7 reasons why Linux won't succeed on the desktop

itnews.com.au reports: "There are at least seven solid reasons, which I'll detail below, why Linux hasn't moved the needle beyond a single-digit desktop market share since it hit the scene in 1991, and never will. Desktop Linux's failure to launch is all the more mystifying when you consider that it's hard to think of any technology which has been backed by such an enthusiastic and committed group of supporters. Unfortunately, that boost has largely backfired."

Personally I like and respect the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. I use Windows as my primary OS, but I could easily use OS X or Linux if I choose to. Windows is a great OS for me. Although I will admit I enjoy dabbling in the other OSs once in while.

My biggest problem with the Mac or Linux operating systems, are the OS zealots. I get really tired of the all anti-Windows/Microsoft rhetoric. Each OS has its own pros and cons. Finally, there is no such thing as the perfect OS. My suggestion is just pick one, and use it.

The article makes some good points about why Linux will won't become the predominant desktop OS.

Hottest Sauces in the World

You have heard of Web 2.0, well this page is Web .02. The list attempts to summarize the hottest sauces in the world. The page starts with Tabasco sauce which is rated at 2,140 scoville units (a measurement of heat for hot sauces), to another one that is 16,000,000 units.

I love spicy food, but 16,000,000 scoville units sounds deadly.

Digital 'smiley face' turns 25

Yahoo! News: "It was a serious contribution to the electronic lexicon. :-) Twenty-five years ago, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman says, he was the first to use three keystrokes — a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis — as a horizontal 'smiley face' in a computer message."

Happy anniversary Smiley. :-)

New Phoenix BIOS Can Snap Thieves in the Act

PC Magazine reports: "In mid-October, Phoenix Technologies is expected to announce FailSafe, a new BIOS solution with lockdown, tracking, data retrieval and other capabilities – even remote Webcam operation to snap a picture of a laptop thief. The solution won't be available directly to consumers; unlike rival Absolute Software, Phoenix sells its BIOS software directly to OEMs, which can implement the features they want to add. However, as one of the major BIOS vendors, there's a good chance that this will turn up on a next-generation business PC."

This is great technology, but it also scares me how this technology can be used against you. Somebody could make your laptop spy on you if they wanted.

Weird Al Yankovic - Another One Rides the Bus

This is Weird Al Yankovic first appearance on television was on 'The Tomorrow Show' with Tom Snyder. He does his parody of Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust'. Click here to watch the video.

The Most Amazing Tetris Player

This guy has to be the most amazing Tetris player I have ever seen, or he has some type of system. If he has figured out a pattern that the game follows that would partially explain his speed. Although, its still an interesting video to watch.

Japan says NoPoPo, please pee pee

The Boy Genius Report: "This has to be one of the strangest pieces of technology to come out of Japan in a while, which is quite a statement given their predilection towards bizarre inventions. These new batteries, somewhat aptly named NoPoPo, look tame enough, until you peer just a little bit closer. When the charge runs out, owners are encouraged to urinate on the batteries to juice ‘em up."

I would hate recharging these batteries. I certainly hope this is not a joke.

Iron Man (Trailers)

The new Iron Man movie trailer is now available. It's scheduled to be released 05/02/08. The movie stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Samuel L. Jackson and Hilary Swank.

Eudora E-mail Program Reborn as Open Source - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

PC Magazine reports: "Eudora, a pioneering e-mail program named after author Eudora Welty, is rising from a technical grave as an open source program after owner Qualcomm Inc quit selling the product in May. ... Eudora routinely got strong reviews from computer magazines and had a loyal user base, but commercially it was overshadowed by software that Microsoft Corp included with new personal computers, International Business Machine's Lotus software and Web e-mail programs."

If you're a Eudora user, and you love the program this is good news for you.

Firefox 3: A look at its new security features | IT Security | TechRepublic.com

TechRepublic.com reports: "Mozilla Firefox is one of the most popular Web browsers around today. But what does the Mozilla team have in store for us along security lines? To find out, let’s take a look at the pre-release version of Firefox 3"

This update is very evolutionary and not revolutionary...

Internet People! - The Meth Minute 39

Very funny. See how many references you recognize.

Cheap GPS Cell Phones

PC Magazine reports: "Dedicated navigation systems can be pricey, but these GPS-capable phones can help you stay on track for less than $100."

