My Cubicle (The Music Video)

I am not sure of the name of the original song, but this is a very funny parirdy of it. I know some people whom the words of this song reflects their view of work, it's not mine but I have had days like this.

Federal judge orders halt to NSA spy program

CNET News.com reports: "The warrantless Internet and telephone surveillance program authorized by the Bush administration violates the U.S. Constitution and must cease immediately, a federal judge ruled Thursday."

Nintendo hopes Wii spells wiinner

USAToday reports: "Nintendo's soon-to-be-released Wii video game console is getting raves from reviewers and others who have gotten an early peek. ... The Wii (pronounced wee) sports an innovative controller: To hit a tennis ball, you swing it like a racket; to drive an SUV over treacherous terrain, you twist it like a steering wheel; to shoot a duck, you point it like a pistol."

Nintendo of America's new president and chief operating officer, Reginald Fils-Aime speaks with USAToday reporter Byron Acohido. About why he believes Nintendo, can retake top status in the billion dollar a year game industry.

Where to find the world's hottest startups

Business 2.0 reports: "As Web 2.0 success stories like Flickr and Del.icio.us prove, this kind of technology is dirt-cheap to implement and borrows data freely available from other websites. ... A lot of these global entrepreneurs are simply copying the biggest ideas in America's Web 2.0 canon. For every Digg.com, the popular U.S. site that lets readers nominate and vote on the most important news stories, there's a Yigg.de (the German version of the same)."

Here is an interesting article about Web 2.0 applications from around the world. Some of them are pretty interesting, and others are just duplicates of existing applications offered by other companies.

If you don't know what Web 2.0, Wikipedia defines it as: "a term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users. Ultimately Web 2.0 services are expected to replace desktop computing applications for many purposes."

Easy Podcasting with GCast

Have you wanted to create a podcast but thought it was too technical, or lacked the hardware and software to do it. There is a free service called GCast that lets you record your podcast just by calling a toll-free telephone number. They will even automatically generate an RSS feed to it.

GCast also offers other podcast services and tools, such as:

• Free podcast hosting
• Free Podcast-safe music downloads (from GarageBand.com)
  
• Browser-based mixing tools
• An embeddable podcast player (can be placed into any HTML page)
• E-mail alerts
  

A New Way to Make Ultrasensitive Explosives Detectors (article)

The future of explosives detection lies in the form of nanoparticle research. Hewitt-Packard and University of California at Irving researchers have found a new way to make nanoparticle arrays that could lead to the development of extremely precise chemical sensors able to detect liquid explosives. This technique will make it easier and less expensive to produce the nanoparticles and thus more practical to incorporate this technology into security procedure. While a few more years are needed before this breakthrough will result in new scanning devices, it is reflective of a growing field of research in this volatile time period.

Have You Checked Out Live.com Recently

In November of last year Microsoft released their Live.com site, with a few basic services. Since then they really expanded their offering with several new web applications and services (for example: domain name and web site hosting). The site also offers really nice downloadable applications as well (see the list below).

I really like the consistent interface across most of the applications, and how some of them are integrated together. I hope to continue to see more of this in the future as they release new services.

If you're curious about the difference between Live.com and MSN.com. From my understanding, Live.com will host all the web applications and services, and MSN will continue to be the content, news and information provider.

Below is a brief summary of all the Live.com applications and services:

• Live.com: Create a customized home page, and add content you want to see (such as your message in your inbox, RSS feeds, and more).
• Windows Live Search: Search the Web, news articles, images, local business (maps) and more.
• Windows Live Expo: Place an ad, find something you want to buy, or post information for an event.
• Windows Live Mail: Has a new drop and drag interface, spam blocker, virus scanning, and 2GB of storage.
• Microsoft Office Live: Get a web site, 50 e-mail accounts, web traffic reports, and more
• Windows Live Gallery: Get add-ins and gadgets for your toolbar, Messenger Live, Live.com home page, and more.
• Windows Live Favorites: Get instant access to your Web favorites anywhere.
• Windows Live Custom Domains: Free web based e-mail for your Internet domain.
• Windows Live Spaces: Add photos, network, find new friends, create a blog. Has a lot more features then Blogger.
• Windows Live Shopping: Find clothes, computers, electronics, furniture and more.
• Windows Live Product Search: Search and compare products from several merchants across the Web.
• Windows Live Academic: Search articles from thousands of academic and research journals.
• Windows Live Local: Find businesses, get driving directions, and view satellite photos of where you're going to go.
• Windows Live Safety Center: Check your computer for viruses, tune-up your PC, and get rid of junk.

Downloadable Applications

The software listed below are applications that you download and install on your local computer.

• Windows Live Writer: This program was just released today, its WYSIWYG blog authoring tool that allows you to compose blog entries for Windows Live Spaces, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress (and many others).
• Windows Live Messenger: Microsoft's next generation instant messaging client. Now includes VoIP and video conferencing.
• Windows Live Toolbar: Search the web, protect yourself against fraud, find files on your local computer.
• Windows Live OneCare: Microsoft's new anti-malware (virus, spyware, and more.), firewall, tune-up, and more.

Coming Soon to Live.com

Below is a list of applications that Microsoft is getting ready to release.

• Windows Live Book Search: Microsoft's online books searching service
• Windows Live QnA: Ask any question and get an answer.
• Windows Live Mail Desktop: Check and manage your online mail, including AOL, and GMail.
• Windows Live Search - Mobile: Search for a business, see maps and driving directions all from your mobile device

For the latest information, on new or updated applications and services check out the Windows Live Ideas page. This is where they post all the latest updates to the site.

New Segways Steer Like a Bike (article)

PC Magazine reports: "The maker of the Segway scooter on Monday unveiled the second generation of its self-balancing electric one-person vehicle. ... The redesigned scooter allows the rider to steer by leaning to the right or left, rather than by turning the handlebars. It also features a wireless electric key and alarm system."

This is the next generation Segway scooter, it look similar to the original one but is now easier to use. The people who own these devices generally love them, but personally I would have to find a really good application for one of these before I would own one. They're about US$5,000 to $6,000 depending on how you have it configured.

Science reveals secrets of invisibility

CNN.com reports: "Invisibility has long been a fantastical ability exclusively enjoyed by teenage wizards, super heroes and the ultra-advanced civilisations of science fiction. ... But more pragmatic-minded scientists and engineers now believe that invisibility-enabling technology may be within reach of lesser mortals as well."

Arthur C. Clarke was quoted as saying, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' If they get this technology to work the way its suppose too, it will almost seem like magic. I don't consider bending light waves around an object to just be an everyday event (at least not yet).

The military and law enforcement applications for this technology are incredible. Although, there will be only one privacy issue, there will be no privacy left. Think about this, someone or something can be planted where you are and you won't know its there unless you happen to bump into it or find it.

How to Reduce Telemarketing Calls

For years telemarketers have been bothering us at all times of the day on our phones trying to sell us their wares. Then a few years ago the FCC finally came to our rescue by creating the 'National Do Not Call List'. It's suppose to help reduce the telemarketing calls that we receive.

If you're getting bother by telemarketers, and want to reduce these calls Junkbusters offers the following suggestions to help reduce this type of annoyance:

1. Register your phone number(s) in the National Do-Not-Call Registry.
2. When a telemarketer calls, always say "Put this number on your don't-call-list." (If your Federal Do-Not-Call registration has entered into effect, you may be able to proceed directly to enforcement action against them.)
3. Use Junkbuster's Anti-telemarketing script, which probes whether the call was made by a telemarketing bureau. It also helps you probe whether the call was illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and whether you can collect $500-$1500. You can print out copies keep by your phones at home. Like all Junkbusters products and services, it's free.
4. You can tell the Direct Marketing Association that you don't want calls from any of their member companies, though if you use the Federal registry this is unlikely to be of extra help.
5. Read Junkbuster's extensive guide on how telemarketers work and how to stop them calling you.
6. Your state may have a "Do Not Call" list where you can register your phone number. You can check your state in our guide, but most states coordinate with the National registry, so state registries have a similar effect to the National one.
7. Recording "out-of-service tones" (also known as SIT tones) at the beginning of your answering machine message will fool some telemarketers' computers into not calling your number again. Download the tones here. There are also lots of anti-telemarketing devices you can buy.
• Side note: For the people out there who would like to know the frequencies of these tone, they are: 985.2Hz, 1370.6Hz, and 1776.7Hz
  
8. If you want source documents describing your legal rights, start with Junkbuster's collection of the laws, rules and regulations governing telemarketing.
9. Junkbusters also maintains an extensive list of links to other sites concerning telemarketing.

