Web Cam Sets You Ablaze!

If you have a web cam you have to try this. I was reading the RSS today and I never had any idea people were doing this sort of thing, or why…

But it is cool that people are doing this because so far this evening I have set my hand on fire, my whole body and the cat and nobody got hurt.

Grant Skinner has written a Flash 8 demo that interfaces with your web-cam to give special effects based on movement. Anything that moves looks like it is on fire. My web-cam lighting is not that good in the screen shots mainly because it is night time. But it gives you the general idea.

It has no purpose other than being plain fun and cool. There is also another demo based on movement that makes it look like you are being snowed on, but for that one you need to sit still for a few minutes to get the effect. Still cool fun though.

But remember you need a web-cam and I can think of no better reason not to go out and get one! Anyway they are getting pretty inexpensive now, so you don't have an excuse. Remember to have fun and not to really set the cat or yourself on fire.

But you can pretend…Brawh haw haw haw…

Grant Skinner's Blog

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Google Maps Now Cover Oz!

Sorry I have been very, very, quiet this last week but this infection in my sinuses has knocked me for six. But I am trying to do some blogs so bear with me. I found out today via O’Reilly Radar, who also have a great RSS feed; that Google has decided in their wisdom to give Oz the map treatment.

Funny but I have just taken it for granted that we are the last to get things like this. But I think this has come pretty quickly, all things relative. I was surprised to learn that Australia had been covered. This is a nice addition to Google maps. The one reason for me that makes it great is the fact that I have had many times where I would have loved a decent map of Australia to show people that I meet online where I live. Now I do! I just had a plod around the site and I could even see the street that I live in… even down to the block of land that the house sits on – cool. Thanks Google – take that Google it will not come from me that often, you scare me too much.

It will be interesting to see if this whole Google Maps businesses will be able to be utilized for more than curiosity in the future. I suppose that even now you could save the web page or access these maps via your phone or laptop and navigate around the place. While this might be able to be done in large cities, Australia is not known for it’s wide WiFi coverage! I think though this is a sign of the future rapidly approaching and consuming our existence without us noticing.

For me though, right now this just has great novelty factor and will be great to “show” people where I am in the world.

By the way New Zeland was covered as well, but heck someone tried to sell New Zealand on eBay last week. What do I want a map for, the new owner might rename all the streets!