http://mail.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/about_whatsnew.html

The google labs are at it again, and this time it's with the mail application. Go into your settings and then click the Labs tab to turn on the feature you want. There is a nice list from which to choose, including one that blocks you out of the screen for a while and makes you invisible in the chat. Why? So you get up off your chair and MOVE! I'll let you know how that one works. :-)

I know that some folks just don't like Real Player. But, the new version (at least the Windows version. I haven't seen the mac version yet) allow you to download a video VERY easily. A video, when you hover over it, displays a Download video button in the top right corner. Click to download. Doesn't get much easier than that, eh?

http://www.real.com/

http://www.funforever.net/archives/category/bizzare/

Another site I picked up from @courosa in twitter. I'm pointing you to the bizzare category but you know that you can click the blog title banner at the top to go to the home screen. Check out the categories on the right.

This is a VERY fun, blog, IMHO. Why? This person - or persons - finds the coolest articles and images from around the world. Amazing things. Images of things that people have created just for the art of it. (http://www.funforever.net/archives/graffiti-from-amsterdam/ and  http://www.funforever.net/archives/amazing-chinese-garden/) Or for fun.  (http://www.funforever.net/archives/strange-monuments/) Or because they're so very clever. A wooden mirror? http://www.funforever.net/archives/wooden-mirror/

I've subscribed to it. And I spend a very pleasant evening on the porch at the cabin browsing through past posts. I've got lots more to see, too.

People can be VERY creative.

http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/856

Once again I point you to Alec Couros' blog where he links to a youtube video that will ... haunt you. Here is a 13 yr old girl, Severin Suzuki, speaking to the United Nations in 1992. You won't be able to stop listening. I'll let Alec's blog post tell you the details. But please do check it out. It's beautiful, emotional speech that is perhaps even more emotional hearing it today given that so little has changed.

"I'm only a child and I don't have all the soltions. But I want you to realize, neither do you. You don't know how to fix the holes in our ozone layer. You don't know how to bring the salmon back up a dead stream. You don't know how to bring back an animal now extinct. And you can't bring back the forest that once grew where there is now a desert.. If you don't know how to fix it, PLEASE stop breaking it." 

Could YOU have given that speech as well as this child did? 

Now, go and listen to this speech. Grab a tissue on the way.

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/271

They need to make a TV channel from Ted Videos. I'd start watching it again.

From the site:
Nathan Myhrvold talks about a few of his latest fascinations -- animal photography, archeology, BBQ and generally being an eccentric genius multimillionaire. Listen for wild stories from the (somewhat raunchy) edge of the animal world.

This was just tweeted by BudTheTeacher (http://budtheteacher.typepad.com/ ). http://mashable.com/2008/07/03/youtube-viacom-users/ with another review of the ruling here: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/07/court-ruling-will-expose-viewing-habits-youtube-us

Bottom line - YIKES!!! You'd better be careful if you watch copyrighted videos on youtube, whether directly or embedded!

I agree with the comments of the author of the first article in that SOMEONE should make sure that the judge who decides such things MUST know what an IP address is. If you do not, then you should NOT rule. The old expression comes to mind, "If you judge, investigate."

Oh my...

After thinking about my last post, I started to think that I had posted it before. So I searched my own blog and sure enough, here it is: http://tipline.blogspot.com/2006/11/tips-richard-baraniuk-speaks-about.html Do you see the date? That was first published in November 2006!!

Oh my... Sorry 'bout that

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/richard_baraniuk_on_open_source_learning.html

This one was tweeted out this AM. Here Richard talks about new ideas for textboks - REPLACE them with open information.

Very interesting.