Links 11/19/2008
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
Then I realized, “Wait, I’m a Mac user. I still have plenty to ramble on about.” The sun of hope peeked over the horizon, and I knew my life had meaning again. :-)
Balmuda Design: NumberKey
I own neither an iPod touch nor an iPhone. If I did, this would be a sure AppStore purchase. It turns either device into a wireless number pad for your MacBook. Since I use my MacBook as my primary computer, I could see how this might be helpful.
The Classic theme is particularly nice.
Live Science: God and Evolution Can Co-exist, Scientist Says
I find this stuff interesting. In this case, Karl W. Giberson, a physics professor, is saying that being a scientist does not necessitate also being an atheist or agnostic. Faith and reason can exist together without one negating the other.
Giberson has rejected fundamentalism, but remains a believer as well as a scientist. He has staked out a middle ground when it comes to the battle between Christians and Darwinists, stating that they can be reconciled with one another. He is sympathetic toward the motivations of creationists and scientists alike, though he is fed up with much of intelligent design as well as hard-core atheists.
Links 12/30/07 (End of the Year Edition)
Stand for Change: Full video of Barack's speech in Des Moines
Honestly, this is one of the best speeches given by a political figure in years. Regardless of your political party affiliation, this is inspiring stuff.
You can find an entire transcript right here.
AFP: 2007 stem cell breakthrough is like turning lead into gold
Stem cell research is getting more and more interesting, especially as scientists are finding ways to procure said cells without damaging embryos in the process. It's amazing this research is progressing so quickly despite political obstacles.
From the article:
"This is truly the Holy Grail: To be able to take a few cells from a patient -- say a cheek swab or few skin cells -- and turn them into stem cells in the laboratory," said Robert Lanza, a stem cell pioneer at Advanced Cell Technology.
George Orwell: The Freedom of the Press
This preface to Animal Farm was omitted at the time of the book's publication, and it's an interesting read for anyone who is a fan of Orwell's works. Additionally, like many of his writings, this preface is eerily prophetic in many aspects.
Links 08/01/07
Fascinating stuff, and it reinforces the difficulties adults have acquiring new languages. Remember that next you get frustrated that someone is having difficulty with English when they have moved here from another country.
TUAW: Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac delayed until January 2008
This does not make Robert happy, but what can you do?
Realmac Software: What's New in RapidWeaver 3.6.2
All I care about here is the smart publishing bug fix, but some nice new features have been added as well.
Links 07/28/07
I tend to be skeptical of all-or-nothing correlations in behavioral science. An individual may be more prone to autistic tendencies due to genetic makeup, but environment will still influence the development of a social disorder to some extent.
However, I do have to admit a biased viewpoint...
The WebKit Open Source Project: WebKit Project Goals
WebKit development is surprisingly transparent when compared to Apple as a whole. Check this out for an idea of where they are taking WebKit, the most prolific web content engine for Mac OS X.
Apple Reports Third Quarter Results
Overall, another very good quarter for Apple. Hopefully, they will get their products to comply with the new Energy Star standards by the end of the current quarter.
Links 06/09/07
Like the earlier development to extract stem cells from human placentas, this is another great step forward in removing the controversy from stem cell research.
Links 05/11/07
I've seen this story in several places, but Paul Thurrott has my favorite take on the issue:
OK, seriously.
The legal system in this country is absolutely out of control. This is ridiculous. Is there some way I can sue these clowns because of the time I lost just writing this blog post? Spare me.
Universe Today: Maximizing Survival Time Inside the Event Horizon of a Black Hole
Useful information – I wonder when our Fox affiliate will feature it on their "Survive Alive" news segment.
ESA presents the sharpest ever satellite map of Earth
This is amazing stuff.
"It will also significantly contribute to the monitoring and assessment of global land cover and as such will support the contribution of FAO to the assessment of land degradation and the monitoring of global forest cover."
Links 04/06/07
It sounds like this could be the final post at Creating Passionate Users. I hope it isn't.
Shacknews: Half-Life 2, Doom 3 Assets in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.?
If this is true, it could spark a pretty nasty backlash from the hardcore gamer crowd as well as incite legal action from id Software and Valve.
