Iran Protests Demonstrate Citizen Journalism in Action
Protests have erupted again in Iran and once again the internet is the place for the most unfiltered look at the situation.
Dark Teen Reading
At Barns and Noble and taken by how dark and gothic nearly ALL the new releases are in the “teen” section. Feels like more than just the influence of Twilight.
No “Sweet Valley High” for today’s teens I guess.9-Year-Olds’ Perspective on the 2000’s
Ok, not exactly earth-shattering, but this is a great POV on the past ten years from people who literally have known no other decade.
Rewrite Bad Memories – The Future is Now
Not sure I totally get this, and from the below quote it seems far less ominous than at first glance. Still, imagine the implications…
“Researchers led by Elizabeth Phelps carried out a conditioning experiment in which 20 volunteers sat in front of a computer screen on which squares of different colours appeared. When blue squares flashed on the screen, they received an electric shock to the wrist.
The next day, the volunteers were shown blue squares again to reactivate the memory. Sensors placed on their skin showed that the images caused the participants to sweat as their stress levels rose.
To erase the memory that linked blue squares with pain, the volunteers were put through “extinction training” which involved flashing blue squares on the screen without the accompanying electrical shocks.”
Need B-Roll? They Got That B-Roll
I know very little about this video other than it made me laugh.
Best line “Why is she touching the wall? That’s what depressed people do.”
iPhone Plus UStream Equals Game-Changer
The day has finally come. Now every owner of a 3GS can now be an on-the-scene reporter transmitting live video from anywhere (well, almost anywhere thanks to AT&T’s somewhat lacking 3G coverage).
Take a moment to consider the implications of this moment. Sure, Qik has been doing this trick for a while on certain phones, but now it is on the iPhone which means it will be super-simple and in the hands of many.
Imagine how powerful it will be to be able to see one-the-ground live-streaming video from protests, disasters, celeb sightings, you name it.
So cool. So damn cool.
Arianna Huffington Nails Murdoch et. al. with Truth
Speaking at the FTC’s ‘How Will Journalism Survive The Internet Age?’ HuffingtonPost.com creator Arianna Huffington was very clear and concise when it came to her criticism of Murdoch and the rest of the folks trying to "save" the newspapers:
“In most industries, if your customers were leaving in droves, you would try to figure out what to do to get them back.” Can't get a whole lot more clear than that. Not that Murdoch will listen.Lego Matrix Trinity Help and the Copyright Dilemma
By now you have probably seen the insanely labor-intensive frame-by-frame remake of a scene from The Matrix done entirely in Lego. If not, check it out:
Today’s “The Future is Now” – Brain Implants to Control Your Computer
Scientists at Intel’s research lab in Pittsburgh are working to find ways to read and harness human brain waves so they can be used to operate computers, television sets and cell phones. The brain waves would be harnessed with Intel-developed sensors implanted in people’s brains.
The scientists say the plan is not a scene from a sci-fi movie — Big Brother won’t be planting chips in your brain against your will. Researchers expect that consumers will want the freedom they will gain by using the implant.
Check out the whole article to see just how close this is to being a reality. While the science and technology aspects of this are amazing, I find the most interesting element to be the general consensus of the researchers that this is something we will all want. What’s sort of scary is that I totally agree. I mean, do you want to be the last person on your block who’s able to tweet telepathically?




