Archive for January, 2009
« Older Entries |Norwegian Bus Fuel Going To Waste
[ Comments Off ]Posted on January 31, 2009 by admin in Clean & Green, Technology
Saturday, January 31st, 2009Finally Citizens Are Giving A Doo-doo
We’ve touched on the environmental impact of cow farts and human waist as fuel before, but this time we’re going to talk about a new (ahem) movement in clean & green energy: biomethane as vehicle fuel. This is apparently a booming industry, but in Norway, where there’s such a firm commitment to clean and green policy that carmakers aren’t allowed to call their cars either, they’re taking this to a new level of efficiency by powering buses with biomethane produced from human waste. Presumably major energy producers will get in on the action; perhaps with BP making a big shift from investing in Europe to investing in the US, Exxon could step in and expand on last year’s record profits. The new division would also require only a subtle logo alteration (see image).
Recommendation Systems & The Napoleon Dynamite Problem
[ 2 Comments ]Posted on January 29, 2009 by admin in Popular Media
Thursday, January 29th, 2009When I Wanna Know What You Think I’ll Tell You
 Just kick back and let the software decide |
When you’re looking for some new music to listen to or a movie to rent, nothing beats the recommendation of a good friend. Except maybe a recommendation system. Yesterday a friend mentioned the music site Pandora while I was spending some time pretending I’m not addicted to Facebook (which uses recommender tools itself). Ironically, because of the consulting work I do, I often find myself telling clients to use things I don’t have time to use myself, and Pandora’s a good example of one of the things that you don’t know you’ll be using next year, but that you’ll be more familiar with than I am by the time it becomes pervasive. Recommender engines and software have been in use for some time; the most familiar version being the Amazon “if you like that, maybe you’ll like this” feature. What’s new in this field is that they’re getting REALLY GOOD at it. Something that used to be almost annoying will become something you actually demand. Why? As this CNNMoney piece puts it we’re “…leaving the era of search and entering one of discovery. What’s the difference? Search is what you do when you’re looking for something. Discovery is when something wonderful that you didn’t know existed, or didn’t know how to ask for, finds you.” With Google getting more and more spammed out every day, our mental processes getting more and more externalized, and our lives getting almost over-connected, I for one welcome our new media-recommending overlords. They just have to iron out that little Napoleon Dynamite Problem, and we’ll be all set (here’s a more in-depth look at problems faced by recommendation tools if you’re interested). So hey human, can you recommend a good book?
Wired’s “Rippy Awards”: Tired, Expired
[ 3 Comments ]Posted on January 28, 2009 by admin in Music
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Wired.com has proven once again that having been very hip and cutting edge at one point doesn’t mean you’re very hip and cutting edge now. But I’ll give them an ‘A’ for conceptualization regarding their First Annual Rippy Music Awards. The piece suggests that someone should fill the gaping hole in music awards that programs [...]
Wired.com has proven once again that having been very hip and cutting edge at one point doesn’t mean you’re very hip and cutting edge now. But I’ll give them an ‘A’ for conceptualization regarding their First Annual Rippy Music Awards. The piece suggests that someone should fill the gaping hole in music awards that programs like the Grammy Awards fail to fill. Unfortunately, Wired also fails to do so in the piece linked to, but it’s nice to see that a major media outlet has at least mentioned the problem. This has been a disappointment for me for a while; the last time I actually watched the American Music Awards for instance, was when Jamiroquai
See Dick Roll. Roll Dick, Roll
[ Comments Off ]Posted on January 27, 2009 by admin in Comics
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009We’ve retired this comic for now. Have a comic you’d like featured here? Learn more.
We’ve retired this comic for now. Have a comic you’d like featured here? Learn more.
Tuesday Torture For Young Urban Failures
[ Comments Off ]Posted on January 27, 2009 by admin in Editorial & Opinion
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009See you in the unemployment line?
That image at left, aside from being an interesting abstract grid pattern, is a bunch of cars that haven’t been sold. More interesting shots like it at The Guardian. As a dirty trick, and in honor of the growing ranks of the unemployed, I decided to move our Monday Demotivators to Tuesday. Now, after not looking for a job on Monday like you said you would, you’ll come here Tuesday morning thinking it’s safe, and waste yet another day playing stupid on line Flash games. It’s okay, jobs suck anyway. Although if for some reason you’re hell-bent on having one, the skills you’ll need for Candystand’s Grid might come in handy if you want to work on the country’s new energy grid plans. Moving on: with a name like Boomshine, I was hoping for something a little boomier or shinier, but people seem to love it. Probably because of the cheesy Windham Hill-esque
