Apple's latest range of iPhones were announced yesterday. They're faster, more power efficient, with brighter, wider colour range screens... for full specs and prices you can visit your region's Apple website. But really, it's all about the camera(s).
Here's some snippets from Digital Photography Review:
"All three devices offer a standard 12MP camera and a second 12MP ultra wide camera with a 13mm equivalent F2.4 5-element lens, which provides a 120 degree field of view. A new feature uses the ultra-wide camera to show you what's beyond the frame when using the main camera, helping you decide whether to switch to the wider field of view."
"Portrait mode is now available with the wider 26mm field of view, since a depth map can be generated using the main and ultra-wide cameras, and portrait relighting brings a new 'High-Key Light Mono' for high contrast black-and-white portraits that mimic studio lighting."
"The 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max continue to offer the telephoto camera of previous generations. This is also a 12MP sensor paired with a faster F2.0 lens with optical image stabilisation."
"'Night mode' turns on automatically in dim conditions and uses 'adaptive bracketing' to capture and fuse multiple exposures. A new 'Deep Fusion' mode, promised later in the year, captures up to 9 frames and fuses them into a higher resolution 24MP image. Four short and four secondary frames are constantly buffered to ensure short shutter lag, and one long exposure is taken after the shutter press. These are then intelligently combined to produce a blur and ghosting-free high resolution image."
"The front facing 'TrueDepth' camera on all three iPhones have been upgraded, now with a 12MP sensor. It takes 7MP selfies in portrait orientation, but automatically switches to a wider field of view with 12MP capture when you rotate the phone to landscape orientation. Also new is the ability to record slow-motion selfie video clips at up to 120 fps."
I'll conclude with a pertinent comment from LoSPt1
"It's really easy to hate on iPhone 11 Pro simply because of how expensive it is, but if you solely look at the camera technologies used on this phone, you start to realise why compact digital cameras are falling behind phones in terms of sales. No compact cameras are capable of:
— Always on, zero shutter lag HDR with local pixel aligning that introduces far less ghosting artefacts than the traditional image stacking method
— Handheld pixel shift HDR shots
— Handheld long exposure HDR shots (Night Mode)
— 4K 60 HDR video with real time effects being shown in the viewfinder
— Audio zoom during video recording
— Portrait mode with very easy-to-use pseudo aperture control
The iPhone 11 Pro also comes with the best OLED viewfinder of any cameras in the same price range, dual pixel autofocus, and class-leading performance as a mobile phone."
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Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII Review
Digital Photography Review has published a comprehensive review of Sony's flagship compact zoom. Snippets follow:
Key Specifications
— 20MP 1"-type stacked-CMOS sensor with phase detection
— 24-200mm equivalent F2.8-4.5 zoom
— 20 fps continuous shooting with autofocus/auto-exposure
— Seven frame, 90 fps 'single burst' mode
— Retractable 2.36M-dot EVF
— 3" touchscreen LCD (flips up 180°, down 90°)
— Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC
Conclusion
The RX100 VII is the most capable pocket camera ever made, both in terms of video and stills. It doesn't seem to offer much over the RX100 VI [but] a vastly improved AF implementation and general usability improvements make the VII easier to operate and enjoyable to use.
The RX100 VII not only has the easiest-to-use autofocus implementation of any compact, it also has the most reliable. Real-time Tracking AF does a great job of sticking to whatever you point the camera at. The silent, fully electronic shutter mode used in bursts introduces little to no rolling shutter. But there's no zooming while AF is engaged. Image quality is excellent in good light, files display pleasing colour and good detail capture.
The RX100 VII takes the speed and AF accuracy/usability of a high-end sports camera and puts it in a body that not only offers an incredibly versatile zoom range, but also fits in your pocket. For parents or travel photographers seeking a camera that will 'just get the shot,' regardless of the distance or movement of the subject, this is a fantastic choice.
Price: £1200
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Key Specifications
— 20MP 1"-type stacked-CMOS sensor with phase detection
— 24-200mm equivalent F2.8-4.5 zoom
— 20 fps continuous shooting with autofocus/auto-exposure
— Seven frame, 90 fps 'single burst' mode
— Retractable 2.36M-dot EVF
— 3" touchscreen LCD (flips up 180°, down 90°)
— Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC
Conclusion
The RX100 VII is the most capable pocket camera ever made, both in terms of video and stills. It doesn't seem to offer much over the RX100 VI [but] a vastly improved AF implementation and general usability improvements make the VII easier to operate and enjoyable to use.
The RX100 VII not only has the easiest-to-use autofocus implementation of any compact, it also has the most reliable. Real-time Tracking AF does a great job of sticking to whatever you point the camera at. The silent, fully electronic shutter mode used in bursts introduces little to no rolling shutter. But there's no zooming while AF is engaged. Image quality is excellent in good light, files display pleasing colour and good detail capture.
The RX100 VII takes the speed and AF accuracy/usability of a high-end sports camera and puts it in a body that not only offers an incredibly versatile zoom range, but also fits in your pocket. For parents or travel photographers seeking a camera that will 'just get the shot,' regardless of the distance or movement of the subject, this is a fantastic choice.
Price: £1200
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Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Pamu Slide Bluetooth Earphones
The Pamu Slide is Pamu's third Indiegogo offering. I went for the 'basic' version, which cost me £45 including carriage. The finished item arrived a week ago (click here for unboxing images), and first impressions are very good.
I am not a lover of earphones, my travelling headphones of choice are the Bose Quietcomfort 35s, but having worn the Pamu Slides for a few 2-3 hour sessions, they are very comfortable, and sit securely in my ears (there is a wide range of alternative size 'buds' provided).
The earphones have touch controls for controlling volume, music playback control as well as activating Siri/Google Assistant. They are IPX6 certified, so should survive sweat and light rain.
The charging case's lid slides back to reveal the storing/charging area. The earphones are held in the correct place by magnets. When removed the earphones automatically pair with one another, and then connect to the device you have paired them with.
The sound is clear and balanced with controlled bass and the stereo imaging is impressive, significantly better than Apple's standard wired earbuds. Unlike many bluetooth earbuds, they are capable of decent volume levels without distorting. I wore the Pamu Slides on a tube trip to London and they were the most comfortable buds I have ever worn. Compared to my Bose headphones, the only thing I really missed was the active noise cancelling, especially when a hen night troupe boarded half-way through the journey.
I don't usually wear headphones to the gym, but they remained comfortable and secure during a 50 minute cardio workout, including running, rowing and cycling. The Bluetooth connection did not drop or glitch.
I haven't had the chance to test the battery life, but current reviews put them at around 9 hours on a single charge, nearly double that of Apple's Airpods. The case supports fast charging of the earphones, 5 minutes in the case provides another hour of playback.
UPDATE: In January 2020, the right earbud stopped functioning. A Google search revealed that I was not the only one with this problem. I tried all the suggested fixes, but no joy. An email to Pamu was eventually replied to, requesting I send a video showing the earbuds being removed from the case. I did this, and they have replied promising to send a replacement pair of earbuds.
UPDATE 2: Received replacement earbuds 5 February 2020... paired up fine. Will add another update if they fail.
------------
I am not a lover of earphones, my travelling headphones of choice are the Bose Quietcomfort 35s, but having worn the Pamu Slides for a few 2-3 hour sessions, they are very comfortable, and sit securely in my ears (there is a wide range of alternative size 'buds' provided).
The earphones have touch controls for controlling volume, music playback control as well as activating Siri/Google Assistant. They are IPX6 certified, so should survive sweat and light rain.
The charging case's lid slides back to reveal the storing/charging area. The earphones are held in the correct place by magnets. When removed the earphones automatically pair with one another, and then connect to the device you have paired them with.
The sound is clear and balanced with controlled bass and the stereo imaging is impressive, significantly better than Apple's standard wired earbuds. Unlike many bluetooth earbuds, they are capable of decent volume levels without distorting. I wore the Pamu Slides on a tube trip to London and they were the most comfortable buds I have ever worn. Compared to my Bose headphones, the only thing I really missed was the active noise cancelling, especially when a hen night troupe boarded half-way through the journey.
I don't usually wear headphones to the gym, but they remained comfortable and secure during a 50 minute cardio workout, including running, rowing and cycling. The Bluetooth connection did not drop or glitch.
I haven't had the chance to test the battery life, but current reviews put them at around 9 hours on a single charge, nearly double that of Apple's Airpods. The case supports fast charging of the earphones, 5 minutes in the case provides another hour of playback.
UPDATE: In January 2020, the right earbud stopped functioning. A Google search revealed that I was not the only one with this problem. I tried all the suggested fixes, but no joy. An email to Pamu was eventually replied to, requesting I send a video showing the earbuds being removed from the case. I did this, and they have replied promising to send a replacement pair of earbuds.
UPDATE 2: Received replacement earbuds 5 February 2020... paired up fine. Will add another update if they fail.
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Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Protein from air
World Economic Forum reports: [edited]
Finnish company, Solar Foods, is planning to bring to market a new protein powder, Solein, made out of CO₂, water and electricity. It's a high-protein, flour-like ingredient that contains 50 percent protein, 5–10 percent fat, and 20–25 percent carbs. It looks and tastes like wheat flour, and could become an ingredient in a wide variety of food products after its launch in 2021.
Solar Foods makes Solein by extracting CO₂ from air using carbon-capture technology, and then combines it with water, nutrients and vitamins, using solar energy to promote a natural fermentation process similar to the one that produces yeast and lactic acid bacteria.
Solein production is not dependent on arable land, rain, or favourable weather. The company is working with the European Space Agency to develop foods for off-planet production and consumption (the idea for Solein began at NASA).
Image source: Kristiana Pinne
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Finnish company, Solar Foods, is planning to bring to market a new protein powder, Solein, made out of CO₂, water and electricity. It's a high-protein, flour-like ingredient that contains 50 percent protein, 5–10 percent fat, and 20–25 percent carbs. It looks and tastes like wheat flour, and could become an ingredient in a wide variety of food products after its launch in 2021.
Solar Foods makes Solein by extracting CO₂ from air using carbon-capture technology, and then combines it with water, nutrients and vitamins, using solar energy to promote a natural fermentation process similar to the one that produces yeast and lactic acid bacteria.
Solein production is not dependent on arable land, rain, or favourable weather. The company is working with the European Space Agency to develop foods for off-planet production and consumption (the idea for Solein began at NASA).
