USPS has created an online tool that allows you to see if an item you want to ship will fit into one of their Priority Mail boxes. You can see the demo below. Of course, you need the latest flash and a webcam in order for it to work.

I had to give it a try. It works perfectly. Just click on the Launch Virtual Box Simulator and your webcam comes on. As soon as it sees the Eagle icon you printed it creates the box. If your use the 8.5 x 11 as scale, you could guess which box will work for you. Not perfect of course, how the eagle is printed will determine the orientation of the box. And if you have a built in web camera like on an iMac or your laptop you can only place the paper in front of the camera, making it difficult to add an object. But very cool use of this technology.

Click here to try.

Via Coudal Partners

Can’t get away this weekend? That’s okay. Take a tour of Paris in 26 Gigapixels. Made up of 2346 photographs, you can zoom in across the rooftops, find out a bit more about a landmark or catch the one guy who didn’t know his picture was being taken. Actually, I couldn’t spot anybody out except for one guy in red baseball cap leaning against a balcony railing. Probably an American tourist.

The photograph

How they did it

Via Coudal Partners

Congratulations Kathryn Bigelow! You are the first woman director to win an Academy Award! Wait, really? The first? It’s 2010, people. Do you know the first female director and a key figure in the development of narrative film was Alice Guy-Blache’. She directed her first film in 1896. And headed her own studio from 1910-1914. That was 114 years ago!

Surely women were nominated before 2010, right? Yes. Three women. In 1976, Lina Wertmuller, was nominated for her movie Seven Beauties. In 1983, Jane Campion was nominated for The Piano, and Sofia Coppola in 2003 for Lost in Translation (also the first American woman nominated). Okay, well then it only took 80 years for the Academy to recognize women directors. Wait, 80 years!?

I guess I am shocked because I have watched so many wonderful movies directed by female directors such as Jane Campion, Amy Heckerling, Sofia Coppola, Penny Marshall, Nora Ephron, Darnell Martin, Allison Anders, Mary Haroon and Jodie Foster to name a few.

I am also shocked because of how many woman I know who are creating, editing, shooting or writing films, in spite of the odds against them. I know each of them are struggling to get their films made, to get the D.P. jobs, the camera operator jobs, the directing jobs. But why? Why are the jobs and money more easily available for a man in this industry rather than a woman? I don’t get it. For some opinions on that read some of the reactions to Kathryn Bigelow’s win by other female directors.

I do know that the world around us is changing. I know that I can see a movie in a theatre, on satellite or cable, on the internet, DVD, through Blockbuster or Netflix. I know that filmmakers can distribute and market their films on their own, without sharing profits with studios. I know that filmmakers that take advantage of new technologies available in acquisition, editing platforms and distribution, can and will make money.

And as a woman, I know I would rather see (and pay for) more stories about women, even dead women, than another Transformers.

Kathryn Bigelow’s win is a big step. But it’s back to work. After all, it took 114 years to get this far. And since I want to see more stories about and/or by women I thought I would list some links to organizations and funding for filmmakers below. And if any commenters want to add to the list, please comment below.

Filmmaker organizations:

Women Behind the Camera A great listing of links for organizations and funding

Alliance of Women Directors

Funding:

Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program

myproducer.tv

WIF Film Finishing Fund

go BIG network Brings together investors with entrepreneurs.

On-line Distribution:

Massify

From the Heart Productions

Createspace.com

Independent Online Distribution

Between the “holidaze”, a rush of projects in January and February and some needed recovery time, I have neglected my blog. AND my blog reading! So to get started again here are some great links I found and hope you find interesting too.

My new favorite blog is ReadWriteWeb If you want to read about new web apps, internet, startups and social media trends, or even find out more about the “next thing to hit the internet” (can you say “Cloud Computing”?) then this is your site.

Here’s a few story links:
You can’t Launch the Next Generation of Startups Without Women
This article covers a variety of studies conducted regarding women and computer programming. The first study highlighted may make you cringe a bit. The old ” girls don’t like or can’t learn math” line of reasoning is evident here. But read on. The author looks at women in the startup environment and how old ways of thinking are well, old and outdated. From the article:

“A startup is traditionally the brainchild of one or several creative programmers – and less than 25% of programmers are women. This is not the only aspect of the current system that just isn’t consistent with women’s reality or, for that matter, with the reality of a society that has changed radically since the last bubble burst. And it’s not just women who are at a disadvantage, but all entrepreneurs who don’t have a technical background.”

Why we need Tech Events for Women This article may not answer that question specifically, but does present the case that access to training and mentorship is important for women of all ages, especially for the future.

Kathy Hamlin, co-founder of Internet Identity Workshop and facilitator of She’s Geeky Conference is quoted in the article:

“I think the world would look a lot different if half the developers were women. Information technologies are shaping the future and if women are not active participants in the product design and development, then their perspectives are not included and it won’t work for them.”

Is Flash the CPU-hog Apple contends? In an article “Does HTML5 really beat flash?” the author cites a test done by Jan Ozer at StreamingLearningCenter.com. Interesting read. Makes me rethink the purchase of an iPad and looking more closely at the HP iSlate for my netbook/e-reader purchase.

Bicycling Directions, Trails Come to Google Maps. Last time I did a bike tour, I remember following so called markers that changed from red arrows, to yellow arrows, to some hieroglyphics splattered on the road. Not fun getting lost on mile 40 when you hoping to be on a 35 mile tour which you chose because you wanted to beat your personal best of 20 miles!, just saying. Time to look into those solar chargers for my iPhone.

So much reading to catch up on!

In the midst of economic uncertainty Italy has an inspired idea! Create a street market where goods are exchanged rather than sold. The market will provide exchanges between hard goods, skills or knowledge services.

