Archive for November, 2009
Are wealthy people less likely to be terrorists? If you spend time listening to Google chief, Eric Schmidt, you might come away with this thought. While wealthy people may famously crash a party or two, they aren’t thought to be a threat except for the imagined scenarios of others behaving like them. Party crashing aside, Schmidt believes that the world will be a better (read safer) place for you and me - if we all think of our fellow humans around the world and lend them a helping hand. It’s just not enough to think only of physical borders anymore because the digital age has erased such boundaries.
The Google chief in a conversation with Newsweek International editor, Zakaria says that with the rest of the world gaining education and wealth, wars will be less likely and a good time could be had by all. Look around, says Zakaria and the world is changing. The tallest building is in Taiwan. The emerging multi-national corporate powers are in Asia and South America. The world’s largest Ferris wheel, yes Ferris wheel - invented by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. is in Singapore. The world’s biggest plane is built in Russia. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas but the world’s largest casino has not stayed there, it is in Macao.
Whether or not we can all learn to love each other across borders, religions and ideology is another question. But we can no longer compartmentalize the world into political, technological, socio-economic and cultural segments. Rather than hang about in the tech world digitizing newspapers and books and creating a digital library, geeks should also be contemplating world peace. And Schmidt, who famously advises the President, could be a chief contemplator on these matters. On the bright side, Schmidt said that Google erases your data after the federally mandated timeline for keeping it expires. Google is protecting our privacy.
It is said that if you line up all the economists end to end, they won’t be able to make a decision. On the other hand, if you line up all the digital camera companies, you would have better holiday photos. In this vein, the folks at Canon want to help you take better photos. Contrary to popular thinking, better cameras don’t take better photos, but if your photos are good people want your camera. More than just point-and-shoot, Canon wants you to put some thought into image composition, lens choice and of course their photo printers. Consequently, they’ve assembled tips and thoughts on photography by experts in the field.
Michael Timmons, a portrait photographer, says the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens is the best. He believes that the lens is sharp and quick, allowing him to focus in on the eyes. And the eyes really do have it. Even though a portrait is posed, the subject and possibly the person behind the camera are really bodies in motion. What he aims to capture is that “in-between” moment that has a candid quality to it. Even posed family portraits can be better when the photographer captures in-between moments.
On the other hand, for Heather Lickliter who mostly photographs children, just about any decent digital camera can do a good job, though her equipment is worth close to $8,000. Rather than fuss with the equipment, she advises newcomers to set the camera on “portrait” and work at getting a good shot. Adults should get down to the child’s eye level. Use props such as chairs, ballet skirts, buckets and pails to add interest. Avoid clothing with busy patterns and most of all follow the kids and anticipate their next move for a more natural shot.
Once you have those prized photos, the Canon people hope you use their wireless, web-connected photo printer, the PIXMA MP990 that allows computer-free printing with excellent photo quality. There are several brands of web-connected printers including some that have apps. And just in case you have background issues in your photos, there is Bokeh, a Photoshop plug-in that allows you to blur the background. Now if economists get digital cameras how will they decide what to shoot?
Photos are by Heather Lickliter.
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Who knew there was such a thing as a Sharpie fan club? Well, if you did, our apologies. But it isn’t every day that one thinks Sharpie and fan club in the same brain wave. But once you give it some thought, yes, Sharpie should have a fan club. Everything should have a fan club if it has fans. In the hands of an artist, the Sharpie can create everything from wrapping paper to apparel designs and so much more. Sharpie is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Who would have thought?
Artist Karen Edwards uses her collection of Sharpies to create artistic designs on common objects. Drawing inspiration from the wide world of food and culture, she creates detailed patterns on wooden surfaces. Animator Mark Perry whose work includes Ren and Stimpy, Johnny Bravo and Tiny Toon Adventures is also in the Sharpie fan club. He happened into Sharpie artistry after his daughter was born and he couldn’t sharpen his pencils. Of course in the digital age, there are software programs for animation but it seems he still loves his Sharpies. Jessica Simpson is said to be a fan of Sharpie, using a retractable version to sign autographs. Former President, George W Bush was a fan and had customized White House Sharpies.
Starting out as an ink company, the Sharpie marker made its appearance in the 1960s when markers were all the rage. Perhaps for scribbling all those Peace signs. Across the pond in Britain and Australia the Sharpie is actually a sailboat. All of it not to be confused with shar pei, which means “sand skin” and refers to the dog with the blue-black tongue. Regardless, now that we all know Sharpie has a fan club, do we want to join?