Image source: Kristiana Pinne
------------
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Equation provides solution to lens imperfections
gizmodo reports: [edited]
It’s a problem that plagues even the priciest of lenses, manufactured to the most exacting specifications: the centre of the frame might be razor-sharp, but the corners and edges always look a little soft.
On paper, a curved glass lens should be able to redirect all the rays of light passing through it onto a single target known as its focal point. But in the real world, it just doesn’t work that way. Differences in refraction across the lens, as well as imperfections in its shape and materials, all contribute to some of those light rays, especially those entering the lens near its outer edges, missing the target. It’s a phenomenon known as spherical aberration, and it’s a problem that even Issac Newton and Greek mathematician Diocles couldn’t crack.
But that’s all going to change thanks to Rafael G. González-Acuña, a doctoral student at Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey. After months of work, he came up with an equation that provides an analytical solution for counteracting spherical aberration, which had been previously formulated back in 1949 as the Wasserman-Wolf problem.
For lens makers, it can provide an exact blueprint for designing a lens that completely eliminates any spherical aberration. It doesn’t matter the size of the lens, the material it’s made from, or what it will be used for, this equation will spit out the exact numbers needed to design it to be optically perfect.
It promises to help improve scientific imaging as well in devices like telescopes and microscopes. But even the average consumer will benefit from González-Acuña’s work. It will allow companies to manufacture simpler lenses with fewer elements which cost considerably less while offering improved image quality in everything from smartphones to professional cameras.
Thanks to Brook for the link.
Image courtesy of Dustin Lee
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It’s a problem that plagues even the priciest of lenses, manufactured to the most exacting specifications: the centre of the frame might be razor-sharp, but the corners and edges always look a little soft.
On paper, a curved glass lens should be able to redirect all the rays of light passing through it onto a single target known as its focal point. But in the real world, it just doesn’t work that way. Differences in refraction across the lens, as well as imperfections in its shape and materials, all contribute to some of those light rays, especially those entering the lens near its outer edges, missing the target. It’s a phenomenon known as spherical aberration, and it’s a problem that even Issac Newton and Greek mathematician Diocles couldn’t crack.
But that’s all going to change thanks to Rafael G. González-Acuña, a doctoral student at Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey. After months of work, he came up with an equation that provides an analytical solution for counteracting spherical aberration, which had been previously formulated back in 1949 as the Wasserman-Wolf problem.
For lens makers, it can provide an exact blueprint for designing a lens that completely eliminates any spherical aberration. It doesn’t matter the size of the lens, the material it’s made from, or what it will be used for, this equation will spit out the exact numbers needed to design it to be optically perfect.
It promises to help improve scientific imaging as well in devices like telescopes and microscopes. But even the average consumer will benefit from González-Acuña’s work. It will allow companies to manufacture simpler lenses with fewer elements which cost considerably less while offering improved image quality in everything from smartphones to professional cameras.
Thanks to Brook for the link.
Image courtesy of Dustin Lee
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Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Mighty Vibe
Mighty Audio reports: [edited]
Mighty Vibe allows you to take your Spotify music offline, without a phone.
— Storage Capacity: 1,000+ tracks (8GB)
— Battery Capacity: 5+ hours of listening time
— Buttons: Power, shuffle, fwd/back, volume, playlist selector
— Water-resistant
— Connectivity: Bluetooth for playback, WiFi for syncing
— Compatible With: Bluetooth and wired headphones and speakers
— Content Supported: Playlists and podcasts
— Playback Requirements: Spotify Premium account
— App Support: iOS 9 and above, Android 6.0 and above
— Dimensions: 3.8cm x 3.8cm x 1.78cm
— Weight: 20g
Price: £80
Thanks to Brook for the heads-up.
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Mighty Vibe allows you to take your Spotify music offline, without a phone.
— Storage Capacity: 1,000+ tracks (8GB)
— Battery Capacity: 5+ hours of listening time
— Buttons: Power, shuffle, fwd/back, volume, playlist selector
— Water-resistant
— Connectivity: Bluetooth for playback, WiFi for syncing
— Compatible With: Bluetooth and wired headphones and speakers
— Content Supported: Playlists and podcasts
— Playback Requirements: Spotify Premium account
— App Support: iOS 9 and above, Android 6.0 and above
— Dimensions: 3.8cm x 3.8cm x 1.78cm
— Weight: 20g
Price: £80
Thanks to Brook for the heads-up.
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Sunday, July 28, 2019
London - Somerset - London, 27 & 28-07-19
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement
A Love Supreme, Pt. 2: Resolution
A Love Supreme, Pt. 3: Pursuance
A Love Supreme, Pt. 4: Psalm
Forever Changes - Love
Alone Again Or [*]
A House Is Not A Motel
Andmoreagain
The Daily Planet
Old Man
The Red Telephone
Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale
Live And Let Live
The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This
Bummer In The Summer
You Set The Scene
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground
Sunday Morning (mono)
I'm Waiting For The Man (mono)
Femme Fatale (mono)
Venus In Furs (mono)
Run Run Run (mono)
All Tomorrow's Parties (mono)
Heroin (mono)
There She Goes Again (mono)
I'll Be Your Mirror (mono)
The Black Angel's Death Song (mono)
European Son (mono)
All Tomorrow's Parties (Single Version) (mono)
I'll Be Your Mirror (Single Version) (mono)
Sunday Morning (Single Version) (mono)
Femme Fatale (Single Version) (mono)
Odessey and Oracle [sic] - The Zombies
Care Of Cell 44
A Rose For Emily
Maybe After He's Gone
Beechwood Park
Brief Candles
Hung Up On A Dream
Changes
I Want Her She Wants Me
This Will Be Our Year [Mono]
Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)
Friends Of Mine
Time Of The Season
Saint Dominic's Preview - Van Morrison
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)
Gypsy
I Will Be There
Listen To The Lion
Saint Dominic's Preview
Redwood Tree
Almost Independence Day
Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell
Court And Spark
Help Me
Free Man In Paris
People's Parties
Same Situation
Car On A Hill
Down To You
Just Like This Train
Raised On Robbery
Trouble Child
Twisted
A Night at the Opera - Queen
Death On Two Legs [2011 Remaster]
Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon [2011 Remaster]
I'm In Love With My Car [2011 Remaster]
You're My Best Friend [2011 Remaster]
'39 [2011 Remaster]
Sweet Lady [2011 Remaster]
Seaside Rendezvous [2011 Remaster]
The Prophet's Song [2011 Remaster]
Love Of My Life [2011 Remaster]
Good Company [2011 Remaster]
Bohemian Rhapsody [2011 Remaster]
God Save The Queen [2011 Remaster]
The Royal Scam - Steely Dan
Kid Charlemagne
The Caves of Altamira
Don't Take me Alive
Sign in Stranger
The Fez
Green Earrings
Haitian Divorce
Everything You Did
The Royal Scam
Street Legal - Bob Dylan
Changing Of The Guards
New Pony
No Time To Think
Baby, Stop Crying
Is Your Love In Vain?
Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
True Love Tends To Forget
We Better Talk This Over
Where Are You Tonight (Journey Through Dark Heat)
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Monday, July 08, 2019
BeauEr 3X Caravan
Beauer UK reports: [edited]
The BeauEr 3X is a small, expandable caravan that is easy to tow and quick to unfold.
When expanded the 3 modules reveal a kitchen with a refrigerator, a gas hob, oven, sink, work surface, shelves, cupboards and drawers. The bathroom consists of a shower, cassette toilet and a sink. The bedroom has a standard double bed measuring 140x190cm.
When collapsed the width is 1.9m.
Price: from £21,000
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The BeauEr 3X is a small, expandable caravan that is easy to tow and quick to unfold.
When expanded the 3 modules reveal a kitchen with a refrigerator, a gas hob, oven, sink, work surface, shelves, cupboards and drawers. The bathroom consists of a shower, cassette toilet and a sink. The bedroom has a standard double bed measuring 140x190cm.
When collapsed the width is 1.9m.
Price: from £21,000
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Thursday, July 04, 2019
OVEVO Q65 Bluetooth Earbuds - First Impressions
On the recommendation of my eldest son, I ordered a pair of these budget earphones. They cost £32 including postage from Amazon, although you can get them for less at geekbuying.
Two weeks later they arrived. The packaging is smart and the (tiny) instruction leaflet is adequate (I made a PDF of it, downloadable here).
Getting them out of the charging case is a fiddly experience, but once removed they automatically pair with one another. You then connect them to a Bluetooth device in the usual way.
The standard buds are a good fit for my ears, and they come with a small and large set as well. The earbuds are unobtrusive and as comfortable as any others I've used, although I do prefer over-ear headphones. The sound quality is at least as good as the standard Apple wired earphones, and the volume can go loud enough to compete with most environments.
For more information/images, click here, although I would take the battery life/water resistance claims with a large pinch of salt.
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Two weeks later they arrived. The packaging is smart and the (tiny) instruction leaflet is adequate (I made a PDF of it, downloadable here).
Getting them out of the charging case is a fiddly experience, but once removed they automatically pair with one another. You then connect them to a Bluetooth device in the usual way.
The standard buds are a good fit for my ears, and they come with a small and large set as well. The earbuds are unobtrusive and as comfortable as any others I've used, although I do prefer over-ear headphones. The sound quality is at least as good as the standard Apple wired earphones, and the volume can go loud enough to compete with most environments.
For more information/images, click here, although I would take the battery life/water resistance claims with a large pinch of salt.
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Tuesday, July 02, 2019
FUELL Fluid 1 Electric Bike
Gadget Define reports: [edited]
Harley-Davidson’s former engineer Erik Buell’s company Fuell has introduced two premium electric bikes, Fluid 1 and Fluid 1s.
The Fluid 1 has a 250W hub-mounted motor (32kph, there is an EU-legal version limited to 25kmh), the Fluid 1s has a 500W motor (45kmh). Both bikes are available in two frame sizes and a range of colour options and accessories. Both models come with two 500Wh lithium batteries.
On a single charge both bikes give up to 200km of riding range. The bike also comes with a 4 Amp Charger which takes the batteries to 80% in 2.5 hrs and 100% in 5.
Both bikes sport carbon belt drive, Shimano Alfine 8-speed internal hub gears, front suspension and hydraulic disk brakes. There is an LCD panel which can be paired with your smartphone.
Starting price: $2,699
For more information, click here
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Harley-Davidson’s former engineer Erik Buell’s company Fuell has introduced two premium electric bikes, Fluid 1 and Fluid 1s.
