Tag Archives: Google

A Window To The Past – Vintage Google Earth

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Google Earth has come in for some stick over time.

Its Street Map was launched amid a healthy bout of controversy over privacy. After one man was identified leaving a brothel, resulting, unsurprisingly, in the end of his marriage, Germany wisely opted to make sure coverage of properties was somewhat blurred. Meanwhile, enterprising bloggers have posted pictures of prostitutes plying their trade, drunks and nudity.

But while that may be one window to the world, Google Earth also offers another. For a guy who once spent a week on an archaeological dig getting sunburnt while recovering the remains of someone’s mediaeval camp fire, Google Earth’s option to slide back into vintage photos of the same aerial view is a guaranteed way for me to fritter away hours.

You’ll need to have Google Earth 5 downloaded to do it, but it’s free and well worth a nose.

London’s war damage is evident, but you should definitely check out how quickly the Americans turned Las Vegas from a desert into a neon wasteland. Answer: 35 years. Or you may just want to see what your parents or grandparents meant when they say: “In my day, this was all fields, rivers, Roman ruins, dinosaur territory, etc.etc.” My (copyrighted) saying is: “Everyone’s house is someone else’s field.” And here’s the proof.

Just to get you in the swing of it, here’s my parent’s neck of the woods. Their house was built in 1931, and here’s the area pictured in 1945 and 2010.

My place, meanwhile, was still an orchard. Mind you, that still doesn’t explain the 1920’s fragment of cup I found in the garden last week.

UN Says Cutting Off Your Internet Could Breach Human Rights

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Frank La Rue, the UN Rapporteur for the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of expression, has argued that removing somebody’s internet access deprives them of a basic right.

Mr La Rue presented his report, ‘on global access of the internet as a medium for freedom of expression, to the UN Human Rights Council this week.

In his report Mr La Rue condemned certain proposed and existing government legislation. In particular he singled out the UK’s Digital Economy Act which has a provision to restrict or remove internet access from those breaking copyright laws. His report was particularly concerned with ‘a centralised on/off control over the internet. He said, removing somebody’s internet access is to deprive them of a key component for the basic human right of freedom of expression.

The report comes in the wake of the e-G8 summit in Paris where Mr Sarkozy led discussions on proposals to regulate the internet. Governments worldwide have become increasingly fearful of the power of the internet, particularly in the wake of the Arab spring.

In his opening speech Sarkozy said, ‘the world you represent is not a parallel universe where legal and moral rules and more generally all the basic rules that govern society in democratic countries do not apply.’

But many internet entrepreneurs including Google chairman Eric Schmidt warned governments against attempts at legislation arguing, ‘technology will move faster than governments’.

Sarkozy has faced severe criticism for a recent internet law (the HADOPI law) which he has pushed forward. The law (to be enforced by a new government agency) could see those suspected of illegal file sharing brought before a judge.

Could these new government agencies precipitate a major government crackdown on the internet? While Mr La Rue’s report will be welcomed by many, it will take more than UN reports to ensure the freedom of the internet.

earlier post

G8: Governments Move To Crack Down on Internet Freedoms but Zuckerberg Issues Warning

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It was the opening day of the G8 summit today and one of the main issues on the agenda will be the future of the internet. Governments will discuss how and whether it’s possible to regulate and censor the internet.

Governments have become increasingly worried. China now operates a huge firewall which blocks any internet site with an anti-government line. The power of the internet was evidenced during the Arab spring, where social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, were major factors in causing uprisings and toppling regimes.

The talks also follow the super injunction scandal and British legal crisis. Thousands defied the law and defended the right to free speech using the websites twitter, including a many celebrities such as Dom Jolly, Piers Morgan and Boy George. Even now lawyers may seek to prosecute them. The situation has government’s worried and they may try and clamp down on internet freedoms in the future. This might start with certain regulations on companies such as Twitter, Google and Facebook.

