We’re into the second week of November now – which over here in Cape Town should mean we’re in full swing into Summer – but looking at the next 3 days forecast (including today) you’d think otherwise wouldn’t you?
I guess with some of the towns along the garden-route that might not have more than another month’s worth of water this will hopefully help them. The heavens really opened up last night!
With Blu-Ray slowly taking it’s place in the digital video market as the preferred digital versatile disc medium due to it’s superior storage capacity and audio and visual quality over run of the mill DVDs the current “in” technology are HD television sets.
With more and more public and private broadcasters in various countries around the world switching off their analogue signals and purely broadcasting digital signals they’re fast becoming the norm. Never mind the on-going battle between technology experts about which HDTV display is better, Plasma or LCD (oh and let’s not forget OLED displays too).
If that wasn’t enough to confuse most people – there’s something “new” on the horizon. Ultra High Definition Televisions or UHDTV (also known as Super Hi-Vision). I say “new” since it’s not really new but just not very well known, yet. Japan Broadcast Corporation (NHK) already demonstrated this technology back in 2005 at the World Exposition in Aichi, Japan.
I’ve been into technology and it’s awesomeness as far back as I can remember but being a parent, having a mortgage and working as a software developer (who doesn’t work for the government) sometimes, okay most times, cost comes into the equation and usually overrides the wow factor. I have some decent audio visual equipment but neither Blu-Ray players nor a HDTV (yet) or satellite television (yet).
Okay so give it up – more info on the UHDTV already!
Well, Ultra, it definitely is. To put it into perspective. Current HDTV is broadcast in a 1920×1080 resolution whereas UHDTV will be broadcast in a resolution of 7680×4320. What? Okay, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes. The turquoise rectangle is the current HDTV resolution and the big blue outer rectangle is the UHDTV resolution. Click on the image for a higher resolution version.
Get the picture? That’s seriously huge! But it’ll be a few years before this becomes commercially available and viable. Possibly in the next 7 to 12 years. Along with an amazing high resolution image you’ll also get superb 22.2 multichannel surround sound. You read that correctly, 22 satellite speakers and 2 sub-woofers. Huh? Where do all those speakers go? Well in a configuration as follows:
I guess we’ll need a bigger lounge then.
You can find out more in the various links in the post above or here. Thanks to Jon for the heads-up of this article on Hot Hardware.
Below is a short video about Super Hi-Vision/UHDTV from IBC Channel News.
What would it be like to walk on air? Well, Lisa Katayama over at BoingBoing got to experience just what it’s like.
She got a chance to review the new AlterG treadmill. It’s no ordinary treadmill though, but a specialized treadmill that encompasses the lower half of your body in a sort of vacuum. Through a control panel you can control the air-flow in the tube surrounding your legs to tighten or loosen the pressure giving you the feeling of an up to 80% drop in body weight giving you the feeling of walking on air or in a lower gravity environment.
I doubt you’ll be able to buy one over the TV anytime soon since they’re selling from $24,500. Apparently, some physical and sports therapy centers that have their own, are offering 30-minute sessions for you to purchase. Yes, the ardent runners will say, well you can run outside, for free – but I think the main aim would be to help the disabled and overweight get a fuller cardio-vascular workout with less impact on their bodies.
You can read Lisa’s full review on this BoingBoing post or find out more details information about this product at Alter-G’s website.
Take a look at the video below to see one in action.
You’ve heard of and seen guys shredding various tunes on a guitar. Now, get ready to be blow away by a kid, called Aleksandr Hrustevich, who completely blows me away with his performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons movements, on an accordion, that’s right, an accordion! [via DCP]
Now, tell me you weren’t impressed by that? You can see some more of his talent via his YouTube channel.
This was taken recently at Rebecca’s creche.
Despite the lack of activity, from me, on my blog this month I am still alive. I’ve just been busy and distracted by a lot of things lately to focus on my blog.
My blog has, however, been busy with regard to incoming traffic and I appreciate all the visitors keeping it alive by reading my various posts, commenting and rating.
In between working hard, a death in the family, there’s also been a big change that’s been brewing.
A little over a year ago I was rambling on (one of my first few posts) about meeting the new company I would be joining. A lot has happened in that year, including an unfortunate retrenchment and the start of a new chapter in my career.
I’ve enjoyed my 5 months at the new company now but I’m the type of person that needs to focus on his strengths as I know with those I can add the most value. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve not just sat idly by the last 5 months – I’ve been busy – and I’ve learnt new things (yes, this old dog is never too old to learn new things) and I’ve shared my knowledge with others too, at the very least I hope that’s been the case.
