| "You write down the problem. You think very hard. Then you write the answer."- Richard Feynman |
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| THINK |
The WSJ had a list of trends to be thankful about. Some are worth repeating:
Life expectency in the US has reached an all-time high of 77.9 years. (75.3 for men and 80.4 for
women).
Death rates for 8 of the top 15 causes of death have dropped, including cancer, heart disease and
accidents. Aids deaths are down by 10% in the US, cancer deaths have dropped by 16%.
27% fewer children under 5 died world-wide since 1990.
Since 1981 the US divorce rate has dropped by one third.
The longer you live, the happier you are likely to be. As we age, we learn. As we learn, our
perspective grows - we learn to cope with stress, we are less apt to be bothered by negative
comments - we focus on what is important, and that helps us be happier.
Happy Thanksgiving Season.
Life expectency in the US has reached an all-time high of 77.9 years. (75.3 for men and 80.4 for
women).
Death rates for 8 of the top 15 causes of death have dropped, including cancer, heart disease and
accidents. Aids deaths are down by 10% in the US, cancer deaths have dropped by 16%.
27% fewer children under 5 died world-wide since 1990.
Since 1981 the US divorce rate has dropped by one third.
The longer you live, the happier you are likely to be. As we age, we learn. As we learn, our
perspective grows - we learn to cope with stress, we are less apt to be bothered by negative
comments - we focus on what is important, and that helps us be happier.
Happy Thanksgiving Season.
Today I saw Avatar 3D. The much anticipated (and discussed) super
expensive 3D fantasy film. The technology was impressive, and for geeks like
me, the technology alone is entertaining. The combination of animated and
real action was prolific and very well done.
At times, there were minor depth-of-field focus problems, a side effect of
requiring deep shots to highlight 3D effects. Apart from these, the work was
impressive.
The film suffers from the typical illnesses of the movie industry - an hour too
long, and a predictable plot that you have seen many times before.
This film has the distinction, in my mind, of having more people listed in the
credits than anything I have ever seen. Literally thousands of names scroll
past (the screen shot is typical, and goes on forever).
Outside the theater, impressed movie-goers described the experience as
similar to how they felt after seeing Star Wars - that a new era was opening in
the science of film - and that expectations will be raised. If this does, indeed
lead to more satisfying movie experiences, great. Just remember that movies
need stories worth telling, also.
expensive 3D fantasy film. The technology was impressive, and for geeks like
me, the technology alone is entertaining. The combination of animated and
real action was prolific and very well done.
At times, there were minor depth-of-field focus problems, a side effect of
requiring deep shots to highlight 3D effects. Apart from these, the work was
impressive.
The film suffers from the typical illnesses of the movie industry - an hour too
long, and a predictable plot that you have seen many times before.
This film has the distinction, in my mind, of having more people listed in the
credits than anything I have ever seen. Literally thousands of names scroll
past (the screen shot is typical, and goes on forever).
Outside the theater, impressed movie-goers described the experience as
similar to how they felt after seeing Star Wars - that a new era was opening in
the science of film - and that expectations will be raised. If this does, indeed
lead to more satisfying movie experiences, great. Just remember that movies
need stories worth telling, also.
I took these photos all in the space of five
minutes. Live Cams is an app for the iPhone
that is at once thrilling and scary.
it links you to thousands of live world-wide
web cams, and in some cases, you can
control the zoom and pan.
These images are from Romania, Hawaii,
London, Germany, Australia. There is even a
shot of Sushi chefs working quickly in Tokyo
(below). The first shot of the Chrysler Building
is taken from a cam set atop the Empire State
Building.
minutes. Live Cams is an app for the iPhone
that is at once thrilling and scary.
it links you to thousands of live world-wide
web cams, and in some cases, you can
control the zoom and pan.
These images are from Romania, Hawaii,
London, Germany, Australia. There is even a
shot of Sushi chefs working quickly in Tokyo
(below). The first shot of the Chrysler Building
is taken from a cam set atop the Empire State
Building.
| Why I don't want a Kindle, and how newspapers will be saved |
We have predicted the death of Radio for at least 50 years. TV will kill it, or Satellite programs (!)
or the Internet. Yet it lives on, albeit as a different animal than it once was.
So, too, will newspapers and magazines, despite the assumption that hospice is now required.
This is part of the reason why I don't want a current e-reader. I travel over 100k miles a year, and
an e-reader would make sense for me. But Nooks and Kindles just do too little.
I want to read Gutenberg Project books (just like I do on my iPhone, using Stanza). And I want a
wireless connection to download and buy what I want. The screen needs to be color, and reactive
as a touch screen (or better, gesture-based...see the Design page). The Kindle and others don't
come close to the experience that I am looking for.
