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The auto-focus could be a little smarter, the video function isn't too hot but in daylight I'm more than happy with it.

Check out my k750i shots here...

I have the d750i (same phone and camera, just different color) and it really is a fantastic phone / camera. My fuji f710 bit the dust with the purple recalled ccd earlier this year, so I've been without a camera for over 6 months. I've been eyeing a camera around the range of the Canon 20D or the unreleased Nikon D200, but I just can't afford it right now. I wanted a new phone though, so the idea of having a phone with an actual decent camera attached to it appealed to me greatly.

Every photo on my flickr account in the last month has been taken with this camera, and there are some decent ones. It is a little bit tricky getting the low-light photos to come out without a lot of noise, but there are some ways around it.

I'm by no means saying that this camera is anywhere near as good as the fuji, or even in the same league as something like the 20D. But the ability to upload somewhat decent shots to flickr anywhere I am, right when I want to (thanks, t-mobile gprs) is fantastic.

"We are stronger than ever because we have a research lab in Cambridge, we have one now in China, one in India and that is where the top problems in computer science are going to be solved." [Gates Said]

So... if we don't manufacture products in the States anymore and the future of computer science is overseas, what's left for America to be good at?


-Colin

"The beauty of software is that we are always making breakthroughs. We will have more in the next 10 years than we have had on the last 30," he [Gates] said in an exclusive BBC interview.

Right... and so will Google. Good luck catching up Billie Boy.


-Colin

Here is a quick snap of the documentation included in the special edition.

I have a slightly earlier-version Nokia 6680. While night-time pics are, of course, grainy, for regular shots, I'm not complaining at all.

Oh, I just submitted the following story:

It seems that Google is going to announce a new service called Google Base today at the invite only Google Zeitgeist conference. At the moment, we only have a few screenshots and a pretty interesting discussion at threadwatch.org. Conflicting rumors have pointed to a new Google database, classifieds like Craigslist, an Ebay contender or just another way to submit URLs.

Well, it's not quite as good as dual screens, but as a widescreen laptop user, yeah, I'm with you; also a 17" or even 20" screen carries with it an added bonus: the bigger the screen, the more keyboard space; the more keyboard space, the better the chances it'll be a keyboard you'd actually like to lose.

There are a couple problems with them, though.

A) First, I like my screen high resolution for exactly that purpose: it's supposed to replace a dual monitor setup. So I run a 15.4" widescreen in 1920x1200. It works great for all kinds of things, but the web can be problematic: it seems web designers like to make stuff in absolute pixel values, assuming a 72 dpi screen. Cheap streaming video players, like that crap that Microsoft pawns on me or Apple's crippleware player, also like to limit scalability to the medium. 320x200 at "200%" is still tiny. Apple's crippleware is useless (I know, I know, there are many fine Quicktime players out there that aren't made by Appple) for the same reason.

B) Second, everything still has to be on the same screen. With a dual-monitor setup, you can stick your comms and entertainment on one screen (the "distraction" screen), and focus on the task at hand on the other.

C) Most widescreens are not made for geeks who want to have 40 windows open. They are, in fact, made for the college kids who want to watch movies on them. So their resolutions are not near the "eyebleeding" level I demand.

(oh yeah, and this is what that 1920x1200 screen looks like in operation -- I stuck this up on Flickr some time ago: Desktop shot

Yes, I know, my life will be better when I get rid of that (X software in there) and run (Y software that's not) that's clearly superior, or use a free photographic host that allows more than 1024 pixels in their pictures.

Well, it's not quite as good as dual screens, but as a widescreen laptop user, yeah, I'm with you; also a 17" or even 20" screen carries with it an added bonus: the bigger the screen, the more keyboard space; the more keyboard space, the better the chances it'll be a keyboard you'd actually like to lose.

There are a couple problems with them, though.

A) First, I like my screen high resolution for exactly that purpose: it's supposed to replace a dual monitor setup. So I run a 15.4" widescreen in 1920x1200. It works great for all kinds of things, but the web can be problematic: it seems web designers like to make stuff in absolute pixel values, assuming a 72 dpi screen. Cheap streaming video players, like that crap that Microsoft pawns on me or Apple's crippleware player, also like to limit scalability to the medium. 320x200 at "200%" is still tiny. Apple's crippleware is useless (I know, I know, there are many fine Quicktime players out there that aren't made by Appple) for the same reason.

