Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on June 15, 2007 by CyberNet.

All kinds of images have managed to be discovered with Google’s new Street View, and some of them aren’t so flattering for those in them. There are websites and lists dedicated to pointing-out all of the cool, bazaar, and questionable photos that people have found while browsing through the streets.

Google has provided a way to report inappropriate images for removal, and it looks like a simple process, however it’s not.  For example, if you found your image walkin’ the streets and you felt like it invaded on your privacy, Google gives the following steps:

1. Locate the image
2. Click “Street View Help” in the corder of the image window
3. Click “report inappropriate image”
4. Complete the form and submit.

Now the form is simple, it just asks why you’re reporting it, provides room for additional comments, and asks for an email address. Sounds simple enough, right? Well it’s not. One person who found his image and wanted it removed followed the process above, but then was required to submit even more information, including a copy of a photo i.d.!

Google really makes you prove that it’s your image that you’re requesting to take down.  This is understandable, but what a hassle to have to go through just to have an image of yourself that was unknowingly taken, removed. Below were the requirements he received in order for Google to remove the image:

They even require a sworn statement! I’m surprised a Social Security number isn’t required. All I can say is that I’m glad that Google hasn’t hit the streets of Iowa yet because I wouldn’t want to have to go through the hassle of getting my image removed!

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This movie was shot by (or at least for) Thomas Edison way back in 1899, and shows that the fixie-tricksters are doing nothing much that’s new. The rather dry description from the Library of Congress archive page describes the clip thusly:

“Neidert,” of national fame, does stunts on his wheel that are simply wonderful. Makes his bicycle rear up, and rides around the stage on his back wheel; besides a lot of other easy things, such as riding on one pedal and riding backward, seated on handlebar.

The second section is from 1901, and shows a fellow riding a bike in almost the exact manner that I do when coming home from a bar at weekends. Except for the bunny-hop / rope skipping part, that is.

Bicycle trick riding, no. 2 [Library of Congress via Bike Hugger]

David Honl makes cheap and useful light shaping tools for flash photographers. You may remember that we liked the look of the gear and had a crack at making our own fake copy of the strap’n’stick Velcro based kit, with pretty successful results.

Just announced today is a new member of the lineup: a purpose made carrying bag. I know what you’re thinking: If it’s so easy to make the actual snoots, straps and gobos, isn’t it even easier to make a pouch in which to put them? We’d be tempted to agree, but we’d also be tempted to take a look at the $30 bag. The nylon sack has a clip on one end (smartly attached to the zipper handle so the bag stays closed when hanging) and a loop on the other. The Honl gear is pretty lightweight but doesn’t all fold down small enough to fit inside a camera bag, so an external pocket is a good idea.

It’s also water-resistant – something a homemade version is unlikely to be – and fashioned from nylon, which means it should last a while and also not stick to the Velcro strips on the tools. And while $30 isn’t a great price for a simple bag, it’s not too expensive, either. In fact, like most of the Honl gear, it’s cheap enough to make you think twice about the home-made version.

Product page [Honl Photo]
See Also:

• Make Your Own ‘Honl’ Lighting Kit

Opera has a little surprise in store for you this morning with its Opera Unite service. A web-based application built into the Opera browser that the Norwegian-based company says will “reinvent the Web” as it makes your computer, data, and media available via any web browser through the Unite cloud. A bold claim, sure, but just look at the breadth of the cloud-based services available to Mac, PC, or Linux/Unix users:

• File sharing — securely share files direct from your computer
• Web server — turns your home computer into a web server via Opera Unite URL
• Media player — direct link to your music collection from any web browser
• Photo sharing — shares your image library over the web without requiring a photo service
• Lounge — self-contained chat service running on your computer
• Fridge — a place where friends and family can post notes

We’re taking the service / software for a spin right now and at first blush, we’re duly impressed by the ease of setup and control. Hit the links below to try it for yourself. Video introduction after the break.

Read — Download
Read — Opera Unite press release

Continue reading Opera Unite: a cloud-based promise to ‘reinvent the web,’ again

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Opera Unite: a cloud-based promise to ‘reinvent the web,’ again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re not exactly supportive of the Chinese government requiring new PCs to be imported with content-filtering software, but like we keep saying, karma’s a bitch: CyberSitter developer Solid Oak says it’s found stolen code inside the Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software mandated by Chinese authorities, and it’s considering filing a lawsuit to halt shipments. In the meantime, the company has asked heavy hitters like Dell and HP to refrain from installing Green Dam; Dell says it’s still reviewing the Chinese requirements and hasn’t yet shipped any machines with the software, but some nine million copies of the software have already gone out. For its part, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has “ordered the problem be fixed,” but it’s unclear when that’ll happen — and it still doesn’t change the delicious multilayered irony of Chinese censorship efforts being thwarted by a copyright infringement action.

Update: Things were getting a little out of control down there, so we’ve disabled comments on this one.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

PC exports to China to potentially be blocked due to pirated filtering software originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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