Four In The Morning

How Do You Map the Internet?

Submitted by Ray on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 00:55

Kevin Kelly (wikipedia) was curious about how people viewed the internet and their place in it, so he started the Internet Mapping Project. On June 1, 2009 he released the initial results (which can be seen below). Several days later Mara Vanina Oses, Professor of Media at the University of Buenos Aires, posted a preliminary review (pdf) of the data.

This is a subject previously tackled at xkcd

CC-BY-NC xkcd.com

CC-BY-NC xkcd.com

be sure to check out Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools.

hat tip boing boing

Han Solo, PI

Submitted by Ray on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 00:04

Here is a great mashup of the Magnum PI theme and Star Wars. I love how technology and the internet has allowed all sorts of interesting creativity.

Here is a side by side comparison of the original Magnum, PI open with the Han Solo, PI open.

hat tip Gizmodo

Save Local TV?

Submitted by Ray on Mon, 06/01/2009 - 23:19

Apparently local television stations in Canada are on the verge of disappearing, or so they would have us believe based on their propaganda (if you are interested in finding out about the other side of the discussion you can read the contrary propaganda).

To be honest, I haven't spent any time looking into this issue. Perhaps I should, but advances in technology are game changing and media of all types are in a period of chaos while new business models are being developed. And as a result, I am generally wary of businesses claiming that something "isn't fair."

But what if local television stations did disappear? So what? We are told that local television is beneficial. Perhaps it is, but even if local television does disappear, local news and shows won't. Just as journalism is distinct from Newspapers, so it is with local television.

A HighDefinition camcorder or two, a TriCaster and an internet connection is all you need to get in the game. There will alway be people dedicated to bringing us the local news in a visual format and technology is making easier for more people to participate. Local news whether it's visual, audio or print, isn't going anywhere.

Predictably Irrational

Submitted by Ray on Mon, 06/01/2009 - 00:17

In my earlier Deception, Misdirection and Natalie Imbruglia post I discussed my interest in how the mind is easily deceived and controlled. This year I've become intrigued by the research of Dan Ariely (wikipedia). It turns out humans are predictably irrational, baring little resemblance to the rational beings standard economists like to think we are. His book Predictably Irrational is a great read.

Here is an entertaining speech Ariely gave in Dec 2008.

see also
Dan Ariely - On Our Buggy Moral Code
Dan Ariely - Authors@Google

Lost Generation

Submitted by Ray on Sun, 05/31/2009 - 00:50

Reverse

It was inspired by this advertisement.

Sorry I'm Late

Submitted by Ray on Sat, 05/30/2009 - 01:00

Here's a great stop motion video by Tomas Mankovsky called Sorry I'm Late.

hat tip boing boing

Downfall Parody

Submitted by Ray on Fri, 05/29/2009 - 00:41

Brad Templeton, the chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, created the following parody in response to the takedown notices the studio has ordered on some of the numerous parodies there are of this particular scene from the movie Downfall (Der Untergang).