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Meeting
U. Technology Newsletter - October 2007
Hi …
Back for another month of fun and
way cool tools. A special
hello to all of our new subscribers.
Welcome to our monthly journey through what’s cool and
fun…sometimes not even in that order.
Also, for you newbies (and as a
reminder to our many long-time readers), next month is our 6th
Annual (yikes) Turkey & Technology newsletter.
It’s all about food (and drink), as it should be around
Thanksgiving. In fact, if
you have a way cool food site (appropriate for Thanksgiving, natch)
you’d like us to share in the newsletter, send me a note by November 9th.
That’s when Peter and I will discuss our favorite reader
submissions, and choose which one (maybe more…let’s see what we
receive) will be shared.
On with the show.
Let’s start with some birthday greetings.
Happy Birthday…Grover? –
121 years ago today, President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of
Liberty on
Bedloe’s Island
(later to be renamed
Liberty Island
). For your monthly history
lesson, go over to Answers (http://www.answers.com),
and in particular, their page dedicated to Lady Liberty (http://www.answers.com/topic/statue-of-liberty).
There’s plenty of great history and photographs to enjoy on
that page.
It’s a Block Party –
Well, nearly. A block poster
is more like it. A free way
cool site, Block Poster (http://www.blockposters.com)
allows you to create wall size posters from any size image on your
computer. Once you’ve
uploaded your image, slice it up into smaller sections, download the PDF
file, and print out the images, creating your wall size image.
Don’t Take GUF From Anyone
– Or maybe you should. In
this case, GUF is Generally Useless Facts, and the website is a series
of really inane information (our favorite type around here).
This link is for Presidential GUF (http://www.raybromley.com/guf/presidentialGUF.html),
with links on the left for additional GUF.
Did you know that George Washington loved to play marbles?
Or that James Buchanan was the only President to remain a
bachelor? Or, which of the
President’s on
Mount Rushmore
was the only one never depicted on
U.S.
currency?
Your Monthly Mashup – Since
we spent last month discussing mashups, let’s add another cool one to
your favorites. This time,
it’s a combination of Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.com)
housing with Google Maps. The
result is Housing Maps (http://www.housingmaps.com),
providing a map-based look at available housing (both for rent and for
sale) on the marketplace in various
U.S.
destinations (and a few international cities as well).
Pictures, pricing and location all come through on this mash.
What’s that I hear?
Too early for St. Nick (he’s not supposed to appear until the
end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, anyway)?
It’s brother Peter, with this month’s column.
******************************
LIFE
IS BUT A JOURNEY , MAN
Now that we’ve settled into the
new fall TV season, I have a confession to make. Last newsletter I said
I really liked three new shows. I lied, not a big lie, like, there is no
global warming kind of lie. I do like those previously mentioned
programs, like The Big Bang Theory (http://www.cbs.com)
or K-Ville (http://www.fox.com), but
there are two other shows that I’m hooked on, each for a similar
reason. With a nod to the home of my old home AMERICAN DREAMS, NBC has
two of the most well written and acted, one hour dramas in:
JOUNEYMAN (Mondays at
10pm
)
LIFE (Wednesdays at
10pm
)
And thanks to technology, (Jim loves
when I say that) I can watch them anytime at (http://www.nbc.com).
Television on your computer, “on demand” I think the kids
call it these days. Now where was I…(time traveling moment)
Hey, maybe I’m old(er) and maybe
(ask a mathematician or a shrink) the mind just likes to find order in
randomness, but the shows that really have appeal to myself and perhaps
other handsomely graying baby boomers are shows that take us and let us
re-live or even change the past. Others
give us a second chance at “righting a wrong”. Do I really sound
like my parents’ generation? Guilty as charged, Judge Judy. I find it
no coincidence that at this part of my life, middle age (they’re not
such bad words), where tomorrows are at a premium, I am moved by stories
that give us an opportunity to re-examine.
A chance to understanding why we are, where we are. A chance to
learn, change and live the life we choose. I do not think this is too
much to ask of television. It sure asks more than that of me.
Today’s “tube” is inundated
with more banal, mind-numbing yammering and preening than ever before.
An ad agency litter box of who you need to be, what you need to know,
buy and believe. Seems to fill a need in the world and in lives, I
suppose. So when a couple of shows rise above their own networks’ need
to not be a ratings “biggest loser”, I feel the need to direct you
to them. Their stories are our stories, told in 44 minute segments. They
are relevant and entertaining and provocative in a way that shock and
schlock could never dream of in a million pilot seasons. The shows speak
to you, not at
you. Kinda refreshing, don’t ya think?
Now, instead of giving you plot and
character breakdowns, (which are numerous and intricate) why not slow
time down in your own life and go to (http://www.nbc.com/life).
Begin this journey, man (ugh) and view these shows on your computer, in
the quiet of some free time. No free time in your life? Make some, baby!
Better yet, why don’t you just time travel to where you need/want to
be. Impossible, you say? Einstein called it imagination.
Peter Spellos
E=MC²
(Entertainment=My Career x You)
10/25/07
(http://www.peterspellos.com)
Some more free, on demand viewing
fun at:
HBO (http://www.hbo.com)
Independent Film Channel (http://www.ifc.com)
SciFi Channel (http://www.scifi.com)
******************************
Thanks, bro.
Cool Google Tool of the Month – I may have shared this a while
back, and it’s one of the most basic uses of Google, but every time I
show it in my courses, it gets lots of oohs and aahs.
In yer basic Google search box, enter an equation (try 60+39) and
hit enter. Nice, huh?
Any mathematical formula can be entered and solved in Google.
Even better (especially with
Thanksgiving’s cooking frenzy nearly upon us), ever need a quick
conversion, say how many teaspoons in 2 tablespoons?
Type in this:
2 tablespoons
in teaspoons
That’s Google Calculator &
Conversion working for you. Need
to convert feet into meters? Dollars
into euros? Any style
conversion works this way. Now
that’s a way cool tool.
Did You Go To Tafiti Last Winter?
– Perhaps, you’ll go to it this winter, as Tafiti (http://www.tafiti.com)
is a new Microsoft search engine that allows the user to find various
type of info (news, RSS feeds, books, images) from a single search.
Additionally, it allows the user to combine, or stack their
preferred search results for later viewing, or sharing with others.
Note – in order to use Tafiti, you’ll need to download
Microsoft’s Silverlight application (http://www.silverlight.net).
Still in Beta, Tafiti (which means “do research” in Swahili,
according to the website) shows us how searching will continue to become
more visual and collaborative as the technologies develop.
You Don’t Know Jack, Jack!
– Peter’s going to hate me for finding this one.
Ten years ago, one of the most popular PC games was a hip game
show called “You Don’t Know Jack” (and Peter almost always used to
win when we played it). Well,
it has morphed itself as a free, web-based game (http://www.youdontknowjack.com).
Even if you choose not to play, move the cursor around the home
page and watch Jack’s eyes follow it.
That’ll kill at least 5 minutes.
Think that’s all for now, gang.
As always, the usual fine print in normal-sized letters.
If you don’t want to continue receiving the newsletter, just
click the link below. We’ll
wine & cry, but we’ll get over it.
If you want to share it with others, please do so.
And remember, November 9th
is the deadline for your submissions of coolest site for next month’s
Turkey & Technology issue. Promise…you’ll
have it by Friday, November 16th (or my name isn’t Elmer
Fudd…waaaittt a minute).
Be well.
Jim
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