Gore isn't quite as green as he's led the world to believe (article)

USATODAY.com reports: "Graciously, Gore tells consumers how to change their lives to curb their carbon-gobbling ways: Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, use a clothesline, drive a hybrid, use renewable energy, dramatically cut back on consumption. Better still, responsible global citizens can follow Gore's example, because, as he readily points out in his speeches, he lives a "carbon-neutral lifestyle." But if Al Gore is the world's role model for ecology, the planet is doomed."

There is an old saying that goes "Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk." I have to admit I am not personally living a 'carbon-neutral lifestyle', but at the same time I try not to waste energy or other resources. The problem with energy saving technologies is that they have only recently started becoming available at a reasonable price.

Personally I believe that the government should mandate guidelines that appliance and other manufactures must meet for their products. They should attack the biggest energy wasters first, then start with other products. Some people are against government mandates like this, but think of how many things would not have happened if the government didn't mandate it (i.e.: clean water, environmental policies, etc.).

Psst, Your Car is Watching You (article)

Time reports: "Few Americans realize that their cars can tattle on them. But among those in the know--civil libertarians, law enforcement agents and consumer advocates--a debate is surging over the black boxes technically called event-data recorders (EDRs). While some welcome them as a safety measure, others fear them as an Orwellian intrusion. Nearly one-third of vehicles on the road today--and 64% of this year's models--contain the little-noticed chips and sensors. Unlike flight recorders on airplanes, these microcomputers don't capture voices, but they can retain up to 20 seconds of data on speed, braking and acceleration in the lead-up to a crash. For virtually all Ford and General Motors cars, and for a few models from other automakers, accident investigators can buy a modem-like device to plug laptops into EDRs and download the information."

I read about this technology a few years back, but it now seems that it's going main stream. The technology was designed as a blackbox type of device for monitoring what happens in a crash just before the airbags were deployed. These devices have been used as evidence in several cases involving crashes to prove innocence and guilt.

Why "Nice Guys" are often such LOSERS (article)

I don't remember where I found this, but I though it would help whom consider themselves a "nice guy". It's not technology related, but the article has some worthwhile advice that is straight forward.

Here is an except from the article: "What's wrong with Nice Guys? The biggest problem is that most Nice Guys (tm) are hideously insecure. They are so anxious to be liked and loved that they do things for other people to gain acceptance and attention, rather than for the simply pleasure of giving. You never know if a Nice Guy really likes you for who you are, or if he has glommed onto you out of desperation because you actually paid some kind of attention to him."

Google warns on 'unsafe' websites (article)

BBC News reports: "Google has started warning users if they are about to visit a webpage that could harm their computer. ... The warning will pop up if users click on a link to a page known to host spyware or other malicious programs."

In May 2006 a research report showed that on average 4-6% of the search results returned in search engines contained sites that had harmful content on them. Below is a list of the most dangerous seach keywords that can contain spyware:

• Free screensavers
• Bearshare
• Screensavers
• Winmx
• Limewire
• Download Yahoo messenger
• Lime wire
• Free ringtones

Bottled Water: Is it Really Better? (article)

WebMD reports: "Once upon a time, most of us could walk across a parking lot or push a stroller down the street without a bottle of water in our hands. It doesn’t seem that way anymore." ... "most municipal systems and most bottled water sources are fairly equal in terms of contaminants and other health and safety issues."

Baiters Teach Scammers a Lesson (article)

Wired News: "They pilfer nearly $200 million from Americans annually and drive some of their victims to suicide, but Nigeria's notorious e-mail scam artists may finally have met their match -- and the results can be hilarious. ... British online vigilante "Shiver Metimbers" is leading tens of thousands of "scambaiters" in a crusade to shut down advance-fee fraudsters, grifters who spam unwitting victims with elaborate, e-mailed sob stories promising a share of nonexistent fortunes in return for upfront payments."

This article is a good read...

Best Free Online Storage Sites (1GB and More)

There are literally hundreds of storage sites out on the Internet that offer capacities that range from a few megabytes to a few gigabytes. I have visited a lot of them, and created a list of the best sites.

Only sites that offered 1GB or more of storage were listed, anything less was too small. If you need more storage (and fewer restrictions) many of these sites offer premium plans for a fee.

The sites are placed into two categories based on the type of storage they offer:

Temporary Hosting Sites
Are you looking for a place to temporarily hold a large file so that you can email it, or to host content (such as media) for your web site or blog. Then check out the list of sites below, they allow you to quickly upload just about any file where it can be access by people whom you make its link available to. The file you upload will generally automatically be deleted after a specific amount of time has passed.
Note: The amount of storage, and how long the file can be stored will vary, check the site's storage policy for specific details.

• SendOver - 2GB Storage
• MegaShares - 1.5GB Storage
• Badongo - 1GB Storage
• BIGfileupload - 1GB Storage
• TrasferBigFiles - 1GB Storage
• YouSendIt - 1GB Storage

Online File Storage
Are you looking for a site that specializes in online file storage, and won't automatically delete your files if you have not used them in a while. These sites are great for holding backups of your files, or acting as a transfer point for moving data from one computer to another computer (such as from home to work and back).
Note: Most of these sites have some type of transfer limits (i.e.: how much you can upload or download) which vary from site to site.

• Streamload MediaMax - 25GB Storage
• Inbox.com - 5GB Storage
• Mozy - 2GB Storage
• Box.net - 1GB Storage
• eSnips - 1GB Storage
• Openomy - 1GB Storage
• Orbitfiles - 1GB Storage

Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager (Episode 2)

The continuing story of Chad Vader. Chad is Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother, who is the day shift manager at a local a grocery store.

Get Your Car Stolen, And Not Get Paid By Your Insurance Company

Is your car equipped with a transponder anti-theft system? This is where the ignition key is embedded with a tiny computer chip that transmits a unique radio signal to the vehicle's on-board computer. Without this radio signal, your car won't start.

If your car is equipped with a transponder anti-theft system, and your car get stolen your insurance company may not pay your claim if this system was not damaged. Your insurance might assume that this is some type of fraud, because this system is suppose to prevent this type of theft.

Read the article it has a lot of good information in it. Also check out the following post.

Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager (Episode 1)

Chad Vader is Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother and is the day shift manager at a local a grocery store.

BABYLON 5 Returns!!

Ain't It Cool News reports: "During last weekend's San Diego Comic Con...at a panel that (evidently) didn't enjoy the "in your face" notoriety of, say, TRANSFORMERS or SPIDERMAN 3... producer/writer/director J. Michael Straczynski (JMS, or "Joe") made an announcement regarding the future of this little concept he has called BABYLON 5. ... The thrust of the news is this: straight-to-video BABYLON 5 adventures...involving B5 characters in an anthology format...should arrive late next year. Written and directed by JMS."

I would love to see the B5 series return, it is probably one of the best sci-fi series of all-times. So far 'Ain't It Cool News' is the best source of information that is available about new series.

Popularity Dialer

Have you ever been in a situation where you wished your cell phone would ring? Maybe you wanted to look extra important or popular on that hot date. Or maybe you just needed an excuse to escape from an unpleasant meeting.

