First Person Video of the Japan Tsunami

When most people think of a Tsunami hitting land, they imagine the Hollywood style massive wave crashing down... when in reality, it's a much more gradual build up of tension and destruction. This first person view of the Tsunami, hosted by Gizmodo, shows what happened to hundreds of thousands on March 13, 2011.

What starts looking like some flooding grows steadily. Near the 5 minute mark, the true destructive power is realized. Watch it through to see how it builds towards a devastating climax. Be hopeful for those who survived, and saddened for those who didn't.

Back Up Your Cloud

As a big proponent of cloud based computing, the one issue has always been backing up. While I have great trust in massive cloud organizations, recent mis-steps by Flicr and Google have me looking for ways to back up data.

Most secure is to run a desktop email client for your cloud email, enabling pop based settings, then including this in your desktop/laptop backup strategies.

A more simple method is using one of the many cloud-based backup services. Of the 3 I took a closer look at, I'm going to use Backupify.

Backupify quietly backs up many of your cloud based activities, whatever you choose, for free or as a paid service. I've started with the freebie, and will report if there are any issues.

TabCandy is the Future of Browsing

Google announced today that 'TabCandy' will be a full feature in Firefox 4, due out this fall. TabCandy is awesome.

Here's a video of Google designer Aza Raskin showing off TabCandy.

An Introduction to Firefox's Tab Candy from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

Monster of a Deal... for them

One of the question I'm asked most is about cables... especially HDMI cables, where cost on a 4ft cable can run from $6 to $160. HDMI cables are digital - they work or they don't. Spending exorbitant amounts doesn't make a lick of difference.

For those visual learners out there, Mint.com offers an excellent graphic of the situation.



Mint via Gizmodo

Google World - CBC Docs

CBC Documentaries "Google World" is an interesting look into the development of Google as a global player, their goals overall, and how the business practice works at one of the world's most innovative companies. Produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, this documentary seems relatively unbiased, and presents current information, including touching on the recent issues in China.

The documentary home is here. There are links included to preview the doc, or watch the entire thing online.

Physics of a Slap Shot

Olympic fever has hit much of the interweb, and it provides interesting topics for study.




This clip from the National Science Foundation site, home of a wealth of great information.

Still... it should have been Al MacInnis.

The Green Screen's Power

Anyone who understands even a little about making TV or film knows the value and purpose of the formerly blue now green screen. With the power of a sheet of cloth, and some not-inconsequential computing power, you can put just about anything on a screen. What you may not realize is just how ubiquitous this application is.

This short from Stargate Studios may show you just how much green screen is used in the simplest of shots.



See more of Stargate Studios at their site here.

The iPad Arrives

One of the worst kept secrets ever, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPad tablet today, to much fanfare. Stereotypically dressed and presenting, Mr. Jobs not only announced, but demonstrated the much-speculated tablet. After some perusing of release notes, a few thoughts:

-Kindles are done. This does everything Kindle does, but in colour. Books are likely to cost a little more, but with an iTunes like bookstore (iBooks), it's a done deal.

-It's fast, it's slick, it's trendy, and people will buy one and not even think about it.

-AT&T got the boots put to them. The contracts and commitment to AT&T is an interesting one, and I think the telecom giant loses big, even with the exclusivity it has had in the past. If the SIM card is changeable, AT&T got smacked.

-Apps rule. We knew this with the iPhone, but this will only continue to promote the cross-branding Apple is trying (and succeeding) to accomplish. All iPod/iPhone apps work on the iPad, and more.

-It's a gaming machine. Big promises, but if they have the processing power they are promoting, this will also greatly impact Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DSi market.

-No ability to multitask. This is a BIG DEAL to a lot of people, and may be the 'tragic flaw' of the iPad. I don't know anyone that doesn't have multiple applications running on their PC at any time. iPad's inability to run more than one program at a time will be crippling, and will lead to much griping.

-Battery breakthrough. The battery life promises are astronomical. 10 hours of activity - nearly a month on standby. Insane.

-Netbooks are going to be the market that suffers. I don't think it will be a significant impact on laptops/desktops, but netbooks are going to hurt as more people with iPods look to the familiarity of the Apple brand.

-Apple designers are awesome. The design, like so many Apple products, it just astounding, amazing, and leads the pack.

-The price is right. After rumours of $1K per iPad, the price isn't bad at all, even if you do consider the higher price with 3G. See more of the price info here.

Although it was seen coming from a mile away, it's a pretty significant day.

Check out a nice summary page of iPad stuff from Gizmodo here.

Lenovo IdeaPad U1... my next computer

The Computer Electronics Show (CES) is in full swing for 2010, and as is the case every year, the gadgets are coming out. One of the most promising this year is Lenovo's IdeaPad U1, a hybrid device that is tablet and netbook all in one. The potential is... outstanding.

The IdeaPad U1 is a netbook with a removable touchscreen, essentially a tablet when removed. The versitility of this is outstanding, and we'll see if the product matches the potential.

CNET has an excellent overview of Lenovo's new toy. Check it out here.

Water Dropplets that BLOW YOUR MIND

Have you ever seen water bounce on water? You have -- you just don't know it yet.




High speed cameras are opening up science discovery and analysis in ways we never could have dreamed, even in the most mundane areas. It's a fascinating time to watch.