Day: 2018-05-20

My Week Ending May 20, 2018


HERE’S A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE VARIOUS THINGS I LEARNED AND PUBLISHED THIS WEEK.

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Readings (You can follow my daily readings as they happen here.  Here are a selected few from the past week.)

  1. If you’re tired of static text on your Google Site, you might want to read this tutorial about how to make a scrolling banner.
  2. For some photographic editing, check out Darktable.
  3. This might be tough to prove in court but I don’t see a problem with it.  If you send a text message to someone you know is driving and they’re in an accident, you could be at fault.  On the other hand, I hate that it has come to this but just go for a walk and look at the number of people who are on their phones while they’re driving.
  4. I think this is an ingenious invention.  Imagine being able to project your own movies no matter what room you’re in.
  5. Yet another malware story about some baddies stealing information.  Can you safely go online anymore?
  6. Advice to help the distracted student.  Yes, it does seem to make sense to me but does it make sense for students?
  7. This is a nice prompter for Open Source software.  I always check these posts out to see if I can find just one more new title.
  8. A debate for our times.  Are Chromebooks and iPads computers?
  9. FreeOffice sounds like an interesting entry into the desktop office suite market.  I’m going to have to give it a shot.
  10. It was only a matter of time – a 3D printed bicycle.

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Blog Posts on doug … off the record

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voicEd Radio

My on demand page can be found here.  The latest edition features blog posts from:

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Technology Trouble Shooting

A New Phone – Not for me but for my daughter.  It was interesting to just be an observer and watch the negotiating (such that it is) as a new phone was purchased and the old data moved over.

As a geeky father, it was a proud moment to just listen to her lay out the details for what she wanted in a phone and in a phone plan.  She recognized that it was a two year commitment and knew exactly what she wanted.

Someone else’s computer – I never really know how much I customize and make a computer suitable to how I like to work until I go and use someone else’s.  Recently, I went into Best Buy to poke around and explore new Windows 10 computers.  As they’re set up for display, it’s right out of the box.

That’s completely foreign to how I use a computer.  How can people work like that?  I like things set up for my work flow.  It’s really not appreciated if you do that to a floor demo at a computer store.

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Video of the Week – From “This Week in Ontario Edublogs”

A reminder that this was how I started to play the steel guitar.

My Favourite Photo This Week

We see you!  But, Jaimie and I lowered our walking speed just to be safe.

Screenshot 2018-05-20 at 12.37.44

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Thanks for reading.

dp

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Whatever happened to …


… Highway 18?

There was a time when, if someone asked how to get from Windsor to Amherstburg, directions were easy to give.  Just take Highway 18.

In fact, if you use Bing Maps, it’s still there.

Screenshot 2018-05-19 at 06.32.28

Sadly, if you look at the GPS in my relatively new car, it’s there as well.  Sync by Microsoft.

Now, why is this significant?

In 1997/98, things changed in Ontario.  Highways (and parts of highways) were given away from the government to the local communities to manage.  The Ontario government was able to “save money” was given as the reason.  Of course, the major highways like the 401 remain provincial although maintenance is outsourced.

Google Maps, on the other hand recognizes that the change from Highway 18 to County Road 20 was made.

Screenshot 2018-05-19 at 06.32.52

It’s not a big deal for me these days since I know the road.  But, I wonder how many other people use the outdated map and think they’re on the wrong road?

Do we dare confuse them that there also was a Highway 18A? or Highway 18B?

Why was this a memory?  On Friday, I had a chance to drive on a number of roads that were former Ontario highways.  While Highway 18 is gone now (at least in some cases), Highway 21, 4, 9 are bizarrely part Ontario highways and part County roads.  I can remember when Highway 4 ran all the way from Port Stanley to Singhampton.  Not any more.  Now, it also has many aliases.

Current Names: King’s Highway 4, Elgin Road 4, Huron Road 4, Bruce Road 4 & Grey Road 4

Thanks, thekingshighway.ca.

See also:

The real advantage of this downloading of care is that the counties can now set their own speed limits and progressive counties like Kent, Lambton, Huron, Perth, Grey, etc. have a limit of 90km/h.  Not so in Essex County though.

So, your thoughts for a Sunday morning.

  • Have you ever driven on Highway 18?
  • Do you know of a highway in your area that was downloaded to a county?
  • Did you ever use an “A” route rather than the original road?
  • Do you think anyone will get lost getting to Grand Bend on Highway 21 this long holiday weekend?
  • Have you ever got lost because you thought you were on the wrong road due to a problem with a mapping update?
  • Do you use a standalone GPS?  If so, do you keep the maps up to date?
  • Do you just use your phone knowing that it will have the latest updates?
  • And, for the luddite – do you own a paper road map?  (Personally, I can look at the ones in an ONRoute for hours!)

Please share your driving thoughts via comment below.

 

OTR Links 05/20/2018


Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.