Kamis, 03 April 2014

Photographer Reminds Us That the World is Still One of the Most Beautiful Things to Behold

milky way

Matt Anderson wears many hats. He is an exceptional commercial photographer, trainer, workflow specialist, and consultant based in the Midwest. Anderson takes pride in being a one-stop-shop, as he provides services from “capture to distribution, print to web, and everything in-between,” which he refers to as his area of expertise. One must see his landscape photos which are beautiful and diverse.

horse matt anderson

From yellow grazing fields, serene night skies, to beautiful sloping deserts, his pictures are as varied as the landscape of earth itself. They are also a testament to how stunning our planet is. Anderson’s compositions are flawlessly balanced with colors, are vibrant, sharp and alive.  Every image is a virtual invitation for one to enjoy the great outdoors.

matt anderson sand

Andersons is deeply passionate about everything  that has to do with photography and the arts, as he elaborates in his website,

“Photography, for me, is a mixed bag of juxtaposing ideals and intent. My photographic imagery is a study and exploration, more so an experience into creative pursuits that provide unending joy, passion, and healing. Traveling, meeting & listening to people, experiencing new locations and cultures. Enlightenment through adventure, and discernment by re-evaluating possible jejune prejudice of how I thought the “world” “is” or exists.

landscape

Experience happens to be the best mentor for me. What do I attempt to communicate with my photography ? I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t partially motivated by impressionable validation. Additionally, while the capture stage is “experiencing & humble learning” based, post processing (development) is incessantly deliberate in intention and temper. Again, the final creation will never have a tangible and regimented recipe; a juxtaposed outcome based on memory, mood, emotion, intention, and predilection.”

trees

See our lovely planet as captured by this talented lensman, who tries to faithfully photograph the world. It still is a place that we cannot possibly celebrate enough.

waterfall long exposure

Anderson’s images can be viewed here.


Source:

http://www.exposureguide.com/inspiration/photographer-reminds-us-that-the-world-is-still-one-of-the-most-beautiful-things-to-behold/

Flipboard

Sherry Xie, Student, And Her DIY No-Poo Shampoo

With the growing green movement, we've been trying to make our beauty routines a little more eco-friendly. But in our attempt to help the environment, sometimes our bank accounts take a hit. After all, sustainable products can cost a small fortune. But leave it to a student to figure out a smart way to go green and save money.
"I make my own no poo -- just apple cider vinegar and salt," Sherry Xie, a biochemistry and art history student told us. "I do it twice a week. You just put the mixture in for a few minutes and then rinse it out. And it moisturizers as well." Okay, this is a green movement we can get on board with.
bss
Photo/Art: Raydene Salinas

Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/03/no-poo-shampoo_n_5079877.html
Flipboard

