December 23, 2011
China radically increases patent filings
China became the world's top patent filer in 2011, issuing 58% of global intellectual property filings. [more inside]
dotEPUB
Here is dotEPUB, a Chrome extension that will convert any web page into an EPUB document, able to be viewed in most ereaders. Other browsers can use it via bookmarklets, including mobile Safari.
Live from the Internet
Let it..
THE PREDATOR KICKS A BABY!
Hark the Herald Channels Sing
In honor of Christmas, Splitsider's Mike Drucker runs down twenty Christmas TV episodes, new and old. It all starts with The Dick Van Dyke Show... [more inside]
Charlie Chan: The (Not Entirely) Fictional Chinese Detective
Charlie Chan is more than a fictional character created the author Earl Derr Biggers, or the star of 50 movies (played by 8 different actors). His origin goes beyond the illiterate Chinese-Hawaiian detective with a bull whip instead of a pistol (previously). Charlie Chan is more than racial stereotypes and yellow-face. A part of his far-reaching story is told inside. [more inside]
U. S. Historic Places Photostream
National Register Photostream — Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the U.S. National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources. Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture.
So much inconvenience for so little benefit at such a staggering cost.
"Since 9/11, the U.S. has spent more than $1.1 trillion on homeland security." To walk through an airport with Bruce Schneier is to see how much change a trillion dollars can wreak. So much inconvenience for so little benefit at such a staggering cost. And directed against a threat that, by any objective standard, is quite modest.
BBC surround sound experiment
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in surround sound Always a bit of a lottery getting into Kings College for this carol service though you can easily get in for other services during the rest of the year. Here for a limited time are two different recordings of the complete carol service which may offer surround sound to some. Only tried from the UK, don't know if it works abroad.
The continued decline of the American manufcaturing sector...
On December 19th, Ford closed the doors of their St Paul auto plant, ending 800 jobs and 86 years of history. The plant was closed as part of Ford's move to end the Ford Ranger in North America, a truck that will still be available overseas. Born of the 80s gas crisis, the Ranger has been Ford's compact truck for almost forty years.
Ford blames demand for large trucks and the shrinking gap in price between the compact and full-sized truck markets, spurring concern about the future of the compact truck market in North America.
Plinkett Strikes Back
Mr. Plinkett returns to review Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Cyrstal Skull. Direct BlipTV link to part 1, and part 2.
Angle poise
wiiiiiiiiidescreen
The music video for "Come and Go (featuring The KickDrums)" (vimeo, best viewed in widescreen) features "various buxom ladies in pink tank tops," and it's a little wider than average. That's because it was shot on a single-point capture 360° panoramic video camera. Directed by Alan Wilkis, who suggests we "think of it as ULTRA widescreen… as if you’re looking in all directions at once." Free downloads of the song (and three remixes) are available at Soundcloud. (Via) [more inside]
"Look at Miss Darcy, swanning around owning property, riding into town at will, choosing whether or not to ask someone to dance – the bitch!"
Miss Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of her burial was signed by the clergywoman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Miss Scrooge signed it: and Miss Scrooge’s name was good upon ’Change, for anything she chose to put her hand to. Old Miss Marley was as dead as a door-nail.Genderswitching the Classics is a project by Kate Harrad where she takes classic works of literature and changes everyone's gender. So far she's done A Christmas Carol, two Sherlock Holmes stories, a Father Brown tale and, most ambitiously, Pride and Prejudice (first seven chapters are here). Harrad is now at work on James Eyre. She wrote about her project for The Guardian.
Escape from austerity
Downton Abbey has become one of the UK's most popular drama series of recent years and will take pride of place in ITV's schedule with a special episode(video) on Christmas Day that is said to be so good as to be potentially 'vomit inducing'. [more inside]
Nature's 10
...oh yes, I have Tourette's Syndrome.
I enjoy reading ... oh yes, I have Tourette's Syndrome. Guy has Tourette's Syndrome
The full blown kind. You know, swearing and aggressive jerking and all that. [more inside]
“There are so many books. Always so many. They collide in my mind.” - Colum McCann
The Millions 2011: A Year in Reading. With 72 participants naming 214 books, it’s safe to say this has been our biggest and most high profile Year in Reading yet. Our participants included the current Poet Laureate, a longtime candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature, the reigning winners of the IMPAC and Pulitzer Prizes, two authors of books named The New York Times’ 10 Best of 2011, a recent inductee to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and more Pushcart winners than I care to count. [more inside]
Somewhat Beyond Zero Population Growth
The New York Times brings us the top 100 massacres, wars, and various kinds of oppression in a handy infographic. Via Crooked Timber
Certify Me, I'm Irish
Conceived at the Global Irish Economic Forum in 2009 as a way to engage with the Irish diaspora, the Irish government's Certificate of Irish Heritage program opened to applicants this fall. The €40 (€100 framed) certificate is a document that officially recognizes one's Irish heritage, and is aimed at those with Irish ancestry who do not qualify for Irish citizenship. Though initial reports indicated some tourist discounts would be attached, it confers no legal or financial benefits. [more inside]
Masanobu starts the day with a two hour training in the livingroom
1 year in São Paulo
Julian spent 1 year in São Paulo, this is what he saw. [SLVimeo]
Gone Daddy Gone
As triggered by a post on reddit explaining GoDaddy's support over the controversial SOPA bill, web techies everywhere have started their "internet walk of shame", finally finding the final reason to ditch the popular domain registrar.
Others have tried to start a boycott over use of services.
It's not the first time they've shaken up issues online.
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