Jobs you almost can't lose
Why didn't I see this list in my teens?
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Orgoo -- webmail and all IM replacement
The key difference between Orgoo and the major Internet webmail services is that it also integrates instant messaging from all major providers.
How to bypass your IT department's oppressive measures
Workarounds. If any IT readers have any other suggestions, please enlighten us.
Meta-analysis may make things more confusing
What with possible publication bias (null hypothesis fulfilled is pretty boring) or rare sourcing of actual raw data, how is one supposed to know what's right?
Redefining free will
Bloody hell. If anybody can explain to me the positions of these physicists, please write me or leave a comment or something.
Settling on what the New Testament should be -- the beginning of a single Christianity
Whoa. Well... Hmm... Let's preface this with a consideration of literal truth that describes sensate life versus truth of the human psyche as described by metaphor in art and myth narrative. Therefore we have movies "based" on true stories taking license with facts to convey an emotional reality, or a cubist painting that doesn't help inform one of historical fact.
Well, there is the type of myth that addresses this psyche truth in different life experiences and the steps involved. Thus, the story of Sleeping Beauty doesn't have to have literally happened with its specific names and circumstances to exhibit a certain type of truth that occurs in human experience. In this wise, the story of Jesus doesn't have to have happened historically to exhibit a certain type of truth.
The picture portrayed by this article is from various sources. Supposedly, the First Council of Nicaea was actually constituted of pagan representatives as well as sundry Jesus followers. Constantine hadn't converted; he was no longer willing to brook the discord among the various religions across the empire. Eventually, he mixed together a figure from the West and one from the East, and got somebody to cobble together New Testimonies that had elements from all the known religions (mostly from Persian Mithraism, Constantine's religion).
Disagree? Well, how does anyone come to know what he or she knows? What does it mean to "know" some fact as such?
Financial reasons for using Mac OS
For legit customers, there's the lower licensing fees. Technically, there's less malware to worry about, and multi-OS capability. Yeah, it's an idea.
Duct tape more effective than cryotherapy for warts
Never had this problem myself, but for those interested:
At the end of the sixth day, the patients removed the duct tape, soaked the wart in water, and gently debrided it with an emery board or pumice stone. The tape was left off overnight, then re-applied for another six days.
Music moves brain to pay attention
An evolutionary point to music?
... listening to music could be a way that the brain sharpens its ability to anticipate events and sustain attention.
The research team showed that music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory. Peak brain activity occurred during a short period of silence between musical movements—when seemingly nothing was happening.
Speed up your bitTorrent
Just a few tips, but I didn't know anything about ports or TCP connections 'til this.
FBI can listen to you through your cell phone, even if it's off
They can activate the microphone. Lock 'em out by taking out the battery.
StreetAdvisor -- real-life advice on neighborhoods
For those interested in buying real estate or just renting:
... provides a real-life “insider” view that provides users the ability to learn and share vital details about where they live, including noise levels, traffic, neighbors, entertainment, and public services in a similar way to travel review sites. Recommendations and negative experiences about local businesses, entertainment and services will also be supported.
Waymarking -- sharing interesting points of travel
Coordinates, map, photo and description for fairly specific objects, monuments or buildings. Good for the GPS-equipped crowd, I suppose.
A waymark is a physical location on the planet marked by coordinates (latitude/longitude)and contains unique information defined within its waymark category. An outdoor maze waymark category, for example, could contain information like price of admission and days of operation, while a blogger waymark category may contain an option for the type of blog.
Victum Tablet 27 -- rugged 10" tablet PC
Possible to port to a larger VGA display. Up to 1 GB memory, which is okay. If they could just increase the CPU power, I think I would actually get one.
Use reflective emergency blankets to cool your place
As pointed out in the comments section, this is a radiant barrier. You can get commercially manufactured rolls of similar stuff (bubble-, foam-, fiberglass-backed) for $0.20-$0.28/sq ft.
Differential emotional recall with particular gene variant based on ethnicity
The researchers found that, in both groups, people carrying the ADRA2B gene variant [for noradrenaline receptor] were "substantially more likely" to remember both positive and negative pictures than people with other forms of the gene. Neutral images were recalled to the same degree by people with and without the variant.
