This weeks links (2012-05-20)

We feel that a new law does not relieve #Australia of its responsibilities towards asylum-seekers bit.ly/10PE4IP

—
UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) May 22, 2013

In brief:

* To encourage creativity, Mr Gove, you must first understand what it is (2013-May-17) [The Guardian]
…First, creativity, like learning in general, is a highly personal process. We all have different talents and aptitudes and different ways of getting to understand things. Raising achievement in schools means leaving room for these differences and not prescribing a standard steeplechase for everyone to complete at the same time and in the same way.
Second, creativity is not a linear process, in which you have to learn all the necessary skills before you get started. It is true that creative work in any field involves a growing mastery of skills and concepts. It is not true that they have to be mastered before the creative work can begin. Focusing on skills in isolation can kill interest in any discipline. Many people have been put off mathematics for life by endless rote tasks that did nothing to inspire them with the beauty of numbers. Many have spent years grudgingly practicing scales for music examinations only to abandon the instrument altogether once they’ve made the grade. … — Ken Robinson

* A better, brighter Flickr (2013-May-20) [Flickr Blog]
In the beginning, Flickr innovated the way people share and discover photos. Today, we are shifting the photo-sharing landscape again. We’re releasing a Flickr that’s more spectacular, much bigger, and one you can take anywhere.

* Campus Life? What Campus Life? (2013-May-16) [New Matilda]
What happened to the lively Australian university campus? The needs of the marketplace took over from the needs of the academy, writes UNSW student Sophie Duxson

Cycling:

* This week we have the last week of the Giro d’Italia 2013 week 2, and have just finished the Amgen Tour of California

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Some reading/listening:

How to Talk to Girls at Parties (Ebook) [Kindle Edition] $0.00
A free Neil Gaiman eBook? Thank you
A free ebook-only edition of Neil Gaiman’s short story ‘How To Talk To Girls At Parties’ and an exclusive preview of the new THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, a novel about memory and magic and survival, about the power of stories and the darkness inside each of us – available in June 2013. ‘How To Talk to Girls At Parties’ was previously published in FRAGILE THINGS

Something from Bandcamp:

The Fires I Started by Unwoman (who will be playing at Steamfest Australia)

This weeks links (2012-05-13)

In brief:

* Take a Look at the Lego Steampunk Kit (2013-May-08) [Wired: Geek Mom]

* Girl Genius Volume 12 Printing and Reprint Frenzy!
It’s time to print a lovely printed-on-actual-paper edition of Girl Genius Volume 12! We also hope to reprint all the previous Volumes.
Funding period: May 15, 2013 – Jun 2, 2013
Get onto it!

* Mother’s Day Classic (Runkeeper activity log)

Cycling:

* This week we have the Giro d’Italia 2013 week 2, and the Amgen Tour of California

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Some reading/listening:

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* She Said, He Said: A Prequel – The Name of the Doctor (Doctor Who Series 7)

Something from Bandcamp:

Yonder Ruckus by The Mouldy Lovers (who will be playing at Steamfest Australia)

This weeks links (2012-05-06)

In brief:

* SLATE’s Economics of Ice and Fire series that’s worth a look;
Economics of Ice & Fire I: House Tyrell Is Richer Than House Lannister
Economics of Ice & Fire II: The Lannisters’ Subprime Lending
Economics of Ice and Fire, Part III: The Market for Dragons

* Six Melbourne subjects named world leaders in QS rankings (2013-May-08) [The Melbourne Newsroom]
The University of Melbourne’s Education course has been ranked third in the world while five other subjects have ranked in the top ten in the 2013 QS World University Rankings.

* Using Skype for meetings, job interviews or special events (2013-May-07) [Unimelb: Emerging Technologies for Researchers]

Cycling:

* Giro d’Italia 2013

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Some reading/listening:

* Smoke City by Christopher Barzak (2013-Apr) [LightSpeed Magazine]

Something from Bandcamp:

VAGABOND KING by Rapskallion (who will be playing at Steamfest Australia)

This weeks links (2012-04-29)

In brief:

* You Don’t Know How to Run (2013-Mar-20) [Outside Magazine]
Christopher McDougall started it, throwing a brick at long-held theories about striding styles and shoe designs in Born to Run—and inspiring believers to wear minimalist shoes or no shoes at all. What followed was a war, pitting lightfoots against traditionalists and filling shoe stores with a mind-numbing array of choices. Who’s right? Andrew Tilin jogs into the fray to find out.
This one popped up on my Twitter stream the morning after I finished reading Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run – how timely

* 30 Days Of Sexism (2013-Apr-30) [Kotaku Australia]

* Amanda Palmer to Morrissey: Let me help you crowdsource your next album (2013-Apr-29) [Salon]
The former Smiths singer has complained that no label wants him. With such passionate fans, he does not need one.

