James Surowiecki writes about copying in the fashion industry + the piracy paradox effect + the concept of induced obsolescence + I liked this one: Professors Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman suggest that weak intellectual-property rules, far from hurting the fashion industry, may have instead been integral to its success + other viewpoints @ http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2007/09/24/070924ta_talk_surowiecki
Brilliant!
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Keyboard Shortcuts
I see keyboards as a concept + art. I liked the following links (via idexonline).
@ Mashable
230 + shortcuts for for some of the top web services, including Google (and several of its services), Wikipedia and Yahoo! Mail.
@ Lifehacker
To increase the efficiency of your Gmail, check out some of the search filters suggested by Lifehacker.
@ Pipl
Understands online data + a people search engine + lists information such as where a person lives and works.
@ Bust A Name
Suggests domain names based on keywords that you input + checks their availability for you.
@ CrossLoop
Allows users to securely share screens, enabling them to get connected in seconds from anywhere on the Internet.
@ Microsoft Surface
A new interface technology that will revolutionize the way devices (think digital camera, PDA, cell phone, etc.) communicate with each other and how we interact and use these piles of information.
@ IMEEM
An online community where people can promote their content, share their tastes, and discover blogs, photos, music and video.
+
Top 10 Free Online Games of All Time
How to Make Your USB Drive into a Digital Swiss Army Knife
+
Try wooden memory sticks from Dutch design group Oooms.
I liked this one.
@ Mashable
230 + shortcuts for for some of the top web services, including Google (and several of its services), Wikipedia and Yahoo! Mail.
@ Lifehacker
To increase the efficiency of your Gmail, check out some of the search filters suggested by Lifehacker.
@ Pipl
Understands online data + a people search engine + lists information such as where a person lives and works.
@ Bust A Name
Suggests domain names based on keywords that you input + checks their availability for you.
@ CrossLoop
Allows users to securely share screens, enabling them to get connected in seconds from anywhere on the Internet.
@ Microsoft Surface
A new interface technology that will revolutionize the way devices (think digital camera, PDA, cell phone, etc.) communicate with each other and how we interact and use these piles of information.
@ IMEEM
An online community where people can promote their content, share their tastes, and discover blogs, photos, music and video.
+
Top 10 Free Online Games of All Time
How to Make Your USB Drive into a Digital Swiss Army Knife
+
Try wooden memory sticks from Dutch design group Oooms.
I liked this one.
Inside Men
Economist writes about Anatomy as Art + the early maps of the human body + I liked this comment: The market for medical books of this kind—whether defined as art or not—is robust: 'Not speculative, no spikes in the prices.' + other viewpoints @ http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/artview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9891953
Sign Here!
Mary Haus writes about artist's signature (s), (especially when you are famous) + the power of signature (s) (which may perceived) as self-expression + the adverstising link + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1557
Selling Diamonds
(via Diamond Promotion Service) The Beauty Of A Diamond: 36. The beauty of a diamond comes from the light that passes through it or is reflected from it. Light is something that we take for granted, without recognizing that it is made up of countless rays shooting in all directions. To understand how light makes the beauty of a diamond, we have to think of it in terms of individual rays.
When a ray of light strikes a diamond, 18 percent is reflected allowing 82 percent to enter the stone. As a ray of light enters the diamond, it changes direction according to the refractive index and then keeps going until it strikes the inside of another facet. If it strikes that facet within the critical angle (24.1º), it goes on through and leaves the diamond. Otherwise, it bounces off in a new direction, still within the stone.
The proportioning of the diamond and the cutting of the facets to precise angles are designed so that as much light as possible can go into the stone from the top, bounce around inside, and then come back out the top again with brilliance, fire and scintillation. A diamond whose proportions are too deep will leak light through the facets below the girdle. One whose proportions are too shallow will also leak light, and it may have a fish eye dead spot on top.
The larger the diamond, of course, the larger the top surface area that can admit light. However, small diamonds are just as efficient in their handling of light and produce just as beautiful an effect.
37. Brilliance. Brilliance, fire and scintillation are often confused. In the strictest sense, brilliance is the intensity of the reflections of white light from the diamond that meet the eye when we look down into it. These are the internal reflections of light from the inside surfaces of the facets below the girdle. Because it is so hard, the diamond takes a high polish and so gives off more brilliance surface reflections than does any other gem. So the diamond’s brilliance comes from its internal and external reflections of light.
38. Fire. The diamond’s ability to break up a ray of white light into all colors of the spectrum gives it fire. The dispersion is greater than any other precious gem. The width of this dispersion, the amount of fire, is least when a ray of light leaves the diamond at an angle (24.1°) near the perpendicular. So the 32 facets between the girdle and the table are placed to take maximum advantage of the diamond’s power of dispersion, to give the diamond the most fire possible.
