Internet Advertising needs to wake up a bit more

It’s time keyword based advertising on the internet started getting more sensible than they presently are. Attached image shows a screenshot from a website listing “Skins” for Mac OSX and the advertising that popped up was related to actual skin related products and service.

The website deals with Shapeshifter Skins for Mac OSX, the advertisement deals in actual Skin products. Probably time internet advertising started differentiating both.

The website deals with Shapeshifter Skins for Mac OSX, the advertisement deals in actual Skin products. Probably time internet advertising started differentiating both.

http://interfacelift.com/themes-mac/index.php?sort=date&id=&page=2

(Actual Page)

Taking into account the fact that this type of advertising has been around for a while, and companies promoting them are well funded, in this case – Google, they should find a way to scan more of the keywords and then decide on the type of advertisement that get featured on these pages.

Pulse – Alphonso Labs

Pulse – Alphonso Labs.

Pulse2Pulse3

Another interesting product and more importantly a very urgently needed one. Tiring and boring are various other RSS readers which simply allow you to read, this probably allows you to do the same in style and with colors.

The product does have a hint of Sweeetcron in it though and the UXCron Interface, but I like it. I am a fan of that as well.

Pulse Interface

Pulse Interface

Found this a few days back

Not very often that we see an intercity bus parked with its rear engine bay open to view, probably from overheating. But this was on a rainy day. Found this Volvo B7R city bus with it’s intestines in full view, snapped it up. Regret the cell phones lack of quality but the sprockets and belts do offer a very nice view for the complicated mind.

Volvo B7R Engine Bay. Parked on NH7 south of bangalore just outside Attibele crossing.

Volvo B7R Engine Bay. Parked on NH7 south of bangalore just outside Attibele crossing.

Powercup Inverter

An amazing product, well actually a simple product but in a very sensible shape. In almost all cars the cup holder is right next to the power socket and what best place to have a USB and AC converter than the cup holder itself.

The gadget that looks like a coffee cup

The gadget that looks like a coffee cup

Images from Amazon.com

Amazon.com: Power Line 0900-66 200-Watt Coffee Cup Inverter with USB Charging Port and Two Outlets

Elevating Communication (Long Version, Original) on Vimeo

Elevating Communication (Long Version, Original) on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Elevating Communication (Long Version, Original) on Vimeo.

Its a long, almost black and white, painting in motion. And there are others as well in the creator’s playlist on Vimeo

Houseparty – Microsoft KIN – One and Two

Houseparty.

Microsoft’s got a phone out there now and it does look good. Comes in two versions of Kin One and Kin two, and both look rounded and fresh, much like a Samsung Corby, young and happy. It’s a welcome break from the numerous iPhone lookalike crowding the market.

KIN One and Two (The bigger one is Two) - Screen Grab from website. They should give some links to download photos.

KIN One and Two (The bigger one is Two) – Screen Grab from website. They should give some links to download photos.

From what can be seen in their videos and website, the phone has a very intuitive touch interface complemented by a hidden keyboard which many of us do like to have.

Time will tell weather they have cracked it with this one or not.

KIN ONE Specs

  1. Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
  2. Solid camera
  3. Compact size

KIN TWO Specs

  1. Wider screen
  2. Bolder camera
  3. More memory

KIN ONE Tech Specs:

  1. Form Factor: Vertical slide, QWERTY size: 57cc
  2. Display: 2.6″ TFT, QVGA (320 x 240), capacitive touch screen
  3. Camera: 5.0MP CMOS anti-shake, autofocus, dual LED flash
  4. Speakers: Mono
  5. Memory: 256MB DDR RAM, 4GB storage
  6. Battery: 1240 mAh
  7. Connectivity: EV-DO Rev A, Bluetooth 2.1 w/A2DP, Hi-speed USB, 802.11b/g
  8. Other: Assisted GPS, FM radio, accelerometer

KIN TWO Tech Specs:

  1. Form Factor: Vertical slide, QWERTY size: 65cc
  2. Display: 3.4″ TFT, QVGA (480 x 320), capacitive touch screen
  3. Camera: 8.0MP HDR CMOS from Omnivision with anti-shake, autofocus, Lumi LED flash
  4. Speakers: Mono
  5. Memory: 256MB DDR RAM, 8GB storage
  6. Battery: 1390 mAh
  7. Connectivity: EV-DO Rev A, Bluetooth 2.1 w/A2DP, Hi-speed USB, 802.11b/g
  8. Other:Assisted GPS, FM radio, accelerometer

It’s high time we utilized processor heat loss to heat coffee

Imagine this.

You have a server room in your multi-million dollar corporation that is generating so much heat that you have to use 5 tonnes of air-conditioning to just keep it stable, and probably another 1 tonne more to make it perform well. You do have the other option to put it up in Alaska but that might not be such a great idea for the admin guy.

And then you have a few hundred employees drinking coffee, tea and other hot beverages in another room and heating that up using microwave, heating coil, cooking gas and various other things.

It’s probably time that the heat from these machines can be tapped and sent to heat up the food that’s being eaten by people who drive these machines.

Just a thought.

The Server Equation

The Server Equation

Apple Newton – MessagePad (1998) to iPad (2010)

Apple Newton Messagepad

Apple Newton Messagepad

Today, in the fast developing craze over iPad and earlier over iPhone, we have somehow forgotten Apple’s first try at building a hand held computing device that did not do so well in the market. It did have a host of features including a fully functional hand writing recognition which was fairly good by existing standards in 1998 when it’s development officially was shelved.