* What happens when pirates play a game development simulator and then go bankrupt because of piracy? (2013-Apr-29) [Greenheart Games]
When we released our very first game, Game Dev Tycoon (for Mac, Windows and Linux) yesterday, we did something unusual and as far as I know unique. We released a cracked version of the game ourselves, minutes after opening our Store. …

Cycling:

* During the past week we have had the Tour of Turkey 2013 and the Tour de Romandie 2013

* The Bike Lane Season 2 Episode 6

Some reading/listening:

* Prudence Shen – Do Not Touch (2013-Apr-23) [Tor]

Something from Bandcamp:

Father Of Invention by Professor Elemental

This weeks links (2012-04-22)

In brief:

* BBC Proms 2013 – Prom 2: Doctor Who Prom [BBC]
Saturday 13 July 7.30pm – c. 9.45pm, Royal Albert Hall
Doctor Who returns to the Proms to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popular BBC series. As well as showcasing Murray Gold’s music from the past eight years, the concert also journeys back to the early days of Doctor Who and the groundbreaking work of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Online: Live and ‘listen again’

* What rights should Dzhokhar Tsarnaev get and why does it matter? (2013-Apr-200 [The Guardian]
The Obama DOJ says it intends to question the Boston bombing suspect “extensively” without first Mirandizing him

Cycling:

* 21st-April Liege – Bastogne – Liege 2013 (Belgium) (#LBL) – “Dropped like a Panda at the spring classics” a new description for my riding style

Some reading/listening:

* Two stories to follow up on by Tad Williams revisiting his Otherland series;

1.) “The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story” Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond. Ed. by John Joseph Adams & Douglas Cohen. 47th North: February.
Return to the Oz simulation in Otherland with a new Orlando story, … excerpt from OZ-reimagined

2.) The Happiest Dead Boy in the World – Lightspeed Magazine, February 2013 (Exclusive E-Book content). by Tad Williams, featuring Orlando from the Otherland series.
The original story was first published in Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy (2003) an anthology edited by Robert Silverberg.

Something from Bandcamp:

This weeks links (2012-04-15)

In brief:

* A Parasite Has Taken Up Residence Within Android (2013-Apr-16) [attendly]

* Hackers said to have attacked WordPress blogs (2013-Apr-13) [PC World]

* Geek heaven is in the Supanova (2013-Apr-14) [The Age]

Cycling:

* Amstel Gold Race 2013 – although I totally failed with my plan of purchasing some Amstel to drink while watching the race, the racing made up for a lack of beer.

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Next: 17th-April Fleche Wallonne 2013 (Belgium) and 21st-April Liege – Bastogne – Liege 2013 (Belgium)

Some reading/listening:

* Ian Tregillis – Necessary Evil (Excerpt) (2013-Mar-29) [Tor]
Take a peek at the stunning conlcusion to Ian Tregillis’ Milkweed trilogy, Necessary Evil, out on April 30.
(Pre-order available on Audible)

Something from Bandcamp:
This week’s choice influenced by K who was cosplaying Karkat at Supanova this past weekend.

This weeks links (2012-04-08)

In brief:

* Facebook ‘erodes any idea of privacy’ (2013-Apr-08) [The Age]
Prominent tech blogger Om Malik wrote that Home “erodes any idea of privacy”. “If you install this, then it is very likely that Facebook is going to be able to track your every move, and every little action,” said Mailk.

* Darebin Libraries – Geek Week [PDF] from April 29 to May 4.

* Budge: Facing up to Facebook scams (2013-Apr-04) [Calgary Herald]

Cycling:

* Paris-Roubaix 2013 – Hell of the North, Queen of the Classics – it doesn’t matter what you call it, this year’s Paris-Roubaix lived up to the expectations and delivered a brilliant race. Spartacus was brilliant, with Cancellara racking up is third win. Where Omega Pharma were drastically unlucky with two of their riders who made the critical break involved in collisions with spectators on the Carrefour de l’Arbre sector.

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Some reading/listening:

* Damsel in Distress: Part 1 – Tropes vs Women in Video Games

Something from Bandcamp:

This weeks links (2012-04-01)

In brief:

* Iranian Cavers Discover World’s Fourth Largest Cave Room (2013-Apr-02) [Caving News]
Iranian Cavers exploring a new cave have discovered one of the largest rooms in the world.

* Behold! 10 Triumphant ‘Game of Thrones’ Memes (2013-Apr-02) [Mashable]

* Why The Judge Who Struck Down Digital First Sale In New York Isn’t Helping The Copyright Debate (2013-Apr-02) [ThinkProgress]

* Reselling Digital Goods Is Copyright Infringement, Judge Rules (2013-Apr-01) [Wired: Threat Level]

* That fallen wall (2013-Mar-31) [Butterpaper]

* Splendid Chaps | A Year of Doctor Who
‘Splendid chaps. All of them.’ A year-long live performance/podcast project by @labcoatman and @johnmrichards, celebrating the 50th anniversary of #DoctorWho.