An excerpt from an article in La Stampa newspaper (translation by Mark Vanderbeeken, Experientia):

“Our market is not a real market,” explains Filippo Dionisio, President of ManaMana’ – in the sense that money is banned. We want to go beyond the commercial concept of barter, which is often seen as a precursor to money, and to affirm instead the value of exchange, where such exchange can also be immaterial and cover connections and relationships between people.” That’s why the “SenzaMoneta” event should be seen first of all as a meeting between people, where goods, products and also knowledge can be exchanged without any money passing hands, thereby also limiting any possible waste.”

Online organizations such as freecycle offer similar services, but the transactions are always anonymous. Chicago had hosted the Big Swap Bonanza last year, but as yet, no news of it happening this year.

I would think something like this would be a fun event for a summer day in Chicago. What do you think Mayor Daley?

Via: CORE77

Market Website with a great picture gallery. The smiles of delight and the variety of unusual finds are fun to see.

Interesting article from Smart Money Magazine about products that may be obsolete by the end of the decade or even by year’s end.

I was a bit surprised that Compact Digital Cameras made the list. These cameras are cheap and take fantastic photos. Better than any phone camera. And most importantly, incredibly easy to operate. Of course, if you can operate a DSLR and afford the lenses and such, you are probably a more advanced photographer than most of us and would walk right past the compacts. But since most of us aren’t Dorothea Lange or Ansel Adams, I think these cameras will be around for awhile. And frankly, I just can’t see clicking through pages of iPhone photos. “Whose that blurry spot there? Umm Gramma or Uncle Bob…not sure.”

And used textbooks? That’s not really a new idea. Although it is nice to see so many more ways to purchase used textbooks other than the local university book store.

I will still buy external hard drives. Cheap, and fast backups. The time it would take to upload a 50mb file let alone your movie collection? I don’t have that much time. A couple of hard drives will work just fine.

How about you? Any other items available today that you think might not be available next year? Do you agree with the list? Please comment below.

Via Smart Money

The beginning of a new year brings a fresh start. A new way to look at our lives and make changes, make resolutions, change habits, plan for business, or personal growth. Just search the web for “RESOLUTIONS” and you’ll find thousands of entries. Many people, all wiser than myself, have ideas and suggestions for us.

Me? I don’t make resolutions, well, not a list anyway. I’ve tried the list a couple of times but nothing ever stuck. Just another list of to-do’s that I never got done.

Christine Kane, a songwriter, and creative consultant, suggests you choose a word for the year. The idea is to set an intent for the year, not a list of to do’s.

How does it work? Let’s say your intent is to live healthier and you find yourself staring at a big ol’ chocolate cake, you remember your word, (maybe it’s the word “HEALTH”) and your intent of living a healthier life and decide you will have a piece of fruit instead. Or a smaller piece of cake.

I like this idea. It’s simple, it’s easy to remember (I have enough lists, thank you!) and isn’t doomed to failure as say the “I plan to workout 3 times a week” resolution.

So I began with the word “FOCUS”. Focus on my business, focus on this blog, focus on my health and fitness. The problem? I would think “FOCUS” and immediately ask “umm…focus on what, which, who?”.

I thought of words like “ABUNDANCE”, “DISCOVERY” or “EXPANSION” and they seemed too open and undefined. I still wanted focus. That I knew for certain. But none of these words moved me.

No, it has to be simpler, right? Maybe I am just over thinking this. And then it came to me. “SIMPLICITY”. After saying this word I actually felt a feeling of relief. To me, simplicity meant ridding my world of extraneous things, of stresses and distractions.

One example? In my search of finding the “perfect workout”, I have accumulated books, DVD’s, gadgets and gear for 20 different sports or workouts. Not anymore. “SIMPLICITY” dictated that I choose the workout that was simple and effective. Done. All that other stuff you’ll soon find on Ebay or listed on Freecycle.

I am applying “SIMPLICITY” to my finances by paying off credit cards and finding simple ways to save money.

All those projects and “someday I’ll learn to…” stuff. On its way out the door. Closets are becoming uncluttered. Storage areas and cabinets will be emptying out.

And every time I want to buy that latest gadget that promises to make my life or work easier, I pause and ask myself, “Will it really?. Or will it sit in my closet gathering dust?”.

This year, I will ask the question before I make any decision, “Will it complicate and clutter my life?” If I can say no to that question, then it is worth pursuing.

So when I look back from 2011, how will I describe 2010?. In a word, simplicity.

If you are anticipating the iSlate, SI Tablet or JooJoo or looking seriously at buying that Kindle or Nook, then you better have a plan for all those books you’ll no longer need!

Here’s one idea.

Mike Stilkey creates wall mountable book sculptures by painting covers and spines along a stack of books to create a single painting/sculpture. Lovely!

Click here for more book sculpture pics. Click here for galleries and where to buy.

Via Ifitshipitshere

With the New Year only a few weeks away, you may be thinking of New Year’s resolutions. Whether you are making a list or just finding a theme for the New Year, here’s a way to email yourself in the future and tell yourself all your hopes and dreams you had for this coming year.

Thankfully, you can make your entries public or private. Some brave souls have made public entries and these are available for viewing. Very interesting. They even have a book released. Simple but brilliant idea. Just think what it will be like when you open this email a year from now!

968,478 letters written to the future and counting…

futureme.org

Another e-book reader/netbook said to be available in February 2010. Engadget had contacted the company directly and confirmed that the shipping is on track. Check out the video below.

Next year should be very interesting as the market for e-book readers and netbook tablets heat up.

Via Engadget