With 'The Popularity Dialer', you can plan ahead. Via a web interface, you can choose to have your phone called at a particular time (or several times). At the elected time, your phone will be dialed and you will hear a prerecorded message that's one half of a conversation. Thus, you will be prompted to have a fake conversation and will easily fool those around you.

Microsoft's TouchLight makes 3D hands-on (video)

Cnet reports: "TouchLight technology, slated to be released by the end of the year, lets users move and manipulate three-dimensional images with their hands. CNET News.com's Neha Tiwari talks with David Harnett, Microsoft's senior director of IP ventures, about how the technology works and what practical uses it will have."

In the movie "Minority Report" (2002), do you remember the scene where Tom Cruise who played Chief John Anderton would manipulate data on the computer screen by moving his hands around in mid-air. This technology from the movie is here today, its pretty impressive and it should only get better. Watch the video to see more.

Are Your Electronics Robbing You?

Did you know that when you turn off most of your electronic devices (such as your TV, computer, A/V hardware, etc...) their still drawing power, and could be costing you a lot of money in wasted electricity? When most electronics are turned off, they go into a 'low-power' or 'standby' state instead of going all the way off. Sometimes in this low power state they can consume as much as a quarter to half the electricity they would draw as if they were on.

Another big waster of electricity is the power adapters (AKA transformers) on all of our other electronic devices we have sitting around the house and office, like: cordless phones, answering machines, etc. These power adapters will still draw power even when the device is not being used.

With the skyrocketing cost of energy, we need electronics that go to the next level and shut off completely instead of going into a low-power state. Its been said that the standby states consumes about eight percent of all domestic electricity.

Recently the UK government outlawed standby switches on electronics, and requires energy efficiency be built into new devices. The technology required to make our electronics more energy efficient would not be hard for manufactures to implement into new product, but they have no incentive to do it. Until governments, and consumers push the electronic manufactures, we will not see a change in the status quo.

Saving Energy:
Besides the obvious stuff you do to save energy, like: buying more efficient appliances and electronics, turning off devices that you're not using, etc. Here are some more suggestions:

• Plug your computer, monitor, and other peripherals (such as: printers, scanners, etc.) into a power strip. After you turn off all your electronics, turn off the power strip.
  
• BITS makes a power strip that automatically cuts power to all your computer accessories when you turn your computer off.
• Unplug power adapters that are not being used, or a better solution is to plug these devices into a power strip and turn it off when they're not in use.
  
• If you use your computer and monitor sporadically throughout the day, activate the low-power states to save energy. This especially important if your computer is left on 24 hours a day.

Google To Launch Ad-Free Open Source Project Site (Article)

NetworkWorld reports: "Google is adding open source project hosting to its menu of services, said Greg Stein, a Google engineer and chairman of the Apache Software Foundation. Stein was scheduled to announce the launch in a talk Thursday at O'Reilly Media's Open Source Convention in Portland, Oregon. The new service, to be located at code.google.com, competes with VA Software Corporation's SourceForge.net. Unlike SourceForge.net, which carries both text and banner ads on project web pages, Google's service will be ad-free."

Free Voicemail (Avoid Unwanted Calls)

Do you hate giving out your personal phone number to companies that you know will use it for telemarketing, or when you place an ad online or in a newspaper. PrivatePhone will give you a free personal phone number and voice mailbox.

You can give out the phone number to anyone you want to contact you, without giving out your personal phone number. They can leave you a message, and you can call them back when you want too.

Phishing: Beyond E-mail

Note: Use caution when dealing with any merchants, creditors, or financial institutions that contact you directly. Its getting harder and harder to tell who is real thing and who is an identify thieve trying to steal your private information. The advice provided below is just some basic guidelines you can follow for handling these situations. Ultimately you have to make your own decisions on how you want to handle it.

A few weeks back I posted an article warning about "Vishing" (or voice phishing). If you don't know what vishing is, this is where identity thieves send you an legitimate looking e-mail from a company that you may recognize (such as a bank or major online merchant) that asks you to call a phone number to correct a problem (such as a credit card or account information being stolen). The phone number is to a voice response system that will try to fool you into revealing your private information (such as your account numbers, PIN, social security number, etc.).

There is also another variation of this trick where the identity thieves are calling people using a recorded message and VoIP (Voice over IP) services to mask their real identity. The recording instructs the caller to call a specific number to correct a problem with their account. The phone number is to a voice response system that will try to fool you into revealing your private information.

The only way to beat this threat is to call a trusted number (such as the one from the phone book, on the back of your credit card, or off a statement that you receive) and verify the information that way. Avoid trusting the phone numbers that they provide you over the phone. Another trick is to ask them information about your account that only the real financial institution would be able to know, such as a recent transaction.

New Scam: False Collection Agency Letters
Now these people have turned to sending realistic looking collection agency letters using standard mail. Generally these letters will state that you owe thousands of dollars to a creditor that you have never heard of.

Be careful about calling these 'collection agency' it could be some thief trying to get your personal information (such as your social security number) by claiming that their trying to 'verify your identity'.

If you get one of these letters and you know that you don't owe the money, don't respond to this request. You might also want to consider double-checking your credit report for any references to the creditor trying to contact you.

After you verify that this might be a fraudulent request, send these letters to your state's attorney general's fraud investigation division.

Remember: Common sense is your best defense.

Tsar Bomba 50 Megatons (The largest nuclear weapon ever)

The Tsar Bomba was the largest nuclear weapon ever constructed or detonated. It was detonated at 4000 m altitude the 30th of October 1961 at Mityushikha Bay test range, Novaya Zemlya Island. It had a yield of 50 Megatons.

Monty Python's Holy Grail meets Star Wars

If you like this, also make sure to check out the following post.

Bathroom Tech: 10 Most Bizarre Products (article)

Gearlog reports: "Check out our list of the ten most bizarre bathroom tech items, in order of bizarreness."

There are some very bizarre products available for your bathroom. One of my favorites is the fish bowl toilet. Check out the article for more information.

The Best Nuclear Option (article)

Technology Review: "The U.S. Energy Department's fuel-recycling initiative could be a distraction from a more achievable goal: reviving today's nuclear industry and averting some carbon emissions in the short term."

With all the worries about oil and other fuels that we use for power, it seems like nuclear will be our best option for the future. This technology is not without its problems and other concerns, but there is not a lot of other choices out there. This technology has evolved radically since the 1970's. Maybe its time we give it a second chance???

A plane you can print (article)

New Scientist Tech reports: "An unmanned aircraft made from 'printed' parts rather than traditional machine-tooled components has been unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show, UK."

Here is a new idea using an existing technologies. I am pretty sure that these 3D printers are going to drastically be refined if this type of manufacturing takes off. Read the article for the complete story.

USB Missile Launcher

This has to be one of the best USB gadget invented in a long time. I am pretty sure it will provide 5-10 minutes of entertainment before you get the boarded of it.

---

Calling 411 For Free (updated)

If you want to call 411 from your cell phone, it will cost you about $1 or more. This is a little too expensive for my taste.

The great news is that there are free alternatives for finding phone numbers, but you will have to listen to ads to get your numbers:

• Free 411 (1-800-FREE-411): Automated 411 phone service that requires you a listen to a 15 second ad to use the service.
• 1-800-411-METRO (6387): You listen to more ads, but you get to talk to a real human and the service connects you to phone number for free.
• 1-800-555-1212: Automated toll free directory assistance, no ads, and live operators during the day.
  

There is also:

• Google's SMS: Type something like "pizza san francisco ca" and SMS to the following number to 46645. You will get a few listings that match your query.
  

PC vs. Apple Mac (video)

Here's a parody of Apple's PC vs. Mac commercial starring Christian Finnegan and Nick Kroll. It's pretty funny... (Rating: PG-13)

Magnetic memory' chip unveiled (article)

BBC reports: "A microchip which can store information like a hard drive has been unveiled by US company Freescale. ... The chip, called magnetoresistive random-access memory (Mram), maintains data by relying on magnetic properties rather than an electrical charge."

