Macro goodness

Martin Amm took this beautiful photo of this dew-drenched red veined darter. The rest of his portfolio is worth a browse as well.

via John Nack

Kuler v.2

I blogged about the original version of Kuler in late 2006.

The site has been updated, to include:

- Colour extraction - generate a colour theme from an uploaded image.

- Explore moods, such as bright or muted, to see different colours.

- Save themes and browse them in your Mykuler area.

- Browse by randomly selected themes.
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A brief history of paper

Wired reports: [edited]

The first Chinese paper was probably made from a mash of sodden hemp waste, beaten to a pulp and stretched over a cloth sieve in a bamboo frame. The pulp was made from bamboo fibers and the inner bark of the mulberry tree.

Further Chinese advances in papermaking included a quick-release mould to improve the speed of production, the use of starch as sizing (filler or glaze) and a combination yellow dye and insect repellent.

Papermaking was a secret process until it spread to Korea in the sixth century, and then to Japan in the seventh. The technology spread to Tibet and Central Asia.

Arabs captured some Chinese papermakers in 751. Arab scholars preferred linen paper to the sheepskin or calfskin parchment that was then in use.

The first paper mill in Europe was built in 1150.
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Bookcave

Sakura Adachi reports: [edited]

In urban life, there seems to be a common understanding that people tend to consciously or subconsciously become wary of strangers surrounding them. They are always balancing a certain level of privacy with others.

A bookcase CAVE provides a private reading space within its form. As a seat height is just above the floor, CAVE gives a feeling of hiding from others standing around it. Books can be stored on both sides. Therefore, CAVE can also functions as a partition of a room.

Size: 2430 x 1470 x 600mm (CAVE) and 1800 x 1109 x D 600mm (CAVE kid's)
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500

DPReview reports: [edited]

The new 10.1-megapixel DMC-FX500 features a 25mm ultra-wide angle Leica DC lens with 5x optical zoom. The FX500 features a touch-screen operation on a large, 3.0-inch LCD.

Functions include Intelligent Auto mode, HD motion picture recording and HD component output, and slideshows complete with music.

Auto focus tracking follows the subject even if it moves after the AF is set. In 3-megapixel resolution mode, the Extra Optical Zoom function extends the zoom power to 8.9x. High Sensitivity mode lets the DMC-FX500 record at a setting of up to ISO 6400.

Available in the US from May 2008, price $399.95.
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Cordless charging

Wildcharge reports: [edited]

The WildCharger pad is flat and thin with a conductive surface. Once a cell phone or other electronic device that is enabled with WildCharge technology is placed on the pad – anywhere on the pad and at any orientation – it will receive power from the pad. And charging speed is the same as if the device is plugged to the wall.

Enabling a portable electronic device with WildCharge technology is also simple. A WildCharge adapter attaches to – or outright replaces – the device’s back cover. This adapter has external contact-points that come in physical contact with the pad.

In the case of a RAZR phone, for example, the phone’s battery-cover is replaced with one that already has the WildCharge technology built in. Once replaced, the connector at the end of the adapter’s “charging arm” is inserted into the phone’s power plug.

Thanks to Conrad for reminding me about this one.
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Bob Staake posters

Click here for a page-full of Bob Staake poster weirdness.
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Gü and Baked Beans

Gü Chocolate Mousse containers make superb lids for standard 400g tins, forming a tight seal yet being easy to remove. Perfect for 'singletons' like me who regularly use only half a tin of something.
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Physicists confirm home ground advantage

New Scientist reports: [edited]

Physicists Andreas Heuer and Oliver Rubner at the University of Münster in Germany analysed over 12,000 soccer matches in the German Bundesliga between 1965 and 2007. Goal difference was used to gauge team performance, rather than games won, because it arguably gives a more reliable picture.

Heuer and Rubner confirmed teams have a home advantage over away sides: on average, home sides scored 0.7 more goals per game than visitors.

Many pundits argue that vocal fans or daunting stadiums lend some teams a greater home advantage than other sides with quieter fans or smaller grounds. Though some teams may appear particularly strong at their own ground, this assumption is often based on wins from a limited number of games.

Any extra home advantage disappeared when the researchers extrapolated to an infinite number of games. This apparent bias can be seen when a coin lands on heads more than tails after a set number of flips.
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Intel launching quad-core notebook CPU

DigiTimes reports: [edited]

Intel is planning to launch its first quad-core CPU for notebooks, the Core 2 Extreme QX9300, in the third quarter this year with pricing set at a new high of US$1,038 in thousand-unit tray quantities.

