Archive for the 'News' Category

I am still here.

Published
by
Kabren
on November 15, 2008
in News and Site Updates
. 0 Comments

Dear Nerd News Radio Fans,

I’m still here. I have not given up podcasting - I wouldn’t even think of giving it up. I just haven’t had the time. I’ve even lots touch with music - I barely practice these days. I need to figure out how to work my podcast, my music, and other things, back into my life. I want to. I haven’t forgotten Nerd News Radio. I still get emails every now and then, saying something along the lines of “please do a podcast.” It means a lot. I hope you will keep listening - go back, listen to past episodes and give me feedback for how I could improve the podcast and the site. I love Nerd News Radio. I’ve been through “downfalls” before (think 2006), but I will never forget.

I can guarantee I will record an episode of Nerd News Radio over Thanksgiving break, and maybe even sooner, though I doubt it. I will record over winter break, too. Send me emails, it helps. I have a lot of work, but I have been able to keep up with my blog. Check it out.

Sincerely,
Kabren Levinson
Founder, Host, and Producer, Nerd News Radio

PodCamp Boston: Here’s What’s Going On

Published
by
Kabren
on October 20, 2007
in Teen Podcasters Network, News and PodCamp
. 2 Comments

So, if you’ve been reading my blog, you know that there have been some “issues” with my session at PodCamp Boston. Well, those issues are almost gone, thankfully.

Here’s what happened. The PodCamp Boston “master schedule” was released, I noticed that my session was not present, so I wrote a blog post and contacted the PodCamp Boston crew, with a self-admittedly angry letter. You can read the original blog post here. There were a lot of quick emails and interactions, and currently, they’re looking for a session slot for me! Thank you Chris (Cofounder) and Whitney (organizer) for your quick responses and support. And, thank you all who contacted the PodCamp Boston team. It means a lot to me. This is why I love the Internet.

Here’s the original post.
Here’s the update (Must read).

Read my blog if you want to stay up to date!

Kabren

P.S. Nerd News Radio #32 is out tomorrow (I hope)!

Eight Random Things Meme

Published
by
Kabren
on July 21, 2007
in News
. 5 Comments

Woah! I got tagged on the Eight Random Things Me meme by Howard O’Berry. I didn’t quite expect this to happen, but hey, it’s the Internet, anything is possible. I do have to admit, I’ve enjoyed learning more about some Powncers like Howard and Geoff. Here are the rules:

  • Each person starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
  • People who are tagged need to write their own post about their eight things and post these rules.
  • At the end of your post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment telling them that they are tagged, and to read your blog.

    • Ugh. Here it goes:

  • I’m currently an intern at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab Computing Culture group. I help them with “stuff.” It’s a great group to be working with. It’s like political technology and art. The group sign says “How artists can refigure technology to address the full range of human experience.” If you listen to the podcast tomorrow, you can hear a little about some of the projects I’m working on.
  • My family has a bird named Freud. He (Freud, the bird) was initially a gift for my father, and since my dad is a psychologist, the name seemed to fit. When we got the bird, I wanted to name the bird “Joe” (I was four). So technically, the bird’s name is “Joe Freud.” The bird can say a few things, such as “I’m Freud are you happy?” He’s a fun little bird. I can post a picture sometime in the future.
  • In a month, I can drive people under 21 around (I think :/). I got my drivers license in February. I’m 17 by the way.
  • I really, really, really want to learn how to fly a helicopter. I’ve had fantasies about joining the Navy to become a helicopter pilot. I think those fantasies will remain fantasies. :(
  • During this past school year, my Junior year of high school, I wrote a 10 page paper about human experience on the Internet, past, present, and future. I talked about how the Internet is evolving from two separate categories, users and developers, to one category, collaborators. I should host it for all to read.
  • I was recently appointed co-social justice coordinator in my Temple youth group, RYFTI. Yay!
  • I have played the cello for 11 years, since I was six, and I’ve played the bass guitar for six years, since I was 11. Funny how that works out. I don’t plan to become a musician though. I don’t really know what I want to do later in life. Something with art, technology, science, and politics.
  • I consider myself an amateur photographer. I shoot with a stock Nikon D70, and sometimes add on a Nikon SB-600 Speedlight flash. You can view the photos I put on the Internet on my Flickr page.

    • Well, hope y’all enjoyed, and here’s who I’d like to know more about: Carolyn from Pink Ninja Studios, Julie, Staci, Jaffar from Resilient-Reborn, Andrew, Tony from Teknision Inc., William from Sugar Attack, and Tom from Open Minded Design. Now all I gotta do is let these people know some how…POWNCE!

    Seeing Yellow

    Published
    by
    Kabren
    on July 17, 2007
    in News
    . 0 Comments

    “Seeing Yellow” is a project that stemmed out of the Computing Culture group at the MIT MediaLab (I’m currently working with this group).

    “When you print on a color laser printer, it’s likely that you are also printing a pattern of invisible yellow dots. These marks exist to allow the printer companies and governments to track and identify you — presumably as a way to combat money counterfeiting. When one person asked his printer manufacturer about turning off the tracking dots, Secret Service agents showed up at his door several days later.” (From the Seeing Yellow website)

    These tracking dots are not news. They’ve been “public” for quite a while. Here’s what I want you to do.

