Google Graphing Calculator

When I was in advanced physics, we had some heavy tools at our disposal. MatLab and Mathematica were, begrudgingly, my friends. Then came Wolfram Alpha and, at least, I could do some basic graphing and calculation right from my browser. Of course, more complicated functions, that require several steps to complete, still needed the full robust software. However, it is always nice to quietly (and quickly) look up the x-intercept of a Sine function when you have an embarrassing brain fart.

Now, Google is trying to pull our collective nerd string by adding graphing features to Google Search. There used to be some very basic graphing that Google could do, but it was static and not really useful. This new version is fast, smooth and works just about every time. You can zoom, pan and find coordinates with ease.  I would like to see some added controls that might allow me to add a constant or to adjust a slope right on the graph, but this is an unexpected feature that I greatly appreciate.

Just type a function into Google Search and voila...graphed!

Read more: http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2011/12/showing-some-love-to-math-lovers.html

The new Google Bar

Google is just chugging along with all of their new design elements. The next one was much needed, in my book. Google has taken the old navigation bar, where links would change based on the product you were using, and made it a lot more robust and usable. Now the top of every Google product will look the same with easy access to search and all of Google's products. Check it out in the video below.

Google maps your mall. Find Cinnabon faster!

Well, this is pretty neat. Anyone who has been to an airport more than a couple times has surely found themselves lost, hungry or needing a bathroom. Or worse, like heading to the wrong terminal to get to a connecting flight that leaves in 10 minutes from the other side of the airport.

Google aims to give your human brain yet another break by mapping the interiors of popular public places. No longer will you have to find the, ever elusive, map obelisk. Forget having to try to step into the map just to figure out if it is true that "You are here." Google has you covered.

I'm just wondering if they are going to add turn-by-turn navigation for these interior spaces. Seems ridiculous, but think of the assistance it could provide to the blind and elderly.

Read More: Google maps the indoors. Finding nearest bathroom has never been easier:

Prediction: Drumo will crush city-data.com forums

Okay, its not like the place is hugely popular (though very active in its own right), but www.city-data.com is a great place to go to get a wealth of information on many cities in the world. If the mountains of analytical data are not quite what you are looking for, city-data also has a robust forum where you can post questions on individual city forums and locals, hopefully, respond. It is a great set up and I've used it to get information on places I was moving to or visiting. I'm also an occasional contributor on the Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago forums.

Drumo is the forum part of city-data but much better. A pretty UI and game mechanics keeps users engaged and entertained. Additionally, local businesses can reward users for their advice and support with deals and special promotions. Unfortunately, it is limited to a few cities that are nowhere near the United States. Though, if it is successful, and I think it will be, I'd expect to see this spread fairly quickly.

Check it out:


Drumo from Drumo on Vimeo.

Read/See More: http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/10/drumo-is-quora-for-cities/

Another "Google+ is Dead" article. Really?

It seems to me when things seem not so great on the surface, someone (and I mean a lot of people) like to throw around headlines saying this or that is dead. Authors do this, like this one on Slate, to get attention and clicks. Fine by me! However, you better have enough arrows in your quiver to actually kill it.

The Slate article I linked to above brings up a lot of good points on why Google is not doing as well as it should. Brand pages were a pretty decent slip up from the get go. Google should have been clear about what the limitations were for a closed beta. Though, being in beta, confusion should be expected. To expect it to be a finalized product ready to head to the races, is not a good litmus for the service's success. Also, the whole real name vs. pseudonym mix up has been had by each of the major networks and continues to be a debate today.

Okay, so let me break this down:

The first charge volleyed at Google in that article is in regards to user activity. This has been brought up time and time again, yet has little bearing on real activity. Public posts do not equal all activity on Plus. Until Google releases the information, we don't know how much activity is going on within people's more private circles. Additionally, who cares if Page, Brin or Schmidt are actively posting on Google+. Look at Zuckerberg on Facebook: With more than 9 million subscribers he has exactly zero posts. Also, it helps to have active users in your circles. I've circled a few bloggers and, for some of them, I will see over 100 comments on their posts in less than an hour.