Its amazing what you can do with a cellphone these days. So here is one more trick, that you can teach your phone.

How to be the Perfect Girlfriend

There are a lot of truths about males in this video. The same people who created this video have to produce one for men about women. The only problem is that we (males) might not have a long enough attention span to watch it. ;-)

The Simpsons Intro (Star Wars Version)

This is the introduction to The Simpsons TV show with a Star Wars twist. An original cartoon parody by animator Rich Cando.

Googlephone on the Way?

Google Watch reports: "A few weeks ago, rumors of a Google browser captured the public's imagination, but that's a rumor that's been going around for a few years. The latest rekindled rumor, propagated yesterday in a blog post by Engadget's Ryan Block, is that Google is inching ever so closely to announcing the alleged Googlephone."

This product will be interesting to see (if it's real)...

Front Fell Off

IMHO: I don't know the background story, but I think this was real. Its still very funny...

Job Interview Brainteasers

CNN Money reports: "Dream of landing a coding job at an A-list tech company? It might be a good idea to prep for your interviews by pondering how many golf balls can fit inside a school bus. Or how much you would charge for washing all the windows in Seattle. Or why, exactly, manhole covers are round and not, say, square."

The first rule to solving these brain teasers is don't be afraid to ask lots of questions (in fact most of the time the interviewers want you to ask questions). Second rule is sometimes the answers is just obvious, and other times they can be very vague.

Clark, the Canadian Hockey Goalie

A 3-time MVP of the Saskatchewan Moose Lodge Hockey League (SMLHL), Clark wanted to try something new for the off-season.

Speed Racer the Movie (2008)

For all those who grew up watching the cartoon Speed Racer, I just found out today that they're creating a live action movie that will be release in 2008. I can hardly wait to watch the trailer when it becomes available. The movie is also being shot using a new type of 'revolutionary camera' that is suppose to keep the foreground and background in focus at the same and make it look more like a cartoon.

Below is excerpt from the plot summary on IMDB: "Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized-the legendary Rex Racer-whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret-some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. ..." You can read the rest at the IMDB site.

Photos: Scanning brain waves

TechRepublic reports: "Hans Lee, chief technology officer of EmSense, wearing the company's wireless headband, which includes a dry EEG (electroencephalogram) sensor to measure the electrical activity of the brain without the use of gels; an accelerometer, which detects motions and facial twitches; and a heart-rate monitor that can gauge stress rates. ... With data from these sensors, EmSense can detect whether or when the wearer blinks, blushes or sweats. Advertisers and video game companies are using the technology to find out how people feel about their products and sales pitches."

Code Monkey Video

A music video about the life of the common lowlands code monkey.

What Works: 3-D printing for the rest of us

Business 2.0 Magazine reports: "After midnight, it's dark and nearly silent in the Klock Werks Kustom Cycles shop in Mitchell, S.D. The only sound is the low hum emanating from a box that looks like a cross between a dormitory fridge and a Xerox machine. ... Behind a compartment of clear glass, the device - a Stratasys Prodigy 3-D printer - is constructing a complex shape, all curves and spaces, out of plastic."

I hope these devices get cheaper and cheaper. These devices can allow the small inventor to create things that they have never been able to create before.

Toshiba Unveils First 32GB High-Density Flash Card

eWeek reports: "Toshiba revealed Aug. 22 that it will soon add three new high-density flash memory cards to its product lineup—including one it touts as the world's first 32GB flash card. ... The Tokyo-based company, which partners with SanDisk to produce SanDisk High Capacity cards, also announced a 16GB SDHC card and an 8GB microSDHC card."

Is this the beginning of the end of mechanical hard drives? These devices could also evolve into special niche markets, where a lot of cheap storage is needed.

Updated iRobot Roombas Suck More, Fortunately

PC Magazine reports: "Three new Roombas were unveiled: the 500, the 530, and the 560, priced at $249, $299, and $349. All three robovacs are available immediately within the U.S., iRobot said, from three locations: iRobot's Web site, Amazon.com, and the Home Shopping Network. Retail partners including Best Buy and Linens 'N' Things will start carrying the vacuums this fall."

I am finding more and more of a reason to buy one of these device. And, as the title says these new Roombas "Suck More, Fortunately".

Gamers' world reveals secrets of the next epidemic

CNET News.com reports: "A plague carried around the world by travelers, pets and curious teenagers may show that experts have not taken everything into account when planning for an outbreak of disease, researchers said Monday. ... Luckily, the world involved is an Internet game."