However, Rwandans with the variant had far higher recall of negative emotional events than the Europeans who carried it – and this was unrelated to whether or not they suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
So what else is involved? Maybe interaction with other genes? I don't know anything about his field. The blog author asks a couple of intriguing questions regarding consequences to culture.
WWI U.K. propaganda posters
This is the funniest one. Who would fall for this?
The others are more conventional.
Billshare -- app for those who share bills
Create receipts to divide shared expenses. Track spending habits with detailed statistics. Email alerts keep you updated on amounts owed.
Rare-earth magnets repel sharks
... the magnets overload a shark's ampullae of Lorenzini, small vesicles and pores around the head that form part of a subcutaneous sensory network ...However,
Hermann cautions that the magnets appear to have an effective range of only 10 inches. Also, you'd need to align the magnetic poles outward and keep the magnets from clicking together, and once you had the necessary 10 to 20 pounds of magnets all over your body, you'd sink. So, at a cost of about $5 a magnet, you could theoretically turn yourself into a $400 shark-safe anchor at the bottom of the sea.Also, some pheromone-based sunblock/repellent lotion.
Rameniac
Some ramen-crazy guy is willing to educate you in the ways of restaurants and store-bought instant in Japan.
Brain-injured man speaks after six years
Occasional signs of consciousness, communicating with slight eye and thumb movements. Then deep brain stimulation with implanted electrodes:
They turned the electrodes on and off over six months to test their effect ... now has them on throughout the day.Now, walking, chewing, swallowing.
Popular bargain hunting sites
Including sites I haven't heard of: FatWallet.com, BensBargains.net, CouponCabin.com, ...
Decent step towards flexible display
Other than head-mounted displays, scrolling or flexible displays will bring portable computing/connection to everyone's pocket -- 7" screens without the bulk. The development here gets around the heat problem they've been having with OLEDs up to now.
17th kid born to Arkansas couple
From the premise that not having kids is selfish (admittedly an older view), this couple has to be some of the most generous people out there.
Scientists breed world's first schizoid mouse
Well, since this is new, we can only hope that it models well. It's too bad that so much medical innovation depends upon this kind of cruelty.
Birth control pill FDA-approved to rid of periods
The title link will take you to an article in which you hear reactions of how unnatural it is not to have regular menses.
Here is a 2000 New Yorker -- long! -- piece about the arbitrary inclusion (based on his beliefs rather than any hard science) of the placebo week by the creator of the Pill. In section 2 in the article, an anthropologist visiting a preindustrial village in Mali noticed that women were pregnant a lot, not menstruating. She posits that frequent menses for most of a woman's reproductive stretch is actually evolutionarily abnormal/unhealthy -- not absurd considering the cancer risk to ovaries (damage to wall) and endometrium (estrogen stimulating growth) during ovulation.
The article wraps up tracking development of a pill that mimics low-hormone menopause rather than high-hormone pregnancy, not the one above that's just hitting market.
USB fragrance oil drive
In my introduction to gaming in internet cafes, they had an electric automatic deoderizer that dispensed a pleasant citrus smell that helped keep me alert, I think. This USB solution could help keep your productivity up, provided you use the right scent.
Molecular gastronomy in Chicago
Saw some cooking show that visits restaurants and one of the linked article's mentions, Alinea, was showcased. Truly amazing looking, very scientific, artistic, experimental -- not just intuitive home cooking. About $500 for the full meal.
Monday, August 06, 2007
BitLet -- online bitTorrent; no client download
If you're at a computer that doesn't have a client installed. Has a code generator so that you can offer a torrent download from your site to those without a client on their computer.
Six foods that prevent disease
I would add organic green tea (not the supplements), golden flax, and turmeric (for neuroprotection in particular).
Teq AV/IT's WID110 makes any display wireless
As long as your display can understand VGA, stream 1280 X 768 wirelessly via this receiver.
Top 10 things NOT to do if you are arrested
Without warrant, don't let them in, and don't go out yourself. Even if arrested and outside, don't allow them in. Otherwise, don't talk and don't run.
