Everyone needs a list …

The TIME’s Top Ten Podcasts of 2006;

1. THIS AMERICAN LIFE (Features)
2. THE SHOW WITH ZEFRANK (Comedy)
3. BBC | FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT (News and Politics)
4. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN’S 60-SECOND SCIENCE (Science)
5. COOL HUNTING VIDEO (Culture)
6. SLATE MAGAZINE DAILY PODCAST (Current Events)
7. WFUV’S TAKE FIVE (Music)
8. WSJ’S YOUR MONEY MATTERS (Business)
9. TWiT (THIS WEEK IN TECH) WITH LEO LAPORTE AND FRIENDS (Technology)
10. LEARN MANDARIN CHINESE (Education)

Interesting to see that I have been following two of these (zefrank and TWiT) and I think CTR has been following chinesepod. As with most ‘top 10′ lists there is plenty of room for depate about this list, but it does give fresh material to go and have a listen to.

Google Earth – New 3D Buildings released

Google Releases New 3D Buildings Layer for Google Earth
Google has released a new layer (viewable with Google Earth 4 beta), which lets you view higher quality 3D Buildings – many of which are photo-textured. I highly recommend you download the latest Google Earth 4 beta because it loads these models much faster than the previous betas (actually, I just realized the new layer isn’t available unless you download the latest version). You can now turn on a “Best of 3D Warehouse” layer under “3D Buildings” and it will automatically load high quality buildings for the area you are viewing. The layer is a network link which automatically loads 3D buildings for the city you are viewing. Only cities which have the buildings available will load. But, many major cities around the world have at least a few buildings. Above is a screenshot of New York City. You can also turn on the “Other Buildings” layer and still see the old gray 3D buildings Google Earth has always had. Although, there is no longer a conflict between the cruder gray buildings and the new higher quality buildings. They’ve removed the cruder buildings wherever a higher quality building from the new layer exists.

NOTE: You will need to be running at least Google Earth 4 beta 6 (November 1st, 2006)

3D Warehouse Opera House

2007 Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally is on again with a grueling 7,915 km route (January 6 – 20, 2007).

Who can perhaps beat the Mitsubishi 4X4’s on the Dakar? The question is posed each year as New Year’s Eve approaches. And systematically for the past six years, the red cars answer categorically on the terrain: no one. Even when their lead driver, Stéphane Peterhansel, experienced misadventure in the late stages of the rally when he was leading the overall standings (2003 &2006). During last year’s rally, it was team mate Luc Alphand who was left to defend the positions of the Japanese armada, winning his first Dakar in his eighth participation. The former skier, who has made an extraordinary re-conversion, is now a legitimate candidate to repeat, as are fellow “Mitsu” men Peterhansel, Masuoka and Roma, all former victors of the event. [MITSU OR NOT MITSU ?]

Live Tracking (English text) (nod to javoresku) and Live Tracking (French text) from tracking2007.dakar.com

Google Earth Community : Dakar Rally 2007 overlays are also available , these are produced by TommyAfrika.

ABC Melbourne Podtours

A great new Podcast release from ABC Melbourne, the Melbourne Podtour series. The tours are a co-production with the University of Melbourne‘s Cultural Heritage Unit.

Podtouring in 3 Easy Steps
1 – Download the tour and map of your choice
2 – Load the tour onto your MP3 player and print your map
3 – Pop on your headphones and hit the street with your 774 ABC Melbourne tour guide

The three tours that are currently available are as follows;

• Eat, Drink Melbourne – Presented by Derek Guille with food writer Stephanie Alexander.
  Let Derek Guille take you on an exploration of Melbourne’s culinary hotspots as Eat, Drink Melbourne takes in the great eating and drinking sites of today and decades past, interspersed with cooking hints from Stephanie Alexander.
• Death, Dirt & Disease – Presented by Jon Faine.
  Join Jon Faine on an exploration of the macabre side of Melbourne. There are dead bodies being pulled out of the Yarra, coroners counting maggots and nightmen dumping bedpans on flowerbeds. Under every glistening, stylish sophisticated city (and Melbourne’s certainly one of those) there lies a long tale of grime and crime. This tour about what’s waiting for you if it all goes wrong.
• Showbiz, Sexy Spectacles and Sideshows – Presented by Red Symons and Myf Warhurst from triple j.
  From a death-defying dip in the Yarra to the decadent brothels of the late 1800s, Red Symons takes you on a tour of some of the strangest spectacles and sauciest celebrity stories that Melbourne has seen on the Showbiz, Sexy Spectacles & Sideshows podtour of the city.

See you in the City

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