Currently:
2002-09-24»
Google News»
There are a few net innovations that have far greater ramifications than
you would, at first hearing, expect them to. Napster, at heart just IRC with a
UI, was one. Google News is another.
In its first day, I've already noticed:
- The front page changes its editorial stance depending on where the earth's
terminator is. So in the evening on the West Coast, Google News
is lead by the South China Morning Post, and various Asian english-language
papers. By the late evening, the BBC and European papers are kicking in.
- The site may be created by algorithms - but what about the choice of
sites? The most arbitrary dividing line I see in Google's coverage is what is
a news site, and what isn't. Slashdot
is, for instance, as well as some very obscure newspapers. What about
Blues News or Scripting News, though?
- Big companies spend mucho money paying "clipping services" that
send them copies of any press coverage they receive. Clipping services are
going to have to find some added value, very very quickly.
2002-09-20»
Pollack!»
Neal Pollack proves the self-parodying can still be parodied.
Identified Flying Object»
Doc has the
info on my close
encounter - it was a Minuteman III missile launch from
Vandenberg airbase. The bowl-shaped scattering patterns came from the first
and second
stage separations, I suppose. Greetings from the heart of the
military-industrial-entertainment complex!
2002-09-19»
Cheapo mods»
Want to brighten up your dull grey box? PC
fans with colour LEDs, fifteen bucks.
Up in the San Jose sky»
We just saw the weirdest thing in the dusk sky above San Jose. Initially,
it looked like a very brightly lit jet, with a thick vapour trail behind it.
It seemed pretty high, but was far brighter than it should be that altitude. I
thought perhaps the setting sun was catching a plane-wing at an angle. Then
as we watched, a bowl-shaped vapour plume formed around the dot and behind it
(a bit like the vapour blanket you can see forming around the plane halfway
down this
page, but I guess larger given the apparent distance). The dot carried on
for a bit longer, then formed another bowl-shaped cloud. That bowl then
appeared to contract in on itself, there was what looked like a scattering of
debris from the dot, and the dot disappeared. The whole thing was over in less
than a minute.
It was a pretty big deal - the vapour trailed crossed a sixth of the sky or
more, about 40° from the western horizon. I'm sure we weren't the only
people to see it. I always wonder where to look for discussions of these
geographically constrained phenomena online. Guess I'll keep an eye on the
local papers for a while.
2002-09-18»
Koyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanisqatsi »
Alright, now I've got my tickets, I feel safer telling you this: Philip
Glass and the Glass Ensemble are performing a live accompaniment to a
showing of Koyaanisqatsi in San Francisco next month. I'm a bit too excited.
Those who now hate me will be relieved to know that the DVD of the
film is already out.
petit disclaimer:
My employer has enough opinions of its own, without having to have mine too.