B) Second, everything still has to be on the same screen. With a dual-monitor setup, you can stick your comms and entertainment on one screen (the "distraction" screen), and focus on the task at hand on the other.

C) Most widescreens are not made for geeks who want to have 40 windows open. They are, in fact, made for the college kids who want to watch movies on them. So their resolutions are not near the "eyebleeding" level I demand.

(oh yeah, and this is what that 1920x1200 screen looks like in operation -- I stuck this up on Flickr some time ago: Desktop shot

Yes, I know, my life will be better when I get rid of that (X software in there) and run (Y software that's not) that's clearly superior, or use a free photographic host that allows more than 1024 pixels in their pictures.

Don't knock Burning Man until you've tried it

An absolutely NSFW link.

Unfettered from monetary exchange, however, most denizens of Burning Man gravitate toward a gift economy. Acts of giving range from the mundane to the extravagant: the accordion player who serenades those in the porta-potty line with his renditions of AC/DC; the massage therapist volunteering her services; the water-gun brigade, spraying people down for a moment of cool relief from the midday sun; or the man who brings along a week's supply of dry ice so he can serve cold ice cream every day.

As puzzling as how open source projects organize themselves is why. To the casual outside observer, it appears that open source developers spend enormous amounts of time developing software that, in the end, they are simply going to give away without the prospect of compensation in return.

For several years [at burningman], there was a project called Solaria. It was a scale model of the solar system, where not only the distances between objects were proportional, but also the size of those objects relative to distance was proportional. Each object was a light source, with the sun represented by a small lamp about the size of a bowling ball. On that scale, Pluto could be reached only by a three-mile bike ride across the playa. Not even the Smithsonian can put on an exhibit of that scale.

and, I have gone long enough, I hope that this helps you understand the inclusion of burningman in the book. for more information: burningman.com
funded art of this year
my burningman pictures

My first thought too. Pics :). Her sculptures and stuff are nice. If I was a USAian I'd go buy one...

No, I'm not a stalker.. looked here

Check out the whatsinmybag tag on Flickr. Lots of ideas for different bags there. Even though the focus is more on the contents, people do talk about and show their bags there as well.

Also there's the whatsinyourbag tag, but it's pretty much the same thing.

Check out the whatsinmybag tag on Flickr. Lots of ideas for different bags there. Even though the focus is more on the contents, people do talk about and show their bags there as well.

Also there's the whatsinyourbag tag, but it's pretty much the same thing.

I love trying to take close up photos, like this one http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=52264740&c ontext=set-1132411&size=l or this one http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=52265385&c ontext=set-1132411&size=l (he's actually starting to spin the web on this one) using my Sony DSC F828 (these are 50% the actual size for flickr). It's amazing the detail you can get. Anyone have their own site with closeups? What camera are you using?

I love trying to take close up photos, like this one http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=52264740&c ontext=set-1132411&size=l or this one http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=52265385&c ontext=set-1132411&size=l (he's actually starting to spin the web on this one) using my Sony DSC F828 (these are 50% the actual size for flickr). It's amazing the detail you can get. Anyone have their own site with closeups? What camera are you using?

This was a spoof from venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson for the Sand Hill Challenge (VC Soap Box derby in Silicon Valley about 5 years ago). Its been picked up before as a serious story, here is Jurvetson unveiling the nanocar:

http://www3.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/452668/in/ set-44201/

...and you whine because it doesn't look like your other apps?

No. I don't. Try to read for comprehension instead of maximum possible hysteria.

My primary objection was it doesn't use native fonts; my secondary, and noted as tentative, objection was that they used java for the DB component. The former is a functionality problem, a big one for people who do DTP and have an artistic and financial investment in fonts, the latter is a potential problem that I've seen bite other applications. I did mention that the UI is an issue for some Mac users; that is nothing less than the truth. However, it is not for me. I run Linux, Mac and XP, jumping about as I need to all day long. Doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, it's kind of fun.

Gimme a break!

