CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-22 01:45:41 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Spoiler Policy (1st Draft)

To go with the general community guidelines I thought I should address the thorny issue of spoilers. No system is perfect so this is a compromise at best, but I'm hoping it meets most people's concerns.

What Counts As  A Spoiler?

Rumors are not spoilers. The information provided in promos and synopsis is not a spoiler. Episode titles are not spoilers. Plot information, key characters or events that have not been released by the author/tv station are not spoilers.

Unwelcome Spoilers

Any plot details for a movie/tv show or book that has not aired/been released yet are spoilers and should not be posted or discussed in the community.

Acceptable Spoilers

Plot details, key characters, twists from movies/tv shows or books that are available to read/watch are spoilers, butm... more »

2013-05-22 01:34:54 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

What Are You Reading (May 2013)

Currently I have a couple of books on the go. I'm listening to Flood by Stephen Baxter during my commute and he always does great world disaster scenarios.

Meanwhile on my Kindle I have a book called Scrivener by Ben S. Dobson which is proving to be an above average fantasy read.

What are the rest of you reading at the moment?

2013-05-21 23:04:43 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Orangutan, Smithsonian's National Zoo, DC

This particular orangutan seems particularly deflated in this picture. It was a warm day.

2013-05-21 22:43:22 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Madam Vastra The Series - Fanmade Credit Sequence

This pretty much shows you why we really do need a spin-off  (I'll settle for a mini-series rather than a full series) featuring Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax.

I think I'd play down the Doctor Who connection more than these credits do mind you.

H/T to +Fred Hicks for posting this.

2013-05-21 22:04:21 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

The Leaning Girl Kickstarter Campaign

The Obscure Cities is a series of graphic novels by Belgian artist  François Schuiten andwriter Benoît Peeters that were originally published in the 1980s.

Only some of the material was published in the US. This Kickstarter campaign is an effort to resume the translation and production of the Obscure Cities series starting with The Leaning Girl

In this alternate earth, humans live in independent city-state, each of which has developed a distinct culture and architectural style.

The artwork, as you can see, is quite stunning.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/51096880/the-leaning-girl-translated-graphic-novel-project

2013-05-21 20:41:04 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Pre-Order The Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray And Get 50% Off

So there's this movie. You may have heard of it. It's called Star Trek Into Darkness. I think it's something the kids are into...

Turns out that even though the Blu-ray edition won't actually be released until... well actually I'm not sure they've even announced a release date for that yet...

ANyway Amazon will let you pre-order for half price which is a pretty good deal if you've seen the movie and like it or you just buy everything that has Star Trek written on it anyway.

http://amzn.to/119DfGw

2013-05-21 19:35:40 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Bad Ass Lara Croft Cosplay

Cosplayer LadyNerd has done a series of photos as Lara Croft from Tomb Raider and as you can see the level of detail and authenticity here is amazing.

You can find additional photos on her Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/TheLadyNerd

2013-05-21 16:17:57 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Occasionally I think I should record a video and upload it to YouTube like a Vlog type of thing.

Then I realize, anything I wanted to say I've probably already written and posted anyway.

2013-05-21 15:57:18 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Self Promotion Posts

As I see it we have three basic options:

1) Leave it as is with a topic for them
2) Change that topic to have one post for each of Books/Movies/Comics/Web and have people add comments with a link to promote their work.
3) No self-promotion. If people want to link to their own content they're going to have to be so sparklingly interesting that people follow them direct.

Let me know what option you prefer or if you have an alternative I haven't thought of.

2013-05-21 15:43:26 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Draft Community Rules

I thought that before going too much further in bringing additional moderators on board it would be a good idea to start by defining good community behavior.

This is just a first draft so any suggestions at all are welcome at this stage. Rule 2 in particular I plan on having a separate discussion about.

1) Link Posting - If you want to post a link to a site/video/image  please provide commentary/summary to encourage discussion within the community. Tell us why it's worth looking at.

*2. No Self Promotion Spam - * Only post links to your personal projects in _Blatant Self-Promotion. Posts elsewhere will be removed without notice. Frequent offenders will be banned.

