Geeks In Training

eBooks for geeks

Michael Zimmermann — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:22:30 +0000

Many reference books on technical subjects (main focus here being computers and web-development) are available as eBooks. They have many advantages, including loss-prevention/recovery, flexible access (read it on your iPhone or your Kindle), and searchability. Some, like the O’Reilly books, don’t hinder you with cumbersome DRM, putting the reader’s comfort and respect ahead of their own unfounded fears of copyright infringement.

Seadragon, zoom in on your life

Michael Zimmermann — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:09:47 +0000

It’s just another really well-done implementation of an old idea. Microsoft Live Labs has managed to execute another neat tech called Seadragon, allowing you to zoom in smoothly and seamlessly, getting more and more detail from an image. This is definitely the sort of thing that, can ’splode your mind, given time. The mobile version is even more impressive, allowing you to close in on any city, from a map of the world.

Photosynth, stitching together environments, not photos

Michael Zimmermann — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:51:53 +0000

Imagine what it would be like to have a photo gallery that you could place together, and make a walkthrough. Think of the ability to make a panoramic photo, but now step in to the picture, change the angle, look around. Photosynth is unfortunately Windows-only for now (thanks, Microsoft), but the concept behind it will surely inspire many to take it to other levels.

Talk to Google.

Michael Zimmermann — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:30:04 +0000

Well, they’re not the only ones, but they’re definitely the ones to watch. Or.. Talk to?

Google has been working on (among many other projects) searching their insanely large libraries using spoken words. Their iPhone app will take speech queries and return results for you. Find out more about speech-driven iPhone searches with google.

I haven’t seen it show up yet as an update on my iPhone, but the NY Times is expecting it any minute now.

Google announces Chrome web browser

Michael Zimmermann — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:18:19 +0000

The beta is to start with Windows-only, but there’s a Mac and Linux version in the works as well. Word is that it’s Open Source, stable, fast, etc. etc. etc.

Obviously, it will integrate well with the web apps that Google has been making available to its account-holders, but one hopes that this isn’t the start of another standards-flouting browser war.

Read the details about Google’s new browser (In a comic, no less) from the source.

Firefox Ubiquity - letting language control your technology, not the other way around

Michael Zimmermann — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:46:53 +0000

The internet is beyond a fad. Of that, there’s no doubt. It’s a powerful tool, and it all centers around communication. The ease of using the medium isn’t always up to par, however, and so it’s only the geeks that seem to be on the ball when it comes to the sharing, storing, comparing and broadcasting.

With the advent of blogs, social networks like facebook, mashup sites, and instant notification concepts like RSS, that’s all changing.

There’s a great project in the works that takes it a step further, putting all of these tools at your fingertips, and making it easy to use everyday language, too.

Take a brief look at Ubiquity for Firefox in this great intro video by Aza Raskin, and then, take a deeper look, if you like.

Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 8 beta

Michael Zimmermann — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:09:41 +0000

Beta software is still getting the kinks worked out, but this is a good way to check if a browser is right for you. The track record so far hasn’t been stellar for the big corporation, but, slow as it usually is to the game, they haven’t taken any huge steps back, lately.

We’ll download this and see, and if you want to do the same for yourself, head on over to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 Beta page.

Quebec group, “FACiL” is taking the government to the courts for not considering Open Source solutions

Michael Zimmermann — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:02:26 +0000

The group essentially says that the Quebec government ignores the choices available when making purchases, wasting resources and dollars on software that requires expensive license fees to be paid. Open Source software has been successfully used in many government and corporate settings throughout the globe, and there’s no reason it should not be considered when software is being evaluated.

Visit the group’s official site, or a slightly friendlier summary by Michael Geist.

New Zealand Judge bans online publishing of accused’s names

Michael Zimmermann — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:05:29 +0000

You heard it. Judge David Harvey ruled today that online media, and only online media was banned from publishing the names of two men accused of murder. His reasoning behind it was to stop online searches from turning up their names in the future, should the pair be found innocent.

Television and print are fine to name names, it’s only ‘online’ being singled out here, so questions come to mind as to how a scan of the newspaper would be treated, or a stream of the nightly news?

Read about the story online at the New Zealand Herald’s website. Apparently, you’ll have to go out and buy the dead-tree version, or tune into TV land to get the full story.

Social bookmark icons

Michael Zimmermann — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:11:18 +0000

The icons found attached to articles on this site, and attached to news and blog sites almost everywhere on the web are shortcuts to share your interest with others.

When you find an insightful article or post, you can usually click on an icon and add that specific article to the social network of your choice. Many or most of these sites require you to be registered with them in some way, but if you’re already a member of a community such as Facebook, feel free to share.