Ion Is A Wireless Smart Light That Reacts To Touch And Tunes

Make way for another smart light in the room.Ion, currently in production-ready prototype form seeking $20,000 from the Kickstarter community for its final push to market, is best described as a digital updating of the 1960s classic slice of kitsch called the lava lamp.
(It’s clearly no accident that Ion’s Michigan-based makers have named their company lava.)
Lava lamps are of course very long past their best. Those waxy innards aren’t quite as viscous as they used to be. And, well, let’s face it, they were always pretty dumb — reacting purely in an organic fashion to rising temperature, and lacking any user controls beyond the on/off switch.
Fast forward some half a century and Ion wants to update the lava lamp for our control-freakish times. This digital mood light is way more controllable and also reacts to its environment — thanks to Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, a bank of 40 tri-colour LEDs, a microphone, audio processing and capacitive touch sensors. The latter allows the current mood to be changed by tapping on the top of the lamp.
Plus there is the now pre-requisite app where users can select different colours to match their mood, much like Philips Hue‘s light recipes.
Except with Ion it’s not just colours on tap; users get to choose from various light displays — aka “moods”, which are basically different coloured flashes, pulses and spins (given aptly headachey names like ‘Pulse’, ‘Plasma’ and ‘Strobe’). The lamp will ship with 15 different moods out of the box — but lava says they plan to keep adding more as the Kickstarter campaign goes on, and after Ion ships.
The app also lets Ion owners set the brightness and speed of these displays, so you can dial down or up the headache-factor. Ion’s makers have built a website where you can remote-control their prototype to test the moods out yourself.
The flagship feature of Ion is called ‘Rave’ mode — which does kind of hint at the demographic lava is targeting here. Rave mode utilizes the audio processing abilities of the lamp, meaning it listens to the music you’re playing and generates a real-time light show that’s in sync with your phat beats. In other words: party in your basement!
Low frequencies produce reds, mids produce greens, and highs produce blues. Every time a beat is detected (kick drum, bass, etc), you’ll see a bright pulse of light. Using the app, you can customize the emphasis of each color as you see fit.
Ion can also be have more subtle uses, though, such as notifications — albeit, it’s still taking the concept of hardware smartphone add-ons, like myLED or FLASHr, and sizing it up so that new Facebook missive or weather alert is rather harder to miss.
178bdc8779ea344db295ba7eeb828aaf_large
Another use for the lamp is as a visual alarm clock — if waking up to a strobe is your kind of thing. There’s also an open API for developers to play around further. Lava says Ion can be controlled by a Raspberry Pi, as well as an Android or iOS device.
So how much is Ion going to cost? Its current Kickstarter entry point is $199, with an estimated delivery date of this August. The $20,000 in crowdfunds being sought by lava is needed to finalize Ion’s firmware, build the iOS and Android apps, and scale production, it says.
The founders sought to source and manufacture as much of the project locally as possible. The steel, design, electronics, finishing and final assembly were all done within Michigan. The plastic was shipped from California. You supply the mood.

Source:
http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/02/ion/
Flipboard

Amazon Data Centers Flunk Greenpeace Report

Apple, Google and Facebook have made significant progress in adopting renewable energy sources to power their Web services, the environmental group Greenpeace said in a report on Wednesday.
But energy-hungry data centers operated by some of the Internet industry's top companies remain overly reliant on carbon-emitting coal and gas, the report said.


Image: A server room at a Facebook data center
JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP - GETTY IMAGES, FILE
A server room at a Facebook data center.

Apple, which built an on-site solar panel farm and fuel-cells at its North Carolina data center and has procured renewable energy directly at its other three facilities, earned the highest marks on the "scorecard" of Internet company data centers that Greenpeace issues every two years. Greenpeace rated Apple's efforts in transparency, renewable energy policy and renewable energy deployment with an A grade in each category, compared with a mix of D and F grades two years ago when the group released its last report.
At the other end of the spectrum, Amazon's Web Services business, which Greenpeace said operates at least 18 data centers around the world, was singled out for being among the least committed to renewable energy, earning F grades in three out of Greenpeace's four categories.
Some Internet companies "have refused to pay even lip service to sustainability and are simply buying dirty energy straight from the grid," said the report. "Those companies, most notably Amazon Web Services, are choosing how to power their infrastructure based solely on lowest electricity prices."
Amazon disputed Greenpeace's assessment of its data center operation, saying that the report's data and assumptions were inaccurate. Amazon said in an emailed statement that data centers in two regions in which it operates use "100 percent carbon-free power" without elaborating.
Data centers, multibillion-dollar facilities stuffed with racks of tightly-packed computers, are the heart of the fast-growing Internet industry. The facilities store consumers' email and other personal data, and help deliver popular online offerings such as Netflix's streaming video service and Facebook's photo-laden social network.
A large Internet data center requires energy capacity of as much as 80 megwatts, which would be enough to power about 65,000 U.S. homes, according to Greenpeace spokesman David Pomerantz.
The increasing prevalence of Internet services means growing demand for electricity in the coming years, Greenpeace said.


