August 2008 – Page 3 – Stilgherrian

13 August 200813 August 2008

Links for 11 August 2008 through 12 August 2008

Stilgherrian’s links for 11 August 2008 through 12 August 2008, polished with a smooth cloth:

Why Twitter Hasn’t Failed: The Power Of Audience | TechCrunch: An essay discussing why Twitter users stayed with the service through its severe reliability problems.
Why we should be afraid of Google Streetview | APC: Richard Chirgwin’s opinion piece on Google Street View and why many people react with fear. He concentrates on the emotional reaction, not the logic — something which certainly needs to be taken into account.
Don’t Fear Twitter | Nieman Reports: How using Twitter for moment-by-moment observation can help build a community of readers for longer articles.
Make Internet TV : Shoot, Edit, Publish and Promote Your Videos: “This guide has step-by-step instructions for shooting, editing, and publishing online videos.” I reckon this is an excellent overview.

10 August 200823 November 2008

Finally, “The Shave”

Yes, it’s finally complete! Our short film, The Shave. Enjoy. It runs for 3 minutes 35 seconds.

If the embedded video doesn’t work for you, try here.

We decided on the desaturated look rather than going all the way to black and white — though you can see that version in Stilgherrian Live Alpha episode 8.

For those interested in the technicals, it was shot using the built-in iSight camera on my MacBook Pro. We sat the computer on books piled on a milk crate sitting on the kitchen table, and used desk lamps for lighting. We recorded it using Apple’s Photo Booth software. ’Pong edited it using iMovie. Whaddyareckon?

10 August 200810 August 2008

Links for 10 August 2008

Here are the web links I’ve found for 10 August 2008, posted automatically with cheese and onions.

Newspapers that Twitter: July numbers | graphic designr: Statistics on how (American) newspapers are using Twitter.
Why You Should Never Talk to the Police | Schneier on Security: Links to a 30-minute video presentation by Professor James Duane of the Regent University School of Law explaining why — in a criminal matter — you should never, ever, ever talk to the police. It doesn’t matter if you’re guilty or innocent, it isn’t possible for anything you say to help you. Also links to a video of Virginia Beach Police Department Officer George Bruch, who basically says that Duane is right.
Over 400 forms used by the National Security Agency | The Memory Hole: Obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, blank copies of (supposedly) most of the forms used by the US National Security Agency.
George Orwell Diaries | The Orwell Prize: George Orwell started his diaries in August 1938. They’re now being published as a blog, each entry posted exactly 70 years after it was originally written.
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today | David Byrne & Brian Eno: Byrne & Eno’s first musical collaboration in 30 years. On single available free now, album available for free streaming or buy-to-download or physically on 18 August. A world tour follows.

09 August 200822 March 2014

Whither “Stilgherrian Live”?

With Thursday’s night’s episode the Alpha series of Stilgherrian Live came to an end. What next?

Across eight “proper” episodes, plus a couple of impromptu programs from a local pub and a hotel room in Canberra, I achieved my main aim. I proved that it’s possible to do a live video program on the Internet using equipment I can carry in a backpack.

I got a feel for how much pre-production is needed. I got inbound talkback calls working via Skype. And I was very pleased to sustain a regular live audience of 30-odd people. Thank you.

Recently, thanks to Qik, I was able to broadcast live video feeds from my Nokia N80 phone. They’re still viewable at qik.com/stilgherrian. However the “standard” 3G available in Australia meant the technical quality was pretty average. It really does need HSDPA, i.e. a new phone.

So, given that “we have the technology”, what sort of programs should I create?

Continue reading “Whither “Stilgherrian Live”?”

08 August 200808 August 2008

Links for 05 August 2008 through 08 August 2008

Stilgherrian’s links for 05 August 2008 through 08 August 2008, covering all topics from Ma to Me:

NLA Australian Newspapers beta | National Library of Australia: The NLA is digitising its collection of out-of-copyright newspapers, some going back to 1803. Over 90,000 pages online so far. Searchable. OCR has been done, and you can correct any mistakes you find.
GroceryChoice site dismissed as “no help” to consumers | The Australian: The Australian government’s new GroceryChoice website is useless. Data only collected once a month, so it can’t take weekly specials into account.
The Z Curve and IT Investment | Digital Renderings: When should a business invest in new information technology? Move aggressively, assuming high costs and risks in the hope of gaining an outsized reward? Or hold back, waiting for technology to become better established, with lower costs and risks?
Twitter As News-wire | Twitter Blog: Twitter is increasingly being described as a personal news-wire. Here’s a couple of graphs showing how word of the LA an SF earthquakes spread in under 5 minutes.
Jay Rosen of NYU on the Ethic of the Link | YouTube: An excerpt from a Carnegie Council panel on 3 April 2008. Nice contextualisation of the newspaper business’ fear of the web. 4 min 21 sec.
Twitter on the front page of Liberation today | Holy Chic’s Weblog: Twitter makes the cover of French newspaper Liberation. Here’s an analysis in English.
Journalism is Dead: A new blog which purports to be the true diary of someone working at a newspaper. Looks real enough. Let’s hope he or she can continue being this funny.
Fake L.A. Times: Exactly what it says. Yes, yet another satirical news site.
The Ethics of Taking Vacations: “You owe it to yourself to recuperate, and you’ll do your job better if you take time off. Both are ethical issues.”

07 August 2008

Episode 8 online

And episode 8 of Stilgherrian Live Alpha, the final in the Alpha series, is now online. This special edition (an hour!) included our short film The Shave.