Some Interesting Links

In my recent web travels I have ran across some sites that I wanted to share. Here they are, enjoy.

1. StreetViewr - Since Google started its "Street View" feature on Google Maps, this blog / website has been pulling photos of note out of the stream. Here are a couple of examples:

   Patrick Norton - Formerly of the Screensavers, frequent TWIT Panelist, now on DL.TV
   

   A someone working on a house, with a really big ladder
   

   My Favorite, the Google Van gets pulled over. Make sure you follow the post's directions to see it.
   

2. The Make ezine - Come on, haven't you always wanted to make a Margarita Maker, Ping Pong ball gun, or maybe just some bacon soap. The site has the Digital version of the Magazine, a blog, podcasts and Projects directory. Pretty cool.
   
   
3. Exchange Exchange - A Post by John Gruber about how the iPhone is going to make the Corporate world throw off the shackles of an oppressive Microsoft Exchange environment. Oh, by the way, I guess Leopard Server (Apple makes servers?!?!) is going to have a Calendaring Server called iCal. I think that is iTerrific.
   
   
4. Jumping Monkeys! - No, that wasn't a curse substitute, and as a matter of fact, I added the exclamation point. A very long time ago, I mentioned that I ran across Megan Morrone's blog, titled Jumping Monkeys, and if you have read many of my posts, I am a big fan of the TWIT Podcasts. Well, Megan and Leo now have the Jumping Monkey's podcast, focusing on parenting. The have something like 3 episodes out now, and so far it is pretty good.
   

   
   

Twit, Screen Size, and Cory Doctorow

I was listening to "Twit Episode 84: Hahn, I'm Home!" and I will have to say that I was very impressed with some of the things that one of the guests, Cory Doctorow said. TWIT has had many guests, and although all of them are likable, I will have to say that I don't think I have ever been as impressed with any of them as much as I was with Cory.

One of the first things that made me kind of sit up and take notice was when the group was talking about viewing media on various screens, like the ones on IPods and cell phones, and John C. Dvorak didn't think that there was much of a future for smaller screens, and that he would never watch a movie on a smaller screen like the one on an IPod.

Cory was talking about how the computer, being as much of a multi-function device as it is, really demands media that doesn't require much of an attention span. This was mentioned as kind of a backup to what many people had said about E-Books, that no one would sit in front of their computers long enough to read a book, which really isn't true, as he points out.

Of course, partly because of my job, and partly because of my love of computers, I spend at least 8 hours a day in front of a computer, which is more than long enough to read a book.

Of course, what I am doing is looking at or reading things which don't require large blocks of time. Web page snippets and other items related to what it takes to do my job. I'm not even going to talk about some other things that people spend an ungodly amount of time doing on a computer, such as World of Warcraft, or blogging :-)

When it comes to all of these screens that we are seeing in cell phones and IPods, it isn't Screen size and resolution that is important, and this is also something that Cory pointed out, what is important is the context that the screen is being used in.

If I am waiting in line at a DMV, then I would be extremely happy with a screen the size of an IPod's screen, of course if I am in my living room, then I probably will not pull out that smaller screen in order to watch a different show. Leo backs it up with saying that what we as consumers are really after is a wide selection of screens, we want the screen that fits where we are, and what we are doing.

After listening to the Podcast, I decided to go ahead and look Cory up. They had mentioned on the air that he just released a new book of short science fiction stories called "Overclocked", but I was really surprised to learn that you can download the entire book online, either in print or in podcast form for free. He also has a whole slew of other stories available for download in print or podcast form, for free.

So I went ahead and subscribed to the site, and I plan on checking out his writing. You should too.

Related Links:
Cory's Website - CrapHound.com
Twit.tv - The Twit Netcast Network
Twit Netcast - The Week in Tech
TWIT makes Time Magazine's Top 10 Podcasts
The TechTV Crew

Time Magazine's Top 10 Podcasts - TWIT made the List!

Amber Mac did a post on this, and If you can get past the repeated clicking (you have to hit next for the Podcasts) there are some interesting Podcasts listed there. The surprise for me was that Time was smart enough to place The Week in Tech (Twit) in the list, unfortunately it was the ninth in the top 10.

I have really started listening to a bunch of Netcasts and Podcasts lately, and the TWIT network has many of my favorites on it. Just to name a few:

- The Week in Tech (TWIT) - A Weekly review of Tech news storys, with many of your former favorites from what used to be TechTV. It is funny, smart, and although it runs a little over an hour sometimes, never long enough.

- Net @ Night - Featuring Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur, features all sorts of fun stuff, interesting web sites and stories, always very entertaining.

- Security Now - With Leo Laporte and the famous Steve Gibson of GRC. Ahh, I remember when Steve's sight was shut down by a DDOS Syn attack. I hung the letter to his attackers on my wall. Steve has been around forever, and caught a lot of bad press because of his problems with Microsoft Fixing the TCP/IP stack, but his worries turned out to be very valid. Just ask the hundreds of thousands of computer Zombies out there now.

- Windows Weekly - With Paul Thurrot, focusing on Windows and other topics in the Microsoft World. I had ran across Paul's Windows Super Site once or twice, but didn't recognize the name. Great Podcast though.

There are plenty more Podcasts on Twit.tv then I have mentioned here, your really should check them out if you are into technology.

Congratulations to Leo and the whole TWIT cast!

The Tech TV Crew

I used to love to watch TechTV, and I was sooo broken hearted when it was pulled. Well, technically it wasn't pulled. G4TV bought it, and then shut it down. I'm not sure why, G4 Sucked.

Anyway, I stumbled across the TWIT site because I was looking to see what happened to the podcast, and boy am I excited to hear that the crew from TechTV is still making a living. I sure do like those guys. It sounds like Leo Laporte is the one who got things going, what a guy. Patrick Norton is also on the show, and some new voices.

I also saw that Megan Morrone was one of the hosts on Inside the Net. I checked out her web site and it was just really cool. When I moved I couldn't get TechTV, and just before I had to stop watching it, Megan was pretty far along in her pregnancy, and now to see that she has at least one very cute daughter. Here are some of their BIOS listed in the Twit site. I am just really glad to see all of the familiar faces, or hear their voices as the case may be.

Update 2006-01-09 - The TWIT Netcast made Time Magazine's Top 10 podcasts!