Of all the great things achieved through the internet, it is sometimes good to reflect on the not so good.
Saw this on the digital urban blog and couldn't resist posting it here.
pleaserobme.com describes itself as an effort to raise awareness about the stupidity of some people's use of the location-aware systems associated with Twitter and Google Buzz etc. For example, posting "I'm just going out for a while" when your home's location is available to the whole world through your social networking efforts.
In quite plain English, the site picks up when you post things such as "just leaving home" and links to a map showing your now (presumably) empty home. The concept is hilarious but only in the sense of people's ignorance, the whole being robbed thing is not hilarious in my opinion.
See www.pleaserobme.com for more
Speaking of human ignorance and its hilarious online consequences; the issues associated with the huge influx of non tech-savvy individuals to the online world, due to social networking sites such as Facebook, was highlighted recently when readwriteweb (a well known blog) wrote something entitled "Facebook Wants to Be Your One True Login". Amusingly this page ranked higher in Google's search listings for the words "Facebook Login" than the actual Facebook login page.
As a result, Facebook users who simply Google the term "Facebook Login" and click the top result ended up at readwriteweb's blog page. The resulting comments on the readwriteweb page are a reflection of the affected user's tech 'savvyness'.
One such user wrote: This is such a mess I can't do a thing on my facebook .The changes you have made are ridiculous,I can't even login!!!!!I am very upset!!!
Another: What is going on? You are totally confusing me. Knock-knock. Anybody there? Let me in. Katherine
We all have to start somewhere I guess, but once passed that starting stage it's hard not to gain some amusement from the ignorance of others.
On an entirely different note, my updates on this blog are a little sporadic of late as I am currently out of NZ but still fully contactable through the usual avenues. I am in Southeast Asia, you can read about the trip on blogspot: http://ashandjessscott.blogspot.com
Sorry about the lack of direct links; link tool isn't working and I'm too tired to fix it right now.
In late April 2009, Google released an API called O3D for the creation of rendered, 3D, interactive scenes right within your web browser.
This has been a sort after and well discussed possibility for many years, and as you will know if you keep up with this blog, 3D is (in my humble opinion) quite simply the superior format for our minds to manifest and interact with ideas.
Here is a very cool example of the API at work called the O3D Home Designer, it shows off the immense potential of this plugin, not to mention how fun it is to play with.
Google have been updating and working on O3D ever since they initially released the software which was done at a partially developed stage. It was released early on (in Google's own words): "as part of a conversation with the broader developer community about establishing an open web standard for 3D graphics".
The O3D concept is not at all original, Hypercosm have written their own programming language to create a pretty impressive product that is similar to O3D and there are many other similar products out there, but as Google has proven time and again (to Hypercosm and Co's possible detriment) they can take an existing idea and transform it into something game changing.
Fantastically, the software is open source, allowing a community based development mentality and encouraging the user community to take some ownership for the product.
Google has proven that such open source projects can be viable and the corporation's astronomical success has been a major divergence from the original closed intellectual property mentality of such tech juggernauts as Microsoft. Speaking of which, I just read an interesting NY Times article which I thought cast some insight into the Microsoft business model. Read it here.
Getting back to the point, I think a 3D browser experience is the future and it won't be long before it is the standard way of accessing information online. There is a mentality shift required by the broader public from 2D web to 3D but this will most likely occur naturally once the superior format becomes widely accepted. Perhaps instead of browsing through amazon.com like a catalog, we will potentially walk around a virtual mall and see the products on shelves, we might even walk past or interact with other shoppers/users. This will make the internet a more intuitive and engaging experience. I am sure Google sees this too and is hoping to make O3D the means for the web as a whole to begin such an evolutionary step.
We are currently looking at O3D for our own products and services, if you would like to know more or discuss anything I've written here, email me at: ash@coastalconcepts.org
The Apple iPad is here, and it looks set to change the way we do things.
It is a 15mm thick pad with a multitouch screen, and no keyboard. You can browse the net, watch videos, use email, and waste excessive amounts of time on Facebook; so it serves 70%* of computer users wonderfully.
Basically it 's a revolutionary netbook. It doesn't have the power to run significant applications, or more than one at a time. After all its processor is only 1Ghz (same as Google's new Nexus One phone), but as with everything from Apple it's sexy (read aesthetically pleasing).
Apple claim that the processor is software specific and is therefore much more efficient than other mobile processors, but it won't take long until someone tears the machine apart and sheds some light on that and other claims made in the official iPad video below.
Watch the official video:
So it appeals to a broad audience, and it certainly does appear revolutionary. Yet, as with any new high profile product, it already has its detractors. A Brazilian news piece reads: "It doesn't have a camera, neither an USB port. Doesn't run Flash pages. It executes one task at a time.
