By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Limantour beach in Point Reyes, created from the average of hundreds of photos.
The photograph titled "Average Beach" captures the serene, quiet expanse of a sandy shoreline meeting the gentle embrace of a calm sea. The image is imbued with a soft, muted palette of sandy browns and pale blues, invoking a sense of peace and tranquility. In the background, a distant silhouette of low hills rests beneath a sky that appears softly blanketed in gentle clouds. The forefront of the image, dominated by the texture of fine, undisturbed sand, evokes a feeling of solitude, perhaps urging the beholder to walk along the shore in contemplative silence. The horizon subtly divides the sea and sky, creating a harmonious balance between both the physical and the ethereal.
The composition adheres to minimalist principles, emphasizing simplicity and tranquility. The low-angle perspective foregrounds the beach, inviting viewers to step into the scene. The long exposure technique smooths the water, lending it a dreamlike quality and contrasting starkly against the more detailed texture of the sand, an artistic choice that heightens the image's ethereal nature. One might note a lack of vibrant color or dynamic elements, which may appear monotonous to some. However, this simplicity can also be seen as a strength, distilling the scene to its essential tranquil elements. While some might crave more dramatic lighting or color contrasts, the understated, calming essence of "Average Beach" is its own quiet triumph.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Jupiter from Casini Ranch #timelapse#video#4k#jupiter#stars Time lapse of Jupiter rising over Casini Ranch Family Campground in Sonoma, California.)
Catfood Earth 3.43 updates the timezone database to 2018e. The big change is that North Korea is moving back to UTC +09 today (May 5, 2018). The time zones layer in Catfood Earth shows the current time in each zone at the top of your screen and color codes each country and region. You can also display a list of specific places (either an included list of major cities or your own custom locations).
Catfood Earth is dynamic desktop wallpaper for Windows that includes day and night time satellite imagery, the terminator between daytime and nighttime, global cloud cover, time zones, political borders, places, earthquakes, volcanoes and weather radar. You can choose which layers to display an how often the wallpaper updates.
Well someone in Redmond must be listening. They 'fixed' it.
The problem was that dismissing a notification did not actually get rid of it. Clicking the little x in the corner just sent it to the Action Center where you could enjoy reading it and dismissing it again.
Like some kind of cargo cult Toyota, Microsoft asked the one why, and changed the little x to an arrow. Now it's more obvious that you're just shuffling the notification around the desktop. Ticket closed. But I still have to handle every fucking notification twice.
Which makes the announcement of the April 2018 Update especially ironic:
"With this update, available as a free download today, you get new experiences that help minimize distractions and make the most of every moment by saving you time. Our hope is that you’ll have more time to do what matters most to you whether that’s to create, play, work, or simply do what you love."
(Published to the Fediverse as:
I just want to get rid of Windows 10 Notifications with one click #etc#microsoft#windows Like a cargo cult Toyota, Microsoft asks the one why and changes the notification dismiss icon to an arrow.)
Not only does it know when you're home but the Nest Learning Thermostat also knows when you're nearby. Here's how it works.
You crank up the heat to 70 and walk away. Nest then immediately returns to 62 degrees.
Thinking there must be something screwy with the algorithm you turn it back up to 70. Nest knows that it's in trouble so it displays a comforting message like 'Heat set until 10pm', waits for you to leave and then sets the temperature back to 62 degrees.
Giving up on the learning part you use the app to manually program it to keep the heat on. Nest now uses its WiFi connection to phone the gas company and disconnect your service.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
How does the Nest Learning Thermostat work? #etc#nest#google How nest learns to evade your puny attempts to switch the heating on by disobeying orders and eventually terminating your gas service.)
The ITHCWY privacy policy has been updated to reflect changes in the blog comment system. Previously email addresses submitted with comments were only used to display a Gravatar. Starting today they will also be used for notifications and newsletter signup.
The first notification is when a comment is approved. You'll always be notified in this case if you enter an email address.
When you leave a comment you can opt in to receiving notifications when another comment is added to the same post.
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By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Photos from the San Francisco Botanical Garden: a blue heron in a tree, a catfish in the pond, and one of many striking trees.
The photograph titled "San Francisco Botanical Garden" captures a serene moment in nature, showcasing a heron perched gracefully atop a coniferous tree. The bird, with its slender beak and elegant plumage, is poised against a vast expanse of azure sky. The upper branches of the tree frame the heron with a delicate lattice of needles and twigs, creating a natural harmony between the creature and its environment. The bright, clear lighting bathes the scene, enhancing the vivid colors of the sky and the rich, textured greenery of the tree, imparting a sense of tranquility and grace.
The composition utilizes the rule of thirds subtly, placing the heron slightly off-center, which guides the viewer's gaze naturally throughout the photograph. The stark contrast between the deep blue sky and the lush green of the tree serves to highlight the heron, making it the focal point. This framing choice effectively captures the essence of solitude and majesty. However, the image might benefit from a hint of additional context or surrounding elements within the garden to enrich the narrative quality. Overall, the photograph beautifully balances simplicity and elegance, offering a glimpse into the quiet splendor of nature.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
San Francisco Botanical Garden #photo#sanfrancisco#heron#trees#catfish A blue heron, a catfish, and a tree photographed at the San Francisco Botanical Garden in California.)
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Black and white photo of the approach to the Bay Bridge, San Francisco in the background, low tide in the foreground.
The photograph titled "Bay Bridge Approach" captures a serene yet evocative view, where the iconic structure of the bridge stretches gracefully across the frame. The skyline stands sentinel in the background, softened by a delicate mist that blurs the boundary between the city and the sky. The land meets the water softly at the foreground, where the glistening surface reflects the diffused morning light. A gathering of birds animates the scene, their silhouettes scattered across the wet, reflective sands, bringing life to the tranquil seascape. The low tide exposes textures within the earth, which mirror the ridged clouds lingering softly overhead, creating a harmonious balance between earth and sky.
The use of black and white gives the photograph a timeless quality, abstracting the scene and drawing the viewer's attention to the play of light and shadow. The composition adheres to classic principles of design, with the bridge effectively guiding the viewer’s eye through the image. The inclusion of natural elements like the water, sand, and birds offers a subtle complexity and depth to the simple yet powerful linear architecture. I appreciate the minimalist approach, accentuated by the soft gradient of tones that transition from the foreboding darkness of the foreground to the ethereal brightness of the horizon. However, the image might benefit from a stronger focal point, as the diffuse lighting and monochrome palette can sometimes render the photograph too uniform, reducing the dynamism that might otherwise engage the viewer’s curiosity more intensely.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Bay Bridge Approach #photo#baybridge Photo of the Bay Bridge with San Francisco in the background and low tide in the foreground. Black and White.)
