Payola

Watching http://www.facebook.com/business/fmc

I seriously see brands making an ROI decision to go elsewhere and build content on websites JUST because spending on facebook is going to be more expensive with demanding payola from brands.

Basically you are going to get less of your posts onto users newsfeeds in the future unless you are paying for "sponsored posts" with the new focus they announced this afternoon.


Basically just because someone "Likes" you doesnt mean that you are going to get your posts seen anymore.

Lets face it someone has to pay for Alicia Keys to headline a tech marketing conference.

Syrian internal politics

I dont understand why Americans think they need to invade Syria to help out the "rebels".


This is an internal conflict, sure there is lots of damage being displayed on the news each night but this "Damage" is being done by both sides, the footage you are seeing on tv more often than not is rebels blowing up the government positions.

Imagine if texas decided to seced from the USA tomorrow and take all of its oil with it to a new country....do you think the USA wouldn't send in the marines to protect its interests?

Or worse how would you feel if Russia started funding the Klu Klux Klan with weapons and "logistical support" is the favorite euphimisam i keep hearing American poiticians use.

Transvaginal ultrasound law in Virginia

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Punanny State - Virginia's Transvaginal Ultrasound Bill
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

I'll approve this as law only when the politicians signing this in for a vote have this procedure done to them first.

LMAO at the other "personal affronts" referenced by these politicians as "governement interference".

Lol at New York gutters/sidewalks, not 1st world, more like 3rd world

lol you know one of the things that really surprise me about New York is how third world the sidewalks are

Every time i see water pooling in gutters i chuckle thinking even ancient romans new how to manage rainwater runoff.

Its almost like new Yorks are so arrogant that they dont notice the street litter or broken sidewalks and that Camelot is perfect.

Fail !!.

PeaPod Fail !!

Would have been cooler if you could use you kow QR CODES to scan the items instead of a proprietary mobile app to scan 1d bar codes.
FAIL!!
 

The largest US internet grocer Peapod is encouraging Philadelphians to grocery shop while they commute (images below). Users scan a QR Code poster on station platforms to download the Peapod app and scan the UPC codes below the items on the ads.
www.Cognation.net/QR

Dust cloud echo's

Great article in Time at the moment - http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2106904,00.html?xid=gonewsedit

This bit blows my mind
It gets even better. The 1843 flare-up played out over 20 years, which means the light-echo version will do the same. "We took observations nine months ago," says Rest, "and we were looking at 1843. Now we're looking at 1844. It's like a movie. It's really cool.

I wonder what else we can see from reflections we arent able to track at the moment, eg like ripples in time from our own planet.

Pokemon's or QR codes who do you think are the most dangerous?

http://www.kptv.com/story/16940492/pokemon
SHERWOOD, OR (KTPV) - A Sherwood family received a big shock while playing with some new Pokemon cards recently.

They scanned what they thought was a quick response code, which is similar to a bar code and can be scanned for more information about merchandise, but it took them to a pornographic website.
Ben Lapp used his smart phone to scan the code, which was promoting the Pokemon Online Challenge, but the responding web search wasn't what he expected.

Sorry but i'm calling bullshit on this entire story here. The QR code above displays in clear text the same 13 digit text shown on the right.

This is pure bullshit calling QR codes dangerous or saying there is some kind of fault with QR codes ..."Think of the children"

There is no way typing SP9-FN4N-FXD-S38 into your mobile browser search engine its going to return porn.....unless DAD happened to be googling porn while he was at work that day and forgot to clear his browser history.

Some reporters are so gullible.

Cheers,
Dean
http://www.Cognation.net/QR

Best use of Fiverr.com ever

Lol we were just having a chat about http://www.fiverr.com/ the other day - Best use of Fiverr i've even seen.

http://www.facebook.com/jerryp
http://www.facebook.com/jerryp/posts/307595035955996
so i used a website to commission an electronic musician in croatia to remix a recording of my stolen car call to the detroit police department into a techo song for $5. these are the most excellent results: http://soundcloud.com/lemonbattery/detroit-police-department-1 lolol. big ups to the croation house scene. it took less time for the song to be completed then it did to report the car.