It will be manufactured at 45nm with a core frequency of 2.53GHz. The chip will include 12MB L2 cache and have a maximum TDP [Thermal Design Power, Ed] of 45W [current MacBook Pro duo-core processors have a TDP of 31W, Ed].
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Being John Malkovich

I am probably the last person on earth to watch this movie. I bought the DVD a few years ago, and since then it has languished on my 'To Watch' shelf. I knew it was a well-reviewed film, but it somehow fell outside most of my 'Yeah, I'll watch that' categories.

However this Sunday I blew the dust off the casing and cued the DVD. Two hours later, I put it back, very grateful that movies like this get made.

In case you haven't seen it, 'Being John Malkovich' is a surreal comedy that examines celebrity, identity, sexuality and neurosis. It ambles along at a medium pace, drawing you in to its confusing but entertaining world.

You don't really need to know any more. None of the characters take themselves too seriously (Malkovich in particular), and everyone acts superbly. You won't learn a lot, but you will be stimulated and amused.
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Best type of 2007

Typographica reports: [edited]

Typographica’s fourth annual review showcases the best in new typeface design. Twenty-five of the world’s brightest graphic and type designers selected their favorite font releases of the year, including David Berlow, Ellen Lupton, and Erik Spiekermann.

via kottke
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Nikon D3 low-light samples

Found the Ken Rockwell site while browsing for examples of high-ISO images. There are a number of examples that demonstrate how far the Nikon D3 has advanced the capture of usable images in very low light situations.

For the real geeks, Vilhelm Sjostrom has produced a Flickr page demonstrating the way image quality changes with ISOs varying from 200 - 25600.
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Nikon D300 review

DPreview has published a detailed, extremely positive review of Nikon's 'semi-pro' DSLR.
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Here!

Shopmodi reports: [edited]

This clever coat hook points out the obvious location for your outerwear. once you try it, you’ll be hooked.

Hardware included. Dimensions: 4” x 4” x 1”

Available in ivory, charcoal and red

$12.00 USD
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Bottle cap collection

Browse them in all their miniature, metally, painty beauty at Maura's Flickr page.
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Inngenio 6000

RegHardware reports: [edited]

The Inngenio 6000, has cropped up on a Spanish retailer’s website. The €90 gadget boasts a 2.8in touchscreen display with 2GB of internal storage. It has a memory card slot built-in capable of taking Micro SD cards of up to 4GB in capacity.

It also has an integrated speaker, plays MPEG 4, XvID and AVI videos. MP3, WMA, JPG and BMP files are also accepted. There's an FM radio, and transmissions from this can be recorded onto the player.
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Free font

Suitcase Type have released Metalista,

"An expression of undying admiration at the persistency of the metal culture. Angular face of nearly monolinear proportions combines upper and lower case letterforms. The strengthened horizontal strokes are aimed at softening of the 'gothic' feel of the face, and add to its contemporary character.".
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iTunes public service announcement

Apple Insider has reported that since upgrading to iTunes 7.6.1, CD imports sometimes result in the last 6 seconds of the final track getting cut short.

The glitch primarily affects newer, faster drives, because (and sorry for getting a bit technical here) the little men collecting the data are so exhausted that they fall over and drop some of the bits and bytes.

Now, I know that CDs are just SO 20th Century, but for those of you who still employ the format, it might be worth checking the last track of any you've ripped to iTunes recently.

If you have been affected, and can't wait for the update, some users have found that importing the final track to AIFF format sorts the problem.
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Aspire Gemstone 8920G

Information Week reports: [edited]

The Aspire Gemstone 8920G is the first of what the company is calling its "Blue" series, which refers to the notebook's blue, black, and silver color scheme and interior/exterior lighting effects. Within the stylish design, Acer has added a variety of entertainment features that would appeal to people looking for more than a business notebook.

The new product has an 18.4" footprint (441 x 300 x 44mm) that includes a 1920 x 1080 pixel screen. It weighs 4.1kg with one hard drive. [For comparison, a 17" MacBook Pro measures 392 x 265 x 26mm and weighs 3kg, Ed].

Powering the machine is an Intel Centrino Core 2 Duo processor and PM965 Express Chipset.

The 8920G is available with up to two 320 GB hard disk drives, and a Blu-ray disc drive. Buyers can choose between an Nvidia GeForce 9650M GS or 9500M GS graphics card.

The notebook includes an integrated TV tuner, six integrated speakers and support for Dolby Home Theater sound technology. There's a touch-sensitive media console for navigating menus and adjusting volume without going through the standard Windows menu.

Price: $900 to $1,700.
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SXSW 2008 Free Tracks Review

SXSW 2008 has posted 764 songs for free download. I'm gradually working my way through them. Highlights so far include:

American Hearts - A.A. Bondy: Dylan-inspired, thoughful folk.

One And Only - A.J. Croce: Jim Croce's son continues in the singer-songwriter tradition without his father's tendency toward cloying sentimentality.

