Categories
Graphics/CSS

Gimp 2.6 released

GIMP 2.6 was released this week, with enhanced UI experience, as well as support for 32-bit color. The latter is particularly important as several web designers and photographers have focused on GIMP’s 8-bit support as their main reason not to use the tool. The 8-bit support is still the default, but you can turn 32-bit on, and the next few versions of GIMP should incorporate comprehensive support for both 32-bit and non-destructive editing.

The release is source code only at the GIMP site, though Lifehacker provides links and instructions for installing the tool in Ubuntu and Windows. The application has not been ported to Macports yet, and probably won’t be for some time. I am considering doing a source code build, something I normally wouldn’t touch. However, I really do want to see the new features, and in particular, the 32-bit support.

What makes the timing on GIMP 2.6 especially relevant is the fact that the days when we could spend thousands of dollars on software and equipment in order to work with our photos and web designs are over for most of us. I wasn’t joking when I said earlier that Frugal is sexy. Not buying is the new black.

When I have GIMP 2.6 installed, I’ll be back with a more detailed look. In the meantime, let’s hear it for 32-bit support. Let’s hear it for free.

Categories
XHTML/HTML

Distributed Extensibility

While I appreciate Mark Pilgrim’s This week in HTML5 land weekly reports, there’s one underlying thread that occurs every month that Mark doesn’t necessarily touch on: the issue of distributed extensibility. You know, the namespace, XHTML, SVG and MathML et al thing that doesn’t go away.

For instance, catching up on my HTML5 Working Group public archives reading, I found this gem from Chris Wilson of Microsoft:

You are correct, we cannot definitively say why XHTML has not been successful on the Web. However, I do believe that part of that lack of success is due to the less-forgiving XML syntax, and part of it is due to the degradation story (or lack thereof) in browsers and versions that don’t support it. (I don’t want to turn this into a pro/con XML debate either.) Part of its success in the future will be due to the important and focus it is lent by all of the major browsers. Perhaps I am misreading the tea leaves; I don’t see much interest in XHTML’s future from the other browsers. I do think XHTML would have a lot of positives as a basis; however, it does have a few negatives, and it would need to be a universal push if it were to be successful.

I would say that we can definitively state why XHTML has had limited success on the web: lack of implementation and support in IE, one of the web’s major browsers. In addition, none of the other browsers have said that they aren’t interested in supporting XHTML in the future. The fact that Microsoft’s main IE architect would make this statement leads me to believe he should be in politics.

And I’m only up to August in the archives. What other delights await in September and October…

Categories
Internet

AppleTV update

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Now that’s the ticket…Apple has released its anticipated AppleTV update. I’m installing now, as I write this.

Among the changes are support for HD TV shows, of course, but also Genius playlists, as well as being able to put the machine into Standby mode using Settings, rather than having to hold and press the Play button. This is comparable with being able to put an iPod into Standby via a menu option rather than esoteric button/time combination.

Apple also added support for music videos. I have a couple, which I’ll have to move over to the machine, see how they do.

Other than that, no, Steve Jobs did not have a heart attack. I can’t believe how gullible the online world is, to accept the word of some anonymous commenter in a CNN any-hack-can-post site. Is “fact check” old fashioned? CNN’s any-hack-can-post site states with pride that the material is Unedited. Unfilterd. News. I guess two our three is good enough for CNN.

Interesting, though, how tightly Apple shares are tied into Jobs. He needs to take a lesson from Bill Gates and work to ensure that the company does survive his death. Well, unless Jobs wants Apple to be like the Viking Queen and immolate itself on his funeral pyre.

Categories
Political

Something in St. Louis

Welcome to St. Louis tonight. I hope you have your toasted Ravioli and catfish sandwich handy. The weather is lovely, cool and with low humidity. While you’re in town, do be sure to spend at least a little time listening to the Blues, gazing out at the Sip.

I won’t be joining you, though. I plan on catching the highlights, or lowlights, of the debate tomorrow—via hundreds, perhaps even thousands of weblog posts.

Tonight, I’m going to watch Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams in HD from iTunes, and do everything humanly possible to forget this election. At least, for a day.

Categories
Semantics

Where are the Semantic Web applications

There’s been an increase of interest about the semantic web lately.

One particular question and answer in Danny’s interview has to do with the seeming cultural divisions associated with the semantic web.

Some say: “Europeans have developed the Semantic Web and Americans are going to capitalise it.” What is your opinion?

Danny Ayers: Six months ago I attended the SemTech conference in San José. There were quite a few European folks with solid projects approaching venture capitalists and vice versa. The impression I got was that of a significant culture clash, with the Europeans generally caught on the wrong-foot.

I have also attended most of the Italian SemWeb conferences (SWAP) and there have seen many demos of potentially lucrative applications, which got forgotten once the presenter gained their doctorate.

At the same time, as far as the (Semantic) Web is concerned, national barriers count for nothing. I live in an 8-cat town in Tuscany and work for a UK company, the US-based company OpenLink has an expert in Outer Siberia.

Internationalization of communication aside, I’ve also noticed what seems to be a shift of semantic web research to Europe, while the States focus on, well, Twitter. Google. Facebook. Cloud Computing. I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense—the States seem to be focusing on business based on known, possibly even exhausted technology and knowledge, while Europe is focusing on research for its own sake.

It may not seem like a big deal, but research without an endgame is nothing more than ego wrapped up in white papers. At the same time, a business that is focused purely on the moment isn’t going to take the web in new directions. Instead, we’ll be like the dog chasing its tail—all excited movement that doesn’t really go anywhere.

However, I haven’t been following the semantic web community as closely as I once did, and my view may be skewed because of it. The fact that this question was asked, though, shows I’m not the only one seeing a decidedly cultural bias in focus and interest.