Now I’m one that believes it’s never a good idea to go back to a company you’ve left since there’s usually a very compelling reason that made you leave that company. However, this is one case where it’s a little different. I didn’t leave the company but was forced into retrenchment due to the financial status of the company as well as the recession the world was facing. I didn’t hold it against them as they really had their hand forced and I enjoyed working there, the type of work I was doing and also just as importantly, all the people.
A couple weeks ago I was contacted by them and we’ve had discussions about the business and the future and my possible inclusion in their future. I’ve had the time to mull things over and have had to make yet another decision which not only affects my career but my family too. And I think in both cases, for the better.
I’ve decided to join them again, even though they’re operating under a new name, they’re still the same friendly people. So much so that I got the opportunity to join them yesterday for a team-building session. We all had the opportunity, after a scrumptious lamb-0n-the-spit lunch, to try our hand at lawn bowls. Let me be the first to say, lawn bowls is not as easy as you may think. There’s a definite skill involved and it definitely takes a while to get used rolling those balls. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere and occasion – I’d definitely like to try that again some time with some friends.
So yet another change, but looking forward to being part of the old gang again.
South Africa has made it into the Guiness Book of records again yesterday – with the world’s largest omelette.
South African chefs, Bruce Robertson and Ryan Bradbury, broke the world record for the largest omelette ever made at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town – via News24
Some stats:
The omelette would be used to feed underprivileged children around the peninsula.
The previous record, according to the Guinness World Records website, was held by The Lung Association, Brockville, Canada who managed to make an omelette that weighed 2.95 tonnes at the Brockville Memorial Centre, Ontario, Canada on May 11, 2002.
You know some people look at a piece of art and say it “speaks” to them – could it be the case with music too? Apparently so since Austrian composer Peter Ablinger has made a talking mechanical piano. Take a look at the video below (it’s in German but if you leave annotations on they’ll act as subtitles). [via Crave]
If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?
– Chad Kroeger, Nickleback
My mom has been up away for about a week and a half now to be at the bedside of her eldest sister who was in hospital. She had malignant growths removed from her bowels and after surgery became more ill from a hospital virus she contracted. Her organs started to fail and she was placed in a medically induced coma as her body was to week to cope. For a period of time she was on a ventialtor as well as she could no longer breathe on her own.
My mom, her sister, younger brother and her mom (my gran is 92 by the way) have been going every day to the hospital and back to be at her bedside and to motivate her to fight and get better. Last week however they were told that she might not make past midweek. So the family has been preparing itself for the worst. A priest was also called in to say a few prayers.
A specialist told the family that she was not brain dead so they couldn’t legally turn off the machines and let her go. Over the weekend she stabilised so that she could be removed form the ventilator however still in an induced coma.
While all this is happening my cousin (daughter of the second eldest sister) is 39 weeks pregnant and just about ready to pop! Understandably her mom is being tugged between her sister’s condition and the miracle of her daughter’s pending birth. Not a situation I would wish upon my worst enemy.
I spoke to my mom again last night and she said that she spoke to her sister and commanded her to wake up and wish her for her birthday (yeah it was my mom’s birthday yesterday – she turned 60). After she left the room my aunt’s daughter-in-law noticed tears streaming from her eyes while she lay in a coma on the bed. I guess it must be true that we can sub-consciously hear people while in a coma.
This morning around 2am my aunt passed away. I guess she tried to hold on just a little bit longer so as not to leave my mom with the reminder on her birthday each year about her sister’s passing and not on the day her neice would give birth to her first-born. I really feel for my gran who I couldn’t imagine what she must be going through – as parents we should never be in a position that we should have to bury our children, especially not at the age of 92!
And so with the passing of one life the balance must be restored – any day now my cousin will give birth to their child and the ying-yang will be in balance once again.
Here’s the video to the Nickleback lyrics I was referring to at the beginning of this post. Remember, live your life to the fullest because today might be your last day. Rest in peace, aunt Pieta.
I got this from BG today and after reading the story thought it might be one of those email urban myths we all know so well. It seems however, according to trusty Snopes.com that it is indeed a true story – read the story for yourself and tell me what you think.
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk..
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…. How many other things are we missing?
Makes you think doesn’t it? How the surroundings a person finds themselves could dictate the perception others have of him? Just because someone is out in a public place playing a musical instrument does that instantly make them someone who is busking for money? Poor? Aren’t they talented? Do you even notice that they’re playing? And if you do tip them, do you just hurry off or do you take a minute or two to take in and enjoy their musical talent?
In case you missed the experiment a little over 2 years ago you can enjoy it by watching the video below supplied by the Washington Post on Youtube. And if you’d like to read the original full story on the Washington Post website click here (there’s even an interview with Joshua about the ’stunt’).