The Fluid 1 has a 250W hub-mounted motor (32kph, there is an EU-legal version limited to 25kmh), the Fluid 1s has a 500W motor (45kmh). Both bikes are available in two frame sizes and a range of colour options and accessories. Both models come with two 500Wh lithium batteries.
On a single charge both bikes give up to 200km of riding range. The bike also comes with a 4 Amp Charger which takes the batteries to 80% in 2.5 hrs and 100% in 5.
Both bikes sport carbon belt drive, Shimano Alfine 8-speed internal hub gears, front suspension and hydraulic disk brakes. There is an LCD panel which can be paired with your smartphone.
Starting price: $2,699
For more information, click here
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Sony Walkman turns 40
What Hi-Fi reports: [edited]
Portable radios filled pockets in the 1950s, but when the first Sony Walkman personal stereo cassette player, the TPS-L2, went on sale for $150 on 1 July 1979, it would change the way we listened to music.
The Walkman was a modified version of its Pressman mono cassette recorder, which Sony had launched in 1978 and marketed to reporters. Sony chairman, Akio Morita, wanted a device to listen to opera on his trans-Pacific flights, so Sony engineer Nobutoshi Kihara removed the record function and speaker and replaced it with a stereo amplifier.
The TPS-L2 launched as the 'Soundabout' in America, the 'Stowaway' in the UK and 'Freestyle' in Australia and Sweden. But in Japan it was 'Walkman', and that’s the name that stuck.
Sony stopped selling the Walkman in 2010, the same year they stopped selling floppy discs, having sold 200,020,000 Walkman cassette players, and 400 million Walkmans of all variations.
------------
Portable radios filled pockets in the 1950s, but when the first Sony Walkman personal stereo cassette player, the TPS-L2, went on sale for $150 on 1 July 1979, it would change the way we listened to music.
The Walkman was a modified version of its Pressman mono cassette recorder, which Sony had launched in 1978 and marketed to reporters. Sony chairman, Akio Morita, wanted a device to listen to opera on his trans-Pacific flights, so Sony engineer Nobutoshi Kihara removed the record function and speaker and replaced it with a stereo amplifier.
The TPS-L2 launched as the 'Soundabout' in America, the 'Stowaway' in the UK and 'Freestyle' in Australia and Sweden. But in Japan it was 'Walkman', and that’s the name that stuck.
Sony stopped selling the Walkman in 2010, the same year they stopped selling floppy discs, having sold 200,020,000 Walkman cassette players, and 400 million Walkmans of all variations.
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Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Kartent
designboom reports: [edited]
Designers Wout Kommer & Jan Portheine have created Kartent, a 100% recyclable cardboard tent.
The Kartent is made of un-coated cardboard. According to their website a Kartent ‘will stay dry with some showers for sure’ and ‘will perform similarly under heavy conditions as a regular tent would‘.
Kartent partners with festivals to pre-assemble the tents meaning you don’t need to carry the extra weight. At the end of the festival Kartent takes the waste to a local recycling facility.
Price: €54.95 for 2 adult version.
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Designers Wout Kommer & Jan Portheine have created Kartent, a 100% recyclable cardboard tent.
The Kartent is made of un-coated cardboard. According to their website a Kartent ‘will stay dry with some showers for sure’ and ‘will perform similarly under heavy conditions as a regular tent would‘.
Kartent partners with festivals to pre-assemble the tents meaning you don’t need to carry the extra weight. At the end of the festival Kartent takes the waste to a local recycling facility.
Price: €54.95 for 2 adult version.
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Monday, June 10, 2019
Cowboy Electric Bicycle
The Verge reports: [edited]
Cowboy is a Belgian startup that currently employs 40 people. The company has recently raised €10 million in funding to leave home. The 2019 Cowboy will enter mass production in Poland and begin shipping to Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and France in July, with more countries to come.
The Cowboy I’ve been testing is a late-model prototype, probably 95 percent complete.
Riding the Cowboy is very similar to riding an Ampler Curt. Both bikes put the rider in a sporty position, offer a single belt-driven gear and near silent 250W rear-hub motor. Both are lightweight for e-bikes, the Cowboy is a bit heavier at 16.1kg. The Cowboy, however, provides noticeably more power from a standstill, helping you get started easier when under load or on an incline.
In fact, I find the torque sensor on the Cowboy to be perfectly tuned to my aggressive riding style. Push lightly on the pedal and the motor provides a light touch without feeling underpowered. Push harder and the bike responds with confidence. The pedal assist never felt too jerky or too weak, even on my prototype test bike.
Cowboy says it uses the latest Samsung 21700 lithium ion battery cells, instead of traditional 18650 cells, allowing them to claim a 70km range from a compact 360Wh battery.
The battery charges in 3 hours off a charging brick of Cowboy design. The bike can be switched from 25km/h (the EU limit) to 30km/h after you swipe away a disclaimer acknowledging your hooliganism. Belt drive is clean and maintenance free. Hydraulic brakes stop the bike with confidence.
Price: €1,990.
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Cowboy is a Belgian startup that currently employs 40 people. The company has recently raised €10 million in funding to leave home. The 2019 Cowboy will enter mass production in Poland and begin shipping to Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and France in July, with more countries to come.
The Cowboy I’ve been testing is a late-model prototype, probably 95 percent complete.
Riding the Cowboy is very similar to riding an Ampler Curt. Both bikes put the rider in a sporty position, offer a single belt-driven gear and near silent 250W rear-hub motor. Both are lightweight for e-bikes, the Cowboy is a bit heavier at 16.1kg. The Cowboy, however, provides noticeably more power from a standstill, helping you get started easier when under load or on an incline.
In fact, I find the torque sensor on the Cowboy to be perfectly tuned to my aggressive riding style. Push lightly on the pedal and the motor provides a light touch without feeling underpowered. Push harder and the bike responds with confidence. The pedal assist never felt too jerky or too weak, even on my prototype test bike.
Cowboy says it uses the latest Samsung 21700 lithium ion battery cells, instead of traditional 18650 cells, allowing them to claim a 70km range from a compact 360Wh battery.
The battery charges in 3 hours off a charging brick of Cowboy design. The bike can be switched from 25km/h (the EU limit) to 30km/h after you swipe away a disclaimer acknowledging your hooliganism. Belt drive is clean and maintenance free. Hydraulic brakes stop the bike with confidence.
Price: €1,990.
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Monday, June 03, 2019
London-Marlborough-London, 01-06-19
Bitter Little Pill - Alanis Morissette
All I Really Want
You Oughta Know
Perfect
Hand In My Pocket
Right Through You
Forgiven
You Learn
Head Over Feet
Mary Jane
Ironic
Not The Doctor
Wake Up
Lady Soul - Aretha Franklin
Chain Of Fools
Money Won't Change You
People Get Ready
Niki Hoeky
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone
Good To Me As I Am To You
Come Back Baby
Groovin'
Ain't No Way
Odelay - Beck
Devil's Haircut
Hotwax
Lord Only Knows
The New Pollution
Derelict
Novacane
Jack-Ass
Where It's At
Minus
Sissyneck
Readymade
High 5 (Rock The Catskills)
Ramshackle
Diskobox
Parallel Lines - Blondie
Hanging On The Telephone
One Way Or Another
Fade Away (And Radiate)
Pretty Baby
I Know But I Don't Know
11.59
Will Anything Happen
Sunday Girl
Heart Of Glass
I'm Gonna Love You Too
Just Go Away
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
Like A Rolling Stone
Tombstone Blues
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
From A Buick 6
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All I Really Want
You Oughta Know
Perfect
Hand In My Pocket
Right Through You
Forgiven
You Learn
Head Over Feet
Mary Jane
Ironic
Not The Doctor
Wake Up
Lady Soul - Aretha Franklin
Chain Of Fools
Money Won't Change You
People Get Ready
Niki Hoeky
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone
Good To Me As I Am To You
Come Back Baby
Groovin'
Ain't No Way
Odelay - Beck
Devil's Haircut
Hotwax
Lord Only Knows
The New Pollution
Derelict
Novacane
Jack-Ass
Where It's At
Minus
Sissyneck
Readymade
High 5 (Rock The Catskills)
Ramshackle
Diskobox
Parallel Lines - Blondie
Hanging On The Telephone
One Way Or Another
Fade Away (And Radiate)
Pretty Baby
I Know But I Don't Know
11.59
Will Anything Happen
Sunday Girl
Heart Of Glass
I'm Gonna Love You Too
Just Go Away
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
Like A Rolling Stone
Tombstone Blues
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
From A Buick 6
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Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Fruit Picking Robot
The Guardian reports: [edited]
Quivering and hesitant, like a spoon-wielding toddler trying to eat soup without spilling it, the world’s first raspberry-picking robot is attempting to harvest one of the fruits. After sizing it up for an age, the robot plucks the fruit with its gripping arm and gingerly deposits it into a waiting punnet.
Each robot will eventually be able to pick more than 25,000 raspberries a day, outpacing human workers who manage about 15,000 in an eight-hour shift, according to Fieldwork Robotics, a spinout from the University of Plymouth.
The robot has been developed in partnership with Hall Hunter, one of Britain’s main berry growers which supplies Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose. Standing at 1.8 metres tall, the wheeled machine with its robotic arm has begun field trials in a greenhouse at a Hall Hunter farm near Chichester in West Sussex.
Guided by sensors and 3D cameras, its gripper zooms in on ripe fruit using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence. When operating at full tilt, its developers say the robot’s gripper picks a raspberry in 10 seconds or less and drops it in a tray where the fruit gets sorted by maturity, before being moved into punnets, ready to be transported to supermarkets.
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Quivering and hesitant, like a spoon-wielding toddler trying to eat soup without spilling it, the world’s first raspberry-picking robot is attempting to harvest one of the fruits. After sizing it up for an age, the robot plucks the fruit with its gripping arm and gingerly deposits it into a waiting punnet.
Each robot will eventually be able to pick more than 25,000 raspberries a day, outpacing human workers who manage about 15,000 in an eight-hour shift, according to Fieldwork Robotics, a spinout from the University of Plymouth.
The robot has been developed in partnership with Hall Hunter, one of Britain’s main berry growers which supplies Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose. Standing at 1.8 metres tall, the wheeled machine with its robotic arm has begun field trials in a greenhouse at a Hall Hunter farm near Chichester in West Sussex.
Guided by sensors and 3D cameras, its gripper zooms in on ripe fruit using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence. When operating at full tilt, its developers say the robot’s gripper picks a raspberry in 10 seconds or less and drops it in a tray where the fruit gets sorted by maturity, before being moved into punnets, ready to be transported to supermarkets.
