Pointless Yammering: March 2007

Monday, March 26, 2007

Photo Sharing

Share your photos with KoffeePhoto
20070324-koffeephoto.jpg

KoffeePhoto is a photo sharing web site. However, KoffeePhoto allows
you unlimited, free storage space and it also has a mobile version
designed for cellphones. Now you can take the photos of your kids out
of the wallet, upload them to KoffeePhoto, and then when it's time to
show them off, fire up KoffeePhoto on your phone. KoffeePhoto also
has some nice interface options like watching your photos in a slide
show or making the photos full screen.

KoffeePhoto photo sharing solution offers unlimited and free
storage for all your photos. Thanks to KoffeePhoto software and
KoffeePhoto Web Space, your photos are always available to you from
any connected computer, through a simple web browser or even on your
connected PDA.

KoffeePhoto mobile is a further step in making your photos
available to you anytime anywhere. KoffeePhoto mobile allows you to
access your whole photo library from your mobile phone!

KoffeePhoto is brand new, so if you're a first mover, give it a try
and let us know what you think in the comments.

KoffeePhoto - [KoffeePhoto.com]
http://tinyurl.com/3y462k

Expect a BIG hurricane season

Not really but.... if ONE butterfly in Taiwan flaps its wing and
there is a hurricane in Florida, what happens when a BUNCH do it?

Highway shut for butterfly travel
The purple milkweed butterfly
The migration is only one of two mass butterfly movements worldwide
Taiwan is to close one lane of a major highway to protect more than a
million butterflies, which cross the road on their seasonal migration.

The purple milkweed butterfly, which winters in the south of the
island, passes over some 600m of motorway to reach its breeding
ground in the north.

Many of the 11,500 butterflies that attempt the journey each hour do
not reach safety, experts say.

Protective nets and ultra-violet lights will also be used to aid the
insects.

Taiwanese officials conceded that the decision to close one lane of
the road would cause some traffic congestion, but said it was a price
worth paying.

"Human beings need to coexist with the other species, even if they
are tiny butterflies," Lee Thay-ming, of the National Freeway Bureau,
told the AFP news agency.
http://tinyurl.com/34auun

this is one I would want to try

Nokia 3310 Cell Phone LCD Digital Thermometer
by Alan Parekh @ 11:58 am. Filed under Electronic Hacks, DIY Hacks,
Cool Gadgets

If you have an old Nokia 3310 cell phone collecting dust in a drawer
why not put it to use? This Nokia 3310 Cell Phone LCD Digital
Thermometer project uses a one wire DS18B20 and a Microchip PIC
12F629 microcontroller to take control of the old LCD directly. There
is code, schematic and a foil pattern available on the site.

Via: Team Droid

http://tinyurl.com/2swjb8

SOUNDS like a good idea

no, no it don't

Build Your Own Car and Save

diycar.jpgMitsuoka Motors of Japan hopes you don't mind putting in a
little bit of elbow grease when you buy one of their cars, as you're
gonna have to go ahead and build it yourself. Their mini-cars are
about eight feet long and have a top speed of 31 mph, making them
more like go-karts than real cars, but they still look like they'd be
a lot of fun to drive around in. Not that I'd actually put in the 40
hours of required labor to build one or trust the reliability of my
handiwork once I was finished, but it's a neat idea at least. –Adam
Frucci
http://tinyurl.com/2qzbdu

Looks like a useful book

The Wilderness Medicine Book

from Health and Wellbeing (242 articles)

March 24, 2007 This is one of those books that will come in handy,
even if you never use it. If that sounds silly, you've never been 50
miles from the nearest road with a man down and no telecommunications
or medical knowledge. Each year, more and more people venture
outdoors, including wilderness and rugged environments, and many
suffer from injuries or illnesses while in the mountains, deserts,
forests, jungles, or oceans. The 5th edition of Wilderness Medicine,
is the definitive clinical reference on its unique subject and
explains how to manage everything from frostbite to infection by
marine microbes and situations stemming from natural disasters to
diverse everyday injuries, such as bites, stings, poisonous plant
exposures and animal attacks.

"Wilderness Medicine is the only book that covers the entire field,"
said Dr. Auerbach, MD, MS, editor of the book and Clinical Professor
of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University
School of Medicine. "It includes vital, comprehensive treatment
information that you won't normally find in standard medical texts
but will absolutely need during a medical crisis."

