Why, oh why?
The other night my computer rebooted due to an update from Microsoft. This was a bit annoying as I'd left some test cases up running overnight.
I'm still unclear on why there is no option to automatically download an update without installing it under Windows XP. It seems you can either turn off updates and do everything manually, or have it update automatically and randomly reset your computer. Very annoying.
Keyboard PC
Link: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/26/all_in_one_pc_cybernet/
Self-contained PCs built into a keyboard have been going around for a while and, to be honest, I've never understood the appeal. While the description of "Amiga-like" is fair, given the design of the A500/A600/A1200, these are just under-powered PCs in small housings. There's nothing innovative or particularly interesting about them.
What's a bit of confusion between friends?
While looking to exchange a worn vinyl record with a newer CD, I encountered an unexpected problem. The album I wanted to replace, "Hooked On Swing", actually had several Amazon entries, each of which showed entirely different track listings.
A fine headline
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7334233.stm
Who knew that a hedgehog could be classified as a dangerous weapon?
(Via Antigone)
To Catch A Thief
Link: http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/04/15386.html
Kottke has a nice round up of people using technology to catch thieves in the act.
Country And Western Science
Link: http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/04/beer_pickup_trucks_and_physics.php
This probably isn't appropriate for Dena's students.
This, on the other hand, probably is.
Lightening up aircraft
Link: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/04/airlines-try-to.html
What do airlines do when their annual fuel bills double? For one thing, they put their planes on a diet.
Litter Box Dessert
Link: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/31/cat-litter-cake-is-b.html
From one of the commenters:
i made one of these at a family reunion about 18 months ago. kids loved it, adults were seriously grossed out and segregated this dessert from the others.
Yeah.
(Via BoingBoing)
Oversize Big Wheel trike
Link: http://cars.ign.com/articles/628/628210p1.html
The first time I saw the picture of the archetypal child's trike at the top of this Gizmodo page, I didn't get it. It took a moment before the scale sunk in...
(Via Gizmodo and UberReview)
On Pedestals
Link: http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/issues/2008/March/SecurityBeat.htm#Science
It's always sad when one's heroes turn out to be not merely human but, to put it nicely, utter shits. I've been an SF fan for a long time and enjoyed authors like Orson Scott Card, Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven. Jerry Pournelle was the first I soured on when I corresponded with him on the Byte Information Exchange (BIX) a number of years ago. Card followed somewhat later when his assholery made itself apparent when the growth of the internet allowed easy pontificating.
Adventure With Cellulitis
On Sunday, one of the scratches on my leg was getting somewhat infected-looking. I had been feeling like I was coming down with something, but it felt like the flu or a cold. I had a sore throat. There was the stress of moving, and a lack of sleep from the dogs joining us after a week of the in-laws graciously taking care of them, to keep them out of the painters' hair.
The wound looked a little ugly, but contained. It was not to remain so, however.
I went to work on Monday, feeling just bagged tired. I attributed it to lack of sleep. It felt like lack of sleep, anyhow. I plodded along at work, working on some simpler visual program bits instead of deep design, but eventually, I just had to give up. In addition to feeling tired, I felt nauseous. I told Keith that I must have mischaracterized what it was. There was a red streak in both directions around the wound on my leg.
I headed home for the first sick day I had taken in... well, I can't remember (apart from the one obligatory for laser eye surgery). I just don't take sick days; I don't require them.
I must have been feeling wretched. I remember how incredibly long the transit rides and waits seemed that day.
IOGear's PCPortal
Link: http://www.iogear.com/product/GCN1000/
Every now and again you see a piece of kit and think "Oh, cool"; and then when you read the real specifications you find that it's just not going to work for what you had in mind.
Those darn blinking LEDs
Link: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/03/when-excessivel.html
One thing that's becoming more and more prevalent are blinking LEDs on pretty much all computer equipment. As one wag put it, there's not a lot of sense in having "everything's great" lights, and that's what these are.
