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Technology

Car news of the day

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Been busy as a busy person at work getting ready for Zimbra training (12 sessions in three days this week, thank you very much) so I haven’t had much time to scour for interesting things to post – or inclination to do so after work. However, here are a few car related links to tide you over.

  1. World Car Fans has done a delightful video edit of Jaguar’s press footage for the all-new XJ. I melt every time I see those magical LCD dials pop to life or animate the changing of gears. Old school elegance meets Starship Enterprise. Bella and I need to cruise in such a fast cat, no?
  2. Jalopnik lists five (snarktastic) reasons why roundabouts will never work in America. Having driven in them all throughout Maryland, I think I may agree. I also think that Jalopnik really could benefit from a copy editor. Dang. (In response to this piece from Slate.)
  3. The best auto show on the planet, Top Gear, will be making its return this season in glorious HD. Thank you, BBC America, for FINALLY bringing me your Britshows in the resolution they deserve. You Are What You Eat not withstanding.

Best. Site. Ever.

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Facebook ads finally produced something that I was interested in! Jack Links (Messin’ with Sasquatch) Beef Jerky has created a microsite that they call “Living Sasquatch.” Using augmented reality, you can create your own miniature Sasquatch that appears in the room with you on screen. It’s actually a pretty compelling use of such technology in an ad campaign – if I ate beef jerky, I’d completely put Jack Links at the top of my list due to their creativity on this one. Anyway, once you get your very own tiny ‘squatch, you can make a movie with him by stitching together several predefined animations. Kate and I did just this, entitled “In Bed with Sasquatch.” Viewable here.

To make your own, be sure to check out Living Sasquatch. You know you want to. 🙂

I can’t believe I’m saying this…

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…but lately I’ve been really thinking about a vacation from technology. Like, probably not to a cabin in the middle of the woods. I mean, that would basically be like going home. And I probably want electricity and running water. But just no phone. Like, I wouldn’t even take it with me. Certainly no computer. Probably not even any music (unless it was not attached to a device that could do anything but play music.)

I might go into withdrawal. That’s actually the only hang up I’m facing with putting this plan into action. The internet is like a sixth (and probably seventh) sense to me at this point. However, I am so completely saturated with gadgetry in my day to day existence that I crave waking up to only the sounds of the ocean or the rain or the birds. And a very quiet cup of coffee. And maybe even an actual newspaper.

We’ll see how this develops. Maybe I can find some ramshackle cottage in DE to spend a weekend at before summer is over?

A point to The Sims

Games, Technology by

I love when a seemingly pointless technology winds up having a use that far outweighs anything its creators intended. Twitter being used to communicate in a locked down Iran is a perfect example of this. You had better believe that no one thought Iranians would be tweeting a presidential election. Today, Kotaku reports that a game development student in the UK is using The Sims to explore issues of poverty in society. The student, Robin Burkinshaw, has created a father-daughter pair that live in an abandoned lot in her copy of The Sims. She is also using a blog to chronicle the Sims’ lives.

Read: “The Sad Story of Two Homeless Sims” (via Kotaku)

Whether this will make any sort of difference in reality remains to be seen, but it is a fascinating chance to use a game for something more than it was ever expected to be.

The Notificator

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Is this what hyper-connected internet users will have to fall back on after the energy grid takes a dump on us all? An interesting article I posted on my work blog:

Twitter Predecessor

I pledge

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I’m not going to buy another gadget this year. I’m going to try my very best to not buy a new iPhone, computer, pair of headphones, stereo, HD receiver, etc. I’m inspired by this site, which just seems like a cute idea done well and with a purpose:

Last Year’s Model

Keep me honest, guys. Don’t let me fail at this one.

3G?

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I spent yesterday evening in Philadelphia where I saw Ladytron and The Faint at the Trocadero Theatre. The show was excellent and dinner before at Penang on 10th Street in Chinatown (it was featured on Israel’s Top Chef, apparently) was even better (there was a Buddhist monk dining beside us!)

What’s more interesting is that, while looking up what rambutan fruit was, I decided I’d turn on my iPhone’s 3G. Normally, I leave it off as the Eastern Shore is the land that time forgot. Or so I thought – after arriving back, the little 3G indicator would not go away. A quick look at AT&T’s coverage map shows that the entirety of the Eastern Shore is 3G (where service is available, that is.) How neat!

Where was my memo on this one? “Dear Eastern Shore customers…”