Wilderness Medicine presents expert detailed guidance on responding
to these emergencies, both in the field and within emergency
department and hospital settings.

In addition to coverage of topics such as hypothermia, reptile bites,
poisonous plant exposures, and other essential wilderness medicine
topics, this book includes new information on volcanic eruptions,
extreme sports, wilderness cardiology, aerospace medicine, mental
health in the wilderness, and tactical combat casualty care, among
others. The book also describes how to meet the unique needs of
specific patient populations, such as children, women, elders, the
disabled, and people with chronic medical conditions. In addition, it
addresses vital aspects of search and rescue, gear, navigation,
nutrition, and survival.

Dr. Auerbach is a founder of the Wilderness Medical Society and among
the world's most respected authorities in this field. One hundred
fifty-seven experts from medicine, government, education, research,
industry, and the military, among other fields, contributed.

Persons who will find Wilderness Medicine essential include
physicians, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, outdoor-enthusiasts and
adventure travelers, wilderness expedition leaders, the military,
firefighters, search-and-rescuers, explorers in all environments
(such as divers, alpinists, backpackers, etc.), and anyone interested
in health care issues related to the outdoors. The coverage spans the
globe with detailed descriptions of the environment, causes,
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition (ISBN: 978-0-323-03228-5) is 2336
pages long with 2100 illustrations, 1950 of them in full color.
http://tinyurl.com/3axqys

For those looking into new high end cameras

DSLR dust removal / sensor cleaning shootout

Posted Mar 26th 2007 4:49AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Digital Cameras
We already know that megapixels don't matter (right?), but an oft
hyped (but untested) feature that has emerged on DSLRs is automatic
sensor cleaning. The anti-dust capabilities (or lack thereof) of
Canon's EOS-400D, Olympus' E-300, Pentax's K10D, and Sony's Alpha
A100 were put to the test, and although the methodology was less than
scientific, the results were intriguing nonetheless. Essentially,
each camera was given a before / after test shot in order to judge
the results, and after the digicams sat through a dirtying process,
they were "self-cleaned" 25 times and finally rated. Considering that
Olympus was given credit as being the first manufacturer to include
dust cleaning technology in its products, it's not too surprising
that it took home the gold, but even sitting in first place, the
E-300's effectiveness was only rated at 50-percent. Canon's EOS-400D
came in with high expectations, but received a "poor" rating as the
cleaning effectiveness clocked in a paltry five-percent. If you
thought these two were bad, it only got worse when the Pentax K10D
and Alpha A100 stepped to the plate, as both highly-regarded cams
were deemed "useless" in the anti-dust department. So if your number
one priority in a new DSLR is how well it cleans up after itself,
there doesn't seem to be a standout option just yet, but feel free to
hit the read link and decide for yourself.

[Thanks, Romain B.]
http://tinyurl.com/3yonb6

Not a good fashion move

Gadget Holsters
If the idea of being Batman, Han Solo, or just a gadget slinging
office worker fills your mind, you'll want to check out the gadget
shoulder holster ($50) and gadget hip holster ($60). Both holsters
allow you to strap on your cell phone, iPod, pocket calculator and
about anything else in true geek goodness. They're also good for
holding at quick draw things like your keys, a pen and mouth spray.
http://tinyurl.com/28d562

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Geeky stuff roundup

First, this:

SFSD Episode 1: The one that started it all…

Category: General |

Here it is boys and girls. This is the battle that has been debated
ad nauseam at Slice of Scifi. You sent in your voicemails, your
emails, your telepathic mojo…

We now present to you the match-up that has launched this podcast:
The USS Enterprise vs. the Battlestar Galactica.

Christiana Ellis (Nina Kimberly the Merciless, Pickle Tales, and just
a few other podcasts) holds the banner for the Enterprise while Tony
Mast (Fanboy Smackdown) champions the Galactica.

This battle for the ages is moderated by Trampas Whiteman
(Dragonlance Canticle).

Before the real contest begins, the undercard takes the stage and in
round robin style, Christiana, Trampas, and Tony discuss the merits
of each of the contestants and how they would fair in a cross-country
road race.

The contestants? Knight Industries Two Thousand… K.I.T.T. vs. Herbie,
The Love Bug.

Think you know how this will turn out? Think again. Then give us your
thoughts on how these match-ups play out.