That's why I believe the Apple Slate, and the Google version and soon many others will
revolutionize communications, and in particular, the way we read. And I believe that newspapers
will, in a way, be saved.
Not saved in their present form (I like newsprint, but I liked elevators with mechanical push
buttons and dial phones) and distributing newsprint is just not sensible in the long run.
Yes, we need professional news-gathering organizations, not just bloggers - and we need to
pay for it somehow (subscriptions, ads, or unit purchases). These new devices will make it easy
for everyone to sample all sorts of 'printed' media. Soon, the devices will be cheap.
In fact, if I were to start a business, I'd go to all sorts of world-wide newspaper publishers. How
about if they combined as a digital package - would you pay $2.99 a month to read, search and
scan 20 papers in your language from Singapore, London, Egypt, and Brazil? Of course you would
- along with comics and magazines...this represents the true future of print publishing, and I, for
one, cannot wait for it to arrive.
or the Internet. Yet it lives on, albeit as a different animal than it once was.
So, too, will newspapers and magazines, despite the assumption that hospice is now required.
This is part of the reason why I don't want a current e-reader. I travel over 100k miles a year, and
an e-reader would make sense for me. But Nooks and Kindles just do too little.
I want to read Gutenberg Project books (just like I do on my iPhone, using Stanza). And I want a
wireless connection to download and buy what I want. The screen needs to be color, and reactive
as a touch screen (or better, gesture-based...see the Design page). The Kindle and others don't
come close to the experience that I am looking for.
That's why I believe the Apple Slate, and the Google version and soon many others will
revolutionize communications, and in particular, the way we read. And I believe that newspapers
will, in a way, be saved.
Not saved in their present form (I like newsprint, but I liked elevators with mechanical push
buttons and dial phones) and distributing newsprint is just not sensible in the long run.
Yes, we need professional news-gathering organizations, not just bloggers - and we need to
pay for it somehow (subscriptions, ads, or unit purchases). These new devices will make it easy
for everyone to sample all sorts of 'printed' media. Soon, the devices will be cheap.
In fact, if I were to start a business, I'd go to all sorts of world-wide newspaper publishers. How
about if they combined as a digital package - would you pay $2.99 a month to read, search and
scan 20 papers in your language from Singapore, London, Egypt, and Brazil? Of course you would
- along with comics and magazines...this represents the true future of print publishing, and I, for
one, cannot wait for it to arrive.
I picked up a book called "1001 Inventions". It is a chronological
reference to inventions with brief histories, anecdotes about the inventors,
and some pretty terrific images of early versions of these things.
It was interesting to see a number of items that have retained the name of
the inventor - mostly from the 19th century, it shows how closely we identified
a new concept with someone's personal ideas.
Macadam (street covering) 1820
Macintosh (raincoat) 1823
Guillotine 1791
Geiger Counter 1901
Braille 1824
reference to inventions with brief histories, anecdotes about the inventors,
and some pretty terrific images of early versions of these things.
It was interesting to see a number of items that have retained the name of
the inventor - mostly from the 19th century, it shows how closely we identified
a new concept with someone's personal ideas.
Macadam (street covering) 1820
Macintosh (raincoat) 1823
Guillotine 1791
Geiger Counter 1901
Braille 1824
The Locks of the Rhine. In Cologne recently, I walked over the
main city bridge, past a long metal fence covered with small locks. At
first, i thought school kids put their locker units up at the end of the
school year, rather like tossing sneaker pairs up over the phone lines.
On inspection I realized that each lock bore an inscription -
usually an expression of young love. This was not a wall of pranks, it
was the local monument of affection. This was an updated repository
of the initials carved in tree trunks. It is marvelous.
Some locks were etched crudely with a knife or tool. Others were
inscribed with indelible marker. Many had inscriptions made pro-
fessionally. Some inscriptions were simply initials of lovers. Some
professed friendship of two or more people. Some locks were
ancient, with inscriptions on their rusty backs. Others were new, and
obviously purchased for this use alone.
The fist lock says, 'This padlock is for te special connection
between you and me'.
main city bridge, past a long metal fence covered with small locks. At
first, i thought school kids put their locker units up at the end of the
school year, rather like tossing sneaker pairs up over the phone lines.
On inspection I realized that each lock bore an inscription -
usually an expression of young love. This was not a wall of pranks, it
was the local monument of affection. This was an updated repository
of the initials carved in tree trunks. It is marvelous.
Some locks were etched crudely with a knife or tool. Others were
inscribed with indelible marker. Many had inscriptions made pro-
fessionally. Some inscriptions were simply initials of lovers. Some
professed friendship of two or more people. Some locks were
ancient, with inscriptions on their rusty backs. Others were new, and
obviously purchased for this use alone.
The fist lock says, 'This padlock is for te special connection
between you and me'.