May 04, 2008
Data centers big polluters

And getting bigger - to surpass airlines by 2020.

Data Centers Are Becoming Big Polluters, Study Finds - Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog

Posted by Dave at 01:43 PM
Obama white voter support

Obama losing white support? No.

Clinton losing black support? Precipitously.

The Field Operation Anti-Chaos: The Narrative on White Voters Is Fiction

Posted by Dave at 01:36 PM
May 03, 2008
Cubit - Open Source Multitouch

From Eyebeam in New York, a low cost Multitouch system. We'll do it. Yep.

NOR_/D Cubit

Posted by Dave at 05:20 PM
May 02, 2008
Livestreaming, Politics, and Newspapers

GroundReport | Indiana | Candidates Help Indiana Newspapers Steal Live TV Market

Posted by Dave at 02:15 PM
May 01, 2008
Through the format wars to Widescreen DVD

So I've shot in 1280X720 30P XDCAM format on the Sony PMW-EX1, transferred to Final Cut as mp4 using the XDCAM Transfer app from Sony (actually a rewrap from mxf to Quicktime), edited, exported a movie of the whole piece, then converted that in Quicktime player to AppleTV format for a smaller file and frame.

Along the way I brought old DV footage into the HD cut by converting the digitized DV to HDV with a crop on top and bottom to create the new aspect ratio. To do that I used Compressor. The HDV drops right into the otherwise XDCAM mp4 sequence in Final Cut.

And I took several WMV clips shot in movie mode on a Canon still camera, and (Compressor) converted those to a 1280X720 frame, with better results than I expected.

In a side project, I needed to convert some XDCAM HD raw footage to DVCPRO50 in standard definition and aspect, for delivery in SD. That clipped the sides of the frame off and transcoded the file - again in Compressor.

Now I need to use DVD Studio Pro for the first time to create a widescreen DVD that will play well on a normal DVD player and be shown on a 42" plasma display. In HD.

Here's my first stop to make sure I understand widescreen anamorphic DVDs. Then I'll find the settings for DVD Studio Pro.

The Ultimate Guide to Anamorphic Widescreen DVD for Everyone!

Posted by Dave at 10:45 PM
April 21, 2008
How to Green your life

These articles are everywhere today, and the debate over individual impacts continues. But this post is a good compendium of links, especially concerning gadgets, computers, and technology.

How to green your life | Green Tech blog - CNET News.com

Posted by Dave at 12:12 PM
April 18, 2008
Google Earth 4.3

Still in beta, but some amazing new features (like timelapse sunrise to sunset and full 3D building models) and a new interface.

Google LatLong: Introducing Google Earth 4.3

Posted by Dave at 12:42 AM
Video on the Web - How To

TechCrunch is usually a little too much insider talk on social network startups. But this quick guide to web video, with a focus on Blip.tv for distribution, is well done.

Tools For Your Video Career

Posted by Dave at 12:38 AM
April 17, 2008
Virtual Mesoamerican Archive

VMA - Virtual Mesoamerican Archive

Posted by Dave at 10:54 PM
April 16, 2008
YaYas

Our friends in New Orleans.

Young Aspirations/Young Artists

Posted by Dave at 08:04 PM
Subjuntivo

I spent a week of Spanish classes on the subjunctive. Felt as if I understood at the time. Ha!

Good post on a screenwriter's useful blog.

johnaugust.com Were I to seek examples of the subjunctive

Posted by Dave at 05:51 PM
NYC microturbine law

Signed into law in December, 2007.

NYC.gov - MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES NEW RULE TO MAKE ON-SITE POWER GENERATION TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDING OWNERS

"Microturbines are highly efficient turbine generators that recover and reuse the wasted heat of their own combustion process, after producing electricity and heat for a building, to provide energy for other building operations. By reusing heat that would otherwise be exhausted into the atmosphere, microturbines greatly increase the usable energy produced by fossil fuels, reduce carbon emissions, and provide building owners opportunities for operational cost savings."

First microturbines installed, March 2008:

Installation of City's First Microturbines Under New Code Completed in Battery Park City | greenbuildingsNYC

Posted by Dave at 12:33 AM
Top 5 green building legal issues

More like 4.5 - the last is more of an observation.

The Top 5 Legal Issues to Consider on Green Construction Projects | greenbuildingsNYC

Posted by Dave at 12:23 AM
April 15, 2008
Solar Thermal Power

Not for installation in Manhattan, but a good longterm bet for the world.

