Archived Posts for March 2008

MP3 quality hearing test

This site plays two mp3 clips – one at 128kbps and the other at 320kbps – and gets you to pick which one is which (the 320kbps is less compressed and therefore should sound better in theory). Probably not the best clip to be testing it on, though. If memory serves, MP3 compression works by shaving off extraneous frequencies we can’t hear (ie around and past the 20Hz and 20kHz regions) – but although we can’t hear lower frequencies, we can feel them, so compression is most noticeable in music with a lot of bass. Also, I have never rated the double blind test – 50/50 odds are too good. I think the “triple blind” test is better – 3 samples, 2 of them played at either 128kbps or 320kbps – and you have to pick the odd one out. This is how the Pepsi/Coke taste test should be run.

  8:19pm (GMT +11.00)  •  Consumer Electronics  •  Tweet This  •  Add a comment  • 

Happy Easter

Hope you all have a restful break.

Awesome skit. Starts off a bit slowly, but it sends a chill up my spine everytime at 3:48 and 4.35, especially when you hear the crowd lift.

  12:35pm (GMT +11.00) tomorrow  •  Life  •  Tweet This  •  Add a comment  • 

LinkLogr

When I have a spare moment at work, I browse through news articles throughout the day and also get some emailed to me from friends. Work sometimes comes in spurts, so I often get interrupted and don’t get time to read through whole articles. I ended up emailing links to myself to read when I got home. After a while I decided it was quicker to be able to use a bookmarklet to post a link to a website, so I made myself a page where I could dump links throughout the day. I found it to be quite useful, so I decided to expand on the idea. I spent all of yesterday making LinkLogr (apologies for the cheesy Web 2.0-style name). Hopefully some people might find it to be a useful tool.

  3:06pm (GMT +11.00) tomorrow  •  Site News  •  Tweet This  •  Comments (2)  • 

Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin (“Pride of Malaysia”)

This chap gives the ex-Iraqi information minister a run for his money. The link is to a video and a much needed transcript. In the space of a few minutes, the good Datuk manages to slag off al-Jazeera, ramble completely incoherently and accuse his interviewer of exaggerating “more than what actually happened”. To which the response is, in an immaculate British accent, “As you say that, sir, we’re watching scenes of protesters being sprayed by chemical-filled water!” Now there’s a quote for the ages.

With his unique command of English, Mr Maidin could find a second job as a tech support officer.

  12:25am (GMT +11.00) tomorrow  •  Culture  •  Tweet This  •  Add a comment  • 

Shockwave traffic jams

It’s been known that traffic jams ripple backwards through traffic, which explains why traffic slows down long before the scene of an accident, and appears to speed up again before the scene. A bunch of Japanese researchers have managed to creatively replicate a traffic jam so that it’s readily visible.

  12:13am (GMT +11.00) tomorrow  •  Miscellaneous  •  Tweet This  •  Add a comment  • 

Sunday news

First three articles that caught my attention on smh.com.au today:

– Labor to deliver lightning internet speeds – Labor plans for FTTN network to use VDSL technology (25Mbps). I’ll believe it when they get started with the rollout. Which I suspect won’t happen this decade.
– Only one woman invited to Rudd’s talkfest? So what? – Miranda Devine article.
– Banks pass rate-hike pain on to borrowers – Our interest rates continue to rise while the US’ drops.

  3:10pm (GMT +11.00) tomorrow  •  Current Affairs  •  Tweet This  •  Add a comment  •