Chicken feathers for circuit boards?

You gotta see this. Click here.

Might not be practical if we are dealing with Avian flu. Then again, perhaps coconut husks can do the job.

Don't look now ...

but Google wants a patent for WiFi hotspot ads. Fierce Wi-Fi reports that "[t]he patent pertains to a method by which an end user using an [Access Point] would be served advertisements based on geographic location, behavioral profile, vertical market and more."

I am tempted to regard this move however as a prelude to crass mass customisation. Digital free lunch anyone? So much for muni-WiFi.

Web 2.0 is moving more "deliberately" in the Philippines.

Some signs:

• Pandorasquared.com is at the forefront of the movement called Pinoyweb2.com and the people behind them are running a workshop on Web 2.0 on the 17-19 April, 2006 in Manila. Workshop details are somewhere here.
• A paper on KM of Folk Culture: Lessons from Social Software will be read on 17-18 April 2006 at a conference billed Emerging Technologies for Philippines 2020, in Makati. Program details here.
• iBlog Summit is on its second year in U.P. Diliman on 18 April 2006.

Thanks for the pitch Peachy Herrin!

Selling anything? Products, Services, Ideas?

Use the AIDA framework. You can never go wrong (well, almost). Just do it right.

Here's the wikipedia link.

What is good about frameworks?

The answer might lie in the question "What is great about maps?"

Don't laugh now but McGyver in "The Gauntlet" (episode 4, aired first on October 21, 1985 in the US) gives this answer: "[i]t gets you in and out of places in a lot of different ways."
Thanks Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ for the insights.

Looking for a Software to extract DVD movie clips

In 2001, the following post appeared:

I am desperately trying to find some type of software that will take a DVD movie
clip from a DVD so I can put it into a powerpoint presentation (ultimately) or
to extract it some other way so I can present it on a projector besides just
using a DVD clip. -- Douglas Patrick (douglaslpatrick@hotmail.com),
November 12, 2001

Some kind hearted people responded but suggested solutions appeared flaky for the most part. I am still looking for a robust solution. Click here to "donate" your suggestions.

Are ID3 tag databases useful at all?

Perhaps. Then again perhaps not. The discussion thread here might help.

This just in (13).

E-Jamming! Sounds cool literally. Here's more.

Just wondering (2).

What I am beginning to write may just about rock the foundations of education as we know it. Learner-centered education requires taking a second look at the context of learning, in particular, how to learn, how to process information, how to inquire. That is the how. But what about considerations of time and space. Are we prepared to envision schools as physical repositories of knowledge alone? Can we envisage schools as mere tourist spots that get their upkeep supported by sales of entrance tickets, memorabilia, pins, pennants, etc? Think about it.

You've heard of folksonomy. Now there's personomy.

Want some more? Here's the link.

Are they learning from business models in the Philippines?

According to boingboing.net:

Chicago Tribune reports on how large retailers such as OfficeMax and Walgreens
are offering on-premises ink-jet cartridge refilling services. Hewlett-Packard is pretending not to care, but the article says printer supplies account for about 70 of HP's printer business profits, and that 15-20 percent of the supply business has already moved to third-party refillers.

This would naturally hurt sales of new cartridges. Well that's the way the inkjet crumbles. :) Here's more.

Press Release (1).

1st ENGAGE European Union - Southeast Asia ICT Research Collaboration Conference, March 29–31, 2006
Century Park Hotel
Manila, Philippines

Let's hope this turns out to be a good start for collaboration particularly in the interest of social development. I am told the Philippines has a poor record in collaboration. I hope this event proves the statement wrong.

Life's simple pleasure (2).

Working on an "invention" with your child. Here's the historic link.

This just in (12).

Microsoft scores again. It has upped the ante in the console war by giving out a game development kit for the XBox 360. Here's what I got from makezine.com:

The XNA Framework is an exciting new development and execution environment
which will allow game developers to more easily create games which run on the
Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 platforms. Microsoft XNA Build is a tool and set
of technologies which will help game studios manage the growing complexities of
their game content builds. The first pre-release of XNA Build is now available
for download. We invite you to install this pre-release into a non-production
environment to learn more about how XNA Build will reduce development
complexities.

More details here:

In case you didn't know (1).

But you can change the firmware of your mp3 player!

Here is more from one of my usual sources: boingboing.net

This just in (11).

LEGO Mindstorms NXT (for release in August) can be pre-ordered in a couple of weeks . SRP $249.99 (USD) . This I got from Makezine.com

Seen a poor man's Wi-Fi, lately?

Check this out. Lots of sample fotos.

Wanna know a good place to start mash-ups?

Click here for a list of Web 2.0 API references.

Found a Web 2.0 starting page. Simply drag and drop items around.

Good for mashing up diverse elements from flickr to del.icio.us to blogspot feeds.
You might not even need to use Google desktop.

It's called netvibes.com. Snagged it from Dion Hinchcliffe's list of Best Web 2.0 Software of 2005.

How do you track comments in a sea of blogs?

Especially those you've made.