Time Travel Machine Outlined

LiveScience reports: "Unlike past ideas for time machines, this new concept does not require exotic, theoretical forms of matter. Still, this new idea requires technology far more advanced than anything existing today, and major questions remain as to whether any time machine would ever prove stable enough to enable actual travel back in time."

25 Most Active Open Source Projects at Microsoft's CodePlex

eWeek reports on the 25 most active open source projects at Microsoft's CodePlex.

Life Expentacy Calculator

Enter your vital statistics (i.e.: age, race, body type, etc.) and your lifestyle information (i.e.: how you eat, do you smoke, etc.) and find out how long to you might live until.

Asteroid Deflection Strategies

From WikiPedia: "(Asteroid) 1950 DA is the near Earth object with the highest known possible probability of impacting Earth, according to the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale. For a few days in December 2004 it was temporarily surpassed by 99942 Apophis (which at the time was named only by its provisional designation 2004 MN4)."

It is projected that asteroid 1950DA will approach the Earth on March 16, 2880. They predict two possible outcomes. One, the asteroid completely misses the earth by millions of miles. Two, it will have a 1 in 300 chance of hitting the earth and devastating the human race. If you want to know how we plan to protect ourselves, check out the following Wikipedia page.

For more information, watch this video.

Japan seeks to replace the Internet

TechRepublic reports: "On August 17, 2007, Japanese communications minister Yoshihide Suga said that Japan will start research and development on technology to replace the Internet using a new generation of network by 2020."

The Internet was originally composed of several smaller network that were combined together to create a bigger network. The next generation Internet could consist a few or several high speed networks combined together again. Although a lot can happen in 12+ years.

New Ransomware Scam

Security Watch reports: "Ransomware is malware—or sometimes just e-mail—that attempts to extort money out of the recipient, generally with the threat of some damage to the system. Sunbelt Software has uncovered an interesting example in an installation of the the adware system IFRAMEDOLLARS."

You need to be careful what you download, and make sure that you have good backups of all your data. You also need to make sure that you have all your programs up-to-date.

PC Magazine: Top 100 Classic Websites

This is PC Magazine's list of the best web sites that the Internet has to offer in 2007.

• Article
• Slideshow

How phishers defeat online banking controls - CNET reviews

CNET reports: "A new financial services requirement calling for two-factor authentication should make online banking secure, but one researcher says it's actually making things worse. At this year's DefCon gathering in Las Vegas, security researcher Brendan O'Connor outlined several scenarios in which online banking has gotten worse, rather than better. Under Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) guidelines that went into effect at the end of last year, banks are required to provide some form of multifactor authentication of their customers."

The article talks about the pro and cons of each type of multi-factor technology. Although the article really seems to focuses on the cons of the technologies.

Jeff Russell's Starship Dimensions

Have you ever wanted to compares ships from different science fiction series (such as: Star Trek, Babylon 5, Star Wars, etc.) to similar objects in the real world? Jeff Russell's Starship Dimensions is by far the best site for answering these questions.

Next Generation Paint Software (Comedy)

Pac Man: The Movie

The trailer for the long-awaited film about the greatest hero who ever lived.

Photos: Unmanned vehicles take to air, land and sea

TechRepublic has a photo gallery of some of the robots and unmanned aerial vehicle that are currently being used in the armed forces, and law enforcement agencies for everything from spying, to disarming bombs, to catching illegal immigrants, and more.

Google Browser - Gbrowser in the Works?

Google Watch reports: "I love it when old stories resurface like so many TV spin-offs and movie sequels. Rumors that Google is creating a Web browser are again afoot thanks to some healthy speculation from Netconcepts Search Strategist Chris Silver Smith. Smith theorized that the search engine may be cooking up the ole Gbrowser after reading Ryan Naraine's post saying Google had hired browser security expert Michal Zalewski to help make its products more secure."

I wonder if they're going to use the Firefox's Gecko engine to render HTML or if they're going to create they're own rendering engine. It should be interesting to see what they do, if they do it.

Chocolate Rain by Chad Vader

Chad Vader, Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother.



