flinglog

A love note seen from space near the Lake Washington floating bridge...

2009-07-02T08:36:02-07:00

A love note seen from space near the Lake Washington floating bridge in Seattle

Psychologist finds Wikipedians grumpy and closed-minded

2009-06-28T13:10:04-07:00

Does that really come as a surprise though?

I also like that heavy users of Digg and Twitter are “people who prefer online social behaviour tend to have higher levels of social anxiety and lower social skills.” Whereas YouTube uploaders “have egocentric rather than altruistic motives.”

Virtuality

2009-06-28T11:10:24-07:00

Last night I watched Virtuality, a series pilot from the Ron Moore and Michael Taylor, better known as the creator and show runner for Battlestar Galactica respectively, and Peter Berg better known creator of the failed but amazing show Wonderland and the successful Friday Night Lights and Chicago Hope.

Simply put, this “movie” was amazing, but unfortunately doesn’t stand a chance in hell of becoming a full blown series. Like the Battlestar Galactica reboot, it isn’t a science fiction show, it is a show about people that just happen to be traveling in space. Also like BSG, it deals with multiple themes that are very relevant to the problems we have today.

The story is about a crew of 12 astronauts about to leave the solar system for 10 years on a mission to a solar system. Originally planned as a research mission, climate change has become so severe on Earth, that it is now a mission for find suitable life on another planet.

To build support for the mission back home, as well as to help fund it, all of the events are recorded and broadcast back on earth as a reality series. Which doesn’t come off as silly as that sounds. They make it very relevant, and even a bit logical in the show.

The title refers to the Virtuality or virtual reality modules that the crew uses to escape the confines of the ship. Allowing them to invent escapes and provide some sanity on the long voyage.

A glitch is discovered in the modules, altering peoples virtual experiences, taking form as the shows villain. Different crew members interpret the glitch differently, some as a violent predator and some as some sort of divine inspiration to continue on the mission.

You question, is the glitch part of a corporate conspiracy, is it the reality show producer trying to invoke conflict to boost ratings, is it a ghost in the machine, or something else entirely? Chances are we will never find out.

The entire time I was watching it I was thinking: how the hell are they going to turn this into a series. The multilayered themes worked in the format. And they were able to conclude each hour with a suitable ending leaving you wanting more. I could imagine how they could create a number of scenarios each week, exploring virtual environments, space and the human condition. But it was just too good, too smart for television, at least in the United States.

It felt a lot like the 2001 or the Solaris movies, but a lot less dull. It was more like Firefly/Serenity and BSG, but a lot more relatable. It easily had the story and cast talent to be a highly regarded, possibly even classic sci-fi movie if it had been released in theaters, but television was the perfect format for it, had it been picked up for even just a short 12 episode run.

Peter Berg’s failed Wonderland was probably one of the best shows I’ve ever seen on television even though it only aired two hours. Virtuality seems likely doomed to the same fate. A great story, cut short by bad ratings.

Had it found a home on Sci-Fi (NBC Universal produced it, so it’s possible) or even HBO, I think we might have seen something incredible. But alas all we are left with is a snippet of what is capable when you put great people with great ideas behind the camera.

Tether your iPhone 3.0 on AT&T now

2009-06-26T10:35:29-07:00

Tether your iPhone 3.0 on AT&T now

Product vs. process journalism

2009-06-26T08:57:59-07:00

…or the myth of perfection vs. beta culture. I believe eventually as newspapers go away and people turn to blogs for their information, they will start to demand a high quality article. At the same time news needs to figure out how to create a new model of journalism that brings people facts fast.

How to Write a Good Business Plan

2009-06-26T08:53:34-07:00

…or why business plans don’t deliver. A good read on how to write up you ideas.

Mexican Coke at Costco and by the case

2009-06-26T08:51:33-07:00

Mexican Coke at Costco and by the case

Personal Best

2009-06-25T19:57:43-07:00

Personal Best

iPhone 3GS dropped in the pool and still works!

2009-06-25T16:26:36-07:00

iPhone 3GS dropped in the pool and still works!

iPhone 3G S blows away rivals

2009-06-24T15:04:31-07:00

iPhone 3G S blows away rivals

Making the switch to Google Quick Search Box

2009-06-24T12:21:32-07:00

I’ve found it to be a worthy replacement to Quicksilver which isn’t actively being worked on anymore (the developer now works at Google, working on… you guessed it: Google Quick Search Box)

Oscars expand the best-picture race to 10 films

2009-06-24T11:16:15-07:00

In other words anything that gets released between Halloween and New Years will automatically earn an Oscar nomination.

Palm has sold about 150,000 Pre's

2009-06-24T09:43:12-07:00

That is a pretty good launch. …but Apple sold a million iPhone 3G S in a single week. And lets not forget that the original iPhone 3G has been $99 for a few weeks now.

We’ll need to see more webOS devices soon to begin to rival the iPhone.

Let’s Make the Web Faster

2009-06-24T09:31:20-07:00

Let’s Make the Web Faster

[the] problem is that Ruby on Rails is a framework for applications,...

2009-06-24T09:29:42-07:00

[the] problem is that Ruby on Rails is a framework for applications, not systems

Aaron Longwell

Verizon to grow internationally

2009-06-24T09:27:32-07:00

Anyone that knows the mobile space knows this is an odd statement. Not only is Verizon 45% owned by Vodafone, one of the largest operators in the world, but they have a incompatible network with every other network in the world.

HTC Hero: the first Android device with Flash

2009-06-24T09:15:53-07:00

This would seem pretty exciting, but the overall performance lag is painful to watch. I still think that mobile devices either lack the power or Flash is too bloated for the mobile context. Take your pick.

The HTC Hero with a custom Android UX

2009-06-24T09:12:02-07:00

The HTC Hero with a custom Android UX

Apple's "hate-on" for PhoneGap

2009-06-22T13:15:47-07:00

A great wrap up of a conversation Mike Nachbaur had with an Apple app store reviewer about Apple’s “unfounded hate-on for PhoneGap.”

HTML 5: Could it kill Flash and Silverlight?

2009-06-22T10:22:46-07:00

Umm, yes.