Digital Innovations

"There can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis."--Malcolm Gladwell

The 2006 Ig Nobel Prize in mathematics (www.improb.com /ig/ig-pastwinners.html) was awarded to Dr. Piers Barnes and Ms. Nic Svenson of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization for calculating how many photographs you need to make of a group of people to get at least one where nobody's blinking. Dr. Barnes found that if you take the number of people in a group of less than 20 and divide that number by three and make that number of photos at least one would be blink-free. If the light is bad, divide the number of people in the group by two because there's a greater chance some people will blink while the shutter is open. According to Dr. Barnes, "It boiled down to remarkably simple math. We got a bunch of our colleagues together and took some photos and the number of people blinking seemed to vary more or less as we'd predicted."

All Photos © 2003, Joe Farace, All Rights Reserved

Hard Cases From Hardigg
Looking all the world like The Terminator's camera bag, Hardigg's (www.stormcase.com) Storm Case iM3075 features a large (29.8x20.8x17.8") interior to ensure that everything from computers to photography systems will be protected from shock, vibration, impact, water, and dust. Made from Hardigg's patented and resilient HPX resin, multiple layers of cubed foam hold case contents firmly in place and can be customized to fit specific equipment. Available padded dividers let you create flexible spaces to hold all your gear securely while custom-cut foam can be used for complex equipment configurations.

Cushioned telescoping handles make the iM3075 comfortable to schlep and in-line skate wheels make transporting even the heaviest loads easy. Like all Storm Cases, the iM3075 features Hardigg's Press & Pull latches that stay closed even if the case is dropped, yet open at the press of a button. Unbreakable molded-in hasps for external locks provide another level of security. The iM3075 is unconditionally guaranteed for life and is available in black or olive drab to match your camos.

Picture Ticker Tape
The latest version of Roxio's MediaTicker application is appropriately named MediaTicker 2 and is a free download from the Roxio Labs website (www.roxio.com/mediaticker). MediaTicker 2 is a fun, scrolling ticker that automatically brings news, cartoons, photographs, and any type of remote RSS feeds to your desktop. Unlike other newsreaders, MediaTicker adds a visual perspective on your RSS feeds by displaying content in both text and thumbnail format. MediaTicker is more than just a photo browser or newsreader; its scrolling format provides unlimited access to news headlines, photos, articles, and forums while keeping neatly out of the way so you can get on with your normal workday. For more information about RSS, see "Get on the RSS Bus," but only if your inner geek tells you to read it.