Ready, Aye, Ready

Link: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/10/26.html

Joel Spolsky on another of his smart ideas: a combined process and time tracking tool that allows better estimates for software development. This is pretty much the Holy Grail. Now if only I knew somewhere I could try this out on...

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewUSzAgJcgk&eurl=http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/10/40-year-old-p50.html

It's been a while since I've done a Top Gear/YouTube related post, so here's one. I suspect the video will be gone in a day or two as those take-down notices seem to fly thick and fast, but this one's all about the Peel P50 from 1963. It does 100 MPG, it's small enough to be picked up and wheeled around, drive through the BBC offices, fit into normal elevators and generally let Jeremy Clarkson annoy everyone around him.

(Via Wired)

Radio Adam, after a recent outage, is back on the air and has migrated platforms again. Initially on Linux, then on Windows XP, it has migrated over to Leopard on a refurbished Mac Mini (the older PPC version, rather than the newer MacIntel variant.)

But this isn't really about Radio Adam; this is about the newest OSX upgrade: OSX 10.5, aka "Leopard".

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Link: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20071101/how-hard-could-it-be-five-easy-ways-to-fail.html?partner=fogcreek

Good article from Inc.com by Joel Spolsky of "Joel On Software" about common ways that software projects crater. Some comments on it are below the fold.

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Link: http://lolinator.com/lol/blogs.nimblebrain.net

First we had gender-reversed NimbleBlog; now the the severely twisted minds behind teh internets bring you: LolNimble!

(Via XOverboard)

Link: http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.optimal-online.de%2FCD.13.0.html&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

While I love the ingenuity that went into designing a gramophone-compatible CD, I don't think I would dare stick it into a CD player after the first time a needle had touched the top surface.

(Via BoingBoing)

Link: http://www.mininova.org/rss.xml?cat=8

I saw "George Lucas In Love" a few years ago and thought it was brilliant then. On watching it again, I think it still qualifies as brilliant now.

Link: http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/en/ca/consumer/cc/_productid_7FF1M4_37_CA_CONSUMER/PhotoFrame+7FF1M4-37

A year or so ago, I bought a Philips PhotoFrame (7FF1M4/37 model) as a present for a relative. It was well received and was used daily with no problems. That made it a great success in my eyes.

Until tonight when I bricked it.

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Link: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1776532/

If you ever wondered what that gizmo near the bottom of Darth Vader's helmet was, the title above gave it away.

(Via Daring Fireball)

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/15/nchocolate115.xml

Squishing fine chocolate truffles with one's thumb? Hanging is too good for him (harumph).

(Via BoingBoing)

Link: http://www.seriouseats.com/videos/2007/10/mario-batali-video-how-to-sauce-pasta.html

Interesting video from a TV chef on how pasta should be served with the sauce adding to the flavour rather than being the overwhelming focus. I rather agree -- the best lasagne is the one where the noodles act as a structural component separating the meat, cheese and tomato rather than as something limp floating inbetween the other pieces of filling. I feel much the same way about fresh tomato sauces; make it sticky, thick, gungy, but sparing. Tomato-flavoured water is for the consomme.

(Via Kottke)

Link: http://www.rogueamoeba.com/utm/posts/Random/RASN2-Swears-2007-10-16-15-00.html

Funny post from a Mac developer on a four letter issue he encountered when generating license keys for his product.

(Via Daring Fireball)

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071004.BCTOTEM04/TPStory/National

Another day, another silly misinterpretation of copyright law. Sadly, it's a Canadian case this time.

(Via BoingBoing)

Link: http://www.kottke.org/07/09/bringing-back-the-housecall

I'm sure there many reasons for the decline of the housecall in favour of the centralized clinic, but this post makes for an interesting read. Summary is that a doctor in the US has given up the office and takes the show on the road using modern technology to coordinate vists to his patients.

(Via Kottke)

Link: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5324590

Ten hours is how long it takes to fill a 160GB iPod using USB2.

Ow.

(Via Wired)