Despite being a portable device, doesn't come with GPS. Unless you use overalls, it won't fit your pocket.
The description fits like a glove for Macintosh Portable, the first attempt from Apple to create a "minicomputer" -- in 1989.
I'll round up the negatives by saying that the iPad:
does not support flash (no streaming internet video/youtube)
can't do more than one thing at a time (no multitasking)
doesn't have a camera of any description
has very few plugs/adapters; you need a USB adapter just to plug a USB wire into it!
what were they thinking when they named it?
But I'm only detracting from it to be different because everyone else is raving about it.
To round up some of the positives:
it seems that the iPad is cool (as all things Apple are)
will popularize the multitouch screen interface
doesn't cost much (starts at $499 US)
and as always Apple has crammed a lot into a small place
But I'm afraid Steve Jobs and Co may have been resting on their technological laurels on this one. As I said earlier Google's new phone (which fits in your pocket) has a processor which is just as powerful as the iPad's. The iPad's typing interface has also been heavily criticized by many early users. I could present endless positive and negative points about the iPad but those presented above are the most glaring. Read Gizmodo's more comprehensive review if you want more.
I love the multitouch interface of iPhones and I'm sure this is no different. I also love the way Apple keeps the world on it's toes....despite their detractors everyone lifts their head and pays attention when Apple does something new, because they are a revolutionary company.
I am also confident that Apple will work hard to develop the iPad further as they recieve feedback from the marketplace.
It doesn't suit my purposes but it does suit many passive internet/computer users. Perhaps one day multitouch interface will be developed into something more powerful that can be used for design and drawing. Watch this incredible video by Bruce Banit to see what I mean.
I thought this video was amazing, send me an email if you would like to discuss anything mentioned here or anywhere on my site: ash@coastalconcepts.org
*Please note that this is a wild assumption and contains no semblance of research, but most likely stems from the fact that 70% of the internet users I know spend a lot of time on Facebook.
That's right; Big Brother could already be watching (although its very unlikely). Live3D have launched an application that works in with Google Earth (GE) to 'wrap' web cam textures onto buildings within GE.
This means you can view buildings in GE as they look right at that moment. For example, you might watch a student walk across the face of a building on the Washington University campus, St Louis (The campus where Live3D was developed).
I'll let Live3D's video explain the application:
Scared? Me too.
The privacy issues associated with such applications have often been debated. Google's Street View raised many of these, but what we have here is a whole new ballgame. Whats the next step? Live satellite imagery in Google Earth? Surely that is an invasion of privacy? In the United States, the general rule (with some exceptions) is that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place, thus implying that Google (and anyone else) is usually free to take photographs in public places.
Which almost sounds like a license for Google to show what they want.
Live3D was brought to my attention via the Digital Urban Blog which shows this scene as an example of the application in action. There are at least five building faces shown in the scene that are updating live.
I had a go at creating my own scene with a local surf report camera so that the current surf conditions could be displayed on my local beach but I must be missing a vital step as I can't seem to make it work. You can have a look at the scene here. Email me if you get it to work.
Personally I think this is a very interesting application, despite its potentially invasive attributes. We must remember, however, that this application is only utilizing web cams that are already available to anyone on the net, all it is doing is interfacing them with Google Earth. It does show what might be possible though.....
As far as I can tell this is just the tip of the iceberg, and the potential for such "live" real world applications, five years from now, is staggering.
In late November last year, I had the pleasure of taking part in what was called the "7in7". It involved a man called Malcolm Law running the seven "Great Walks" of New Zealand in seven consecutive days, hence the name "7in7". Here is the site: 7in7
Mal put in a huge effort for the whole seven days. I had the opportunity to run the first day with Mal, around Lake Waikaremoana. At the end of day one, I was knackered. Mal, on the other hand, was just warming up....he still had six days to go.
It was a tough, warm day; 8.5 hours round the Waikaremoana 'Great Walk', but well worth it and a good time had by all. I will struggle to patiently tramp now and will want to run everywhere.
I couldn't believe that Mal would be going through another six (probably harder) days. But he nailed it, with the support of his wife, friends and supporters it was a fantastic event; over NZ$75,000 has been raised so far.
Check out Mal's account of events on his blog, and remember to support the cause.
I'm the grinning idiot on the left, the rest were uber-runners comparatively, Mal is second from right.
The event will be 'wrapped up' so to speak with a documentary comprised of material from dedicated cameraman Dimi who got the good and the not so good times on film. As a part of this documentary I am helping put together some graphics....this involves showing the tracks in Google Earth. I thought I may as well make the track files public so people can view them in Google Earth and see exactly were Mal ran.
Mal put in a huge effort for the whole seven days. I had the opportunity to run the first day with Mal, around Lake Waikaremoana. At the end of day one, I was knackered. Mal, on the other hand, was just warming up....he still had six days to go.