...more recent posts
I loaned Janet my video camera this morning. It was last minute, and I didn't have a blank tape to give her, so I started looking through some unlabeled tapes in my drawer to see if any had enough space for her to use. The first one I popped into the VCR had my shots of the WTC on fire. Strong stuff.
Disregarding all the emotional and political issues surrounding that specific event, what most struck me was the degree to which I was immediately transported back to that moment. I could literally feel myself up on the roof shooting that footage. Part of this total recall was, undoubtedly, due to the rather charged nature of that day. But another big part of it was that I took those shots. I don't think seeing someone else's footage would have quite the same effect.
Maybe this is something to be mined in terms of supporting personal media (personal publishing? weblogging?) Maybe one important thing about weblogging is that the process of recording events gives you much better future access to those events. In other words, it helps you remember. And not just because you could always go back and look something up on your site.
This is also connected somehow with the memory effect where I often forget people's names right after being introduced if I don't repeat the name out loud. "Nice to meet you John Smith." Maybe weblogging is like repeating important facts out loud so that you remember them.
I guess the counter argument would be that you are remembering your recording of an event, and not the event itself. Hmmm. Does this matter?
Yes, this would satisfy me on the digital rights front.
Fritz Hollings has introduced the newly renamed SSSCA to Congress. This is the big one. They are actually going to try to outlaw general purpose computers.
Once known as the Security Systems Standards and Certification Act, the newly named CBDTPA says that all "digital media devices" sold in the United States or shipped across state lines must include copy-protection mechanisms to be defined by the Federal Communications Commission.Decan McCullagh has lots of documents at Politech. Here's the slashdot thread.
I know from trying to explain this to people - even to smart people in the industry! - that most do not understand the gravity of the situation. This is a serious threat to the future of freedom in general.
Apple introduced a new 10 GB iPod yesterday (twice as big as the old one.) But it's $499, and the 5 GB model stays at $399. People were reasonably expecting at least a small drop for the old unit ($350? C'mon, give us something!) It rules, no doubt, but ouch.
Also introduced was a 23 inch flat screen with 1920 x 1200 native resolution. Mmmmm.
And they demonstrated a new USB bluetooth adapter. To be available soon. I can't wait to see what they do with that.
Do-It-Yourself DMCA Counter Notification Letter.
One of the favorite tools of both cults and corporations seeking to take embarassing information off the Internet is to falsely claim violation of a copyright or trademark. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, enacted in 1998, set out a notification procedure that can be used to request an ISP to remove allegedly infringing material from a web page. However, there is a defense against this attack: it's called a counter notification letter. Most people don't know how to write such a letter, which is why I've put together this helpful form.
aKa is in the running for best new cheap eats over at Time Out New York. Feel free to help us out.
This is cool. Spamradio.com. Some evil genius is recording his computer reading spam he receives aloud to the sound of light ambient noodling. And it's all streamed in MP3 around the clock. On a dial-up, open this URL in an MP3 player:
http://relay.spamradio.com:8000/spam_low
If you have a faster connection use:
http://relay.spamradio.com:8000/spam
On an apple use iTunes. Go to Advanced -> open stream... and paste in the url. On Windows I guess use WinAmp or something similar. Not sure on those instructions.
Like listening in on the New Age flavored collective unconscious of the modern techno capitalistic world.
Dave Winer has New York Times headlines flowing through Radio 8. That's cool, but I'm with Bill Seitz in wanting to know more about the architecture. Is it really something new? Does this signal a change in direction at the NYT? Or are the headlines just out there (like they are/were with AvantoGo) but with all the back end negatives still in place?
I don't care that much about the headlines. What we want is to be able to point to articles and be sure our readers will see the same thing we are pointing to - not a redirect to a useless sign in page, or not a note saying the article is no longer available. I'm trying to build something permanent here. And we want google to be able to index them too.
Full size projected virtual keyboard.
Close call for spaceship earth. That's at least the third time I've seen a CNN story use that asteroid impact graphic.