Technology

Code geekery, web development, computers, photography, electronics, and other gadgets.

Google Image Search applying OCR to indexed images

While doing some online research research I found evidence of some new functionality in Google Image Search – when crawling the web, Google is applying OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to the images that it finds, and uses this data in their search index.

How far is Myki making you walk?

If you want to catch a tram in Melbourne then you need a Myki, despite the fact you can’t buy one or top it up onboard the tram. In 2017 The Age highlighted the difficulty this can pose for intending tram passengers, in an article on myki “dead zones” – tram stops where the nearest place to top up your myki is at least a kilometre away. Coincidently I started work on an almost identical project years ago but never finished it, so what better time to polish it off?

Married men and Facebook ads for “Singles Events Melbourne”

The other day a suggested post for “Singles Events Melbourne” showed up in my Facebook timeline. Since I’m married, it isn’t exactly something I’m interested in.

Facebook suggested post - "Singles Events Melbourne"

‘Altostrat’ – Google’s fictitious company

Microsoft is well known for their long list of fictional companies – the name of which crop up often in the documentation for their software. However they aren’t the only company to do so – Google has a fake company of their own.

WHOIS for AltoStrat.com domain via DomainTools

Fixing my blog robot

One thing you might not know about this site is that I don’t actually wake up each morning and type up a new blog post – I actually write them ahead of time, and then they get pushed out to the site at a time I decide. Unfortunately this doesn’t always work, such as what happened to me a few weeks ago.

XPT derailed outside Southern Cross - July 11, 2014