 Detroit Police Department Stolen Car - DJ Mental Blue mix 1



Jerry Paffendorf you sir are a god amongst us mere mortal geeks - i sir salute you.

Cheers,
Dean

Trixbox FeePBX CentOS - " Loading ata_piix driver problem "

Weird situation, changed over from an ATA hard drive to a Sata hard drive for my Trixbox Asterisk server (i also tried the most recent version of Freepbx and the same CentOS issue...)

Everything else on the server is exactly the same, just the hard drive was changed over basically when installing the trixbox iso i get an error message on the install screen: " Loading ata_piix driver " that just hangs.

i thought it was a cable not seated problem or a bent sata cable etc etc...fut fut fut around nope same problem.

Google is your friend and i found this post http://fonality.com/trixbox/node/40362 to hit F4 then enter 'linux irqpoll' however...for me it screwed up the installation with lots of errors.

Another solution i ended up trying is at installation hit F4 then enter  LINUX NOPROBE -  didn't solve the problem for me either.

I ended up finding this post - " Linux SATA problem with Abit IP35-E " http://codeandlife.com/2008/05/22/linux-sata-problem-with-abit-ip35-e/  and although i use ABIT IP35-pro's this ended up being the solution for me.


Turns out all I needed was to swap SATA cable from SATA1 port to SATA5 or SATA6. Now everything works great.

Unfortunately, we lose one of the main benefits to SATA technology when we do this– NCQ. Putting it in port 5 or 6 tells it to operate in PATA mode. Linux recognizes this.

Everything is back up and running but times like this i think Linux is a PITA.....

Aereo - i wonder who their lawyers are?

Internet-TV Firm Gets IAC Backing
An Internet-TV start-up backed by media veteran Barry Diller could tempt more television viewers to cut the cable cord, but it might be in for a fight from media companies.


The company, Aereo, unveiled plans on Wednesday to offer New York City residents beginning March 14 the ability to stream broadcast-TV signals over Web-enabled devices for $12 a month.



Considering Ivi.tv got shut down with an injunction last year.... http://blog.collins.net.pr/2010/10/ivi-not-gotta-licensewhatye-going-todo.html  ...we'll see.

You might also want to check out the TVnow court case thats happening in Australia with Optus and Foxtel at the moment, explains some of the core copyright issues here - http://blog.collins.net.pr/2012/02/tvnow-court-case-in-australia.html
I wonder who Aereo's lawyers are? Though lets face it IAC has plenty deep pockets so expect this one to go the distance.

Cheers,
Dean

Touchcode will save us all....

ha ha ha FML - this article cracks me up

http://blog.laptopmag.com/qr-code-killer-touchcode-opens-content-by-tapping-paper-to-screen/comment-page-1#comment-287324


QR codes are bad because....
"However, reading a QR code requires activating a camera app on a phone or tablet, turning your device around, shooting a picture, and then waiting for the appropriate app to interpret the code"

But Touchcode is good because....
"To read the codes on a device, users will need to launch an app or site that’s capable or reading Touchcode."

Lol thanks for a laugh first thing in the morning, I hope the check cleared.

Netvibes acquired by Dassault Systems

Interesting that Netvibes was acquired, not so much the purchase but the purchaser Dassault Systems – any thoughts?

http://www.3ds.com/company/announcement/netvibes


I use it pretty much as my rss dashboard and review it first thing every morning (I used to use MS Live before they shut it down for the same reason).

I much prefer this format of RSS reader in that each feed is located in the same position on each tab, much more efficient.

Will be interesting to see what comes out of the sale and if this changes the company/product in the long run.

BTW if you want to see what i'm reading via RSS (or suggest some other feeds back) you can download my OPML feed from here http://www.Collins.net.pr/deancollins.opml

Cheeers,
Dean

TVnow court case in Australia

This podcast has been the best coverage of the TVnow court case so far.



