I agree with every point...