Next, Circles is not for friends only. In fact, as I've watched Plus grow, it has become clear to me that the way people use Circles is to curate a stream on a specific topic or to get information from a specific group of people. For example, I have all of my friends in the friends circle. There is not much need for me to break it down further than that. I also have a family circle and a work circle. All good, though activity from these circles is not high. My most-used circles are my Tech News, Usability, Photography and Humor circles. I've populated them with the most active and influential people in each category. Now I have rich, topic driven streams of information. I can quickly find things I'm interested in reading/seeing, and then I can reshare them so my friends and followers who have circled me can see the things I'm into. Google+ is not Facebook and is not about friends; get over it.

The main thing people seem to overlook with Google+ is its pervasiveness. Think of all the Google products you use. Android, Search, Maps, Blogger, Docs, YouTube, Calendar, Gmail and the rest are all going to be tied into Google+. Google has got the slow boil down to an art form. You will see Plus show up more and more in the various Google products that millions of people use every day. It will become unavoidable as it becomes more useful in tying all of your digital productivity together.

Maybe the whole saying "[this or that] is dead" is dead.

Twitter finally gets an update

With the likes of Google+ and Facebook rolling out exciting, sometimes controversial, updates on a regular basis. Many of us have been left wondering if Twitter was ever going to evolve too. Years have gone by with users complaining that conversations are broken. It has gotten to the point where people just don't think of Twitter as a place for conversation. It is a broadcast medium that will leave you woefully disappointed if you ever wanted to see how your Tweets evolved across the network.

Twitter's new @USERNAME stream and Activity stream are set to tackle this issue. The @USERNAME stream will combine the @Mentions and Retweet streams into one. Additionally, activity on your account and tweets is included. This will allow you to see things like information on new followers and who is favoriting your tweets. The Activity stream displays similar information but is focused on the activity of those you follow.

This should help to make following conversations and identifying your biggest fans easier for most users. Popular Twitterers might not care for these enhancements as their @USERNAME stream will be flooded with retweets. However, it is good to see Twitter taking a step towards innovation instead just letting the service bleed active users.

What I like about these changes is that they don't mess with what Twitter has become as a broadcasting service. In fact, it looks to me that these changes are about keeping track of your broadcasting reach. These are just the type of enhancements Twitter needs to keep from becoming irrelevant in the eyes of Facebook and Google+ users.

Read More: http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/10/twitter-activity-streams/

Welcome to Kitty City - Uhh what? So weird.

This is one of the oddest things I've seen in a while...Oddly hilarious, to me, anyway.

Welcome to Kitty City - new video from Cyriak:

Googlecast: Google getting into the Cable TV biz?

This is interesting. Google getting in to cable TV? Seems odd, though they are about to deliver 1Gbs internet services to Kansas City (Kansas & Missouri). It appears to me that shoving down a full cable service through that fiber is an easy next step.

Google reportedly looking to get into the cable TV business:




Google "is considering a plan to offer paid cable-TV services to consumers," the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Google recently hired former cable TV executive Jeremy Stern, who is reportedly leading talks with media companies. But a Google cable TV service is still only a possibility.
"Google has discussed distributing major TV channels from companies like Walt Disney Co., Time Warner Inc., and Discovery Communications Inc. as part of the video service, though the discussions were exploratory and no final decisions have been made," the Journal wrote.


A cable service would be separate from the Google TV, which is comprised of software and hardware to stream YouTube and other Internet content to the television screen. Google has been known to bring numerous speculative projects to market, too, only to kill them off when they fail. We're still waiting to hear what Google's plans are for SageTV, which Google purchased for its DVR and Slingbox-like capabilities. But given Google's reliance on advertising money, television could be an important market for the company after all. Still, competition will be robust; Apple, which already has its own Apple TV media streaming device, is rumored to be expanding its own push into the television market as well.

