Category: techno

Lost and Found

If you haven’t subscribed to the SoundCorps podcast you’re really missing out.
The stories are so personal and touching and I’m sure they probably mean even more to the family members who get to do the interviews and hear the stories.
This week’s podcast is another great one:

During World War II, the U-S military ran prisoner-of-war camps across the country. Jean Thackeray grew up near one of these camps. She came to StoryCorps to tell her daughter-in-law, Susan, about a POW who came to work on her father’s farm.

Free 411 service

Still paying your phone company for operator assistance.
Stop giving them extra money and use Goog-411.
Call 1-800-Goog-411 and get information and be connected for free through Google.
I’ve been using a similar service through text messaging for several years now. Love it.
But now I can call and use voice prompts instead.
Very nice.

Govt. officials hope to block access to maps

As someone who works with GIS in my job, this story in particular caught my attention this morning.
It seems that some local and state entities around the country are trying to block the publics access to GIS maps, siting security reasons.
From NPR:

With Google Earth and GPS, people have grown accustomed to online maps of whatever they’re searching for. But the boom in digital mapping has run into an obstacle. Some government officials are refusing to release electronic maps of what they call “critical infrastructure,” such as water mains and fire hydrants.

There’s so much great information out there to help the general user/member of the public yet there are those in power who are doing all they can to hold on to that information and squash the open sharing of knowledge. Frustrating to say the least.
If I could only get my GIS information to convert to the correct file formats for my GPS unit we’d really be in business – but that may still be a ways off.
Listen to the full story online

Ingrid Michaelson does it on Myspace

Brian shares a little history on Ingrid Michaelson’s rise via Myspace on the encounter blog.
Her music has recently been featured on an Old Navy commercial as well as the Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack Vol. 3 (which also features some of my favorites, Robert Randolf and the Family Band and Mat Kearney.

iTunes U

Just found that Apple offers university classes online for free through iTunes U.

Tunes U has arrived, giving higher education institutions an ingenious way to get audio and video content out to their students. Presentations, performances, lectures, demonstrations, debates, tours, archival footage — school is about to become even more inspiring.

Granted, you’re not going to get any college credit hours but looks like there’s a lot to learn.