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March 27, 2013 5 Comments

Buh Bye, Feedburner — Hello URI.LV

I was using Feedburner to provide provide my email subscriptions. Rather than wait for Google to kill Feedburner,1 I have moved my email subscriptions to URI.LV. If all works as planned, those of you who subscribed to my blog will continue to get my new posts (including this one) without disruption. If not, I’ll have some debugging to do.

I also had been using Feedburner to serve my RSS feeds. Same dealio; now URI.LV is doing this.

The subscribe buttons at the top and left now connect to URI.LV’s email newsletter service. RSS feeds should be automatically go to the right place.

Fingers crossed. Looks like it worked. I’m so happy. :-)

1With Google killing Reader, Feedburner is next. Some would argue Feedburner has already received the fatal blow and we just don’t know it.
March 25, 2013 2 Comments

Ban Google Glass Use While Driving?

West Virginia is considering banning use of a “wearable computer with head mounted display” while driving. Makes sense, right?

Maybe not. Imagine the apps that might improve safety:

  • Sensing head movement and alerting the driver when those movements indicate drowsiness.
  • Using the camera to identify pedestrians and bicyclists in and around the roadway, and alerting the driver to their presence.
  • Integrating with GPS so when the navigation voice says “turn right at the next intersection” there’s an arrow superimposed at the appropriate place in the intersection ahead.
  • Using the camera to sense traffic signals and GPS to sense speed and alerting the driver to stop  or slow when appropriate.
  • Using the camera to detect when the driver is not watching the road and alert the driver.
  • Displaying caller ID information upon voice command so the driver doesn’t have to look away from the road to take a call on the integrated hands-free phone.
  • Wireless integration with the car’s dash to display speed and other crucial operational information.
  • Wireless integration with the car’s vision / radar systems to highlight potential obstructions.

Sure, some of these apps could be integrated into the car with a dash heads up display and voice capabilities. Others, however, benefit from having motion sensors and a camera mounted on the driver’s head. And looking at a heads up display seems less distracting than looking down at the speedometer or other in-vehicle infotainment device.

Let’s not knee-jerk ban these devices before they have a chance to make roads safer.

Hat tip: TechnoBuffalo, who apparently didn’t appreciate my comment on their article, which linked to here. Oh well…
March 24, 2013 No comments

Cannon Beach

We took a quick trip to Cannon Beach because the weather was so nice. We walked from W 2nd street to just beyond Haystack Rock and back. On the way back,1 I took a picture every ten paces to create a time lapse of the walk.2

Because of a disappearing cell phone, we walked the route a second time, re-tracing our steps and calling the cell phone’s number. Amazed that no one answered the phone (except when I mis-dialed once…Hi, Heather!) we again searched the coat, and found it!

Beach time lapse inspired by smelliot at GIFtychs.

1The first time…
2I also created an animated gif of the walk, but beware — it’s 7.29 MB huge!

March 21, 2013 No comments

Beach Trip

I went to Seaside to watch Jamison compete in a track meet. After he finished his events, I headed home, leaving Jamison to ride home on the bus.

I stopped by the beach and at the pass view point rest stop to take pictures.

Update. The results are posted and Jamison got a PR. Good job, Jamison!