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What I’ve been reading, hopefully interesting articles to you too.
WIthout any fanfare as far as I can tell, Google has unveiled one of the most signficant, far-reaching and basically good features in its core search product. Now, in addition to presenting the pages ranked in order of algorithmic importance, it also shows you what people you know have to say about the subject.
How does it know who you know? Based on some very simple information you may have entered into your Google profile. (I called this two-way search in July 2009.)
For example, in my profile, I told it that I have a blog, am on Twitter, FriendFeed, run opml.org, have Flickr, Identi.ca, Picasa and YouTube accounts and OpenID. From there, it presumably either crawls or makes API calls to find out who I'm connected to and what I care about. There's a wealth of information about me just in the links on scripting.com.
So, when I search for "Michael Clayton" it includes results from my social circle. In this case it has a hit from Cody Brown who it knows (so they tell me) I know because I follow him on Twitter.
It's good for the web because it puts all the social services on the same open playing field. If I want to add another service, I can put it in the list, and I can tell them how important it is to me by moving it up or down the list. It also makes sense for Google to throw its lot in with the web because they aren't Twitter or Facebook, and they got their start by indexing the open web. No matter what their motivations, that's for God to judge. Good is good. And good is not evil.
If you have an account on Google, you can edit your profile here.
At first the results aren't blowing me away, but I expect over time they will get better.
Filed under: Utilities, Video, Web services
You can already check out a demo of SublimeVideo in Chrome and Safari, or IE with Chrome Frame. When it's done, it will work in Firefox, too. It already sports a nice full-window mode with gorgeous minimize/maximize transitions (full-screen will be supported in the final version), as well as the ability to skip anywhere in the video and have it start buffering from there. SublimePlayer is all HTML5, with no plugins required, but it will eventually include the option to fall back on Flash in Internet Explorer.
Although it's not ready for public release yet, SublimeVideo already looks pretty drool-worthy to me, and if it lives up to its initial promise, I'm excited to use it to embed video on my sites in the future. (And, as John Gruber points out, it'll be viewable on iPhones, too!)
[via Daring Fireball]
SublimeVideo - super-sexy new HTML5 video player originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The head of the screw you stripped while you were hanging that shelf may not have seemed like a big deal at the time—until you needed to unscrew it, that is. Next time you're having trouble, try a rubber band.
Home hacks and design blog Apartment Therapy offers a a few simple, smart tips for removing a stripped screw without any special equipment like an extractor—like using a rubber band:
A rubber band may aid in providing enough grip to remove, or at least loosen, the screw. Place a wide band rubber band [in between] the screw driver (we recommend bumping one size up from the screw head which caused the strip) and the screw, then apply hard, but slow force as you turn. If you're fortunate, the rubber band will fill in the gaps caused by the strip and allow extraction.
They also suggest more obvious solutions like changing the size of your screwdriver, using pliers when possible, or just pounding the screwdriver into the screw head with a hammer, hoping you can create your own traction. If you've ever tried the rubber band trick—or have your own favorite method—let's hear how it worked in the comments. If your screw's just fine but your screw hole is stripped, a golf tee may be all you need.
Filed under: Developer, Utilities
If you ever find yourself doing repetitive task on your computer, pay attention. Sikuli is an important step toward removing the barrier between the average computer user and programming.
Normally, to make a computer do a repetitive task, you'd need to understand a programming language like Java, Objective C or C#. To perform some remedial task like starting iTunes and kicking off a play list you'd need to write a whole mess of code and understand the API's for that application.
Sikuli gets around this by using picture based computing. Instead of needing intimate knowledge of a particular API or language you simply use Sikuli script to take an action on an area of the screen it finds by you giving it a picture.
Ok, let's take our iTunes example, say I want to open the app, find a particular play list, then click the play button. To do that simple task by traditional means would take a decent amount of code. With Sikuli, it's three lines and looks like this.
Amazing stuff. See the video below for a more thorough explanation. The Sikuli script and IDE are a free download and work on any platform that can run Java. I highly recommend you check this one out and be sure to post the cool scripts you've made in the comments.
Sikuli uses screen shots to run scripts, is amazing originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Pre-Photokina 2008: SanDisk has announced a 32GB version its Extreme III CompactFlash Card. It offers a read and write speed of 200x (30 MB/s), supporting the new generation of high-resolution DSLRs. Priced at $299; it will be available in the month of October.
Lenovo has released the ThinkPad W700 laptop aimed at photographers and designers, offering a built-in graphics tablet and color calibrator. What’s more, the display displays 72% of the possible color gamut of the Adobe RGB color space whereas most normal laptop displays can only show 45% (though new panel technologies becoming available allow up to 100% coverage).