Socialbots disguised as real people steal 250GB of Facebook data

I don't know how many times I have said this but, I feel it still hasn't been enough. DO NOT accept friend requests from random people you've never met or conversed with. They might look really hot or super in to you. Maybe their profile looks professional and polished. It doesn't matter. Don't trust your judgement. If you haven't seen them, spoken to them or otherwise know they are a real person then just hit "Ignore."

'Socialbots' steal 250GB of user data in Facebook invasion | Security - CNET News:

'via Blog this'

Just confirmed why I am using Google+

I did a simple search today about some random statistics I wanted on browsers and I saw this in my results. While not exactly what I was looking for, it provided an excellent opportunity to learn about and participate in a discussion about a related topic right from my search results. This is where Google truly shows how powerful social networking can be when tied to search. I must say, I am very impressed.

IE users, sorry, can't control what results get returned.

Kinect for Windows SDK going commercial in early 2012

I'm really looking forward to some polished and user-friendly implementation of Kinect into Windows Media Center. Flicking through the guide and pausing shows with hand motions would just be a barrel of fun for me.

Kinect for Windows SDK going commercial in early 2012:


The Kinect for Windows SDK, a beta version of which is already available to developers, is being prepared for a commercial rollout in early 2012.

Gripping photos of Bangkok's flood

Thailand flood reaches Bangkok:

Flood waters inundating Thailand north of Bangkok since July have made the journey south and reached the capital. The disaster is responsible for 400 deaths in Thailand and neighboring Cambodia and Vietnam. Thailand is the world's biggest rice exporter, but the floods have wiped out over a quarter of the country's crop. The government has declared a five-day holiday for the capital to allow residents time to evacuate. Damages could top six billion dollars in Thailand's worst flooding in 50 years. Collected here are images of the water as it moves south to Bangkok, and how residents there are dealing with the disaster. -- Lane Turner (43 photos total)

A woman holds a toddler as she walks through floodwaters in an area near the Chao Praya river in Bangkok on October 29, 2011. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)

Google Reader Rolls Out a New, Clean, Google Plus-Integrated Interface [Updates]

Google Reader Rolls Out a New, Clean, Google Plus-Integrated Interface [Updates]:

Google Reader is following in the footsteps of Gmail, Docs, and Voice with a clean new interface, that's easier to use and contains integration with the Google+ social network. More »

The galaxy is teeming with organic matter

Recent research is coming to the conclusion that, during specific parts of their life-cycle, stars generate large amounts of organic matter and send them careening through the interstellar medium. This is a huge new piece of information to finding the beginnings of life on Earth. For a time now, it has been believed that life on Earth was seeded by meteorites containing the necessary building blocks for life. How those compounds showed up on space rocks has been a big open question in the theory.

Now this is camera magic...WOW

There are not too many products that come out these days that truly make me catch my breath. Finding new technology is more of a hum-drum hobby than an adventurous search into the unknown. Today, however, I really had a "WOW" kind of moment.

The Lytro camera debuted today and this little stick of a camera, called a light-field camera, produces some astounding results. Try out the demo below by clicking on the person in the background and then clicking on the bike tire in the foreground. Amazing!

How does it work? Well, that can be a little complicated as this involves some physics that are foreign to your own experience with light. First off, the camera is not just collecting light like a normal camera. Instead, a light-field camera is capable of recording, in addition to color and intensity, the vector direction of the rays of light. Knowing how all of the light made its way to your camera allows for a computer to manage focus using software. A normal camera uses hardware to focus in on one direction of light. The light-field camera captures all the possible focusing configurations. With this ability you can focus on any part of an image long after it was taken. In addition, you can then refocus the image as many times as you like.

Also, as you can see above, these images can be embedded on any website, even your Facebook wall.

More photo fun: https://www.lytro.com/living-pictures/

How does a self-driving car make decisions?

A self-driving Golf Cart too! Just first two minutes.