This technology is the is the most significant development in computer memory for about a decade. The advantages of MRAM vs. Flash is: MRAM has faster read/write speeds and data doesn't degrade over time.

William Shatner Loves Lucy (video)

This video is trippy, but very funny video. Its William Shatner singing the Beatles 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'. For those who might ask if this this is really him sining it, the answer is 'yes'. Mr. Shatner had a very short career as a singer.



Bonus Video:
If you can handle it, here is a video William Shatner singing Rocketman. I couldn't watch it all the way through, it was too painful (my ears, the pain). They should have called it 'Captain Kirk' sings Rocketman, because 'each' 'word' 'is' 'pronounced' 'like' 'its' 'very' 'own' 'sentence'. ;-)

Stealth radar sees through objects undetected

OSU ElectroScience Laboratory reports: "ElectroScience Engineers have invented a radar system that is virtually undetectable because its signal resembles random noise. The radar could have applications in law enforcement, the military and disaster rescue. Eric Walton, senior research scientist in Ohio State's ElectroScience Laboratory, said that with further development the technology could even be used for medical imaging."

I hate quoting from a press release, but this is the best information on I can find on this technology. I couldn't even find a public name for the technology. All that said, if this technology lives up to it claims it will have some amazing applications.

Judge Deals Blow to SCO in $5 Billion Linux Lawsuit (article)

newsfactor.com reports: "The holidays came early for devotees of the Linux operating system when a judge last week threw out the majority of claims brought against IBM by the SCO Group in its $5 billion intellectual property rights case."

This is hopefully the beginning of the end of this lawsuit. The judge dismissed 182 of SCO's original 294 claims. SCO failed to comply with repeat requests to hand over to IBM and the court with specific information about the lines of code that they claim were stolen.

AOL may offer free high-speed Internet (article)

Reuters reports: "Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit may offer its full menu of services, including e-mail, free of charge to anyone with a high-speed Internet connection, The Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter."

In the late 1990's AOL was signing up millions and millions of people, in fact they could barely keep-up with the growth. Now they're losing hundreds of thousands every quarter. Their dial-up business is dieing. They're now trying to save themselves by offering their services for free, and supporting themselves through advertisements.

Classic Dr. Demento D and D Spoof (video)

Below is a excerpt from the video's description (with corrections): "We've all been there. You spend a week crafting a campaign, just to try to work some idiot through it while they fire off magic missiles 'at the darkness', some other jerk keeps changing his character's attributes and this weenie who eats all your snacks and Mountain Dew keeps hassling you for some virtual play in a virtual pub. ... This is machinima set to the classic Dr. Demento D and D spoof."

Wiring Like a Pro (article)

PC Magazine reports: "In a world of wireless this and wireless that, sometimes we all find ourselves begging for a little bit more - a little more reliability, a little more bandwidth, a little more speed, a little more security, and heck, even a little more free time to enjoy this world that offers so much more. In order to feed this technology crave, we need to go back to the basics and connect our dots with copper."

Unfortunately most audio/video electronics don't support wireless connections. This forces you to run wires behind furniture, along the baseboard, etc. If you want to have a professional looking installation, then you will want to have the wires run behind the walls.

If you're a DIYer looking for a good tutorial on how to properly run computer/video cables and what tools you need. Then checkout the following article.

Mach-Lorentz Thrusters (can you say impulse engines)

CNet reports: "Only time and money separate the current state of rocket propulsion science from the engine rooms of Star Trek's Starfleet, according to a university professor. ... James Woodward, a history professor at California State University in Fullerton, presented his research into Mach-Lorentz thrusters Wednesday at the Future in Review conference here. Mach-Lorentz thrusters (MLTs), assuming they can be scaled up from lab tests, could provide a new source of propulsion"

Mach-Lorentz Thrusters are based on the work of two men. Mach's principle which suggests that all particles in the universe have an effect on each other. Also Hendrik Lorentz work, who conducted research into the movement of charged particles in a magnetic field.

MIT research may spell end for the battery (article)

The Boston Globe reports: "Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology think they're on the verge of making traditional batteries obsolete. ... The researchers are working on a new device that uses carbon nanotubes to store and release electrical energy in a system that could carry as much power as today's lead or lithium batteries."

The really exciting news about these batteries is the fact that they can be charged really fast. They can also be charged ones of thousands of times before wearing out.

Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: What You Need to Know (article)

PC Magazine reports: "the battle to replace the DVD has finally reached consumers. The consumer electronics industry is attempting to replace the millions of DVD players and DVD-ROM drives across the globe. The problem is it can't decide which format to replace them with: Blu-ray or HD DVD. ... Each format has its own heavyweight industry backing. HD DVD is supported by Toshiba, Intel, and Microsoft, which will offer an add-on HD DVD player to its Xbox 360 game console this fall. Blu-ray is supported by Samsung, Pioneer, and Sony, which will build a Blu-ray drive directly into its upcoming PlayStation 3 game system, also available this fall."

Also checkout the following articles:

• HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray Format Wars
• 10 Reasons Why High Definition DVD Formats Have Already Failed

New Type of Phishing (uses Voice Response Systems)

PC Magazine reports: "Websense Security Labs has reported a heretofore theoretical attack called "vishing," or voice phishing. The attack involves an actual phone number and a voice-response system (or is that "phoice-response system"?) to collect personal information."

I have to admit hate the new name that they're giving this type of attack (i.e.: 'vishing'), but I didn't create it. I think the new name is only going to confuse people about the subject more then they might be right now.

Its getting harder and harder these days to tell what's e-mail from a real business and what's a new type of phishing attack. As important as email is for some of us, the one thing that you have to remember is that 'e-mail is untrustworthy'.

To protect yourself, you should do the following:

• Don't download and run attachments in e-mail.
• Don't trust links or phone numbers provided in e-mails.
• Go to the site yourself rather then trusting a links in the e-mail, or call the company using a existing phone number that you trust.
  
• Don't rely solely on technology (spam filters, firewalls, anti-virus, etc.) because it can't protect you 100% of the time.

Data Brokers and Buyers Anger Congress (article)

Eweek reports: "Almost every piece of personal information that Americans try to keep secret - —including bank account statements, e-mail messages and telephone records - —is semi-public and available for sale."

Its scary how easy it is for anyone to obtain information about yourself, from bank account numbers, to your phone bill, and much more. All the person has to do is be willing to pay a few hundred dollars for the information.

Star Trek vs. Star Wars (video)

There are not a lot of good Star Trek parodies in my opinion, but this is one of the better ones. This video asks, 'what would happen if the starship Enterprise encountered the Death Star?' Watch the video to find out.




Also make sure to checkout my other post called the 'Best Star Wars Parody/Fan Films'.

PC Pitstop: Vista Readiness Center

PC Pitstop has recently released their new Windows Vista Readiness Center. Windows Vista is Microsoft's next generation operating system. The PC Pitstop readiness test quickly analyzes your computer to find out if its hardware meets Microsoft system requirements to run the new operating system.

Note: This site requires Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher in order to work because it uses ActiveX controls to check your computer.

'Transformers' Web Site Goes Live

The official web site for the upcoming 'Transformers' movie has recently come online. The site includes very little except a countdown timer showing how long until the premier of the first Transformers trailer on the 4th of July.

Check out the IMDB or Wikipedia for more information.

Mind Games (Color Test)

Here is a very simple game that puts both halves of your mind against each other. It displays the name of different colors, in a color other then the word. For example, red, blue, orange, etc. You have for seconds to correctly identify the word before you have to move on to the next one.

Have fun...

Search Engine Partnership Chart

Most people use Google for search, but there are several other smaller search engines out there competing for the crumbs from Google's table. A lot of these smaller search sites rely on results provided by larger search companies.

To see all the relationships between these companies, check out the following site. It shows all the relationships between these search engines.

