China's big day, the short version

October 4, 2009 at 6:50 p.m.

China's 60th Anniversary national day - timelapse and slow motion - 7D and 5DmkII from Dan Chung on Vimeo.

There's a lot to like in this video: the shots chosen, the editing, the way it swings between time lapse and slow motion punctuated with moments of real-time. It also assumes, if you're watching this video, you probably already know the back story. It's not news. It's an exceedingly well-done illustration that shows me in three and a half minutes what China's 60th National Day parade looked like, which is exactly what I wanted to see.

(Via ...

Gov2.0 Summit, Day 2: Afternoon session

September 10, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.

We're in the final stretch now. I'm coming late to the afternoon session following a press meetup with some of the conference organizers and key speakers. I'll have more to post on that talk soon, but for now, here's the last bit of Gov2.0 liveblogging.

Gov2.0 Summit, Day 2

September 10, 2009 at 9:02 a.m.

It's the last day of the Gov2.0 Summit, and I'm back for another stretch of liveblogging. Today, we'll hear from Carl Malamud, Vivek Kundra and Ellen Miller of the Sunlight Foundation early on. I'm expecting another fascinating day of talks.

As before, I'll be liveblogging below and cross-posting to Twitter. Feel free to leave comments any time.

Gov2.0 Summit, part 2

September 9, 2009 at 1:21 p.m.

I came late to the after-lunch session (eating too slow), so this is a bit of catch up. The afternoon session goes more into the nuts and bolts of turning government as a platform. I'll have more ongoing updates throughout the rest of the day, here and on Twitter.

Gov2.0 Summit

September 9, 2009 at 9:19 a.m.

Following up on yesterday's series of posts from the Gov2.0 Expo, I'm attending the Gov2.0 Summit today, which promises to go deeper and be bolder.

I'll be liveblogging again~~, though my Twitter account appears to be suspended for the moment~~. Follow @eyeseast for updates.

Gov2.0 Expo, Part 5: Government as Partner

September 8, 2009 at 3:21 p.m.

The last set of talks today looks at Government as Partner, which I expect will bring together much of what we've heard throughout the day, and talk about how all the constituencies involved in this effort move forward.

The presentations in the Government as a PARTNER category showcase new partnerships forged with government that involve emerging technologies. Here both sides have a strong interest in creating the best outcome possible.

Gov2.0 Expo, Part 4: Government as Peacekeeper

September 8, 2009 at 1:59 p.m.

"Give peace a chance," says Steve Ressler, introducing our next session.

The Government as a PEACEKEEPER category shows off how people are using emerging technology as a tool to make the world a better place. From humanitarian efforts overseas to influencing the world through public diplomacy, these entries demonstrate a new way of working.

Talks here focus on crime, safety and related efforts.

Gov2.0 Expo, Part 3: Government as a Protector

September 8, 2009 at 1:03 p.m.

We're just getting back from lunch here, with the next panel about to start, looking at Government as a Protetor. "Government protects people, and the collaboration and teamwork needed to do this effectively dovetail naturally with Government 2.0 technologies," as the program description explains.

This series of talks includes the military, US Coast Guard, local police and the FDA.

As before, I'll be liveblogging below and on Twitter.

Gov2.0, Part 2: Government as a Provider

September 8, 2009 at 10:46 a.m.

We're entering the next phase of Gov2.0. After the flood of updates during the first session, I've decided to break each cluster of lightning talks and follow-up panel into their own posts. LiveBlog updates below, or follow @eyeseast on Twitter.

Gov2.0 Expo

September 8, 2009 at 6 a.m.

I'm at O'Reilly's Government 2.0 Expo today. For three days this week, tech types are in Washington trying to figure out how (or if) they can make the government work better. I'll be attending all three events, starting with the Expo today, then two days of summit tomorrow and Thursday. Here's how Tim O'Reilly explains the event and the movement behind it:

Government 2.0 is about bringing the principles and value of the web as a platform to the business of governing. Lots of people are talking about it. Who's doing ...

A lesson from Patchwork Nation: Frameworks for Reporting

July 28, 2009 at 9:46 p.m.

In programming, frameworks help speed development by abstracting common tasks and letting us focus on things that matter. They make what's important interesting.

We can apply this approach to reporting as well, especially when we're collecting structured data and treating news as data points. Doing this means we don't have to start over with each new set of figures.

A few lessons learned from Patchwork Nation and other projects.

The iTunes for News we have

February 11, 2009 at 4:41 a.m.

Let's talk about what iTunes does.

Back when it first launched, it was a companion to a piece of expensive hardware, the iPod, and a way to sell music that could be played on that piece of hardware. Both are Apple products, and the two work together as seamlessly as as Windows and Internet Explorer. One company, with a well-cultivated following, a lot of marketing and slick design, figured out how to make it easier for music fans to listen to--and pay for--music than downloading MP3s off Napster and its successors.

Did it stop piracy? Not in the least ...

Imagine...news on your computer

February 9, 2009 at 1:46 a.m.

It's not as far fetched as you might imagine:

This video has been making the rounds, but I had to post it because--aside from being broadcast the year I was born--it says something about the way news consumption has changed in my lifetime.

I hear some version of the lead in on this piece pretty regularly from members of my parents' generation: "I just can't imagine sitting down with my coffee and a computer screen. I like the feel of the paper." Funny, that's exactly how I read the news, and discuss it, and create it.

A ...

Remembering Deep Throat and the man in the shadows

January 17, 2009 at 2:35 a.m.

Friends, family and admirers of W. Mark Felt, better known to the public as Deep Throat, remembered the late FBI agent today as a man who lived his fundamental beliefs of "truth, justice and service."

"Action is character," former Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward (now an editor there) said of his late friend and mentor.

This was a memorial for the man known as Deep Throat, the G-man who arranged secret meetings at an underground parking garage with Woodward as the Watergate cover up unfolded, much more than it was for Mark Felt, who died at 95 in his daughter ...

New tools for new news

December 30, 2008 at 3:28 a.m.

Journalists need new tools to work online. In the last year, I've used more that I can count, most of them free, to find and tell better stories on the Web.

Back in October, I started building an online database of such tools as a personal project, just a way to keep track of everything I was using. It has since grown into something I think others will find useful, so I'm releasing it into the wild.

Tools for News

The site is in public beta for now. Eventually, I hope to move it to its own domain ...