Category: News
WEEKEND WEB: Newseum Offers Newspaper Front Pages from Around the World
Ever wonder what’s front-page news in another state? How about another country? There’s a Web site for that…
Newseum Offers Newspaper Front Pages from Around the World
Newseum.com features a handy map that easily displays the front page of newspapers from all over the world by simply rolling over dots on the map. Clicking on the dots then pulls up larger, legible versions of the front pages.
While many believe that newspapers are slowly dying (and they might be), killed off by the speed of online news, there’s still something to be said for finding out the day’s top stories by glancing at the front page. Newseum seems to have found a great way to merge the worlds of print and online news by offering these images in an easy-to-browse format.
Much in the same way that it’s fun to surf through YouTube watching quick video clips, it’s a unique experience to flip through newspaper front pages from around the world, getting a quick sampling of what stories are popular in areas that you don’t live in. For example, upon rolling over the map’s dots in Spain, I gathered that there was some kind of historic soccer victory that Spain appears to be proud of.
If you don’t like the map interface, Newseum also offers the covers in gallery and list views. In addition, important front pages are archived, such as those that ran on Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the terrorist attacks on New York.
I don’t believe that newspapers will ever completely die. They may eventually stop being delivered to millions of households, as generations that grew up with the Internet instead of the daily paper get older, but there will always be an important place for “front page news” documenting moments in history.
TweetMONDAY MEDIA: Podcasts I Still Listen To
I have been producing Inside the Magic, my independent podcast about all things Disney, for over four years now. In that time, thousands of other podcasts have come and go, discussing every nearly topic imaginable. Likewise, I have subscribed (and unsubscribed) to a variety of shows over the past few years, with only a handful sticking around today. So I thought I’d share the few that remain on my list of…
Podcasts I Still Listen To
The Daily GizWiz can be found on Leo Laporte’s TWiT Netcast Network and is just the right mix of crazy humor, gadget information, and complete nonsense. Leo Laporte has a long history of broadcasting, so he is able to make the show sound professional, even if it’s really just two guys goofing off for 15-20 minutes every week day. The other goof-off is Dick DeBartolo, who is one of MAD Magazine‘s most prominent writers. It’s a fun show that I can turn to during any car ride to keep me entertained.
I have tried many other TWiT network podcasts over the past couple of years but ultimately ditched them all. This Week in Tech (where TWiT gets its name) was one of the shows that inspired me to start Inside the Magic, but has lately become too long-winded with guests who are simply obnoxious to listen to. Likewise, MacBreak Weekly was formerly a great place to hear intelligent discussions about the latest Apple/Mac news but has since turned into the Andy Ihnatko turn-your-brain-into-mush-with-endless-ramblings hour.
I am a certified home theater nut and listening to the HDTV and Home Theater Podcast from the HT Guys lets me know that I am not alone. This show comes out twice a week and covers all of the latest home theater gadget news in a two-guys-in-a-basement recording style. There’s nothing flashy about the show but it works well and gets the job done. The hosts, Ara and Braden, answer a lot of questions from their listeners that go well beyond the basic “how do I set up my equipment properly” inquiries. Both hosts are quite knowledgeable in not only home theater technology but also computers in general, so they’re able to branch out and review products intelligently.
The only Disney-related podcast that I still listen to is my friend Paul Barrie’s Window to the Magic. I don’t listen to any other Disney podcast that covers Disney news as I already get enough of that while hosting Inside the Magic. It would be like the local ABC news anchor going home and watching the CBS news broadcast after work. Paul takes his show in a completely different direction, focusing on the sounds of the Disney theme parks, which is something I can always enjoy. His show has been around almost as long as mine and my only complaint is that I don’t always have time to listen to everything it has to offer. But when I do, I enjoy it.
That’s it!
Yes, I only listen to three other podcasts. There’s simply not enough time each week for me to subscribe to any more. In fact, I’m already several weeks behind on these three with no hope of ever catching up. The fact that there are so many podcasts in existence is both wonderful and problematic. It’s impossible to enjoy them all, so I’ve had to pick my favorite three and stick with them for now.
So what are your favorite podcasts? Comment!
TweetNeed Information on Obama’s Housing Plan? Look No Further Than WhiteHouse.gov!
Upon hearing the news of the housing plan unveiled by President Obama today, I immediately wondered if it could help me in my own mortgage. After hunting around online for a while for information on who qualifies and what type of help is offered, I realized that none of the news sites had anything more to offer than vague information on how it will “help the economy.” I couldn’t find any specifics about the plan at all. Mostly, articles I read were full of unnecessary opinion from economic “experts.”
Then I remembered that President Obama and his staff actually know what the Internet is and how useful it can be. I also remembered the recent complete overhaul of WhiteHouse.gov and decided to see if I could get my questions answered there. Sure enough, I found this blog post (yes, the White House has an official blog) that explained EVERYTHING in plain English.
Their Q&A (which is downloadable as a PDF) makes it very clear that eligibility requirements will be released when the program begins on March 4th. In all of the news articles I read, I didn’t even see the March 4th start date anywhere. That seems like important information to me.
In addition to the Q&A, three other documents are linked on the above-mentioned blog post, including examples of how the housing plan will help in certain situations. It’s all very handy and easy to understand.
So thank you President Obama (and your staff) for making WhiteHouse.gov useful!
TweetFranken lead at 50 with absentees left to count
From news.yahoo.com:
Democratic candidate Al Franken now holds a 50 vote lead over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman with almost all of the counting in Minnesota’s Senate race done.
Franken’s lead grew by a few votes on Tuesday when the state Canvassing Board finished allocating thousands of ballots that had been held up due to candidate challenges.
Coleman’s hopes now ride on a pool of uncounted absentee ballots that will be opened before next week. The size of that pile is in dispute but it is thought to be around 1,350. Coleman’s campaign wants to add 650 more to the stack.
Even if the board declares a winner next week, the race won’t be over. The losing party is expected to challenge the outcome in court.
I can’t be the only one that thinks of Stuart Smalley every time I hear Al Franken’s name. The fact that this Senate race is so close must mean that he’s good enough, smart enough, and – gosh darn-it – the people of Minnesota like him.
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