Microsoft Rolls Out Robotics Dev Kit (article)

PC Magazine reports: "Robotics has captured the minds and imagination of those inside and outside the technology market, but as a market unto itself, robotics can barely get its act together. Microsoft today announced during Robo Trend Inc.'s RoboBusiness Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, a set of development tools that it believes can help unify this fractured market."

Read the article for all the details, or if you want to get more information on Microsoft Robotics Studio (MRS) check out this web site.

Lyrebird unbelievable Jungle Bird Mimics Bird and Human Sounds

The unbelievable Lyrebird jungle bird can mimic other birds and human noises (such as: car alarms, chainsaws, cameras shutters, etc.)

iDon't.com (Are you an iSheep)

I recently came across a site called iDon't.com, which is a site that mocks iPod owners. Then asks if iPod owners are sheep? The iDon't.com site is a really viral ad Web marketing campaign launched by SanDisk few weeks ago. SanDisk's is using the site to promote its Sansa flash drive player.

Personally I don't own an iPod, and I hope and pray I never do. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing technically or aesthetically wrong with the device. I am just not crazy about the cult following they have or the DRM (digital rights management) encoded music it uses. I know people who have spend thousands of dollars to download this DRM encoded music and load it on to these devices.

Personally, give me a legal copy of a CD any day. I prefer the format, its more portable from device to device then any DRM format. I can also play it in my home stereo, computer, car stereo, or portable CD player. Then 10 years from now, I will still be able to play it (granted that the media last that long, and its not all scratched up).

I also want to state I am not against DRM encoded media. As I have always said that I believe that an artist and their publisher has its right to protect their investment. But I as a consumer have the right to choose the format I want to access my media in.

Although If I am going to use a DRM-based media format, I will use the Windows Media format primarily because I believe its just as good as iTunes and its supported by several different devices.

Nissan Pivo (Prototype Car)

The Pivo is a new prototype car from Nissan that is possibly the most unique cars you have ever seen to date. The cabin can spin a 180 degrees so backing up is the thing of the past.

The car itself it kind of ugly (but beauty is in the eye of the beholder), but it has a lots of very advanced features.

Jet Turbine Powered Bike (video)

I don't believe I need to say anything other then, 'why would you do this'? (watch the video if you want to know what I mean)

Liquid Armor (article w/video)

ScienCentral News reports: "Flexible full-body protection that could save our troops' lives and limbs is at the top of the list for many researchers and technology companies. One such product could soon make its way to Iraq. As this ScienCentral News video explains, the secret ingredient is a liquid that could turn lightweight material into full-body armor."

The way this product works is it basically makes strong materials (such as Kevlar) even stronger when its comes to impact resistance. This is an amazing product, and its going to probably have several of commercial applications as soon as people discover it.

Virgin Galactic Updates on Plans For SpaceShipTwo (article)

Virgin Galactic has revealed plans to build SpaceShipTwo (SS2) that will be larger than the original SpaceShipOne. The new craft will carry 6 passengers and 2 pilots to an altitude of about 140km (about 87 miles) above the Earth.

SS2 will be carried into the air by a large aircraft, where it will then be dropped and then fire its new hybrid rocket motors. Passengers will be able experience 5 minutes of weightlessness. After that SS2 will then decelerates back to Earth through the atmosphere, where the passengers will experience about 7Gs of force.

Read the Universe Today article for more information.

The Dirty Secret of China's Economy (article)

BusinessWeek reports: "Yes, China is a remarkable growth story. But it is also fast becoming an ecological wasteland, home to world-class smog, acid rain, polluted rivers and lakes, and deforestation. Environmental problems play a role in the death of some 300,000 Chinese people each year, according to World Bank estimates."

China is an amazing economic growth story, but has the prosperity come at the cost of their people and the environment. The current population of China is about 1.3 billion people, with an increasing percentage of those people moving from poverty to prosperity. With that prosperity comes increased demand from the middle class for raw material, resources, etc...

Google Checkout (aka Gbuy) preparing to launch (article)

ZDNet.com reports: "Google Checkout — what the press calls GBuy — is getting closer to launch. Just minutes ago, checkout.google.com was given a CNAME record pointing to checkout.l.google.com which resolves to a ton of IP addresses. This probably means they have some pretty impressive load balancing going on and the product's uptime and performance is very important. "

SaveTheInternet.com (Net Neutrality, just say No)

The current hot political topic on the Internet these days seems to be the battle over 'Net Neutrality'. If you have not heard about it, its about Internet Service Providers (ISPs) wanting to control what content you access by setting up 'tiered service' to limit your ability to access different sites. They can do this by slowing down your connection to that site, or by blocking access to it all together.

You might ask why would the ISPs want to do this? Well, its about them trying to make more money by charging web site owners fees so that you can get fast access to their site. Its also about them setting up exclusive deals with sites, and giving them preferential treatment. So in theory the ISP can hinder or block your access to one site, so that you will go to a site that has an exclusive arrangement with that ISP.

A site called SaveTheInternet.com is trying to start a grass roots movement against 'tiered Internet service'. Their asking visitors to call or write their congressmen to stop the ISPs from implementing tiered service. Also, to support the cause, an all female rock group called 'The Broadband' has created a new single entitled, "God Save the Internet." (IMHO its a really good song.)

If you still don't understand Net Neutrality, the video below includes a dramatization that will hopefully make it a little clearer. If you understand Net Neutrality the video is still pretty funny to watch.

---

Building the Ultimate Home entertainment System

Do you want to own your own home entertainment system, with an LCD projector, 100"+ screen and PVR (Personal Video Recorder), but think its too expensive? If you're willing to construct it yourself, I can point you to some resources that will help you build this equipment and save you thousands of dollars.

In the articles below you will find almost everything you need to know, to build your own low-cost home entertainment system with a video projector, screen, cables, and DVR.

Building the Projector:
To make the projector, check out the following site (Lumenlab). Here is a brief except from the site: "You can build an HDTV projector that rivals units costing many thousands of dollars! Our free builder guide will get you started and our user forums will give you the critical support you need. Imagine a 120" HDTV screen in your living room. You can use it for Power Point presentations, video games (PlayStation 2, Xbox), DVD movies, HDTV and more. Building it yourself means you control the quality and the cost. I should warn you though - this can become a very addictive hobby."

Building the Screen:
To make the screen check out the following article (Make a 100" Screen for under $100). Here is a brief except from the article: "As the price of entry level home theater projectors drops below $1,000, the price of professional quality projection screens has become increasingly objectionable for new home theater enthusiasts. Nobody who spends $1,000 for a projector is interested in spending another $500 to $1,500 for a screen. You can always use a white wall, but there is no frame, and walls usually have texture that shows up in the image. Not only that but the color of the white paint on the wall is rarely conducive to giving you good color balance."

Building the Cables:
This is a article and video podcast on how to make high quality A/V cables. Here is an except from the article: "Say goodbye to the bank-breaking audio/video cables at your local electronics superstore. Save your money and build out your home theater DIY style. With a total running time of 45 minutes, Kevin and Dan talk to a broadcast engineer to demonstrate how to make your own high end A/V cables for a fraction of the cost and a 'monster' savings."

Building the DVR:
This is a article and video podcast on how to make a MythTV system. Here is an except from the article, "Tired of shelling out hard earned cash to download the program listings of your DVR? Want to backup your videos but don't want to deal with the hassle of DRMed files? Kevin Rose & Dan Huard show you everything you need to know about the free and open source PVR alternative, MythTV."

You don't have a use MythTV for your PVR, there are several other alternatives out there such as Windows Media Center, and other software. There are also several other pre-built solutions that are available at most local electronics stores.

Running Wires
This is an article on how to make some basic cables and run them behind walls for new home entertainment system.

Robonova-1 Robot (video)

Robonova-1, is a humanoid robot for educators, students, and robotic hobbyists that is fully programmable. The robot can walk, run, do flips, turn cartwheels, dance, stand on one leg, lie down, pick itself back up, turn a flip, and do push-ups, and more. You program it with PC software that is included. Watch the video below to see it in action.