Concentrated solar power | Salon News

According to this, a 92X92 mile area of the Southwest U.S. could provide all the power for the country. With zero carbon emissions.

MORE...
Posted by Dave at 02:23 PM
Con Ed Steam

Looking at every alternative for the new building, I wondered about the Con Ed plant only 6 blocks from us. What is the deal with those city-wide steam pipes? Do the projects across the street use city steam for heating?

Gothamist: Superhot Steam!

Posted by Dave at 11:50 AM
April 14, 2008
Local Video White Pages

Google Maps YouTube Videos = Local Video White Pages

Posted by Dave at 10:06 PM
Wind Turbine Backlog

$12 billion worth of orders booked but not yet shipped. Don't think we will get in line.

GE confirms that wind turbine supply is getting worse | Green Tech blog - CNET News.com

GE sold $1.8 billion in turbines during the quarter. Orders were up 40 percent. In all, 569 turbines shipped.

Posted by Dave at 04:19 PM
2843 miles per gallon

How did they do that?

At Eco-marathon, teen-driving team races to 2,843 mpg | Green Tech blog - CNET News.com

Posted by Dave at 04:16 PM
April 08, 2008
Apple releases Final Cut Server

Seen first at NAB last year. Media asset management in a dark grey interface that was surprising when I saw it at NAB but makes sense if you are reviewing clips and thumbnails all day.

Apple - Final Cut Server

Posted by Dave at 10:27 AM
April 07, 2008
Mexican, Guatemalan troops to the Border

Mexico will send 10,000 and Guatemala 1500 troops to their border to fight narcotraffic, arms traffic and at least five armed groups who are operating there in support of the narcotraffickers.

This is the latest development in a story I began to cover in early 2006 when I went out with the Guatemalan military to see the narco landing strips they were destroying. This can be seen in the "Maya Frontier" video I posted here.

Siglo XXI - Pas y Mxico enviarn tropas a zona fronteriza

And in a preview of how this could be could be conflated and escalated with the war on terrorism, this post describes a nuclear terrorism scenario in Juarez, extrapolated from this report of Iraqis crossing the southern border:

"According to the "INM" (Mex. Immigr.) Just last week six adult male Iraqis were arrested in Tapachula, state of Chiapas, while attempting to reach the Distrito Federal of Mexico and to proceed to the United States from that point. In their preliminary declaration, the six said they entered through Central America, reached Guatemala and that there they purchased the false passports from Greece and Holland which they initially presented to Mexican officials when arrested. They also claimed they crossed the Suchiate River (bordering Mexico and Guatemala) on a raft."

Posted by Dave at 10:59 AM
April 05, 2008
Business as usual

Tell the voting public one thing, the paying clients another.

Colombia ends contract after flap with Clinton aide - Yahoo! News

Posted by Dave at 01:49 PM
Mike Wallace Interview Archive

And other archives I'll have to explore, online from the University of Texas, Austin.

The Mike Wallace Interview

Posted by Dave at 12:54 PM
2001 in 3D

On the 40th anniversary of "2001: A Space Odyssey." via Daring Fireball

2001 3D Model Archive

Movie City Indie: Throwing bones in the air as 2001 turns 40

Posted by Dave at 11:14 AM
April 03, 2008
Climate outpaces carbon tech

Just keep paddling.

'Nature': Energy tech not moving fast enough for climate change | Green Tech blog - CNET News.com

"Here we show that two thirds or more of all the energy efficiency improvements and decarbonization of energy supply required to stabilize greenhouse gases is already built into the IPCC reference scenarios. This is because the scenarios assume a certain amount of spontaneous technological change and related decarbonization. Thus, the IPCC implicitly assumes that the bulk of the challenge of reducing future emissions will occur in the absence of climate policies. We believe that these assumptions are optimistic at best and unachievable at worst, potentially seriously underestimating the scale of the technological challenge associated with stabilizing greenhouse-gas concentrations."

Posted by Dave at 07:12 PM
Smart Grids

To monitor and reduce electric power usage.

Energy-efficient smart grids on the cheap? | Green Tech blog - CNET News.com

Posted by Dave at 08:56 AM
April 02, 2008
Google Earth Lessons

An educational resource for teachers, but also a great collection of links and tutorials for anyone using GE.

Google Earth Lessons

Posted by Dave at 05:23 PM