via ericwhitacre.wordpress.com Beautiful video of a choir that has never met in real life. Follow the link for the story (and more videos) of how it came to be.

via telegraph.co.uk Follow the link for the whole series.

via paolavillarreal.name Rare closeup- and inside-photos of a Google Street View car in Mexico City (follow the link for more photos)

One change I made that had a significant improvement (for me anyway) was to add the following to my .emacs file: ; try to improve slow performance on windows.(setq w32-get-true-file-attributes nil) It seems this variable was changed to default to "true" relatively recently and is known to cause some slow-down problems around file access. I still get some random hangs now and then (probably due to my .emacs customisations) but it is much better now. via stackoverflow.com I have battled for a while with Emacs on Windows (I tried Vista and Win7 so far) hanging for a few seconds every once in a while, usually while typing or saving a file. I have finally found the solution, thanks to the all-knowing stackoverflow.com. It seems the w32-get-true-file-attributes variable changed its default value to 't in recent versions, and this seems to cause the problem. After setting the variable to nil as shown above, the hangs have disappeared. It still takes a long time to open a file (I think the culprit here is font-lock-mode), but that's a far less frequent operation, so it is tolerable.

via whitevinyldesign.com Neat.

"Jedis are very welcome to shop in our stores," he said, "although we would ask them to remove their hoods. via loweringthebar.net Hilarious story, particularly the response from the Tesco representative. I'd say that's the only way to deal with wackos like that - make fun of them on their own terms.

My head was once filled with bits and pieces of information like phone numbers, to-do lists, and addresses. I’ve ceded that responsibility to technology. via tweetagewasteland.com So very true.

via passiveaggressivenotes.com Great sense of humor (follow the link for more signs from the same store). Reminds me of the signs in a Shakey's Pizza place where we used to go when I was a kid. Two I remember: "We have a deal with the bank. The bank doesn't make pizza, and we don't take checks." "If you would like to use your plate for your cigarette ashes, please ask the waiter to serve your pizza in the ashtray"

Finally an explanation.

via theoatmeal.com I've never been a big fan of Facebook, though I think it's OK to keep in touch with family and friends who use it (that's my main use for it these days). But these behaviors really drive me up the wall.

The instructions below apply to the LBD 370 & 360. via videohelp.com How to make the LG BD370 region-free (mine came set to "All regions" for Blu-Ray, but not for regular DVD). For the most complete instructions, see the post by BoriMar, February 06 2010. One change: I had to burn the contents of 6000.zip to a CD for it to recognize it, putting it in the USB drive didn't work, but the down/upgrade files worked fine from the USB drive. I burned the CD using the built-in capabilities of Windows Vista, just making sure to check the options for "mastered" format, and to close the session on ejecting the CD.

Sure, you can shorten your URLs, but that just leaves them mildly cryptic and foreboding. Use ShadyURL to make your URLs downright alarming. via wondertonic.tumblr.com My new URL shortener of choice :-)

Posterous truly is the ideal content-generation platform. From here, I can feed every other site I use!

I am not just a Linux enthusiast, I also happen to use Windows quite often. In fact, Windows is my primary desktop from which I connect to all the other boxes and do my work on. During the years of Windows usage, I have accumulated a list of must-have Windows programs that I wouldn’t be able to work without. Some of them are commercial, some are freeware, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is how productive you are with your setup. If you’re really productive on Linux with your own set of tools, it’s perfectly fine and you have done a great job of finding the best tools of trade. via catonmat.net Having recently moved to Windows as my main desktop OS (out of work requirement, not by wish), I have been trying to find good software that makes it a more pleasant environment. This list has many good recommendations.

I am rugged - and more importantly, my code is rugged. I recognize that software has become a foundation of our modern world. I recognize the awesome responsibility that comes with this foundational role. I recognize that my code will be used in ways I cannot anticipate, in ways it was not designed, and for longer than it was ever intended. I recognize that my code will be attacked by talented and persistent adversaries who threaten our physical, economic, and national security. I recognize these things - and I choose to be rugged. I am rugged because I refuse to be a source of vulnerability or weakness. I am rugged because I assure my code will support its mission. I am rugged because my code can face these challenges and persist in spite of them. I am rugged, not because it is easy, but because it is necessary… and I am up for the challenge. via layer8.itsecuritygeek.com This is important. We need to stop building fragile software, stop repeating the same mistakes that have caused vulnerabilities and failures for decades, and we need to teach software developers the importance of building rugged software.

Secretly, I suspect, we technologists quite liked the idea that Normals would be dependent on us for our technological shamanism. Those incantations that only we can perform to heal their computers, those oracular proclamations that we make over the future and the blessings we bestow on purchasing choices. via speirs.org Very interesting post about the negative reactions to the Apple iPad.

via sachinlet.posterous.com Really cute ad.

via youtube.com So true.

