Author: tychay

light writing, word loving, ❤ coding

DxO Optics Pro 3.5 announced

book cover: Bridge to Terabithia

DxO Optics Pro 3.5 from DxO (email)

In November, DxO just announced they will be releasing DxO Optics Pro 3.5.

Maybe a bit of history is in order.

DxO started with DxO Analyzer package used by magazines and websites in order to evaluate the quality of lenses and cameras. Taking some shots of specialized targets at specific distances and camera settings, reviewers to analyze quantitatively things camera design compromises such as image sharpness, ISO noise, vignetting, chromatic abberation, and spherical distortion.
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Preaching against a non-existent Left

In Kenneth Woodward’s Op-Ed in the New York Times, he talks about Intelligent Design, which is an attempt to get creationism taught in public schools by stating evolution is “just a theory.” The premise of his argument is that science and religion need not conflict.

Well, duh!

He undercuts counter argument by engaging in a reverse ad hominem: mounting his high horse as “a religious believer who recognizes evolution and does not think intelligent design theory belongs in any school’s science curriculum.”

Hmm, I’m all that and a scientist to boot.

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My reading list…

book cover: Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia from HarperTrophy

In light of it being Banned Books Week, I went back to the ALA’s list of most challenged books in the last decade and I was surprised to see Bridge to Terabithia made the top 10. This book was first published in 1977 and was one of my favorite books growing up. A quick net search told me it was challenged (and banned) because of offensive language and satanism.

What a laugh!

The only thing satanic about this book is the number of reviews on Amazon. Since the “satanic worship” done in the book is a bunch of children play acting Narnia, one of the most pro-Christian fantasy pieces of all time, the irony is stunning.Continue reading →

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The cost of two iPods…

This article merges two favorites of mine—politics and gratuitous references to Apple:

The public’s reluctance to contribute much more than the cost of two iPods [$600] to the administration’s attempt to offer citizens “a further stake in building a free and prosperous Iraq” has been seized on by critics as evidence of growing ambivalence over that country.

The English are funny.

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Plaxo and AIM

The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of Terry Chay. Content published here is not read or approved by Plaxo before it is posted and does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Plaxo.

The beta 6 of AOL Instant Messenger, a.k.a. “Triton” has been released today. You can download Triton here.

The big new thing (from my perspective) is that this is the first version of AIM in which Plaxo powers the address book. For those who don’t know, Plaxo, the company I work for, is a contact synchronization network that allows you to synchronize your contacts between your computers, between your programs (in this case AIM and Outlook/Outlook Express), between people (so that I can update my information on other people’s address book). Did I mention that all this is free?

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Corpse Bride

Last week, Bill, our resident Canon guy, mentioned that Tim Burton was working on a new stop-motion animated movie called Corpse Bride using Canon digital still cameras. The attention to detail and imagination in motion animation never ceases to amaze us.

Mark Jen sent me this article confirming the use of Canon digital still cameras and Nikon lenses.

Animator Peter Dodd sets up a shot with the Corpse Bride puppets. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Animator Peter Dodd sets up a shot with the Corpse Bride puppets, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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