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December 28, 2005
Time's best movies of the year
of course as the end of the year draws closer, we are overwhelmed by all kinds of "Best of " and "Worst of" lists trying to capture the essence of the year gone by. i came across Time magazine's Best movie list while drinking my coffee today, and was in part surprised that i had only heard of (let alone seen) one of them. After reading the reviews of the movies, i now want to see all of them. Granted, the reviews are obviously positive, but they are also interesting. and, i've certainly had poorer reasons to see a movie before... the only question is how and when these movies might make themselves available in this cold nook of the world!
Posted by lara at 05:22 AM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2005
to my darling...
Greeting cards have all been sent
The Christmas rush is through
But I still have one wish to make
A special one for you
Merry Christmas darling
We're apart that's true
But I can dream and in my dreams
I'm Christmas-ing with you
Holidays are joyful
There's always something new
But every day's a holiday
When I'm near to you
The lights on my tree
I wish you could see
I wish it every day
Logs on the fire
Fill me with desire
To see you and to say
That I wish you Merry Christmas
Happy New Year, too
I've just one wish
On this Christmas Eve
I wish I were with you
Logs on the fire
Fill me with desire
To see you and to say
That I wish you Merry Christmas
Happy New Year, too
I've just one wish
On this Christmas Eve
I wish I were with you
I wish I were with you
[the Carpenters]
Posted by lara at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)
it's that time of the year
Merry Christmas to all, and may the new year bring us all love, joy and peace!
ok, enough of the sappy sentiments : )
Posted by lara at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2005
Self-recognition in robots
The issue of self-recognition has always been of great interest in cognitive science (and any of its sister-fields). From a development perspective, we have been curious as to when a child actually starts understanding that a mirror presents them with an image of themselves. Do our brains come pre-wired with this ability, or is it a skill we develop?
In primate studies mirrors have been a controversial topic, as initially the ability to recognize oneself in a mirror was considered "higher-cognition", and was considered to only be a human quality. However, more recent research shows that primates do in fact recognize themselves. (i recently saw a show on the Animal Planet where a chimp was using a mirror in its enclosure to remove something stuck in its teeth).
So, now it appears that we have figured out how to build this ability into artificial intelligence, creating Robots with self-awareness. This is pretty neat. As many people will be quick to argue, just because we are able to duplicate a behavior in artificial intelligence doesn't mean we've figured out how we do it, but it certainly is one step closer. Also, it adds a really cool, and decidedly functional, ability to robots and their behavior!!
Posted by lara at 06:36 AM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2005
the internet is a great place for horrible writers ...
Where Computer Interfaces Are Going : 3D Beyond Games
ok, you have officially been warned: this a very frustrating artcle to me, because on first glance it sounds like a really cool topic for discussion. the article however is just a mess. it's hard to read, it makes little sense, there are some generally wrong statements, and it seems like this guy just has no real clue about our visual system. so instead of getting an enlightened opinion, some thoughtful discussion and some innovative suggestions from the author on the topic of the future of computer interfaces, i am left thinking this person just like to see his own words in print. (i will grant that there is a really really slim possibility that the author pulls himself together in a grand finale, making all of his points become clear and rounding off with a solid argument, but honestly i couldn't be bothered to read beyond page 3).
perhaps later i will elaborate on the faults i see in this article, and detail some of my own thoughts on this subject, but for the moment i just can't be bothered.
Posted by lara at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)
a little step in the right direction
woohoo!
Senate fails to reauthorize Patriot Act
i could say a lot more on this issue, but i think that the main point is that it is nice to think that perhaps people have finally gotten ahold of themselves in washington...