Source:
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/amazon-data-centers-flunk-greenpeace-report-n70246
Flipboard

5 Reasons Why Writing a Postcard from Abroad is Still Worth It

Sending postcards is old-fashioned. With the hassle of finding a stamp, a post office or a mailbox, many travelers have stopped sending postcards entirely. Emails, Facebook messages and immediate, free phone calls and chats via Skype have replaced this quaint, traditional postal method.
But there is still a charm to sending (and receiving) one of those old-fashioned cards. Here are five reasons why writing a postcard is still worth it.

#1: You’ll Stand Out from the Crowd

As your fellow travelers are busy hammering away at their keyboards or “virtually” typing on their iPhones, you can take out a pen with style. Sit in the sun at a cafe, or even at the beach, and simply start writing. Unlike your computer, you won’t even have to worry about getting the postcard wet. Also, thieves are likely to follow you for expensive technological devices, but probably not for a postcard.
Moreover, you will stand out from the crowd on the receiving end. With everyone sending emails and instant messages, the receiver will value your personal and handwritten effort. Especially if you are writing a message to your loved ones, they will feel the love emanating from the postcard. It’s also a way to show a crush of yours that you really like them (insert emoticon here). Probably going to be more successful than just poking the person in question on Facebook, no?
© angus mcdiarmid

#2: You Don’t Need To Fight for an Electricity Plug

Airports are notorious for having travelers fighting over the only electricity plug. Similarly, in buses and trains you often have to pick your spot depending on where the nearest outlet is.
With a postcard, you won’t have any of these hassles. Again, you just take out your pen, start writing and simply pen down what comes to mind. You can be as informal as you like, and even begin drawing if you’re so inspired. With an email message, that would be a little more difficult. Write in the form of a heart, for example, to someone that you really care about. Again, something else that is really difficult to do if you are using email.

#3: It Won’t Get Erased When Your Computer Crashes

If you are typing a message in Microsoft Word or in your browser, it often happens that either the window stops responding, the internet connection breaks down, or you run out of battery. Especially when traveling, technology is not always stable.
With a postcard, there isn’t much that can happen in this regard. After buying the postcard, you do need to make sure that you don’t lose it, obviously. In the worst case, you could even buy a new one, they aren’t that expensive. In fact, most stores offer a protective sleeve so that they don’t get dirty. Stamps, too, are easily available and you can drop the cards off at most hotels.
Abstract photo within a postcard
Postcard from the Edge © Abby Lanes

#4: Hackers Won’t Be Able To Read It

Sure, during World War II, for example, the postcards and letters were read by adversaries. In the modern world, however, this tendency has quieted down, and as long as you don’t write anything incriminating, you shouldn’t have a problem.
On the Internet, in contrast, you run the risk of someone hacking into your email or Facebook account. Identity theft due to the Internet is becoming more and more common, and credit card frauds occur by the minute. With a postcard, you run very little risk of having someone find out all about you and use your postcard to take advantage of your personal data.

#5: Your Card Might Decorate Someone’s Home

Several times, I’ve returned home and my postcards from abroad have decorated my friends’ and family’s homes. Not only did that make me feel special and appreciated, but it also served as a vicarious transport back to my trip.
Through a postcard, both you and the receiver can connect and remember the place in question. Have you heard of someone printing out an email and hanging it up on their wall? Probably not.
Emails aren’t pretty, whereas postcards are. The messages they contain resonate on a personal note, and show a degree of effort on the part of the receiver. Not only did he or she go out and buy the card, send it, but they also knew the address of the receiver. In the modern world, this is less and less common.
When people ask me (by email, usually) for my mail address, I usually wonder why? Then I receive a letter or postcard shortly after. Now I understand. There are still a few out there who like traditional methods of communication, and sending a postcard is among them. With so many different styles to choose from, every person should be able to find a card that suits them.
If not, you can always craft your own postcards. Whether that means using your own creative talent, or ordering personal postcards, for example at moo.com, is up to you. Be inspired by your travels and enjoy!