My take on it is
1/ Yes its fair,the same way Samsung dont pay Channel 9 for people watching their content on my tv regardless  of how expensive the Samsung tv is (or their vcr's/dvr's are if you want a more direct example).

2/ That just because Foxtel overpaid for online content rights doesnt make Optus wrong.Are Foxtel saying i cant purchase a slingbox and sling the content to my phone/ipad when i'm not at home?

3/ That each "selection" or decision to record something must be manually selected by end users and stored "singularly" eg as an end user i cant say "record everything for 24x7" and by the way Optus you only need to store one copy and stream everyone it from a single copy (similar to the cablevision case).

Whats interesting is that Ivi.tv got shut down here in the USA - http://blog.collins.net.pr/2010/10/ivi-not-gotta-licensewhatye-going-todo.html and doesn't look like that decision will be reversed even though the Ivi.tv blog is saying they are working on the appeal for the last 9 months.

Lets just say that if you are a yacht salesperson or an eastern suburbs orthodontist......you're going to be putting you kids through college from the ongoing legal fees in this dog fight.


Cheers,
Dean

Somedays it just doesnt pay to get out of bed

Basic tier cable encryption

Couldn't have said it better myself

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/02/let-1000-boxees-bloom-fighting-big-cables-encryption-initiative.ars?comments=1#comments-bar
ehemmete - about 6 hours ago -
I don't understand something. Why does encrypting channels mean fewer home visits? When the tech comes to my house to install cable, it is to run a cable from the box in the backyard (or my neighbors backyard) to my house. How does encrypting channels modify this?

Frente - Labour of Love

Was working on the computer and this came on...whats not to love :)

Gumroad

What are peoples thoughts on Gumroad?


http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/08/gumroad-gets-1-1-million-from-chris-sacca-max-levchin-and-others-to-turn-any-link-into-a-payment-system

https://gumroad.com/l/mPD

Do you see a problem with the high transaction fees? is it time to bring back BeenZ?

Its still a little beta, eg they need to offer analytics and the ability to edit the "end target" for a previously published link. But still an interesting idea, wonder if they are going to suffer on chargebacks.

Menders by Flux theatre

This is the third play i've seen by the Flux Theatre group, it was good, but not as "great" as Dog Act or Ajax in Iraq

Menders is heavily based around "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost, i liked the way they "turn it in upon itself" in the final scene but for me...it just fell together a little too nicely and was telegraphed way in advance.

However this isn't a resaon NOT to go and see this play.

Menders by Flux Theatre is an example of raw acting that we just dont get to see in movies and tv.


The scene with Vivia Font where her wings are cut makes the play worth seeing just for this 3 minutes of acting alone. Vivia is a star, I saw her physically change the power and energy of the entire space, just flipped it on a dime, breaking hearts and evoking deep empathy with her skills. Keep an eye out for her in the future.

They've only got 5 more shows to go so be sure to get tickets today, BTW dont be late for the show....the entry door opens onto the stage...you WILL miss the play :)


Cheers,
Dean

Shazam

Anybody have any thoughts on the Shazam audio capture tool in the Camry commercial during the superbowl?

Eg using audio snippet tool in a very similar way to a QR code.

Is there enough tiem to whip out your phone or do you think most people rewind on their DVR and then captures the audio (reminds me of buffalo wings :)

Cheers,
Dean

Vortex tube

wow neat - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vortex_tube



The vortex tube, also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, is a mechanical device that separates a compressed gas into hot and cold streams. It has no moving parts.

Pressurized gas is injected tangentially into a swirl chamber and accelerated to a high rate of rotation. Due to the conical nozzle at the end of the tube, only the outer shell of the compressed gas is allowed to escape at that end. The remainder of the gas is forced to return in an inner vortex of reduced diameter within the outer vortex.

The really neat part of the article is this comment

Commercial models are designed for industrial applications to produce a temperature drop of about 45 °C (80 °F). With no moving parts, no electricity, and no Freon, a vortex tube can produce refrigeration up to 6,000 BTU (6,300 kJ)

If any of that makes sense to you you'll understand thats crazy good.