MIT finds molecular key for fear
They noticed that some kinase called Cdk5 was at higher levels in the hippocampus (storing memory) in maintaining fear.
"Remarkably, inhibiting Cdk5 facilitated extinction of learned fear in mice," Tsai said. "This data points to a promising therapeutic avenue to treat emotional disorders and raises hope for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or phobia."
100+ resources to making money online
Advertising, revenue-sharing, paid social media, paid to write, ...
Yannick Puig's animation of "I lived on the Moon"
Very decent, soothing music video in cut-out style animation. A little trippy. Slow load for me.
"I lived on the Moon" by Yannick Puig (june2007)
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British army leaves Northern Ireland
History made. I'm convinced that it's broad improving economic times that diverts the intensity of people's attention away from identity politics.
Cannabis use increases risk of psychosis
Chance is small to start off, so the 40% increase is still not that significant overall. But tell that to the vulnerable population.
Diogenes of Sinope
Stories and alleged quotes of the torch/lantern guy: "And," replied Diogenes, "If you knew how to wash vegetables, you wouldn't have to pay court to kings."Diogenes was knee deep in a stream washing vegetables. Coming up to him, Plato said, "My good Diogenes, if you knew how to pay court to kings, you wouldn't have to wash vegetables."
Emergency radio beacon wristband for disasters
Russian company giving away design to whoever wants to produce this. It doubles as USB flash drive for day-to-day use.
They're saying that within 30 minutes, one has a 50% chance of surviving under rubble. At three hours, that drops to 10%.
Laser printers pollute office air
Study for fine particulates that can get deep into the lung. No pattern of make or model (most of the printers tested were HP, though) for high emitters.
Detailed examination of some high emitters revealed some statistically weak influences that may be confounding factors. The age of the toner cartridge had an influence on both amounts of particulates produced and their average size. Page coverage also played a role, as the jump between a print that covered five percent of the page to one that covered 50 percent roughly doubled emissions.
Curious expeditions -- some weird stuff to check out when travelling abroad
Can get macabre at times, like St. Catherine of Siena's mummified head, or the child eater statue in Bern. Certainly that off-the-beaten path feel, though.
Predict the weather without a forecast
By looking at and even smelling flora, fauna, knowing clouds.
101 frightening ice cream flavors from around the world
Mostly vegetable (stout beer!), seafood (oyster!), or meat (pit viper!), but also there's also some natural Viagra flavor.
I can't believe this guy found the time to compile this list, though.
Google transit
Map and schedule data from simple address and time input. Not many cities at the moment, unless you live in Japan.
Variability in response to peer pressure seen in degree of connections between brain regions
Degree of susceptibility to peer pressure was determined by questionnaire for these 10-year-olds. Then using functional imaging while flashing angry faces and hand movements:
They found that the brains of all children showed activity in regions important for planning and extracting information about social cues from movement, but the connectivity between these regions was stronger in children who were marked as less vulnerable to peer influence. These children were also found to have more activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area important for decision making and inhibition of socially inappropriate behavior.
WasH20 -- Haier's detergentless clothes washer
Break up water and "stains on the linens are 'attracted and retained by ions of OH-, while the clothes are sterilized by the H+ ions ...'"
Humans beat poker bot ... barely
Unlike chess, different strategies or dispositions were applied for each subsequent game of Heads Up Limit Hold 'Em.
YouDeparted.com -- online lockbox of info for when you die
Template for:
- Assets, liabilities, insurance, wills and estate plans.
- Locations + copies of essential documents.
- All of your online account information.
- Private messages with pictures, audio, and videos.
- Funeral arrangements, people to contact.
Global warming concerns blown up from a bad reading of a study?
At one point, the guy points out that temps have been going down for the past three years. Then he goes on about how warming has more to do with sun cycles than human activity.
Anyways, if true, he tracks an interesting history of screwy interpretation and a meme running away.
