por davidgp el 14/04/2009
In place of what we have today, I think we would try, indeed we are trying, to reinvent a tamer, more controlled Web and to change the nature of the underlying network on which it operates. (This is a fear I share with those who have written about it more eloquently than I, particularly Larry Lessig and Yochai Benkler.) We would restrict openness of access, decrease anonymity, and limit the number of actions that a network participant could perform. The benefits would be undeniable. It would cut down on spam, viruses, and illicit peer-to-peer file sharing. At the same time, it would undercut the iconoclastic technological, cultural, and political potential that the Web offers, the ability of a new technology, a new service to build on open networks and open protocols, without needing approval from regulators or entrenched market players, or even the owners of the Web pages to which you link.
Imagine, by contrast, an Internet and a World Wide Web that looked like America Online, circa 1996, or Compuserve, or the French state network Minitel. True, your exposure to penis-enhancement techniques, misspelled stock tips, and the penniless sons of Nigerian oil ministers would be reduced. That sounds pretty attractive. But the idea that the AOL search engine would be replaced by Yahoo and then Google, let alone Google Maps? That new forms of instant messaging would displace Compuserve’s e-mail? That the Chinese dissident would have access to anonymized Internet services, that you might make phone calls worldwide for free from your computer, or that a blog like BoingBoing would end up having more page views than many major newspapers? Forget it. Goodbye to the radical idea that anyone can link to any page on the network without permission. A revised network could have the opposite rule and even impose it by default.
The Public Domain – James Boyle
por davidgp el 13/04/2009
Whedon spoke candidly about his problems with the first few episodes of Dollhouse. He admitted that he has made episodes that have nothing to say, for which he is ashamed. He singled out the fifth episode, «True Believer», as one that fails to explore the motivations for why people join cults and how these reasons connect with why people end up in the Dollhouse. Ultimately, he said, though there’s nothing wrong with making television that is merely diverting, it’s not something he’s interested in doing.
IO9 – Joss Whedon Accepts Award, Drops Dollhouse Hints, Names Winner Of Buffy/River Fight.
por davidgp el 13/04/2009
¡Atención! Tiene spoilers sobre el especial del Doctor Who
¡Os he avisado!
Oh, and one other giant nitpick: Captain Mogambo was absolutely right that Oswald, I mean Malcolm, should have closed the wormhole as soon as he figured out how to. At the very least, I didn’t get why only three of those swarm creatures made it through the wormhole when there were thousands of them right behind the bus, and the wormhole was still open for a good minute after the bus came through. Enough swarm monsters should have made it through the wormhole to strip the Earth bare. So yes. I am getting a bumper sticker which says «Mogambo Was Right.»
IO9’s Doctor Who Easter Hit Parade.
por davidgp el 13/04/2009
Finally, set yourself the task of producing the greatest reference work the world has ever seen. You are told that it must cover everything from the best Thai food in Durham to the annual rice production of Thailand, from the best places to see blue whales to the history of the Blue Dog Coalition. Would you create a massive organization of paid experts, each assigned a topic, with hierarchical layers of editors above them, producing a set of encyclopedic tomes that are rigorously controlled by copyright and trademark? Or would you wait for hobbyists, governments, scientists, and volunteer encyclopedists to produce, and search engines to organize and rank, a cornucopia of information? I know which way I would have bet in 1991. But I also know that the last time I consulted an encyclopedia was in 1998. You?
The Public Domain – James Boyle
por davidgp el 01/04/2009
Despite early indications to the contrary from network executives, FOX announced that Joss Whedon will be cancelled, most likely by marketing-assisted suicide.
This decision marks the end of a long and troubled relationship between the studio and the writer-director, beginning with FOX denying Whedon food and drink, leading up to a gradual reduction in his daily allowance of oxygen.
“I am so not breathing,” Whedon confirmed. “This is me, all asphyxiating.”
Outraged fans claim that his career has been played out of order, and have created a “Save Joss” website, noting the success of the “Don’t Assassinate J.J. Abrams” campaign.
