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- January 2, 2005
Video Codec Shootout 2004
January 2, 2005Read moreVia Slashdot: a comparison of hotshot video codecs on Doom9, which is, um, a site for enthusiasts of DVD backup. Regardless, they are in the position to know something about what codecs do well under what conditions, so if you’re bundling an animation up for full-frame, rock-solid playback, you would do well to skim the article and learn what works. The testing methodology is informative in itself, listing tools that you can download and use yourself.
A poster on Slashdot notes that these tests are run on video source that had been compressed once before (these are DVD backups, so the sources have already been compressed with MPEG2, decompressed, and then recompressed). Still interesting to compare relative performance, I say, particularly if you’re doing homebrew video for work instead of with million-dollar master sources.
Technologies I wasn’t aware of until now:
- H.264/AVC, which is coming in the next release of Mac OS X “Tiger”, and is an open standard to boot
- Wavelet-based video compression
- January 2, 2005
Why You Should Love Curry
January 2, 2005Read more
I love curry. Who doesn’t? Actually many of my friends aren’t fond of it. Raised in the white ghettos of New England, the pungent smell of curry raises expressions of fear and dismay. But they will love it now, because curry apparently is more effective than drugs in fighting Alzheimer’s:
The new UCLA-Veterans Affairs study involving genetically altered mice suggests that curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry spice, inhibits the accumulation of destructive beta amyloids in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and also breaks up existing plaques.
I for one will do what I can to promote the eating of curry as much as humanly possible in 2005. Via BoingBoing.
- December 31, 2004
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
December 31, 2004Read more
I finally got a chance to see Mamoru Oshii’s latest feature anime: Ghost in the Shell: Innocence. If you loved the first Ghost in the Shell movie, you’ll probably love this one too! It was meticulously-paced, deep, and insightful. In other words, I found it plodding, dull, and ponderous; the screen shot captures the essence of how I feel about the movie. I like the TV adaptation Stand Alone Complex much better…closer to Shirow’s characters and situations in the original Ghost in the Shell manga, without the confusion of the sequel Man-Machine Interface.
- December 31, 2004
Happy New Year to Me!
December 31, 2004Read moreYup, it’s my birthday! Just spending a quiet evening at home with Dad. I got some nice virtual b-day cards, and even got a virtual birthday cake from my sister.
This year’s resolutions:
- Build a new creative network.
- Develop an original concept into a project.
- Maintain momentum.
- December 30, 2004
Soreness, Finally!
December 30, 2004Read moreToday I finally started feeling some soreness in my jaw, of the “low throbbing sensation” variety. More ibuprofen, ice packs.
I also noticed that the left corner of my mouth was scabbing over, left over from when the dentist was stretching my mouth open to use the various implements of tooth pullery. This reminds me, at one point during the extraction he actually said, “Hand me the pliers”. I thought it was odd that he’d use that term in front of a patient, because it doesn’t bring up pleasant thoughts. Dr Matthew had a Southeast Asian / Indian appearance, so perhaps he wasn’t trained here in the States. His dental assistant must have been surprised too, because the following dialog ensued:
"What did you ask for?" "The pliers." "Ah. A lot of dentists call it the 'East-West' (?)" "Oh. That's interesting.'"I’m sure they discussed doctor-to-doctor codespeak when I left :-) Another thought that came to me was that DDSs must have tremendous arm strength to do what they do, and they probably would be pretty good at foosball.
