Category: internet

new Calgary Public Library

On By Rick McIn books, internetLeave a comment

Finally. I’ve been waiting all my life for this. 🙂

Providing approximately 240,000 sq ft of usable library space – 66% more than the existing downtown library – the NCL will be home to a physical collection of approximately 600,000 books, special programs and spaces for children and teens, a technology commons and laboratory for innovation, a centre that supports community integration and advancement through skills development, and much more. …

Q4 2018 – Construction Complete

CMLC

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

YTD (YouTube downloader) malware

On By Rick McIn internet, product complaintsLeave a comment

The free version of YTD (YouTube downloader) was installing malware on my Mac. Amongst other things, my SEARCH default was changed from Google to Yahoo. 😦

I’ve deleted YTD.

YouTube-Downloader

PC Magazine recommends these two web pages for downloading videos:

en.savefrom.net

keepvid.com

Dropbox, SkyDrive or Google Drive?

On By Rick McIn internetLeave a comment

Dropbox is the standard for sharing large files, like video clips.

SkyDrive is Microsoft’s newer competitor. Google Drive is similar.

Since neither has made any significant improvement on the original, I’ll stick with DropBox.

Ed Bott – Dropbox, SkyDrive, Google Drive: which one is right for you?

CommandN – Cloud Storage

Tab Closed; Didn’t Read

On By Rick McIn internet, product complaints, things getting worseLeave a comment

Do you hate popup overlays like this one?

Slate sucks

@drcongo recommends you not read that content. Or click on their ads. Or help them generate revenue in any way.

They are far too intrusive. (Some small, subtle box that won’t slow you down would be reasonable.)

Tab Closed; Didn’t Read

I like web pages that do not do ANYTHING unless I ask them to.

Google’s Project Soli – Minority Report is nearly here

On By Rick McIn good news, Google, internetLeave a comment

Rockin‘ linked to a post called …

GOOGLE’S NEW PROJECT SOLI IS MIND BLOWING – SEE IT IN ACTION

We’re very close to having the technology seen in Minority Report. (2002)

Tom-Cruise-minority-Report

Project Soli is developing a new interaction sensor using radar technology. The sensor can track sub-millimeter motions at high speed and accuracy. It fits onto a chip, can be produced at scale and built into small devices and everyday objects.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

donated to wikipedia

On By Rick McIn education, ethics, internet, product endorsements, things getting betterLeave a comment

I love the site. Use it every day.

wiki


FINALLY got around to making a donation.

Readers_Survey_2011_Reasons_for_donating_to_Wikipedia

No, it wasn’t one of Jimmy’s personal appeals. 🙂

can-i-have-wiki-meme

You can donate here.

EX_MACHINA

On By Rick McIn books, internet, movies, things getting worseLeave a comment

There’s much talk of when the first computer will gain consciousness. And supersede mankind.

EX_MACHINA is a 2015 British science fiction thriller film written and directed by author and screenwriter Alex Garland, making his directorial debut. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac. …

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

Ex Machina has received widespread critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 91%, based on 174 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. …

On Metacritic, the film has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.

Garland is the guy who wrote that terrible 1996 novel – The Beach. 😦

Here’s the state of the art in 2015, a Toshiba humanoid named Aiko Chihira.Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. Humans have a few years left, obviously. 🙂

related – Uncanny valley

Artists secretly install Edward Snowden statue

On By Rick McIn ethics, government, internetLeave a comment

… a small group of artists installed a tribute to NSA-leaker Edward Snowden in a Brooklyn park.

The Snowden bust stands atop a column at the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Fort Greene Park, a site built to honor more than 11,000 American prisoners of war who died aboard British ships during the American Revolutionary War. …

Snowden-Sculpture

Mashable

Here’s the full story.

Of course, the statue was quickly removed. But it did bring attention again to Snowden. Timing was perfect as simultaneously people were watching his comedy interview with John Oliver.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (33min)

Viscount Bennett High School

On By Rick McIn Facebook, friends, internetLeave a comment

VB Highschool in Calgary is no more. It’s now something called Chinook College.

Brian Mason’s VBreunion.com website no longer works, either. But you can still see what it looked like by searching for “vbreunion.com” on the internet archive wayback machine.

VB Reunion website

If you attended Viscount Bennett, as I did, you could join the Viscount Bennett High School Alumni Facebook page.

Viscount Bennett High School