The robot is available two ways: as a kit, so you can build it yourself, or pre-assembled, also known as "RTW" or "ready to walk" for those looking for instant gratification.

Smart Dust used in Iraq?

Have you ever heard of 'Smart Dust'? Well, the military has had it in development for the last ten years. Basically its a miniaturized RFID like device about the size of a rice grain that can be used for tracking people.

The smart dust can be made to look like dirt, and can be placed on people's clothing. Each device has a unique id number assigned to it, that can be track by troops or aircraft when sent a special 'interrogation signal'.

Smart dust is believed to have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was also believed to have been used in the recent death of the al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi.

Iraqi Sandstorm (Video)

This is an amazing video of an Iraqi Sandstorm. I have to admit after watching this I have a new found respect for them. Its amazing how they look like they're not even moving until they're right on top of you.

Life as a Guy (video)

I hope you enjoy this video. The animation is crude, but its very funny...

Proposal to Implant Tracking Chips in Immigrants (article)

LiveScience reports "Scott Silverman, Chairman of the Board of VeriChip Corporation, has proposed implanting the company's RFID tracking tags in immigrant and guest workers. He made the statement on national television on May 16."

The VeriChip is a very small RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag about the size of a large grain of rice. This device can be injected directly into a person's body. It also has a special coating that helps it to bond to living tissue and not to move.

A special RFID reader broadcasts a signal into the antenna of the VeriChip. The chip uses the signal to draw its power to send back its data. This allows the VeriChip to operate without ever needing batteries.

Special forces to use strap-on 'Batwings' (article)

A German company called ESG has developed strap-on wings for use by special forces to fly into combat. The wings will allow a soldier to be dropped from an airplanes at high altitude, and soar for up to 120 miles in total silence and without being picked up by radar. Once the soldier is above the target, they deploy their parachute.

Here is a picture of the strap-on wing. To be honest it looks like something I saw from a G.I. Joe cartoon. I can't remember if G.I. Joe or Cobra was using it.

QuadSki: Its a Quadrunner and a Jet ski

The QuadSki is a jet ski that turns in to a quadrunner at the push of a button. Here is a video of it in action.

Its suppose to travel up to 50 miles-per-hour on land or water, and its powered by a 140-horsepower engine. On a full tank of gas is suppose to have a 372-mile range on land or two hours of boating on the water.

I really want one... Now all I have to do is see if anyone will give me it for free.

One Laptop Per Child First Public Demo

The One Laptop Per Child project recently demonstrated its first working laptop prototype at the Red Hat Summit. In the video below, Christopher Blizzard a member of Mozilla Corporation board demonstrated the device.

The ruggedized laptop will weigh about two pound, running Fedora Linux, with mesh networking built-in. Each unit will sell for about $130 to $140 to governments starting in April 2007.

Scientists ponder invisibility cloak (article)

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports: "WASHINGTON -- Imagine an invisibility cloak that works just like the one Harry Potter inherited from his father. Researchers in England and the United States think they know how to do that. They are laying out the blueprint and calling for help in developing the exotic materials needed to build a cloak."

The material technology required to make this cloak of invisibility sounds almost science fictionish, but the scientist believe that one day we will be able to create it. Basically the way it works is that light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation would strike the cloak and simply flow around it. To an onlooker it would appear as if they're seeing right through the cloak.

In August of 2003 Wired did an article called "Being Invisible" about a type of 'cloak of invisibility' but far less sophisticated then what is being talked about above. Here is excerpt from the article: "With recent advances in optics and computing, however, this elusive goal is no longer purely imaginary. Last spring, Susumu Tachi, an engineering professor at the University of Tokyo, demonstrated a crude invisibility cloak. Through the clever application of some dirt-cheap technology, the Japanese inventor has brought personal invisibility a step closer to reality." Here is a video to show you what I am talking about.

Best Star Wars Parody/Fan Films

Below are my picks for all-time best Star Wars parodies and fan films. When you watch the videos you will notice that they all vary in video quality from really good (i.e.: I.M.P.S.), to really bad (i.e.: Tie-Tanic). I also tried to find versions of these videos that use the Google Video service so their easier to view, but some of them were not available from there.

So here is my list:

• I.M.P.S.: The Relentless: IMHO, this is the best Star Wars fan film (ever). (Note: This file is about 200MB+ in size.)
  
• MTV Movie Awards 2005 Star Wars Parody: A hilarious and well edited Star Wars parody featuring Jimmy Fallon
• Troops: Hilarious take-off on Cops, using Storm Troopers.
• Ryan vs Dorkman: One of the best amateur lightsaber battles ever done in a fan film.
• Hardware Wars: The grand daddy of all Star Wars fan films. It was probably created in the late 70's, and its very cheesy but very funny.
• Tie-Tantic: A hysterical Titanic/Star Wars cross parody. (Note: The video quality of this file is really bad, but watchable.)

Honorable Mention

• Triumph vs. Star Wars Geeks: This is not a fan film or parody, but if you have not watched Triumph (the insulting comic dog) take on the Star Wars geeks then you're missing some great comedy. (Note: some content in this video is PG-13)
• Star Wars Kid: I almost hate to list this video because of its background story, but in many ways its really part of the of the Star Wars fan film/parody culture. (Note: There are several remixes of these videos available all over the Net.)
  

The truth about global warming - it's the Sun that's to blame (article)

The Telegraph reports: "Global warming has finally been explained: the Earth is getting hotter because the Sun is burning more brightly than at any time during the past 1,000 years, according to new research."

For years I have been saying the climate shifts that we have been seeing over the last few decades have not been caused by pollution like so many people believed. I have stated on more then one occasion that natural events can cause these shifts in the Earth's climate as well. I have even posted a few articles here of the last few months to make my point.

Although this story doesn't completely rule out green house gases as a possible contributor to the climate shifts we have been seeing in the last few decades. The primary culprit now appears to be an increase in brightness from the sun.

How The Da Vinci Code Doesn't Work (Article)

Have you seen the new Da Vinci Code movie or read the book? This publication has created a lot of controversy since it was first published, and to paraphrase and old quote, 'it has a lot of people's panties in a tight wad'. Personally I found the movie an enjoyable piece of fiction, but highly inaccurate from a facts point of view.

There are real facts in the movie, but they're tightly intertwined with a lot of fiction. So it hard to know where one begins and the other ends. Personally, I would not go around quoting facts from the movie.

HowStuffWorks.com did a great article on some of the many problems found with the movie facts vs. reality. Here is an except from the article: "Since its 2003 publication, "The Da Vinci Code" has caused quite a stir. Since its debut to glowing reviews, it has sold more than 40 million copies in at least 44 languages [ref]. In addition to being a bestseller, it's sparked a lot of controversy. It's a work of fiction, but it presents itself as based in fact, and many critics have raised questions about whether those facts are accurate."

Stan Meyer (Fraud or Genius)

I recently discovered information about a person named Stan Meyer who created a device called a Water Fuel Cell (WFC). There is a lot of controversy surrounding his invention and whether it really works as efficiently as he says or its just a fraud.

The WFC is suppose to convert just about any type of water into usable hydrogen. So instead of carrying a tank of this explosive gas, all you have to carry is water. The technology was suppose to be adaptable to conventional cars that we have today. This technology can go a long way to solving the problem with our dependency on foreign oil.

I also believe in theory, this technology could have a dark side. It could create water shortage problems in places like L.A. where they're barely meeting the demands now. This technology could also put a lot of people out of work in the oil industry, and cause the value of oil companies to plummet. Although, there would still be a demand for oil in other areas like plastics and other petroleum based products.

Where is Stan Meyer now?
Stan Meyer died in 90s, and its not totally clear to what happened with all of WFC technology. Did the knowledge of how it works die with Stan or is it stored away some place?

