Ping this
photo by DanDawson
Says they’ll be able to map an area the size of New Mexico daily.
“The GeoEye-1 satellite has the highest ground resolution color imagery available in the commercial marketplace and will produce high-quality imagery with a very accurate geolocation,” said Google spokeswoman Kate Hurowitz, adding that most commercial satellite imagery has a resolution of 60cm. “It is our goal to display high-resolution imagery for as much of the world as possible, and GeoEye-1 will help further that goal.”
Popularity: 7% [?]
Ping this
Affordable Honda hybrid on sale as soon as spring 2009, under 20k USD.
Honda achieved a significant cost reduction in Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) components which should make Insight the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date. The production Insight will be offered as a five-door, five-passenger hatchback. Numerous technologies, including a function to assist customers in achieving more fuel efficient driving habits, will be applied to achieve a further improvement in real world fuel efficiency. With its affordable price, the new hybrid vehicle will represent the best value in its segment. Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at an expanded hybrid vehicle production line at the Suzuka factory in Japan.
via ecomodder
Popularity: 13% [?]
Ping this
Americans in Malaysia, Americans Abroad. Please vote. Please print and post this flyer.
Get your request for absentee ballots mailed in by September 15th if you are in Southeast Asia.
The wizard at votefromabroad.org should only take 5 minutes of your time. Here is a postage paid envelope template to send your forms in.
Obama/Biden ‘08 !
Popularity: 18% [?]
Ping this
I’ve been getting odd and cryptic messages through AIM from usernames PersonalTrout, ImplicitTrout and other trout-like nicks. I replied as you would when a stranger messages, “who is this, how can I help you, etc.” The only replies were equally odd. Today I got a reply from a fishy friend. Apparently there is a bot that harvests recently updated Twitter profile names and uses IM networks to bridge together 2 strangers with the intent of confusing both.
Mystery solved. Glad to know I’m not being stalked by a crazy fisherman.
The Semi-Mini FAQ
Q: What is this?
A: It’s like a three-way phonecall - but over an IM, with a computer program creating the link.
Q: How did they get my screen name?
A: These bots search the recently updated pages of web sites (LiveJournal, Xanga, deviantArt, Twitter, etc.) to find screen names and connect random people.
Q: Did I just get h@x0r3d?
A: No, the bots aren’t malicious. And you’re not 1337, stop typing like that. They’re completely harmless.
Update: h/t to Tim
Looks like there is more history to this one. TheGreatHatsby article on Wikipedia for more trout / coho / salmon bot fishing.
Popularity: 24% [?]
Ping this
Eight years ago I had the pleasure of working along side Chuck Colby at Palo Alto based incubator Picostar. Chuck’s was the first autonomous helicopter I’d ever seen.
Chuck must be proud to see what the kids at Stanford are doing with autonomous flying helicopters today.
Stanford computer scientists have developed an artificial intelligence system that enables robotic helicopters to teach themselves to fly difficult stunts by watching other helicopters perform the same maneuvers. The result is an autonomous helicopter than can perform a complete airshow of complex tricks on its own.
Let’s hope the above technology does not merge with the Neural Robotics AutoCopter below.
The AutoCopter A, outfitted with an AA12 automatic 12-guage machine gun, is tested on the ground, then in the air under manual pilot control, and finally with the flight control system. The AA12 is capable of firing at a rate of 300 rounds/minute. It can also fire FRAG12 grenades, which can penetrate 3/4 inch steel.
The thought of fully automatic, grenade firing, autonomous stunt copters scares the shit out of me. How about you?
Popularity: 52% [?]
Ping this
photo by Joi
A founding member of Skype, Toivo Annus, (orange shirt above) has a new startup developing video calling applications and user interfaces for flat-screen TV-s. In other words, Toivo is going to bring video conferencing and VoIP to your next LCD TV. I found this nugget over at Jan’s blog.
Investment group Ambient Sound Investments’ (ASI) project is named InkSpin1 which includes creating Skype user interface for LCD TV sets. So that the video calls can be hold on large TV screen.
type (toivo) in skype chat
Popularity: 69% [?]
Ping this
photo by Martyn Starkey
I just noticed over on Jerry Ong’s blog that Ping.FM has updated their service to support friendster, Yahoo 360, Delicious. Great to see more social networks added.
I’m still hoping for Skype status updates.
Popularity: 70% [?]
Ping this
photo by teenage jesus
Best not to talk local politics when your an American in Malaysia. I’ll let Raja Petra talk instead.
“There is a growing consensus in government that those who run websites and blogs should be held accountable and this means that laws should be used to take action against those who defame and spread disinformation.
“If not, we are going to have a situation where everyone will be free to make all sorts of allegations with no downside at all. There is a fear that the trust level with BN would be very low if nothing is done, ” said a senior government official familiar with details of the meeting.
The prevailing mood in the government against the alternative media is one of frustration. After decades of being able to control newspapers and television stations through a raft of legislation, government officials and politicians are finding that their tools are useless in setting boundaries for new media.
via mt
Popularity: 76% [?]
Ping this
photo by miskan
According to Nicholas Guan, an OgilvyOne social media researcher, the best social network reach Asians is not always Facebook but on alternative social networks. Does that mean you should advertise on Friendster instead of Facebook if you are selling electric scooters in Malaysia? Of course not because online marketing often about targeting influencers much of whom I suspect are on Facebook. If you are targeting a mass audience your ad dollar might not always be best spent on a social network anyways. Interesting research though.
via PaidContent
Popularity: 76% [?]
