Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

CASH music, a platform for Radiohead-style digital distribution that makes fans into stake-holders

from Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow

Chris sez, "One of my favorite songwriters, Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses, 50FOOTWAVE, and solo) has founded the Coalition for Artists and Stake Holders, on the assumption that both artists and fans are stakeholders in the production of music. She's built a framework to distribute music on the internet while taking donations (sort of Radiohead-style: pay what you want) and taking full advantage of the medium -- including offering ProTools tem files via BitTorrent so you can remix her song!" Link (Thanks, Chris!)

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Six-Person Video Conferencing with Meebo/TokBox [Video Conferencing]

from Lifehacker by Kevin Purdy

Web-based chat application Meebo now lets you video conference with up to five other contacts from any instant messaging service through a team-up with TokBox. As with their regular video chat, you log in, open a chat window, hit the "rocket ship" icon and choose the "Group Video Chat" option. There's simultaneous text chatting in the same window, and the video quality looks to be about the same as the one-on-one setup. Not too shabby for a free, no-installation service.

600% More TokBox at Meebo.com [via TechCrunch]

Samsung's Thin 3-Megapixel SCH-u900 FlipShot Camera Phone Hits Verizon

from Gizmodo by Wilson Rothman

Last time you saw the SCH-u900, it was fugly. Now, gussied up and ready for the holidays, the u900 makes its Verizon Wireless debut in red and black with a new nickname, the FlipShot. The 3.0-megapixel camphone replaces the now defunct a990 with a thinner body and a new rounded-edge look. It's got what you'd expect from a high-end feature phone: EV-DO, GPS with VZ Navigator, and Bluetooth—stereo audio, dial-up networking, serial port and object push for vCard, plus basic print and image profiles. The black version starts selling on Verizon's website today, while the seductive red model will only be available at Best Buy, beginning 11/26. Total cost for this baby will be $200, after you sign your life away for one-fifth of a decade, of course. [Verizon Wireless]

Compact Florescent Light Bulbs, Gone Crazy [Art Bulbs]

from Gizmodo by Charlie White

Compact fluorescent bulbs get more popular every day because of their energy-saving characteristics, but their conventional corkscrew/spring design leaves something to be desired. Enter Hulger, a bunch of British designers with a bent for the unusual, who have bent those tubes around into crazy configurations, making something that once appeared rather prosaic into an artform. You're looking at a prototype of the spaghetti-like bulb, and we're all hoping to see a shipping version before too long. Now if they can just make them instant-on and light 'em up with a warm color temperature of 2700 Kelvin, they'll really be onto something. [Core 77]

GPS Letterlogger to Solve the Problem of Missing Snail Mail [Mail Tracker]

from Gizmodo by Addy Dugdale

TrackingTheWorld has come up with a potential solution to the problem of letters that go missing in action. Letter Logger is a quarter-inch-thick device that fits into a standard number 10 business envelope and allows the US Postal Service to track its progress throughout the system alongside Google Earth. Here's how it works.

Letter Logger consists of a powerful microprocessor developed by Texas Instruments, and a low-power consumption uBlox ANTARIS 4 GPS module, and is powered by a slim 1100mAh battery. It can be deployed in two different ways. Users can choose to receive reports every two, five or ten minutes (which would, I think, drive you nuts) if Letter Logger is in Constant mode, or they can go for Tilt mode, which notifies you only when the envelope is tilted. Constant mode gives you 20 hours' battery life, while Tilt mode will keep tabs for two weeks.

The service starts up on January 2 next year and it won't be available to the general public. It's a shame the British Government's Customs and Revenue department didn't have access to this when the CD-Rs containing 25 million people's bank details got lost in transit earlier this month. [Tracking the World via Engadget]

First Supersonic Private Jet Sold to Obviously-Very-Rich Guy [Supersonic Private Jet]

from Gizmodo by Jesus Diaz

This is the Aerion Supersonic Business Jet, the first private plane that will fly at 1.6 Mach. The first unit has just been purchased by Sheikh Rashid, the ruler of Dubai. This bird will be able to fly the Ellisons, Jobs and Gores of this world from Paris to New York in just over 4 hours, so even while it has a $80,000,000 price tag, there will be no demand problems for it. The aircraft specs are amazing:

Thanks to its design, the Aerion Supersonic Business Jet will be able to cruise at 1.15 Mach over land without producing any boom on the ground. The plane can also keep a 0.98 Mach speed offering a similar cost-per-mile than competing subsonic private jets and complying with US regulations. Over water, however, you will be free to speed it up and sustain 1.5 Mach with ease. To give you an idea, at this speed the Aerion can cross the Atlantic in two hours (it has a 4,600 miles range over 45,400 pounds of fuel) thanks to its Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines.