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Friday, May 24, 2019
Gocycle G3
Cycling Weekly reports: [edited]
Gocycle’s folding e-bike uses 20 inch wheels and has the battery fully enclosed in the front part of the frame, with a totally enclosed drivetrain and rear end suspension built in.
Top of the range is the G3 and for 2019, Gocycle is offering the option to swap the magnesium alloy front frame for a high modulus carbon fibre piece. Coupled with the brand’s Pitstop quick release wheels, a lightweight saddle and a carbon seatpost, the carbon G3 has a suggested retail price of £4499.
Gocycle quotes a weight of 14.9kg for the carbon G3 and 16.7kg for the magnesium alloy G3. Both come with a design with no external cabling and a 375Wh battery pack. That should allow 50 miles on a full charge, with a four hour recharge time.
------------
Gocycle’s folding e-bike uses 20 inch wheels and has the battery fully enclosed in the front part of the frame, with a totally enclosed drivetrain and rear end suspension built in.
Top of the range is the G3 and for 2019, Gocycle is offering the option to swap the magnesium alloy front frame for a high modulus carbon fibre piece. Coupled with the brand’s Pitstop quick release wheels, a lightweight saddle and a carbon seatpost, the carbon G3 has a suggested retail price of £4499.
Gocycle quotes a weight of 14.9kg for the carbon G3 and 16.7kg for the magnesium alloy G3. Both come with a design with no external cabling and a 375Wh battery pack. That should allow 50 miles on a full charge, with a four hour recharge time.
------------
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Playdate
Edge reports: [edited]
It’s Game Boy-like, a D-pad and two chunky buttons sitting below a screen. It’s perfectly square, and remarkably slim. In the hands, it’s pleasantly weighty. There’s a softness to the matte plastic shell, which we can comfortably grip while clacking the shiny buttons. It feels like it costs money.
The industrial design is the work of Swedish electronics manufacturer Teenage Engineering. And the surprises keep coming. The 2.7-inch black-and-white screen has a resolution of 400 × 240 – around four times the pixels of the Game Boy’s screen. Much like the E-ink screen you’d find on a Kindle, it’s not backlit – the difference is that it’s tremendously reflective, the visuals wonderfully sharp and clear.
The in-built speaker looks minuscule, but is so powerful that we have to hurriedly hunt for the volume controls. Then there’s the contemporary modus operandi that gives the console its name. Every Monday, via WiFi, owners receive a new game, the notification light on top of the case blinking to announce its arrival. Whenever you have five spare minutes, you’ll be able to reach into your own shirt pocket, and make time for your Playdate.
And these games aren’t your basic Game & Watch fare. They’re specially crafted titles from such indie superstars as Bennett Foddy, Zach Gage and Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi.
It’s the latter’s game that reveals the last surprise. We boot up Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure, but now none of the buttons seem to be working. And then we notice the strange metal rod on the right-hand side of the console. From inside the shell, a diminutive crank pops out. We turn it, and our hero begins to move, in the way only a Keita Takahashi character can move – bouncily, ridiculously, with a lurid array of squeaky sound effects – and we start to laugh. And isn’t that quite the point? This little yellow curveball, for all its absurdity, is purpose-built for happiness.
Playdate will cost USD $149. All twelve games in Season One will be included. It is scheduled to ship in early 2020.
------------
It’s Game Boy-like, a D-pad and two chunky buttons sitting below a screen. It’s perfectly square, and remarkably slim. In the hands, it’s pleasantly weighty. There’s a softness to the matte plastic shell, which we can comfortably grip while clacking the shiny buttons. It feels like it costs money.
The industrial design is the work of Swedish electronics manufacturer Teenage Engineering. And the surprises keep coming. The 2.7-inch black-and-white screen has a resolution of 400 × 240 – around four times the pixels of the Game Boy’s screen. Much like the E-ink screen you’d find on a Kindle, it’s not backlit – the difference is that it’s tremendously reflective, the visuals wonderfully sharp and clear.
The in-built speaker looks minuscule, but is so powerful that we have to hurriedly hunt for the volume controls. Then there’s the contemporary modus operandi that gives the console its name. Every Monday, via WiFi, owners receive a new game, the notification light on top of the case blinking to announce its arrival. Whenever you have five spare minutes, you’ll be able to reach into your own shirt pocket, and make time for your Playdate.
And these games aren’t your basic Game & Watch fare. They’re specially crafted titles from such indie superstars as Bennett Foddy, Zach Gage and Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi.
It’s the latter’s game that reveals the last surprise. We boot up Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure, but now none of the buttons seem to be working. And then we notice the strange metal rod on the right-hand side of the console. From inside the shell, a diminutive crank pops out. We turn it, and our hero begins to move, in the way only a Keita Takahashi character can move – bouncily, ridiculously, with a lurid array of squeaky sound effects – and we start to laugh. And isn’t that quite the point? This little yellow curveball, for all its absurdity, is purpose-built for happiness.
Playdate will cost USD $149. All twelve games in Season One will be included. It is scheduled to ship in early 2020.
------------
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Free Font - Public Sans
Public Sans is ‘A strong, neutral typeface for interfaces, text, and headings’ designed by U.S. Web Design System, based on Libre Franklin. Available in 9 weights, with corresponding italics.
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Sunday, May 19, 2019
London - Wigan - London, 18 & 19-05-19
Dusty In Memphis - Dusty Springfield
Just One Smile
No Easy Way Down
I Can't Make It Alone
Son Of A Preacher Man (mono)
Just A Little Lovin' (mono)
Don't Forget About Me (mono)
Breakfast In Bed (mono)
I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore (mono)
The Windmills Of Your Mind (mono)
In The Land Of Make Believe (mono)
So Much Love (mono)
Exile on Main Street - The Rolling Stones
Rocks Off
Rip This Joint
Shake Your Hips
Casino Boogie
Tumbling Dice
Sweet Virginia
Torn And Frayed
Sweet Black Angel
Loving Cup
Happy
Turd On The Run
Ventilator Blues
I Just Want To See His Face
Let It Loose
All Down The Line
Stop Breaking Down
Shine A Light
Soul Survivor
Young Americans - David Bowie
Young Americans
Win
Fascination
Right
Somebody Up There Likes Me
Across The Universe
Can You Hear Me
Fame
Speak & Spell - Depeche Mode
New Life
I Sometime Wish I Was Dead
Puppets
Boys Say Go!
Nodisco!
What's Your Name?
Photographic
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Big Muff
Any Second Now (Voices)
Just Can't Get Enough
Dreaming Of Me
Ice Machine
Shout
Any Second Now (Instrumental)
Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)
Doolittle - Pixies
Debaser
Tame
Wave of Mutilation
I Bleed
Here Comes Your Man
Dead
Mr. Grieves
Crackity Jones
La La Love You
No. 13 Baby
There Goes My Gun
Hey
Silver
Gouge Away
The Best Of - Green on Red
Time Ain't Nothing
Born To Fight
Hair Of The Dog
Keith Can't Read
Morning Blue
This Time Around
Little Things In Life
You Couldn't Get Arrested
That's What Dreams
Zombie For Love
Baby Loves Her Gun
The Man I Used To Be
Bellybutton - Jellyfish
That Is Why
The King Is Half Undressed
I Wanna Stay Home
She Still Loves Him
All I Want Is Everything
Now She Knows She's Wrong
Bedspring Kiss
Baby's Coming Back
Calling Sarah
No Matter What [Live]
That Is Why (Live)
The King Is Half Undressed [Live]
Jet [Live]
Now She Knows She's Wrong (Live)
Zooropa - U2
Zooropa
Babyface
Numb
Lemon
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
Some Days Are Better Than Others
The First Time
Dirty Day
The Wanderer
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Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Project Blue
Wired reports: [edited]
Research on robots has been hamstrung by extravagant costs — the popular research robot PR2, a pair of arms not dissimilar from Blue, will set a lab back $400,000. Blue’s reliance on 3D-printed components puts its price tag much lower, at just $3,000 in materials per arm, and the goal is to get the total cost, with manufacturing at scale, to $5,000 per arm.
Historically, if you wanted to operate a robot arm, you had to keep humans far, far away, lest the machine fling them across the room. That’s why industrial robots have been kept in cages. But robots have been getting a lot better at sensing their world, in particular reacting to human contact by stopping before they hurt us. This has led to a boom in collaborative robotics, where humans work right alongside machines.
Blue, on the other hand, isn’t particularly sensitive to human touch. The arms give way a bit instead of shutting down. This is because the robot’s relatively cheap motors are 'backdrivable', meaning a human can grab the arms and move them around even when the machine is powered off.
“This robot is designed on the assumption that in the future, robots will be controlled much more intelligently by AI systems that use visual and force feedback, much like how humans control their own arms,” says UC Berkeley's Pieter Abbeel, a robotics researcher who's overseeing the project.
Say you want Blue to learn to fold a towel. For a sensitive collaborative robot, that is a tough task, because bumping into the surface of the table might trigger it to stop. But Blue can put force on the table when reaching for the towel without freaking out.
------------
Research on robots has been hamstrung by extravagant costs — the popular research robot PR2, a pair of arms not dissimilar from Blue, will set a lab back $400,000. Blue’s reliance on 3D-printed components puts its price tag much lower, at just $3,000 in materials per arm, and the goal is to get the total cost, with manufacturing at scale, to $5,000 per arm.
Historically, if you wanted to operate a robot arm, you had to keep humans far, far away, lest the machine fling them across the room. That’s why industrial robots have been kept in cages. But robots have been getting a lot better at sensing their world, in particular reacting to human contact by stopping before they hurt us. This has led to a boom in collaborative robotics, where humans work right alongside machines.
Blue, on the other hand, isn’t particularly sensitive to human touch. The arms give way a bit instead of shutting down. This is because the robot’s relatively cheap motors are 'backdrivable', meaning a human can grab the arms and move them around even when the machine is powered off.
“This robot is designed on the assumption that in the future, robots will be controlled much more intelligently by AI systems that use visual and force feedback, much like how humans control their own arms,” says UC Berkeley's Pieter Abbeel, a robotics researcher who's overseeing the project.
Say you want Blue to learn to fold a towel. For a sensitive collaborative robot, that is a tough task, because bumping into the surface of the table might trigger it to stop. But Blue can put force on the table when reaching for the towel without freaking out.
