Evan Parker

It's like Ticket to Ride! http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardga... for those of you that don't know the excellent board game by that name. - Evan Parker

"we are now making Google Map Maker source data for Kenya available for download as kml and shp file. This download license is available for non-profits, government agencies, and individuals to create and enhance their own non-commercial map-related projects as long as attribution is given back to Map Maker." - Yay open geo data! - Evan Parker

That's kind of a scary looking dashboard UI. Just looking at it, I imagine it goes "bip" every time you touch it, takes half a second to respond, uses a confusing hierarchical menu navigation system with cryptic labels, and makes you step through analog settings by small increments (bip bip bip bip bip). Tell me it's not actually that bad? - ⓞnor

Mandi - true. This is already the case to some extant for me in my prius and I find it's OK. But not everything in the prius is controlled via the screen - there is still a physical volume button for example, which I appreciate having when I need to turn the volume down in a hurry (yes, I still answer my phone while driving sometimes). It appears that even volume is controlled via the screen in the new Tesla. - Evan Parker

my first thought after seeing the Model S - "holy crap, this company's gonna make it"....Full speed ahead for Tesla. - Adam Kazwell

Yeah, the Model S looks very good. I want one :) Cute gimmick: the door handles are flush with the surface of the door until you touch one and then it slides out. It then retracts automatically after a bit. - Evan Parker

"Ever since KML touring was introduced as part of the Google Earth 5.0 release in February, geo content authors have created some very impressive 3D content visualization experiences on this new platform. Now, you can enjoy these engaging experiences right from the comfort of your own browser with the Google Earth Plugin! To try out some of our favorite Google Earth tours in your web browser, visit our commemorative tour gallery. Some of the tours in the gallery include a Flight 1549 re-enactment, a flyover of San Francisco (created with Arc2Earth by Brian Flood), and an Introduction to Mars narrated by Ira Flatow." - Evan Parker

These tours are really cool. They show off the new features of the Google Earth Browser Plugin really well. I especially liked the Mars Exploration tour which goes through the history of the various mars exploration space craft. - Evan Parker

Google's datacenter design used to be very confidential. Very cool to see Google opening up a bit to help other companies design more efficient datacenters. - Evan Parker

"The Times reported in February that Apple agreed to the studios’ demands for variable pricing only in exchange for allowing iPhone owners to buy songs over the 3G network, and for dropping the copyright protections known as digital rights management on digital music files. Today Apple is also completing that transition. The ten million tracks in the iTunes store are now finally free of Apple’s proprietary Fairplay DRM, which restricted iTunes customers to playing protected songs only on their computers or on Apple devices like the iPod and iPhone." Wohoo, DRM is dead! This makes itunes a lot more attractive to me. - Evan Parker

Well, whaddya know. Looks like lala their raised prices, too. Wouldn't the labels in this context be seen as an (unlawful) cartel, when they're essentially forcing all who carry their goods to raise their prices? <sigh> - Adam Lasnik

"Hazel McCallion, CM (born February 14, 1921) is the mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the sixth largest city in the country. McCallion has been Mississauga's mayor for 31 years, holding office since 1978. She is affectionately called "Hurricane Hazel"[1] by supporters as well as the media at large for her vibrant outspoken style of no-nonsense politics. She is one of Canada's best known and longest-serving mayors. At the age of 85, she was easily re-elected in November 2006 for her 11th consecutive term, holding a 92% majority of the votes, and has often been reelected without even needing to conduct an actual campaign." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki.... The video is hilarious and amazing at the same time. - Evan Parker

I think the funny video might actually get more people interested in her and the city than a serious fact-filled one would. And if the city's financial model and her leadership of it is good then that might be a good thing. - Evan Parker

"“My administration,” the president added, “is the only thing between you and the pitchforks.”" - Evan Parker

Jim: *laugh* - Andrew C (✔)

"The solar powered aircraft weighs a mere 506 pounds fully loaded, sports a seventeen feet wingspan and measures up to twenty-three feet long. Four lithium polymer batteries provide power to an 8 horsepower motor for takeoff and climbing, and once the plane hits a cruising altitude of around 3,000 feet the solar power kicks in -- with a maximum of 40 mph (or twice that with the batteries)." - Evan Parker

I didn't see the propeller in the picture. It is actually stored in the body to reduce the drag, and the video on the page shows it. It is pretty cool. - Gaku

"we've just finished the worldwide rollout of local search results on a map, which will now appear even when you don't type in a location. When you search on Google, we will guess where you are and show results near you." - Evan Parker

The one pictured in the article is not the final body. - Evan Parker

With support for tours, ocean, and mars - basically all the new features from Earth 5.0 except for time machine. - Evan Parker

Pictures from Earth Hour 2009. Cool animation between light and dark for each of the images (besides the first). - Evan Parker

This car looks really good. And according to NYT "There is a huge touch screen connected to the 3G network so you can search Google Maps on the road" (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...). Now I *really* want this car. - Evan Parker

Eric - since you are working at SpaceX this week, did you get a chance to see this car? - Evan Parker

"The numbers look daunting: the project would cost more than €1.5 trillion, of which €128 billion would go on the lines and equipment for the supergrid itself, and around €1.4 trillion on renewable-generating capacity. To put this in context, the International Energy Agency forecasts that the global power industry will have to invest $13.6 trillion on fossil-fuel-based power generation by 2030. Under Czisch's plan, investment in clean technologies would displace spending on dirty ones so costs would not escalate. One of the advantages of the supergrid is that renewables can be sited where wind and sunlight are best for generating electricity, which will bring economic efficiencies as well as electrical ones. What's more, the supergrid itself represents only a small proportion of the total investment, so the extra cost of the grid makes little difference to the overall price of electricity. Czisch calculates the system could deliver electricity for less than 4.7 euro cents per kilowatt-hour - roughly the p" - Evan Parker

Cute. L - Mandi

"Tesla will unveil its Model S prototype sedan March 26 at the Tesla design studio inside the SpaceX rocket factory, in Hawthorne, Calif. ... The Model S will have an anticipated base price of $57,400. After a federal tax credit of $7,500, the effective price will be $49,900. Because of tax incentives and relatively inexpensive maintenance and refueling, the lifetime ownership cost will be closer to cars with far lower sticker prices." - Evan Parker

"President Obama released a special video message for all those celebrating Nowruz. Translated "New Day," Nowruz marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the New Year for millions in Iran and other communities around the world. This year, the President wanted to send a special message to the people and government of Iran on Nowruz, acknowledging the strain in our relations over the last few decades. "But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together," he says." - Evan Parker

like like like like like love. - Rob Schonberger

Editable directions in map maker. - Evan Parker

Great, now I can change the directions from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, which led us the long way through Zion Nat'l Park and back down to Arizona to the north rim last year. It was a a last minute decision to go there and got the directions my phone's Google Maps. Hey, I just tried making the changes but there isn't street info for the US. Is there somewhere else that's done? - Rachel