ShortFormBlog

huffingtonpost: Google Knowledge Graph Could Make Clicking...

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:27:00 -0400

Google Knowledge Graph Could Make Clicking Unnecessary

Rather than having to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s website to learn more about the architect, Google will use Knowledge Graph to showcase biographical details about the architect on its own website, serving up his birthdate, spouse, children and images of his most famous buildings (See screenshot below). Of course, it’s just a cursory glance at the architect — but one that might satisfy many.

A pal of ours who used to work at Google-acquired startup Apture called this the “Tristan Harris feature” earlier today. (Harris was Apture’s CEO.) This is very much the basic idea of Apture applied to Google search results, which is cool.

While some in Wisconsin are concerned about the upcoming recall,...

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:56:14 -0400

While some in Wisconsin are concerned about the upcoming recall, this guy is upset that an all-you-can-eat fish fry didn’t live up to its name. Screw it, we’re with this guy. Don’t call it “all-you-can-eat” if you can’t deliver. And where’s my chocolate fountain? (via BuzzFeed)

"This is a six point lead and that is clearly an advantage with a little more than two weeks to go."

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:45:38 -0400

“This is a six point lead and that is clearly an advantage with a little more than two weeks to go.”

- From Professor Charles Franklin at Marquette University Law School. New poll results were revealed Wednesday that Gov. Scott Walker leads Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett by six points. Professor Charles Franklin and Mike Gousha released the information during “On the Issues.” (via recallcentral)

Captain obvious with, even considering the obviousness of the point, a great point worth heeding.

Seems like the producers of “Anchorman 2” are...

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:35:42 -0400

Seems like the producers of “Anchorman 2” are working overtime to get us excited about a movie that’s not coming out for another year. But then, this is the sequel to Will Ferrell’s most-loved movie. Here’s the poster.

“SORRY! My Prada’s at the cleaners!” Remember...

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:14:16 -0400

“SORRY! My Prada’s at the cleaners!” Remember this scene from “The Social Network”? It’s the point where Eduardo Saverin learns that he’s totally been screwed out of the company he co-founded. But that’s not the whole story — in fact, Business Insider managed to get their grubby paws on the e-mail in which Mark Zuckerberg told the lawyers to dilute Saverin’s shares — the result of Saverin previously freezing the bank account they were using to fund themselves. Key line: “Is there a way to do this without making it painfully apparent to him that he’s being diluted to 10%?” In related news, Eduardo Saverin recently renounced his U.S. citizenship ahead of the company’s IPO.

Euro zone fears lead to massive Greek bank exodus As fears of a...

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:40:03 -0400

Euro zone fears lead to massive Greek bank exodus

As fears of a Greek exit from the Euro zone grow, investors across the country withdrew hundreds of millions of Euros from Greek banks on Monday and Tuesday. As thousands of customers closed accounts, or transferred to euro-friendly banks in neighboring countries like Cyrus, analysts began to fear that a “bank run” was on the horizon. Bank runs take place when large groups of customers withdraw their holdings from banking institutions, fearing that the bank will soon be insolvent. As more people withdraw from the bank, the likelihood of insolvency increases, further increasing the number of customers who withdraw. Essentially, closure transforms from a possibility to self-fulfilling prophecy.

€800 million pulled from Greek banks Monday — nearly $1 billion in U.S. dollars
€72
billion pulled from Greek banks since January 2010 alone source

» Attempting to calm “bank run” fears: President Karolos Papoulias announced the staggering total during a speech before heads of Greece’s Panhellenic Socialist party. Papoulias admitted that analysts estimated similarly high withdrawals on Tuesday, but assured party members that there was no need to fear a “bank run”. Analysts seem to agree for now, with Mediobanca analyst Alex Tsirigotis telling Reuters, “We have witnessed periods of tension before when the banks experienced large outflows. In my view, the majority of people with these concerns would have done so by now.” (Photo via dullhunk)

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Senate committee clears domestic partnership bill, but faces uphill climb

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:26:54 -0400

yeah… The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee today passed the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, which would grant benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers.
but…The bill still has to pass both the Senate proper and the GOP-controlled House of Representatives before becoming law—and something tells us John Boehner won’t be rushing to bring this one up for a vote. source

» The nitty-gritty: The bill was co-sponsored by 23 senators, including one Republican (Susan Collins of Maine). It passed the committee easily, via a bipartisan voice vote, and is actually rather narrow in scope: It only provides benefits for unmarried, same-sex domestic partners of federal workers. Married same-sex couples—and unmarried opposite-sex couples—are not included. The range of benefits provided, though, is pretty huge: medical, long-term care, disability, life insurance, workers’ comp, retirement, and more.