The Newton Handheld platform was only followed by the modified OS X platform for the iPhone 10 years later.

Newton (platform) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Just a tribute to a pioneer. Not to forget what came first and where the “Pad” of iPad actually comes from. Probably just sentimental for Apple.

MessagePad 2000

MessagePad 2000

YouTube – The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar (2003 Digital Remaster)

Chemical Brothers - Star Guitar

Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar

YouTube – The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar (2003 Digital Remaster).

That’s just an image, embed is disabled for this video

One of my favorite videos of all time by one of my favorite bands of all time. A perfect video which best describes the rhythm that we intend to connect to while traveling by a train, bus or car. Almost everything outside the window has a rhythm to it, and this probably is it’s best depiction.

That apart, the visual effects part of it is amazing as well. Layers and layers of elements in matched perspective with parallax created and put together to the beat of the music. Each 3D element representing an instrument. Simply beautiful.

Sleeping Schedule

Who says creativity is scarce these days. Here is a software that really uses available data to the public to it’s limits to generate something that we probably would not want others to know.

Thats what it looks like, simple and basic.

This little widget by Amit Agarwal captures what’s there on many minds with a simple tool to average out sleep cycles of twitter users. And why just twitter, I am sure it would make a very good Facebook tool as well to see what percentage or your friends are awake and asleep, even if it’s just a mathematical guess.

My Sleeping Schedule Generated by the widget.

Animation software, Multimedia software | Adobe Flash Professional CS5

Flash CS5

animation software, multimedia software | Adobe Flash Professional CS5.

Somehow Adobe has been putting one Axe after another on their foot.

1. The order form for Adobe CS5 is in Flash. Why?
2. To prove that things really aren’t that smooth in Flash, they have a share on Facebook button on the page which did not work. Please test before you put such links.
3. The link that I could copy to share it took me to some other domain. Not good so far. (wildfire.gigya.com/facebook/preview….)

Ahem.. what’s wrong guys? And is HTML so outdated or beyond you that everything needs to be Flash. Keep it simple, make them work, effects can happen later.

BTW: Good old copy and paste URL in Facebook or using Facebook Share Bookmark worked just fine.

(Via @dhh on Twitter)

Drivelapse on Vimeo

Drivelapse on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Drivelapse on Vimeo.

Have to do this sometime. I like the way no one every jumps the light or changes to opposite lanes in the video, having this done in India would be completely chaotic and would definitely show the difference.

PIXELS by Patrick Jean on Vimeo

PIXELS by Patrick Jean on Vimeo on Vimeo

via PIXELS by Patrick Jean on Vimeo.

Saw it first posted on Twitter as a link.

Loved the idea of rogue Pixels that revolt and destroy or take over the city / world. More than that it reminded me of Pacman, so much so, that I downloaded a free version today and have been trying to get re-addicted ever since. Looking for a version or Tetris as well.

Oxygen on Vimeo

Oxygen on Vimeo on Vimeo via Oxygen on Vimeo.

Excellent video, not in terms of just animation, which is fairly good but also the idea itself. I would have benefitted a lot in my school days if chemistry was this fun. Instead we had boring Ping Pong Ball models stuck with wooden matchsticks.

The Animator should probably take it up as a project with the millions of E-Learning companies that are spawning these days but are no good at EduTainment, instead putting the same old boring books in digital format.

Berlin Block Tetris on Vimeo

Berlin Block Tetris on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Berlin Block Tetris on Vimeo.

Although the Video describes housing complexes built in the Soviet Era of Berlin, it is still apt for housing complexes being built today in Bangalore, India. With the rapid growth and sky rocketing real estate prices, Tetris is probably the best way to describe this game.

Cleaning an Old Apple Keyboard, the one with the white Keys

Step 1: Gather your required tools.

  1. You will need a good set of screwdrivers with the required sizes of Allen Keys. It’s probably the smallest available with any set. Check the back of the keyboard to confirm the size.
  2. You will need a household glass and equipment cleaner.
  3. A soft cotton cloth, preferably white. Colored cloth can leak color onto the keyboard and do more damage in the process.
  4. A used towel to dry off the keys.
  5. Some tissue paper to soak the excess liquid that fall off.

Note: The usability of the keyboard depends on how carefully one cleans it. The plastic is very fragile, more so if the keyboard has been used for last 5 years in a hot and dry climate. Things may be brittle and prone to breakage.

Warning:

  1. Don’t try this if the product is under any kind of warranty.
  2. Do not attempt if you don’t have a backup keyboard in place.
  3. There is a possibility that the keyboard may permanently get ruined in the process.
  4. Use your own judgement and evaluate your own risk.

Step 2: Do a complete cleaning of the surface of the keyboard with any available household cleaner.

Step 3: Start taking out the keys one by one using a regular key or a screw driver.

A close up of how to remove each key

Step 4: While taking out the keys, align and keep them in order so that you do not mess up the sequence. Note that all keys on this keyboard has the ‘legend’ on the bottom-left corner.

Step 4: Keep all keys organized

Step 5: Clean the keyboard with its keys removed with a used toothbrush or similar brush.

A closeup of the keyboard with the keys removed. Note: Do not use excess cleaner as they take time to dry and that could render the keyboard useless for a while even after putting back together.

Step 6: Remove the Allen Bolts at the back to access the insides of the keyboard.

Step 7: Use a soft brush to clean the dust from insides. Do not force anything as the wires are very fragile.

Step 8: Reverse the process and put back the keyboard in shape. Give the cleaning fluids a few minutes or hours to dry before firing it up.