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Author Archives: gx

GDL: GNU Data Language

GDL is a free/libre/open source incremental compiler compatible with IDL (Interactive Data Language) and to some extent with PV-WAVE. Together with its library routines it serves as a tool for data analysis and visualization in such disciplines as astronomy, geosciences and medical imaging. GDL development had been started by Marc Schellens back in early noughtiesContinue reading “GDL: GNU Data Language”

Liberating out-of-copyright photos from SmartFrame’s DRM

During the middle of the 20th Century, the UK’s Royal Air Force took thousands of photographs of the country from above. Think of it like a primitive Google Earth. Those photographs are “Crown Copyright”. For photographs created before 1st June 1957, the copyright expires after 50 years. Read more…

U.S.S. Akron (ZRS-4) and U.S.S. Macon (ZRS-5)

The United States Navy airships U.S.S. Akron (ZRS-4) and U.S.S. Macon (ZRS-5) were designed for long-range scouting in support of fleet operations. Often referred to as flying aircraft carriers, each of the helium-inflated airships carried F9C-2 Curtiss Sparrowhawk biplanes which could be launched and recovered in flight, greatly extending the range over which the AkronContinue reading “U.S.S. Akron (ZRS-4) and U.S.S. Macon (ZRS-5)”

Panic Playdate Review

Little, yellow, different. This indie handheld game system breaks lots of rules. Panic’s bizarre gaming handheld was announced years ago, something that seemed whimsical and almost like a joke. It has the look of a product you’d see on an episode of Portlandia: a small, twee device in Pikachu yellow, with a Game & Watch-esqueContinue reading “Panic Playdate Review”

Art Bits from HyperCard

Long-time Macintosh users likely remember HyperCard, Apple’s strange hypermedia system that was sorta like a cross between index cards, web pages, and 90s interactive edutainment software. HyperCard left a pretty big legacy for the Web to come, influencing everything from JavaScript to wikis to the pointing finger thing for links on pages to fuckin’ Myst.Continue reading “Art Bits from HyperCard”