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Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Free Font – Simplifica
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
X-ray Records
NPR reports: [edited]
Western music may have been changing the world in the 1950s, but if you happened to be in Russia you were out of luck. State censorship was in full effect in the Soviet Union, and purchasing a western recording was close to impossible. But a few industrious music fans invented a way.
Stephen Coates, the leader of a British band called The Real Tuesday Weld, happened on this secret history by accident. Several years ago on a tour stop in St. Petersburg, he was strolling through a flea market when a strange item caught his eye.
"I thought, is that a record? Or is it an X-ray? I picked it up, and it seemed to be both," he recounts. "I brought it back to London, and I was fascinated by it. So I started to dig, and that has led me on a very strange journey."
Coates is now an obsessive of what is nicknamed 'bone music' — makeshift LPs etched into used X-rays, providing a disguise for their contraband contents. He's collected his findings in a new book, X-Ray Audio: The Strange Story of Soviet Music on the Bone.
According to Stephen, around 1946 the Second World War was over and a guy retunred to the Soviet Union with a war trophy, a recording lathe. It's like a gramophone in reverse, which you can use to write the grooves of music onto plastic. People who came into his shop observed what he was doing, and made their own machines.
They would start off with a regular X-ray, put a plate on it, draw around it with a pen and cut it out.
------------
Western music may have been changing the world in the 1950s, but if you happened to be in Russia you were out of luck. State censorship was in full effect in the Soviet Union, and purchasing a western recording was close to impossible. But a few industrious music fans invented a way.
Stephen Coates, the leader of a British band called The Real Tuesday Weld, happened on this secret history by accident. Several years ago on a tour stop in St. Petersburg, he was strolling through a flea market when a strange item caught his eye.
"I thought, is that a record? Or is it an X-ray? I picked it up, and it seemed to be both," he recounts. "I brought it back to London, and I was fascinated by it. So I started to dig, and that has led me on a very strange journey."
Coates is now an obsessive of what is nicknamed 'bone music' — makeshift LPs etched into used X-rays, providing a disguise for their contraband contents. He's collected his findings in a new book, X-Ray Audio: The Strange Story of Soviet Music on the Bone.
According to Stephen, around 1946 the Second World War was over and a guy retunred to the Soviet Union with a war trophy, a recording lathe. It's like a gramophone in reverse, which you can use to write the grooves of music onto plastic. People who came into his shop observed what he was doing, and made their own machines.
They would start off with a regular X-ray, put a plate on it, draw around it with a pen and cut it out.
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Sunday, March 24, 2019
London - Somerset - London, 23 & 24-03-19
Berlin - Lou Reed
Berlin
Lady Day
Men of Good Fortune
Caroline Says I
How Do You Think It Feels
Oh Jim
Caroline Says II
The Kids
The Bed
Sad Song
Pink Flag (1995 Remaster) - Wire
Reuters
Field Day For The Sundays
Three Girl Rhumba
Ex Lion Tamer
Lowdown
Start To Move
Brazil
It's So Obvious
Pink Flag
Straight Line
106 Beats That
Mr. Suit
Strange
Fragile
Mannequin
Different To Me
Champs
Feeling Called Love
1 2 X U
Dot Dash
Options R
Love Ain't Polite
Oh No Not So
It's The Motive
Practice Makes Perfect
Sand In My Joints
Stablemate
I Feel Mysterious Today
Underwater Experiences
Mary Is A Dyke
Too True
Just Don't Care
TV
New York City
After Midnight
Pink Flag (alt)
Sea Monsters - The Wedding Present
Dalliance
Dare
Suck
Blonde
Rotterdam
Lovenest
Corduroy
Carolyn
Heather
Octopussy
Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
Crawl
Corduroy [Single Version]
She's My Best Friend
Niagara
Mothers
Dan Dare
Fleshworld
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Prove My Love
Promise
To the Kill
Gone Daddy Gone
Good Feeling
Ugly
Gimme the Car
Wavelength - Van Morrison
Kingdom Hall
Checkin' It Out
Natalia
Venice U.S.A.
Lifetimes
Wavelength
Santa Fe / Beautiful Obsession
Hungry For Your Love
Take It Where You Find It
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
Wonderwall
Don't Look Back in Anger
Hey Now!
The Swamp Song
Some Might Say
Cast No Shadow
She's Electric
Morning Glory
The Swamp Song (alt)
Champagne Supernova
You Gotta Sin to Get Saved - Maria McKee
I'm Gonna Soothe You
My Lonely Sad Eyes
My Girlhood Among the Outlaws
Only Once
I Forgive You
I Can't Make It Alone
Precious Time
The Way Young Lovers Do
Why Wasn't I More Grateful (When Life Was Sweet)
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Berlin
Lady Day
Men of Good Fortune
Caroline Says I
How Do You Think It Feels
Oh Jim
Caroline Says II
The Kids
The Bed
Sad Song
Pink Flag (1995 Remaster) - Wire
Reuters
Field Day For The Sundays
Three Girl Rhumba
Ex Lion Tamer
Lowdown
Start To Move
Brazil
It's So Obvious
Pink Flag
Straight Line
106 Beats That
Mr. Suit
Strange
Fragile
Mannequin
Different To Me
Champs
Feeling Called Love
1 2 X U
Dot Dash
Options R
Love Ain't Polite
Oh No Not So
It's The Motive
Practice Makes Perfect
Sand In My Joints
Stablemate
I Feel Mysterious Today
Underwater Experiences
Mary Is A Dyke
Too True
Just Don't Care
TV
New York City
After Midnight
Pink Flag (alt)
Sea Monsters - The Wedding Present
Dalliance
Dare
Suck
Blonde
Rotterdam
Lovenest
Corduroy
Carolyn
Heather
Octopussy
Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
Crawl
Corduroy [Single Version]
She's My Best Friend
Niagara
Mothers
Dan Dare
Fleshworld
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Prove My Love
Promise
To the Kill
Gone Daddy Gone
Good Feeling
Ugly
Gimme the Car
Wavelength - Van Morrison
Kingdom Hall
Checkin' It Out
Natalia
Venice U.S.A.
Lifetimes
Wavelength
Santa Fe / Beautiful Obsession
Hungry For Your Love
Take It Where You Find It
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
Wonderwall
Don't Look Back in Anger
Hey Now!
The Swamp Song
Some Might Say
Cast No Shadow
She's Electric
Morning Glory
The Swamp Song (alt)
Champagne Supernova
You Gotta Sin to Get Saved - Maria McKee
I'm Gonna Soothe You
My Lonely Sad Eyes
My Girlhood Among the Outlaws
Only Once
I Forgive You
I Can't Make It Alone
Precious Time
The Way Young Lovers Do
Why Wasn't I More Grateful (When Life Was Sweet)
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Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Book of Kells Available Online
Open Culture reports: [edited]
“One of Ireland’s greatest cultural treasures” comments Medievalists.net, “it is set apart from other manuscripts of the same period by the quality of its artwork and the sheer number of illustrations that run throughout the 680 pages of the book.” The work attracts almost a million visitors to Dublin every year.
The ancient masterpiece is a stunning example of Hiberno-Saxon style, thought to have been composed on the Scottish island of Iona in 806, then transferred to the monastery of Kells in County Meath after a Viking raid. Consisting mainly of copies of the four gospels, as well as indexes called 'canon tables', the manuscript is believed to have been made primarily for display, not reading aloud, which is why the images are elaborate and detailed while the text is carelessly copied with entire words missing or long passages being repeated.
The pages, originally captured in 1990, have recently been rescanned using state of the art imaging technology. These new digital images offer the most accurate high resolution images to date.
To view, click here.
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“One of Ireland’s greatest cultural treasures” comments Medievalists.net, “it is set apart from other manuscripts of the same period by the quality of its artwork and the sheer number of illustrations that run throughout the 680 pages of the book.” The work attracts almost a million visitors to Dublin every year.
The ancient masterpiece is a stunning example of Hiberno-Saxon style, thought to have been composed on the Scottish island of Iona in 806, then transferred to the monastery of Kells in County Meath after a Viking raid. Consisting mainly of copies of the four gospels, as well as indexes called 'canon tables', the manuscript is believed to have been made primarily for display, not reading aloud, which is why the images are elaborate and detailed while the text is carelessly copied with entire words missing or long passages being repeated.
The pages, originally captured in 1990, have recently been rescanned using state of the art imaging technology. These new digital images offer the most accurate high resolution images to date.
To view, click here.
------------
Friday, March 08, 2019
James Potter
Reddit reports: [edited]
For people interested in a sequel to the Harry Potter series, the James Potter fan fiction series by G. Norman Lippert might be worth a look.
The series itself features a plot line related to but not dependent on Harry's adventures at Hogwarts. The protagonist is Harry's son, James Potter, starting his first year at Hogwarts. The characters are a mix of those you'll know, their descendants, and new introductions.
The conflicts are more multidimensional, morally ambiguous and complex, without straying from the originals' adventurous tone. The books also delve more fully into the theory and origin of magic, the international wizarding community, the history of magic, and the founding of Hogwarts.
The writing style is evocative of JK Rowling without attempting to copy it, with a good mix of humour, classes, and childhood antics to complement the main conflicts. JK Rowling gave the author permission to distribute the books for free, but did not endorse the series as Harry Potter 'canon'.
The series spans five full length books, all available free of charge. To find out more, visit the official website.
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For people interested in a sequel to the Harry Potter series, the James Potter fan fiction series by G. Norman Lippert might be worth a look.
The series itself features a plot line related to but not dependent on Harry's adventures at Hogwarts. The protagonist is Harry's son, James Potter, starting his first year at Hogwarts. The characters are a mix of those you'll know, their descendants, and new introductions.
The conflicts are more multidimensional, morally ambiguous and complex, without straying from the originals' adventurous tone. The books also delve more fully into the theory and origin of magic, the international wizarding community, the history of magic, and the founding of Hogwarts.
The writing style is evocative of JK Rowling without attempting to copy it, with a good mix of humour, classes, and childhood antics to complement the main conflicts. JK Rowling gave the author permission to distribute the books for free, but did not endorse the series as Harry Potter 'canon'.
The series spans five full length books, all available free of charge. To find out more, visit the official website.
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
Winners of Apple’s ‘Shot on iPhone Challenge’
A reminder of how smartphone cameras and imaging software continue to improve and that ‘the best camera in the world is the one you have with you when you want to capture an image’.
To view the rest of the winners, click here
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To view the rest of the winners, click here
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Sunday, February 17, 2019
London - Wigan - London, 16 & 17-02-19
The Boatman's Call - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Into My Arms
Lime-Tree Arbour
People Ain't No Good
Brompton Oratory
There Is A Kingdom
(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?
Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?
West Country Girl
Black Hair
Idiot Prayer
Far From Me
Green Eyes
The Future - Leonard Cohen
The Future
Waiting For The Miracle
Be For Real
Closing Time
Anthem
Democracy
Light As The Breeze
Always
Tacoma Trailer
Marquee Moon - Television
See No Evil
Venus
Friction
Marquee Moon
Elevation
Guiding Light
Prove It
Torn Curtain
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism - Aretha Franklin
Walk In The Light
Prayer Invocation By Rev. Cecil Franklin
Introduction Of Aretha And The Franklin Sisters By Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jesus Hears Every Prayer
Surely God Is Able
The Lord's Prayer
Introduction Of Aretha And Mavis Staples By Rev. Jesse Jackson
Oh Happy Day
We Need Power
Ave Maria
Introduction To Higher Ground By Rev. Jaspar Wiliams
Higher Ground
I've Been In The Storm Too Long
Packing Up, Getting Ready To Go
The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty)
Frankly Mr Shankly
I Know It's Over
Never Had No One Ever
Cemetry Gates
Bigmouth Strikes Again
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Vicar In A Tutu
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Revolver - The Beatles
Taxman
Eleanor Rigby
I'm Only Sleeping
Love You To
Here, There And Everywhere
Yellow Submarine
She Said She Said
Good Day Sunshine
And Your Bird Can Sing
For No One
Doctor Robert
I Want To Tell You
Got To Get You Into My Life
Tomorrow Never Knows
Solid Air - John Martyn
Solid Air
Over The Hill
Don't Want To Know
I'd Rather Be The Devil
Go Down Easy
Dreams By The Sea
May You Never
The Man In The Station
The Easy Blues
Gentle Blues
Veedon Fleece - Van Morrison
Fair Play
Linden Arden Stole The Highlights
Who Was That Masked Man
Streets Of Arklow
You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push The River
Bulbs
Cul De Sac
Comfort You
Come Here My Love
Country Fair
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Blister in the Sun
Kiss Off
Please Do Not Go
Add It Up
Confessions
Prove My Love
Promise
To the Kill
Gone Daddy Gone
Good Feeling
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Tuesday, February 12, 2019
ONYX Electric Mopeds
Electrek reports: [edited]
The ONYX electric mopeds come in two models: the entry-level ONYX CTY and the flagship ONYX RCR.
The CTY is closer in performance to the original 50cc mopeds of the 80s. Its 2.5 kW (3.35 hp) rear hub motor provides a 30 mph (48 km/h) top speed. The removable 48 V and 768 Wh battery is sufficient for up to 40 miles (64 km) of range at 20 mph (32 km/h) and closer to 25 miles (40 km) at full speed.
The RCR is more in line with 125cc motorbikes and pushes the boundaries of the word 'moped' with a 60 mph (96 km/h) top speed thanks to its more powerful 5.4 kW (7.2 hp) rear hub motor. Its 72 V and 1.66 kWh battery provide up to 75 miles (121 km) of range at 20 mph (32 km/h).
Both mopeds feature removable batteries, hydraulic brakes, full suspension and integrated LED halo headlight and LED bar tail light.
Price: CTY: Sold out for 2019, RCR: $3,250
The ONYX electric mopeds come in two models: the entry-level ONYX CTY and the flagship ONYX RCR.
The CTY is closer in performance to the original 50cc mopeds of the 80s. Its 2.5 kW (3.35 hp) rear hub motor provides a 30 mph (48 km/h) top speed. The removable 48 V and 768 Wh battery is sufficient for up to 40 miles (64 km) of range at 20 mph (32 km/h) and closer to 25 miles (40 km) at full speed.
The RCR is more in line with 125cc motorbikes and pushes the boundaries of the word 'moped' with a 60 mph (96 km/h) top speed thanks to its more powerful 5.4 kW (7.2 hp) rear hub motor. Its 72 V and 1.66 kWh battery provide up to 75 miles (121 km) of range at 20 mph (32 km/h).
Both mopeds feature removable batteries, hydraulic brakes, full suspension and integrated LED halo headlight and LED bar tail light.
Price: CTY: Sold out for 2019, RCR: $3,250
Thursday, February 07, 2019
Gocycle GX
Cycling Weekly reports: [edited]
Whereas the Gocycle GS and G3 e-bikes have removable wheels and a single-sided chainstay to allow you to fold them into a compact package, the Gocycle GX has a hinge in the middle of its frame. The 17.8kg Gocycle GX features 20 inch wheels and a rear shock. Geometry mirrors a standard bike.
Opening the hinge folds the bike in half. The two wheels end up aligned, making it easy to wheel the folded bike around. Leaving the saddle up provides a handle to push it with. The folded bike sits on the integrated kickstand.
Like Gocycle’s other models, the Gocycle GX is powered by a 250 watt front hub motor, with a 300Wh battery enclosed in the frame. There’s a battery level gauge integrated in the bar and Gocycle says range is up to 60 miles on a charge. The three speed gearing and chainline for the back wheel are completely enclosed and maintenance-free.
It can be fitted with Gocycle’s exiting accessory range, which includes lights, mudguards, and luggage. It pairs via Bluetooth with Gocycle’s Connect app, which lets you customise power modes as well as providing ride and battery stats.
Price: £2899
------------
Whereas the Gocycle GS and G3 e-bikes have removable wheels and a single-sided chainstay to allow you to fold them into a compact package, the Gocycle GX has a hinge in the middle of its frame. The 17.8kg Gocycle GX features 20 inch wheels and a rear shock. Geometry mirrors a standard bike.
Opening the hinge folds the bike in half. The two wheels end up aligned, making it easy to wheel the folded bike around. Leaving the saddle up provides a handle to push it with. The folded bike sits on the integrated kickstand.
Like Gocycle’s other models, the Gocycle GX is powered by a 250 watt front hub motor, with a 300Wh battery enclosed in the frame. There’s a battery level gauge integrated in the bar and Gocycle says range is up to 60 miles on a charge. The three speed gearing and chainline for the back wheel are completely enclosed and maintenance-free.
It can be fitted with Gocycle’s exiting accessory range, which includes lights, mudguards, and luggage. It pairs via Bluetooth with Gocycle’s Connect app, which lets you customise power modes as well as providing ride and battery stats.
Price: £2899
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Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Waymo CEO says, "Self-Driving Cars Will Always Be Limited"
Medium reports: [edited]
Waymo, a division of Alphabet, has long been acknowledged as the leader in autonomous vehicle technology. Based on the limited data that’s been released, its vehicles are acknowledged as having driven the most miles in self-driving mode and have the lowest rate of 'disengagements' (when humans have to take over).
However, even Waymo's CEO, John Krafcik, now admits that the self-driving car that can drive in any condition, on any road, without ever needing a human to take control – what’s usually called a 'Level 5' autonomous vehicle – will never exist.
At the Wall Street Journal’s D.Live conference on November 13, Krafcik said that “autonomy will always have constraints.” It will take decades for self-driving cars to become common on roads, and even then they will not be able to drive in certain conditions, at certain times of the year, or in any weather.
In short, sensors on autonomous vehicles don’t work well in snow or rain – and that may never change.
------------
Waymo, a division of Alphabet, has long been acknowledged as the leader in autonomous vehicle technology. Based on the limited data that’s been released, its vehicles are acknowledged as having driven the most miles in self-driving mode and have the lowest rate of 'disengagements' (when humans have to take over).
However, even Waymo's CEO, John Krafcik, now admits that the self-driving car that can drive in any condition, on any road, without ever needing a human to take control – what’s usually called a 'Level 5' autonomous vehicle – will never exist.
At the Wall Street Journal’s D.Live conference on November 13, Krafcik said that “autonomy will always have constraints.” It will take decades for self-driving cars to become common on roads, and even then they will not be able to drive in certain conditions, at certain times of the year, or in any weather.
In short, sensors on autonomous vehicles don’t work well in snow or rain – and that may never change.
------------
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
LG to produce 'roll-up' Television
Ars Technica reports: [edited]
LG Signature OLED TV R (65R9), which has a display that can retract into its base. LG says to expect picture quality on par with its just-announced 2019 4K OLED lineup. That means 120Hz and AI image processing using LG's new Alpha 9 Gen 2 CPU. The TV's base houses a 4.2-channel, 100-watt soundbar with Dolby Atmos support.
The TV doesn't have to scroll all the way in, it can fold down to what LG calls 'Line View'. This has five modes: music, clock, frame, mood, and home dashboard. Music offers an interface for playing music from the base. Clock shows the time, date, and weather. Frame displays a scrolling line of photos streamed from your smartphone. The mood mode is for aesthetics, and home dashboard will allow access to some of LG's usual TV software features.
Cost: TBA. Available for purchase second half of 2019.
------------
LG Signature OLED TV R (65R9), which has a display that can retract into its base. LG says to expect picture quality on par with its just-announced 2019 4K OLED lineup. That means 120Hz and AI image processing using LG's new Alpha 9 Gen 2 CPU. The TV's base houses a 4.2-channel, 100-watt soundbar with Dolby Atmos support.
The TV doesn't have to scroll all the way in, it can fold down to what LG calls 'Line View'. This has five modes: music, clock, frame, mood, and home dashboard. Music offers an interface for playing music from the base. Clock shows the time, date, and weather. Frame displays a scrolling line of photos streamed from your smartphone. The mood mode is for aesthetics, and home dashboard will allow access to some of LG's usual TV software features.
Cost: TBA. Available for purchase second half of 2019.
------------
Thursday, January 03, 2019
Ancient Redwoods Cloned
Yale Environment 360 reports: [edited]
A team of arborists has successfully cloned and grown saplings from the stumps of some of the world’s oldest and largest coast redwoods, some of which were 3,000 years old and measured 35 feet in diameter when they were cut down in the 19th and 20th centuries. Earlier this month, 75 of the cloned saplings were planted at the Presidio national park in San Francisco.
Today, giant stumps of ancient redwoods dot the landscape from Oregon to northern California, reminders of the old-growth forest that used to stretch across the Pacific Northwest. Many arborists assumed these stumps were dead, but Milarch and his son, Jake, discovered living tissue growing from the trees’ roots, material known as baseless or stump sprouts. The Milarchs collected DNA from stumps of five giant coast redwoods, all larger than the largest tree living today. These included a giant sequoia known as General Sherman with a 25-foot diameter.
