New and improved

Well, after updating to Snow Leopard, I had to also update a few of my programs, in particular, my blog editing software, ecto.

I love ecto but the new version, ecto 3, has taken a little getting used to. It has some thing missing from previous versions (nothing major) and some really nice additions (auto saving of drafts, for instance).

Mainly, it has taken me a while to alter my workflow somewhat to take advantage of some of its new bells and whistles. It has some really nice templates for adding stuff to the post.

Like below, I can easily add all the info about what I am listening to on iTunes while I work, with all the links, etc. with just a click of a button. Cool.

I decided to make the links go to iTunes rather than the default Google search. It is a little easier to connect with the songs that way. At least for me. Some of my songs may not be on iTunes but most will. Let me know what you think.

But all this is possible because of the ability to mashup my aggregator (NetNewsWire) to ecto, using URLs, which takes you to iTunes. Then my posts get moved over to Facebook or Twitter. So, a few minutes of mashing and I get lots of things posted and linked.

Listening to: Alive and Well and Living In from the album “Living in the Past” by Jethro Tull.

Listening to: All Along the Watchtower from the album “Dylan & The Dead” by Bob Dylan & Grateful Dead.

Hurricanes make a lot of seismic noise

by au_tiger01

Seismic noise unearths lost hurricanes:
[Via Eureka! Science News - Popular science news]

Seismologists have found a new way to piece together the history of hurricanes in the North Atlantic—by looking back through records of the planet’s seismic noise. It’s an entirely new way to tap into the rich trove of seismic records, and the strategy might help establish a link between global warming and the frequency or intensity of hurricanes.

[More]

This could be really useful. Essentially, the researchers, using digital files, were able to identify the seismic markers of hurricane activity. The could detect these markers even from seismographs 1000 miles away from the hurricane.

This means that we can now examine seismic data, which extends many years earlier than we have been able to so far, in order to get a better understanding if hurricane activity. Just one big problem:

At least one major hurdle remains before scientists will be able to pull together a complete hurricane history out of the seismic records. For most of the 20th century, seismograms recorded data on rolls of paper. Those records, which contain hundreds of thousands of hours of data, will need to be digitized. Ebeling is looking for an efficient way to do that.

Technorati Tags: Environment, Science

Copper bracelets and arthritis

Copper bracelets and arthritis

[Via Health News from NHS Choices]

“Copper bracelets and magnetic wrist straps are useless for relieving pain in people with arthritis,” BBC News has reported. It said that the first tightly controlled study of the interventions found no benefit in treating pain or stiffness from the condition.

This report is based on a robust study design and shows good evidence that magnetic wrist straps and copper bracelets have little or no effect on pain, physical function, stiffness or medication use in people with osteoarthritis.

According to this study, any benefit these devices may have, which the BBC reports can costs between £25 and £65, may be explained by the placebo effect.

[More]

I’m really getting to like this site. It does a great job explaining the science and data behind things hat make it into the media. It tells you where the news came from and gives links to the original research article.

It has a nice standard format and provide valuable insight into the research. I often come here right after reading some tidbit in the news tos ee if there is a nice post that easily explain the work. Much easier than doing it myself.

Then I can concentrate on all those stories that do not get followed by the NHS.