Top Gear has had its fair share of mishaps. There was that time the Stig took the Koenigsegg CCX on an off-track excursion, and of course Hammond's horrific crash in the jet dragster. The latest incident involves the one and only Nissan GT-R press car in Great Britain. Apparently it was involved in a fender bender in the Isle of Man after a photoshoot for Top Gear magazine. It seems that the GT-R wasn't damaged too badly, despite the pic of its naked arse above, and the same exact car ran up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed only a couple days later.
[Source: CarTribe.co.uk]
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Filed under: SUVs, Etc., Safety, Tech, Crossovers/CUVs, Infiniti, Nissan
Spatially-challenged drivers rejoice! As previously reported, Nissan has developed a new parking assist system that employs four ultra-wide high-resolution cameras mounted in the front, rear and both sides of the vehicle to provide a bird's eye view of the vehicle's surroundings. All those images are processed and displayed in real-time on a dash-mounted screen, giving drivers a 360-degree view of what they don't want to hit.
Shifting the car into reverse or drive will alternate between a view of the front or rear, while drivers will be able to toggle the left, front and right views when performing a particularly tricky parallel parking maneuver.
The first application of Nissan's "Around View Monitor" in the U.S. will be in the Infiniti EX35, but we'd expect it to become a hot commodity on some of Nissan and Infiniti's more bloated SUV offerings soon.
Nissan's full press release, including a video, is posted after the jump.
[Source: Nissan]
Gallery: Nissan's Around View Monitor
Continue reading Nissan releases details about "Around View Monitor"
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Filed under: Etc., Euro, Marketing/Advertising, Subaru
Click the image above for a high-res shot.
Subaru is taking the grip-and-go driving dynamics of its new Impreza to the extreme with an ad campaign that'll be making its way around UK roads this October. The "Subaglue" transporter features three new Imprezas sitting atop the trailer, with another three hatches mounted upside-down and likely to cause plenty of spit-takes as commuters make their way to work. While we're still trying to figure out how they managed to mount the vehicles (flip the trailer over, drive the wagons on board and go at with some extra large bolts?) we're even more surprised that the British health and safety crew actually let this campaign get off the ground (rim shot).
[Source: Subaru]
Continue reading Adventures in advertising: Subaglued
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi
Click the image above for more shots of Mitsubishi's Evolution X.
We're counting down the days before our departure to Japan for the Tokyo Motor Show, and as we mark each passing date with a red "X" it takes on a special meaning.
Car and Driver's initial review of the Mitsubishi Evolution X has already given us some of the specs, including the new blown two-liter's rating of 295 HP and 300 lb.-ft. of torque in GSR and MR guise. Now, Mitsubishi has released three images showing the JDM-spec Evo's exterior, and one pic that reveals what U.S. buyers can expect to enjoy while sitting in the new Evo MR's cockpit.
Check the gallery below for more.
[Source: Kicking Tires]
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Filed under: Etc.
Many of us have tried to evade those pesky speeding fines, more often than not, unsuccessfully. Not so for Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson who managed to have a case against him dropped despite the publicity and string of copy-cat defenses we're sure will ensue. The story goes like this: A V6 Alfa Romeo Brera was clocked doing 82mph in a 50mph zone by a speed camera in west London. A ticket was then issued to the car's legal owner, Alfa Romeo, which then forwarded it to Clarkson because the car was on loan to him at the time.
Instead of coming clean, Clarkson took the matter to court and with the help of celebrity lawyer Nick Freeman managed to convince a Magistrate that since it couldn't be proven he was in fact behind the wheel he shouldn't have to pay the ticket. Clarkson, who wasn't present at the hearing, was awarded full costs.
We wonder if this defense will work for anyone else caught speeding by a camera in a car that doesn't belong to them.
Thanks for the tip, Thom!
[Source: BBC]
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Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show, Sports/GTs, Wagons/Estates, Euro, Audi
Click image for high-res gallery
Mere hours after the first round of Audi RS6 Avant info and photos landed on the web, Audi released all the official deets. We covered the essentials for you last night, but if you follow the jump, you can now read the press release in full. There are a few new shots added to the photo gallery as well, so click and enjoy. In case you missed it the first time around, here's the RS6 Avant in brief:
- 580-horsepower/480 lb-ft V10 TFSI
- 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds, 0-124 mph in 14.9 seconds
- Top speed of 155 mph (electronically governed)
- 17 mpg combined-cycle
- quattro permanent four-wheel-drive
- Unique bodywork, interior trim
- Up to 58.6 cubic ft of cargo space
- Optional ceramic composite brakes
- 6-speed tiptronic
- Exclusive new colors
- Available in Europe April 2008
[Source: Audi]
Continue reading Officially Official: Audi RS6 Avant
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