....erm, well, if you insist. However, perhaps you would reconsider that, considering the hint my URL gives you. :-)

But the whole Mac mentality of "aesthetics are all that matters; performance, compatibility, market share, software availability, and price don't matter" is stupid.

Actually, since that's not the Mac mentality at all, your accusation is without any basis in fact.

For example, most of the Mac applications that I use whip the living heck out of the linux and XP apps in the same genres, not only in functionality but in reliability which is something that has great, and legitimate, value. On top of that, OSX is basically linux/unix/bsd-like under its skin, and that means that the really cool stuff that we find for linux can often be made to run there — examples of such things include Apache, PostgreSQL, and about every H/M/L-LL you can think of (including python, he said with great satisfaction.)

Performance... it's there. Compatibility is decent, depending on what you're looking for. It's quite commonly a graphics platform (just as linux is quite commonly a server platform) and compatibility (and performance and features and etc.) in that area is outstanding. Price... I can't see it as a problem. Does $500.00 for a really functional (and pleasing) RTR computer feel like too much to you? If it does, OK, but I'd have to say you are in the minority in that case. Sure, you can buy expensive Macs, but you can buy expensive PC's, too.

That, and Apple's inane penchant for replacing useful parts of Unix (init, cron, inetd) with insanely large, bloated, and overengineered replacements (launchd) in the name of "enhancement".

I will say this: They know their customer base pretty well in the general sense, and if they think that a touchy-feelie GUI thing is a better idea than hand-editing your crontab, I'm unlikely to be the one to step into the aisle and try to second guess them. There are other issues, too: Installations tend to be very heavy because they install everything you might need, regardless of if you actually need it or not. You can get hundreds of megs of storage back on a typical Mac just by pulling out localization resources you won't ever use. And so on. Every OS has high points and low points. But running OSX is, frankly, a very reasonable and pleasant experience. Installing software just works (I won't bore you with the linux experience, I'm sure you know exactly what the issues are there.)

With regard to OO, it has some distance to go before it can offer the functionality you can already get on the Mac, and that assumes that there is a native install that integrates well with the OS (fonts...) at some point. Without that, I can tell you frankly that a lot of Mac users will stay away. You can rant and scream about it all you want, but the fact is, the UI on the Mac is extremely consistent and consequently many users have a very narrow view of what is acceptable.

Still my question remains: what's the next big thing for web browsers?

Support for the Semantic web (a.k.a. Web 2.0, a.k.a. web APIs + RSS feeds + other kinds of high-level semantic markup). You can already have a taste for it in projects like Haystack and the Firefox Piggy Bank extension.

The main difference is that future web hypertext content will be less based on the "site" metaphor and more on services like del.icio.us and Flickr, so interface support for interacting with these new information structures is a must.

High resolution image of Lucas Heights from Google Maps.

La Mian literally translates as pulled noodles. They're a specialty of northwestern China and incredible delicious, but to really appreciate them you have to see them made.

The noodle chef starts with a well worked ball of dough, rolls it into a rope like thing, takes one end in each hand, pulls it as wide as his armspan while swinging it up and down, doubles it over between his hands and repeats until it's been stretched thin enough. I realize my description doesn't do it justice, but to see it is to be amazed. It's usually served in a bowl of beef broth with meat, cilantro and onions, but you can get 'em fried too. There's nothing like handmade noodles.

Pictures:1 2 3(this one's not your ordinary la mian) 4 (the first frame gives a good feel for the process)

MySpace does the best job of 'bringing it all together', though (blogs, message boards, friends, profiles

I won't argue the kudos for bringing it all together. Nonetheless, MySpace has done a breathtakingly poor job on every individual component. Blogs are better handled at Blogger and elsewhere, photos are best shared at Flickr and elsewhere...

MySpace consolidates poorly implemented technologies into a single package, but I have little confidence that good integration is better than good implementation (of individual technologies).

Reminds me of this great picture I was emailed a few years back http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmkempe/52260470/

* Universal Messenger
* Audio Chat
* Video Conferencing
* Photo Sharing
* File Transfer
* File Sharing
* Group Text Chat
* Online Gaming
* Remote Access
* Music Streaming
* IRC
* and more...