    I want you to call up your printer manufacturer and request that the dots be removed. So far, over 800 people have called.

    “There is nothing suspicious or criminal about wanting to privately or anonymously produce color documents. In fact, the ability to speak anonymously is an essential part of our democracy! We have every right to demand color laser printers without this “feature.” We have every right to demand that our printer manufacturers to fix their devices. We shouldn’t need to choose between our privacy and color print outs.

    Let’s join together to call our printer manufacturers and demand that they tell us how to turn off the tracking dots. Let’s stand up to bullying and interrogations by the U.S. Treasury Department and Secret Service of others who have done the same. If we all stand up together, we can send a strong message that there’s nothing wrong with demands to print privately. Together, we can make it more difficult for groups like the Secret Service to bully individuals who do so.”(From the Seeing Yellow website)

    Read the website to find out more.

    This story has become very popular on Digg in the past 24 hours, and a major tech news site, Ars Technica, wrote an article. Here are some links:

    The actual website:
    www.seeingyellow.com

    The Digg story:
    Digg it! (Now over 900 Diggs)

    The Ars Technica article:
    Ars Technica

    And here’s the link to the EFF, www.eff.org . The EFF “Defends freedom in the digital world.”

    Please try to spread the word, this is important to our digital freedom!

    I’m not one…

    Published
    by
    Kabren
    on July 3, 2007
    in News
    . 0 Comments

    I’m not one to take political stances on this podcast. That’s not what I like to do with it, but that may be changing…I just can’t help myself.

    “Justice for None” - Holocaust

    Read it, think about what the hell this country is turning into. Let me know what you think. Audio comments are fine.

    Email me, please.

    I’m also available on Jabber, contact@nerdnewsradio.com

    Also, please call the White House, here’s more explaining why:
    Joe Biden - “Call the White House”

    Thanks.

    Pownce

    Published
    by
    Kabren
    on July 2, 2007
    in News and Site Updates
    . 0 Comments

    I’m on Pownce now.

    http://www.pownce.com/kabren/

    Add me as a friend. I’m not scary.

    Oh, and check out Snippets.

    A type of microblogging, I did the initial design, my friend Jacob Potter did everything else.

    http://www.snippetlog.com

    There are still a few bugs, but still, check it out, it’s fun.

    The iPhone…

    Published
    by
    Kabren
    on June 29, 2007
    in News and Podcasts
    . 0 Comments

    I touched the iPhone.
    I used the iPhone.

    I will talk about the iPhone on Sunday on episode #18 of Nerd News Radio.

    Stay right here.

    Or go to iTunes. Keyword: ‘kabren’ or ‘nerd news radio’

    If you want some pictures, go to my Flickr. Here’s the link.

    Cafepress

    Published
    by
    Kabren
    on April 20, 2007
    in News and Site Updates
    . 0 Comments

    Nerd News Radio has a Cafepress online store.

    cafepress.com/NerdNewsRadio

    Your purchases help me.

    The Flickr Metamorphosis

    Published
    by
    Kabren
    on January 31, 2007
    in News
    . 1 Comment

    Now forget about the lack of NNR #11, (I have a reason,a you’ll hear about it soon) and focus your energy on what recently went on at Flickr. Some of you may know that Flickr was bought by Yahoo a while back, and ever since, Flickr has become more and more “Yahoo.” This is upsetting, because I think Yahoo sucks, to say it clearly. I’ve had email accounts deleted, they put a Chinese journalist in Prison for 10 years, I mean come on. “At Yahoo the marketers rule, and at google the engineers rule. And for that, Yahoo is finally paying the price.” (A quote from the latest issue of Wired, where on the cover it said “How Yahoo Screwed Up”) But even since that sell out, Flickr has let us “Old Skool” members keep using Flickr the way it was: without Yahoo. Of course the login page changed, but there was that link “Psst: Old Skool members sign in here.” This let us stay away from the behemoth that Yahoo is. But last night I, along with many other pissed off members, that the Old Skool members can no longer log in the way we were used to. We have to merge with a Yahoo ID, one of the most insecure distrustful systems out there. Flickr users have been protesting on the link provided above. Even though we may be a mere 5 percent, Flickr meant something to us. It was friendly. All I had to give them for signing up was an email address. In Yahoo, there is all that personal info (for the marketers of course). Yahoo is not friendly. They censor political posts on Yahoo Groups, something Flickr has never done. Flickr let you be who you are. In that thread, which the founder of Flickr and members of Flickr staff have posted in, it showed who cared about Flickr, and who was worried that Yahoo was “seducing” Flickr (Can’t think of a better word, it’s 7:30 in the morning here).

    So basically, I hate yahoo, and lovED Flickr. Flickr just broke up with me. I do have more to say, but I have a limited brain capacity at this time in the morning.

    I mourn the “death” of Flickr. Damn. Just as I added that nice “Photos” page. (Which you should check out.)

    -Kabren

    Has Apple lost its touch?

    Published
    by
    Kabren
    on September 25, 2006
    in News
    . 0 Comments

    This is a letter I recently wrote about Apple and what they’ve become. I sent it to David Pogue, Slashdot, Apple Insider, The Boston Globe, Wired, and Digg. Help me get this out! People need to know what’s going on under the surface!

    read more | digg story