the tomgrom blog

Mississippi Records' Mix Tapes

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:05:31 -0400

Ah, VSL, you’ve done it again.

This time you hooked us up with weird and wonderful music, courtesy of Root Strata’s Blog and Mississippi Records.

Dig around and download some of these tapes, and be transported to other worlds of sound, from old beat-up dregs to hipster funk, soul, and psychedelic. There’s even some great world music thrown into the mix.

Not all of the downloads are still active, sadly, but most are, and please be prepared for a more … organic … sound. Each MP3 is one side of a cassette recording of old records, and it sounds every bit like it.

Quantic Presents - Flowering Inferno - Death Of The...

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:00:07 -0400

Quantic Presents - Flowering Inferno - Death Of The Revolution

YouTubed by TruThoughtsRecords.

irvinebrown » Music for Shuffle

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:00:07 -0400

irvinebrown » Music for Shuffle:

Matthew Irvine Brown has instantly become a musical hero to me, now that he’s released a series of tracks that can be loaded in iTunes’ shuffle mode and played as one big, endless song.

Beautiful, brilliant, and inspiring electronic music.

[via Waxy Links]

Welcome to Pine Point: An Interactive Documentary

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:00:08 -0400

Welcome to Pine Point: An Interactive Documentary:

VSL reveals the power of new media to engage us like nothing else by highlighting the National Film Board of Canada and Goggle’s Welcome to Pine Point interactive documentary.

The story is haunting and resonant, and the experience richer because of the active role we have engaging in it. This effort pulls together talented storytellers, visual artists, musicians, animators, filmmakers, and web programmers in a novel way.

If you think it’s all been done before, you’re wrong (and, to some extent, right, but who cares if it’s done well?).

Dave Brubeck - Take Five - 1966 YouTubed by Astrotype. In...

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:17:26 -0400

Dave Brubeck - Take Five - 1966

YouTubed by Astrotype.

In memoriam of the recent passing of Joe Morello, longtime drummer in the Dave Brubeck Quartet, kindly brought to our attention courtesy of Paul.

Firefox 4 RC

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:57:23 -0500

Firefox 4 RC:

It’s out! Get on the cutting edge of web browsing with today’s release candidate (RC) of Firefox 4. I’ve been using the betas for several weeks, and find it to be a great improvement over Firefox 3.

Keep in mind that some add-ons won’t work, and that the final version will be out soon, so there’s no problem with waiting either…

I’m just the kind of geek who can’t wait to try something new.

Canadians continue to rage against metered billing

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:15:50 -0500

Canadians continue to rage against metered billing:

It’s very compelling to see how Canadians are reacting to planned changes in the way their Internet access is billed. This Ars Technica article describes where things stand at the moment.

Metered Internet, where you pay based on the amount of bandwidth you use, is being pushed for adoption in this country, too, and has an excellent chance of succeeding. Online video takes a lot of bandwidth, after all, and it competes directly with the cable and phone companies’ own products. Why wouldn’t they want to make it more costly to avoid using their overpriced services, especially with the influence they have in Washington? It’s easy to spin this into a “use more, pay more” story, rather than confront the truth behind it.

Like Canadians, the citizens of the United States subsidized the bandwidth infrastructure that’s currently in place to the tune of billions in tax breaks. We continue to allow these telecommunication companies to act as monopolies, as well, preventing competition and the operation of a free market. I have yet to see any believable evidence that, once the data infrastructure we paid for was in place, more use of it (higher bandwidth) costs ISP’s more money, other than the usual upgrades and maintenance that they’d be expected to perform regardless.

What surprises me is that so few people in this country seem upset about the direction we’re going in. Perhaps the Canadians, who are making real progress at preventing these changes, can teach us something about standing up for what’s right. I hope that we can get a little angry about this, make our voices heard and get on track to become competitive with countries that don’t have such entrenched interests.

Right now we’re stifling innovation in the name of preserving the traditional business models of communications and entertainment companies that wouldn’t be there in the first place if it wasn’t for the taxpayer’s largess.

The Sagan Series (Pt 1) - NASA The Frontier Is...

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:00:06 -0500

The Sagan Series (Pt 1) - NASA The Frontier Is Everywhere

YoUTubed by damewse.