Source:
Team Vagabondish http://www.vagabondish.com/reasons-write-travel-postcard/
Flipboard

Rabu, 02 April 2014

The Sims 4 Akan Lebih Ringan Daripada The Sims 3

         
          

Jika kita membicarakan salah satu franchise game yang terhitung berhasil menjaring fans dari beragam golongan gamer dan jenis kelamin, maka nama besar The Sims tentu saja pantas untuk disandingkan di dalamnya. Mensimulasikan kehidupan nyata dengan mekanik gameplay yang adiktif, The Sims tumbuh menjadi gudang uang terbaik EA, dengan kehadiran setiap seri yang selalu berakhir dengan kesuksesan. Tidak hanya seri originalnya, tetapi juga segudang expansion pack dengan beragam tema yang meluncur beberapa bulan setelahnya. Tidak mengherankan jika banyak gamer yang mengantisipasi kehadiran sang seri terbaru – The Sims 4 yang sudah diperkenalkan oleh EA di ajang Gamescom 2013 yang lalu. Sebuah seri yang akan jauh lebih bersahabat bagi gamer yang harus hidup dengan PC low-end.

Sebagian besar dari Anda yang sempat melihat trailer perdana The Sims 4 tentu sadar bahwa tingkat visualisasi yang ditawarkannya memang tidak mengalami peningkatan yang signifikan jika dibandingkan dengan The Sims 3. Terlepas dari penambahan fitur gameplay baru yang lebih menitikberatkan pada sisi emosi, The Sims 4 tetap hadir dengan kualitas grafis kartun yang kentara. Apa yang sebenarnya mendasari keputusan ini? Apa yang diungkapkan oleh sang developer – Maxis tampaknya cukup untuk memberikan ketenangan tersendiri.
  Untuk memfasilitasi kebutuhan gamer pecinta The Sims secara massal, Maxis mengkonfirmasikan bahwa The Sims 4 akan membutuhkan spesifikasi PC yang lebih rendah dibandingkna The Sims 3. Gamer dengan PC Low-End akan dapat menjalankannya dengan mudah.
Untuk memfasilitasi kebutuhan gamer pecinta The Sims secara massal, Maxis mengkonfirmasikan bahwa The Sims 4 akan membutuhkan spesifikasi PC yang lebih rendah dibandingkna The Sims 3. Gamer dengan PC Low-End akan dapat menjalankannya dengan mudah.
Ryan Vaughn – produser dari The Sims 4 menyatakan bahwa The Sims 4 akan menjadi seri yang jauh lebih bersahabat untuk para gamer yang hanya memiliki PC dengan spesifikasi rendah. The Sims 4 akan membutuhkan spesifikasi yang lebih rendah dibandingkan dengan The Sims 3, namun dengan pengalaman yang diklaim lebih baik. Vaughn menjelaskan bahwa Maxis mengerti bahwa tidak semua gamer memiliki PC dengan kemampuan yang kuat, oleh karena itu mereka berjuang untuk memastikan optimalisasi yang tengah mereka kerjakan saat ini akan mencapai tujuan utamanya. Maxis akan berusaha menghasilkan visualisasi yang sama baiknya, mempersingkat waktu loading, , dan tetap menyenangkan terlepas dari spesifikasi PC seperti apapun yang Anda miliki. The Sims 4 sendiri rencananya akan meluncur untuk PC dan Mac pada tahun 2014 mendatang.

Bagaimana dengan pendapat Anda sendiri, terutama bagi Anda yang memang mencintai seri The Sims selama ini? Mana yang lebih Anda inginkan, peningkatan visualisasi yang lebih baik dari The Sims 3 ke The Sims 4 atau justru optimalisasi engine seperti ini?