Additional alternative fuel information resources:

• Water Powered Car
• Ethanol explained (Article)
• Moving Beyond a Petroleum-Based Economy
• Cheaper Veggie Diesel May Change the Way We Drive (Article)
• Wired News: Biomass Adds to Ethanol Debate
• Ethanol Grows as Gas Alternative

New Heliodisplay M2i 3D Holographic Display

IO2Technology just released a new version of their Heliodisplay multimedia projector called the M2i. This new projector can support a display image up to 30-inch diagonal area with a 4:3 aspect ratio, 1280x1024 maximum resolution, up to 2200 lumens of brightness, and interactive cursor controls (i.e. virtual touchscreen).

Internet Help Desk (Video)

According to the video there are four basic essentials services in society: police, fire, ambulance, and Internet help desk. If you have ever worked at a help desk you might be able to really appreciate the humor. If you have ever called a help desk, then the secret is out.

First baby in Britain cancer-free

Have you ever see the movie Gattaca, one of the main premises of this movie is that most of the babies that are born are genetically screened for sickness, cancer, and disease. If a baby is found to have any genes that have the potential to cause any of these sicknesses they would be aborted. Babies that are born without this genetic screening process became known as 'God's children'.

This eventually lead to two classes of people in society. If you were born with the genetic screening, you got to be part of the elite. The God's children were only allowed to work menial jobs like: maids, garbage collectors, janitors, etc.

The TimesOnline has an article titled, "First baby in Britain designed cancer-free". Here is a brief excerpt from the article: "A woman is pregnant with Britain's first designer baby selected to prevent an inherited cancer ... Her decision to use controversial genetic-screening technology will ensure that she does not pass on to her child the hereditary form of eye cancer from which she suffers."

Human genetics is a very controversial technological subject. I believe one day it holds the possible promise of preventing and curing cancer and disease. The problem is the same technology can be used for more controversial matters, such as: human cloning, creating more deadly biological weapons, or creating designer children.

For a controversial technology to gain mainstream acceptance, it needs to be an answer to a major problem that everyone in society wants to see a solution found. Then after the ethical use of the technology has been accepted, it opens the door for its other uses.

Even if you want to ignore the ethical problems with the technology, the human genome is very complex and even with all out current knowledge we don't completely understand it. For example, our body's have safeguards built-in to the genetic systems that protect us against certain sicknesses and diseases. These systems are not perfect, but for the most part they work.

As a society we have achieved a lot of technological advancements in the last few decades and probably lots more to come in our future. Some of these advancement came at the cost of the environment, animals, and/or human lives.

By playing around with the human genome, we are playing with a very advance biological system which we don't totally understand. The human genome controls everything about how we are made. By turning on or off the wrong genes, we are potentially creating a life that could suffer a horrible fate in years or decades to come. We might not even be able to see the problems for several generations to come.

Unfortunately this is just the ways genetics work. So, like the nuclear genie that was released several decades ago when we exploded the first atomic bomb. Are we ready to release the genetic genie too?

Nintendo Wii launch details "announced" (video)

Microsoft's Xbox 360 was released late last year with a list price of $299 and $399 depending on the model you purchase. Sony's PlayStation 3 will be out later on this year or next year with a list price of $499 or $599 depending on the model. The Nintendo Wii (formerly known as the revolution) is expected to ship before the end of the year, and cost around $250.

I have seen very little real data or pictures on the Nintendo Wii, and its motion-sensor-controller. Now, CNet has a short video, showing the Wii and its controller in action at this year's E3.

Free Online Storage (for now)

ElephantDrive is providing an unlimited amount of online storage for free that you can access from anywhere at anytime. You can use this storage to store or share your photos, music, video, documents, and more. This service also uses military-grade encryption to protect your files.

ElephantDrive is currently beta, and that is why they're offering this free trial. Once the trial is over normal rates will apply...

Startup Pitches Free, Nationwide Wireless Broadband (Article)

PC Magazine reports: "Startup M2Z Networks on May 5 submitted a request to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a license to a vacant 20-megahertz band in order to broadcast free high-speed broadband Internet across the country."

Its free 384Kbps of broadband bandwidth that is suppose to work around the country. But in order for M2Z Networks to do this, they want the FCC to grant the spectrum they need for free. And they will support themselves by displaying ads while you're surfing the Internet.

Top 10 Best Commercials of All Time

I saw a few commercials from Google on some site, and I decided I wanted to create my list of the top 10 best commercials of all time. I could not just leave it 10, so I added an honorable mention category. If you have you're own suggestions, please post a comment, I would enjoy reading them.

One note, some of these ads promote beer or show cruelty to animals. I don't promote either of these activities. As far as I know, no animals were hurt in the creation of these videos. So if you're offended by this stuff, please don't watch some of these videos.

1. Apple: 1984
2. EDS: Cat Herder
3. FedEx: Stick
4. John: West Salmon
   
5. Trunk Monkey (just one of a few)
6. Budweiser: Romantic Ride
7. Terry Tate: Office Linebacker (just one of a few)
8. Carlton: Big Ad
9. Honda Accord: Cog
   
10. U.S.S. Montana vs. the Lighthouse

Honorable Mention

• Hahn Beer: Bath Tub Dive (Warning: Not appropriate for the office)
• Burger King: Manthem
  
• Toyota: The Human Touch
• Molson Beer: I Am Canadian
• Nutrigrain: I Feel Grrreeeeeat!
  
• Xbox: Life is Short (Banned or not shown on public TV)
• Stunt City
• Why Men Don't Ask For Directions
  
• Warning: Animal lovers please don't watch these videos
• Ford: Sportka 1 (Banned or not shown on public TV)
• Ford: Sportka 2 (Banned or not shown on public TV)
• Nokia: Phone Video

Scanner playing Fur Elise

If you have ever owned a flatbed scanner, you may know they are not the quietest device ever created. Well someone took the time to get a scanner to play the Fur Elise. I am pretty impressed with it as a technical hack, because what they did would not be easy.

Watch the video if you want to see what I am talking about.

Take the BBC 'Senses Challenge'

This is a fun online test that can challenge your different senses (such as sight, hearing, etc.). I do need to warn you that some of these tests are a lot harder then you might think to get the correct perspective.

Water Powered Car...

Watch this newscast, and see how a guy created a water powered cutting torch that can cut metal but not burn you (its really hydrogen from the water + electricity) . He also converted a Ford Escort to use the same fuel source (right now its a hybrid that runs hydrogen + gas).

I have a few questions, is this technology as good as it looks or is there a catch to the technology. For example, does the cutting torch use so much electricity that its not practical. Or, can the car really run on water alone.

A Web Address for a Phone Number? Do .Tel

Do you know what a Top Level Domain name (TLD) is? If you don't you're in good company most people use it everyday, but they might not realize that they are. TLDs are the .COM, .ORG, .NET, etc. that we use everyday when we enter a domain name.

The ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), recently approved a new TLD called .TEL. According to eWeek here is how it is suppose to work: "The idea here is to use a Web address that ends in .tel as one would use a telephone number. Steering a Web browser towards www.hertz.tel, for example, would activate an Internet phone call to someone at Hertz."

Read the article for more information.

Happy Blu-Day! (Article)

Sony recently had an event where they were boosting the great benefits of their new VAIO notebooks with a built in Blu-Ray drives. They claimed the new notebooks was playing one of the first Blu-Ray movies, called 'The House of Flying Daggers'. Lance Ulanoff PC Magazine Reviews Editor opened the Blu-Ray drive, and discover that they were playing an older-style DVD instead of the Blu-Ray title. The whole event was captured in pictures.

BMW’s ‘CLEVER’ concept completed

LeftLane News.com reports "For the last few years, BMW and University of Bath have been hard at work on the CLEVER - a compact fuel-efficient vehicle for city driving. ... BMW on Friday released the first images of the completed CLEVER. As the name - Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport - suggests, the aim of the project was to create a vehicle that was practical, safe, and environmentally-friendly."

BMW was not the first to create a MWV (Man Wide Vehicles), one of the best ones I have seen is from a Dutch company. This MWV is called the Carver, its a tilting 3-wheel vehicle. In fact the Carver tilt up to 45 degrees to each side.

