Xlog

Digital Copy Blu’s

Ryan Petty — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:06:30 +0000

Today we (my family) received a 3-disc special edition of Disney’s Wall*E, which includes two Blu-ray discs and a DVD with a digital copy of the movie in iTunes and Windows Media formats. I was particularly excited to have the digital copy which can be transferred to a personal computer or iPhone for playback. I [...]

Tilt-Shift Photography

Ryan Petty — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:27:13 +0000

Tilt-shift photography is a creative and unique type of photography in which the camera is manipulated so that a life-sized location or subject looks like a miniature-scale model. To add good miniature effect to your photographs, shoot subjects from a high angle (especially from the air). It creates the illusion of looking down at a miniature model. A camera [...]

Links for 2008-11-14 [Digg]

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Safari 3.2 Adds HTML 5 Database Features With Security Fixes
Apple released Safari 3.2 for both Windows and Mac (Tiger and Leopard). As usual, Apple’s normal update announcements are a little short on details.This update is recommended for all Safari users and features protection from fraudulent phishing websites and better identification of online businesses. This also includes the latest security updates.
I Want MobileMe, Enterprise Edition
I have been using MobileMe, and its previous incarnation DotMac, for just over two years. Everyone has talked about the great features it has as well as some of the near-misses. However, I haven’t seen anyone point out a major flaw in MobileMe — how it does not compare to Enterprise class offerings.

Links for 2008-11-11 [Digg]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

That's What She Said
Parallels Desktop 4.0 gets a 50 percent speed boost over 3.0
Don't look now, but Parallels is back with the final release of Parallels Desktop 4.0 today. The release, which we heard a little bit about in September, does indeed now have full support for DirectX 9 and OpenGL 2.0, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
iTunes Store Finally Gets A Bargain Bin For Movies
The glory days of grabbing that $5 DVD at the road trip pit-stop or Target checkout counter have finally made their digital transition to the iTunes Store.

Links for 2008-11-05 [Digg]

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Links for 2008-11-04 [Digg]

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Golf swing secret not all in the wrists, research finds
After decades of research, the world may be closer to the perfect golf swing. University of Surrey engineer Robin Sharp has found the key is not in using full power from the start, but by building up to it quickly. Surprisingly, the wrists don't play a critical role in the swing's outcome, according to the new model.

New broadband connection at work

Ryan Petty — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:40:00 +0000

Verizon FIOS Speedtest After almost a month after first ordering service with Verizon, our FIOS Internet connection was finally installed at work this morning. As many of you know, FIOS is a PON or Passive Optical Network. In laymans terms, FIOS utilizes an architecture where bandwidth is shared on the fiber for all customers on that loop. [...]

Links for 2008-11-03 [Digg]

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Oldest Hebrew Text Is Evidence for Bible Stories?
What may be the oldest known Hebrew text, found on a hilltop above the valley where David is said to have battled Goliath, could lend historical support to some Bible stories, archaeologists say.

Links for 2008-10-30 [Digg]

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Rush Limbaugh: The man who's always Right
Global warming? A hoax. Barack Obama? A disaster. John McCain? A winner.

Links for 2008-10-17 [Digg]

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Swing-State Voters and the Social-Networking Sites They Love
This is a study done by Rapleaf of swing state voters and their presence on the social web. Facebook and Myspace have high numbers of all demographics, but other, smaller social networks cater to those whose minds are more likely to be changed.

Democrats blocking regulation on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Ryan Petty — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:19:37 +0000

The Reform for Fannie, Bill S.190 was introduce by the Republicans….in fact, McCain co-sponsored (although this is video from the House of Reps). The Bill must go thru Committee & gain 60% support. The committee is made up of 20 members. At the time, 11 were Republicans & 9 were Democrats. To get 60% of support, [...]

ShamWow!

Ryan Petty — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:59:39 +0000

This is my second favorite commercial. I am pretty sure this guy could sell anything to anyone. Have any of you bought one? I don’t know it sells itself.

Response to “Making America Stupid”

Ryan Petty — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:11:35 +0000

Thomas Friedman wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times today on energy policy, economic leadership and the upcoming Presidential election. He starts off with the following: Imagine for a minute that attending the Republican convention in St. Paul, sitting in a skybox overlooking the convention floor, were observers from Russia, Iran and Venezuela. And imagine for [...]

Your competitive advantage

Ryan Petty — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:12:51 +0000

Image via Wikipedia Another brilliant gem from Seth Godin: People are fickle, but we’re generally rational. When someone makes a choice (hiring, firing, choosing a vendor, buying a soda) they’re using some sort of internal logic and reasoning to support that choice. As a marketer, you win when they choose you. So, why choose you? The answer to that [...]

Jason Calacanis On How To Get PR For Your Startup: Fire Your PR Company

Ryan Petty — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:07:58 +0000

My philosophy of PR is summed up in six words: be amazing, be everywhere, be real. You don’t need a PR firm, you don’t need an in-house PR person and you don’t need to spend ANY money to get amazing PR. You don’t need to be connected, and you don’t need to be a “name brand.” [...]

The new way of Getting Things Done

Ryan Petty — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:01:22 +0000

Gudjon Mar Gudjonsson, has written an interesting post on his blog about networked productivity. There are many great resources out there on the holy grail of productivity and time management. One popular method is the Getting Things Done (GTD) method from David Allen. GTD is a work-life management system and book by David Allen that attempts to free [...]

Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, has died.

Ryan Petty — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:24:53 +0000

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor whose final lecture inspired millions, has died of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Pausch, 47, who turned the lecture into a book, said that no one would have been interested in his words of wisdom were he not a man in his 40s with a terminal illness. For [...]