Death bonds
"Life settlements" are arrangements that offer people the chance to sell their policies to investors, who keep paying the premiums until the sellers die and then collect the payout. For the investors it's a ghoulish actuarial gamble: The quicker the death, the more profit is reaped.It's still new enough to be not-so-regulated.
94 free apps that are better than purchased
Best anti-rootkit, IP blocker, media converter, compression tool, ...
A brain implant to prevent epileptic seizures
A chip detects the seizure and sends out an electrical current before it gets out of control. Of course, for something this invasive, it's more a last option.
$163 000, gem-studded, platinum Hello Kitty
Well, if this doesn't impress that fine Northeast Asian babe you like, I don't know what will.
Also, if you're bothered that your cat doesn't look enough like Hello Kitty, get a hat.
Just how did this begin, anyway?
Superstrong paper with interesting electrical properties
Sheets of cheap (graphite-sourced) carbon, really. However, the electrical properties can get interesting.
It could be used as electrolytes or hydrogen storage materials in fuel cells, electrodes in supercapacitors and batteries, and super-thin chemical filters. It could also be mixed with polymers or metals to make materials for use in aircraft fuselages, cars, and buildings.
Even the neural net incorrectly believes it sees a pattern
You can click through for the actual paper. Abstract excerpt:
I show that while the network initially makes weak predictions (in the middle of the probability range) regardless of input, after observing randomly generated data it learns to be overconfident in the sense that when presented with other, unrelated random data it makes strong predictions. The model matches behavioral data in that it shows overconfidence growing with experience and then, eventually, declining. The model shows how overconfidence, far from being a surprising fallacy, can be seen as a natural outgrowth of statistical over-fitting in the brain.The post that this title points to intros papers from up-and-coming economist, E. Glen Weyl.
eSwarm.com -- get the mass to lower the price
Using the network to build a "swarm" to which suppliers bid.
Tough to find any proper meaning of grades
Explores the difficulties inherent in the parameters of grading.
Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp
I saw a BBC segment on this that skipped the sex part, but focused on the political indoctrination and martial training. It's like a militia camp for Hitler youth types, but government backed. The segment showed Putin putting down the U.K. in front of teens.
Plenty of tough times and xenophobia is feeding these camps successfully. For goodness sake, Stalin is being portrayed positively now.
Eight of the strangest communities on the Web
Like ice chewing and Christ saving those engaged in the furry culture, especially yiffing (I think that's sex with animal costumes on).
Streamy.com -- the next Digg
The more personalized, cross-module, networked social bookmarking site that Digg has only been talking about for a long time.
Differences between brains and computers
And by computers, he means up to now. He sounds as if he's negative about any AI venture, but there are projects covering parallel processing and self-organization. I don't know the science well, but finer simulation of the brain is happening, so we are on our way.
Frugal Panda -- affordable family activities
It's a fresh blog at this point that seems to want to list all kinds of cost-saving tips. However, the family category is the most extensive.
The complexity of the word "freedom"
The libertarian tent was too big and broad for this guy, to the point that he needed to drop the label.
Adalberto Abbate's micro sculptures
It's all about how you use the medium.
Dioramas of the uglier side of life.
Click on the headless zebra, then "micro sculptures".
How to use a bidet
Watch for pressure and temperature -- it's possible to overdo it. Which way you face just depends, it seems.
International Design Excellence Awards 2007
Slideshow of a whole slew of new products in all kinds of categories.
Dumbness of crowds
It's not committee work that brings out the wisdom of crowdsourcing, it's aggregating individual efforts and views.
... even just sharing too much of your own specialized knowledge with others in the group is enough to taint the wisdom and dumb-down the group.Here's a book excerpt on how brainstorming ain't so good.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Rental heat map in San Francisco
In this instance, a heat map of 1-bedroom rental prices for a year.
Oscar, the reaper cat
No, they don't know what he's noticing, but if he sits by a patient on this dementia floor, the patient won't be alive for more than four hours max.
VisualSize -- get 3D virtual model from a couple of 2D photos
In pre-alpha at the moment:
To measure things accurately they need two photos of the same thing, but from different angles. The VisualSize algorithm automatically detects feature points in the two pictures and finds the matching pairs. It then uses the matching pairs to calculate coordinates of the two camera positions (x, y, z axes and origin in a 3D coordinate frame), and uses triangulation from the image to plane to the 3D coordinate frame to reconstruct the 3D scene.