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picturedept: Hello World PICTURE DEPT is a new venue for...

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:02:00 -0400

picturedept:

Hello World

PICTURE DEPT is a new venue for photography presented by the award-winning Newsweek & The Daily Beast photo teams. As photo sharing has exploded online with services like Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, and others, there has never been more content available for viewing. But as more great, new photography venues are created, it is increasingly hard to keep up with the seemingly endless stream—and to find the very best of what’s out there. PICTURE DEPT is designed to both filter and condense this information into a single resource. The site includes curated photo features and recommendations of the best of what is happening in photography—not just from Newsweek & The Daily Beast but also from Tumblr, around the Web, and the world beyond the computer screen.

About the name:

When we decided to create a photo Tumblr, we turned to the amazing Newsweek archives for inspiration, and there we discovered a battered metal box that contained hundreds of faded yellow 4 x 6 note cards. On each card was the date of an issue of the magazine and the complete listing of its photo spreads. And they were all titled “PICTURE DEPT”, the original moniker of the photo department. The cards ranged in date from the 1930’s - 1970’s and reminded us of the amazing legacy of the magazine. So we decided to resurrect Picture Dept for the 21st century.

Follow us!

Be sure to check the design of the site, which is pretty solid. A note from Newsweek’s social media editor Brian Ries on the concept: “The plan: original photography, photos that run in the magazine and on the site, photos that don’t make it, and the best photos they find around the web and on tumblr. It will also be a great source for learning about local photography exhibitions and/or books to pick up.” Worth a look, all.

breakingnews: Judge widens lawsuit against NYPD’s...

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:55:16 -0400

breakingnews:

Judge widens lawsuit against NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practice

The New York Times reports: A federal judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit accusing New York Police Department officers of using race as a factor in stopping people on the street.

Photo: Robert Stolarik for The New York Times

In which a controversial policy gets its comeuppance.

Success of "The Avengers" earns Robert Downey Jr. millions

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:20:27 -0400

$50 million payday thanks to studio profit-sharing deal source

» Marvel signed the deal after the box-office success of Iron Man (2008), agreeing to pay Robert Downey Jr. a percentage of profits from all future movies in which the actor appears as Tony Stark/Iron Man. That’s significantly more than anyone else: Fellow stars Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson are each expected to make $2-$6 million from their wages and profit-sharing deals.

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"I thought they (the attackers) were exchanging messages but realizing he was alone, I think the..."

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:36:35 -0400

“I thought they (the attackers) were exchanging messages but realizing he was alone, I think the scream was actually a battle cry.”

- Utoeya Island massacre survivor Ingvild Leren Stensrud • Describing what she saw and heard, the day Anders Behring Breivik attacked Oslo and Utoeya, while testifying in the Norwegian killer’s trial. Stenstrud survived the attack, with a gun shot to the left thigh, after being knocked over — and subsequently covered by — the body of another victim. Glenn Martin Waldenstroem, who survived being shot in the face, asked that Breivik be removed from the room before he testified. With Anders gone, Waldenstroem told the court that the killer “looked angry and smiled simultaneously.” source (via • follow)

theatlantic: Video of the Day: Chris Christie and Cory Booker...

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:34 -0400

theatlantic:

Video of the Day: Chris Christie and Cory Booker Team Up

Two of America’s most charismatic and easily caricatured politicians have teamed up to poke fun at themselves: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker. The Seinfeld-themed video makes sport of the frequent speculation that Christie is a potential Republican vice-presidential nominee as well as Booker’s extramayoral heroics, from rushing into burning buildings to shoveling residents’ sidewalks.

