Clipmarks | silentsignals's clips

Spam is Back With A Vengence

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 15:11:10 GMT

"The Red Tape Chronicles reports that just last December (2006), the FTC published an optimistic state-of-spam report. It cites research indicating spam had leveled off or even dropped during the previous year. It now appears spammers had simply gone back to the drawing board. There's more spam now than ever before. In fact, there's twice as much spam now as opposed to this time last year. And the messages themselves are causing more trouble. About half of all spam sent now is "image spam," containing server-clogging pictures that are up to 10 times the size of traditional text spam. And most image spam is stock-related, pump-and-dump scams which can harm investors who don't even use e-mail. About one-third of all spam is stock spam now."

Tags: spam, marketing, email, scam

Ubuntu studio - Linux for multimedia creation

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:15:18 GMT

clipped by: silentsignals
clipper's remarks: I've used kubuntu in the past... this new release sounds really great

Clip Source: www.boingboing.net

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Ubuntu studio - Linux for multimedia creation
Ubuntu Studio, scheduled for release this spring, is a version of Ubuntu Linux dedicated to multimedia creation -- graphics, video and audio editing and so forth. I've been using Ubuntu full time since October I know, I'm really lagging in my promise to document my switch, but it's coming) and I'm really, really impress with it. My new Thinkpad is rock-solid, fast as hell, and does almost everything I want it to do (I can't get iPod synch working, but I have some expert assistance in that regard). The most amazing thing is that my OS and all the incredible programs I use every day are totally free -- and when I submit bug-reports or feature requests for my favorite apps, they get fixed!

I'm pretty excited at the idea of an Ubuntu optimized for multimedia creation -- the regular Ubuntu is so solid and well-thought-out, so I have a lot of hopes for Ubuntu Studio. Link (via /.)

J.R.R. Tolkien Collection

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:39:40 GMT

clipped by: skwirlinator

Clip Source: www.mu.edu

	J.R.R. Tolkien Collection
	Manuscripts, ca. 1930-1955 Printed Literature, 1910-


	Scope and Content Note

Series 1	The Hobbit
Series 2	Farmer Giles of Ham
Series 3	The Lord of the Rings
	Recent Additions to The Lord of the Rings
Series 4	Mr. Bliss
Series 5	Printed Literature, Audio Visual, and other Secondary Material Relating to Tolkien, 1938-
Series 6	Periodical Literature on Tolkien and Related Fantasy Writers, 1960-
Series 7	Other Tolkien Writings, 1911-1974
Series 8	Screen Treatment, Scripts, and Screenplays, 1957-1978

Related Collections	Dr. Richard E. Blackwelder Collection Preliminary Inventory Available
	Grace E. Funk Tolkien/Fantasy Collection, 1925-2003 Preliminary Inventory Available
	S. Gary Hunnewell Collection, 1960-
	Taum J.R. Santoski Collection

	The microfilm version of the J.R.R. Tolkien Collection may only be used within the Department of Special Collections and Archives. The arrangement of the microfilm matches the order of the originals.

Tags: books, fantasy, myth, reading, science fiction, scifi

Apple's next product photoshopping contest

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 14:35:10 GMT

clipped by: silentsignals

Clip Source: www.boingboing.net

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Apple's next product photoshopping contest
Today on the Worth1000 photoshoppng contest: Apple's next "i" product. Pictured here: the iKill pistol (only compatible with iBullets). Link

posted by Cory Doctorow at 05:00:50 AM permalink | Other blogs' comments

Tags: apple, humor, photoshop, contest, guns, ipod, iphone

10 Largest Libraries in the World

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:24:36 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks: Clipped especially for gwydas and other book-loving clippers.

Clip Source: www.watchmojo.com

10. New York Public Library
New York City, NY, USA
Founded in 1895, this library stocks over 11 million books.

9. Vernadsky National Scientific Library of Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine

Founded in 1919, this library stocks over 13 million books.

8. Harvard University Library
Cambridge, MA, USA
Founded in 1638, this library stocks over 13.1 million books.

7. Institute for Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Moscow, Russia
Founded in 1969, this library stocks over 13.5 million books.

6. British Library
London, England
Founded in 1753, this library stocks over 16 million books.

5. Deutsche Biblothek
Frankfurt, Germany
Founded in 1990, this library stocks over 18.5 million books.

4. National Library of Canada
Ottawa, Canada
Founded in 1953, this library stocks over 18.8 million books.

3. Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences
St. Petersburg, Russia
Founded in 1714, this library stocks over 20 million books.

2. National Library of China
Beijing, China
Founded in 1909, this library stocks over 22 million books.

1. Library of Congress
Washington DC, USA

Founded in 1800, this library stocks over 29 million books.

Tags: books, library, resources, world, list, literature, reading

Chinese missile takes down satellite

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:32:13 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: No doubt a direct shot at the U.S. This is crazy.

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

"If we, for instance, got into a conflict over Taiwan, one of the first things they'd probably do would be to shoot down all of our lower Earth-orbit spy satellites, putting out our eyes," said John Pike of globalsecurity.org, a Web site that compiles information on worldwide security issues.