Leave your voicemail for us at: 206-495-1737

Or send us an email at: scifismackdown @ gmail.com
http://tinyurl.com/yrwg2a

and then this:

Flash Circle TD
March 15, 2007 Flash Circle TDThomasDear JIG community, David Scott
is back. If you don't recall who that is, you will certainly remember
Flash Element TD, David's first JIG-featured title. Yes, he's back,
and he brought candy. In Flash Circle TD, you will immediately find
yourself at home with similar concepts as before. It is your duty to
defend your position against wave after wave of various types of
monsters. What kind exactly to expect next is always indicated in the
bottom right of the screen. You may build (and upgrade!) five
different categories of towers, which you may find familiar from the
previous game as well, even though there have been slight adjustments
for balancing reasons. Buying new towers and upgrading existing
towers happens in real time. And this is where the new concept comes
into play. Instead of pausing between waves, the game goes on
continuously. If you don't manage to dispose of all the monsters in a
wave, they will "circle" indefinitely. However, if you allow 100 of
the beasts to accumulate, then the game is over. Compared to the
first title, this warrants a shift in strategy. You have all the time
in the world to kill your foes, as long as there aren't more than 100
of them on-screen at the same time. Analysis: I have been addicted to
Flash Element TD for quite a while, and I suspect that the same will
happen to Flash Circle. The slightly different setting is even more
appealing to me, as it takes away the haste and replaces it with a
need to establish slowly a working setup of towers that can deal with
larger and larger hordes of evil. This puts even more stress on the
element of strategy, which I personally find appealing. David has
delivered a fresh take on a familiar concept that is easy to pick up,
demanding enough to be enjoyable in the long term, and allows for
enough variety in approach to have the player coming back for more.
Thumbs up and click!
http://tinyurl.com/29k9np

Sync iCal and Google Calendar

Sync Google Calendar with Apple iCal via Spanning Sync

Posted Mar 14th 2007 2:00PM by Chris Gilmer
Filed under: Internet, Productivity, Web services, Apple, Google
spanning sync syncs google calendar with apple icalSpanning Sync will
make your Google Calendars and Apple iCal play nicely together with
devices.

iCal and Google Calendars are great applications for different sets
of reasons, one is online with sharing capabilities, one is desktop
driven with great notifications and offline capabilities. Get ready
to get excited Mac users, Spanning Sync syncs all of these features
together and lets Mac users choose which calendar application you
want to work in with total two way calendar synchronization.

If you find yourself working on different Macs, or require a calendar
that is shared throughout the day, Spanning Sync ties in support for
multiple Macs and sharing capabilities. Simply share a Google
Calendar, and Spanning Sync will sync them all together. Changes made
in iCal, will appear on the Google Calendar, and changes that are
made to Google Calendar will be made on the iCal calendars. Apple's
iSync then works to sync up calendars onto capable devices like
mobile phones and iPods as well.

There is a 15 day trial period for Spanning Sync, with a one year
subscription costing $25, or you can drop $65 to purchase the app
outright.
http://tinyurl.com/2c9ozn

I love me some fiction

Ficlets remixes fiction in Web 2.0 style

Posted Mar 14th 2007 3:00PM by Grant Robertson
Filed under: Fun, Internet, Text, Web services, Social Software

Ficlets spills some Web 2.0-coolness into a cup of collaborative
fiction. Users submit super-short fiction stories -- really short.
No, like really, incredibly short. All the fiction you can squeeze
into 1024 characters short. -- which are then available for others to
build upon with "sequels" (or build up to with prequels). They even
provide you with inspiration for your stories, in the form of photos,
themes, suggested beginnings and endings, and of course other ficlets.

All the Ficlets are licensed under the Creative Commons, giving the
content a solid foundation for everyone to play fair and share upon.
It's fun, creative and mildly addictive if you're into writing.

http://tinyurl.com/33ezqo

tires that change shape - again

New tire with retractable studs

from Automotive (1095 articles)

March 15, 2007 We're not sure whether the Qtire is named after Q the
gadget guy of James Bond movie fame, but it would be entirely apt –
the new qtire uses a patented all-weather tire technology for autos
and trucks that enables studs to be extended from the surface of the
tire in snow and ice, yet lie below the tread when not required. The
retractable-stud tires incorporate an air bladder that pushes the
studs out from inside the tire when needed, and deflates so the studs
retract into the tire when not needed. The tires are not entirely
maintenance free - the bladder needs to be refilled with air after
the studs have been deployed around 50 times – not much effort for a
significant improvement in safety.

