:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Monday, July 21, 2008 ::

A Day in the Life of Mr Lee

Extracts from A Day in the Life of Mr Lee, the original CatCam whore.



And other users can be found on flickr
Buy the camera, and GPS tag, or DIY kits, here.

Labels: Cats, IT, Photography

:: Dan 21.7.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Crazy Questions at Google Job Interview

That made me think! Good fun too.

Labels: Google, IT, Logic, Maths

:: Dan 19.6.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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A CAPTCHA (IPA: /?kæpt??/) is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine that the response is not generated by a computer. The process involves one computer (a server) asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade. Because other computers are unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human. A common type of CAPTCHA requires that the user type the letters of a distorted image, sometimes with the addition of an obscured sequence of letters or digits that appears on the screen.

Those things piss me off. I fail them far too often. If I were a character in a Philip K. Dick story it would be the first sign I'm not actually human, as I believe I am, but either an automaton, simulacrum, or a figment of my own or someone else's imagination. I'm pretty sure I'm not a character in a book but can't rule out the other four.

Labels: IT, Literature, Sci-Fi

:: Dan 12.5.08 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Interesting video demo of content-aware adaptive image resizing

Labels: graphics, IT

:: Dan 31.12.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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gusset trends
Originally uploaded by gusset.


Listening habits and searching trends
"The amount of information Google collects every time someone queries is astounding. Some of this information has been made available to the public through Google Trends. By entering in a search string you are given a graph showing search volume, news reference volume, a chart of the top ten regions, as well as top ten cities and languages."
Obviously I couldn't resist checking the gusset trend, see screenshot above.

Labels: Google, IT, Search

:: Dan 31.10.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Steampunk
Originally uploaded by pashasha.


dev.null quotes the Boston Globe's article on steampunk. Well worth a read if you're into moddified hardware or any of the science-fiction that inspires it (Verne, Wells, Gibson, Sterling, Stevenson etc.). Make sure you check the pictures, otherwise you'll just get the impression that all these people do it make up ridiculous names for things (eg "The Nagy Magical-Movable-Type Pixello-Dynamotronic Computational Engine") [login required on the BG site, some photos on Flickr here].

Terry Gilliam's film Brazil is also noted as an inspiration and it happens to be on BBC 2 tonight. The film is co-written by Tom Stoppard, which reminds me I meant to link to this story about Stoppard's time working on The Bristol Evening World, published from the very building I'm sat in as I type this.

P.S. Pashasha also has a great set of "Music Things" pictures.

Labels: Cyberpunk, Flickr, IT, Literature, Mods, Sci-Fi

:: Dan 29.8.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Damn you Spokesy for getting me started on this. I'd been trying to avoid it as myspace already sucks up too much of my time. Although, you can't deny that it is a lot slicker and better coded. And I've already caught up with lots of old friends I'd lost contact with.



The legal case that much of the media reported was threatening to shut the site down last week seems to be on the back foot due to a lack of evidence. The prosecution has been given two weeks to come up with some evidence. I can't see the site getting shut down, that wouldn't be in neither party's interest. Facebook's most valuable asset is not it's code, lovely and shinny as it is, it's its 32M strong user base come advertising market. The case will settle.

Labels: facebook, IT

:: Dan 30.7.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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