"The thing that is surprising and disturbing is that [the Chinese] have chosen this moment to demonstrate a military capability that can only be aimed at the United States," he said.

Tags: china, news, politics, missile, war

Will There Be Cities in a Virtual World?

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 04:16:39 GMT

clipped by: Torley
clipper's remarks: Always cool to see predictions that've come true. Some 6+ years later after this was published, we know now what's happened. And the answer, looking at the specific instance of Second Life, is yes.

P.S. Not the first time either, as pioneering, earlier online worlds like Habitat have demonstrated. Odd how this article is heavy on the words but misses out the key concept of an "avatar" as digital persona.

Clip Source: chicagogsb.edu

WILL IMPROVED TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY MAKE CITIES, AND INDEED SPACE ITSELF, OBSOLETE?

Cities remain centers

Information technology may eventually cause a decline in the need for urban concentration. However, the case is much less clear than the futurists would have us believe. As telecommunications improve, the demand for interactions of all varieties should rise, and the role of cities as centers of interactions should also increase. After all, the most famous modern agglomeration of industry, Silicon Valley, has occurred in the industry with the most direct access to the latest and best information technology. This agglomeration probably occurs because that industry relies so heavily on interactions and requires so much knowledge to be transferred across firms and individuals.

Tags: cities, virtual, world, online, digital, communication, info, organization, structure

World of Warcraft Burning Crusade mini-site opens

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:42:17 GMT

clipped by: silentsignals
clipper's remarks: sadly the graphics on this game haven't improved with the expansion

Clip Source: www.gamespot.com

Blizzard launches interactive Web site for World of Warcraft expansion with game information, screenshots, movies, mini-games galore.

World of Warcraft fans (all 8 million of them) are chomping at the bit to start exploring the new Burning Crusade expansion pack. The add-on may not be out until January 16, but Blizzard Entertainment is giving gamers a chance to tour the new realm now.

The developer announced today that it has launched a Flash-enabled Burning Crusade mini-site. Visitors will be treated to videos, screenshots, and information on the game.

The site also features some interactive mini-games, such as a WOW-themed version of the card game Memory and a click-and-drag game of archery. Gamers who complete the games under certain conditions will unlock other portions of the site and earn "secret rewards."

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade is rated T for Teen and will retail for $39.99. For more on the game, read GameSpot's previous coverage.

Tags: world of warcraft, wow, rpg, mmorpg, video game

10 ways to stop the spam invasion

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:40:01 GMT

clipped by: silentsignals

Clip Source: lifehacker.com

The editors at IT Security want to help you eliminate spam from your inbox. They've put together a list of 10 tips, everything from using a spam filter to modifying your surfing habits:

Let's face it, there are three primary types of websites that can be a source of viruses and spam: adult, gambling, and gaming. There are always exceptions, and certainly not every site is infected, but if you tend to visit any of these, your browser might be giving you away.

Though written with tech-savvy IT folks in mind, this is rock-solid information that's worth reading for anyone who's sick of spam and not sure what to do about it. Of course, we've got lots of other anti-spam solutions here at Lifehacker. Got a favorite? Let us know about it in the comments. — Rick Broida

Tags: spam, email, lifehack, tips, web, internet

My Cat (Snoopy) is Watching HDTV

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:34:17 GMT

clipped by: silentsignals
clipper's remarks: I remember my cat watching Walking With Dinosaurs for about 20 mins just staring at the dinosaurs on the tv

Clip Source: ambermac.typepad.com

This little black cat's name (on the left) is Snoopy. I just read about her in an article on TVPredictions.com. Apparently Snoopy can't stop watching HDTV, especially those PBS documentaries about birds. In fact, Snoopy will stare mindlessly at her owner's TV for 20 minutes at a time - reaching out for birds, fish, and even baseballs. What's even more interesting, the writer mentions that he's found other pet owners are documenting the same HD love from their furry companions.

"My cat attacked the TV when (the high-def network) HDNet was playing a show about lions," said one high-def owner at alt.tv.tech.hdtv.

I smell a new HDTV ad brewing. Post your pets lapping up the boob-tube on YouTube now. OK, it's already starting...

Other pet-friendly sites...
ILovedMyPet.com - pet memorials (I'm doing a story about this today, hence the cat Googling)
Dogster - MySpace for dogs

Catster - MySpace for cats

I am sure there are hundreds more pet sites and tales that will shock me...
-A

P.S. I was lying awake in bed last night trying to remember the definition for someone addicted to new technology. It's a word that we talked about on my video podcast last summer...I think Mikey brought it up...if you know what I'm talking about, leave me a comment...if you think it's crazy I'm lying in bed thinking about something so random, you can keep those comments to yourself ;-).

Tags: cat, hdtv, youtube, video, humor, pets

Clipmarks WordPress Widget Now In Beta

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:17:42 GMT

clipped by: silentsignals
clipper's remarks: looks like it works really well... great job everyone

Clip Source: torley.com

Am I ever thrilled! Eric Goldstein and Eric Skiff of Clipmarks graciously let me know today that a Clipmarks WordPress widget is being beta’d — much better than my prior failed attempt at getting a RSS widget working.