American states Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana are expected to
pass legislation to enable the tires to be used all year round. Q
Tires expects to have the new tires available for next winter.
http://tinyurl.com/2u5ywz

I like tea

this seems like a very cool idea, though having just the right tea
cups/pots would be required:

Full Bloom Tea - a visual experience

Because I tend to be a very fidgety, restless person, I'm drawn to
the ritual of tea-making, which naturally slows me down and calms my
nerves (drinking wine slows me down too, but starting down that road
before noon has unwanted repercussions). Knowing that tea has
antioxidant properties doesn't hurt, but for me, there's another,
more compelling benefit to drinking tea -- it takes my mind off of
drinking coffee.

I just discovered something that takes the tea experience to another
level, tea balls from FullBloomTea.com, which bloom into a bouquet of
flowers when put in boiling water. The balls are made of Silver
Needle white tea wrapped around dehydrated flowers (such as Marigold,
Amaranth, and Jasmine) to create 13 different bouquets -- see all of
them here. These work best in a clear, glass teapot, so you can
really see the bouquet come out. It's mesmerizing to watch the ball
slowly turn in the water and the tea leaves spread out and expand as
the flowers emerge. You leave the bouquet in the pot while you drink,
and add more water to it for a second and even a third pot (each ball
lasts for 3 pots of tea). Afterwards, they suggest dispaying the
bouquet for a few more days in a clear vase with water.

You can buy these by the Bloom ($3 per bloom, $15 for 6 of them) or
in gift sets. The FullBloomTea website also carrries teaware that
allows you the maximum visual experience. Blooms are also packaged as
party favors, which I think is a great idea for wedding showers and
other girly events.

Posted by Hoyun
http://tinyurl.com/3d5u5w

What is wrong with TED

No, not Ted the guy next door, nor even Ted the Unibomber. Rather TED the amazing convention that happens yearly and is attended by some of the best and brightest in the world.

A caveat first: I have never attended TED, and I am enormously jealous of those who have.

And now, my rant.

The major problem with TED is that I CAN'T GO! Not that I am personally special or anything, but I don't have the cash ($4400 plus travel, room, board, etc...) or the vacation time to head out west for four days, no matter how amazing the event is.

The same holds true (in some ways more, in some ways less) for undergrad and grad students. The people who ARE the world of tomorrow, are pretty much shut out of the discussion on how to guide/craft/save that world. Students do not have the cash to go to TED. Most people do no have the cash/resources/time to go to TED.

'AH' you say 'TED put the talks online!' and that is true, but that is only half the event. TED brings brilliant people together to talk and share ideas. Those presentations start many conversations, and those conversations are just as important as the presentations. If your not there, your missing out.

I tried to make a small effort to fix that. I dropped an unasked-for email to Wil Shipley who had blogged so brilliantly about TED. He was nice enough to respond to my email and start a 'conversation'. While replying to his email it struck me how much this was NOT a conversation (beyond the fact that two emails is not a conversation, it lacked a whole lot more). Humans have evolved (or were created, whatever you like) to function in a world that was completely face to face. So much depends on body language, nuance, voice, etc. Email is useful but its no substitute. It is very hard to tell if the other person is interested, its near impossible to know if you have lost the thread of conversation, its totally impossible to (legally) break into someone else's conversation with an insightful comment.

In other words, email just don't cut it.

So how can it be 'fixed'? How can I/you/anyone help make TED more accessible to the rest of us?

I was thinking on this issue as I started my day...

Then a friend of mine sent me this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWTLA8WecI

While I am not certain on all the numbers listed, the point is pretty clear. The world is moving, FAST. There is no reasonable way for a single human to tackle it all, and certainly not in the standard formal college setting.

It gave me an idea.....

I am famous for ideas that are half baked and barely conceivable let alone do-able. So I am putting more effort into this one.

The idea in short: A one day convention style event, done on a Sunday or federal holiday. Free or extremely affordable admission. Topics are open, presentations are 10 to 15 minutes, posters are everywhere, setup is geared towards small group conversations. The location would be east coast.

The specifics are still percolating through my brain.

I did decide on the name (a minor item, I know): SHIFT

I will (hopefully) post more details as I think them up and work them out. There is a VERY outside chance that I can get this to work.... very outside.