We won’t ruin the surprise, but it’s worth sticking with it until the end.

In which two of Jersey’s brightest look in the mirror.

nprfreshair: How Common Is Your Birthday? (via @stiles) People...

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:56:53 -0400

nprfreshair:

How Common Is Your Birthday?

(via @stiles)

People with lighter colors are more unique. There. We said it.

Aaron Sorkin Will Adapt Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs Bio For Film

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:51:11 -0400

Aaron Sorkin Will Adapt Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs Bio For Film:

parislemon:

Insanely great news — but expectations will be through the roof post-The Social Network.

Dear David Fincher: Call Aaron. Now.

General Motors to Facebook: Eh, you're not doing much for us

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:46:58 -0400

$10 million in ad money moving away from Facebook source

» Just days before FB’s IPO: With a major financial boon on its way, the company’s suddenly got a bit of a PR headache on its hands, with one of the world’s biggest advertisers taking its money elsewhere. While a significant account, it’s not one that will hurt them greatly — it’s a drop in the bucket for a company that made $3.7 billion in revenue last year. Still, it’s part of a trend that’s looking not so hot for the company — ad revenue, while still up from a year ago, declined in the previous quarter.

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Family doctor: George Zimmerman suffered broken nose, lacerations

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:21:03 -0400

then George Zimmerman, charged with murder for the shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, has long claimed he acted in self-defense. Central to his argument, he says that Martin attacked him on the ground, making him fear for his life.
nowWhile how the incident began is yet unclear, a medical report by the Zimmerman family physician documents his condition after the incident. It says Zimmerman suffered a broken nose, bruised eyes, and head lacerations. source

Going up? George W. Bush endorses Mitt Romney from closing...

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:17:31 -0400

Going up? George W. Bush endorses Mitt Romney from closing elevator

Well, that’s one way to do it: Former president Bush provided the opposite of a shocker when revealing that he was endorsing Mitt Romney as his 2012 pick, but the way he did it was weird. “I’m for Mitt Romney,” he said to a reporter after a speech he gave on human rights in Washington on Tuesday — while the doors were closing on the elevator he was in. What, you can’t make a speech on the matter? That said, Bush (whose parents endorsed Romney in March) has been keeping a low profile since leaving office, mostly sticking to Texas and rarely hanging out in Washington. (photo by the U.S. Army)

"I love this type of collaboration. It is a process that I think is vital to the success of any..."

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:02:01 -0400

“I love this type of collaboration. It is a process that I think is vital to the success of any endeavor and one that was necessary to make sense of sometimes contradictory characterizations of President Eisenhower.”

- Architect Frank Gehry • Writing about the changes he’s made to the Eisenhower memorial he designed, which adds statues of Dwight Eisenhower’s work as general and as president. Gehry’s original design, which initially showed these images in bas relief form, drew criticism from Eisenhower’s family, with daughter Susan comparing some parts of the design to Communist works honoring “Marx, Engels and Lenin,” and other parts to Nazi death camps. Despite the changes, Gehry kept the key element of the design — a statue of Eisenhower as a young boy in Kansas, looking on at his later accomplishments. The design is planned to go on display near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

In the past few days, Getty Images has uploaded dozens of cheesy...

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:55:18 -0400

Hipster using Facebook

Zoom

Like Button + Zoom

Spin + Zoom

Spin + Zoom + Magnifying Glass

Every single Facebook icon ever

Facebook with smiley balloon nearby

Tiny dudes running in front of screen

Tiny dude in front of giant f

Tiny dudes running in blue

In the past few days, Getty Images has uploaded dozens of cheesy illustrations of Facebook’s logos and iconography, in an effort to prep us all for the company’s IPO this week. Here are some of our favorites. Note to illustrators who worked on these images: Sorry you guys have such a mind-numbing job. (Photos by Getty Images)

hman: FALSE METAL Looks like Scientology finally made him lose...

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:51:35 -0400

hman:

FALSE METAL

Looks like Scientology finally made him lose his mind.