If you want to know more, watch this video from TopGear.

Secret Worlds: The Universe Within

From the web site: "View the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then move through space towards the Earth in successive orders of magnitude until you reach a tall oak tree just outside the buildings of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. After that, begin to move from the actual size of a leaf into a microscopic world that reveals leaf cell walls, the cell nucleus, chromatin, DNA and finally, into the subatomic universe of electrons and protons."

This is a great Java-based animation that starts out millions of light year from Earth, and then zooms into quarks inside of a leaf. The whole trip takes about minute or more depending on your settings.

An Old Farmer's Advice

I really enjoy the advice below, there is a lot of truth in it no matter what you believe. (Note: I tried to find out who the author was to give credit, but I could not find that information.)

• Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
• Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
• Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
• A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
• Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
• Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
• Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
• Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
• You cannot unsay a cruel word.
• When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
• The best sermons are lived, not preached.
• Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
• Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
• Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
• Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
• If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
• The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'
• Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
• If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
• Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God...

Congress may slap restrictions on SSN use (Article)

CNet reports: "WASHINGTON--Democratic and Republican politicians on Thursday both promised to enact new federal laws by the end of the year that would restrict some commercial uses of Social Security numbers, which are often implicated in identity fraud cases."

This law has been a long time in coming, and I wish they would have enacted it several years ago. Lets hope and pray this doesn't some how just die on the vine.

Some of the proposed legislation includes: limiting the sale and purchase of Social Security numbers (SSNs). Also restrict the display of SSNs on credit reports and other types of government-issued documents and identification tags.

PlayStation 3: $499, $599 versions hitting worldwide in November (Article)

CNET.com reports: "Sony kicked off the 2006 E3 show with a bang on Monday by providing pricing and configuration details on the PlayStation 3. The system will be available in $499 and $599 versions in North America on November 17. The main differences between the two versions as highlighted by Sony will be the size of the internal hard drive: 20GB on the less expensive PS3 vs. 60GB on the step-up model." Read the article for more information.

Google Press Day (New Stuff)

Google announced it was releasing four new products yesterday at its 'Press Day' conference in its Mountain View, CA headquarters (AKA GooglePlex).

• Google Trends: Allows you to monitor trend statistics of keywords and search terms by date and geographic location.
  
• Google Desktop (v.4): The next version of its Google desktop sidebar application, includes several new features and updated Gadgets (add-ins for Google Desktop).
  
• Google Co-Op: This one is a little strange, its not very intuative. Basically You subscribe to different data sources (i.e.: Digg.com, Fandango.com, etc.) and when you search you will see related information for the data sources you subscribed to.
• Google Notebook (will be available next week on the Google Labs page): Its a plug-in that allows you to store notes of text and other media types, such as: pictures, sounds and more.
  

Gone in 60 seconds--the high-tech version (Article)

CNET reports how new state-of-the-art vehicle anti-theft systems are able to be quickly defeated by a car thief with a laptop. IMHO, its really bothersome to see how quick some of these systems can be defeated. So if you have one of those expensive new cars with an RFID systems, make sure that you have your insurance premium all paid up.

HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray Format Wars

Depending on how old you are, you may remember the VHS vs. Betamax format wars. Between the two formats, Betamax had far superior picture quality, but VHS eventually won out. Not because it was better, but JVC was more liberal with its licensing, and the tapes met more of the customers needs (i.e.: like longer recording time).

The new HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray format wars, is just heating up. Personally I am putting my money on HD-DVD, not because its a superior technology to Blu-Ray. HD-DVD will win out because it will have better industry support, and its easier to produce the discs. Although, Blu-Ray has a few technical advantages over HD-DVD, mostly its higher capacity.

Ultimately what will win out is the one that is the most compatible with the existing equipment and media, and best price. When CDs and DVDs were first introduced, they provided such technical advantages over the existing technology at the time that people were willing to update their media collection.

Although, I don't believe HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray is compelling enough for me to want to replace all my movies with it. If I buy into this technology, I would be willing replaces some of my existing DVDs (for example Star Wars) with HD versions of the movie if the quality was that much better.

For more information on the HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray, check out the following Wikipedia article. Here is an excerpt: There are many advantages to the fact that HD DVD discs will be the same size as current DVD discs. Backward compatibility will be available with all HD DVD players allowing consumers to only require a single player in their homes to play both HD DVD and DVD discs (also true with Blu-ray). DVD disc replication companies can continue using their current production equipment with only minor alterations when changing over to the format of HD DVD replication. Due to the structure of the single-lens optical head, both red and blue laser diodes can be used in smaller, more compact HD DVD players. Additionally there is a hybrid HD DVD which contains both DVD and HD DVD versions of the same movie on a single disc, providing smoother transition for the studios in terms of publishing the movies.

Rivals Agree On 802.11s Wireless Mesh Proposal (Article)

ExtremeTech reports "The Intel-and Firetide-led SEE Mesh, which had put forward a proposal to compete with Nortel's Wi-Mesh Alliance, resolved their differences and moved forward with a joint proposal that should be voted in as the draft standard for 802.11s, the IEEE mesh networking standard. ... A final standard might not be due until early 2008"

So are you confused by all 802.11 standards, such 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, etc. I have decided to include a brief breakdown of the different 802.11 standards:

• 802.11: up to 2Mbps, uses the 2.4GHz frequency (1997)
• 802.11b: up to 11Mbps, uses the 2.4GHz frequency (7/1999)
• 802.11a: up to 54Mbps, uses the 5GHz frequency (7/1999)
• 802.11g: up to 54Mbps, uses the 2.4GHz frequency (6/2003) [802.11b compatible]
• 802.11n: up to 600Mbps+, uses the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz frequency (2006) [has MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas to allow for increased data throughput.]
• 802.11s: Mesh networking. A mesh network is a network of WAP (Wireless Access Points) that act like one big network. If one of the WAP fails, the other WAPs will automatically compensate for it. See the following article for more information.
  

Notes:

• 2.4GHz equipment can incur interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, and other appliances using the same radio signaling frequency range.
• The higher frequency 5GHz equipment signals has more difficulty penetrating walls and other obstructions.
• The 802.11n standard has not yet been finalized, only a draft specification has been ratified as of January 2006.

Ethanol explained (Article)

USNews.com reports: "Most people know that it comes from crops and that it's been around for a while. But advertisements touting ethanol, sponsored by General Motors and others, leave out a lot of the basics. "

This article provides a brief introduction to the alternative fuel known as Ethanol. It's written like an FAQ (frequently asked questions), so it might provide answers to some basic questions that you might have about the fuel.

Here is some additional reference material, if the article doesn't answer your questions:

• Moving Beyond a Petroleum-Based Economy
• Wired News: Biomass Adds to Ethanol Debate
• Pig Manure Converted to Crude Oil
• Ethanol Grows as Gas Alternative

The Self-Assembling Chair (Video)

The self-assembling chair is a robot in the shape of you guessed it a chair. This chair can spontaneously fall apart and then literally reassemble itself. Conceived by Max Dean and built by Raffaello D'Andrea, the creators of "The Table: Childhood," another robotic art installation.

Ryan vs Dorkman (Google Video)

This video was originally pointed out to me by a fellow associate, when we got into a discussion of some of the Star Wars fan films. If you don't know what a fan film is, its generally a unauthorized, and very low budget recreation or parody of a movie created by fans.

One of the grand daddies of these films is the original Hardware Wars. IMHO after Hardware Wars, there have been a few great fan films, like:

• Troops (This is Star Wars meets the TV series cops)
• I.M.P.S. the Relentless (My personal all-time favorite)
• Ryan vs. Dorkman (My new favorite)

The Ryan vs. Dorkman video started out as a friendly rivalry between two effects artists on the TheForce.net, for the lightsaber choreography competition. I would say its one of the best amateur lightsaber battles ever done in a fan film.