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Wired News: E-Paper's Killer App: Packaging (Dec 2005)"Siemens is readying a paper-thin electronic-display technology so cheap it could replace conventional labels on disposable packaging, from milk cartons to boxes of Cheerios."
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"Color displays may one day be used practically everywhere. And this would be possible even where it’s unprofitable today for cost reasons" by using "extremely thin, miniature color displays that can be printed onto paper or foil."
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Ph.D.
I study people, technology, and the worlds they make
Month: February 2007 (page 1 of 5)
For the last year I’ve been working, first during my day job and more recently in off hours, on an encyclopedia project, the Encyclopedia of the 21st Century.
It’s approximately the craziest thing I’ve ever signed my name to: four volumes, several million words, every one of which will violate a rule of reference publishing so fundamental it’s not written down anywhere, but is burned in the heart of every editor.
Encyclopedias are about things that exist, things that have happened, or things that have been believed. In general, encyclopedias aren’t about things that haven’t yet happened. But this one is.
In a way, while it’s been a great project to think about, and it’s served as terrific cover for writing to interesting people, it’s also seemed a bit abstract. But now, commissioning letter have started going out. It’s an exciting moment in a project: it’s turning real, but we haven’t yet had the big wave of rejections that’s normal in this kind of commissioning, nor am I faced with the hard work of actually reading manuscripts and that kind of thing. I should enjoy it while I can.
[To the tune of Eddie Palmieri, “Verdict On Judge Street,” from the album “Sueño“.]
Technorati Tags: e21, encyclopedia
I sometimes think back to my time at Britannica, and wonder if my most-read commission will turn out to be the Quaker Oats dino facts. This despite the fact that I was lucky enough to be involved in lots of stuff: the regular article commissioning process, of course, but also timelines, Britannica CD, Britannica Online, and numerous Web sites.
Turns out that in Saudi Arabia, the odds are pretty good that the dino facts will have a bigger audience than at least one of those sites. In an article on online censorship, the Guardian reports that
Saudi Arabia’s theocratic royals and their Wahhabi allies block access to sites promoting Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and gay and women’s rights. Such is their misogyny, they have also banned the “Women in American History” section of the online Encyclopaedia Britannica.
For some reason I’m strangely proud. And my wife- who contributed some of the articles for that feature- can now add “writings banned in Saudi Arabia” to her resume.
[To the tune of Eddie Palmieri, “Just A Little Dream,” from the album “Sueño“.]
Technorati Tags: Britannica, writing
We flew back from Disneyland to the Bay Area on Saturday. (Few places in the world are weird enough to make the Bay Area feel like “the real world,” but Disneyland is one of them.) After checking out of the hotel, we tried to call a well-known cab company (one named after a color) for a ride to the airport; but after several unsuccessful exchanges with the dispatcher, which always resulted in our getting bumped over to voice mail, I borrowed a phone book from the hotel receptionist, chose another cab, and called. They were there in less than 10 minutes.
Naturally, I saved that second phone number in my address book, and if I go back to Anaheim, I’ll call them. But this got me thinking: my saved numbers are a list of people or companies I’ve had good experiences with. But I’d also like a feature that reminded me, should I try to call that cab company again, that they didn’t work out before. Here at home, I can generally remember what stores to avoid, and where I’ve had bad experiences; on the road, particularly for places I only visit for a day or two, I’m much less likely to remember the name of that Chinese restaurant that looks good but has terrible food, or the airport shuttle that never came. (Just as bad, I’m likely to get the number wrong, and confuse a good company with a bad one, thus accidentally rewarding bad behavior.) Being able to give a dialed number a red star (or whatever) would at least warn me that, whether I remembered it or not, something didn’t work out the last time I called.
[To the tune of The Beatles, “Ticket To Ride,” from the album “The Beatles 1“.]