Then again, you never know.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Scary, VERY scary

Home Foreclosures Leading to Urban Blight

Remarkable stuff today in a Federal Reserve hearing about how home foreclosures are already leading to urban blight in some areas. I find it somewhat of a stretch, and I'm guessing that at least some of the blight predates the recent rate increases -- that is, there's an element of opportunistic local officials looking for handouts -- but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise:

"We have found neighborhoods with abandoned homes, 200 at a shot,'' said Louise Gissendaner, senior vice president and director of community development in Cleveland at Fifth Third Bancorp, the 10th-biggest U.S. bank by assets. She said abandoned housing has "devastated our city to a great degree.''

...Fed officials heard stories from Cleveland, Philadelphia, Denver and New York, where neighborhoods are deteriorating as borrowers struggle to pay loans or abandon their homes in foreclosure, a process where lenders take possession of property.

Keep an eye out here for the eventual hearing transcripts.

making me a better me

Learn to Finish Conversations Well

We managers can get ourselves into far too many situations where we unwittingly set others up for disappointment because we haven't learned to finish our conversations well.

Last week I encouraged you to add The Daily Five Minutes (D5M for short) to your management toolbox because it creates more workplace conversations. The intention of the D5M is to give your staff the gift of your attention, five minutes on a recurring basis where you listen well, truly focusing on getting to know them better, and engaging them in dynamic conversations.

This week, I want you to consider how you wrap it up: How do you finish those conversations? Do you both walk away from each other with a clear understanding of who will do what about whatever you've just talked about — and when?

Too often, managers use "safe" sentences so they don't make promises they can't keep. They'll say things like, "thank you for letting me know," or "that's interesting, I wasn't aware of that," or "yes, I see what you mean" clueless to the possibility that they've given the other person the impression they now own the information and will do something about it. But what? And do they own the issue, or do they think they've skirted it?

Skirting issues and playing it safe is for wimps. Great managers rise above those tactics because they seek to get stuff done. However, that doesn't mean that they own everything they've been told either. They're clear. They're clear on what they will do, and what they will not do, and why.

You can't fix everything, and you know that you can't, but you also cannot assume that the person you're talking to understands that too. As a conversation ends, if you aren't clear on what you'll do with your new tidbit of information, you could be giving an employee the impression you will fix it (whatever "it" is), especially when they're assuming it is in your power to do so. After all, you are the manager, and isn't that what managers do?

Maybe so, however great managers do with their staff, they don't necessarily do for. They work with employees to bring their strengths and talents to full employment, and they try to eliminate all the "I can't" thinking and other obstacles which stand in the way of engaging performance and optimal productivity. They get employees to be part of solutions as much as possible, coaching their staff to participate in decision-making. Great managers facilitate way more than they expedite. They understand that the quickest way now is not always the fastest way for keeps, nor is it always the best way.

No more vague.

If an employee walks away from your conversation hearing something as vague as "I understand, I'll give that some thought" you must understand that they are waiting for you to take action. The longer it takes for that action to happen – or heaven help you, you forget about it, or hope the issue goes away on it's own eventual resolution – the more damaging the hit to your credibility and reputation as a manager who cares and effectively gets things done. The less you get things done, the less employees will talk you, thinking to themselves, "What's the use?"

Finish conversations well by coming to agreements on what your next actions are, "your" meaning both of you.

Seek partnerships and reach for synergy.

Clearly state what you plan on doing next with the information you've just been given, and if you expect or wish to have that employee participate and remain involved in some way.
State what your next action will be, and ask for or suggest a next action for them, thereby creating collaboration for resolution between you.
Ask if they agree, or if they have a better idea (they often will! They're closer to the problem!)
Last, set a time when you'll have a follow-up conversation to update each other; set a date for another D5M.
Before it arrives, take the action you agreed to take.
When you have your follow-up conversation, speak of another agreement on the next step in the process until the issue has been taken care of.

You'll walk away with a new partnership, and you'll be yet another step closer to being a great manager.