If you have not yet already watched "Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager" episodes 1-7, you may want to watch them to get the background story. I have included links to these videos below:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6 & 7
• Episode 8
  

Dyson: Climate models are rubbish

The Register reports: "British-born physicist Freeman Dyson has revealed three 'heresies', two of which challenge the current scientific orthodoxy that anthropogenic carbon causes climate change. 'The fuss about global warming is grossly exaggerated,' writes Dyson in his new book Many Colored Glass: Reflections on the Place of Life in the Universe, published on Wednesday."

Believe it or not...

Google Charging for Extra Shared Storage

AppScout reports: "Fresh on the heels of Microsoft's Windows Live SkyDrive online shared storage announcement, Google has come out with an online storage announcement of its own: You can now pay for more space for your Picasa Web Albums and Gmail accounts."

I wonder if this is a sign of thing to come (charging for services). Generally if Google gives services away, then others that provide similar services follow. For example, when Google offered 1GB free email, services like Yahoo tried to follow.

This is a revenue opportunity for these companies, so they might follow soon or try to beet Google and give more away. We will have to wait and see.

Indians predated Newton 'discovery' by 250 years

PHYSORG.com reports: "A little known school of scholars in southwest India discovered one of the founding principles of modern mathematics hundreds of years before Newton according to new research. Dr George Gheverghese Joseph from The University of Manchester says the 'Kerala School' identified the 'infinite series'- one of the basic components of calculus - in about 1350."

Very interesting article.

Flash mob in Estonia - The First True Cyberwar

CNET reports: "Flash mobs may have been responsible for those denial-of-service (DoS) attacks in Estonia last May. So says Gadi Evron, security evangelist for Beyond Security, who gave a thorough presentation last week at Black Hat and then again at Defcon, recounting in detail the events surrounding the attack, some of which he experienced first-hand, surrounding the attack. Although he originally joked that the KGB was to blame--and quickly explained that the KGB no longer existed--Evron said could not prove conclusively that the Russians were behind the events. Yet he did call it the first true cyberwar, if only that the commerce and day-to-day functions of one country were interrupted significantly."

This article really makes you think how any country these days could be effected by cyber-warfare.

Minesweeper The Movie

Now that it's a movie, you can use it to procrastinate for a full 90 minutes.

Dueling Banjos Guitar Hero 2

The Dueling Banjos from Deliverance (here is the scene if you have never seen the movie) played using Guitar Hero 2. When you watch this video it's like you know you should look away, but you just can't stop watching.

Tom Snyder's TOMORROW Show - w/3 Original Star Trek Cast Members

The late Tom Snyder, conducted a series of television interviews with several of the original Star Trek cast members: James Doohan (Scotty) [deceased], DeForrest Kelley (McCoy) [deceased], and Walter Koenig (Chekov).

• Part 1 of the Interview
• Part 2 of the Interview
• Part 3 of the Interview
• Part 4 of the Interview
• Part 5 of the Interview

This show was taped on July 30, 1976, and is an original Beta X-1 recording off the air.

Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD: By the numbers...

TechRepublic has compiled a great chart that shows how well Blu-ray is doing against HD-DVD format. From the numbers on the this chart it looks like Blu-ray format is winning.

Here is an excerpt from the article that goes along with this chart: "The expected next-generation DVD format war isn't quite the deadlock many expected. ... Target's announcement Thursday that it would sell a Sony Blu-ray player in its stores alongside Blu-ray discs in a special feature promotion is important because the second-largest retailer in the U.S. doesn't sell HD DVD players in its stores, outside of the external HD DVD drive made for Microsoft's Xbox 360. It does sell a Toshiba HD DVD player on its Web site, however. "

Underground at the Titan Missile Museum

TechRepublic reports: "The Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Ariz., about 20 miles south of Tucson, is a former Titan missile launching site. There, crews of four worked 24-hour shifts during which two people always had to be together to ensure safety and security. In this image, the tip of the missile--with warhead removed--is viewed from above through a glass window that allows museum visitors to peer down into the silo."

Future of mobile communications

Coming to Your Laptop: 1.2TB Hard Drives

PC World reports: "Fujitsu is expected to announce a breakthrough this week that could lead the company to produce hard drives with storage capacities of up to 1.2TB. ... The patterned alumina nanohole media was created via a Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) processes using nano-imprint lithography (enabling discrete distance from bit to bit or track to track), anodic oxidation and cobalt electrodeposition at a density of 100-nanometer-pitch nanoholes suitable to existing head technology."