Tor.com celebrando April’s Fool Day.
por davidgp el 26/03/2009
por davidgp el 26/03/2009
Por el momento solamente he leído un libro de Bryan Peterson, Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera, y de los pocos libros sobre fotografía que he mirado, sin duda fue el mejor por el momento.
Viendo lo mucho que me había gustado ese libro, y después de saber por varias fuentes que Learning to see creatively es uno de esos libros que se debe leer si te interesa el tema de la fotografía, no tardé mucho en encargarlo en mi tienda de libros favorita.
Descripción
Almost everyone can «see» in the conventional sense, but developing photographic vision takes practice. Learning to See Creatively helps photographers visualize their work, and the world, in a whole new light.
Now totally rewritten, revised, and expanded, this best-selling guide takes a radical approach to creativity. It explains how it is not some gift only for the «chosen few» but actually a skill that can be learned and applied. Using inventive photos from his own stunning portfolio, author and veteran photographer Bryan Peterson deconstructs creativity for photographers. He details the basic techniques that went into not only taking a particular photo, but also provides insights on how to improve upon it—helping readers avoid the visual pitfalls and technical dead ends that can lead to dull, uninventive photographs.
This revised edition features the latest information on digital photography and digital imaging software, as well as an all-new section on color as a design element. Learning to See Creatively is the definitive reference for any photographers looking for a fresh perspective on their work.
- New edition of a best-selling title
- Updated to include digital
- All new artwork, and a totally revised and expanded text
- All-new section on color as a design element
- Written by one of Amphoto’s bestselling authors
Bryan Peterson is an internationally known instructor of photography, a widely exhibited photographer, and a best-selling author. He divides his time between Seattle, WA, and Lyons, France.
por davidgp el 26/03/2009
Sí, mi cumpleaños ya pasó hace unas tres semanas pero este es un regalo tardío que me llegó hace un par de días. ¡Muchas gracias! por cierto…
Obviamente con mi afición a las series de televisión (las que yo considero buenas obviamente), un libro como esta era obvio que me iba a interesar. Ya os contaré más cuando lo haya leído.
Descripción
¿Sabías que Anthony Zuikier, el creador de ‘CSI,’ era conductor de autobuses antes de triunfar en la tele? ¿Tenías idea de cuántas cadenas de televisión rechazaron la serie ‘Los Soprano’ de David Chase? ¿Y que Michael Crichton tuve durante veinte años guardado en un cajón el drama médico ‘Urgencias’? ¿Estabas al corriente que Alan Ball le hicieron repetir el piloto de ‘A dos metros bajo tierra’ por ser emasiado normal? ¿Y que ‘Friends’ e creó en un taller de guión?
A lo mejor tú también tienes una idea para crear una serie de televisión. Pero desconoces cómo se debe escribir el proyecto y su capítulo piloto. Este libro te guiará paso a paso en este proceso creativo. Desde el tema a los personajes; desde la estructura al tono: desde el punto de arranque al título.
Con un estilo ameno, práctico y divertido. Cómo crear una serie de televisión se presenta como un manual que tiene como referente las series más conocidas de la televisión mundial. Además en este libro encontrarás multitud de ejemplos y curiosidades. ¿Sabías que Bryan Singer creó al Dr. Gregory House basándose en el famoso detective Sherlock Holmes? ¿Y que David Chase también iba a terapia como su personaje Tony Soprano? ¿Sabiás que Carol Hathaway, la jefa de enfermeras de ‘Urgencias’, iba a morir nada más comenzar la serie? ¿Y que el piloto más caro de la historia de la tele es el de ‘Perdidos’?
Asimismo ‘Cómo crear una serie de televisión’ te habla de lo que se ‘cuece’ en el mundo del guión y las series en España. Y te explica cómo dar los primeros pasos para vender tu serie y convertirte en un afamado guionista.
Si como Anthony Zuiker, David Chase, Aaron Sorkin o Alan Ball, tú también tienes una idea para una serie de televisión, éste es tu libro. Si ellos pudieron, tú también.
por davidgp el 25/03/2009
Está claro que la temática mayoritaria de los libros que he leído este año ha sido la fotografía. Y este probablemente ha sido el que le ha dado un análisis más teóricos de todos al tema, lo cual lo hace al mismo tiempo tan interesante como aburrido en comparación con los anteriores.