Israelis, unlike Canadians and Americans, don't take s--- from anybody. When the security agency in Israel (the ISA) started to tighten security and we had to wait in line for — not for hours — but 30 or 40 minutes, all hell broke loose here. We said, 'We're not going to do this. You're going to find a way that will take care of security without touching the efficiency of the airport. via thestar.com Very interesting article about doing airport security when you face real, constant threats, and how to do it without ridiculous and time-consuming measures that are only useful to further promote the security theater.

via twittelator

I like to Cc myself in all emails I sent. This has a few advantages over the automatically-stored copies in the “Sent” folder that most email clients create, the most important being that the handling of “Sent” varies significantly from client to client – some store it on the server, some store it locally, some erase it after a while, etc., whereas having a copy in my Inbox means it’s readily accessible and in the same place as other messages from the same thread.

via epicwinftw.com

A booming voice is saying, 'Let there be light,' but there is already light. It is saying, 'Let the earth bring forth grass,' but I am already standing on grass. via theonion.com Hilarious!

via amnh.org Amazing video.

It's an ad, but it's very nicely done.

via musicaldna.com and @jensmccabe Very interesting music visualization technique.

via tomshardware.com

via boston.com As usual, awesome photo set from TBP, showing some of the good, the bad and the superbad of 2009. Photo 39 (above) is absolutely heartbreaking. "Why isn't dad reaching back to me?"

via boingboing.net Incredible how little attention we pay to things and people around us.

Just arrived!

via youtube.com The Passenger.

I want to post a short update aimed at users of my iPhoto plugin CopperExport. I have received multiple reports of it failing in recent updates of Snow Leopard, and I have also verified personally that it does not work properly in iPhoto'09. Unfortunately, since the big move, I find myself without easy access to a Mac for development (I had a Mac at my previous job, and I use Windows at my new job), which pretty much makes fixing these bugs impossible. Until I get a new machine, I will not be able to provide updates to CopperExport. Of course, if any developers out there want to make the appropriate fixes, I will happily accept patches that you submit, and produce a new release myself. I apologize to my users for this not-so-happy state, and I want to assure you that as soon as possible, I will resume development. Thank you for your patience and your support, and for the many kind words you have sent me about the plugin itself.

via boston.com Amazing photos from TBP. I was at the Iguazu Falls many years ago, and it's a majestic and breathtaking place.

So, three weeks after our move back to Mexico, things are going well. We battled some illnesses in the beginning (we got a pretty bad cold), but we are all but recovered now, and we've been extremely busy. We are in the process of finding a place to live, moving from Mexico City (where we arrived, and where my new job started) to Queretaro (where my permanent job will be), buying a car, finding a school, and many other "startup tasks" that need to be done.

For a few weeks now, all of mine and my family's online presence and services have been running exclusively using free services. Before, we shared a rented server with some friends, and that server hosted all the services provided by all of our domains: zzamboni.org, sorianoramirez.org, newmoms.ch and virtsecurity.org.

via xkcd.com Amazing. The amount of work that went into these (particularly for LOTR) is staggering.

This was the scene last night in our cellar. It was all gone this morning.

via reflectionof.me Interesting map. I didn't know Argentina used to drive on the left side (until 1945, according to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic#Argentina )

via xkcd.com Scary indeed. From the alt text "I'm teaching every 8-year-old relative to say this, and every 14-year-old to do the same thing with Toy Story. Also, Pokemon hit the US over a decade ago and kids born after Aladdin came out will turn 18 next year." I feel old.

via youtube.com

via boston.com Beautiful set of photos from TBP

via youtube.com How very cool - using a gyroscope as an alternative to training wheels.

via vimeo.com 20-second clip of Obama photos with 130 visiting dignitaries at the UN meeting. I wonder how much time he spent practicing that smile?

via iihs.org "[They] don't build cars like they used to. They build them better." The difference in the crash results is astonishing (look at both the photos and the video).

via youtube.com

Welcome to Ideally Blue, my new blog about life, technology and whatever else comes to my mind. As part of the process to leave Switzerland, my wife and I decided to stop using our own self-managed server (which we have used for over two years, shared with some good friends) and move everything to "the cloud", using hosted services. This includes mainly email, which we moved to Google Apps, and several web sites and blogs, which turned out to be the complicated bit. For my own blog BrT, I toyed for a while with the idea of migrating it either to Wordpress.com (the obvious choice, since it was a self-hosted Wordpress blog) or to Posterous (I've also been a Posterous user for some time, and I think it's a fantastic concept and service).

--Diego

One of the things I will miss from ch --Diego

via tomscott.com The solution to geek fitness problems?

Everyone would agree that usability is an important aspect of Web design. Whether you’re working on a portfolio website, online store or Web app, making your pages easy and enjoyable for your visitors to use is key. Many studies have been done over the years on various aspects of Web and interface design, and the findings are valuable in helping us improve our work. Here are 10 useful usability findings and guidelines that may help you improve the user experience on your websites. via smashingmagazine.com Interesting findings. I have experienced a few of these, for example failing to find a link because it looks too much like an ad block, and I automatically ignore it.

via cabel.name Awesome edit.