They then used this genetic material to grow dozens of saplings, clones of the ancient trees, a process that takes approximately two-and-a-half-years. The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive has already planted nearly 100 of these saplings in the Eden Project garden in Cornwall, England, a couple hundred in Oregon, and is organising further groves of saplings in nine other countries.
------------
A team of arborists has successfully cloned and grown saplings from the stumps of some of the world’s oldest and largest coast redwoods, some of which were 3,000 years old and measured 35 feet in diameter when they were cut down in the 19th and 20th centuries. Earlier this month, 75 of the cloned saplings were planted at the Presidio national park in San Francisco.
Today, giant stumps of ancient redwoods dot the landscape from Oregon to northern California, reminders of the old-growth forest that used to stretch across the Pacific Northwest. Many arborists assumed these stumps were dead, but Milarch and his son, Jake, discovered living tissue growing from the trees’ roots, material known as baseless or stump sprouts. The Milarchs collected DNA from stumps of five giant coast redwoods, all larger than the largest tree living today. These included a giant sequoia known as General Sherman with a 25-foot diameter.
They then used this genetic material to grow dozens of saplings, clones of the ancient trees, a process that takes approximately two-and-a-half-years. The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive has already planted nearly 100 of these saplings in the Eden Project garden in Cornwall, England, a couple hundred in Oregon, and is organising further groves of saplings in nine other countries.
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Thursday, December 27, 2018
London - Somerset - London, 25-12-18 & 26-12-18
London to Somerset
Marie - David Guetta feat. Anne
Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
Bernadette - The Four Tops
All I Am - Jess Glynne
Sweet Freedom - Michael McDonald
Nutrocker - B. Bumble And The Stingers
I can't control myself - The Troggs
Seasons (Waiting On You) - Future Islands
Buffalo Stance - Neneh Cherry
The Laughing Gnome - David Bowie
Hold On (single) - Wilson Phillips
Fast Food song - Fast Food Rockers
(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & The Comets
Le Freak - Chic
Give Yourself A Stereo Check Out - The Bran Flakes
Only You Can - Fox
Oh Boy! - The Crickets With Buddy Holly
Electricity (feat. Diplo & Mark Ronson) - Silk City, Dua Lipa
Jump To The Beat - Stacy Lattisaw
I Opened a Bar - Sophie Hunger
Ya Ya - Lee Dorsey
The Staunton Lick - Lemon Jelly
Silence (DJ Tiesto's In Search Of Sunrise Remix) - Sarah McLachlan
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Lovefool - The Cardigans
The Story Of Love - Misty's Big Adventure
Little Miss S. - Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
The Tide Is High - Atomic Kitten
Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) - The Darkness
Don't Say Oh Well - Grouplove
She's Got That Vibe - R. Kelly
You're Unbelievable - EMF
We All Stand Together (Frog Chorus) - Paul McCartney
Doctor Pressure - Mylo Vs. Miami Sound Machine
Funny Little Frog (single) - Belle and Sebastian
Independent Love Song - Scarlet
Centerfold - J. Geils Band
Colonel Hathi's March (with voiceovers) - Disney Studio Chorus & J Pat O'Malley
Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? - Paula Cole
Romance (Edit) - Ex:Re
Summer Fun - The Barracudas
Somerset to London
What I Am (single) - Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
Boyfriend (Repeat) - Confidence Man
Suck The Blood From My Wound - Ezra Furman
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult
Promise Me - Beverley Craven
Won't Go Quietly (Radio Edit) - Example
Kiss Me Deadly - Reel Big Fish
The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) - Cher
Under The Boardwalk - The Drifters
Let's Go Surfing - The Drums
Walking On The Milky Way - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
My Lovin' (never gonna get it) - En Vogue
Sweet Sixteen - Billy Idol
Yoda (parody of Lola, kinks) - "Weird Al" Yankovic
Back To You - Selena Gomez
Wild Tiger Woman - Giuda
Strut Your Funky Stuff - Frantique
Ready to Go (Dance Mix) - Republica
Little Bitty Pretty One - Thurston Harris
They Don't Know - Tracey Ullman
Hips Don't Lie - Shakira Feat. Wyclef Jean
S Club Party - S Club 7
My Little Red Book - Love
Laid - James
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - The Crystals
Someone To Call My Lover - Janet Jackson
Buddy Stay Off That Wine - Betty Hall Jones
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway
Touch The Sky (feat. Lupe Fiasco) - Kanye West
Sense - The Lightning Seeds
Martian Hop - The Ran-Dells
The Mummy - Rod McKuen
Slip In Mules (No High Heel Sneakers) - Sugar Pie DeSanto
Teddy Bear - Conor Molloy
Call Me - Spagna
The Look - Roxette
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
In The Name Of The Father - Black Grape
Roxanne - The Police
Lay All Your Love On Me - A-Teens
Time Warp - Damien
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
The Monkeys Are Breaking Out Of The Zoo - Belle & Sebastian
Lollipop (Candyman) - Aqua
Wipeout - Fat Boys
Road Rage - Catatonia
I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - Scissor Sisters
All around my hat - Steeleye Span
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Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Flight to Egypt
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Lonely travellers from the stable
Out beneath the hard blue sky
Journeying, wandering, hoping, praying
For the safety of their child
While our mother Rachel’s weeping
Fills the streets of Bethlehem.
Warned by angels moved to save him
Who was born our kind to save
Joseph leads his holy family
Far from Herod and harm’s way
Mary shielding and consoling
Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Fleeing from the land of promise
They in Egypt find a home
Strange the workings of God’s mercy
House of bondage now God’s throne
But for sons who all were murdered
Sorrow breaks the House of Bread.
True the tale of flight and exile
Out of Egypt comes God’s Son
Angels tell of Herod’s dying
All is ended, all begun
Jesus will grow up in Nazareth
And the world will all be stunned.
Vincent Uher
Image: The Flight Into Egypt – Jean François Millet
------------
Lonely travellers from the stable
Out beneath the hard blue sky
Journeying, wandering, hoping, praying
For the safety of their child
While our mother Rachel’s weeping
Fills the streets of Bethlehem.
Warned by angels moved to save him
Who was born our kind to save
Joseph leads his holy family
Far from Herod and harm’s way
Mary shielding and consoling
Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Fleeing from the land of promise
They in Egypt find a home
Strange the workings of God’s mercy
House of bondage now God’s throne
But for sons who all were murdered
Sorrow breaks the House of Bread.
True the tale of flight and exile
Out of Egypt comes God’s Son
Angels tell of Herod’s dying
All is ended, all begun
Jesus will grow up in Nazareth
And the world will all be stunned.
Vincent Uher
Image: The Flight Into Egypt – Jean François Millet
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Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Free Font - Potra
Potra is an intriguing and surprisingly legible display font designed by Alejo Bergmann.
Available from Font Squirrel.
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Available from Font Squirrel.
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Monday, December 10, 2018
Waymo One 'Driverless' Taxis
Foxnews Tech reports: [edited]
Waymo One autonomous taxis are now on the roads of Phoenix USA for a beta test. So far users are reporting good service with no major mistakes or accidents. Only Phoenix residents who have already been using Waymo can request a self-driving car. And for the first few months of the program, there will still be a driver behind the wheel to ensure passenger safety.
The new Waymo One service will be available around the clock and works in a similar way to other ride-sharing apps: you input your destination, the app tells you the fare, and contacts nearby cars for availability. While the beta test continues, Waymo is encouraging customers to bring their friends along for the ride, to help expose more of the general public to self-driving cars.
------------
Waymo One autonomous taxis are now on the roads of Phoenix USA for a beta test. So far users are reporting good service with no major mistakes or accidents. Only Phoenix residents who have already been using Waymo can request a self-driving car. And for the first few months of the program, there will still be a driver behind the wheel to ensure passenger safety.
The new Waymo One service will be available around the clock and works in a similar way to other ride-sharing apps: you input your destination, the app tells you the fare, and contacts nearby cars for availability. While the beta test continues, Waymo is encouraging customers to bring their friends along for the ride, to help expose more of the general public to self-driving cars.
------------
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Free Font - Library 3 AM
Library 3 AM is a cleverly formed, all caps 'stencil' font designed by Igor Kosinsky. Each character is formed from a single line, making it more convincing when used as a 'neon' font.
Available from Font Squirrel in regular and 'soft' style.
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Available from Font Squirrel in regular and 'soft' style.
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Sunday, November 18, 2018
London - Wigan - London, 17 & 18-11-18
Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
Drive-In Saturday
Panic In Detroit
Cracked Actor
Time
The Prettiest Star
Let's Spend The Night Together
The Jean Genie
Lady Grinning Soul
All This Useless Beauty - Elvis Costello
The Other End Of The Telescope
Little Atoms
All This Useless Beauty
Complicated Shadows
Why Can't A Man Stand Alone?
Distorted Angel
Shallow Grave
Poor Fractured Atlas
Starting To Come To Me
You Bowed Down
It's Time
I Want To Vanish
Automatic For The People - R.E.M.
Drive
Try Not to Breathe
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Everybody Hurts
New Orleans Instrumental No. 1
Sweetness Follows
Monty Got a Raw Deal
Ignoreland
Star Me Kitten
Man on the Moon
Nightswimming
Find the River
Blood - This Mortal Coil
The Lacemaker
Mr. Somewhere
Andialu
With Tomorrow
Loose Joints
You And Your Sister
Nature's Way
I Come And Stand At Every Door
Bitter
Baby Ray Baby
Several Times
The Lacemaker II
Late Night
Carolyn's Song
D.D. And E.
'Til I Gain Control Again
Dreams Are Like Water
I Am The Cosmos
Both Directions At Once: John Coltrane
Untitled Original 11383 (Take 1)
Nature Boy
Untitled Original 11386 (Take 1)
Vilia (Take 3)
Impressions (Take 3)
Slow Blues
One Up, One Down (Take 1)
Dream Letter: Live in London 1968 - Tim Buckley
Introduction
Buzzin' Fly
Phantasmagoria In Two
Morning Glory
Dolphins
I've Been Out Walking
The Earth Is Broken
Who Do You Love (live)
Pleasant Street / You Keep Me Hanging On
Love From Room 109 / Strange Feelin’
Carnival Song / Hi Lily, Hi Lo
Hallucinations
Troubadour
Dream Letter / Happy Time
Wayfaring Stranger / You Got Me Runnin’
Once I Was
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Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Art Institute of Chicago puts collection online
Kottke reports: [edited]
The Art Institute of Chicago recently unveiled a new website design. They have placed more than 52,000 high-resolution images from their collection online, available to all without restriction.
