Hacker News Reader

Comment by JackuB | Hacker News Reader

Read a paper few years ago that Slow TV[^1] will become popular in the digital era. I couldn't believe it at the time. And here we are. I guess it's a logical step to fight speed of current era.

It did a sudden takeoff even in my country - Prague tram-cam is the best[^2].

[^1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_television [^2]: http://slowtv.playtvak.cz/prave-ted-mazaci-tramvaj-jede-prah...

View on HN

When coding I typically have Shibuya live stream on my small monitor in HD - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q36pnzcw70.

Nice mix of nostalgia (been there), wanderlust (want to go back) and just awe at watching a slice of humanity scrambling across an intersection 8 hours 'in the future' and 6,000 miles away.

There are some beautiful videos showing 9+ hour plus train journeys across the Norwegian countryside, which also make for great background visuals while coding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY1sbKvjNcY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIdnzamYDmQ&feature=iv&src_v...

I really enjoy watching videos like this for some reason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EeTfiBWZzU

It's not quite the same but I felt it's relevant.

It's interesting how the pedestrians walk on the "wrong" side. I guess you can attribute it to Japan having left-hand traffic.

I seem to recall that different areas in Japan walk on different sides of the sidewalk. So it's not a national thing but a regional thing irrespective of the road direction.

I actually noticed the same thing in Hawaii, lots of Japanese tourists

Honest question: do you have these running on a second (3rd?) monitor when coding? Or in a small window? Or where?

I don't keep "slow tv" up, but I tend to have Netflix running on my left monitor, my requirements on my right monitor and my IDE or text editor in the center. If I get too busy, then Netflix goes away. The motion to the side helps keep me from getting bored.

I prefer to have them on a screen on the other side of my desk, to give my eyes a change in focus.

Thank you so much for this.

I'll use this if and when I need to experience a lot of humanity.

Always better to do it vicariously.

Ah I have been having Withdrawals from Japan, I need to get back there. This makes me oddly happy. Thanks!

If you're interested in why this tram looks the way it does: http://technet.idnes.cz/prague-czech-republic-oiling-tram-ta...

(it's a lubricating tram)

This is fantastic -- I'm a huge fan of high res live streams of various places around the world (eg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOu3DfLC4Os )... now I gotta check some of the other links here. :)

I've formed a minor obsession with the cab ride videos on Youtube. Riding along London or Dubai transit, or the driver's eye view from a Rotterdam tram, is insanely relaxing. Meditation of a sort. Thanks for linking a new tram.

http://www.webcamera.pl/ is what my 58 year old mum spends 80% of computer and 50% TV time on.

Live webcams have been around for a lot longer than a few years. Interesting thing about this one is it's focused at a game, not the real world.

Test cricket during summer holidays in Australia.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com