Flavors.me is a beautiful and highly usable way to set up your personal page

I was just checking out this website, flavors.me, and it is one of the coolest, sexiest places to host and design your personal information page. The design here is truly phenomenal. Simple, one-step sign-up and a clean interface provide an experience that is clear and straightforward while allowing for a lot of customization. Speaking of customization, if you want to add an even more unique look beyond what is available in the free version, you can upgrade to their premium service for just $20/year. It includes more fonts, SEO metadata, the ability to re-route from a custom domain, analytics and more.

Get the whole scoop in the following video.

WebGL provides a seamless Google Maps experience

WebGL allows web developers to build interactive 3D graphics within a modern browser (Chrome/Firefox). It basically allows websites to use your graphics card just like a desktop app or video game would. If you have a compatible browser and video card, you can head over to Google Maps and enable a WebGL experience. Using vector graphics, Google Maps with WebGL seamlessly zooms in and out without waiting for image tiles to load, transitions from maps to satellite images is snappy and swooping around the map in three dimensions feels natural.

This is how the future of web applications is going to look. Fast, reliable and nearly indistinguishable, in experience and performance, from their desktop counterparts.

See the video below for a demo.

Chrome Remote Desktop BETA now available

New Chrome App allows you to gain remote access or share access with any computer running the Chrome browser and this new app. It is fantastically simple in that you generate an access code and then use that code to access your computer (or someone else's, think of providing support to family/friends). Do note that Google has splashed BETA in big red letters all over this app so use with caution.

Chrome Remote Desktop BETA

Get notified, or don't, on Google+

Google just rolled out the ability to customize your notifications settings even further than before. Limit notifications to specific circles, individuals or let the spam train ride. With a precipitous drop in activity since Plus went to open beta, Google needs to entice users back in with every little feature they can eek out.

More: Google+ Now Let’s Users Customize Who They Receive Notifications From [News]

GM gets into the car-sharing game

While I am about as far as you can get from the cities that support GetAround, a peer to peer car-sharing program, I am still a member and actively watch their progress. This sort of thing seems to make a lot of sense to me but I am somewhat skeptical about its adoption by the general consumer. I think people are still a bit suspicious about an internet company getting them rental cars from strangers. However, GM hopes to eliminate that fear by incorporating RelayRides, a new start-up similar to GetAround, into their OnStar service. In my opinion, this should alleviate consumer skepticism as OnStar is already a very well trusted brand.

Read more: TechCrunch - Car-sharing Startup RelayRides Partners With GM

A theater's last show goes on...

View of the Paramount Theatre from the balcony. afterthefinalcurtain.net

I love the way once beautiful things look as they decay from neglect and the burden of time. After the Final Curtain is a great photo blog showcasing American theaters that have been abandoned.

This is the future?

FINALLY!

Japanese toilet motorcycle runs on human waste

You are only human

"Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy of the interposition of a deity, more humble and I think truer to consider him created from animals" -Darwin





I think some might not agree with me or Sagan and that is okay. Humanity is complicated and the Universe is vast in its mystery. We are only trying to understand in the way that makes the most sense to each of us.

UPDATE: I just had to add this...

"I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in this mysterious Universe without having any purpose." - Feynman

Peel a head of garlic...FAST!

I LOVE garlic. Any method to, quickly, get more of it in my dishes is much appreciated.
Image from JJ Harrison
Check it out!

Are you alive? PassMyWill Entails Your Social Identity to Your Friends

Know someone who died recently from your friends list on Facebook? Having a dead person in your friends list can be odd when you still see their automatic postings from various QOTD, Astrology and Reader Apps that make it appear as though they are living. Sure, you could remove them but, somehow, it seems wrong to toss a life away into forgetfulness through the, usually passive-agressive, method of removing "friends." They died, its probably not their fault.

PassMyWill is a service that will monitor your social activity. If you don't post anything, it will try to contact you via email. If that fails, it will send a list of logon credentials (that you put together ahead of time) to a list of people of your choosing. The idea is that you trust those individuals enough to do something nice with, your now ironic, social media presence. Perhaps a memorialization or, if your the joking type, some kind of silly, from the dead, social networking. 