[via Waxy Links]

perro volador Flickr’d by Harry Scheihing.

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:00:07 -0500

perro volador

Flickr’d by Harry Scheihing.

Scientists Connect Global Warming to Extreme Rain

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:19:00 -0500

Scientists Connect Global Warming to Extreme Rain:

The New York Times reports on an important milestone for climate change research:

“[T]his is the first time researchers have been able to point to a demonstrable cause-and-effect by using the rigorous and scientifically accepted method of looking for the “fingerprints” of human-caused climate change.”

I doubt it’s going to change anyone’s mind, but having real evidence is always preferable to theory, and it gives those of us who believe in human-caused climate change some measure of vindication.

Would the Bard Have Survived the Web?

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:11:00 -0500

Would the Bard Have Survived the Web?:

After all these years of promoting things like Creative Commons, I’ve been looking for a concise, well-written argument against those who say that current copyright law is stifling innovation and creativity.

The New York Times has delivered exactly what I’d hoped for with yesterday’s Op-Ed. It’s not screechy, or written by lawyers for the RIAA or MPAA. It’s intelligently written by people who make an excellent case.

It’s important to understand the arguments for and against copyright as it exists now so that we can make up our own minds, and figure out where to go next.

Scott Turow, Paul Aiken, and James Shaprio point out something crucial: people who create original works need to be paid. Absolutely true. Otherwise, there’s no incentive to innovate (and you need to get a day job).

I would argue, however, that the world has evolved to the point where it’s necessary to restore balance to copyright law and promote innovative business models for the distribution and payment of original content. Cling to old models, and you’ll fail.

The authors also fail to mention how copyright in our country has been outrageously extended over the years [copyright timeline pdf], and how the law is meant to serve the public as much as it is content creators.

For example, fewer people pirate music these days. Why? I think it’s largely because of how easy and inexpensive it is to buy high-quality versions of songs.

But enough from me. Read a good, rational argument for the “other” side, and see what you think.

BUDOS BAND YouTubed by DaptoneVideo. I missed them the last time...

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:26:09 -0500

BUDOS BAND

YouTubed by DaptoneVideo.

I missed them the last time they came around my neck of the woods. Never again! I’ve already got tickets for their next show — if you like this sort of thing, I hope they’re coming to a venue near you soon.

Why an expansion of low-power radio stations could mean good things for community news

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:54:08 -0500

Why an expansion of low-power radio stations could mean good things for community news:

The Neiman Journalism Lab considers the potential impact of President Obama’s new Local Community Radio Act, which makes it easier for communities to operate low-power stations.

I think this is a fantastic move, and one that’s long overdue. The ability to cover hyper-local news, culture, and events can transform a group of isolated residents into a real community.

Combine that with a savvy web presence and solid journalism, and we may see people gain a great deal more control over their own lives and the lives of their neighbors.

Clive Thompson on How Tweets and Texts Nurture In-Depth Analysis

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:45:59 -0500

Clive Thompson on How Tweets and Texts Nurture In-Depth Analysis:

Wow.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my purpose for having this blog lately. When this Clive Thompson article crossed my transom (thanks to Waxy Links) today, I think it may have been a sign.

Tweeting and short, daily Tumblr blog posts (like the one’s I’ve been doing for most of the last 3+ years) seem to essentially serve the same purpose: giving back to the ‘net community by sharing my favorite online finds, with a few more elaborate ramblings mixed in.

I’ve been energized by the wonderful resurgence of long-form articles, essays, and blog entries currently out there, though, and think it may be time to try something different. Perhaps it’s time to elaborate on the more elaborate ramblings, but do it less often.

I have few readers; you are definitely important to me. Any thoughts on this stuff as I mull it around? Please consider sending them along in comments or via the contact form.

Why you should care about Egypt

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:17:46 -0500

Why you should care about Egypt:

In today’s USA Today, Shadi Hamid puts forth an eloquent explanation of why citizens of the United States should be vitally interested in what’s happening in Egypt right now.

I’ve been riveted by Al Jazerra’s remarkable live coverage of events, and think that the prospect of a more democratic Arab world is worth supporting, even if the current dictators are supposed to be on our side.

