Flickr adds video

by Jeremy Kressmann on


If you’ve spent more than two minutes on the Internet recently, you already know and love photo-sharing site Flickr. Today the site is breaking some interesting new functionality, allowing pro users to post videos of up to 90 seconds. Rumors of video have apparently been floating around on site’s message boards for some time now, though today marked the feature’s official launch. Users haven’t wasted any time pulling together video-focused sharing groups to take advantage of the new feature.

Some people are questioning the wisdom of Flickr’s decision. Why, they point out, would Flickr launch video sharing when sites like YouTube already dominate most online video attention? I tend to disagree with this view because I think Flickr video can occupy an interesting niche for photographers. If you consider the way most people capture travel video these days, it tends to be short snippets from point-and-shoot digital cameras. When you upload these files, computers don’t really distinguish between photo and video – everything is usually lumped into the same folder. Thus there’s an interesting opportunity to allow users to share their photos and videos all in one place. Flickr is also limiting their video size to 150 megabytes or 90 seconds, which to me also emphasizes they’re looking to capture short camera clips, not your three hour long wedding ceremony (as heartwarming as it might be).

Only paying pro users can use Flickr Video for now, but perhaps they will open it up to others in the near future. Check out the help page to get started.

Can I have an extra pillow? I mean prostitute, of course

by Iva Skoch on

I learned something new today. Apparently, the coded way for a hotel guest to ask for a prostitute is “Can I have another pillow?” At least that is what Matt Rudd says in his very funny Times article about his life as a concierge in a 5-star hotel in London. It is well worth reading, even if one pillow is typically your speed. The whims of some luxury hotel guests are entertaining, to say the least.

Just in case you were wondering, the concierge is not supposed to arrange anything illegal, be it drugs or “extra pillows.” Miraculously, call girls apparently do make it into hotel bars and staff discovers indecent behavior in the bathrooms quite regularly. At that point, a staff member can suggest the couple might want a room next time. That, of course, is perfectly legal.

Zimbabwe introduces $50 million dollar bill

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Remember my award-winning post from way back in January about Zimbabwe’s introduction of a $10 million dollar bill? (Nod “yes” and let’s move on.)

Anyway, that was two-and-a-half months ago, and the country’s 100,000% inflation rate has already made it necessary for another impressive-sounding-but-actually-very-sad denomination of currency: the $50 million dollar bill. It’s worth about US$1 on the black market, enough for three loaves of bread.

A quote from Gideon Gono, the governor of the central bank of Zimbabwe, is worth repeating here: “As monetary authorities, we once again assure the nation that we are in full control of the currency situation.”

With all due respect to Mr. Gono, I have as much control over Zimbabwe’s currency situation as he does.

How much longer before the numbers on the bills are written in scientific notation?

More here.

Photo of the Day (4/09/08)

by Jamie Rhein on

Besides the crocus and daffodils, the first flowers to burst forth in my neighborhood are the dogwood trees. They aren’t as fragrant as the magnolias in South Korea pictured here, but yesterday I could feel the sluggishness from the grey of winter disappear when I took in their beauty and promise. Sounds corny, but it’s true. My daughter who was riding with me burst out with “I love spring!,” and she is not prone to exclamations.

Thanks Lady Expat for such a glorious shot. For an up close view go to the Flickr page and scroll down. there you can really see the silky texture of the petals. Post your own beauties at Gadling’s group on Flickr.

Southern Baptists protest Alabama wine trail

by Catherine Bodry on

Georgia has a wine trail. So do Florida and Tennessee. Now an Alabama trade association and a tourism group are joining the Southern ranks and adding a wine trail to Alabama’s list of attractions. Eight wineries operate in northern Alabama, and one vintner boasts that he’d put his wines up against California’s any day.

But a Baptist leader is protesting the idea of luring tourists with booze. The Rev. Robert Griffin, moderator of the Chilton Baptist Association and pastor of a Baptist church, maintains that his church is “on record as being opposed to any kind of alcohol-related industry.”

This isn’t the first alcohol incident the state has come against recently — in October, the state opened a liquor store on a Sunday afternoon in Birmingham. The governor intervened, and the agency promised it would never happen again.

This time it looks like the heathen booze-lovers won: brochures will list the eight participating wineries in Alabama. Those who visit all eight will get a special wine glass with all the logos from the wineries on it.