Come On, Claire - Aberfeldy: Quirky, stripped-back, melodic pop.

Sun Lips - Black Moth Super Rainbow: Distorted, wobbly synths and a vocoder, what's not to like?

I Guess I'll Forget the Sound, I Guess, I Guess - Bodies of Water: A proggy, choral melange. Delightful.

Bottom Dollar - Christopher Rees: A soulful duet with Becky from the Hot Puppies doing her best Macy Gray impression.

Sleep Is Impossble - Deluka: A pleasing chunk of angular, funky synth-pop.

Saturday Girl - The Feds: Loud, raw, shouty rock. Guaranteed to increase your driving speed by at least 10mph.

Julia, we don't live in the 60s - The Indelicates: Poppy melody and raspy laddish vocals.

Viviendo - Karina Nistal: Afro-cuban hippety-hoppety electro. Nice.

Restless - Langhorne Slim: Because you can never have enough 'train songs'.

My Girl, Suicide - Mr. Lewis & The Funeral 5: Tex-Mex with a dash of burlesque.

Samba Pesada - Sexto Sol feat. Vernon 'Spot' Barnett: Pleasantly rhythmic in a Santana-esque manner.

Shake The Magic Eight Ball - The Sound of Urchin: Brash, confident American rock.

I Feel Weird - Steel Train: A pumping, obsessive love song.

Everyone's Got'em - White Ghost Shivers: A joyful jugband workout. Could have been written and performed 100 years ago, except for the (welcome) lack of needle crackle.
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Play.com selling DRM-free MP3s

Play.com is now offering music from EMI and a number of independent labels as downloadable DRM-free MP3 files.

Individual tracks start at 65p each, and albums from £4.99.
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Belkin Rockstar

Belkin reports: [edited]

RockStar is a simple and fun way to share music, creating more interaction among everyone using it. Students can sit around a lunch table, plug their headphones into RockStar, and then together listen to the songs playing from one MP3 player.

Alternatively, they can connect two or three MP3 players to RockStar, and then mix the songs from the different players together.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: My first thought was, "Another pointless widget" - especially as, with 5 sets of headphones plugged in, the volume to each set of earphones would drop considerably. However I can see how the idea of sharing two or three players could have possibilities.

Now if we could just find something similar for people to 'share' their 'hilarious' mobile ringtones with one another.
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Pantone redefines 'pretentious'

Pantone reports: [edited]

Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, selected PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris, a beautifully balanced blue-purple, as the color of the year for 2008.

Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement.

"From a color forecasting perspective, we have chosen PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris as the color of the year, as it best represents color direction in 2008 for fashion, cosmetics and home products," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

"As a reflection of the times, Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspect of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic. Look for it artfully combined with deeper plums, red-browns, yellow-greens, grapes and grays."

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: It's OK, I checked to see whether the press release date was April 1 as well.
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Firefox 3 Beta 4

If you use Firefox, it might be worth paying a visit to their beta download site.

I use Firefox as my secondary browser (Safari is my favourite). Firefox 3 Beta 4 (on Mac OSX 10.4.11) is subjectively much faster than Firefox 2 on many sites, especially those that are Javascript-heavy.

One minor bug/feature I have noticed is that if you download a jpeg via Firefox 3, it is renamed to the lesser-used .jfif ending, which Photoshop doesn't recognise. Simply changing the ending to .jpg sorts it out, but hopefully this will be sorted in the proper release.
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Ikariam

Ikariamis a free MMOG [Massively Multiplayer Online Game, Ed] by Gameforge.

You start with your own area on a small island in the Mediterranean Sea that you can create your own civilization.

You then construct your own town. And your workers will continue their efforts (if you tell them to) even when you are logged out.

And (of course) you can cooperate or fight with other Ikariam participants.
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Intel to enter solid state hard drive market

c|net reports: [edited]

At the moment, Intel offers small-capacity chip-level (what are called Thin Small Outline Packages or TSOPs) technology that provides end-product sizes ranging up to 16GB. But this modest line of products will get a big boost in the second quarter when Intel offers 1.8- and 2.5-inch SSDs ranging from 80GB to 160GB in capacity, said Troy Winslow, marketing manager for the NAND Products Group at Intel.

Intel's new SSDs will compete with Samsung which is slated to bring out a 128GB SSD in the third quarter.
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iPod's ancestor

The first commercially released personal music player capable of handling MP3 files was the MPMan F10, launched in March 1998. It came with 32MB of storage, measured 91 x 70 x 16.5mm, weighed 60g and cost $250.
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Pixel atrocities

Photoshop Disasters reports: [edited]

Have you seen a truly awful piece of Photoshop work? Perhaps those idiots you work with have done something regrettable? Perhaps your competitors? If it is commercial and awful then please let us know!
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Three short books by Paul Arden

Paul Arden spent 14 years as the Executive Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi. He was responsible for some of the UK's most successful advertising campaigns – British Airways, Silk Cut, Anchor Butter, InterCity and Fuji.