ABC has LOST and Desperate Housewives up for $1.99 in itunes right now...

see flickr photo of LOST page

i mean it'll have to be a much more extensive library, but it is an interesting baby step in the right direction... (that is till we find out the DRM times out/expires or something... wondering what I'm *buying* for $1.99 exactly)

e.

I have a Pentax Optio 550 purchased in July 2003 that recently failed (at my wedding in June of this year) with exactly the same failure mode as others here. I've added photos to my flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/salm/search/tags:Pent ax/ They compare well with failures from a Canon Powershot A70 that someone else has posted here: http://flickr.com/photos/dekstop/sets/1026874/ The Pentax Optio 550 is not mentioned either on this site or on Pentax (UK)s website. Does anyone have any similar stories with regard to Pentax failures, or does anyone know if the Pentax has a similar Sony sensor. The Pentax has performed well until this sudden failure.

I have a Pentax Optio 550 purchased in July 2003 that recently failed (at my wedding in June of this year) with exactly the same failure mode as others here. I've added photos to my flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/salm/search/tags:Pent ax/ They compare well with failures from a Canon Powershot A70 that someone else has posted here: http://flickr.com/photos/dekstop/sets/1026874/ The Pentax Optio 550 is not mentioned either on this site or on Pentax (UK)s website. Does anyone have any similar stories with regard to Pentax failures, or does anyone know if the Pentax has a similar Sony sensor. The Pentax has performed well until this sudden failure.

Transparent Guide

I asked some higher ups here at SnapStream about getting some photos of Beyond TV 4.0 =) Enjoy.

- Main Menu - This shot shows of the new theme for BTV 4. Please note that the red bar color itself is likely to change. Its currently a hot topic on the beta forums for some reason.

- Library Information Screen - A really useful screen that you can do compression to divx, copying, playback, and browse information about your recorded shows.

- Time-Shift Dock - This is the control panel that you can use while watching tv to pause, stop, rewind, record, and back-capture tv. My appologies for having to use static. Don't want to get sued here.

- Transparent Guide - The transparent guide allows you to browse through whats on without ever having to stop viewing what you are watching. Very nifty feature. Once again, sorry about the static.

* PLEASE NOTE (FOR ALL YOU TROLLS), THE ART THEME IS NOT FINALIZED

I asked some higher ups here at SnapStream about getting some photos of Beyond TV 4.0 =) Enjoy.

- Main Menu - This shot shows of the new theme for BTV 4. Please note that the red bar color itself is likely to change. Its currently a hot topic on the beta forums for some reason.

- Library Information Screen - A really useful screen that you can do compression to divx, copying, playback, and browse information about your recorded shows.

- Time-Shift Dock - This is the control panel that you can use while watching tv to pause, stop, rewind, record, and back-capture tv. My appologies for having to use static. Don't want to get sued here.

- Transparent Guide - The transparent guide allows you to browse through whats on without ever having to stop viewing what you are watching. Very nifty feature. Once again, sorry about the static.

* PLEASE NOTE (FOR ALL YOU TROLLS), THE ART THEME IS NOT FINALIZED

I asked some higher ups here at SnapStream about getting some photos of Beyond TV 4.0 =) Enjoy.

- Main Menu - This shot shows of the new theme for BTV 4. Please note that the red bar color itself is likely to change. Its currently a hot topic on the beta forums for some reason.

- Library Information Screen - A really useful screen that you can do compression to divx, copying, playback, and browse information about your recorded shows.

- Time-Shift Dock - This is the control panel that you can use while watching tv to pause, stop, rewind, record, and back-capture tv. My appologies for having to use static. Don't want to get sued here.

- Transparent Guide - The transparent guide allows you to browse through whats on without ever having to stop viewing what you are watching. Very nifty feature. Once again, sorry about the static.

* PLEASE NOTE (FOR ALL YOU TROLLS), THE ART THEME IS NOT FINALIZED

I asked some higher ups here at SnapStream about getting some photos of Beyond TV 4.0 =) Enjoy.

- Main Menu - This shot shows of the new theme for BTV 4. Please note that the red bar color itself is likely to change. Its currently a hot topic on the beta forums for some reason.