3. Over Posting - If you've just made your 4th post to the Community in the last 5 minutes you're probably overposting. Slow it down and... more »

2013-05-21 14:59:35 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Cord Cutting. It's Real And It's Finally Detectable

For several years now you couldn't go on a social site without someone telling you they didn't have tv or they had completely dropped cable. But up to now they really haven't been measurable because they were simply drowned out by new subscribers.

Not any more.

For the first time pay tv (cable/satellite) collectively lost customer volume over the course of a year.

We're still talking about very small numbers. 80,000 is really tiny but it's important because these people are either just using over the air or they've used Netflix/Hulu/Amazon to make up the difference.

2013-05-21 14:24:15 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Yes You Will Always Suck At Some Things No Matter How Hard You Try

As a society we always tell people they can be anything they want to be if they just work at it.

I've always said that's BS and finally science is getting round to backing me up on this.

Clearly we can get better at things by putting in the effort to practice, but people simply have certain natural aptitudes, or lack them in some cases.

I for example should never ever play any sport. I will always be terrible at it.

Now if you enjoy the thing you're terrible at, just keep doing it. Fun is fun. But if you're not enjoying it stop! Spend that time on something you like (and hopefully are good at).

2013-05-21 13:55:43 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

And proving once again that no matter the change people will bitch...

Just read a thread where people are complaining about the new Flickr look and price model.

Apparently vast amounts of storage space for free just isn't good enough.

2013-05-21 13:33:15 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

So... Google... 1 Terabyte...

I really like the way G+ photos is progressing, but Flickr now lets me upload my full res images (16MP) without worrying about space.

Ball is in your court.

2013-05-21 01:05:15 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Really wish people would stop populating my stream with cliches, morals and lectures on how I or others need to behave.

2013-05-21 00:51:07 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Mum and Dad

The height difference does make taking photographs of them together a little difficult.

2013-05-21 00:00:55 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Felicia Day Announces Geek & Sundry Vlogs

So apparently taking a slightly different tack on geekiness, Geek & Sundry Vlogs will put the spotlight on a variety of vloggers who talk about their particular area of geekery.

To be honest nothing here is really getting my attention.

2013-05-20 21:36:13 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Flickr Gives 1 Terrabyte of Free Space, New Look

All my photos are available again, not just the last 200 and they're available in high resolution.

Plus there's a new look tot he site which is very visually pleasing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eoghann/

2013-05-20 19:52:07 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Graphic Novel Review: Tib & TumTum # - Welcome To The Tribe!

Tib is a young boy who is regularly picked on by other members of his tribe for the birth mark over his eye. His mother is over-protective and his father has a fondness for tall tales. He discovers a dinosaur TumTum but cannot persuade any other members of the tribe it exists since dinosaurs have been extinct for years.

The setting is very loosely a prehistoric caveman one, though there is a liberal use of modern terms and ideas. The author isn't trying for realism here.

What we get is a series of scenes each lightly amusing/entertaining as Tib tries to convince the rest of the tribe about TumTum's existence. You can read it in one sitting or easily break it up to a few pages at a time.

This is something a kid can read for themselves and the humor will likely appeal to them. The... more »

2013-05-20 18:30:49 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Star Wars Rebels - First Behind The Scenes Video

So shortly after Disney acquired LucasFilm they announced that Star Wars: The Clone Wars was cancelled. But that's not the end of animated Star Wars.

In 2014 we will be getting a show called Star Wars Rebels. We don't know much, but we do know it will be set between Episodes III and IV which is relatively unmined territory (on tv and in the movies) and they seem to be leaning heavily on the Ralph McQuarrie concept art this time.

Both of these are good things in my book. But we'll have to wait to see some actual footage.

2013-05-20 18:19:50 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Voldemort vs. Gandalf LEGO Animation

Another great animation by the Brotherhood workshop. Lord Voldemort seems to think he's the most powerful wizard in the world.

Gandalf puts in him straight on that.

2013-05-20 18:09:27 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Dad

2013-05-20 12:15:02 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

LEGO Castles - Chester Keep

You know it must be at least 12 hours since I posted a LEGO castle. So take a look at Chester Keep by Gilbert Keith.

