Taking Liberties

Saturday, July 4th, 2009 | politics | No Comments

Charles Nevin, writing for more intelligent life takes a long long long look at the surveillance society that the UK has become. I recommend everyone take half-an-hour out of their life and read it.

The Sony Walkman Is 30

Monday, June 29th, 2009 | technology | No Comments

13-year-old Scott Campbell reviews a 30-year-old Sony Walkman. Find out how it compares to the iPod?

Sketch Your Own Criminal

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | cool tool | No Comments

It Wos Him Wot Dun It
If you’ve recently been mugged by some hooded youths, now thanks to the power of the FlashFace you can create your own sketch of the thug that offended your dignity. I’ve put together a sketch of the French Philosophy student that stepped on my toes at a party recently.

Are You Talking To The Right Ear?

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | psychology | No Comments

For years I’ve been a little obsessed with the mono nature of phone calls. Hearing someone talk in just one ear is a completely different experience than talking via speakerphone or through headphones. I’ve always felt that using a single ear means that the information is processed initially by that side, and this means that you’re either talking to someone’s creative or logical side. I guess you could say that the feeling you have that they are only half-listening to you is true.

This BBC report expands on the nature of right ear vs left ear conversations.

Our Modern Culture

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 | humor | No Comments

The Onion tells it like it is.

That Looks Like…

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 | humor | No Comments

The Pope Totally Looks Like a Frilled Lizard
Totally Looks Like is a lot of fun.

Ever Wanted To Know Someone’s Secret?

Monday, June 22nd, 2009 | curiosities | No Comments

Shoe Secret
Now you can get to know the most intimate secrets of anonymous people, who post them to Post Secret in order to get a weight off their chest. Some are funny, some are touching.

AWESOME!

Monday, June 22nd, 2009 | humor | No Comments

I love this website. I wish I made it. It always makes me feel good every time I visit it.

1000 Awesome Things.

The Cloud Is Made Of Iron

Saturday, June 20th, 2009 | technology | No Comments

The New York Times runs an article by Tom Vanderbilt, who digs into the not-so-ethereal data centers that power the web. The figures are mind-boggling.

Chrome Experiments

Friday, June 19th, 2009 | web | No Comments

Google Gravity
Chrome Experiments is a website where developers push the possibility of what’s possible using javascript. If you have a modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari), you should be able to enjoy these experiments.

I really like Google Gravity and Google Sphere, both of which still provide a working search engine. The Social Weather Mapping is also really cool, if you consider that it’s a live map of the weather, constructed from Twitter tweets.

YouTube Growth

Friday, June 19th, 2009 | video | No Comments

Every minute, YouTube receives 20 hours of video*.

Wrap your head around that. And watch that figure go through the roof when everyone gets their iPhone 3G S, with video capture, video editing, and YouTube uploading built-in.

*Source: The New York Times

What is a browser?

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 | sociology | No Comments

Okay, you might have to refine your answer to make it succinct, or technically correct, but if you’re reading this, you probably are very aware what a browser is. Google asked Ji Lee to poll Times Square passers-by the question, “What is a browser”. Watching this responses in this video made me feel that I am on the cutting edge of technology, just cos I know what a browser is…

Arguing on the internet is like…

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 | psychology | No Comments

Watching this video about people protesting David Letterman’s inappropriate joke about Sarah Palin’s daughter reminded me that the people who are most compelled to comment on blogs and argue moot points on YouTube are usually the ones that are extremists in real life.

Loud Dog Barks

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 | animals | No Comments

Am I out of touch with reality or is this article crazy?

A group of dogs in north London have set a new world record for the loudest collective bark.

BBC reports on the loudest collective bark world record attempt.

The Eco Cost of Spam

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 | economics | No Comments

The Economist reports on the costs of sending emails, and the huge environmental impact of the never-ending waves of spam that we must deal with.

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