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stoweboyd: John Hendrix for the nytimes awesome.

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:09:30 -0700

John Hendrix for the nytimes

awesome.

"Unified logins let us get to know our audience in ways we never could before. They gave us their..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:49:00 -0700

““Unified logins let us get to know our audience in ways we never could before. They gave us their locations so that we might better tell them if it was raining outside. They told us where they lived and where they wanted to go so that we could deliver a more immersive map that better anticipated what they wanted to do–it let us very literally tell people what they should do today. As people began to see how very useful Google Now was, they began to give us even more information. They told us to dig through their e-mail for their boarding passes–Imagine if you had to find it on your own!–they finally gave us permission to track and store their search and web history so that we could give them better and better Cards. And then there is the imaging. They gave us tens of thousands of pictures of themselves so that we could pick the best ones–yes we appealed to their vanity to do this: We’ll make you look better and assure you present a smiling, wrinkle-free face to the world–but it allowed us to also stitch together three-dimensional representations. Hangout chats let us know who everybody’s friends were, and what they had to say to them. Verbal searches gave us our users’ voices. These were intermediary steps. But it let us know where people were at all times, what they thought, what they said, and of course how they looked.””

- Welcome to Google Island | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

It’s okay if that freaks you out, just a little. Now go read Nick Harkaway’s The Blind Giant: Being Human in a Digital World.

Google Now Gets New Cards For Reminders, Music, Public Transit,...

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:42:08 -0700

Google Now Gets New Cards For Reminders, Music, Public Transit, TV, Books And Video Games

This is one of my favorite features about Android. It gives very useful contextual recommendations, especially when I’m traveling and even when I travel internationally.

Larry Page Wants Earth To Have A Mad Scientist Land

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:34:18 -0700

Larry Page Wants Earth To Have A Mad Scientist Land:

I could see it now; it would be like the Island of Misfit Toys, but with crazy scientists instead. What could go wrong?

On a simular note, I’ve been reading The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius and really enjoying the fun collection of short stories.

Listening to Where Is My Mind? by Pixies

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:35:45 -0700

My theme song. – Preview it on Path.

Are you my mummy? (via An Illustrated History Of Gas Masks)

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:17:58 -0700

Are you my mummy?

(via An Illustrated History Of Gas Masks)

Spite is a Great Motivator

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:08:00 -0700

Spite gets a bad rap. I’ve actually found spite to be a great motivator in my life. Before you think I’m some horrible person, I’ve never intentionally caused harm to someone out of spite. I’m not talking about the hateful, malice kind of spite, I’m talking about the, “I’m going to prove you wrong” kind of spite. And I’m not talking about the friendly, competitive, “I’m going to prove you wrong. Ha ha ha.” kind of spite, but the “You suck. I’m going to prove you wrong. You are now my arch nemesis” kind of spite.

If spite could ever take the moral high ground, that’s what I’m talking about. Maybe there’s a better word, in some other language (I bet the Spanish - or maybe the Italians - have a word for this) but spite feels right.

When I was in 7th grade (like every grade in school) I struggled. My middle school was a 3 year school composed of 7th, 8th and 9th grade. I felt like I had barely survived grade school and was completely overwhelmed in 7th grade with all the different classes and all these giant kids everywhere (I was one of the short kids). While they diagnosed me with “learning disabilities” it wasn’t until several years later that they started calling these “disabilities” ADHD. So yeah, I’m so hipster, I had ADHD before it was cool. (Lucky me.) But this isn’t meant to be a pity party, let’s get on to the spiting.

While 7th grade Tac was completely overwhelmed, he met a nice man, who’s job it was to help him through school, it was his guidance councilor.

One day, when my mother and I were sitting in his office and she was explaining to him that the teachers were going to have to make some drastic changes in their teaching styles to accommodate me, (crazy things like write the homework assignments on the chalk board and not just rattle off the list of assignments verbally), he said something that changed my life forever.

He looked at my mom, sitting on the edge of his desk and without looking at me or even acknowledging that I was in the room, said, “Maybe Tac’s just learned everything he’s going to learn. Maybe you should consider Vo-tech or something for him.”

The rest of the meeting was a blur for me. I know my mom got mad, and that we promptly left his office, but I don’t remember if it was the seething, barely controlled rage kind of mad or if she yelled at him (with my mom, yelling is actually the less scary kind of mad).

I did go on to graduate high school, and college and even earned a masters degree, but lot’s of kids in my situation didn’t. there are a lot of kids who don’t learn the same as everyone else and just say “screw it, I’m out.” I don’t think I’m smarter than any of them, so why didn’t I just quit? Why did I continue to go on and struggle through college? Because of spite, that’s why.

Sure, maybe the whole reason I made it through wasn’t just spite, but when things got hardest and no matter how hard I tried I still struggled and worked my ass off to maintain a C average (which usually meant I had to find some way to bring my D up to a C) I would pull from my spite and refuse to let him be right. Even though he has no idea what I’ve managed to do or how hard I’ve worked, I know that he was wrong.