The wonders of Perpendicular Magnetic Recording, I can hardly wait for these drives. Hopeful it will reduce per terabyte cost of a SAN. Which I figure is $4-5,000 per terabyte of raw storage.

Metal Storm: Next Generation Weapon

http://view.break.com/347453 - Watch more free videos

Metal Storm is what I would classify as a next generation weapon. It is a fully computerized gun, with no moving parts (except for the bullets), that can fire up to 1 million rounds per minute.

Perpetual Motion Machine?

Invented by Mr. Reidar Finsrud, the whole machine is placed inside a glass mount, to prevent visitors who view the machine in the gallery from touching it.

A steel ball (about 2.7 inch diameter, 20 pound) is rolling on an aluminum track, about 25 inches in diameter, placed horizontally. Three pendulums, about 45 inches long with tunable weights at the lower end, controls three horse-shoe magnets that the steel ball has to pass by on the track. Embedded in the track is a (mechanical) controlling/timing mechanism. It looks like a steel wire bent into a triangular track, 5 inches long. The ball rolls over it and pushes the wire down through a slot in the track. This affects one of the pendulums and regulates its swinging motion. The steel ball has not stopped revolving for months.

The magnets and pendulums overcome the intermittent effect of the friction. Basically, the pull of the magnetism resets the velocity of the ball on each pass.

Outside of being an interesting device to watch, I can't think of a practical application for it.

The Impotence of Proofreading By Taylor Mali

It makes a real good point about spell checkers and proof-reading your work...

Omni-Directional Treadmill

This device could be a step forward in Virtual Reality applications (for example, games and other types of simuations).

World's Worst Dating Videos

Chad Vader Episode 8

This is the latest installment of the continuing story of Chad Vader, Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother. This episode includes long awaited battle between Clint and Chad.

Episode 8


If you have not yet already watched "Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager" episodes 1-7, you may want to watch them to get the background story. I have included links to these videos below:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6 & 7
  

FAQ: How far does the new wiretap law go?

CNET News.com reports: "Just before leaving town for a month's vacation, a divided U.S. Congress acceded to President George Bush's requests for expanded Internet and telephone surveillance powers."

CNET News.com created an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) that helps explain what the 'Protect America Act of 2007' means.

Redesigned Apple iMacs Include Massive Displays

PC Magazine: "Apple has updated its iMac line, as expected, complete with massive new flat-screen displays. ... The three iMac models will be priced at $1,199, $1,499, and $1,799, and each will be characterized by the size of its monitor: two 20-inch displays for the two lower-priced models, and a whopping 24-inch flat-screen display for the premium version."

Apple makes some great hardware, but these changes are evolutionary and not revolutionary...

Top Gear Polar Special

Can you travel to the North Pole in a car, or actually a Toyota Hilux pickup truck? Watch this latest Top Gear episode Jeremy Clarkson and James May and find out if they succeed...

Its a pretty amazing video to watch.

Software: BBC iPlayer

The BBC has released their new iPlayer (Beta) which lets you download their television programs for free from the last seven days. The programs that you download are stored in the iPlayer Library on your local computer for up to 30 days.

The iPlayer does have restrictions/limitations:

• You have to be based in the UK.
• You have to be age 16 or older.
• Currently only available for Windows XP.

Check out the web site for more information.

Study: Some Laser Printers Produce Office Smog

PC Magazine: "Scientists at the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia are scheduled to release the report to the Environmental Science & Technology journal. The report's contents have been viewed by a few publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, which reproduced the report online."

This is kind of scary if you work around laser printers on a regular basis. I am sure ink jet manufactures are going to play this up...

Can Think's electric car revolutionize the auto industry?

CNN Money reports: "But first, Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums takes the wheel. While the moneymen fiddle with their BlackBerrys, Willums, looking slightly rumpled like the academic he once was, turns the ignition, and the stub-nosed coupe silently rolls toward an open stretch of pavement. Suddenly he punches the pedal, and the car takes off like a shot, the AC motor instantaneously transferring power to the wheels. The only sound is the squealing of tires as Willums throws the little car into a tight turn and barrels back toward his startled guests."

This might be a company to keep your eye on. The article is long, but interesting.

Laminar Flow

Interesting video showing Laminar Flow and demonstrating fluid flowing in layers. Filmed at the University of New Mexico - Physics Department.

More Science Experiments...

Looking for some easy science projects that you can do with your kids to get them interested in science? Check out some of the experiments below.