He has published three books. All of them have lots of pictures and not many words.

His first book was 'It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be' (artfully subtitled 'The world's best-selling book by Paul Arden'). It is a compendium of Mr Arden's thoughts and suggestions based on his life-experience in the 'creative' world.

His thoughts are not always deep, but they are usually provoking. He starts off with 'Set your goals high and aim beyond what you believe you are capable of', moving on to 'Don't seek praise. Seek criticism', and possibly his most profound (and contentious) offering 'Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you'.

I can guarantee you won't like all of it, but am equally sure that it will challenge you to think more about how you approach your life.

'Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite' is an excellent 'rut-busting' book'. Not much of it is original, but it's worth it just or some of the examples of 'wrong' decisions that have ended up with right outcomes. Good toilet-reading.

'God Explained In A Taxi Ride' is an excellent example of how people should stick to what they do best. This mini-tome addresses some of the metaphysical questions that humans have asked since pre-history, especially our relationship to the 'divine'. His questions are good, but the conclusions are neither original or profound.
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London, Lincoln, London 09-03-08

LONDON to LINCOLN
Spinning Around the Sun - Martina Sorbara
Can You Dig It - The Mock Turtles
You've Been Cheatin' - The Impressions
Is This The Way To Amarillo - Peter Kay (Max & Paddy)
Spanish Stroll - Mink DeVille
Billy Don't Be A Hero - Paper Lace
Shock The Monkey - Peter Gabriel
You Said - Madness
Rapture - iiO
Move It Like This - Baha Men
Running Out of Time - Hot Hot Heat
Stella - Ida Maria
There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards - Ian Dury & The Blockheads
Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World
Happy - Victoria Williams
sugah - Ruby Amanfu
Rhythm of the night - Corona
Do The Hucklebuck - Coast to Coast
If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself) - Pete Droge & The Sinners
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Dwight Yoakam
I Wanna Dance with somebody - Whitney Houston
Shine A Little Love - Electric Light Orchestra
Slung-lo - Erin McKeown
Forever Lost - The Magic Numbers
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
1985 - Bowling For Soup
My Give A Damn's Busted - Jo Dee Messina
One Fine Day - The Shirelles
I Wish I Could Fly (Orville's Song) - Keith Harris & Orville
Waiting For A Star To Fall - Boy Meets Girl
Who Knows - Avril Lavigne
Airport - The Motors
C'Mon C'Mon - The Von Bondies
Running In The Family - Level 42
Strong Enough - Cher
Red Dirt Road - Brooks And Dunn
This Kiss - Faith Hill
Cracklin Rose - Neil Diamond
That's The Way - Jo Dee Messina
Country Girl - Primal Scream
The Yodeling Ghost - Andrews Sisters & Bing Crosby
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On The Bedpost Overnight) - Lonnie Donegan & His Skiffle Group
What Time Is Love - KLF
Take On Me - Reel Big Fish
Heat Wave - The Jam
That’ll Be the Day - Buddy Holly
One Step Beyond - Madness
Jeans on - David Dundas

LINCOLN to LONDON
999 Buttons - Back Ted N-Ted
Deja Vu: (If God Is My Father) - Larry Norman
Jesus Was Here On Business - Rev. Johnny Blakey
Mozambique - Bob Dylan
Hercules - World Party
Poor Poor Pitiful Me - Warren Zevon
Somebody Touched Me - Bruce Cockburn
Float On - Floaters
Brimstone Rock - 16 Horsepower
No Need To Cry - Neko Case And Her Boyfriends
Happy Birthday - Pizzicato Five
Amateur Hour (remix) - Sparks
Kansas City - Fats Domino
Good Company - Queen
The Twist - Chubby Checker
Hip Hip Hip Hurrah - Claude Francois
On My Radio - The Selecter
Video Killed The Radio Star - Erasure
Dancing In The Moonlight - David Kitt
Let Mercy Lead - Rich Mullins
The Kiss - Judee Sill
The Fly - David Axelrod
we are money money - Money Money
Arms Aloft - Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros
Downward Road - Pops Staples
Blinking Lights (For You) - Eels
Desire As - Prefab Sprout
Something About What Happens When We Talk - Lucinda Williams
Live Is Life - Opus
Just Like Everyman - Jeff Finlin
She Makes My Day - Robert Palmer
Million Miles Away - The Offspring
Come Down - Kevin Prosch
Golden Autumn Day - Van Morrison
'Til I Gain Control Again - Rodney Crowell
Atmosphere - Joy Division
Red Rover - Rosie Thomas
Foxey Lady - Cee-Lo
Paraphrase (Instrumental) - Yngwie Malmsteen
Sorted for Es & Wizz - Pulp
London Girls - Chas 'N' Dave
Almost Fed Up With the Blues - John Hiatt
The KKK Took My Baby Away - Ramones
The High Road - Bettye Lavette
End Of the Summer (live) - Dar Williams
Yet Still This Will Be - Martyn Joseph
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Flickriver

Flickriver is: [edited]

Flickriver is an new way to explore and view Flickr photographs.