So I love it when people tell me I won’t be able to do something. That something can’t be done. And yes, sometimes they’re right. But almost always, they’re wrong. Dead wrong.

We all have these experiences. I don’t know what get’s other people through them. I don’t know how you overcome the nay sayers, but I know that most people don’t. Most people quit.

I also know that most people use spite in a self destructive way. Usually people use spite as a reason NOT to do something. It’s the childish, “you can’t make me” kind of spite that’s most destructive. And I have that sometimes too, but I know that when I do that, I’m only really hurting myself and not the other person. But by using spite to motivate me to make myself better, I’m neither hurting them, nor myself. I’m just making myself better.

Reading The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination by John Joseph Adams

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:20:22 -0700

It’s like this book was written just for me. – View on Path.

Listening to The Geeks Were Right by The Faint

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:50:52 -0700

Of course we are. – Preview it on Path.

fastcompany: The Army’s Secret Weapon Is This Quantum...

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:56:00 -0700

fastcompany:

The Army’s Secret Weapon Is This Quantum Physicist, Pioneer Of “Ghost Imaging”

Ronald Meyer’s is the most innovative man in one of the world’s most innovative organizations.

The U.S. Army just made Thompson Reuters’ list of the world’s 300 most innovative organizations after earning 300 patents in three years. At least 11 of those patents have Ronald Meyers’ name on them…

Read more about him here.

“using an alternative mathematics” You mean there’s another kind of math? Something tells me it’s probably not easier than the one I was taught.

In all seriousness though, quantum computing really fascinates me.

“Friend” (by Ari Margolis) If you were a fan a...

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:15:38 -0700

“Friend” (by Ari Margolis)

If you were a fan a Fringe, like I was, you’re sure to enjoy this little video staring John Noble (Walter Bishop) and written by his daughter.

Zachary Quinto vs. Leonard Nimoy: “The Challenge”...

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:46:38 -0700

Zachary Quinto vs. Leonard Nimoy: “The Challenge” (by AudiofAmerica)

I heard about this commercial and didn’t want to like it because it’s a total sell out (no worse than Oracle and Iron Man though).

But Audi stepped up. Hilarious commercial. Especially the part where Nimoy is singing in the car.

Printing Body Parts for Humans or the Guns to Shoot Them With

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:01:29 -0700

3D Printing is a tool. How you use it is up to you.

3-D Printer Makes A Bionic Ear

Scientists Create Sensor As Sensitive As Real Skin

This Is The World’s First Entirely 3D-Printed Gun

The Problem with Google Glass

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:01:26 -0700

Google Glass solves the need to take your phone out of your pocket at the expense of wearing it on your face.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Glass and why it elicits such a polarizing response from people and this is what I’ve come up with.

Why do they not make Star Wars Lego shirts in adult sizes? on...

Sat, 04 May 2013 11:42:00 -0700

Why do they not make Star Wars Lego shirts in adult sizes? on Flickr.

Why do they not make Star Wars Lego shirts in adult sizes?

Seven years of note taking. on Flickr. Seven years of note...

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:14:00 -0700

Seven years of note taking. on Flickr.

Seven years of note taking.

Serious Question? Is Google Glass Nerdy of Dorky?

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:24:57 -0700

Serious Question? Is Google Glass Nerdy of Dorky? :

We’ve progressed so far in our collective acceptance of all things geeky, that we’ve now started to accept the nerdy. But apparently we’re not so far along that we’ll accept the dory? So which is it?

The Segway. The Bluetooth headset. The pocket protector.

What do these three technologies have in common? They all pretty much work as promised. They all seem like good ideas on paper. And they’re all too dorky to live.

Now, far be it from me to claim that nerdiness equals lack of popularity potential. But I contend that dorkiness and nerdiness are two different qualities. While nerdiness implies a certain social awkwardness that’s ultimately endearing, dorkiness connotes social obliviousness that opens you to deserved ridicule.

Similarly, Google Glass fails to acknowledge that walking around with a camera mounted on the side of your face at all times makes you look dorky. Think of the Bluetooth headset: it’s a really sensible way to use your phone without having to take it out of your pocket—so sensible that there’s really no reason not to keep that headset in your ear most of the time.

Google Glass, like the Segway, is what happens when Silicon Valley spends too much time talking to itself. Maybe that’s even overstating the case: The rhetoric around Google Glass is what happens when important tech people spend a little too much time congratulating each other.

LOL - How people from Las Vegas identify Seattlites. (at Gate...

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:38:00 -0700

LOL - How people from Las Vegas identify Seattlites. (at Gate E15)

Invasive predator fish that can live out of water for days found in NY

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:32:40 -0700

Invasive predator fish that can live out of water for days found in NY:

Seriously? This thing is insane. I think it’s a left-over Soviet experiment developed to scare the crap out of us.

The northern snakehead fish, native to China, Russia and Korea, has been spotted in Queens in recent years, and one was quietly observed in Harlem Meer several years ago.

The fish eats frogs and crayfish and has the ability to breathe air and live for days out of water in certain conditions.