The most famous superbowl commercial out there

Yeh who'd have thunk that Jobs would become "The Man" oppressing all just a few short years later.
lol, the irony that Apple is one of the most restictive vendors out there rallying against the freedoms we used to enjoy all in the claim of delivering "a better user experience for all".......sounds like the plot for planned society if i ever heard one.



See you all 6pm sunday at http://www.LiveFootballChat.com/go/15593

Cheers,
Dean

Doing a Reddit AMA isnt liek doing any other interview

lol at Woody Harrelson on Reddit, been a trainwreck watching this unfold.


I saw its gotten some mainstream press today as well.
- http://www.observer.com/2012/02/woody-harrelson-and-the-no-good-very-bad-reddit-ama

The Vice.com guide to Liberia

Holy crap , a friend just sent me this an email as a follow up to my post on Africa this week.

I just watched every episode in the Vice travel series to Liberia.
- http://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-to-travel/the-vice-guide-to-liberia-1

Be truly thankful that for no other reason apart from sheer dumb luck we happen to be born in a time and place that is right here and now.

Seriously go and watch it right now and while we are all fat and happy this Sunday watching the SuperBowl game each and every one of you will feel so much happier about your life than you ever did before.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Budweiser stole Impov Everywheres idea :)

I was watching an online preview of the “SuperBowl commercials” that are going to be displayed this weekend today and couldn’t believe my eyes on what I saw from Budweiser. They are totally ripping off the Improv Everywhere guys with their famous 2008 little league stunt.

I was so incensed I created this FabZing in 5 mins to demonstrate what Fabzing can do but I hope someone forwards this to Budweiser and they write a check to Improv Everywhere,

Check out  http://fabzing.com/watch?s=NXWXzhBm  as it’s practically shot for shot.

Who was the advertising agency who ripped this idea off ??

Be the change you want to see

You're worth 36c a month to Facebook

Surely there has to be a math error here right?
- http://www.saurabhnanda.com/2012/02/advertising-as-business-model.html

Facebook gets an average of 13 pageviews per-user per-day.
Each user visits Facebook an average of 40 times per-month.

This would mean:
a minimum of approx 440 billion pageviews (!) in Dec-2011 [2]
a maximum CPM of 60 cents per thousand page views [3]

Or = 36 cents per-active user, per-month????????

Africa - what i didn't know...that i didn't know

I always knew that i didn't know much about Africa. Like anyone with reasonable intelligence, i knew where it was, i could probably name most of the countries and their rough location e.w.n.s, i understood that it was colonised by numerous countries and i understood south african apartheid.

But there was still a lot i knew "i didn't know" but i was ok with that. I'm from Australia and as an asian i can pick distinguishing features of malays/thais/koreans/most of the time even north and south china etc etc.

Africa was a deep and mysterious place that i was ok to let simmer on the side knowing one day i would get to it.

By chance i happened to pick up this book while i was in Australia (different cover in Aus to the USA but if you are going to buy it make sure you get the up to date recently revised version).
The Fate of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence



My mind was blown within the first 40 pages.

I pretty much didn't put this down for the first 500 pages. This book will rip apart everything you think you know about Africa and make you realise that the rest of the world is entirely responsible for where they are at now.

It is our direct actions not only 100 years ago during colonisation, not only 30 years ago during the cold war USA/Russia proxy war exploitation period, but right up until today right this moment !!

Reading specific events where the UN got involved only to have Boutros Boutrous-Ghali screw things up because of his own personal vanity blew my mind that "people in charge" might know what they are doing.

Our continued meddling and manipulation of one faction over another is shameful for all of us. We are directly responsible for an entire continent being fucked up.

Not me....... go take the Cobalt and Tantalum out of your iphone...yeh i didnt think you could you schmuck.

These kids are responsible for you having that metal in your phone


Oh and those AK's.....your money paid for that. Why don't you think of that next time you flip the channel when the next World Vision advertisement interrupts your tv show.

Want to open yourself to cosmic consciousness got buy this book read it and understand.

That would be a start.