Flickriver enhances your photo browsing experience in several ways:

River of photos - the photographs are always displayed as one continuous stream - you can view thousands of photos without ever needing to hit 'next' and waiting for the next page to load! This is also known as "infinite scroll".

User most interesting photos - see other people's photos ordered by interestingness

Photos of user's contacts - see recent photos from contacts of any user
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ATV to launch on Sunday

BBC reports: [edited]

Europe is set to launch the biggest, most sophisticated spacecraft in its history. The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is an unmanned ship that can carry up to 7.6 tonnes of supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). Its other primary role is to push the orbiting outpost higher into the sky to keep it from falling back to Earth.

The ATV will launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana at 0403 GMT on Sunday. The vehicle has been dubbed 'Jules Verne' and will weigh some 20 tonnes at launch. The Ariane 5 has had to be specially strengthened for the task.
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London, Lincoln, London 08-03-08

LONDON to LINCOLN
54-46 Was My Number - Toots & The Maytals
Jesse With The Long Hair - Robert Earl Keen
Baby Genius - Eels
Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing - Minutemen
I'll Just Pretend - Mandy Barnett
The Inch - Peaches
It's Alright (Guvnor Mix) - East 17
I'll Fly Away - Johnny Cash
In My Time Of Dying - The Be Good Tanyas
You Hit Me Like TNT - Linda Jones
A-Hunting We Will Go - Hem
Startup Chime - Ladytron
Homeless - Ladysmith Black Mambazo
More Not More - Bruce Cockburn
Court And Spark - Joni Mitchell
Back To The Start - Razorlight
Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
Oh, What A Dream - Johnny Cash
Who's Killing Who? - The Chords
Do You Love Me - The Contours
Because The Night - Patti Smith
Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard - Paul Simon
You Gotta Be - Desree
Our Last Summer - ABBA
Unbroken - Missy Higgins
Comatised - Leona Naess
Take On Me - Reel Big Fish
Texarkana - R.E.M.
Beautiful Day Without You - Röyksopp
Spinning Around the Sun - Martina Sorbara
The Boy In The Bubble - Paul Simon
Disconnected - Idlewild
Please Please Please - Fiona Apple
Shimmer - Shawn Mullins
One Two Brown Eyes - Them
Change of Heart - Cyndi Lauper
Come And Get It - Badfinger
The Meaning Of Love - Depeche Mode
Choir - Malcolm Middleton
Just Like A Pill - P!nk (Pink)
The Girl I Knew Somewhere - The Monkees
Understand - Andy White
Egg Suckin Dog - Flametrick Subs w/ Satan's Che
Drivin' Across America - Mark Germino
I Can't Break The News To Myself - Ben E. King

LINCOLN to LONDON
The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
Roxanne - The Police
Get What You Want - Operator Please
What A Day For A Daydream - Lovin' Spoonful
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1 - The Flaming Lips
Ready for the Floor - Hot Chip
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
Blood Sugar - Pendulum
Romeo and Juliet - Toy Box
Back in Black - AC/DC
Feel Good Inc (Single Edit) - Gorillaz
Ne-Ne, Na-Na, Na-Na, Nu-Nu - Bad Manners
Boy From New York City - Manhattan Transfer
Joe Le Taxi - Vanessa Paradis
Battleship Chains (Kick 'n' Lick Remix) - The Georgia Satellites
The Joker - Fatboy Slim
Come Back And Shake Me - Clodagh Rogers
Run (Radio Edit) - Gnarls Barkley
Tell That Girl To Shut Up - Transvision Vamp
Who Were You With In The Moonlight - Dollar
Brand New Lover - Dead Or Alive
Brrrlak - Zap Mama
She's So Cool - Catherine Porter
That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
Screamager - Therapy?
My Sharona (ext) - The Knack
Misfit - Amy Studt
Ghosts - Laura Marling
Don't Leave Me This Way - Communards (Featuring Sarah Jane Morris)
Tokyo Moon - Windmill
Rubber Biscuit - The Chips
My Toot Toot - Denise Lasalle
Davy's On The Road Again - Manfred Mann
Saturday Girl - The Feds
Camouflage - Stan Ridgeway
Keep On Running - The Spencer Davis Group
This Is a Call - Foo Fighters
Hang The DJ - The Smiths
Bouncy Ball (Single Version) - Ladyfuzz
Nasty Nasty - 999
Hi Jo Hi - Deaf School
Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan
Baby Love - Diana Ross (With the Supremes)
------------

GM M500 Watch Phone

Mobileburn reports: [edited]

General Mobile's M500 uses a 1.5" OLED touchscreen display alongside Bluetooth. Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900MHz) is also on-board with data coming across a GPRS connection.

