Fujifilm 3D camera (prototype) preview.
... It seems CNET Asia calls a camera a "shooter". I thought a shooter was like Jack Ruby.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Getting text read aloud
One of the things I looked forward to about Mac OS X Leopard was its excellent new voice Alex, which is a big step forward in computer voices from the old ones. I imagined I'd have it read long text from the web, then import it to iTunes and get it read from my iPod during a walk or in my bed.
But doing this is so tedious that I just don't do it.
But now I found an Automator macro which does it all automatically! And it does not even need the time to actually have the text-to-speech facility read the text aloud, somehow that step is skipped. I just tested it, it worked perfectly first time. Just select and copy the desired text, and run the macro, and boom, scant seconds later the sound file sits in iTunes for you. Kewl.
Here's the file of it reading the text above. (It can't separate present tense "read" from past tense "read", it seems. Ah well.)
Tip: "songs" made for iTunes like this (or many other ways) do not automatically remember how far you've played them, like audiobooks do. This can be fixed by selecting the "song" in iTunes, selecting Get Info in the popup menu, and under options selecting "remember playback position".
Update: I'm testing Infovox' voices. They're maybe a little smoother, but I'm not sure they are worth 99 bucks. Before Leopard it would have been a clearer choice.
But doing this is so tedious that I just don't do it.
But now I found an Automator macro which does it all automatically! And it does not even need the time to actually have the text-to-speech facility read the text aloud, somehow that step is skipped. I just tested it, it worked perfectly first time. Just select and copy the desired text, and run the macro, and boom, scant seconds later the sound file sits in iTunes for you. Kewl.
Here's the file of it reading the text above. (It can't separate present tense "read" from past tense "read", it seems. Ah well.)
Tip: "songs" made for iTunes like this (or many other ways) do not automatically remember how far you've played them, like audiobooks do. This can be fixed by selecting the "song" in iTunes, selecting Get Info in the popup menu, and under options selecting "remember playback position".
Update: I'm testing Infovox' voices. They're maybe a little smoother, but I'm not sure they are worth 99 bucks. Before Leopard it would have been a clearer choice.
Guns And Roses (updated)
I never really knew Guns And Roses, but their new release sounds like good hard rock.
Except maybe I never really understood the branch of heavy metal which involves the singer singing falsetto, sounding like a little girl. Doesn't seems all that manly to me. But of course after the tights, the long hair, and the make-up, what do you have to lose?
Update: China bars the album.
By the way, I spell it "Guns And Roses" because I think the habit of using "n" for "and" is a bit childish. Just my subtle chiding there. (Surely too subtle by half.)
Except maybe I never really understood the branch of heavy metal which involves the singer singing falsetto, sounding like a little girl. Doesn't seems all that manly to me. But of course after the tights, the long hair, and the make-up, what do you have to lose?
Update: China bars the album.
By the way, I spell it "Guns And Roses" because I think the habit of using "n" for "and" is a bit childish. Just my subtle chiding there. (Surely too subtle by half.)
The fearless vampire hunters
Buddha Boy
Batgirl, Superboy, and BuddhaBoy?
"We do not believe he is Buddha. He does not have Buddha's qualities," said Mahiswor Raj Bajracharya, president of the Nepal Buddhist Council, a centre for Buddhist study and research in Kathmandu.
"He may have achieved great heights in meditation, but that alone does not make him a Buddha. A Buddha needs life experience, a young man who has not seen the world at all cannot be a Buddha," said Bajracharya.
I doubt this young man is Buddha, but the statement above seems weird to me. For one thing, in all I've read about Buddhism, I've never heard that achieving bodhi depended upon life experience. For another thing, why would somebody who believes in reincarnation dismiss life experience from previous lifetimes? If one has to start from scratch in every lifetime, that would dismiss the whole basis for their beliefs.
"We do not believe he is Buddha. He does not have Buddha's qualities," said Mahiswor Raj Bajracharya, president of the Nepal Buddhist Council, a centre for Buddhist study and research in Kathmandu.