- Library Information Screen - A really useful screen that you can do compression to divx, copying, playback, and browse information about your recorded shows.

- Time-Shift Dock - This is the control panel that you can use while watching tv to pause, stop, rewind, record, and back-capture tv. My appologies for having to use static. Don't want to get sued here.

- Transparent Guide - The transparent guide allows you to browse through whats on without ever having to stop viewing what you are watching. Very nifty feature. Once again, sorry about the static.

* PLEASE NOTE (FOR ALL YOU TROLLS), THE ART THEME IS NOT FINALIZED

I have a PowerShot A70, and after gradually introducing noise to images it finally "died" a couple of weeks ago. This actually looks rather amazing -- I've documented this in a short Flickr set at http://flickr.com/photos/dekstop/sets/1026874/ and I'll post some more information at http://dekstop.de/weblog/ as soon as I find some time... I even have some video clips made with the camera.

To quote from the Flickr page: "my only digital camera has finally degraded into a first-class piece of alien surveillance equipment. instant live show, one-button entertainment, subjective electronics."

Drove down from Albuquerque with several friends. We got some decent pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/killbox/

No division at all.

As Mistletoe said, there is overlap between PMS and the Frag Dolls.

And I've been gaming since I was like 6, I have about a dozen consoles at home, and am playing something just about every single day. And the Dolls and some of the PMS girls make me look like a casual gamer in comparison. It's almost scary how hardcore they are.

Don't print, use something like Flickr That's where I upload my "art"

Um, 1980s called and they want their hairstyle back.

http://static.flickr.com/21/31057629_7f05bd1be6.jp g?v=0

Screenshot of Flock 0.2

Apparently Flock also has a Digg-style service on their site.

You can check it out by signing up or by using the following account info to login:

username: slashdot
password: slashdot

Here are two screenshots of above mentioned Digg-style service that they call "Breadcrumbs."

Crazy internet business models! Aeron chairs! An office pet! Gallons of caffeine! It's like the mid-90's all over again!

Crazy internet business models! Aeron chairs! An office pet! Gallons of caffeine! It's like the mid-90's all over again!

Crazy internet business models! Aeron chairs! An office pet! Gallons of caffeine! It's like the mid-90's all over again!

I hate to reply to myself, but this screen shot of flock 0.1 confirms that it is based on firefox. http://flickr.com/photos/87617152@N00/31057629
Taken from the flock blog http://www.decrem.com/bart/2005/08/done-flock-01-2 /

If you mean purely online, you missed photo streams (aka: blogging with pictures), video blogging and game publishing - not to mention the completely obvious (and so last-decade) free web sites. For simply distributing content, there's always BitTorrent and - my favorite underexploited - "magnet://" style links which can point to content on Peer 2 Peer networks.

On the live front, there's also the whole webcam thing which gave rise to the camwhore movement. Shoutcast type things for "internet broadcasting" your own radio station. You can also creat your own internet television station if you want.

The very latest cutting edge variant on this is peer to peer streaming video, often refered to as CoolStreaming. There's maybe a 2 to 5 minute delay in the stream as it takes a little while to patch together the video before it's decodable. While so far it's popularity seems to be limited to China (where it's used to pirate / rebroadcast regular TV channels), the main advantage is that you should be able to establish your own streaming P2P television channel with an almost unlimited number of viewers - from your existing broadband internet connection.

And finally, where the online world meets the offline, physical items are designed and sold online in virtual stores, then physically published and shipped on demand. Like Cafe Press for stuff with logos - and Lulu for things like books and CDs.

I was there last weekend, and it was already hanging up in the lobby, but still covered in the blue sheet.

I took a few pics of it: Smithsonian pictures

I saw a spectacularly-detailed Katamari cake, complete with sculpted Prince recently on the LiveJournal Katamari Damacy group. The amount of fan art/cosplay/crafts for Katamari Damacy is amazing.

His name is Dave, and I'd recoment his site, for local events. (if you're in North Carolina) http://david.rencher.us/

They had this at PAX this year.

There are some pictures of it on Flickr - I'm sure there are more.

They had this at PAX this year.

There are some pictures of it on Flickr - I'm sure there are more.

Are we talking about the same shitbag little third world country?