Every once in a while you will come across a page that just doesn’t seem ‘right’. There are three elements of a website that can be harmed by bad practice: The website lacks something in its design. The content is written badly. The search engines don’t like something about the site. Considering the three points above, this article will explains the do’s and dont’s of certain design habits. via problogdesign.com Nice set of recommendations.

via dailymail.co.uk Unreal images.

First off, credit for this fix goes to Geoff Watts from his two tweets. If you’re using Snow Leopard, you’ll find that the current version of MacFusion refuses to complete a connection to a remote server. You can fix this in two steps: First, quit MacFusion. Second, open System Preferences and then open the MacFUSE pane. Check the “Show Beta Versions” box and click “Check For Updates”. Go ahead and update MacFUSE. Third, open up a terminal and do the following: rm /Applications/Macfusion.app/Contents/PlugIns/sshfs.mfplugin/Contents/Resources/sshnodelay.so Your MacFusion installation should now be working on Snow Leopard. I’ve tested SSH and FTP connectivity so far, and they both appear to be working. Thanks again to Geoff for the fix! via rackerhacker.com Worked perfectly for me. MacFusion is such a great tool.

via space.com Must be trickier than it looks :-)

Also, testing to posterous from my phone. --Diego

Thirteen years ago, I left Mexico to study a Ph.D. in the U.S. In the meantime, apart from doing that, I got married, we moved to Switzerland, and we formed a beautiful family. I have learned so many things, I have changed in so many ways. In the words of my advisor, during one of our very early email exchanges, before I went to Purdue:

We're big fans of Google Reader. It's one of the easiest ways to view everyone's stuff fast. Yesterday, Google Reader added a new Send To feature that lets you post to your favorite places right from Google Reader while you're looking at stuff. By popular demand, now you can use this new Send To feature with Posterous. Go to Settings > Send To in Google Reader and under "Don't see your favorite site?" click Create Custom Link. Then copy and paste the values below into the custom link fields: Name URL Icon URL It should look like this: Click Save and you're done. Now when browsing Google Reader, you'll see a "Send To" option for Posterous at the bottom of each reader entry like so: When you click Posterous, you'll be sent to our "Share on Posterous" page that works like our Bookmarklet. We've also revamped the way the bookmarklet handles text posts so if you don't select any text on a page, we'll still try to extract the meatiest part of the content of a page. Of course, you can always still just click "Email" to post@posterous.com, and that will still work just great too. Feel free to email us at help@posterous.com if you run into any problems. via blog.posterous.com Testing :-)

via boston.com Powerful set of photos. Never again.

via tweetie

via vimeo.com Beautiful video.

via toothpastefordinner.com I must be antidextrous too.

Posterous now supports even GitHub Gists - they keep adding support for more and more different sites, both for embedding and for auto-posting. I can't wait to get my iPhone, to use it more and more effectively everywhere.

via tweetie

via tweetie

For one of my projects at work, I am using a test install of RHEL5 in "workstation" mode, but I needed to install some packages that are only available in the "server" package list. To temporarily make yum search the server repositories, just change the following line in /etc/sysconfig/rhn/up2date:

After a lot of searching (and trying iMovie) for how to convert a video file to flash (.flv) format, I found ffmpegX, a nice tool that does all the hard work, invoking other tools in the backend as needed.

I am a big fan of the incredibly useful 1Password. The latest beta release (2.8.3.BETA-11) introduces a new keychain format that, among other things, allows 1Password to detect changes made to the file by other programs and reload the changes on the fly. I am using this now to keep my 1P data synchronized between my work and personal accounts on my machine. Here's what I did:

Update (2008/09/10): Giles Orr kindly pointed out that he is not the author of the bash prompt package I use, I have updated to give proper credit to the author, Raymond Page.

If you have been using my method for defining new wallet items in 1Password, you may have noticed that in recent versions the display of those new items has been broken. I have updated the instructions and the script to work with the recent changes, you can get it from the same page.

I had noticed for a while that somehow my Mail.app's "recent mail addresses" list was not updating (I never seemed to get any of my recently used addresses in Quicksilver). Today I noticed the following error message in /var/log/system.log:

* Testing * if posterous * understands * markdown If not, it would be a nice feature to add. See [the markdown page](http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/) for reference.

Here's my mapping from David Allen's GTD workflow to the parts in my system that implement each component. My main electronic tools are Things (http://culturedcode.com/things/ ), Journler (http://journler.com/ ), Mail.app and iCal. My main physical tools are my HPDA, my physical tickler file, my A-Z filing cabinets and my "inbox" and "pending" boxes.

Posterous looks quite nice, with the ability to "do the right thing" for different media types, and to autopost to other places. I have just set it up to autopost to my blog (http://zzamboni.org/brt/ ), we'll see if it does the right thing.