Warning: These experiments generally require adult supervision.

Finding Your Way


If you were lost in the woods, would you be able to determine which way was north?

Heating a Balloon


Can you hold a balloon in a candle flame without popping it? You can if you know the right science.

Möbius Strip


Use the science of Topology to make an object with only one side and only one edge. This experiment is one of my favorites.

Can Crushing


Use steam and air pressure to crush a can in a fraction of a second.

Wii Fit Parody

SarcasticGamer.com presents a satircal look at one of Nintendo's "Big" announcements at E3. Wii Fit was billed as a fitness breakthrough. It just looked like standing around to us.

Mount Rushmore Singers

The Wealthiest Americans Ever

The New York Times has published a list of America's Wealthiest people ever. There are several surprises, and some that you will say 'well I knew that'.

All of these billionaire have had the equivalent value of their fortunes converted into today's dollars. There are also short interesting profiles on each of these billionaire.

Wrightspeed X1 (Review)

CNET reviews the Wrightspeed X1 proof-of-concept electric vehicle, that can go 0-60 MPH in 3 seconds, with the equivalent of 170 MPG; and can go 110 MPH in first gear. The only car faster then the X1 is a Bugatti Veyron that costs $1.4 million.

DDR3 Memory: Not Ready for Prime Time

ExtremeTech reports: "DDR3 memory has arrived on the scene, but the move to DDR3 memory is looking a lot like the transition from DDR SDRAM to DDR2. What's happening is that newer memory trades off latency for bandwidth. ... The recent release of the Intel P35 and G35 chipsets is the beginning of the shift to DDR3, a new memory technology that builds on the foundation built by DDR2."

Do you want DDR3 memory, then you might want to check out this article before you buy it.

Glimpse of the Future (1994)

A view of the future of the Web, circa 1994 from DEC.

Core 2 Extreme QX6850: Intel Refines the High-end Processor

ExtremeTech reports: "Ever since launching its Core 2 microprocessors in July, 2006, the Santa Clara company has maintained a steady pace, with new Core 2 introductions occurring every few months. The quad-core QX6700 launched last November. Meanwhile, price drops have occurred on a regular basis as well."

Are you looking for information about the fastest processor available today for your PC. Here is an article about Intel's new Core 2 Extreme QX6850.

The World's Tiniest PCs

Wired reports: "PCs come in all shapes and sizes. The larger they are, the more performance they tend to offer, and that's the metric that drives a market still ruled by Moore's law and its myriad derivatives. There's a certain appeal to small systems, however -- especially if you go the DIY route, proving once again that even if small can't quite run World of Warcraft, it sure can be beautiful."

Some of these devices are really cool, but you have figure out what you're going to do with it.

Free Phone Calls Forever (Podcast)

A company called ooma is launching a new hardware-based VOIP device that plugs into your existing phone system and provides unlimited landline calling in the U.S. with no monthly fee. To learn more about this device listen to the following podcast between Jim Rapoza and Andrew Frame, CEO of ooma to get all the details. The ooma hub will cost about $400, and is suppose to be available in September.

The service also offers free unlimited voicemail, and has some other specialize features (more information is available in the podcast). There is support for international calling, but the rates are similar to Skype.

I am the very model of a Singularitarian

Charlie Kam has written and recorded a humorous Singularitarian version of Gilbert & Sullivan's "I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General," from the Gilbert & Sullivan opera, "The Pirates of Penzance."

Here is Wikipedia's definition of Singularitarianism.

The Internet Is Broken

Breaking News: All data has been lost when the Internet went down. Officials confirm that all the online data has been lost and the government has forgotten to make a backup of it... Source: The Onion

Googling "how to crack a safe" nets robbers $12,000

Ars Technica reports: "Google has become so ubiquitous in many people's daily lives that it serves as the all-encompassing information source on how to do nearly anything: jump a car, tie a tie, fold a pocket square, remove ketchup stains. Oh, and crack open a safe to steal $12,000. That's what a couple of burglars did last month in Colorado, when they broke into an indoor amusement center called Bigg City armed with the knowledge they thought they needed in order to get into a couple of safes. The burglars knew the passcodes to the safes in question but were still unable to open them after several tries, so they eventually resorted to their good friend Google to tell them how."

It's amazing what people can now use Google for...

