If you use the web and excel get this now

https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/cekbgkmeapobkbadclnkjfjdbpbcaobd

We'll be using this to update our TV/Broadcast section at the Resource Library into a proper relational database in instances where Needlebase  is overkill.

In other news, I'm working on a nifty project in Needle using metadata extracted from the Grateful Dead collection on the Internet Archive. So far it has just been de-duping and some keyword clean-up but I have a couple ideas for what I'm thinking of as data-centric/visualizer based "enhance" finding aid. Will publish the results when I'm done!

PS - Found this gem while combing through the archives 

Everyone should really be using Google Squared more

Just sayin'

This space

http://lifehacker.com/5318607/youtube-experiments-with-3d-video-viewing

Yeah that's right. I'm going to post a link with little comment. If Mr. Cohen can get away with it so can I.

Adopt some code!

https://www.getmiro.com/adopt/

Probably the best idea ever. Yay Miro!

Miro 2.0!

My buddies over at the Participatory Culture Foundation just released Miro 2.0. Download it!

Unthinking & Deprogramming the Brain

via Developing Intelligence vis à vis Technoccult

“Untraining The Brain”: Meditation and Executive Function

I won't go into the meat and bones of the article, but the premise itself reminds me of a similar habit I've gotten into. Allow me to explain...

I have a nasty Sudoku addiction (and lets not even talk about Mahjong) that has manifested something completely different.This is hard to explain, but nowadays when I play I try not to actively think about the missing spots so much as I allow myself to sense their absence. Like the image above for example. You can count the squares and clearly see we need a 2, but at some point in my Sudoku career the answers just started to pop up.

There's a lot that can be said about that. I mean for one, we could say that I've conditioned my brain in some sort of pleasure-reward system to do the math for me, but at the same time I'm actively (and consciously) working towards this goal. Anyway, it's an interesting topic to explore. I think there's a lot more going on in our visual cortex than just blinking, if you catch my drift.

Spotlight on Invention: Skim

So the other day I was on the train coming back from Boston (thanks again to my sister for showing me around) read some more of this and I thought "Hey, wouldn't it be great if I could highlight and annotate this like a real book?"

Much to my surprise, someone has beat me to it. I'm still getting used to it but Skim looks amazing so far. Two thumbs up.

The saying "great minds think alike" comes to mind :P