The M500 also features several organizer applications such as a world clock, calendar, and stopwatch. There is 128MB of internal storage space and the M500 charges through a USB port.

Availability and pricing TBA.
------------

iPhone Software Developer Kit released

Apple has released a range of software that will allow software developers to create and sell programs for the iPhone and iPod touch.

One of the most significant aspects is support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide secure push email, contacts and calendars as well as remote wipe, and the addition of Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks. It will be interesting to see how this affects uptake of the iPhone in corporate market sectors.

The software also provides new Mail features such as the ability to view PowerPoint attachments, in addition to Word and Excel, as well as the ability to mass delete and move email messages.

However, the most important announcement (for one member of my family at least) is that Spore will be released for the iPhone in September.
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You knew it already, but...

Wired reports: [edited]

Americans say they would have more trouble giving up a cell phone than a traditional phone, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said in a report Wednesday. Less than two years earlier, respondents still considered their landlines the most crucial technology.

"The preferences have flipped," said John Horrigan, author of the new Pew report. "During that timeframe, people have purchased new devices that have more capabilities. People have more experience using cell phones for text messaging and other information tools."

According to Pew, the cell phone is the technological tool its users would have most difficulty giving up, followed by the Internet and television. Landline phones ranked fourth in the latest survey, just above e-mail.
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Internet Explorer 8 beta released

Microsoft reports: [edited]

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 is a (PC-only) developer preview for web designers and developers to help prepare their websites for the launch of Internet Explorer 8. Some of the new features designed for developers include a developer toolbar and improved interoperability and compatibility.

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: For a fuller discussion of just how much Microsoft have 'improved interoperability and compatibility' visit one of the tech geek forums. Slashdot would be as good a place as any to start.
------------

Zhen Zhen

Rita Petita (possibly not her real name) has a superb set of photos featuring Zhen Zhen, a newly-born panda at San Diego Zoo.

Just a random thought, do all languages have an equivalent for 'Awww'?
------------

Glow

I heard this band performing a live session on 6Music's (uniformly excellent) Tom Robinson show and was struck by the subtlety, complexity and listenability of their songs. They're not obviously influenced by anyone, but for a thumbnail sketch think Elbow and Coldplay, with a dash of Radiohead and Kraftwerk.

Formed in 2005 Ben, Jim and Rob studied music at Southampton University and use laptops, keyboards and controllers to complement voice, trumpet and guitars. They eschew backing tracks and emphasise that their preferred environment is live performances.

Their first studio album is marked for release in Spring, but you can download full versions of all their songs from their website
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Airborne, the new snake oil

The New York Times reports: [edited]

The makers of Airborne, a line of popular herbal supplements that was marketed as a “miracle cold buster,” have decided to settle the false-advertising complaints in a class-action lawsuit for $23.3 million, according to one of the plaintiffs in the suit.

Who would ever believe that “an effervescent dietary supplement that was created by a school teacher” could cure the common cold? Evidently, quite a few people: the company says it took in more than $100 million from sniffly consumers through 2006, who followed the company’s advice to take the stuff at the first sign of symptoms and to expect relief within an hour or two.

Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern, Kevin Costner and other stars endorse the product, and Airborne has been featured on the “Dr. Phil” and “Live With Regis and Kelly” television shows.

Airborne said that a double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted with “care and professionalism” by a company specializing in clinical trial management, GNG Pharmaceutical Services.

GNG is actually a two-man operation started up just to do the Airborne study. There was no clinic, no scientists and no doctors. The man who ran things said he had lots of clinical trial experience. He added that he had a degree from Indiana University, but the school says he never graduated.

An official at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food health and safety advocacy group that helped bring the lawsuit, disagreed. “There’s no credible evidence that what’s in Airborne can prevent colds or protect you from a germy environment,” David Schardt said in a news release.

Will this latest chink in Airborne’s armor hurt sales? That will be entirely up to consumers, who have begun to desert echinacea, another popular herbal remedy, after studies slammed its purported cold-fighting properties. Of course, the hopper keeps spinning, and another study popped up last month claiming it could work after all.
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Coathanger vs Monster Cable

Consumerist.com reports: [edited]

Can you tell the difference between music that passed through a pricey Monster stereo Cable, and a coat hanger? A reader forwarded us a post from the Audioholics Home Theater Forum and its author says no.

