In this installment of the Technology and the Arts podcast, we’ll share some interesting news, web sites and online resources we have come across recently, including ratebeer.com, the new forms feature in Google Docs, ImprovEverywhere.com, and the demise of the HD-DVD format. Plus, we’ll talk more about Microsoft’s bid to acquire Yahoo! and a Flickr users group that has emerged to protest the proposed deal. Hosts: Brian Kelley and John LeMasney. File size: 14.5 MB. Time: 30 min., 22 sec.
Related Links:
- crumb.tumblr.com – John LeMasney’s tumble log.
- bktandem.tumblr.com – Brian Kelley’s tumble log.
- John talks about visiting the casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., for the first time in his life.
- John also promotes some future talks he has coming up: Brookdale Computer Users Group talk on open source software (especially GIMP, Inkscape and Scribus) and server technologies in March, Trenton Computer Festival in April, and Princeton Public Library Tuesday Tech Talk on using technology to lose weight.
- Brian talks about ice skating at Mercer County Park and his first-ever attempt at skiing, which took place Feb. 16 at Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton, Pa. You can see a few photos here.
- John’s newfound passion for beer has led him to set up an account on RateBeer.com.
- Google Docs has introduced a new sharing feature…Forms!
- Want to generate a tag cloud from any document or Web page? Check out TagCrowd.com.
- Improv Everywhere strikes again…this time in Grand Central Station.
- The WebTrendMap for 2008 is now available.
- Artist Shepard Fairey has created remarkable, visually striking posters for the Barack Obama campaign.
- Yahoo turned down Microsoft’s bid…but it’s still only a matter of time before Yahoo! succumbs to the pressure.
- John urges you to check out the Jasper Johns: Gray exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Best Buy and Netflix say “no” to HD-DVD (which was later dropped by Toshiba, basically handing rival Blu-ray the victory in the format battle).
- Flickr users have started the “Microsoft: Keep Your Evil Grubby Hands Off Our Flickr“ group to protest Microsoft’s bid to acquire the photo-sharing Web site, which is owned by Yahoo! Check out the pictures (like the Microsoft-Flickr “screen of death” above).
- Check out the Technology and the Arts Events page.
Finally, here is a YouTube video of Christian Beach peforming “Open Spaces” at Paul’s Tavern in Lake Como, NJ, on Feb. 2, 2008. I appear from about the :35 mark to about 1:04 playing accordion (although you can only really hear it in the second verse of the song). Enjoy! – Brian
“Open Spaces” © 2007 C.J. Beach