Check out the paint strokes in Van Gogh’s The Bedroom, the charcoal details on Charles White’s Harvest Talk, or the synaesthetic richness of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Blue and Green Music.
------------
The Art Institute of Chicago recently unveiled a new website design. They have placed more than 52,000 high-resolution images from their collection online, available to all without restriction.
Check out the paint strokes in Van Gogh’s The Bedroom, the charcoal details on Charles White’s Harvest Talk, or the synaesthetic richness of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Blue and Green Music.
------------
Monday, November 12, 2018
Anthony Mancinelli – World’s Oldest Working Barber
New York Times reports: [edited]
Mr. Mancinelli is 107 and still working full time, cutting hair five days a week from noon to 8 p.m. He has been working in barbershops since he was 11. Warren Harding was in the White House.
He has a trim build, a steady hand and a full head of snow white hair. He spends much of his day on his feet, in a pair of worn, cracked leather black shoes.
Asked — for the umpteenth time — about his longevity, Mr. Mancinelli offered only that he has always put in a satisfying day’s work and he has never smoked or drank heavily.
Longevity does not run in his family, and he was never big on exercise. Diet-wise, he said, “I eat thin spaghetti, so I don’t get fat.”
He has all his teeth and is on no daily medication. He has never needed glasses.
“I only go to the doctor because people tell me to, but even he can’t understand it,” he said. “I tell him I have no aches, no pains, no nothing. Nothing hurts me.”
One reason he continues to work, he said, is that it helps him stay busy and upbeat after the death of his wife of 70 years, Carmella, 14 years ago. He visits her grave daily before work.
Mr. Mancinelli lives alone. He drives to work, cooks his own meals and is determinedly self-sufficient.
------------
Mr. Mancinelli is 107 and still working full time, cutting hair five days a week from noon to 8 p.m. He has been working in barbershops since he was 11. Warren Harding was in the White House.
He has a trim build, a steady hand and a full head of snow white hair. He spends much of his day on his feet, in a pair of worn, cracked leather black shoes.
Asked — for the umpteenth time — about his longevity, Mr. Mancinelli offered only that he has always put in a satisfying day’s work and he has never smoked or drank heavily.
Longevity does not run in his family, and he was never big on exercise. Diet-wise, he said, “I eat thin spaghetti, so I don’t get fat.”
He has all his teeth and is on no daily medication. He has never needed glasses.
“I only go to the doctor because people tell me to, but even he can’t understand it,” he said. “I tell him I have no aches, no pains, no nothing. Nothing hurts me.”
One reason he continues to work, he said, is that it helps him stay busy and upbeat after the death of his wife of 70 years, Carmella, 14 years ago. He visits her grave daily before work.
Mr. Mancinelli lives alone. He drives to work, cooks his own meals and is determinedly self-sufficient.
------------
Sunday, November 04, 2018
London-Somerset-London, 03 & 04-11-18
London to Somerset, 03-11-18
Week In Week Out - Dubstar
Here We Are Nowhere - Stiff Little Fingers
Furious Rose - Lisa Loeb
M5 - The Fall
Evening Train - Van Morrison
I Just Stopped By Because I Had To - Shalamar
Bad Man - The Coral
High Into The Sky - Pilot
If I Were A Carpenter [Live] - The Small Faces
John The Baptist (Holy John) - Blood, Sweat & Tears
You're My Only Home - The Magnetic Fields
Machine Gun - Anne McCue
Please Don't Touch - Motörhead
Beatbox - Roni Size Reprazent
The Real Thing [The Joy Brothers Remake] - Tony Di Bart
Wrapped In Grey - XTC
Cripple Creek - Skip Spence
Wish You Were Her - Cousteau
Please Forgive Me - Bryan Adams
Where My Seed Might Find Purchase - Bill Mallonee
In My Heart - Texas
Things Can Only Get Better - D:Ream
It Ain't The Wind, It's The Rain - Mary Gauthier
Half Of Everything - Lloyd Cole
Hold Me Down - Gin Blossoms
Disco 2000 - Pulp
Goodbye Cruel World - Shakespear's Sister
Bounce (Totale Controle Remix) - Steve'N King
I Wish You Would - Billy Boy Arnold
I Trawl The Megahertz - Paddy McAloon
This Is Where - Richard Buckner
Le Freak - The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain
Mistress Of Storms - Bruce Cockburn
Love Factory - Eloise Laws
Stones - Neil Diamond
A Little Boogie Woogie In The Back Of My Mind - Gary Glitter
Berlin Tonight - Bruce Cockburn
Sweetheart Contract - Magazine
Broken Butterflies - Lucinda Williams
Catwoman - Shakespear's Sister
Somerset to London, 04-11-18
Try My World - Georgie Fame
Johnny's Garden - Stephen Stills & Manassas
Heard of Darkness - Syd Straw
Cyprus Avenue - Van Morrison
If Looks Could Kill - Transvision Vamp
The Monkeys Are Breaking Out Of The Zoo - Belle & Sebastian
The Maker Of Noses - Rich Mullins
Seamrider - Lowalk & DJ Loki
The Dance - Garth Brooks
Stormy Monday - Them
Once In A Blue Moon - Van Morrison
All The Right Reasons - Greg Kihn Band
It Is What It Is (And That's All) - Steve Forbert
Scarecrow - Chuck Prophet
Talkin' 'Bout The Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants To Live Forever) - The Flaming Lips
Deirdre - The Beach Boys
Donegal Express - Shane MacGowan & The Popes
Oh King Richard - Rodney Crowell
Satan Is My Motor - Cake
Dk 50/80 - John Otway
Mated - David Grant & Jaki Graham
Paid My Dues - Anastacia
What Do You Want From Me? - Monaco
Don't Cry Baby (Magnolias 2001) - Black Project Feat. Claude François
At Home At Work At Play - Sparks
I Need A Situation - Wreckless Eric
Choose Life - PF Project Feat. Ewan McGregor
Read About Love - Richard Thompson
She's Too Good For Me - Sting
Enola / Alone - Manic Street Preachers
Hold On - J.J. Cale
Attention To Me - The Nolans
Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf
Dusk Till Dawn (Shapeshifters Remix) - Danny Howells & Dick Trevor Feat. Erire
Hometown Unicorn - Super Furry Animals
Saturday - Yo La Tengo
All Fall Down - Emmylou Harris & George Jones
Children Go - Fret Not
Live Till You Die [Album Version] - Tift Merritt
Baby Blue (Us Single Mix) - Badfinger
Simple Twist Of Fate - Bob Dylan
Twisty Bass - Neil Finn
Sweet Lullaby - Deep Forest
Big Wheels Rolling - Chicory Tip
------------
Week In Week Out - Dubstar
Here We Are Nowhere - Stiff Little Fingers
Furious Rose - Lisa Loeb
M5 - The Fall
Evening Train - Van Morrison
I Just Stopped By Because I Had To - Shalamar
Bad Man - The Coral
High Into The Sky - Pilot
If I Were A Carpenter [Live] - The Small Faces
John The Baptist (Holy John) - Blood, Sweat & Tears
You're My Only Home - The Magnetic Fields
Machine Gun - Anne McCue
Please Don't Touch - Motörhead
Beatbox - Roni Size Reprazent
The Real Thing [The Joy Brothers Remake] - Tony Di Bart
Wrapped In Grey - XTC
Cripple Creek - Skip Spence
Wish You Were Her - Cousteau
Please Forgive Me - Bryan Adams
Where My Seed Might Find Purchase - Bill Mallonee
In My Heart - Texas
Things Can Only Get Better - D:Ream
It Ain't The Wind, It's The Rain - Mary Gauthier
Half Of Everything - Lloyd Cole
Hold Me Down - Gin Blossoms
Disco 2000 - Pulp
Goodbye Cruel World - Shakespear's Sister
Bounce (Totale Controle Remix) - Steve'N King
I Wish You Would - Billy Boy Arnold
I Trawl The Megahertz - Paddy McAloon
This Is Where - Richard Buckner
Le Freak - The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain
Mistress Of Storms - Bruce Cockburn
Love Factory - Eloise Laws
Stones - Neil Diamond
A Little Boogie Woogie In The Back Of My Mind - Gary Glitter
Berlin Tonight - Bruce Cockburn
Sweetheart Contract - Magazine
Broken Butterflies - Lucinda Williams
Catwoman - Shakespear's Sister
Somerset to London, 04-11-18
Try My World - Georgie Fame
Johnny's Garden - Stephen Stills & Manassas
Heard of Darkness - Syd Straw
Cyprus Avenue - Van Morrison
If Looks Could Kill - Transvision Vamp
The Monkeys Are Breaking Out Of The Zoo - Belle & Sebastian
The Maker Of Noses - Rich Mullins
Seamrider - Lowalk & DJ Loki
The Dance - Garth Brooks
Stormy Monday - Them
Once In A Blue Moon - Van Morrison
All The Right Reasons - Greg Kihn Band
It Is What It Is (And That's All) - Steve Forbert
Scarecrow - Chuck Prophet
Talkin' 'Bout The Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants To Live Forever) - The Flaming Lips
Deirdre - The Beach Boys
Donegal Express - Shane MacGowan & The Popes
Oh King Richard - Rodney Crowell
Satan Is My Motor - Cake
Dk 50/80 - John Otway
Mated - David Grant & Jaki Graham
Paid My Dues - Anastacia
What Do You Want From Me? - Monaco
Don't Cry Baby (Magnolias 2001) - Black Project Feat. Claude François
At Home At Work At Play - Sparks
I Need A Situation - Wreckless Eric
Choose Life - PF Project Feat. Ewan McGregor
Read About Love - Richard Thompson
She's Too Good For Me - Sting
Enola / Alone - Manic Street Preachers
Hold On - J.J. Cale
Attention To Me - The Nolans
Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf
Dusk Till Dawn (Shapeshifters Remix) - Danny Howells & Dick Trevor Feat. Erire
Hometown Unicorn - Super Furry Animals
Saturday - Yo La Tengo
All Fall Down - Emmylou Harris & George Jones
Children Go - Fret Not
Live Till You Die [Album Version] - Tift Merritt
Baby Blue (Us Single Mix) - Badfinger
Simple Twist Of Fate - Bob Dylan
Twisty Bass - Neil Finn
Sweet Lullaby - Deep Forest
Big Wheels Rolling - Chicory Tip
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