Unlike the Concorde, which could only fly to certain airports through the world because of its operative requirements, this supersonic jet is designed to comply with environmental, sound and airport regulations everywhere. For example, the Aerion can land in just 3,460 feet, which makes it usable in most airports and a prime candidate to be Larry Ellison's next private plane.

Design-wise, the Aerion looks even better than the fastest turboprop private plane . At least, it looks stunning except for the color. But hey, for $80,000,000 I'm sure they will be able to deliver it in secret-plane black with alien markings.

The Aerion Supersonic Business Jet will be delivered in 2014, so you only need to decide if you want to spend $250,000 now for one of the forty "early delivery positions" or wait a couple more years to get it on a Black Friday, just like the rest of us. [Aerion]

Lifefast Transparent 360º Ad Display is LED Craziness in a (Big) Can [Led Display]

from Gizmodo by Addy Dugdale

Technohouse showed off the Lifefast, a radical transparent, 360º LED display unit at the Inter BEE 2007 fair in Japan. Placed at right angles to each other in the Lifefast's cylindrical design are four bars, each fitted with 600 three-color LEDs, which revolve between 12 and 13 times per second, flashing up images. More info and pics below.

The unit, which supports VGA, DVI and video signals, can display three 600 x 800-dot images, two 600 x 1,200-dot images, or one 600 x 2,400-dot image, and the size varies between 75 cm and 150cm tall. The unit, which is manufactured by German firm Kinoton GMBH, costs from around $6,450. New Launches

Lotus and Hot Wheels Create Badass Concept [Cars]

from Gizmodo by Mark Wilson

Lotus makes a sexy car on their own, but teaming up with die-cast maker Hot Wheels they've really outdone themselves. A 1:5 scale model created for SEMA, one of its most distinctive characteristics is the exposed center spine which incorporates switches and gear linkages while supporting that massive wing you see sticking out the back. Mostly men want nice cars to attract women and get them sex. This car is so hot it can skip the finding a woman part. Hit the jump for a mega sized pic. [jalopnik and motorauthority]

Verizon Says You Can Port From Sprint, Build Your Own Phone [Verizon Opens Wide]

from Gizmodo by Wilson Rothman

We just got the juicy details on the Verizon Wireless Any App, Any Device initiative going live in the second half of next year. The big answers, from the company heads:
• Yes, you will be able to port existing CDMA phones from Sprint—or Korea—to Verizon, provided they operate on the correct frequencies.
• The cost of certification for BYO phones will be "very reasonable", and that even an at-home tinkerer could feasibly submit a device for approval.
• Previously Verizon only tested phones that could sell in the hundreds of thousands of units; now it will be happy to approve devices that require much lower volume.
• This is for CDMA products only. The iPhone ain't gonna port, even though several reporters seemed to not understand why. Here are more details:

• There will be no problem with Java-powered CDMA phones running on VZW, even though the carrier is so partial to BREW.
• The testing process will involve than basic network interactivity and a simple security screen so that devices that could upload malware to the network won't get through.

CTO Dick Lynch on homemade devices:

If somebody has the technical capability of building a device on a breadboard and they want to bring it to be tested, the philosophy of this program says "Have at it!" If it is tested and passes, it can get on the network. Does it make it hard to be the small guy on the block? Not now, with availability of components, etc. The provider of the device would have some fee that they would pay. I think it's going to be surprisingly reasonable - it's not gonna have many many zeroes on the back. They will be very reasonable fees for professional services rendered.

CEO Lowell McAdam on what might turn up:

This isn't just phones—itcould be a very small module in a gaming station, a home appliance, something that goes into your car. It doesn't have to have the traditional distribution or volumes. [Traditionally] if a device is not going to sell hundreds of thousands, it's hard to decide because of our scale. But now, if something only sells five, now it can be on our network.

McAdam on porting from other carriers:

If somebody wants to bring a device over from any other CDMA carrier or somewhere else, if it passes the test and operates on our frequencies, they can. [Can someone move from Sprint to Verizon?] The short answer is "Yes."

Of course, this is all about device availability, not about the services and fees for service. The honchos admit that there will have to be new plans and open discussion of bandwidth caps.

Depending on the type of device, different usage models will apply. If there's a device that only access network once a month to update, the idea of a utility meter reading comes to mind. If it's doing video download, something else makes sense.

The topic of Google's Open Handset Alliance came up, but the response was fairly boilerplate, and indicated that Verizon was more likely to test popular Android models on its standard service offering, a la Treos, BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile devices. Verizon reminded reporters constantly that BYO was, after all, just augmentation of its standard business model, not a total change. I for one am happy about it, but this is too early to know what will come about. [Press Release]

'Segway of the Sky' Tops My Christmas Wish List [Definition Of Awesome]

from Gizmodo by adam frucci

Yes, the Segway is lame. But then, the Segway can't fly. If it could, I wouldn't judge its owners so harshly. Say hello to the VertiPod, which is basically just that. You stand on it and steer it around, and by leaning in one direction or another it'll point you in that direction. It all sounds terribly dangerous, and I want one.