He says his brother ran an experiment on him and four other audio aficionados listening to a new CD from a new group blindfolded. Seven different songs were played, each time heard with the speaker hooked up to Monster Cables, and the other time, hooked up to coat hanger wire. Nobody could determine which was the Monster Cable and which was the coat hanger.

The kicker? None of the subjects even knew that coat hangers were going to be used. [They were assuming it was two different high-end makes of speaker cable. Ed]

- - - - -

Brett's 2p'orth: If you're the least bit curious, it's worth visiting the original Audioholics Forum post to see someone doing their best to be honest about what does and doesn't improve the listening experience.

I'm told I have a 'good ear' for what sounds good, but am also aware, as I get older, there are frequencies and nuances that my organic audio hardware is no longer able to discern (in fact, it's a thing of some wonder that I can hear at all with the volume levels my cochlea have been subjected to).

My basic rule is that if I can't consistently tell the difference between two items in a double-blind test, then (if all other factors are equal) it is pointless paying extra. It is for this reason that I convert all my digital music to 128kbps AAC, anything higher is a waste of storage space (for me).

There is one caveat to this. Any listening test has to be done over an extended period of time. Equipment that sounds superb for a couple of minutes can become 'wearing' after 20 minutes. A good playback system sounds better the longer you listen to it.

But this is becoming an essay. Note to self, 'Must revisit this area some time'.
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Roadrunner Bluetooth Communicator

Pro-Idee reports: [edited]

Fit the RoadRunner around your neck, with the microphone next to your voice box. This way your voice is directly transmitted from the larynx, with noise suppression of up to 10 dB. Ideal too when driving a convertible or a motorcycle.

The RoadRunner fits snugly around your neck. Ideal for jogging, skiing, cycling, motorcycling etc.

Priced at £39.50 plus p&p.
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Sony PlayStation 3 to shine in 2008?

Information Week reports: [edited]

If 2006 was the year of the Xbox 360 and 2007 was the year of the Wii, 2008 is shaping up to be PlayStation 3's turn in the spotlight, as it stokes demand in the $19 billion computer gaming industry with some hotly awaited game titles.

Nintendo's Wii outsold Sony's more expensive PS3 console 4-to-1 in Japan this month, but the PS3's maiden victory over the Wii last November showed that under the right conditions, the tables could turn.

Exclusive PS3 titles like puzzle-solving, community-based game "LittleBigPlanet", production improvements that will give Sony room to cut prices, and the recent victory of its Blu-ray technology in the high-definition DVD format war, should drive demand for the games console.

"2008 will be a turning year for the PS3," said iSuppli analyst Pamela Tufegdzic. "Sony is offering a better forthcoming software pipeline with blockbuster titles like "Gran Turismo 5", which will boost PS3 sales this year."

Sony cut U.S. prices for its PS3 in November to $400-$500, compared with $250 for the Wii, and $280-$450 for the Xbox.

The company loses money on each PS3 it sells. Each machine offers the Blu-ray optical disc player and the "Cell" microprocessor that provides life-like graphics for hardcore gamers, driving up production costs.

But Sony expects manufacturing costs to fall below selling prices in the second half of next fiscal year, as it boosts production efficiency and component prices fall. This will give it flexibility to cut prices without incurring hefty losses.

Its game division is set to post an operating loss of more than 100 billion yen ($925 million) in the year to end-March, but aims to return to profit in the year to March 2009.

Meanwhile, at $400, the PS3 is one of the cheapest Blu-ray machines available, and may see spill-over demand from DVD player buyers.

"People may buy the PS3 not only for their gaming needs, but for video as well, which gives the PS3 a unique competitive edge over the Wii and Xbox 360 well into the longer term," said Tufegdzic.

Electronic Arts, the world's largest independent games publisher, is banking on a PS3 growth spurt this year, forecasting sales of 9.5-11.5 million units, versus 6-8 million for the Xbox 360.

But Sony still faces significant hurdles.

Its Home network to compete with Microsoft's Xbox Live was delayed, while shipping dates for some major game titles have slipped. Microsoft and Nintendo are also well-placed to match any of Sony's price cuts.

ISuppli's Tufegdzic expects the PS3 to lead the market only in 2011, as the Wii continues to gain momentum after the release of its new home fitness game this year.

Nintendo will launch the popular "Wii Fit" in overseas markets in the June quarter, after unit sales topped 1.2 million in the nine weeks since its release in Japan.

With the Wii's launch in late 2006, Nintendo has broadened the market to women and the elderly by offering easy-to-learn games and breaking new ground with motion-sensing controllers.