Use co.mments. Allows you to stay on top of conversations.

Track with co.mments

This just in (10). Thanks JP Loh.

In case you did not know, mere thinking, according to a federal circuit court, violates the patent over the following: "Elevated homocysteine is linked to B-12 deficiency, so doctors should test homocysteine levels to see whether the patient needs vitamins." Talk of patent abuse. (pun intended)

Michael Crichton tells us more.

Here's a how-to on vlogging (aka vblogging).

Consider this: There's little chance they'd put you on TV. So sites like youtube.com or blip.tv could be the next best thing. Perhaps even a good work-around.

Here's the link.

Got a a few minutes? Make a one-minute machinima.

Here's the link. May take longer on the first try though.

Each piece of innovation slices peoples' span of attention in half.

Now imagine a nanotech map of the Americas. Then imagine it being made out of strands of DNA. Are you interested yet? Here's the link.

Life's simple pleasure (1).

I recently rebranded this blog by using the moniker "Evolutionary Technologist". Had to give it a positive spin on account of the unflattering ADHD label. Guess what? The moniker sent me to the top spot of a Google search result. Woohoo! Check it out.

I foresee an invention waiting to happen.

Try googling "hyperlinked podcast" and you will get the following response:

"Tip: Try removing quotes from your search to get more results.

Your search - "hyperlinked podcast" - did not match any documents. "

The closest I got to a good lead however was via Tony Walsh's A Finer Point
on Podcasting, posted on July 18, 2005 @ 1:22 pm
tagged Aural Culture On the Screen Podcasting Weblogs. Here's the link.

Anyway Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This just in (9).

Full recap of the first episode of the American Inventor.

Here's the link.

First example of a mash-up, I think.

Isn't the google internal site search a component of one of the first mash-ups? If memory serves, it was used as early as 2001.

Who doesn't love freedom and democracy?

We are not talking unfettered here.

But you gotta hand it to Musicbrainz.org! The better to build communities.

It's all about open music metadata.

Is the mash-up boom heading for bust?

So writes Martin LaMonica.

But didn't I just wonder a week ago that mash-ups might just be the next killer app?

So much for a Pollyanna outlook.

Then again, if you are talking busines models, then there's good reason to worry whether Web 2.0 pays. Here's more.

Can you teach a piece of software to appreciate the Mona Lisa?

Perhaps Eric Bonabeau's Hunch Engine can. To know more, click here. As usual, thanks to boingboing.net.

What is chronostasis?

Stopping time. But can anyone really stop time? Click here for more.

TV on your mobile?

That's not new, you say. Think again. Because it is different from GPRS downloads. It is called DVB-H.

Telstra will be broadcasting the Melbourne Commonweealth Games beginning March 15, 2006 using the Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) system which "allows simultaneous transmission of television, radio, video, audio and Internet content to mobile phones, PDAs, PCs and other handheld devices capable of handling the service. " (emphasis supplied). Read more.

Now about a funny parking spot?

Should make sense after a good laugh. As they'd say in Manila: Astig!

Click here for some samples.

Seen a crappy parking spot, lately?

Click here to see what I mean.

This just in (8).

"Nature Publishing Group (NPG) has released a new software which enables institutional repositories running EPrints to integrate with the social bookmarking services Connotea and del.icio.us." Entitled New Connotea Software Supports Institutional Repositories, more details can be read at this link.

Near perfect tool for scientific research.

How many CDs does it take to make a chair?

Funny but this site says 4,000. Thanks again Phil Torrone.

What could be more ironically satisfying?


Envision solving a long-standing Zork puzzle where the answer, "inevitably was sitting there the whole time, waiting for the audience to pick up the punchline." Thanks to Dean Browell.

Imagine a "a movement started by people stereotyped as possessing minimal social skills, evolving into the catalyst for a wider reinvigoration of public participation in civic life, and a shift to a healthier society." Thanks to Matthew Davidson who wrote "Why LUGs Matter".

Want to see a video sample of the Samsung Q1 (Origami Project)?

Got this from a youtube.com submission entitled Gizmodo CeBIT 2006 Hands-on.

You know some Geeky words of wisdom?

Well actually more like entrepreneurial proverbs according to Cory Doctorow who extolled Marc Hedlund's entrepreneurial prescriptions. Some Samples follow.

On Starting businesses: It's good to be king; Losing sucks.

On Focussing on the Idea: Immediate yes is immediate no; Give people what they need, not what they say they need... More of those here.

Don't let the traditional media bullies read about this.
AKA the revenge of the mass amateurs.

Philippine Context: ABS-CBN, GMA7, etc.

But Xeni Jardin in a pitch for a workshop for podcasters declares a love for the fact "that home producers can now compete directly with mainstream media companies for listeners. (Every minute a listener spends consuming independent content is a minute taken away from the conglomerates.) "

Advice for the inventor at heart.

From the people at Squid Labs. In simple terms: What? Invent something that fits a business solution: How? (a) In close collaboration with clients or (b) by setting up a company around the invention. More granularity can be had here.