Pero no estoy hablando de conceptos teóricos como que con tal apertura la imagen tiene mayor profundidad de campo o que con este tiempo de exposición se consigue tal efecto. No, en este caso se trata de conceptos de por qué mostrar las cosas en la imagen en tal posición hace que la imagen sea más interesante cara el espectador. Se trata de buscar motivos por los que fotografiar, entender lo que se busca detrás de cada fotografía y transmitir eso de la mejor forma posible.
El autor del libro no se centra solamente en su propia experiencia personal. Para explicar cada uno de los conceptos que expone usa comentarios de otros fotógrafos famosos a lo largo de la historia. También toma prestados conceptos de arte, arquitectura, y otros aspectos que puedan estar remotamente relacionados con la fotografía.
Pero como todos estos libros, tendré que ir viendo poco a poco, volviendo al mismo y releyendo los pies de fotos para ir aclarando los conceptos que en tan poco espacio de tiempo desde que empecé a leer el libro hasta que lo terminé, no da tiempo de asimilar si no se práctica al mismo tiempo con una cámara fotográfica.
Descripción
Design is the single most important factor in creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills in making photographs. Of course, digital photography has brought a new, exciting aspect to design first because the instant feedback from a digital camera allows immediate appraisal and improvement; and second because image-editing tools make it possible to alter and enhance the design after the shutter has been pressed. This has had a profound effect on the way digital photographers take pictures. The Photographers Eye shows how anyone can develop an eye for seeing great digital photos. The book explores all the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the viewfinder.
Michael Freeman is an acclaimed photographer and writer who specializes in travel, architecture and Asian art. He is particularly well known for his expertise in special effects. He has photographed extensively
for many international publishers, and has written more than two dozen books on photography, with more than a million copies sold.
por davidgp el 23/03/2009
De este libro la primera vez que oí hablar de él fue en un artículo de Ars Technica. Nada más leerlo ya tenía el libro encargado (ahí fue cuando me di cuenta de la dura realidad que no se iba a editar hasta el mes de febrero). Hoy me ha llegado a casa, y como tengo un par de viajes en avión próximamente, pronto lo tendré leído, o eso creo…
La historia de como los chips para la Playstation y la Xbox 360 fueron diseñados. Lo gracioso es que fueron diseñados por el mismo equipo de ingenieros en IBM, simplemente Sony no sabía que lo que ellos estaban pagando beneficiaba a uno de sus máximos competidores.
Descripción
My team and I had worked tirelessly at IBM for two and half years, brathing life into the Sony PlayStation 3 «Cell» central processing chip. We ordered our lives around the idea of beating Microsoft to market with a Christmas launch.
Now Chekid Arout, IBM’s senior vice president responsible for the PlayStation’s chip team, told me another customer wanted our secret-weapon, record-smashing PowerPC microprocessor core. It was Microsoft.
«How did this happle?» I grumbled through gritted teeth.
«Let’s just say it was a blockbuster, an offer IBM couldn’t refuse,» he answered. Over a billion dollars were involved, spanning the entire spectrum from development to chip manufacturing.
«There’s more,» Akrout said. «Microsoft wants something very similar to what you designed for Sony but with some unique enhancements, and they want it on the same schedule.» He then described the design changes Microsoft needed for a super-aggressive, market-shaking Christmas launch.
Akrout didn’t blink. It took me a second, but I got the message.
My goals vere very clear when I joined IBM in the mid 1980s. I wanted cutting-edge microprocessor design projects that really pushed the state of the art. I wanted to lead design teams and leave my mark on the industry. This vision was the focal point of my whole career. Akrout handed me one of the top technology leadershop positions in the entire industry and at that moment, I saw the top of the mountain, eveyrthing I wanted. Would I have to stake my claim by screing Sony and extending Microsoft’s dominance of digital life? Or could I help them both to succeed?
Página web del libro: raceforxbox360ps3.com.