This has helped its stock surge more than five-fold in the last two years to end-2007, making Nintendo Japan's third-most valuable company.
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Photoshop, how it all started

Storyphoto.com reports: [edited]

The story of one of the original "killer apps" begins in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a college professor named Glenn Knoll. Glenn was a photo enthusiast who maintained a darkroom in the family basement. He was also a technology aficionado intrigued by the emergence of the personal computer. His two sons, Thomas and John, inherited their father's inquisitive nature. And the vision for future greatness began with their exposure to Glenn's basement darkroom and with the Apple II Plus that he brought home for research projects.

"Photography was a hobby of mine in high school," explained Thomas in an interview for the Michigan Engineer. "In dad's darkroom, I learned how to make black-and-white and color prints, how to balance color and contrast."

"Another memory that is really fixed in my mind" John adds, "was in 1984 when I picked up a copy of Time magazine that had a little article about the Macintosh, and I thought, wow, look at this thing!" A couple of months later Mr. Knoll had purchased one of the first Macs available on the open market.

Even though Thomas loved hands-on darkroom work, he too had a keen interest in computers and programming. In 1987 he purchased an Apple Macintosh Plus to help him with his Ph.D. work on the "processing of digital images." Much to his disappointment, the Mac couldn't display gray-scale levels in his images. To solve that problem, Thomas wrote a subroutine to simulate the gray-scale effect.

"There were a bunch of command line driven shell tools much like the Unix C shell command line interface of the Pixar." Shortly there after, John and Thomas pulled these pieces of code together and Thomas built an amazing little application called "Display."

"I was delighted," John said, "but I started asking for more. What if Display could save images in other formats so I could print them in another program? I used Display to open a couple of sample images that I got from the ILM computer graphics department, but they looked too dark on my screen—suddenly I needed gamma correction tools too." John's requests distracted Thomas from his thesis work, but he too was intrigued by the possibilities of image editing on a personal computer.

This cycle of refinement continued over a period of months and led to an improved version of the application that became "ImagePro" in 1988. At this point John began suggesting to Thomas that they turn ImagePro into a commercial application.

"My fellowship money had run out and my wife was expecting our first child," Thomas explained during the Michigan Engineer interview. "I was feeling pressure to finish what I was doing and find a job."

In early 1988, Thomas decided to give himself six more months to finish a beta version of ImagePro and let John shop it around Silicon Valley. One company, BarneyScan, did show some interest. They offered to bundle (on a short term basis) what was now called "Photoshop" with their slide scanner. A total of about 200 copies of Photoshop were shipped.


In September 1988, the Knoll brothers' luck changed. John presented a demo to Adobe's internal creative team, and they loved the product. A license agreement was struck soon after, and Photoshop 1.0 was shipped in February 1990.
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Playstation 3 cluster

Gaurav Khanna reports: [edited]

The Sony PlayStation 3 has a number of unique features that make it particularly suited for scientific computation. To start with, the PS3 is an open platform, which means that one can run a different system software on it, for example, PowerPC Linux.

Next, it has a revolutionary processor called the Cell processor which was developed by Sony, IBM and Toshiba. This processor has a main CPU, called the PPU and several (six for the PS3) special compute engines, called SPUs available for raw computation.

We have a sixteen PS3 cluster in our department, which we call PS3 Gravity Grid. We are using stock PS3s. They are networked together using a gigabit switch.

Overall, a single PS3 performs better than the highest-end desktops available and compares to as many as 25 nodes of an IBM Blue Gene supercomputer. And there is still tremendous scope left for extracting more performance through further optimization.

We distribute the entire computational domain across the sixteen PS3s using MPI (message passing) parallelization. This enables the entire cluster to run together, harmoniously, working on the computation in an efficient way. Each PS3 works on its part of the domain and communicates the appropriate data to the others, as needed
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Lifecar

The Morgan Motor Company reports: [edited]

The Morgan LifeCar is a concept car due to be launched at the Geneva Show in March 2008. The LifeCar’s purpose is to demonstrate that a zero emission vehicle can also be fun to drive.

Going far beyond the incremental adaptation of traditional car designs as seen in current hybrid vehicles, it will demonstrate that a new step in vehicle architecture is enabled by the use of a fuel cell hybrid power train.

The approach is one of whole system design in which the architecture is generated from the characteristics of the fuel cell, in a light-weight vehicle coupled with a high hybridization level.

This combination will minimise the fuel cell cost and provide the fuel economy for a 200 mile range.
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Free font

Harold's Fonts reports: [edited]

Pharmacy was inspired by the sign at a local (Albany, NY) drugstore. Waiting at the red light, I'd often stared at the sign, admiring its jolly and curious mix of upper and lowercase, and the peculiar asymmetrical capital A.
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