"He may have achieved great heights in meditation, but that alone does not make him a Buddha. A Buddha needs life experience, a young man who has not seen the world at all cannot be a Buddha," said Bajracharya.
I doubt this young man is Buddha, but the statement above seems weird to me. For one thing, in all I've read about Buddhism, I've never heard that achieving bodhi depended upon life experience. For another thing, why would somebody who believes in reincarnation dismiss life experience from previous lifetimes? If one has to start from scratch in every lifetime, that would dismiss the whole basis for their beliefs.
Camera comparison
There's another new and interesting camera comparison site.
"Contrary to conventional wisdom, higher resolution actually compensates for noise", article.
"This Insight uses currently-available DSLRs to demonstrate the technique for objectively comparing noise for cameras with different levels of resolution. Such comparisons conclusively show better results overall for high-resolution sensors, despite the increase in noise."
"Contrary to conventional wisdom, higher resolution actually compensates for noise", article.
"This Insight uses currently-available DSLRs to demonstrate the technique for objectively comparing noise for cameras with different levels of resolution. Such comparisons conclusively show better results overall for high-resolution sensors, despite the increase in noise."
More film vs digital
Nikon F5 versus Nikon D700, video. They make huge blowups of pretty much the same picture, made on film and on digital. (We're talking big prints here, they took two days to make.)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Giving thanks
Woa, my head cold seems to be over. That's a real good item for thanksgiving, yesterday I was so miserable I just wanted to blow my itching noggin' off.
Feeling good today.
Also I got a bank statement today, and I'm happy that the Sterling, much to my surprise, has slid compared to the dollar. The opposite direction over the past few years really hurt my bottom line, since I earn in dollars but live in the UK. It was almost down to 1:2 and it's now closer to 1:1.5, that makes a huge difference for me.
Since I'm doing this... 2008 has been a good year for me personally. I've worked diligently on my spiritual journey in the mystical (non-duality) way, and it has often been hard, but I feel I've made amazing progress, and I can't wait to see how the rest of it turns out.
Feeling good today.
Also I got a bank statement today, and I'm happy that the Sterling, much to my surprise, has slid compared to the dollar. The opposite direction over the past few years really hurt my bottom line, since I earn in dollars but live in the UK. It was almost down to 1:2 and it's now closer to 1:1.5, that makes a huge difference for me.
Since I'm doing this... 2008 has been a good year for me personally. I've worked diligently on my spiritual journey in the mystical (non-duality) way, and it has often been hard, but I feel I've made amazing progress, and I can't wait to see how the rest of it turns out.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Toothpick sculptures
Scott Weaver builds amazing sculptures from toothpicks. Video. Photos.
Article.
I like that his sculptures have so much air in them as well as imagination, both are almost unique in such art. Usually it's just fairly representational art of famous buildings.
How the hell do you transport something like this, and expecially his massive Rolling Through The Bay sculpture?
I wonder if they mean "matches" (headless ones from hobby shops) when they say "toothpicks". Matches are much better for building. I was interested in this as a kid. And I picked it up again some years ago, for fine art. Though I did it with painted matches, it'll last better and adds a lot of dimension to it. I wonder why I've never seen anybody else do that.
Article.
I like that his sculptures have so much air in them as well as imagination, both are almost unique in such art. Usually it's just fairly representational art of famous buildings.How the hell do you transport something like this, and expecially his massive Rolling Through The Bay sculpture?
I wonder if they mean "matches" (headless ones from hobby shops) when they say "toothpicks". Matches are much better for building. I was interested in this as a kid. And I picked it up again some years ago, for fine art. Though I did it with painted matches, it'll last better and adds a lot of dimension to it. I wonder why I've never seen anybody else do that.
Head cold
Blogging less since yesterday, I have a head cold. Never had it like this before, besides using a million tissues, every two minutes my eyes start burning and watering like crazy. It's damn irritating. I guess it's infection of whaz-names, the spaces around the eyes.
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