39. Scintillation. The nursery rhyme sings, ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star…like a diamond in the sky.’ Scintillation is that twinkling or flashing of light from the facets of a diamond as it moves. This depends primarily on three things: the sizes of the pavilion facets below the girdle; the number of facets visible to the eye as the diamond moves; and the high polish or luster of the facets reflecting the light. Scintillation explains why diamonds are so much more beautiful when they are in motion while being worn than they are at rest. Moving either the eye or the light source will also cause scintillation.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
When a ray of light strikes a diamond, 18 percent is reflected allowing 82 percent to enter the stone. As a ray of light enters the diamond, it changes direction according to the refractive index and then keeps going until it strikes the inside of another facet. If it strikes that facet within the critical angle (24.1º), it goes on through and leaves the diamond. Otherwise, it bounces off in a new direction, still within the stone.
The proportioning of the diamond and the cutting of the facets to precise angles are designed so that as much light as possible can go into the stone from the top, bounce around inside, and then come back out the top again with brilliance, fire and scintillation. A diamond whose proportions are too deep will leak light through the facets below the girdle. One whose proportions are too shallow will also leak light, and it may have a fish eye dead spot on top.
The larger the diamond, of course, the larger the top surface area that can admit light. However, small diamonds are just as efficient in their handling of light and produce just as beautiful an effect.
37. Brilliance. Brilliance, fire and scintillation are often confused. In the strictest sense, brilliance is the intensity of the reflections of white light from the diamond that meet the eye when we look down into it. These are the internal reflections of light from the inside surfaces of the facets below the girdle. Because it is so hard, the diamond takes a high polish and so gives off more brilliance surface reflections than does any other gem. So the diamond’s brilliance comes from its internal and external reflections of light.
38. Fire. The diamond’s ability to break up a ray of white light into all colors of the spectrum gives it fire. The dispersion is greater than any other precious gem. The width of this dispersion, the amount of fire, is least when a ray of light leaves the diamond at an angle (24.1°) near the perpendicular. So the 32 facets between the girdle and the table are placed to take maximum advantage of the diamond’s power of dispersion, to give the diamond the most fire possible.
39. Scintillation. The nursery rhyme sings, ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star…like a diamond in the sky.’ Scintillation is that twinkling or flashing of light from the facets of a diamond as it moves. This depends primarily on three things: the sizes of the pavilion facets below the girdle; the number of facets visible to the eye as the diamond moves; and the high polish or luster of the facets reflecting the light. Scintillation explains why diamonds are so much more beautiful when they are in motion while being worn than they are at rest. Moving either the eye or the light source will also cause scintillation.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
Friday, October 05, 2007
Myanmar's Rubies - Bloody Color, Bloody Business
Carmel Crimmins writes about international outrage over the Burmese generals' brutal crackdown on pro-democracy rallies + possible trade ban by the European Union on Myanmar's gemstones, a leading export earner in the impoverished country.
If it works, it's going to be conflict rubies. If the trade sanctions work (I wish them good luck) then ruby prices will definitely go up + there will be behind the scene deals without disclosure. There are people who are addicted to rubies and they may not care so much about human rights abuses in Burma. They have deep pockets, a big safe + no memory. But if the consumers really care for the Burmese people, and if they stop buying rubies it's going to be Catch-22. There will be job losses, many traders who specialize in Burmese rubies may go out of business +++++. What are the alternatives? There are a few ruby producing mines scattered around the world but the productions are sporadic + qualites vary + they may not be suitable for treatment (s) in order to enhance the color / clarity. The issue is will it work. We don't have the same compliance mechanism like the diamond industry. The colored gemstone industry is fracture-filled with special interest (s) groups. They have one story for the world and media and another for the trade. Let's watch and wait.
More info @ http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSMAN5177620071004?sp=true
If it works, it's going to be conflict rubies. If the trade sanctions work (I wish them good luck) then ruby prices will definitely go up + there will be behind the scene deals without disclosure. There are people who are addicted to rubies and they may not care so much about human rights abuses in Burma. They have deep pockets, a big safe + no memory. But if the consumers really care for the Burmese people, and if they stop buying rubies it's going to be Catch-22. There will be job losses, many traders who specialize in Burmese rubies may go out of business +++++. What are the alternatives? There are a few ruby producing mines scattered around the world but the productions are sporadic + qualites vary + they may not be suitable for treatment (s) in order to enhance the color / clarity. The issue is will it work. We don't have the same compliance mechanism like the diamond industry. The colored gemstone industry is fracture-filled with special interest (s) groups. They have one story for the world and media and another for the trade. Let's watch and wait.
More info @ http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSMAN5177620071004?sp=true
The Devil And Daniel Webster
Greatest Opening Film Lines (The Devil and Daniel Webster - 1941):
You're only wasting your time writing speeches like that. Why worry about the people and their problems? Think of your own.
I liked this one.
You're only wasting your time writing speeches like that. Why worry about the people and their problems? Think of your own.
I liked this one.
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