Sumber: http://jagatplay.com/2013/08/news/the-sims-4-akan-lebih-ringan-daripada-the-sims-3/

The Mobile Browser Is Dead, Long Live The App

Analytics firm Flurry has published data on mobile usage by US consumers during Q1 2014. While users are spending more time on their devices (an average of 2 hours and 42 minutes per day, up four minutes on the same period last year), how they use that time has changed as well. Only 22 minutes per day are spent in the browser, with the balance of time focused on applications.
Looking at breakdown of that time, users are living in their smartphone’s applications. That gaming requires apps is a given, but almost every other area provides the user with a choice – go for an app to access the data or go to the web.
Users are turning away from the browser and relying on applications. Anyone who relies on reaching out to users should be paying attention to these numbers, and have a strategy to deal with the app issue.


Time Spent in Mobile Apps (image: Flurry.com)

It’s also an area that the disruptors in the mobile market should be paying attention to. New platforms that are putting an emphasis on the web and web based services will find themselves at a disadvantage both in presentation to users and in development by web services. if the focus is on building apps rather than mobile friendly HTML5 sites and services, then the advantages of choosing iOS and Android over another mobile platform are clear.
One of the goals of Firefox OS is to give developers a simple and cost-effective tool set that is readily available, without the need for app store support or complicated SDK’s. HTML5 is their chosen route. While the vision of being able to search online, run apps directly from the cloud, and essentially have ‘web pages as apps’ does lower the cost of entry for all, it is not as flexible as a pure app play, and as people move towards apps the environment on an Firefox OS powered device will become less attractive.
Jolla, with their Sailfish OS, is also looking at the web as a driver of apps and information on their platform. Speaking previously to co-founder Marc Dillonhe explained Jolla’s view on apps vs the web to me:
Dillon believes in ‘the internet’ and a web-based approach, “but I understand the utility of having applications. But they contribute to a tunnel vision of what a smartphone can do. They provide a good user experience, but poor integration. A smartphone is smart if it helps users day to day.
Which is all very admirable, but the almost overwhelming viewpoint today is that information comes to a mobile user through applications. As Flurry’s details show, use of the mobile web is dropping. The methodology of Android and iOS is the dominant viewpoint.
Where a mobile web promotes access for everyone to everyone, the app model hands the gatekeepers the power of access and discovery, leaving the service providers beholden to their policies, their platform tools, and their rules,which can change with little notice.
If you follow the principle that you need to be where users are, then you need to be building and distributing apps, which leaves you no choice but to accept that Google and Apple will always be the third party in any relationship with your customers.

Source:
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2014/04/02/the-mobile-browser-is-dead-long-live-the-app/
- Flipboard

Is Microsoft working on Windows for robots, other products?

A Microsoft site called Windows on Devices briefly went live briefly Tuesday. Before it was taken down, the site suggested that Windows could run on robots and a so-called "smart coffee mug."

windows.jpg
Microsoft may soon get into the swing of the Internet of Things.
Some Web users discovered a Microsoft site late Tuesday called Windows on Devices that detailed the company's vision for bringing Windows to a wide range of devices, including robots, talking bears, and even a smart coffee mug, according to The Verge.
After the site was discovered, Microsoft quickly took it down. The site now redirects to Windows Azure information.
The Internet of Things describes the integration of smart technology and Web connections in devices that have not -- up to this point -- had such innovations. A smart coffee mug would fit into that category, as would talking bears.
Speculation abounds that Microsoft's Windows on Devices page is a lead-up to the company's Build conference this week. Microsoft is expected to discuss Windows, and part of that conversation could relate to the operating system making its way to a broad range of devices.
Whether Microsoft would actually want to bring Windows to items like a talking bear and coffee mug, however, remains to be seen. The Internet of Things is certainly designed to extend smart technology to "dumb" devices, but a coffee mug or bear? That might be a stretch.
We should get our answers after the Build conference kicks off in San Francisco. As always, CNET will be there to cover every last drop.
CNET has contacted Microsoft for comment. We will update this story when we have more information.
Microsoft's shares are up 10 cents to $41.52 in pre-market trading on Wednesday.
Source: 
- http://www.cnet.com/news/is-microsoft-working-on-windows-for-robots-other-products/#ftag=CADf328eec
- Flipboard