What drove them to start Squid Labs? “because we are all idealistic inventors who were disillusioned with many of the other job options available to us. We believe that our current business model is optimal not just for developing new technologies, but for getting those technologies out to the world where they can have as large an impact as possible.” (emphasis supplied)

Disillusionment is such a powerful word. Hmm. Makes me wonder.

Do you have some issues with tagging?

Take an aspirin today and check back tomorrow.

BUT seriously, you are not alone. Zephoria makes a good point in random ontology thoughts. Article was in response to Clay’s article Ontology is Overrated: Categories, Links and Tags.That blog is dated 2005. Still good after almost year.

Seen a home brew xbox 360 and hands-free bluetooth mashup?

Flickr fotos are here.

Want a powerful way to promote your blogs?

"Pingoat is a service that pings or notifies a number of services that keep track of weblogs and publish them. By pinging, you let the services know that your blog has been updated and hence, they crawl and index your site, publishing your blog contents, thus increasing your blog's popularity.”

This is a bit dated (ca. 2005), you know internet time...

I am talking about the BBC Annotatable Audio Project. simply put, it allows users to tag parts of an audio. Tom Coates does a "show and tell" on the whole idea. Mp3 ID Tagging comes to mind, but that is static. The BBC Project gives the user the ability to play and tell (in text) something about an audio clip at the same time. I am reminded of the Spoken Word project in Northwestern University. As of this writing, the projects are still in R&D (I think).

Perhaps another potential killer social software app. What do you think?

This just in (7).

I ran into Wetpaint.com. They say it has free, easy tools for creating wiki web sites where the readers are also the writers.

See for yourself.

How would you like to customize the look of your CD-R?

Here's the link. Again thanks to Phil Torrone.

BBC featured inventors as early as 1955.

So the show "American Inventor" is not exactly new. As implied by the report by Phil Torrone. Here is the link.

Perhaps tutorial quizzes (e.g. via Hot Potatoes) are better than straight quizzes.

According to David Pescovitz of boingboing.net studies indicate that tests might just be better than studying for learning. Here's more.

This just in (6).

I ran into "one of the best-kept secrets of the online learning world - a course management system 'for the rest of us'. " And they say there is no such thing as a "free lunch". It is called Manhattan 3.0 and here's the link.

Just wondering (1).

Is there any application with a search engine that returns song titles (and perhaps pulls in audio samples) based on questions like the following?

"Hello, I am wondering if you can help me. For 7 years, I have been trying to remember the name of a song from the 1980's(???) This song was a soft-rock ballad and had a female lead singer (who is African-American). The only part of the lyrics that I remember goes: "You see the colour of blue and it will come back, it'll all come back to you." I am fairly sure that this song was from the mid to late 1980's; possibly even from the early 90's. Any help is greatly appreciated as this has been on my mind for 7 long years(!!!) "

or

"Hey I heard this song on the start of a clip , here's the link for the clip.(it's a family guy clip, but before it a text comes up sayin Ragik Designs and theres a song playing at the same time). It's an old song thats very very familiar and i really need to know it, Can't find it by typing in La La La in Google... lol. Please Help me. Thank You. "

How do you automate the chore* of bookmarking/tagging websites without visiting del.icio.us?

Use Flock (a Firefox derivative). Thanks Suman for the tip.

* Sounds like outsourcing possibilities.

Build your own Barangay (village) FM station.

Perhaps technically illegal. Then again perhaps socially/culturally acceptable.

Here's the source of the idea.

Art in a petri dish!

Sounds like Arts and Sciences. Here's the link.

Here's something that might be useful for social development.

How about a Wireless ISP (WISP)? Summary of the home-made project is here.

Tell a story in 5 frames.

A flickr group that promotes visual story telling. Now you have a perfect excuse to move up to a
phone with a 3 megapixel camera. Here's the link with the rules and samples.

Here's more on the Origami Project.

Actually, a sneak peek into the device. Click here.

Seen a wind-powered car lately?

I did. Here's more. Thanks Phil Torrone.

This just in (5).

Just felt the urge to promote Feeddigest. According to the site "[w]ith FeedDigest, [you can] mix, filter and republish or syndicate feeds to HTML, JavaScript, WAP or PHP, or to a new feed." Perfect for KM. Here is the link.

Thanks to Luis Suarez from elsua.

A web browser for a Nintendo DS?

Naturally it's DSLinux based. Click here for more.

Fine I'll do it!

Here's the anagram map of Manila MRT/LRT:

Mashups. The next big thing?

Check out the podcast via Larry's (Magid) World at ITconversations.com

BTW I also found an interesting application while listening to the Podscope podcast. It is called Podbop.org
It is about using podcasting to promote gigs in and around communities.

The source of the source of the wonderful thing is boingboing.net

You know what an anagram map is?

Boingboing.net has been running a series of those anagramatic maps here.

Now is there any one out there with a lot of time in his/her hands to do an anagram of the following?

Heard of Podscope?

The site says it "lets you search the spoken word for topics that interest you."

Check it out here.