Today Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg warned against any attempt to regulate the internet. He said any interference would damage the internet’s power to spread freedom.

Google leader Eric Schmidt said any regulation wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of technology, ‘Technology will move faster than governments, so don’t legislate until you understand the consequences.

J’s thoughts

Whatever the outcome, it is all our duty to defend the right to free speech. The internet is the defining feature of our generation. It is wonderful in many ways and it has done a great deal of good for democracy, knowledge and dare I say peace. It has its darker sides of course but so does any product of humanity.

At some point some our governments will try and control the internet. They will twist it, manipulate it and use it as means to control us. In some cases like China it is already too late. It is all our jobs to stop this from happening.

 

Japan Disaster – How you can help

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Relief organizations are quick to respond to the plea for help from the Japanese Government for the provision of aid to victims of Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami. The twitter has tag being used to keep informed on developments within the country is #prayforjapan. Somehow, praying doesn’t seem to be enough and if you want to help in some way, here’s a few ways in which you can donate:

Japanese Red Cross: You can donate directly to the Japanese Red Cross from their website or from the Google resources page.

American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is collecting text donations, according to Renee Kelly, an American Red Cross spokeswoman. To contribute, send a text with REDCROSS to 90999 and $10 will be donated to the relief efforts. You can also donate on line on the American Red Cross web site.

Natori Yagawahama Before-After
Before and after the earthquake and tsunami. Above is Yuriage in Natori, below is Yagawahama. Both are in in Miyagi prefecture. © 2011 Google, GeoEye, DigitalGlobe, Cnes/Spot Image, TerraMetrics

Shelterbox: Author Maureen Johnson has launched an online fundraiser for Shelterbox, collecting money for earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan. Johnson led a similar fundraiser for earthquake victims in New Zealand, raising more than $15,000. According to the organization’s website, Shelterbox is an organization that goes into areas of the world affected by disaster with large green boxes that contain shelters and the materials needed for people to restart their lives on some level. The boxes always include a top-quality tent, and they usually include stoves, blankets, water purification systems, and tools. This is true, life-saving stuff, hand-delivered by volunteers trained in survival techniques.

Save the Children: Save the Children says it is mobilizing global resources to respond to the needs of children and families affected by the earthquake and its aftermath. The organization’swebsite reports that an international emergency team has been dispatched to assist staff in Japan.

The humanitarian agency, which is based on Westport, Connecticut, says it has been operating in Japan for 25 years along with other Pacific nations impacted by tsunamis. Donors may make charitable contributions to the group’s Children’s Emergency Fund.

GlobalGiving: This Washington, D.C.-based group has launched the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. According to the organization’s website, it will disburse donations to groups providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. GlobalGiving is working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations.

Convoy of Hope: Convoy of Hope, a global relief organization based in Washington, D.C., is accepting online donations. You can also text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 to the group’s disaster response efforts. According to the organization’s website, the Disaster Response team “has established connection with in-country partners in Japan who have been impacted by the damage and are identifying the needs and areas where Convoy of Hope may be of the greatest assistance.”

Salvation Army: The Salvation Army, which has had a presence in Japan since 1895, says it is mobilizing relief efforts in response the earthquake. According to a spokeswoman, the Salvation Army in Tokyo is sending an assessment team to the city of Sendai to assess damage and will begin providing basic necessities, such as food and water, beginning as soon as March 12.

You can get more information on the organization’s website, Facebook page and on Twitter. Donations are being accepted by texting JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation to the group’s relief efforts.

Give2Asia: The Give2Asia Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Fund is raising funds to support immediate relief and short-term to long-term recovery projects undertaken by the affected communities. The organization said in an email that it is working with local advisors based in Tokyo to assess the current situation and to obtain more information on the needs of survivors.

Donations to the fund can be made online. For more information, contact info@give2asia.org.