It’s especially designed, as you can see (on the right sidebar of my blog), and I’ve already customized it for my colors. I’ll do more tweaking as needed.

What I really like so far:

Pretty straightforward to set up. Installation was easy.

Obviously, saves me the redundancy of duplicating what I said before on Clipmarks — I can just point and link to my clips!

Customizable colors are a must-have, thanx for adding these.

Links within remarks work.

Suggestions for moving this beta closer to a ready release:

I was confused at first why I couldn’t type into the Options’ “Clipper” field. Turns out I had to set “Type” to “Enter Clipper”. Wish it had grayed the box out, that would’ve been a helpful visual cue.

Perhaps for some people, the option to specify a background image URL — or no background at all — would be useful too.

“Show Clipper Photo” sounds better as “Show Clipper Photos”.

“Show Clip Info” could allow for different styles, since on mine, default image styling includes a black border: . Looks odd.

Inconsistencies between whether it’s “ClipmarksWidget” or “Clipmarks Widget” with a space. In the WordPress Options menu, it could simply be called “Clipmarks”.

readme.txt is understandable but needs some polish.

Wish I could put the Clipmarks logo in the green header part of my widget, similar to how RSS widgets have that RSS logo.

Customizable font and size. (The way it is now is okay for me, but I prefer Verdana over Arial.)

You can see how Eric Skiff is already using it on his blog! Thanx guys, this is really inspiring!

Tags: clipmarks, wordpress, blog, widget, web 2.0, torley

Adjusting to a New World - Clothing

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:03:15 GMT

clipped by: Tateru
clipper's remarks: How to dress and undress in Second Life. Tips and tricks.

Clip Source: www.secondlifeinsider.com

This is the fourth in our 'Adjusting to a New World' series of articles for beginners - although some intermediate and advanced Second Lifers are also finding little tidbits that they didn't know in them. In the last two columns we talked about communication. This time, we're going to talk about clothing as we move towards avatar appearance settings.

Clothing actually covers a bit more territory than just clothes. There's skin and hair there too. Subtleties, you might say. Let's take a look.

Tags: how-to, second life

Humble Voice - Social Networks for creative types

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:58:01 GMT

clipped by: ghiberti
clipper's remarks: Great looking site.

Clip Source: www.solutionwatch.com

Humble Voice, think MySpace, but with a pleasant facelift and being overall more versatile. Essentially, it’s a social network for the creative type where users can show off their work, build a portfolio, and connect with friends and family. It has all the recognized social community features that everyone has come to abide by and appreciate. You have your standard profiles, Friends Lists, Bulletin Board, and comments. There’s also a point system in place in which you’re able to win prizes after accumulating certain amounts of points. In general, Humble Voice is a place where any person who is creative through designing, composing music, art, video, and writing can convene to meet others who share similar interests and hobbies.

Next is the community section; this section features a point ticker that keeps and up-to-date track of the active user base on Humble Voice. Powered by Flash, it presents a scrolling list of members on Humble Voice and the points that each member has accumulated according to recent activity on the site. So, the more browsing and participation you do will affect whether or not you’re seen on the ticker. Furthermore, they have an area to recognize the members who currently are the leaders in points within the community. Additionally, they have outfitted the section with their very own Humble Voice TV player. The TV has “channels” that show user submitted videos that you can watch at your own leisure. Lists of the newest members and the friendliest members can be located on this page, along with a link to the Humble Voice store. The community section is also where you’re able to cash in all those points that you earn on Humble Voice. You’ll also find a online chat on the community page where you can openly share messages with others logged in to Humble Voice.

Tags: myspace, humble voice, social networking, sharing, music, art, web2.0, internet

What's Coming in Firefox 3

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 06:26:07 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: There's plenty more coming listed at the article source, and I'm sure there will be many changes before even an alpha materializes, but it's interesting to see what the general direction is.

Clip Source: mozillalinks.org

In today’s Firefox 3 (code name Gran Paradiso) meeting, developers released a preliminary list of requirements for Firefox 3. The new target release date is sometime in the third quarter this year.

Among the list of mandatory requirements, read, what is the most likely to be included in Firefox 3 we have:

A much needed print support to prevent cut paragraphs and true WYSIWYG.

The much requested MSI installer which will be a much welcomed improvement for IT administrators as it will ease deployment and updating of Firefox across a company.

A private web browsing mode. I guess this would mean no cache, history, password or entered form information storage.

Microformats support.

Files could be handled by web services. If I am reading this correctly, this could mean you would be able to click on an attached document and open it with something like Writely or Google Documents. And perhaps, as I asked Santa, the ability to redirect mailto: links to web email services.

Tags: firefox, firefox3, internet, tech, technology, web, opensource, open source, mozilla, development

Stadium made of Lego

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 20:20:23 GMT

clipped by: stellagonzales
clipper's remarks: Replica of Allianz Arena in Munich, made of 400.000 Lego bricks

Clip Source: flickr.com

Tags: lego