The VertiPod looks a bit like a one-passenger helicopter turned upside-down. Its propeller is on the bottom and the pilot stands on a platform built around it with back support and controls at waist level.
It is powered by a 440-cubic-centimeter engine that runs on gasoline or ethanol and can be activated with a pull-start, like a lawnmower. The VertiPod is intended to travel five to 15 feet above ground at a top speed of 40 mph. Bitar said it will be sold for $10,000 in a kit that can be assembled in a weekend.

"It actually flies, unlike a hovercraft, which is just a ground effect," Bitar said. "It could have applications for law enforcement, especially border patrol, but it will also be available to the consumer market."

No word on when you can start putting yourself and others in harm's way with this thing, but we will, of course, keep you updated. [Product Page via Danger Room]

False choices that work

from Seth's Blog by Seth Godin

Just finished buying some checks online. Got to the page with the ridiculous charges for shipping and handling. They were:

Slow...$14 (Expected delivery, December 15th)
Fast...$18 (Expected delivery, December 10th)
Expedited...$18 (Expected delivery, December 5th)

"Wow!" I said to myself, "I'll show them... I'll get the expedited shipping without paying a penny more than fast."

Perhaps I'm the only customer who had the insight, intelligence and flair to both realize it and take advantage of it. Perhaps some employee is quaking in his boots, fearful for his job because of the millions in losses his employers are going to take because he mispriced expedited shipping.

Or perhaps, perhaps, everybody chooses Expedited.

Nine times out of ten, especially online, people focus on comparisons, not absolutes.

75-story Skyscraper on 53 West 53 rd Street by Jean Nouvel

November 27th, 2007 by Chantal

A new 75-story tower designed by the architect Jean Nouvel for a site next to the Museum of Modern Art in Midtownbetween 53rd and 54th streets just west of MoMA promises to be the most exhilarating addition to the skyline in a generation.

Its faceted exterior, tapering to a series of crystalline peaks, suggests an atavistic preoccupation with celestial heights. It brings to mind John Ruskin's praise for the irrationality of Gothic architecture:
"It not only dared, but delighted in, the infringement of every servile principle."

Its faceted exterior, tapering to a series of crystalline peaks, suggests an atavistic preoccupation with celestial heights. It brings to mind John Ruskin's praise for the irrationality of Gothic architecture: "It not only dared, but delighted in, the infringement of every servile principle."

Nouvel's bold design will rise 75 stories Currently, a mix of uses is contemplated for the building including: a 50,000-square-foot expansion of MoMA's galleries (levels two to five); a 100-room, seven-star hotel and 120 highest-end residential condominiums on the upper floors. The project will likely commence pre-sales in late 2008.

Has CAPTCHA Been "Broken"?

Source: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001001.html

Programmers don't seem to understand what makes a CAPTCHA difficult to "break". But it's not difficult to find out. Heck, the hackers themselves will tell you how to do CAPTCHA correctly if you just know where to look. For example, this Chinese hacker's page breaks down a number of common CAPTCHAs , and the price of software he sells to defeat them at a certain percentage success rate:

the9 100% $500
dvbbs 95% $1,000
Shanda 90% $1,500
Baidu 80% $3,000
eBay 70% $4,000
Ticketmaster 50% $6,000
Google (unbreakable)
Hotmail (unbreakable)
Yahoo (unbreakable)

Monday, November 26, 2007

Olympus creates 360-degree HD camera and projector

from Engadget by Joshua Topolsky

Sure, regular HD is nice -- you really get a gander at an anchorman's makeup, and the stars' wrinkles are shocking -- but does it go far enough? Olympus doesn't think so. The camera company -- long known to bring the goods on the picture-takin' end -- has just created the first 360-degree, 1080i camera and projection solution. Utilizing a proprietary system based around an "axisymmetric free-form-surface lens," the camera can shoot video at horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 360-and-50-degrees, respectively; the images can then be projected in the same range by a separate unit. Obviously, you won't see this in the consumer sector any time soon, but it does open some pretty interesting opportunities for installations and security alike.

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree goes LED

from Engadget by Donald Melanson

It looks like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be a considerably smaller energy hog this holiday season than it has been in years past, as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday that the tree will be lit up with LED lights for the first time - 30,000 of 'em, to be specific. That'll apparently reduce the tree's energy consumption from 3,510 kilowatt hours per day to just 1,297 -- a savings that, as the AP points out, is roughly equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by a typical 2,000-square-foot house in a month. While it's not clear if it'll be used for the tree or not, the owners of Rockefeller Center also took the opportunity to show off a new 365-panel solar array on the roof of one of the complex's buildings, which is apparently big enough to lay claim to the title of the largest privately owned solar roof in Manhattan. [Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

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