Learn to Code: The Full Beginner's Guide

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:05:02 -0500

Learn to Code: The Full Beginner's Guide:

Ever wanted to learn a little coding, but not sure where to start? The awesomeness that is Lifehacker has your back.

Here’s their starter guide to learning how to code, in several parts, including links to more resources. There’s nothing hard or intimidating here, and knowing more about how computers work is always a good thing. Think of the power you’ll have!

After starting here, if you find that you’ve really got the programming bug, be sure to check out MIT’s OpenCourseWare Introduction to Computer Science and Programming, available in its entirely for free online and via iTunes U.

BBC - Dimensions

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:11:15 -0500

BBC - Dimensions:

VSL points us to another excellent example of the power of the Internet to help us visualize data in ways never before possible.

This time it’s the BBC’s experimental Dimensions site, allowing us to superimpose famous sites and routes onto places we know well.

Overall, an extremely enjoyable and enlightening tool.

iOS Still Rules

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:30:07 -0500

2011 seems to be the year there will finally be some substantial competition to Apple’s iPad tablet, after last year’s glut of vaporware and lukewarm release attempts. The trash talk from vendors like Samsung has begun, and while I love competition, my thinking on the subject has evolved: I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is going to be as good as the next generation iPad.

Now that I’ve had the opportunity to work with both iOS (the system that runs on Apple’s portable devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad) and several competing portable operating systems, I continue to categorically recommend iOS.

iOS devices boot instantly, crash rarely, and have the most elegant hardware user interface. The way Apple builds devices is truly an art, with each device a masterpiece of design, function, and reliability. Their control of hardware specifications allows them to build a uniform experience that translates across the spectrum — buy an iPhone and you already know how to use an iPad or iPod Touch. This control also extends to the responsiveness of the devices. iOS won’t run on a machine that isn’t capable of providing a quick, efficient experience, and they offer regular updates to make sure that your hardware is running the latest and greatest version of everything.

Software for iOS devices is easy to find, install, and manage — and it’s all vetted by Apple before it appears in their App Store, which helps prevent installing anything that’s potentially destructive [this is something I am actually against when it comes to the Mac App Store because of the precedent it sets]. There’s also a dynamic community of developers releasing and updating thousands of high-quality apps at reasonable prices, and the process of syncing apps and media is long, but (mostly) painless.

Contrast that with other portable devices I’ve used, and it’s startling. So many of these things are over-complicated, underpowered, and underperforming. The OS is rarely updated, and good apps are often difficult to find, install, and update.

I almost feel bad for Google. This really isn’t their fault. Android is an exceptional portable Operating System, and could easily be as much of a contender as iOS, but the hardware gets in the way. Gingerbread may be every bit as good as iOS 4, but I’d never know because I don’t own the one device out there that currently runs it, whereas every Apple device I own is updated to the very latest version.

It pains me to say this, but the fact that Android is Open Source is what hurts it because it gives device manufacturers the ability to churn out sub-par merchandise, which they do on an alarmingly regular basis.

If I’m going to pay big money — and these portable devices are certainly not cheap — I’m going to stick with the company that provides the most consistent, reliable, and functional system, even if (or perhaps because) it’s closed.

iOS it is.

LibreOffice

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:30:07 -0500

LibreOffice:

Some of you may know of (and even use) OpenOffice.org, the dominant free alternative to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

It’s a great suite of productivity apps, but there was a schism in the development late last year that’s resulted in a new, competing product: LibreOffice. The reasons behind the split are interesting, but I’d prefer to focus on the fact that LibreOffice has some important features that are lacking in OpenOffice.org, including the ability to import files from Lotus Word Pro, Microsoft Works, and WordPerfect.

Like its sibling suite, it’s able to open and save in all Microsoft formats (.doc/x, .xls/x, etc.), and is still 100% free. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and just released on January 25th, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Eighth grader's iPhone game knocks Angry Birds from perch

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:28:00 -0500

Eighth grader's iPhone game knocks Angry Birds from perch:

How about another story of pursuing a passion that leads to success?

Here, Macworld tells us about Robert Nay, an eighth-grader from Spanish Fork, Utah whose iOS game Bubble Ball beat out the slickly produced (and quite fun) Angry Birds.

These people are inspiring. I’ve got to do something more than play Minecraft in my spare time…