Post Author:
Rosa Say is the author of Managing with Aloha, Bringing Hawaii's Universal Values to the Art of Business. She fervently believes that work can inspire, and that great managers and leaders can change our lives for the better. Rosa writes for Lifehack.org to freely offer her coaching to those of us who aspire to be greater than we are, for she also believes in us. Writing on What Great Managers Do is one of her favorite topics. You can also visit her on www.managingwithaloha.com.

http://tinyurl.com/yrhsjs

What Not To Say in a Presentation Avoiding certain phrases during a talk or presentation means you're not making particular mistakes. Preparation and staying on track during a talk allows you to engage the audience. A bad presentation makes people bored and restless. So don't say…

1. MAKE SOME NOISE!!! Unless you're at the MTV Music Awards this isn't much of a crowd pleaser. The key point is this: Know Thy Audience. Your audience should dictate your style, approach, the words you use, etc. If you can't modify your pitch to your audience you'll turn people off quicker than you can say…

2. Um… The dreaded "um" is so commonplace in our speech we often overlook it. But when you're standing in front of a crowd, selling 'em whatever you're selling 'em (and don't be mistaken: you ARE selling) too many "ums" shows a lack of preparedness and comfort.

3. Did That Make Sense? Actually, it didn't. And on top of that, because you had to ask me I'm so disengaged at this point that I've started playing a game on my BlackBerry. The key here: Practice. Do it in front of a mirror. Do it in the shower. Do it in front of others. Do it in public. If you present in front of friends and family who aren't in your field of expertise and they get it, you've got yourself a winner.

4. What Else Can I Show You? I don't know, you tell me, that's why you're standing up there on the stage and I'm sitting here eagerly in the crowd. Presentations are stories - they need a beginning, middle and end. It doesn't matter the setting, format or style of presentation/conference/meeting. If you're standing in front of people and telling them something, you're spinning a story. And that means it needs all the elements of a good one.

5. I Guess That's It. Well is that the end or not? You would know better than me. Blog professionals often talk about ending strongly, and the same holds true when giving a presentation. Even saying, "That's the end" is kind of lame - your final point (and the entire presentation arc) should make it obvious enough, and you should be able to transition instantly into the next step - be it questions, slinking off the stage, hours of clapping…

It takes practice to be a good public speaker. Don't just find different ways to say these things.

5 phrases you never want to hear in a presentation -

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ywdbeh

not so certain i like this - coffee

JavaVoo Micro-Brew Espresso I once had one of those small home Espresso machines. I used it maybe twice, with great fanfare and a lot of mess. During my last move, I dumped it on the curb along with a few other items I bought with the best of intentions, like the butt-and-ab exerciser I ordered from an infomercial in one of my delirious fits of sleeplessness. Now, I'm all about minimalism, both in my kitchen and my exercise routine (meaning I don't cook and I don't exercise). I go out for good food and good coffee, though as I grow more hermit-like in my ways, I wish good food and good coffee would come to me instead. I like the idea of the JavaVoo Micro-Brew Personal Barista, a self-contained microwaveable Espresso and Latte maker. The company uses a patented technology that pressure brews a single serving of coffee in two minutes in your microwave. A cup of JavaVoo comes with everything you need -- water, coffee in a variety of flavors, even cream and sugar -- and it's organic. I haven't seen this yet in any stores around here, but I'll be looking for it. Via OhGizmo!.

http://tinyurl.com/yq8uf8

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Ok, I too am a weather geek

La Crosse WS-1025 LCD Window Thermometer For Weather Watchers

lacrosse_thermo.jpgNow that Spring is about to finally spring, you're
going to want to watch those temperatures rising so you'll know when
it's safe to dance naked on the patio again. Here's a thermometer
that'll tip you off, and it's easy to stick onto the outside of a
window, too—the La Crosse WS-1025. It doesn't look half bad, either,
with its transparent LCD display that seems to just float out there.

Not only can you fellow weather fanatics (okay, okay, I confess) see
the current temperature in nice big numerals, but it also displays
the maximum and minimum temperatures for that day. Plus, those highs
and lows are automatically reset each night at midnight. Just
remember to mount it somewhere, ya know, where the sun don't shine.
It's now available for $12.95. – Charlie White

http://tinyurl.com/2stqgj

MIT entering the Game Industry

MIT Games Research
By drc at Tue, 2007-03-06 07:38 | News
Here is a chance for you to play games and contribute to research.
The Restaurant Game is part of a research project at MIT Media Lab
that will 'algorithmically combine the gameplay experiences of
thousands of players to create a new game'. The results will be used
to create a new single-player game, which will be entered into the
2008 Independent Games Festival.

The game is a free download from here. It takes only 10 mins to play
so you should have plenty of time to try it out.
http://tinyurl.com/2m2zby

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Barenaked Ladies: New Album. Free. No DRM. Now.