Will It Blend? The iPhone (now with iSmoke)

Everybody knows that the iPhone can make phone calls, play movies & music, surf the web, and a lot more. But, Will It Blend? That is the question.

You can also bid for the the blended iPhone on eBay.

Free Conference Calling Services

Are you looking for a free phone conference services? There are several providers out there providing the same basic services, but not all of them are created equal. Most of these services also have a 'catch' you need to be aware of.

First, all free conferencing providers don't offer toll-free dial-in numbers to access your conference. So you will be required to make a long distance call to use the service. Although if you have free long distance services on your phone this shouldn't be a problem.

Some of the free conferencing providers below have registration requirements and others don't to use their services. So you will have to find the service that you like the best.

Finally, below is the list of providers that you can use for having audio phone conferences with your family and friends.

• FreeConferenceCall.com: This free service requires you to register to receive an account. You will be provided with a dial-in number and access code for phone conferencing. Features: reservationless conferences, that can accommodate 96 callers, for up to 6 hours at a time.
  
• PowWowNow: This is another free conference calling service. All you have to do is to create a PIN (6 to 9 digits long) and share it will your friends and family. Then all they have to call the number provided on the site, enter the PIN to join the conference.
  
• FreeConference: Offers both reservations and reservationless conference calling. You do not have to set up a account or provide any information regarding your conference, everyone who calls the same Dial-in Number and enters the same Participant Access Code will be connected together.
  
• BV FreeConferencing: Free conference calling, after you register you will receive the dial-in information with your bridge number and moderator PIN. Then you can invite up to 250 attendees to join your conference call.
  

Note: This is not a complete list of free conferencing providers, if you do a search in your favorite search engine you can find more providers.

Nanotechnology Takes Off

From Lawrence Berkeley National Labs to Silicon Valley, researchers are manipulating particles at the atomic level, ushering in potential cures for cancer, clothes that don't stain, and solar panels as thick as a sheet of paper.

Videos: Easy Science Tricks

The following video include science tricks that you can do with your children. I tried to be very selective in finding ones that use household items and are relatively safe.

Although if these experiments are performed by children, there should be a responsible adult present to supervise. Finally, you do these experiments at your own risk.

Amazing Eggs And Science


Dozen Nails Trick


Water Defies Gravity


Chill A Coke In 2 Minutes


Simple Science

Requires: a bowl, milk, food coloring, q-tips and dish soap.

The Tonight Show: Anti-Helium

Sulfur hexafluoride gas is over five times denser than air, it can be poured into an open container and it won't escape. If breathed, the gas can also alter breather's voice by making it sound very deep due to the gas' density. Also light objects that contain air inside them can float on top of this gas.

Sony Cuts Price on PlayStation 3 by $100

PC Magazine reports: "Sony Corp. cut the price of the PlayStation 3 by $100, or 17 percent, in the United States on Monday ... The PlayStation 3, which includes a 60-gigabyte hard drive and a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, will now cost $500, or $20 more than the most expensive version of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360."

This is good news for people who wanted to buy a PS3 but though it was too expensive. From a hardware perspective, the PS3 is a very impressive gaming console. Although it has been plagued with poor sales due to multiple factors.

"Mac or PC" Rap Music Video

Very nerdy, but funny...

Watch A Car Bent Like an Aluminum Can

Its pretty amazing to watch these two 50 ton manipulators rip a car apart, they bend it like it was an aluminum can. The white smoke coming from the car is probably hot coolant escaping as steam from the engine.

Google: Single-Word Translations

Google is now offering single-word translations services. You were able to have similar functionality using the existing interface. Although the new service offers more comprehensive information about the word you enter.

To use the service, goto the site, enter a word or phrase that you're looking for (such as "hello" or "good night"), and then select a language pair (i.e.: English to Italian, Italian to English, etc.). Here is an example.

The iPhone Disassembled

I am a person who likes to know how everything works. So when
iFixit (an Apple parts and upgrade site) disassembled their brand new Apple iPhone and posted pictures. I want to to see it and share it.

Microsoft Touts Supercomputing for the Masses

eWeek reports: "At the International Supercomputing Conference in Dresden this week, Microsoft—a tiny player in the $10 billion market—campaigned to bring high-performance computing (HPC) to the mainstream."

Steven Levy Mugged for his iPhone Live on TV

I just found this. Here is a video of someone trying to take Steven Levy (a technology columnist for Newsweek) iPhone as he is being interviewed on live TV today.