Toilet lid sink
It diverts the handwashing waste water to the toilet bowl.
Fancier, separate sink setup here.
Lay off the beef if you care about the environment
Most of the greenhouse gas emissions are emitted in the form of methane from belching cattle, but the meat production process also releases fertilising compounds that can wreak havoc in river and lake ecosystems.
But the total environmental impact will be higher than the study suggests because the calculations do not include emissions from managing farm equipment and transporting the meat.
Ritalin does stunt growth
The study did not test the sustained-release stimulant medications that are now the standard treatment for ADHD. Also, the jury is out as to whether there is catchup growth at the end of puberty.
Yes, there is the overdiagnosis issue for the condition, but at the same time, there are those who are actually helped by pharmaceuticals.
Ultimate Canon Rock -- electric guitar Pachelbel
An quite impressive arrangement of some 40 players doing Pachelbel's Canon.
Blockbuster Video frontin'
The realities they won't tell the customer, but also some funny bits about clueless employees:
Is this Final Fantasy Seven? The one with the V, and the two lines? – An employee
Overview effect -- that experience of oneness with the universe
Studying it in astronauts and trying to recreate it in art. I'm going to guess that this is not properly mysticism, still being phenomenal, but any shakeup that questions consciousness must be a good thing. We just have to watch out about getting fixated.
Insider trading going back up; credit swaps one avenue
It's a pdf from Bloomberg. The newer generation without a memory of the eighties is acting up.
More interesting was an instrument I hadn't heard of -- credit default swaps. This quote is from page 5, first column; there's also a panel introducing the idea at the very end:
Swaps prices represent the annual cost of contracts that guarantee repayment of the principal on corporate bonds if a company defaults. In day-to-day trading, that cost rises if investors think a company has a greater risk of missing payments. When multi-billion-dollar takeovers are financed with new debt, the jump in credit default swap prices may far outstrip gains in the target company’s stock.
Extreme Japanese pizza
Very unkosher. From Pizza Hut, it's called the Double roll, the more distinctive features of which are the corn, carrot, soybeans, mini burger patties, and hors d'oeuvres crust made of pigs in a blanket (with bacon) or the cheese filling with ketchup (?) on top. About $30 for the large.
Not as weird as a sweeter Korean entry.
Sex lubricant could stop HIV and genital herpes
A molecule known as dendrimer binds itself to the virus to prevent infection. Animal trials have shown 85-100% effectiveness. Presently being trialled on women as contraceptive.
Five ballpark promotions that went wrong
What's wrong with dropping cash from a helicopter? People like cash too much.
In defense of dangerous ideas
Initially posted at edge.org, Steven Pinker asks that follow-through be allowed on uncomfortable ideas. It's tough to build anything on a delusion.
However, inquiry is not an absolute right. We do bear responsibility for foreseeable consequences, and appropriate mindfulness needs to guide the path.
Crazy 4 Cult exhibit at Gallery 1988, LA
Artwork inspired by movies with cult followings. This is a Donnie Darko piece. There's also one of Milton in Office Space.
World's worst taxi rides
Like in Moscow:
... but you'll also attract gypsy cabs—ordinary Muscovites who are simply looking to make a few extra rubles as they drive across town. If you don't speak Russian, you may find it hard to haggle and could end up getting into an incomprehensible shouting match.It's a slide show which you can stop and proceed as you please.
Outsourcing the picket line
Kind of misses the point, but the carpenters union in the U.S. is hiring homeless people, retirees and students at $8 an hour to picket, $12 an hour to play buckets.
Einstein stained glass at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
"The window shows a caped Einstein gazing upward, surrounded by electron orbitals and nuclear particle paths. At the top, the tail burn of a rocket blasts past the cratered lunar surface, expressing Einstein's impact on astronomy and cosmology, and the new space frontier of the 1960s (the Exploration/John Glenn window is opposite). At upper center, in red, is a portion of the Lorentz transformation, the square root of v/c, reconciling the fixed speed of light with differing inertial frames. At bottom left is an idealized helium atom, reminding us of Einstein's groundbreaking insights on nuclear physics, and his serious concerns about the misuse of atomic power."