Technorati Tags: mobility, pervasive computing, travel
Tonight after the fireworks, and after the kids were asleep, I went back to Disneyland for another hour, mainly to take pictures of Tomorrowland in the dark, but also to go on Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters one more time.
via flickr
Since I was flying solo, I had both guns to myself, so naturally I got a little Chow-Yun Fat with the game. Though earlier I went through with my son, and he decided he wanted to just steer.
via flickr
The other thing this picture reveals is how usefully bright my cycling jacket gets. A while ago I took to wearing it when we go to the aquarium and other exciting, crowded places, on the theory that the kids would have an easier time finding me should we get separated. It turns out that the thing doesn’t just glow in headlights; put it under black lights, and its virtually radioactive. It’s really something. And the kids to appreciate being able to pick Daddy out of a crowd (or out of the dark) very easily.
Technorati Tags: Anaheim, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Disneyland, games
Last night, after taking the kids to the pool for a swim and a soak in the hot tub, we went to dinner at Captain Kidd’s, a place two motels up. (Every city has its local architectural curiosities. Philadelphia has its row houses, Boston its three-story family houses, Chicago its apartment buildings organized around a central courtyard, and Anaheim has motels with convenience stores and restaurants.)
Captain Kidd’s is a buffet place, and probably one of the cheapest options in the area. Yet, it says a lot about a place when you can pay $9 for all you can eat… and feel like you didn’t get your money’s worth.
Technorati Tags: Anaheim, Disneyland
We bought several multi-day park passes to cover our three days here in the Land of the Mouse. As soon as we got in the park, I collected them, so I could write everyone’s name on them.
There were several families near us doing the same thing, and I noticed something: all of them were writing their cell phone numbers on their cards, and a couple were discussing whether it was even necessary- or particularly useful- to put their names. As one dad insisted, “No one who finds this pass needs to know my name. They just need to know how to reach me.”
I though this was interesting. To some degree, in these contexts, your cell phone number is who you are: or at least, it’s you, reduced to The Person Who Should Be Contacted If This Is Lost.
Another example of how cell phones- and the social functionality they enable- are slowly but surely changing our lives.
[To the tune of Sarah McLachlan, “Hold On,” from the album “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy“.]
Technorati Tags: Anaheim, Disneyland, mobility
My Disneyland photoset is up of flickr. Granted it’s mainly pictures of buildings in Tomorrowland and fuzzy shots from inside the Buzz Lightyear game, but you’ve gotta start somewhere.
via flickr
[To the tune of Big Head Todd & The Monsters, “Bittersweet,” from the album “05-29-2004, Penn’s Landing Great Plaza, Philadelphia PA”.]
Technorati Tags: Disneyland
It’s the wifi that you can pick up in the Tropicana Inn, one of the hotels directly across the street from the main Disneyland entrance. It’s not very strong: if you sit near the door and window, no signal; if you sit near the bathroom, you get a couple bars.
The weird thing is, it seems to hate Flickr. I don’t know if it’s got some kind of block for photo uploading or what, but actually getting pictures of the trip online is proving very tough.
I wish I knew where a Starbucks was. A latte and a couple bucks for an hour of serious connectivity would feel worth it. And I’ve got a lot of pictures of Tomorrowland, which I’ve been thinking a lot about- not just because the kids love Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, but because of what it tells us about how we think about the future.
[To the tune of Peter Gabriel, “San Jacinto,” from the album “Shaking the Tree: 16 Golden Greats“.]
Technorati Tags: Disneyland
Yesterday, I was wearing my reading glasses around the children for the first time. My daughter saw them and said, “Daddy, you look like a very smart archaeologist!”
via flickr
Okay then.
[To the tune of Jessye Norman, “But Not For Me,” from the album “Lucky To Be Me“.]
Technorati Tags: children
Add REST: WHY YOU GET MORE DONE WHEN YOU WORK LESS to your Goodreads shelf
My books on Goodreads
The Distraction Addiction: Getting the Information You Need and the Communication You Want, Without Enraging Your Family, Annoying Your Colleagues, and Destroying Your Soul
reviews: 78
ratings: 316 (avg rating 3.53)
ratings: 316 (avg rating 3.53)