I've been writing about the Amie Street music site since their launch last July. Their model has the potential to disrupt the music industry from the bottom up: Bands and labels upload music, which is downloadable in DRM-free MP3 format. The price always starts at free, and as more people download the song, the price starts to rise, eventually hitting $.98. Higher priced songs are by definition more popular, and I've found that anything over $.50 or so is pretty good music. 70% of proceeds go to the band/label, and Amie Street keeps the rest.

The service is now starting to make real progress with labels, too. They've signed a deal with Nettwerk Music Group, which will be uploading their entire library to Amie Street over the next few months. The first music to go up on the site is the new Barenaked Ladies album, Barenaked Ladies Are Men. All sixteen songs from the album are available here.

The songs will only be free through the first few downloads, and will start to rise after that. But even at full price, listeners are getting quality music, DRM-free. Let's hope other labels follow Nettwerk shortly. Market driven prices and no DRM = Music Nirvana.

http://tinyurl.com/yp8s46

Monday, March 05, 2007

Because I am always THINKING about a new V-card

From Gizmodo: http://tinyurl.com/ywuep2

Every Video Card, Ranked Deep down, most of us know that we suck. But a new video card ranking compiled by J3r3my on overclock.net can quantify our waste of space based upon one's video card.

My first purchase was a 121 and our own Jason Chen is still a lousy 86 (we knew it all along). But what number are you?

Hit the jump for his copy and pasted list (because it looks like the link has gone down).

1) X2800XTX
2) 8800GTX
3) 8800GTS
4) 7950GX2
5) 8800GTS 320MB
6) X1950XTX
7) X1900XTX
8) 7900GTX
9) X1900XT
10) X1900XT 256MB
11) 7900GTO
12) 7950GT
13) X1950Pro
14) 7900GT 512MB
15) X1900GT
16) 7800GTX 512MB
17) X1800XT
18) 7900GT
19) 7800GTX
20) 7900GS
21) X1800XL
22) 7800GT
23) X1800GTO
24) 7800GS
25) 7600GT
26) 7600GST
27) X1650XT
28) X850XT/XTPE
29) X800XT/XTPE
30) 6800Ultra/EE
31) 6800GT
32) 6800GS
33) X800XL
34) X850Pro
35) X1650 Pro
36) X800pro
37) X800GTO/GTO2
38) X1600XT
39) 7600GS
40) X800
41) 7300GT
42) 6800
43) X1600Pro
44) X1300XT
45) 6800XT/LE
46) 6600GT
47) X700Pro
48) 9800XT
49) 9800Pro
50) 9700Pro
51) 9800
52) 9800SE 256bit
53) S3 Chrome S27
54) X700
55) 5950Ultra
56) 9700
57) 5900Ultra
58) 5800Ultra
59) 5900
60) 5800
61) X1300Pro
62) 7300GS
63) 6600
64) 5900XT
65) X1300
66) X600XT
67) 7300LE
68) TI4800
69) TI4600
70) 9600XT
71) TI4800SE
72) 5700Ultra
73) 9500Pro
74) 9800SE 128bit
75) X600
76) 9600Pro
77) TI4400
78) 9500
79) 6600LE
80) X1300SE
81) 5700
82) 9600
83) 6200
84) TI4200
85) 5600
86) 5600XT
87) 9600SE
88) 9550
89) 5500
90) 7100GS
91) X300
92) 9550SE
93) 9200Pro
94) 9000Pro
95) 8500Pro
96) GeForce3 TI500
97) 8500
98) 8500LE
99) 5200Ultra
100) 9200
101) 9250
102) GeForce4 MX460
103) 5200
104) 9000
105) 9200SE
106) GeForce3 TI200
107) GeForce3
108) GeForce4 MX 440
109) 7500
110) 7200
111) GeForce2 Ultra
112) 7000
113) GeForce2 GTS
114) GeForce4 MX 420
115) Radeon
116) Voodoo5 5500
117) GeForce2 MX 400
118) GeForce256
119) GeForce2 MX
120) Voodoo4 4500
121) TNT2
122) Rage128 Pro
123) Voodoo3
124) TNT
125) Rage128
126) Riva128
127) Rage3D Pro
128) Voodoo Banshee
129) Voodoo2
130) Riva
131) Rage3D
132) VooDoo1

Video cards used to have way cooler names. Now they read like Star Wars robots. – MARK WILSON

Every Video Card Ranked [digg]
VGA Charts (for everything not on the list) [toms hardware]

Pointless Yammering