Cycling:
* Spring classics left and right at the moment with the Tour of Flanders 2013 last night.

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Some reading/listening:

* io9 is running an exclusive full chapter from THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES. (SPOILER NOTE: It’s a flashback chapter). The publication of THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES, the third instalment in Scott Lynch’s popular fantasy series that began with The Lies of Locke Lamora, will release on October 10, 2013 in the UK and Commonwealth and October 8, 2013 in the US.

An Exclusive Chapter from Republic of Thieves, by Lies of Locke Lamora Author Scott Lynch! (2013-Apr-03) [io9]

Something from Bandcamp:

This weeks links (2012-03-25)

In brief:

* Amazon plans to buy social network for book fans (2013-Mar-28) [Reuters]
(Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) said on Thursday it plans to acquire the book recommendation website, Goodreads.
“Ruh-roh, Raggy!”

* Video conferencing use for enterprise productivity growing: survey (2013-Mar-27) [SMB World Asia]
… Desktop PCs and laptops are the most common device used for video conferencing (71 percent of respondents), followed by room/group video systems (65 percent), tablets (34 percent) and smartphones (33 percent).
Conference rooms are the most popular environments for video conferencing today. 79 percent of respondents use video in conference rooms, 69 percent use video in offices. …

* 10 board games for TableTop Day: Felicia Day’s team wants you to play (2013-Mar-25) [Hero Complex : LA Times]

* Felicia Day’s Geek & Sundry Sets 3 New Series (2013-Mar-25) [Hollywood Reporter]
The web sensation’s production company and YouTube Channel has renewed TableTop and Space Janitors and announced an April 1 start date for new shows Felicia’s Ark, Fetch Quest and The Player Ones. … while TableTop will return every other Thursday. …

* Glitch costing iPhone users dearly (2013-Mar-23) [The Age]
Apple iPhone customers are potentially being overcharged by hundreds – possibly thousands – of dollars because a software bug is leading to excessive data being drained from mobile phones.
… not as as if the Telco’s haven’t know about this fault since November 2012!

* Seeing red: why cyclists ride through traffic lights (2013-Mar-25) [The Conversation]

Cycling:
* Cycling overload with the final stages of the Volta a Catalunya the Critérium International and Gent-Wevelgem this past weekend.

The IM Melbourne was also on yesterday (where we helped out on cycle station C4 and run station R7) here’s the calm before the storm – before the runners start to come through.

Some reading/listening:

* Neil Gaiman – “Down to a Sunless Sea.” (2013-Mar-22) [Guardian]
A rainy encounter in London on the banks of the Thames unlocks a tale of loss and grief in this exclusive story from Neil Gaiman, Down to a Sunless Sea

Something from Bandcamp:

This weeks links (2012-03-18)

In brief:

* 5-year-old discovers dinosaur, names it after herself, drops mic for the rest of her life (2013-Mar-21) [Grist]

* Neil Gaiman sets Twitter ablaze with fan collaboration (2013-Mar-18) [TechHive]

* Online Music Piracy Doesn’t Hurt Sales, European Commission Finds (2013-Mar-18) [TorrentFreak]
New research published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre shows that online piracy doesn’t hurt digital music revenues. The researchers examined browsing habits from 16,000 Europeans and found that there’s a positive link between online piracy and visits to legal music stores, irrespective of people’s interest in music. The study concludes that the music industry should not see piracy as a growing concern. …

* Mother-of-four forced to pay $222,000 to record companies for illegal music downloads after Supreme Court rejects her appeal (2013-Mar-18) [DailyMail]

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Cycling:
Milan San Remo 2013

Am I actually qualified for the winter olympics now? #MSR #Sanremo http://t.co/CvrqQU6SfC

—
Gerald Ciolek (@GeraldCiolek) March 18, 2013

Some reading/listening:

* Neil Gaiman – Neverwhere (BBC4)
Neverwhere begins with an hour-long episode at 2:30pm on Saturday 16 March on Radio 4 and continues with five 30-minute installments stripped across the week on Radio 4 Extra from Monday 18 March.
All episodes will be available to catch up on demand until 29 March 2013.

‘Neverwhere: London Below’(Episode One) will be available as the Drama of the Week download from Friday 22nd March. — BBC – Podcasts and Downloads – Drama of the Week

* Cory Doctrow – Audio from my Homeland tour presentation
A 40 minute talk about the promise of technology to improve our lives, the risks from allowing technology to be used to surveil and control us, and the contributions Aaron Swartz made to this cause and to the book. Recorded by Thomas “Command Line” Gideon.

Something from Bandcamp: