Congratulations! You’ve been elected mayor of Greenville – your burnt-out industrial hometown and now promise to transform it into a thriving sustainable community.  In order to restore the city to its former beauty, you must change the ways of the past and bring about a new green future as you “Plan It Green”.

Your goal is to overhaul each city district by completing a wide range of projects.  Watch as Greenville transforms before your eyes as you build eco-homes, apply green upgrades, develop environmentally clean jobs and industries, and even implement green agriculture.  Use real life products and research the latest in green technologies using National Geographic’s GREEN GUIDE.

Main Game Features:

• Earn points and prestige as you transform your hometown from an eyesore, into a beautiful Green City!
• Hours of gameplay in both campaign and free play mode!
• Improve 8 neighborhoods across 45 levels!
• Upgrade your hometown with parks, eco-homes and environmental upgrades
• Build eco-friendly houses, stores and businesses
• Pick the latest eco-upgrades

Check out Plan It Green on iTunes today!

Check out the PC game Here (over 1 million downloads to date!)

Can Solar Save Us?

 

The sun is a utopian fuel: limitless, ubiquitous, and clean. Surely someday we’ll give up on coal, oil, and gas—so hard on the climate, so unequally distributed worldwide—and go straight to the energy source that made fossil fuels.

This is the second article from National Geographic this month featuring Solar Energy and its associated benefits.

Read it here: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/09/solar/carroll-text

Have a Solar Day!

www.urban-solar.co.za

“It is hard to imagine that a power plant could be so beautiful: 250 acres of gently curved mirrors lined up in long troughs like canals of light….”

Great article in this months National Geographic Magazine

Read it here : http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/09/solar/johnson-text

Have a Solar Day!

www.urban-solar.co.za

Mais um excelente site que vai para a lista de links do Ação & Contexto. Pictura Pixel é uma revista multimídia imperdível que (in)felizmente (só agora) tive o prazer de conhecer.

Recomendo uma visita a fundo por todas as sessões do site (eles têm um roteiro para facilitar a navegação) e deixo como dica os portfólios dos fotógrafos André Cypriano sobre as favelas e barrios do Rio e de Caracas (do André recomendo o expecional livro Rocinha) e os voos fotográficos de Cássio Vasconcellos sobre Nova York.

Na sessão blog, vale o post uma foca-leopardo gigante ensina ao fotógrafo Paul Nicklen como caçar pinguins. Nicklen ficou em segundo lugar no World Press Photo de 2008, na categoria Natureza, com o ensaio Narwals publicado na National Geographic.

As cerejas do bolo ficam por parte dos artigos Propriedade e desrespeito, de Guaracy Monteiro (do Fotomix), e Pare de vender suas imagens! e Fairey, Mannie, AP e o crédito fotográfico, ambos do Gilberto Tadday.

Ron Brugal, organizador del concurso "Tus momentos". Fotografía de Roel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/roelbrals/)

Otro concurso que se nutre de las nuevas tecnologías para hacernos la vida más fácil.

Bajo el lema “Tus momentos”, el ron dominicano Brugal invita a los visitantes de su página web a participar en este concurso fotográfico que vive su novena edición. En colaboración con National Geographic, piden imágenes que capturen momentos, momentos especiales, llenos de magia, lugares, gentes o historias que transmitan las ganas de vivir.

Para participar, antes del 5 de febrero de 2010 deberás registrarte en la página web y subir un máximo de 3 fotografías, o bien hacerlo por correo ordinario (más información en la propia web). Los únicos requisitos son que los participantes tengan más de 18 años, que las imágenes no hayan sido antes presentadas a ningún concurso, y que no se trate de fotomontajes ni manipulaciones, ya que sólo se admiten pequeños retoques de color, contraste y luminosidad. Si en las imágenes aparecen personas, es necesario que éstas den permiso para que se presenten al concurso; de hecho, en el caso de resultar ganadoras, la organización del concurso se pondrá en contacto con las personas para confirmar su aprobación.

El jurado está compuesto por: Pep Cabello, director de National Geographic España; Fernando de Vicente, Marketing Manager de Ron Brugal en España; la actriz Rossy de Palma; el actor y modelo Iván Sánchez y la también actriz y modelo Laura Sánchez.

El primer premio será un viaje para dos personas a la República Dominicana y un equipo fotográfico Sony; el segundo premio, el mismo viaje, y el tercer premio, el equipo Sony.

Una oportunidad más de dar a conocer tus fotografías y, a un solo click, tener la oportunidad de ganar interesantes premios.

This is Paul Nicklen, an amazing National Geographic photographer who shares his experience of coming face-to-face with a deadly Leopard Seal, which is known to be one of Antartica’s deadliest predators. The sea lion mistook Nicklen and his camera as a large predator and for four days tried to feed him penguins and nurture him. Nicklen’s story is amazing, and really unbelievable. Hope you find it as inspiring as I did.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – No primeiro grande passo para tornar milhões de vídeos no YouTube acessíveis aos surdos e pessoas com deficiência auditiva, o Google anunciou uma nova tecnologia na quinta-feira que irá trazer automaticamente legendas à muitos vídeos do site.

A tecnologia irá também abrir os vídeos para o um amplo mercado estrangeiro tornando-os mais procurados, o que vai tornar fácil para o google obter maiores benefícios.

Embora a tecnologia permite inserir apenas legendas em inglês, o Google está oferecendo aos usuários a opção de utilizar o seu sistema de tradução automática para ler as legendas em 51 idiomas. Isso poderia ampliar o apelo dos vídeos do YouTube para milhões de outras pessoas que não falam inglês, mas poderiam usar a tecnologia para ler legendas em sua língua nativa.

A tecnologia de reconhecimento de voz que o Google usa para transformar fala em texto não é novo. O Google usa atualmente para transcrever email de voz para os usuários do Google serviço de voz. Mas Ken Harrenstien, um engenheiro surdo que ajudou a desenvolver o sistema de legenda automática, disse que a tecnologia nunca foi aplicada em uma escala tão grande.

Google - Ken Harrenstien - Caption YouTube

Isso é algo com o qual eu tenho sonhado por muitos anos”, disse Sr. Harrestien, falando através de um intérprete. “Ver isso acontecer é incrível”.

YouTube já tem centenas de milhares de vídeos com legendas, que normalmente vêm de uma rede de transmissão que inclui em seus programas. Alguns outros sites de vídeo online como o Julu e AOL também tem alguns vídeos profissionais criados com legenda.

Mas o Sr. Harrenstien disse que a grande maioria dos vídeos no YouTube não têm legendas e a nova tecnologia do Google irá gerá-las automaticamente. O YouTube vai inicialmente aplicar a tecnologia de legenda somente para alguns canais, a maioria deles especializados em conteúdo educativo. Eles incluem os canais de universidades como Stanford, Yale, Duke, Colombia e o Instituto de Tecnologia de Massachusetts, PBS e o National Geographic, e o próprio Google – estes vídeos corporativos serão legendados. A empresa pretende ampliar gradativamente o número de canais que trabalham com a tecnologia de legenda automática.

“Devido às ferramentas não estarem perfeitas, nós queremos ter certeza que teremos um feedback dos proprietários dos vídeos e dos usuários que acessam para assistir, antes de estendê-los para o mundo inteiro.” Disse Mr. Harrenstien. “Ás vezes as legendas automáticas são boas. Ás vezes não são tão boas, mas são melhores do que nada se você tem deficiência auditiva ou não conhece a língua.”

O google também introduziu um serviço relacionado o qual vai permitir que qualquer um que realize upload de vídeo para o YouTUbe, a opção de realizar também upload de um arquivo texto com as palavras faladas no vídeo. O Google vai transformar o arquivo de texto em legenda, automaticamente correspondendo as palavras faladas com o arquivo.

A tecnologia que o Google chama de “auto-timing”, tornará mais fácil para qualquer um adicionar legendas ao seus vídeos. Isto estará disponível para os usuário de todo o mundo, e particularmente útil para criadores de vídeos que enviam a partir de um script, desde que eles já tenham um arquivo com o texto falado no vídeo.

Além de ajudar às pessoas que são surdas ou não falam Inglês, a legenda irá tornar mais fácil para qualquer um pesquisar texto dentro dos vídeos e encontrar trechos específicos dentro de um vídeo.

O Google anunciou os novos recursos na quinta-feira em um evento em Washington. A empresa disse que estaria disponível no fim de semana.

Fonte: The New York Times

Tradução: Dilberto Rosa

Depuis longtemps, nos paroles sont sous le contrôle de grandes entreprises de média. Mais grâce à l’internet, surtout réseaux sociaux, les paroles sont redonnées au grand public.

iReport

Chacun peut télécharger les photos et vidéos à cette platerforme de CNN qui sélectionne les meilleurs oeuvres à présenter dans son émission. Bon, have a try.

Your Shot

Pareil, soumettez vos photos dans cette colonne de National Geographic, il se peut que votre production soit publiée dans le National Geographic magazine.

En tant qu’un média, TV a plus d’influence dans la communication. Aujourd’hui, de certains pays et régions choisissent de regarder le monde de façon unique.

Xinhua TV

Xinhuanet, la plus grande “news agency” en Chine, a sa propre TV récemment.

Al Jezeera

Il regarde le monde dans les yeux des Arabes.

Alors, quel est votre avis?

Vezi articolul aici.

Maybe I’ll become a photographer for National Geographic… c’mon God!

National Geographic had released their Best Wild Animal Pictures of 2009. This wolf was the overall winner. “The Storybook Wolf”

I thought the picture was really quite amazaing.

~J~

Eu entrei na água, assustado com o que poderia acontecer, e nadei até essa foca leopardo. Minhas pernas estavam tremendo, e eu estava com a boca seca… E imediatamente ela largou o pinguim. Veio na minha direção e abriu a boca… A sua cabeça tinha o dobro do tamanho da cabeça de um urso cinzento [grizzly bear]. Era imensa. Ela colocou toda a minha cabeça e a câmera dentro da boca dela e fez uma exibição da garganta, mas aí aconteceu a coisa mais fantástica…

Ela saiu e pegou um pinguim vivo para mim. Veio e começou a dar o pinguim para eu comer. Ela soltava esses pinguins vivos, o pinguim disparava para longe, e ela olhava aborrecida enquanto passava por mim. Fez isso várias e várias vezes.

E aí eu acho que ela percebeu que eu era um predador inútil em seu oceano, que provavelmente estava para morrer de fome. E acho que ela ficou bem apavorada e começou a me trazer pinguins fracos; depois, pinguins mortos; e aí, me mostrou como comer os pinguins – ela me oferecia pinguins parcialmente consumidos. Começou a pegar os pinguins e empurrá-los à minha câmera, acho que pensou que a câmera era a minha boca, o que é o sonho de todo fotógrafo. Isso ocorreu por quatro dias.

Então eu fui à Antártica para fotografar esse animal potencialmente malvado, e no final vi esse predador, esse grande predador da Antártica, cuidar de mim, me nutrir, me alimentar por quatro dias seguidos. Foi a experiência mais incrível que eu já tive como fotógrafo da “National Geographic”.

Esse relato é de Paul Nicklen, biólogo e fotógrafo da revista “National Geographic”, que há 20 anos registra belas imagens em regiões polares do globo. 160 delas compõem o seu novo livro, “Polar Obsession”.

Quem quiser ouvir um pouco mais de Nicklen pode conferir esta rápida entrevista no “All Things Considered”, da National Public Radio norte-americana.

YouTube via Gizmodo US | Paul Nicklen | National Public Radio

Wow – 250,000 views and counting.

Looking at the stats, most people come here for the post on Eaten Alive: Parasites and the Body (over 8,000 views), with protein synthesis, our IB Biology course and cell respiration following closely behind. Thanks to everyone who has visited and left a comment so far!

If you like what you see, you can make a difference with Biology4Good. Also, please leave a comment and let me know where you’re from and what you use the site for.

To celebrate, here’s Hans Rosling, my favourite TED presenter and GapMinder master, sharing new facts, data and visuals on HIV – just in time for AIDS Day on the 1st December:

neat clip of a National Geographic photographer’s greatest moments:

.. förutom att jobba, så har jag diskat, tvättat och bakat både bröd och kaka. Kakan blev kass.

Jag borde kanske sysselsatt mig med några andra uppgifter (som t ex jobba med föreningen) men det kändes inte så lockande tyvärr.

Nedanstående video visar Paul Nicklens, en fotograf för National Geographic, möte med en sjöleopard.

Paul Nicklen var livrädd när han skulle dyka med sjöleoparden i Antarktis. Brevid späckhuggaren är sjöleoparden ett av de farligaste rovdjuren i vattnet runt Antarktis, så man kan förstå hans oro. – Fotosidan.se

Verena von Pfetten: Paul Nicklen’s Incredible Leopard Seal Encounter – Green – Air America.

I love this video – the photography, the story, the incredible encounter. Man’s triumph over fear.

This is the most humbling and endearing nature story I’ve ever heard or read about. This video is an incredible visual account of Paul’s encounter with a leopard seal. The Book Bench says, “…four-day experience with a leopard seal” – about 13 feet long and 3 feet wide. Yikes! 

The leopard seal is a dominant predator in its environment. Found mostly in the frozen Antarctica – but also found in some warmer climes – South America, New Zealand,  Australia and South Africa. The females are larger than their male counterparts. The gestation period is about 9 months to birth and the baby is called a pup. It is not a team player, mostly a solitary predator but gets together with other leopard seals during the mating season.

To think that the seal had his camera and head in his jaw. Makes you want to cry – it’s that awesome!  An edge-of-your-seat kind of story. As I watched the video and followed his narrative, I was absolutely mesmerised by the sheer courage and beauty - a humane interaction between man and animal. It was like a friendship waiting to happen.

I am an island girl and am familiar with fishes and animals in the marine environment I grew up in. But this has to be the bomb! I hope that Paul’s book “Polar Obsession” nestles among our favourite coffee table collections and private libraries.

As someone who is an avid amateur-ish photographer, I can say, standing at the low-end of the chain, that the photography in this post is the highest-end of great professional photography. There is also something about Paul’s photography in this video: heart-warming and awesome-ly spiritual. The Book Bench says of the class of photography, “…one of the best of shots of his career.”

When I read about his life and experiences in this part of our world I can understand why the empathy for nature becomes second nature to him. It’s a spirituality that reaches beyond photography. His heart is telling the story.  The camera helped and enabled him to share this  incredible experience.

This is a story worth sharing.

Bogart could have been color blind. He got to know a man before he decided if he liked him or not.

-Sammy Davis, Jr.-

True Fact: Sammy Davis Jr. lost his eye in a car crash in San Bernardino, 1954 returning from Vegas at the split of the I-15 and I-215.

Think "rule of thirds" and think about backgrounds.

Just a few things to think about this holiday week as you’re pulling out the camera (still or video) to torture the family, pets and natural surroundings of your community.

Many, many years ago, I believe it was in Pittsburgh or it could have been Philadelphia “I have a good memory…just short!” It was a “P” town, I do remember that. I sat on a photo judging panel with Sam Abell a talented and wonderful photographer who much of his work has been seen in the pages of National Geographic.

At the time, Mr. Abell talked about the quality of an image’s background and how a background may be more important to the photograph than your initial subject. 

He went on to speak of how he would identify an interesting background and would wait hours, sometimes days for something to happen in front of the background.

I remember the impact that had on me and for years after I kept a note pad in the car to identify interesting elements in the city that might make backgrounds for future photographs.

Think about THIRDS!

One of the most popular elements in painting and later adapted to photography, is the “rule of thirds”.

Imaginary lines are drawn dividing the image into thirds both horizontal and vertical.  You place important elements of your composition where these lines intersect. 

As well as using the intersections you can arrange areas into bands occupying a third or place things along the imaginary lines.

And of course remember that this is just another photo rule that can be broken.

Any time you can introduce disorder into an orderly situation makes life a hoot.

Prestigioasa revista americana National Geographic prezinta cititorilor cele mai bune fotografii ale anului 2009.

Restul de poze, aici.

My last post fell into a tangent, and now I’ll pick up the pieces.  I started talking about how I have two photography magazines, which then fell into a talk about skill defining the photographer, rather than their equipment.   Now, I’d like to talk about the magazines themselves.  Emerging Photographer has an article on Sony Artisans of Imagery, which the author wrote about some influential photographers, their influences, mistakes they made along their career, as well as equipment they use (an aside about this would fit well in my last post; the photographers had things to say about their favorite Sony equipment).  Another article wrote about product reviews, highlighting some of the latest Sony equipment.  Now here’s where we get into some of the articles that are more useful to the photographer who aren’t particularly buying into specifically Sony products.  Two articles write about business and marketing, respectively.  The next two articles I mention are even better.  The first writes on using digital photography as opposed to using film photography to give photographers a professional edge, and the second article writes on bringing distinctiveness to your brand identity.

I would like to pose a response to these articles.  The first article on using digital photograph as a professional asset, I do agree with many of the points the author makes, but I do have a few things I would like to say.  The article takes a look at their first photographer, Jeff Hutchens, and how he uses digital for his work with CNN, the National Geographic, among others, how even when he’s far removed from an urban setting, he can still send his photographs quickly to its destination (by using a portable satellite terminal, his computer and digital camera), I agree with this.  Digital does have the advantage of sending photos quickly to a particular destination.  Hutchins also talks about how digital helps him to better get a photo how he imagines.  This instant recall of digital is a good thing, but if left ignored, one’s skills in photography might not progress further.  Film photography gets you to slow down and think about your photo, because you’re limited to 24 or 36 or some other number of photographs you can take.  With digital, you can take hundreds of photos, and very few might be good.  You have the potential to be very lazy with digital.  Only if you look at your photos and see what you can do to better it, and improve while working, then you’ll be getting somewhere.  While digital photography dominates in the journalism setting, I have heard that film photography still has at least a small foothold in the studio photography setting.  With film photography, you get the real look of film in the print.  While programs are getting better at simulating film, there’s something you can tell about it that still looks digital; perhaps it’s in the printing process (ink jet printing as opposed to chemical printing).  In short, there still is a marketing for film photography somewhere, whether that be in the art world or in studio/portrait photography.

The next article is on making something unique in your brand identity.  The article writes about how you should know what your photographic style is, and communicate that through your branding, whether that be in you web presence (the design and layout, and photos used on your website), and even what you want to communicate through your photography itself.

My next post will be on either Saturday or Sunday, and will cover the PDNedu magazine I picked up.  Until next time, I’m your photography friend, Andrew.