Featured Links - June 10, 2024

 Links to things I found interesting but didn't want to do a full blog post about.

The hydro marsh from Alex Robertson park

• 10 ways to turn off Windows’ worst ads. "Windows will let you use your PC in relative peace. You just have to flip the right switches." I would say that not using Edge is one of the best ways of beating the ads. Don't try to clean it up; just don't use it.
• High fidelity. "What makes an adaptation work well?" A good discussion of adaptations of both books and games.
• Here comes the sun(screen). "Nuances in effectiveness, safety, and more."
• Excel gets Regular Expression functions. "Excel 365 is getting new functions that bring the power of Regular Expressions (RegEx) into spreadsheets.  It’s HUGE news and a big step forward for Excel." I used regular expressions frequently when I was working in Word and they are indeed useful, especially for complex searches. 
• Scientists map one of Earth’s top hazards in the Pacific Northwest (gift link). "A catastrophic earthquake and tsunami will one day hit the Pacific Northwest as tectonic plates slip at the Cascadia subduction zone."
• Oliver Nelson: The Blues and the Abstract Truth. An appreciation of a jazz classic from a master composer and arranger. As much as I like this album, I think his arranging on the two Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith collaborations is his best work.
• I finally tried the Meta AI in my Ray-Ban smart glasses thanks to an accidental UK launch – and it's by far the best AI wearable. 'Look and Ask' is flawed, but surprisingly useful" If they keep improving these, I might consider it in a couple of years. It could be genuinely useful for people like me with low vision. 
• Colorado’s Bold New Approach to Highways — Not Building Them. "The state has made it harder to widen highways, and transportation officials are turning their eyes to transit." Ontario, and its highway-crazy premier, could learn something from Colorado.
• Smartphone Cameras Owe Their Power to Astronomy. "The next time you snap a selfie, consider thanking an astronomer for your phone’s camera."