Interesting art here
It is said that if you don’t want to come home bloody, don’t leave home with a skateboard. But just in time for holiday shopping, Tony Hawk has invented a skateboard for home use that takes the blood out of the sport – perhaps ruining the experience for extreme, thrill seekers. At 41 with four kids to manage, one might be tempted to think of him as the ghost of skateboarding past. But instead of fading quietly into the backdrop, Tony Hawk continues to expand his product line in new and innovative ways. He is now, um, hawking a new skateboarding video game, Tony Hawk: Ride, without hand controls.
With the advent of other joystick free games such as the Wii and Guitar Hero, Hawk figured the time was ripe for going to market with the idea that he’s had for a while. The controller which looks like a snowboard has two accelerometers and infrared sensors. But still, it’s a videogame. It doesn’t have wheels for true skateboarding. The gamer doesn’t have to actually perform an ollie (a jump) or a kickflip (flipping the board) in real life to accomplish these moves in the game.
While Hawk is hoping for his new game to be successful and is planning future games, he continues to pay close attention to keeping the Tony Hawk brand alive and well and in demand. While he doesn’t compete, he continues to tour, doing exhibition shows around the world. Whether it’s in a Rancid music video, or on the Simpsons or on episodes of the “Suite Life of Zach and Cody,” Tony Hawk probably rides the rails for the adrenaline but he also does it to keep his name and brand in the forefront. This weekend he takes the jam to Paris where he teams up with Chester Bennington’s new group and Parisian graffiti artist, Andre for an entertaining weekend of skateboarding, art and music, and generating buzz for the brand.
It’s the beginning of 2013. You wake up to discover that after the earth has cracked, after the fireballs have descended and after the roiling oceans have taken their toll, you’re among the survivors, ready to face the new world order. But first things first. You’re hungry. What do you eat? Well, if you start preparing now, your new best friend could be, The Freeze Dry Guy (FDG). According to him, government studies show that freeze dried foods could last up to 30 years, maintaining its nutritional value and most of its original qualities. The perfect solution for the earliest days of the post 2012 world.
This is not your father’s freeze dried vittles, says FDG, arguing that the highest levels of government and military leaders are enjoying freeze dried food. If true, this is a closely guarded secret. Everything from asparagus to boiled beef, tofu, tea and of course, coffee can be yours through the freeze dried process. Just this week manufacturers of freeze drying equipment were hanging out at the Chem Show in New York where businesses in the chemical processing industries display their wares and connect with suppliers and customers. To be honest freeze drying is one small aspect of the half trillion dollar industry.
At a glance it isn’t among the most entertaining stuff but chemical processing is a major player in our daily lives. More than just providing a place to show off products, Chem Show organizers are ready to help attendees find solutions to “processing challenges.” This year’s general theme is about sustainable and green processing. Amid environmental concerns, global competition and economic struggles, chemical processing companies are also seeking out ways to be more efficient and environmentally friendly. As a result there are seminars on topics ranging from air pollution control to safety and pumping system optimization which is not necessarily a class on how to get your pumping system to appear higher in a Google search.
Chem Show site
A thousand years ago Columbus was still several hundred years away from sailing to the place he would call, “The New World,” including the Americas. The world’s largest city was Chang’an in China. Back then fields were plowed with horse power – the animal kind. Gutenberg had not yet invented moveable type and in some places it was thought that smoldering goat’s hair would cure lower back pain. This perhaps is one of the many reasons men may have stared at goats. And though it isn’t known whether toupees existed, men were trying to cure baldness with the ashes of burned bees. Around that time, Saint Arnold of Soissons, who would later become the Patron Saint of Brewers, was born.
No one knows what the world will be like a thousand years from now but latest news says the Cranberry DiamondDisc promises storage that will last 1,000 years. Oh yes, first you were afraid, you were petrified, kept thinking – well, that your music, your movies, photographs and all the stuff cluttering up your digital closet would be victims of data rot. But now you can be assured all that stuff just won’t lay down and die in outdated slumber – it will survive.
It is commonly thought that conventional CDs and DVDs aren’t a lasting storage solution for documents and other digital memories. This scary thought prompted David McInnis, founder of Cranberry DiamondDisc, to seek help from scientists. The result is a disc without the usual adhesive and reflective layers that eventually deteriorate. The disc will play on most of the regular players available today. For now, you don’t get to pick up a disc at the local office supplies place. The procedure requires you to upload up to five gigabytes of data to Cranberry’s serves and pay them around $30 to send you a disc. Perfect task for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