Posted by lara at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)
on music and christmas traditions...
i am no music connoisseur. plain and simple. i love music, but i love music in a simple way, without giving it too much thought or analysis. when i go to concert i have a very rudimentary mechanism that tells me when i really really enjoy a particular piece, verse or bar: i get goosebumps on my forearms and on the left side of my neck. now, i do know that when i've been at concert with some of my more music-savvy friends, and i've made appreciative noises when my goosebump sensor goes off, my friends tend to agree that that was in fact a particularly pleasing part.
anyways, that was a pretty big introduction. last night we went to the Christmas concert at the Oslo concert hall and it was just enchanting. The concert is a collaboration between the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir and has been a christmas tradition in our family for a number of years. while the precise line-up of music changes from year to year, it always opens with a medieval norwegian christmas song where the choir enters the hall from the rear, each of the singers holding a lit candle. this is an a capella piece and not only sets a lovely mood for the rest of the concert, but also gave me goosebump alert #1.
This year the program contained a number of personal and familial favorites, such as the Hallelulja chorus from Handel's Messiah, a collection of snippets from Tchaikovsky's Nut Cracker Suite, Gruber's Stille Nacht, and as always, ending with one of the most traditional Norwegian Christmas songs. My recollection is a bit fuzzy, but i do believe that between 5 and 6 times i was so pleasantly surprised by a particular rendition of a familiar passage, or by the choir hitting a particular note, that my goosebumps came out. : )
For the final song the choir sings the first verse, and then the whole audience joins in for the final two. the collective aspect of this song, the fact that practically everyone there learned this song in elementary school and knows it by heart, the gorgeous christmas decorations and the wonderful orchestra and choir makes this one of my most beloved christmas traditions.
Posted by lara at 08:15 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2005
the battle fizzles out...
well, it seems as though for once, the consumers will not be the losers. A while back I wrote about the apparent upcoming battle between Blu-Ray and HD DVD, and my opinion on this kind of diversion in technological progress that customers end up paying for... now, however, it seems as though this battle has been resolved before it hits the frontlines of consumer retail; Blu-Ray has an overwhelming majority of the large corporations who will be using this technology (SW companies, music & movie labels) backing them. This may seem like a surprise, especially since "HD DVD was selected by the DVD Forum as the successor to the DVD standard" -- Blu-Ray was developed outside the DVD Forum.
No details on how Blu-Ray has managed to drum up this much support. However, it does seem like the company has taken a step in the right direction by having their players be capable of playing both traditional (soon to be old!) DVDs in addition to their Blu-Ray discs.
So it would appear that this time the losers are the companies that initially took sides in this battle, like Toshiba and Microsoft. I guess you have to take your wins with your losses...
Posted by lara at 03:59 PM | Comments (1)
December 11, 2005
drifting
i was browsing through pictures today and started thinking about all the people who have been in my life... and of those who are no longer a part of it... people who have faded out, slipped away, deliberately left... i miss them all. in each their own way they have molded me into who i am... taught me things, showed me things, helped me see things in myself...
i miss them all. some more than others. some i long to have back in my life...
Posted by lara at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2005
on the first day of christmas...
...or, a Very Nerdy Advent Calendar!
24 Ways to impress your friends
cute idea. i wish i could pick up all of these little tips...maybe with time?
Posted by lara at 09:56 AM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2005
aren't we in the season of giving???
here the city of new orleans is trying to find ways of enticing people to re-establish themselves, and at the same time, taking a significant leap forward into the technological future. and what is the response from a major american corporation? withdrawal of a donation of a BellSouth building for the new police HQ. Now, I do understand that BellSouth is seeing this as a loss of potential sales, but still.. it's not like the city couldn't use the goodwill, and it's also not like this will run BellSouth into the red...and right before christmas too???
Angry BellSouth Withdrew Donation, New Orleans Says
Apparently this is an issue in several other states as well. I guess it's clear where my stance is on this matter. Is there something terribly wrong with drawing parallels between sewer and water being supplied by the government with WiFi being supplied by the government? I think the key here is to keep an eye on the future and try to imagine what we think WiFi will be in 5 years. A service that everyone has to purchase for themselves, or a public-type service?
Posted by lara at 09:45 AM | Comments (0)