International Medical Corps: International Medical Corps is mobilizing relief teams and supplies to respond to the tsunami and earthquake in Japan. “We are communicating with local partners in Japan on the most pressing needs,” says Crystal A. Wells, a communications officer at the Santa Monica, California-based group. “We will be responding to needs on the ground, which may include sending supplies to local partners and/or deploying emergency response teams.”

People can help in the relief effort by visiting the organization’s website or texting MED to 80888 to donate $10.

For those who are worried about relatives, friends, loved ones who haven’t been able to get in touch, Google have made a person finder especially for the Japan crisis or The Foreign Office has established a crisis unit and set up a helpline for UK nationals in Japan and their relatives back home. That number is +44(0)207 008 0000.

If you can think of any resources we’ve missed off, let us know and we will add it to the list.

[via Reuters]

 

Google Scribe wrote this for me {Technology}

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Google labs have been busy building their new toys so that us lot can spend more time doing fun stuff. Their latest offering is Google Scribe. Scribe automatically completes text so that you don’t have to. Sort of like the text prediction feature on mobile phones.
This entire article has been written entirely using Google Scribe which ironically enough, never suggests itself.

This probably reflects why the article has no structure and feels slightly out of character. Great fun tool if you’re stuck for words or if there’s something on the tip of your tongue. It does’t know as much slang or grammar as our writers yet so I won’t be replacing them anytime soon.

If you have a go then let us know what random sentences you get in the comments section.

[Google Scribe]

Google Alerts, Market Research for Actors | The Film Set

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There, I said it…market research.

It’s not called Showbusiness for nothing, there are plenty of amazing Actors out there who are incredibly talented but have never had a paid acting job and there’s nothing wrong with that but if you want to make a career from Acting it makes sense to treat it as a business…That means doing all the boring stuff like tax returns, PR and market research.

(yeh yeh Gen, what about this Google Alerts thing) Chill out inner monologue, I’m getting to it.

What is Google Alerts?

Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) You enter the topic you want to keep tabs on and they send you an email when there’s a new result.

The alerts get emailed to you at a frequency you chose or you could opt to receive it via an RSS feed if you have a Google account. Users with Google Accounts can also view, create, edit and delete their alerts using the “Manage your Alerts” page.

What can it be used for?

You can have an alert for yourself (err, it’s not vain), any competitors, any productions that you are really keen on, open auditions in your town, casting directors, that TV show you’re owed repeat fees for, your mates, your mum…the list is endless. (Actually I just learnt the list is limited to 1000 per email address but that’s still a fair few)

Let’s take this scenario for example…there’s a Hypothetical Theatre down the road in the town of Blah where you live. They put their castings up on their website but checking their website everyday is absurd. So, you set up a Google Alert for [“Hypothetical Theatre” Blah Casting] and hooray! When they announce their next casting on their website you’ll be the first to know.

That’s a bit sly isn’t it?

You might think it’s a bit sly but PR companies get paid tons to collect clippings for companies and Google themselves suggest using Alerts for the following things:

” – monitoring a developing news story

– keeping current on a competitor or industry

– getting the latest on a celebrity or event”

What about if there’s more than one person with the same name…

There are folk in the world who have completely unique names…Google Alerts for them are simple and straightforward. However, if you’re searching for a person that has a common name and you don’t want updates on everyone with that particular name, Google have thought of this too and have help guides with some advanced tips.

So for example if you’re searching for someone called thingymabob, and there’s another thingymabob who’s a high profile baker, all you need to do is put a minus (-) sign in front of a keyword attached to the other thingymabob you don’t want to know about. Your search would look like this [“thingymabob” -baker]

My top tip

If you haven’t already got a Google account then head on down and get one. Then instead of choosing to have the alerts sent to you vie email you can receive them to your Google Reader as an RSS feed.

[Google Alerts]

Genevieve Sibayan is a London based Actress, you can find Genevieve’s blog here and get updates by clicking on her rss feed. If you’d like to subscribe to The Film Set on Frost Magazine then click here.