Weekend Update iPhone Special (SNL)

In honor of all the hype that surrounds the release of the iPhone today. I am posting the following SNL video of the (fake) Steve Jobs showing up on Weekend Update to describe the iPhone.



To all those that waited in line to be the first to have this device, I really hope that you enjoy your gadget that you worked so hard to get.

Will science render men unnecessary?

MSNBC reports: "recently a team of scientists announced they had made artificial sperm from human bone marrow, and media reports abounded with the dire news that my goodfellas (and by extension, me) had been rendered unnecessary."

Good news men, we are not obsolete yet...

Article: Testing Out the iPhone - The Mossberg Solution

WSJ.com reports: "One of the most important trends in personal technology over the past few years has been the evolution of the humble cellphone into a true handheld computer, a device able to replicate many of the key functions of a laptop. But most of these "smart phones" have had lousy software, confusing user interfaces and clumsy music, video and photo playback. And their designers have struggled to balance screen size, keyboard usability and battery life."



This is the best information that I found on the iPhone so far. It also is the most balance opinion on the product that is not just full of hype or criticism. Read the article for all the details.

Article: New IBM supercomputer achieves petaflop

CNET News.com reports: "IBM has devised a new Blue Gene supercomputer--the Blue Gene/P--that will be capable of processing more than 3 quadrillion operations a second, or 3 petaflops, a possible record. Blue Gene/P is designed to continuously operate at more than 1 petaflop in real-world situations."

Wow, 3 quadrillion operations a second. That is truly amazing.

Article: Apple, AT&T Announce iPhone Service Plans

PC Magazine reports: "The iPhone will be available in a 4GB model for $499 and an 8GB model for $599. The data plans will be priced at $59.99 for 450 minutes, $79.99 for 900 minutes, and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes, AT&T said. An activation fee of $36 will also be charged"

Only three more days until you can start buying an iPhone. I really hope that they're worth the money. Although, we will soon find out.

Charge multiple mobile devices simultaneously with a single power cord

Chargepod is a 6-way charging device that allows you to charge multiple cell phones, PDAs, headsets, and most other mobile electronics with a single power cord. Just pick out the manufacturer-specific adapters for your devices and throw away the dozens of power cords and wall warts that are cluttering your office and home. Chargepod uses voltage regulator technology and interchangeable power adapters to safely charge all of your mobile devices regardless of manufacturer or model.

For more information check out the following web site.

Article: Portable power from trash

CNET News.com reports: "A company called AgriPower will begin production next year of a movable power generator fueled by a wide range of waste products, from walnut shells to discarded tires."

This technology would be better if they could generate the power without creating emissions.

Autocar - Supercar Group Test

A bunch of super cars compared: Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Audi R8, Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Aston Martin DB9. Who will win?

Article: I'll give up money, sex ... but not the mobile

Yahoo! News reports: "Young Britons would rather give up sex than live without their mobile phones, according to a survey. .. One in three people would not sacrifice their mobile phone for one million pounds or more"

Several years ago I gave up my land line (POTS or Plain Old Telephone Service) and I use my mobile phone exclusively. I know I am not the first or the last do this, but I don't love my mobile phone as much as these people in this article.

Article: Digital Da Vinci Codes: Thousands of Leonardo's Papers Go Online

Wired reports: "The tiny brick library in Leonardo Da Vinci's hometown is putting 3,000 pages of the genius' work online in a high-resolution, searchable archive. ... The Leonardian Library in Vinci, Tuscany, is making the Madrid Codices and the Codex Atlanticus -- two collections of scientific and technical drawings -- available as a free digital archive called e-Leo."

Proposed Amendment Would Ban All DVD Copying - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

PC Magazine reports: "A proposed amendment to the current copy protection license governing DVDs would completely ban all DVD backups, and prevent DVD playback without the DVD disk being present inside the drive."

I have always said that I believe in a companies right to protect its intellectual property. But I believe in the consumer's right to make 'personal use' backups of media that they have legally purchased.

Article: Is Open Source Dying?

eWeek reports: The Free Software Foundation and Linux continue to engage in a pissing match over some of the terms of GPLv3, making the open-source community seem, once again, like splinter groups of some radical political organization more interested in winning arcane theological disputes than actually taking power."

I personally don't want to see the demise of open source, but there are a lot problems and most of them have existed for years.