Casuh's Joyfon headset for multiple wireless audio streams
For any audio source with an auxiliary output. You can toggle between sources or listen to multiple streams.
Etymology of 18 familiar phrases
A sample:
TOUCH AND GO
Meaning: A risky, precarious situation
Origin: “Dates back to the days of stagecoaches, whose drivers were often intensely competitive, seeking to charge past one another, on narrow roads, at grave danger to life and limb. If the vehicle’s wheels became entangled, both would be wrecked; if they were lucky, the wheels would only touch and the coaches could still go.”
Photos of celebrity women younger then older
I remember regarding Jessica Lange as angelic-looking. I had a shock years later.
Amnesty International: Signature
A fine black and white animated video expressing the power of the pen.
Implicit race bias evident in childhood
From six years old and up, the bias (face type preference shown by shorter time associating good words) is pretty constant. Where did it develop? Check this.
Lift with your legs, but how should you push?
About 20% of back injuries occur while pushing/pulling. A consideration of the poorly studied mechanics of these cases.
The weird and sometimes disturbing world of South Korean protests
This flag-eating is pretty tame. It can get fairly sick. If you care about animals, move on to the next post.
Crackle -- maybe get a video production deal from Sony
Crackle will reward the producers in varying degrees, ranging from revenue shares to mid seven figure production deals. All winners will recieve distribution across Sony’s network of hardware and film properties.The top two user-voted videos join editors' picks for production deal consideration.
Economics of e-waste in China
From Greenpeace:
Many of the locals have moved out of their traditional single story homes into newly built three and four storey buildings where the ground floor is reserved as a scrap-sorting workshop. Now they employ migrant workers to risk their health in this toxic business.People's physical health is being devastated by our laziness in cleaning up our own crap. Shops that properly dispose -- versus just scavenging -- of e-waste tend to charge a fee. Ask about the end of the process. We need to lean on authorities to provide a management process or pressure industry to do it.
Homeland Security setting up to know very personal info of Europeans
The Passenger Name Record system:
the EU parliament said it 'notes with concern that sensitive data (ie personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, and data concerning the health or sex life of individuals) will be made available to the DHS
A dozen interesting natural phenomena
The one shown here is called a sprite. Also check out the fire rainbow.
An attempt to find as much of the very first language as possible
The Evolution of Human Languages project is developing a database in the hopes of reconstructing ancestor languages. Presently three superfamilies posited: Borean (the group that migrated from Africa to Central Asia), Papuan (the group that migrated from Africa along the south coast of Asia and then to Australia), and the click languages of the San (Bushmen of southern Africa and probably the closest to earliest humans).
Solar power from spray-on carbon buckytubes
Organic solar current from polymers, rather than more expensive purified silicon. Print it on a sheet, or just paint it on. The buckyballs will grab the electrons. The tube structure makes the electrons flow.
Survey of learning styles
Will spit out your preferred learning style -- auditory-verbal, visual-verbal, visual-nonverbal, or tactile-kinesthetic.
Online productivity resources
It says 400+, but a large part is keyboard shortcuts and a lot of RSS stuff. There's also social network integration, file storage, calendar services, ...
Ooma -- buy hardware, get free P2P VoIP
Free telephone service in the U.S., provided you have broadband internet and can shell out for the hub.
I think the idea is that for those who choose to keep their regular phone line (not required except for 911), the Ooma network uses those lines to terminate calls in the same area, within 12 miles. This is the main cost-saving measure. Money is made from hardware sales and value added services, like individual ringtones.
Review of Zattoo, the "best live P2P television platform available today"
Channels weighted to Europe, but the quality is supposed to be excellent -- no stuttering. Basic free service planned and then premium channels, but still in invite beta.
Kurdish woman in London raped before honor killing
She fell in love with a man outside of her forced marriage, in which she was raped and repeatedly beaten.
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