It is a decent idea, but not without some concerns. I don't think this can actually differentiate from automatic app posts and real human posts. Security is another concern. Your friends will need a security key to access the passwords once you pass away. However, many are still uncertain about whether the system is easily tricked into distributing your passwords unintentionally.

Furthermore, there are easier and more sensible ways to accomplish this task. Unless you are a sad and pathetic internet troll who has no friends and has been shunned by all family, you will likely be able to include something in your will, or your security deposit box at the bank, that someone you care about will be able to access. If you haven't thought of that in this day and age it might be time to formulate some kind of plan. If you are like me, your partner should know how to access your social accounts (unless you are a sneaky sneak with things to hide). If you don't have someone close to you, include it in your will to have your accounts deleted by the executor. Just be sure to update it whenever you change your passwords.

Read More: TechCrunch - PassMyWill is a will for your online assets and passwords

Stuff I've been missing, and a fun video

Lots of things running through my mind these past few weeks. While exciting, I have a really important project going on at work that is consuming most of my idle thoughts. People camping out on Wall Street in protest of crimes committed by some of the biggest banks and, this weekend, at places all across the nation including here in Kansas City at Liberty Memorial. Facebook is changing the way we think about social networking.  The change is so radical and fresh that I now take a real interest in curating my online identity, which, while annoying at times, is a really good thing to do. Republicans are busy bloviating while President Obama is making promises again. Government shutdown scares. Typhoon in my family's home country, the Philippines. Premiere week on television and the end of summer.

Wow, plenty going on. Taking some time this weekend to get away for a bit. Should give me time to write about my thoughts on some of the things that have happened lately. Until then, here is a video favorite of mine. Enjoy!




3 Minutes from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

Don Draper invented FB Timeline

In case you missed it before the original was removed, Don Draper Presents Facebook Timeline. A hilarious mash-up of one of Draper's best scenes and FB Timeline. Check it out before it slips away again!

Google + API trickles out

Developers can now get public posts and profiles out of Google Plus. Not enough to really get things going, but at least it is a start.
Read more: Mashable

It is about darn time...REAL cloud storage is here (soon)

I've been annoyed by cloud services up until now. They require some kind of triggered sync, a special page or app, or a special folder. Then these must be replicated on all of your devices. The problem with all of these is that they have been centered around sharing files or making a briefcase of files easily accessible. Anyone remember Microsoft Briefcase? Kudos if you do and you probably realize that most every cloud service, so far, has been a beefed up and better version of Briefcase by taking the step beyond removable media and networked PCs.

Now (soon, really) with Bitcasa we will be able to use the cloud as a real hard drive. Just got your tricked out 2TB hard-drive in your rig? Well, forget that, I can get a petabyte for just $10 a month (infinite storage, actually). Your physical storage simply becomes a cache for your files (and a home for your OS) before they get uploaded to your monster cloud drive. All files are encrypted, Bitcasa has no knowledge of the content of the data you upload and, most importantly, third-parties like the RIAA can't go snooping in your files. Also, you can create URL links to each of your files so sharing with others or providing yourself with quick access is a breeze.

This application showed up and became a finalist during TechCrunch Disrupt and this is sure to disrupt a lot of business out there, big and small. I look forward to seeing what all can be done with this product.

Read more: TC-With Bitcasa, The Entire Cloud Is Your Hard Drive For Only $10 Per Month

FOOTBALL!!

I think football season has started

The Quantum World

Get your science on...auto-tune style. Go ahead, nerd out.

Google+ API still an interminable wait away...

ARGH...it is so frustrating waiting for it to come out! I understand that 6 months isn't a terrible turn around for an API but Google is up against Facebook's neck-breaking velocity and bone-crushing inertia. It seems as though the non-techies are forgetting about Google+ fairly quickly (for me, that's fine) and by the time that API rolls around, the fresh G+ additions to apps like TweetDeck and HootSuite won't generate, in my opinion, the buzz and usage needed to make G+ relevant comparative to Facebook. I hope I am wrong. I really like Google+ as a real replacement to Facebook (for me, not everybody).