WSJ: Using Even New PCs is Ruined by a Tangle of Trial Programs, Ads
Walt Mossberg rants about the amount of trial-ware, ads, and "special offers" that litters any new PC bought from a major vendor. He says such practices are a result of lack of respect for the consumer, and I agree. However, it's important to note that the consumer would be paying more for the computer without all of that advertising in place. It's like magazines. A bridal magazine that's 200 pages and 75% ads will cost much less than a 50 page psychology journal with no ad revenue.
This is yet one more way Dell, HP, and others sell computers at such low prices. I'm not convinced the tradeoff is worth it.
The Macalope: Run for Your Lives
The mythical Macalope reports on the recently reported iPod "virus" and its severe limitations. He christens it "The Lamest Virus Evah™!"
Human Computer Interaction in Science Fiction Movies
This paper takes a look at how science fiction movies speculate about how we will interact with technology in the future. Several movies are covered, and I especially liked the author's thoughts on Minority Report.
Links 03/24/07
Jumsoft: Keynote Objects FX - I'm not sure what I think of these. If I were more of a clip art user, these would probably seem great. As it is, I only see a couple in the sample document that make me think, "I'd use that."
Keynote Theme Park: Nation Elements Americas - These look like they could be pretty useful. I've purchased a couple of this group's supplemental packs and have gotten a lot of use out of them. This is worth checking out.
IsraCast: Like a Fish – Revolutionary Underwater Breathing System
It's almost like Star Wars: Episode 1, only without the Gungans. Make sure you read down to the interview at the bottom of the article.
Kotaku: PS3 Dominates Folding@Home
Now there's a way to generate good Karma if I ever saw one.
Kotaku: London PS3 Launch Gives Out TVs to All
And to think I decided to skip the UK PS3 launch just because I live here in Westfield!
Links 03/05/07
"DMCA scholars often spar over whether or not the blanket prohibition against circumventing access controls truly applies to fair use, but I think it's quite clear what the RIAA and the content industry thinks: the DMCA makes circumvention illegal, period. Does this all-or-nothing principle sound familiar? If you're thinking of Prohibition in the United States, you're right on the money."
Opposable Thumbs: Reviewing reviews: a rebuttal
I didn't even know this was an issue, and I don't know why anyone at Sony would care ... unless they are just bitter about the negative press the PS3 and some of its launch titles have been receiving.
Let's see, instead of focusing on games I've avoided due to reviews, here are some games I never would have bought had it not been for the reviews I read: Burnout 3, Katamari Damacy, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Pikmin 2, Dark Cloud, Beyond Good & Evil, Lego Star Wars, SSX Tricky, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Silent Hill 2, and Animal Crossing.
For the most part, if I want a game enough, I'll at least rent it despite the reviews. On the other hand, good reviews have turned me on to properties that I might have otherwise dismissed, and many of these have sequels I've picked up. In my opinion, reviews are good as long as some other consumers are like me.
Nobel Intent: An ancient solar observatory
"Dating suggested that the towers were constructed around the 4th century B.C., making them over 2,300 years old. According to Ghezzi, "Chankillo reflects well-developed astronomical principles, which suggests the original forms of astronomy must be quite older," than previously believed."
Macworld UK: Mac Users were Microsoft's "Guinea Pigs"
You know what? Ignore this article. Read the real memo instead. It tells the story of someone working hard to keep an important Mac application alive despite upper management. The "guinea pig" quote in the memo really comes off as Waldman trying to appeal to Gate's judgment. Mac sites are making this more sensational than it is, and they are making the good guy in the story sound like a villain...
I post this because I am getting tired of the Mac web going out of its way to vilify any individual even remotely associated with Microsoft.
Links 01/08/07
Cabal Sasser blogs about Apple's patent for resolution independent interfaces and draws some interesting conclusions. He also posts some information about Apple's own theme creation tool.
via Daring Fireball
IntelliAdmin: The Progression of Vista Through Screenshots
This is a really simple but nice trip trough Vista's development from the first alpha release to the final shipping version. I like screenshots.
Ars Technica: IPTV on the XBox 360: Ars digs deep
This could become a big deal, and it could really help the XBox 360 gain even more momentum in the US market.
Nobel Intent: Even more ethical stem cells
I've always found myself torn on the issue of stem cell research. On the one hand, the investment can be unreasonable (potentially human life). On the other hand, the benefits of studying stem cells seems staggering. A new technique that recovers stem cells from amniotic fluid may succeed in dispelling much of the controversy around this research.