Lots of nice touches here. We've got a mixture of stone and wood. And the different colorings in the stone walls as well as the contrasting rock base is well done too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gilbert_keith/8676526036/in/photostream/

2013-05-20 03:20:36 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Looking For A Few Good Men

Yes obviously I'd be equally happy with women. Did I really need to spell that out?

Basically I need some moderators. The community is getting bigger but I don't have an endless supply of free time. I'd like to be able to Make Visible or Remove posts quicker.

I also want to create a bit more of a community feel to this place, but again... not enough time.

So any fools volunteers?

2013-05-20 00:56:39 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

The Week In Review

Time for some highlights from the last week, all available on my blog: http://eoghann.com

Geekery

Some great LEGO builds this week and one of the most imaginative bits of TARDIS cosplay I've seen.

LEGO Castles: The Siege of Lenfel Fortress -http://eoghann.com/2013/05/lego-castles-siege-lenfel-fortress

Follow The LEGO Brick Road - http://eoghann.com/2013/05/follow-lego-brick-road

Doctor Who Cosplay — TARDIS Cosplay - http://eoghann.com/2013/05/doctor-cosplay-tardis-cosplay

LEGO Robot Retro Style - http://eoghann.com/2013/05/lego-robot-retro-style

LEGO Spaceships — Omega Docking Station - http://eoghann.com/2013/05/lego-spaceships-omega-docking-station

Photos

Another good week for my photos with a lovely Gettysburg panorama, a closeup of aZebra Swallow... more »

2013-05-19 23:26:02 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Just received the final PDF version of FATE Core and FATE Accelerated from +Fred Hicks Evil Hat Productions.

Of the two I think I'm a little more excited about FATE Accelerated because it fits better into my rules light outlook, but both should be great based on what I've seen so far.

Apparently there will be an EPUB version at some point which is good because Calibre's quick conversion of the PDF that I made kind of choked on the graphic heavy format and it's not terribly readable.

Keep your eyes open for the official release which should be in the next few months.

http://www.evilhat.com/home/fae/

2013-05-19 22:14:07 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Book Review: At Winter's End by Robert Silverberg

Originally published back in the 80s, At Winter's End, the first part in the New Spring time series of two books is getting a re-relase. And if you haven't read it you probably should now.

The book is classified as science fiction which will probably get those who worry about such things all tied in knots. It's certainly not hard SF and you could arguably call it fantasy since it does not worry about the science behind what is happening. Which is fine with me, because that's not what the book is about.

Silverberg uses his story which focuses on a tribe coming out of a 700 millennia long seclusion (as the result of meteors striking the planet and creating a long winter) and their attempt to both adapt to a new world establish a civilization as an opportunity to muse on what it actually means to be... more »

2013-05-19 21:46:59 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Welcome To Metropolis

I love this image Welcome To Metropolis Man of Steel which features Superman (in his current costume) and a host of other characters.

Some of them like Lex Luthor, the Joker, Lois Lane and Solomon Grundy belong while others like Tony Stark and Stan Lee might be from somewhere else.

Lovely artwork and great coloring by BongzBerry.


http://bongzberry.deviantart.com/art/Welcome-To-Metropolis-Man-Of-Steel-REVISED-342311858

2013-05-19 21:30:28 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

LEGO Castles - Bothemor Keep

Okay calling this a castle might be stretching it a bit.  But it is a lovely medievalish fantasy Keep.

What really makes the differeence though is the action poses. A spear brandishing soldier. A Wizard with a lightning bolt and best of all an axeman mid leap.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90979715@N05/8750790761/in/photostream

2013-05-19 21:17:30 (8 comments, 5 reshares, 14 +1s)

Map of Space Debris

No doubt you have heard mention that there's a lot of debris up in space these days as a result of satellite launches etc.

But do you realize just how much?

This map of every bit of space debris gives you an idea of the scale of the mess we are making. Space is big, but still this will become a problem.

http://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1eeswi/map_of_every_known_piece_of_space_debris_orbiting/

2013-05-19 20:44:46 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

TV Review: Doctor Who S07E13 - The Name Of The Doctor

So the episode that has been hype for months. Could it possibly live to that? Could it even live up to its name? Yes. I think it could and did.

It's not perfect, but I came away overwhelmingly satisfied on multiple levels. And that's all I ever ask from a TV show.

In a sense the question in the title was answered, if indirectly. And yes that's technically a co-out, but it's the right one because no direct answer would have been satisfactory.

Instead we find that it's not the actual name that matters, just knowing the name. Because it gains entry to the Doctor's tomb on Trenzalore. And cleverly the fall of the eleventh does not refer to his death (that presumably is a future Doctor) but his literally falling from the sky.

There are a few problems with that prophecy mind... more »

2013-05-19 20:02:20 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Watched the Disney Christmas Parade and ate a lovely Thanksgiving meal. Now ready for a nap....

2013-05-19 16:27:13 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Panormaic View Of Gettysburg Battlefield From Little RoundTop

Little Round Top was a key strategic location during the battle of Gettysburg. An area of high ground held by Union Forces that the Confederates were unable to take. If they had been able to take it the course of the battle would likely have been changed.

But looking at this photo you can see what a challenge it would be for any attacking force to take this hill away from entrenched troops.

2013-05-19 13:51:57 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Doctor Who: What Now?

Okay so you've watched The Name of the Doctor and hopefully enjoyed that (I'll be writing up a review later today) but the season is done. What's next?

Actually there's still a few things to keep an eye open for this year and into next:

The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special

Appropriately it airs on November 23rd 2013. We know it stars Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Billie Piper \and  Jemma Redgrave along John Hurt and that it will resolve the cliffhanger from last night's Doctor Who. Rumor has multiple returning Doctor Who aliens as well and the Zygons along with Cybermen and Daleks are confirmed.

The special has been shot in 3D and will have some sort of limited theatrical release.

An Adventure In Space And Time

On the same night the BBC will also... more »

2013-05-18 23:09:56 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

USS Enterprise Flies Into Space

Steve Schnier launched this model of the movie version USS Enterprise into space (via weather balloon) with a camera attached to it and the resulting footage is pretty cool.

Though he may have caused aneurysms in the brains of some fans by using the Star Trek: The Next Generation theme tune.

2013-05-18 22:47:30 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Book Review: Icefire by Patty Jansen

This short story apparently inspired the author to write a trilogy and given the material presented here I can see why.

There's a remarkable amount of world building packed into relatively few words. Places, people, governments. There's a lot of background referenced here. And it's that additional background that takes this beyond a stereotypical fantasy world.

After all on the surface we have a poor boy who doesn't know who his father is, a princess and a mysterious stranger with magic. As always it's the execution that matters, not the raw elements you're working with. Certainly if you don't like fantasy this won't change your mind. But the characters have a surprising depth to them for a story of this length.

In fact there's really only one area where the short story structure... more »

2013-05-18 20:46:44 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

What Is Google's H840?

Well according to the FCC filing it's a Digital Transmission System and the description is The device functions as a media player.

Two things were noticeably absent from Google I/O 2013. Nothing was said about the failed Nexus Q, and there wasn't a Google branded Google TV box.

So...

2013-05-18 20:28:31 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Who Much Would It Cost To Build the USS Enterprise

Surprisingly little it turns out. Well, relatively speaking anyway.

Of course there are some problems with Gizmodo's estimate on the cost of building the movie version of the Enterprise. Not least of which is that certain things like Warp Engines and Transporters aren't actually possible currently.

So it's all just a bit of fun but their total cost of $478,947,711,160 seems surprisingly modest when you consider what is being talked about.

http://gizmodo.com/how-much-would-it-cost-to-build-the-starship-enterprise-506174071

2013-05-18 20:13:17 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Mum

Taken during our recent visit to the zoo. This is a very familiar expression.

2013-05-18 19:56:23 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Dubai Timelapse Video

Those of you who have followed me for a while will know that I love a good bit of timelapse photography.