Check it out: TC - Google+ API Launch Still Months Away

Own a shop? Keep up on your online presence or be closed!

Apparently, there is a new tactic being used by some very shrewd and seedy business owners. In the hopes of stealing customers from a successful competitor, some shop owners have been going on to Google Places and flagging their competition as "Closed." It seems that Google has almost no vetting process for these flags (which just makes them switches). Because of that, some shops have been packed one day and empty the next as some guy at the place across the street decided that his biggest competition is now closed. So, until Google figures out how to begin managing this, it would behoove anyone with a presence on Google Places to keep up on their business profiles.

Just another example of why you should always remain aware of what is going on with your entire online presence. You never what might have gone wrong whether by some technical error or malicious intent.

Check it out: NYT - Closed, Says Google, but Shops’ Signs Say Open

Social Nets at Full Tilt: Not really what we thought it'd be

Some people remember when Facebook and Twitter were new and interesting things. Now, 'everybody' is on and the networks are operating at full potential with everyone you know and don't know sharing their lives and thoughts on the networks.

Good, right? Well, not so fast. Yes, almost everyone you could possibly want to friend or follow is out there and is sharing. However, how much noise do you see in your Twitter and FB feeds. It is rather overwhelming, and it should be. The data and information of even your truncated social landscape is more than a person with a full-time job can handle. Like in real life, we have to form task or topic oriented communities to help us focus on the social activities that mean something to us. Unfortunately, we haven't seen this behavior truly take off, but it looks like the networks, with Google+ at the lead, are moving in the direction of making your communities/circles/committees/lunch groups easier to parse out of the noise.

Will social networking lose its wild west, share all, see all ways in favor of neatly controlled cliques and groups where all members see the activity that only they care about? Will (real)friendless basement-dwellers be echoing into a social metropolis with all its shops opened to members only?

The Social Network Paradox | TechCrunch:

'via Blog this'

Finally Friday - Want to Play Angry Birds, But Why?

I like playing some Angry Birds. I like, not love playing it, but a lot of people out there love it to the point of creepiness. How does a game developer get this kind of response? Nothing about the premise is truly revolutionary. It is pretty much a tower defense game from the perspective of the invaders. The true genius behind Angry Birds is in the user experience. Transitional wait times, air velocity, and mysterious elements all add to the greater allure and addictiveness of the game.

Check it out: Why Angry Birds is so successful: A cognitive teardown of the user experience

While it is a little bit of a long read it reveals the true reason why you can't just put this game down.

Tragedy at the air show

Last weekend didn't really turn out that well. I went to the KC Air Show to enjoy some fantastic aerobatics and a much anticipated pyrotechnics show. I was able to see some impressive aerobatics but the whole event was cut short when Bryan Jensen, pilot of The Beast, lost control of his bi-plane, crashed into the ground and was enveloped in a gruesome fireball.

Gather 'round the Google+ hangout and watch some YouTube

Twitter / @YouTube: You can now start a Google ...

Yep, that's right. You can now start a huddle and watch YouTube videos with your friends!

The opportunities here are great. Maybe give a video presentation over the web and have a real conversation with your participants. Or, you could just waste time with your buddies watching cats do cat things.

Solar Flare Disruptions Possible for Next Few Days

Power companies prepare as solar storms set to hit Earth -AP

Looks like Earth is going to get a lashing over the next few days. Expect some disruptions in anything communication related. Folks who work on power lines and such, please be careful!

Machines Learning About the World: Time to Worry?

Recently, I saw this rather innocuous video of a robot torso (head, arms, etc.), filling a cup with fake water and ice. It had to learn that it must put down the water bottle before adding the ice. This actually highlights the fact that humans need more limbs, but I digress. The creepy part is that the machine, using its two "eyes" and internet-sized brain figured out the problem without any specific coding on what to do with only tow hands, It just figured it out. What!