StreetAdvisor - Review Your Street
March 29, 2007
The following is copied from TechCrunch. The review is written by Nick Gonzalez.
"StreetAdvisor is a search engine for neighborhood reviews. Reviews are broken down by street and composed of narrative, video, and ratings based on 22 factors of appeal (reminds me of eHarmony). The factors are mashed into an overall score and also broken into five star ratings across 5 categories: vibe, wired (communications connectivity), health (environmental quality), value, and essentials (utilities and services). You can search for neighborhood ratings by search box, or browsing a Google map with push pins marking the different reviews. Browsing the map lets you choose which of the 22 factors are most important to you by slider bar, with more relevant reviews having larger pin heads."
"The site also incorporates some community features for added stickiness: a “guidebook” and “streetboard”. The guidebook serves as a place to write generic posts that didn’t fit into the 22 factor review. The streetboard is a communal board that serves as a place to converse with your neighbors through topic threads or general “shouts” to the crowd."
I've reviewed the street where I currently live. It looks like I'm the first one from Denmark reviewing a Danish street. Go me!
Source: TechCrunch and Streetadvisor
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Popuri: Lots of Stats for Any or Your Site
March 28, 2007
If you want to see quick statistics on a website, check out newly launched Popuri. You’ll quickly see Google Page Rank, Alexa Rank, number of backlinks on Google, Yahoo and Live.com, Technorati inbound links, del.icio.us bookmarks and number of bloglines subscribers. You can also see whois information on the domain.
As you can see from the screenshot Petersen-inc isn't as known as I would like 
Rumour has it though, that the servers are a bit unstable (see the dead picture below) and some of the data might be incorrect.
It is a quick way to see some basic stats though.
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“Star Trek XI” Writers Talk, Drop Hints
March 28, 2007
The title of the eleventh film in the Star Trek franchise may simply be "Star Trek," and it's being considered more a reimagining than a prequel, the writers of the project revealed in an interview posted today on MTV.com. They also promised that the story will be a starship-based adventure with more action and a bigger budget than any previous "Trek" film.
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci — the two screenwriters who also serve as executive producers — told MTV that "Star Trek" by itself is their intended title. "I don't think we want to put any colons or anything on it," Orci said. This detail about the "Star Trek XI" project is still up in the air, though, where the studio is concerned, and likely to be subject to change until the last minute.
The article contends that Kurtzman and Orci described the film as "not in any way a prequel but a reimagining of the franchise," without quoting them directly saying that. The article does quote Orci as saying, "We're not going to start totally from scratch." But, "We want it to feel like it's updated and of the now. That's actually the discussions we're having now: how to keep the look of the universe yet have it not look like nothing's new. It's tricky."
The writers did promise that this movie will contain more action than any "Trek" film that has preceded it, and said it will have the biggest budget. Read more
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Twitter on Petersen Inc.
March 23, 2007
Everybody is talking about so of course I have to talk about it too.
Twitter!
At twitter.com you can make sure your friend, blog readers and voyeurs always know what you are doing.
Oh I forgot I have to update it…I'm posting a on my blog..ARRRGH..now I'm publishing it…argh…most update again.
For those with infinite time. Go here twittervision. Its one of those Google maps with except every time some updates his/hers twitter it shows on the world map.
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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End trailer
March 21, 2007
The trailer is now available and it looks GREAT!
It gave me goosebumps!
You can also watch it in HD here or at the official site
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Microsoft Expression Design Beta 2
March 19, 2007
We are pleased to present the Beta 2 release of Expression Design. This version supports the Microsoft® Expression Blend™ Release Candidate, and we have enhanced the XAML Export with live preview feature so that it is compatible with the latest version of Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.0.
Please continue to help us make a better product. Send your feedback to us via our discussion forum or our product feedback center as you encounter bugs or usability issues, or if you simply want to request a feature. We look forward to your continued feedback!
Installation Instructions
Installing on Windows Vista™:
Download and install Expression Design.
When prompted to enter a product key, just click the Continue button for a 30-day trial from the first installation of the Beta, or if you want to enable the 180-day license, please enter the product key as follows: YVJ79-XQ8CM-8YKWF-GKRKH-83X8G.
If you’ve already entered this product key for a previous installation of Expression Design (Beta 1), then you will not be prompted to enter it for this release.
Installing on Windows XP SP2:
Install .NET Framework 3.0 first before attempting to install Expression Design. Download and install Expression Design. When prompted to enter a product key, just click the Continue button for a 30-day trial from the first installation of the Beta, or if you want to enable the 180-day license, please enter the product key as follows: YVJ79-XQ8CM-8YKWF-GKRKH-83X8G.
If you’ve already entered this product key for a previous installation of Expression Design (Beta 1), then you will not be prompted to enter it for this release.
Download at source
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Two species can produce a new species
March 19, 2007
Did you see this disturbing story in National Geographic?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070314-hybrids.html
It turns out that sometimes two species can mate and produce a new species. This is the sort of news that makes bestiality less appealing. How many humans saw that story and said to themselves, “Uh-oh”?
