iconolith

Walk2Web - Internet Degrees of Separation

Walk2Web is an incredibly addictive (though not time efficient) web-based surfing tool that allows you visually browse the internet using links that connect one website to the next. As if that wasn't engaging enough, it is also possible to create a user account that can contribute to the rating, tagging, and commenting on any site you happen upon. There are also icons to send pages to digg, StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, and Hatena.

*Note that there is a text reader that is enabled by default on the system that will read page titles aloud when you click on a link. If your speakers are cranked it is quite a surprise.

Terragen Lanscape Generator

While reading this morning I came across Terragen from a description of a Joan Fontcuberta project mentioned on BLDGBLOG. Terragen is landscape generation software that is available as a free download for non-commercial use, but that also has a number of features for registered users. While it is possible to create a landscape out of virtually nothing save the software itself, the full version seems pretty powerful from something with only a $99 license fee.

Features include:

• random fractal terrain
• high detail foreground texturing
• depth based occlusion culling
• terrain sculpting tools
• terrain modification tools
• combination of terrains
• terrain import/export
• hierarchical surface colour map
• water
• cloud layer
• multi-haze atmospheric model
• volumetric lighting
• realistic sunlight attenuation system
• anisotropic lighting of atmosphere
• ‘soft’ shadows
• plugin system
• scripting system

According to their web site Planet soft is currently focusing on developing Terragen 2 with even more features AND the ability to import 3D objects into scenes.

• Cutting-edge adaptive subdivision renderer.
• Modular, plugin-based architecture.
• Render entire planets, sweeping vistas, tiny rock gardens, or anything in between.
• Import 3D objects for rendering. Export high resolution objects.
• Render millions of boulders or trees using “instancing”.
• Add multiple heightfields to your scene. Use procedural terrains that can span an entire planet.
• Apply almost “infinite” fractal detail to terrain and other objects.
• Overhanging terrain using procedural displacements, image-based displacements, or imported geometry.
• Volumetric clouds or fast “2.5D” clouds.
• Production quality anti-aliasing and motion blur.
• Node graph editor for ultimate control over shaders and textures.

Terragen certainly isn’t new to the scenery game by any means. According to their site the core technology in TG2 was used to render planets for Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002 and was also relied upon for hundreds of CG terrain shots in Stealth in 2005. The gallery has some examples of scenery that people have created that are simply breathtaking.

My first Terragen image less than 15 minutes after installation.

Twingly

Twingly is a screensaver that serves as a visualization of the global traffic in the blogosphere… and very addictive to watch. Normally, I run the open source Electric Sheep screen saver, which is very pretty, but I’m switching over on my main machine to run Twingly. (More at Primelabs)

Note:  does require that you run a current version of .NET, so setup may be a process depending on how up to date you keep your system. [via]

Color, Macs and Online Images

Don MacAskill of SmugMug has posted a nice little explanation of how thoughtful Macs can be when viewing *some* images on the web. He also provides guidance if you prefer to not have your Mac control your mind.

Where’s Web2.0?

There are probably a whole lot of Web2.0 collections out there but go2web20.net is certainly the most Web2.0 of them that I have come across. There’s a whole lot of time-killin’ potential if you’re planning on visiting.

Connecting with IMified

Streamline online tasks with the help of IMified - www.imified.com. It allows you to connect your favorite chat client to a number of your existing online services like Google Calendar, Basecamp, Wordpress, MT, TP, Blogger and a few more. In fact, I’m writing this post from gTalk - so we’ll see how things turn out when I hit ENTER…

EDIT —  —  —  —  — 
Sure enough, IMified sent my post from gTalk to Wordpress without a problem. Of course, you won’t be able to write a novel, but IMified walks you through each post once you have made your selection from the menu.

To get started go to IMified.com and decide which chat client you want to connect to, then add IMified as a contact and send it a message. Type “4” to access your account settings and connect your services from there. You’re all set for massive productivity - or something.

Picnik Online Photo Editor

Picnik is another handy online photo editor for those times there’s no Photoshop, Gimp, XnView, or Picassa around. Picnik allows you to rotate, crop, resize, edit color and contrast and save as JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, PDF, and TIFF. There are also a few quick filters available and some tabs labled “Coming Soon” so I guess there will be more filters soon. You can also send your image directly to Flickr or email it to your website.

The only thing it can’t do that I really wish it could is add text to an image. That seems to be something lacking in all online image editors.

Tag Intersections Over Time

Research Chronology 2 is a project by Aaron Siegel that allows del.icio.us users to visually map their tags chronologically and outline tag “paths”. The visualization that is created provides insight into tagging trends and intersections. [via visualcomplexity]

Blackboard Awarded Patent for LMS Technology

What is this? On 26 July 2006 Blackboard announced that they had been awarded the patent for eLearning technology (no. 6,988,138). Upon reading this patent it occurs to me that they have pretty much patented the concept of the LMS. What sort of implications will this have on the open LMS platforms out there today? Well…what if Nike were awarded the patent for the “cross-trainer” concept?

Now it seems Blackboard is suing Desire2Learn. There are details about this on the Moodle discussion board, and more details to come once boycottblackboard.org is officially launched. While considering these latest developments let’s recap the history of virtual learning environments.

It is about time someone got proactive and laid claim to the concept of the LMS. This news is almost as huge as Microsoft protecting the use of the numbers one and zero as their intellectual property.