Countdown Standard

nikitonsky is being grumpy

nikitonsky: Accessibility as a toggle? Just make it accessible! Always! Thanks Tony Mottaz for the picture #accessibility #a11y

Media companies are increasingly blocking the Internet...

Media companies are increasingly blocking the Internet Archive from archiving their material (but at the same time using the site to gather data for their stories).

The Christophers

I’m so glad Steven Soderbergh unretired from filmmaking. His newest film, The Christophers, looks amazing. It stars Ian McKellen as a famous artist and Michaela Coel as his assistant — but of course there’s more to it. Reviewer David Sims calls it both a heist movie and…

We love a slime mold around here. “From mottled...

We love a slime mold around here. “From mottled gray bulbs that look like snow-covered trees to pink, coral-like tendrils, Webb chronicles a huge array of colors and shapes.”

This is incredible: Google Has a Secret Reference Desk....

This is incredible: Google Has a Secret Reference Desk. Here’s How to Use It. I knew some of these but not all, e.g. verbatim mode “returns results for exactly what you typed, stripped of personalization and synonym-swapping.”

Watching the Strait

The world runs on boats. Yes, also on trains and trucks. But boats are at issue, as the Strait of Hormuz is being blockaded. Here is how it looks at the moment (12:35 PM Eastern) on MarineTraffic.com: The red arrowhead shapes are tankers in motion. The green ones are container s…

The Crystal Skull

David Altmejd’s 2017 sculpture entitled “God” is one of the most disturbing artworks I’ve seen recently, so naturally I had to show all of you. If you need further wigging out, here you go. Lots more on his website and Instagram. Tags: art · David Altmejd

Great new Patrick Radden Keefe piece on a New Orleans...

Great new Patrick Radden Keefe piece on a New Orleans insurance fraud scheme involving big rigs. “After all, who would agree to be cut open on an operating table if it weren’t necessary? Quite a lot of people, it turns out.”

The Single Best Point-and-Shoot for Street Photography Today

Street photography is a genre that allows one to document their surroundings as and when it unravels. While there are multiple cameras that one can choose from, from full frames to Micro Four Thirds to point-and-shoot, each often comes with its own challenges. For some, form fac…

Fred Again’s Tiny Desk Concert

Almost three years ago exactly, Fred Again rolled into the NPR studios and did a Tiny Desk Concert. When Fred again.. first proposed a Tiny Desk concert, it wasn’t immediately clear how he was going to make it work — not because he lacked creativity, but because transla…

Why Japan Has Such Good Railways . “Their system...

Why Japan Has Such Good Railways. “Their system excels because of good public policy: business structure, land use rules, driving rules, superior models for privatization, and sound regulation.” Other countries can follow their lead.

The Kids Take Over

This story appeared in the April 2019 issue of Linux Journal. It’s still there, but with no photos (which seem to have vanished from much of the magazine’s archives).* I think both the story and the photos are too important (and now timely) to leave in a state of neglect, so…

Is Canon Making New Super Telephoto Lenses With Two Teleconvertors?

Canon has been working on multiple patents in recent weeks, which reveal lenses that range from wide angles to standard telephoto prime. While there is no confirmation of what may come next, a new report reveals that the company may introduce a super telephoto lens soon. What co…

Rebecca Solnit: “ The United States is being...

Rebecca Solnit: “The United States is being murdered, and it’s an inside job. Every department, every branch, every bureau and function of the federal government is being fatally corrupted or altogether dismantled or disabled.”

Hungarian Opposition Ousts Viktor Orbán After 16 Years...

Hungarian Opposition Ousts Viktor Orbán After 16 Years in Power. “Magyar…pledged to repair Hungary’s strained relationship with the EU, crack down on corruption and funnel funds towards long-neglected public services.”

Interviews with five novelists (Jesmyn Ward, Joyce Carol...

Interviews with five novelists (Jesmyn Ward, Joyce Carol Oates, Jhumpa Lahiri, Ottessa Moshfegh, Margaret Atwood) on writing something true with fiction. Oates: “If you could read Toni Morrison, why would you read AI?”

Operation Desert Furry

Words from the wise What Dave says here couldn't be more right: ...as you get deeper into the AI environment, you get smarter. Not just better informed, that's what the web has been doing for us for 30+ years. The AI stretches your mind the way PCs did initially. It makes you sm…

10 Years Ago, the Sony a99 II was Incredible. Is it Still Capable?

In 2016, I reviewed the Sony a99 II -- and I really fell in love with the camera. It was the last good use of the Minolta A-Mount and it really felt like something special at the time. Packed with just enough technology to really give photographers what they needed to make great…

Mastering the Art of Black and White Urban Geometry Photography

Urban Geometry is founded on the ideas of Bresson. But to master it, you need to evolve as a photographer and an artist.

The Westcott S18 Flash Costs $40. But Why is it Special?

Today, Westcott is announcing something kind of weird. The company that's released lights which are more or less rebranded Chinese lights for a while has also decided now get into the small manual flash options with the new Westcott S18. It's a flash that doesn't have high speed…