I don't post them very often because it's not easy to put together something really special in that format. But this multi-scene time lapse of Dubai is quite stunning and really seems to give a flavor of the city.

I say seems, because I've never actually been there.

2013-05-18 19:44:37 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special - Matt Smith & David Tennant Chat

So since tonight was the final episode in the season (I haven't seen it yet!!!) I don't have a promo for the next episode to share with you.

Instead how about this little spoiler free chat between Matt Smith and David Tennant about the 50th Anniversary Special that will air on November 23rd 2013.

2013-05-18 17:57:15 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Spider-Man & The Incredible Hulk

The boys had fun with the face-painting and balloon sculptures today.

2013-05-18 17:53:20 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Superhero Cosplay - Gender Switched Cable

This is a pretty solid gender switch Cable costume. I mean all the core elements are there. Shoulder pads, BFG,  glowy eye, mechanical arm.

What puts it over the top is including Baby Hope from one of the sillier runs of the character when he spent all his time protecting her by having her strapped to his chest like a shooting target...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=524387664288065&set=a.459444430782389.105313.421675771225922&type=1&theater

2013-05-18 17:44:13 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 1 +1s)

Dance-Off With The Star Wars Stars 2013 Finale

These are always fun to watch.

2013-05-18 13:38:25 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

The Google TV Brand Fades But Android Is Still Coming To TVs

When Google launched their Google TV brand people got very excited. Would this be the product that finally moved these sorts of streaming boxes from a niche hobby to the mainstream?

Nope.

Google stumbled when they forked Google TV from Android which dramatically slowed down the updates and content provides reacted in a particularly hysterical fashion by blocking their product from the service.

But Google can't give up on this market. Everyone is gunning for it including Microsoft with their XBox and Apple with the Apple TV (it may be a hobby now, but eventually it will be something more).

Since Google TV launched, Google have spent a lot of time building up relationships with the content companies. Now they sell movies and tv shows in the Play store and have just launched a... more »

2013-05-18 13:21:34 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Game Of Thrones Cake Looks Good Enough To Eat

When you play the Game of Thrones you eat or you die...

CakeRetro has produced this remarkably realistic Game of Thrones cake featuring Tyrion Lannister sitting on the Iron Throne.

Apparently it was made with modelling chocolate and then hand pained with edible sugar pains. The base is sponge with a strawberry filling.

All of which sounds delicious, but how could you slice up something that looks like this?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=133237153538226&set=pb.133121376883137.-2207520000.1368586028.&type=3&theater

2013-05-18 13:17:35 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

LEGO Spaceships - Omega Docking Station

LEGO builder kaydee1982 thinks on a pretty massive scale. In this shot you can see his Eclipse spaceship ( a sizeable LEGO build in its own right) at berth in the Omega docking station.

Check out his Flickr account for different angles on both LEGO models amongst other things.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaydee1982/8736321842/in/photostream

2013-05-18 01:00:36 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Superhero Pop Stars

Artist Butcher Billy has taken 80's pop stars and worked them into the covers of various DC Comics superheroes. The results are remarkably effective.

This one of The Flash is my favorite but there are some other great ones too including Siouxsie and the Banshee's as Wonder Woman and The Cure as Plastic Man.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/The-Post-Punk-New-Wave-Super-Friends-by-Butcher-Billy/8688795

2013-05-19 02:06:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Gouverneur Kemble Warren, Little Round Top, Gettysburg PA

Warren (January 8, 1830 – August 8, 1882) was a General in the Union army during the Battle of Gettysburg. He is sometimes referred to as the Hero of Little Round Top for arranging a last minute defense of the  hill, recognizing it as a key defensive position.

This particular shot is exactly how you're not supposed to do it. I'm facing the sun and even pointing the camera up towards it.

Mainly that's because I wanted to get this particular angle of shot. And actually I rather like how it turned out.

2013-05-17 21:48:42 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Doctor Who - The Name of The Doctor Clip

The BBC has released another clip to tease you for tomorrow's Doctor Who season finale The Name Of The Doctor.

They're calling the clip A Message for Clara and it's certainly a teaser.