I suppose the people who prefer getting jiggy with animals would say there are many advantages to it: economics, unconditional love, no complaining, etc. But right at the top of the list had to be “no birth control needed.” Now that theory is out the door. It’s as if all of life’s pleasures are being chipped away by an angry God. I don’t know how else to explain it.
Now I’m on the lookout for people who are part human and part some-other-species. I know they’re out there. And the whole “people who look like their dogs” thing has taken on an entirely new interpretation.
Have you ever seen a parked car with a dog sitting in the driver’s seat? You usually say to whoever you’re with, “Ha ha! It looks like that dog is getting ready to drive!” Well, that’s not so funny any more. I suggest you keep an eye on that car and see if the dog pulls out and drives home. He might look like a terrier on top, but if he has human legs, he can reach the pedals.
The thing that worries me the most is that now I have a new wrong thing to say when someone shows me their baby. It’s already hard enough to resist saying, “It looks like Yoda.” Now I have to worry about not saying, “It looks half human and half pug.” I don’t have that kind of self-control, and it’s probably because I’m at least one-fourth Chihuahua. [Note to my Mom: I mean on Dad’s side.]
What about competing with these new hybrids in the workforce? Imagine going in for a job interview as a busser in a restaurant, and the applicant next to you is half cheetah. You don’t have a chance. You turn to make conversation, trying to throw him off his game before the interview, and it would go something like this:
You: “So, do you have much experience bussing tables?”
Cheetah-man: “Just a moment, it’s my turn to interview….done. I got the job. What was your question?”
Nothing good can come from this.
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Why does this always happen?
March 8, 2007
A minute ago I accidentally dropped three odd-shaped objects on the floor. If they had bounced in any of three directions, they would have encountered a hard flat surface and stopped conveniently near my feet. If they bounced in the fourth direction, they would be seeking shelter in a hard-to-get area and I would need a large pole, a search and rescue dog, and the Cirque de Soleil to get to them.
All three odd-shaped objects ran for cover in the hard-to-get spot. I am considering leaving them there forever.
This accidental experiment demonstrates one of the laws of physics you rarely hear about: Dropped objects seek the point of least accessibility. You can try it yourself by dropping an orange on the ground anywhere near a parked automobile. The orange will take off toward that parked car like a rabbit in a slingshot, even if the parked car is at the top of a steep hill. The law of gravity does not apply in these situations.
Another rarely discussed aspect of physics is the law of misplaced keys. When you can’t readily find your keys in the house, you will not later discover them on top of some obvious surface such as a countertop or a dresser. Nor will they be in the pocket of whatever clothing you recently wore. Keys scamper to their hiding places whenever their owner becomes preoccupied doing something else, such as chasing an orange that is heading toward a parked car. In that moment of inattentiveness, the keys make a beeline for the least likely location that anyone would ever look. For example, you might find them months later in a jar of mayonnaise in your cupboard, or taped to the back of an old-fashioned toilet in an Italian restaurant down the street.
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Star Trek XI - Movie details
March 5, 2007
Christmas Day 2008 Release for "Star Trek XI"
The official announcement was made today by Paramount Pictures. Last Friday J.J. Abrams, already announced as producer of the project, finalized a deal to also direct the movie (related story). The screenplay, which reportedly will be a prequel revolving around a young James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, has been written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who previously collaborated with Abrams on "Mission Impossible III." Kurtzman and Orci will executive produce with Bryan Burk, and Abrams will produce along with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof.
"If there's something I'm dying to see, it's the brilliance and optimism of [Gene] Roddenberry's world brought back to the big screen," said Abrams. "Alex and Bob wrote an amazing script that embraces and respects Trek canon, but charts its own course. Our goal is to make a picture for everyone — life-long fans and the uninitiated. Needless to say, I am honored and excited to be part of this next chapter of Star Trek."
Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, said, "We could not be more thrilled to be back in business with J.J. Abrams. The revival of the Star Trek franchise is an important part of Paramount's turnaround."
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Totale Lunar Eclispe and The Things I Say
March 5, 2007
Saturday night, the full moon was low and bright over the horizon on a clear evening. It looked extra large. “Wow,” said my beautiful wife. “Look at the moon.” It was spectacular, perched above the silhouette of townhouses in the distance. One extroverted star and a wisp of night clouds completed the composition. For two soon-to-be-parents on their way to a Saturday night dinner, it was a perfect moment.
There are many romantic things that you can say when looking at the moonlit sky. I decided to go with “It looks like the moon is going to crash into the Earth and annihilate us.”
“What?” said my wife, still lost in the magic of the moment.
“The moon looks extra large. That’s either because of the refraction from the additional atmosphere at that angle, or the moon lost its orbit and its going to destroy all life on earth.”
“I think we would have heard something on the news if the moon were heading toward us,” Didde pointed out.
“Not necessarily. The government might have decided there was nothing we could do about it, so there’s no point in ruining our weekend,” I countered.
When it comes to romance, the important thing is to win the argument. So at this point I was committed. I was going to make the best possible case I could that the moon was going to kill us. I continued, “Besides, how competent is our government anyway? It’s not as if this would be its first big mistake, or the first time they didn’t tell us the truth.”
Didde got quiet after I made that excellent point. That’s how I know I won. And it felt good because I know she was thinking how lucky she is to have married a man who knows so much about moons and governments.
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