3:46 PM CST     0 comments

Free Apps: AnalogX

AnalogX produces some top notch freeware utilities. I've used several of their products, including their ShoutCast server app, and I'm never had a lick of trouble. Most of their apps aren't very fancy, but they perform their prescribed task quite well. If you've ever installed much freeware you'll know how truly rare this is.

11:38 AM CST     0 comments

Cam Tech: US Open Slam Cam

This is the first time I've seen a truly interactive web cam. You just set your zoom level and click where you want the camera to focus. What's even more amazing is the speed. This is one fast robotic camera.

8:59 AM CST     0 comments

Oops: MS fumbles Word privacy scare

MS will never understand. This is a perfect example of how wholesale integration hurts consumers. It's completely insane that turning off cookies in your browser could effect the operation of your word processor.

8:41 AM CST     0 comments

MedTech: Video Pill Probes Intestines

This is a really cool idea. I'm not sure I could swallow such a large pill, but it sure as hell beats the alternative.

8:32 AM CST     0 comments

Heinous: MSN overhaul takes many cues from rival AOL

"MSN Explorer--that not only integrates all of Microsoft's online offerings under a single interface but also gives the entire World Wide Web a proprietary Microsoft feel"

In a word: ick.

8:27 AM CST     0 comments

CDR Resource: CDRInfo.com

This site has all sorts of tools and tips for everyone from casual to hardcore.

[link courtesy of Ars Technica]

9:42 AM CST     0 comments

Anime Fans: megatokyo

Daily anime comics with a gaming twist. Schweet.

9:23 AM CST     0 comments

Whoa: Overclockers Australia - The Big Kahuna!

Now that's a big computer.

[thanks to the The Register for the link]

9:13 AM CST     0 comments

What? ME slow? Windows ME: A radical upgrade

This article is nearly 100% marketing jibberish. What's interesting is about two-thirds of the way down the page there is a little section titled "ME vs. 98SE" with real-world performance stats for both OS's on multiple machines. What it boils down to is that, unless you're using mostly Java, ME is slower.

It remains to be seen whether Microsoft's "system agents", which are responsible for the slow down, are worth the performance hit.

8:51 AM CST     0 comments

Et Tu Au? Xbox, Xbox, über alles

Wagner Au has always delivered the goods when it comes to video game coverage in Salon. After reading page one of this article I was tempted to blog it under the title "what color is your crack pipe?". Once I got past page one though, I began to see his point.

It's impossible to say for sure, since Fall 2001 is so far off, but it looks fairly likely Au is right. The XBox may actually have a chance.

8:39 AM CST     0 comments

Bravo: Reporter Wins Whistleblower Case

I'm less than thrilled Florida was forced to legislate such a basic right as journalistic integrity. That said, it's good to see ethical behavior rewarded for a change.

8:32 AM CST     0 comments

Uhm: Computing heavyweights to chaperone Linux into servers

Pardon me, but I fairly certain that Linux was already on servers. This headline, if it were written truthfully, would read "Computing heavyweights to reap benefits from the sweat of open source programmers".

4:54 PM CST     0 comments

Cool Plugin: MusicTicker

If you use WinAmp, a web site, and a persistent web connection then MusicTicker is a very easy way to provide constantly changing content for your site. All it really does is prepare a file that contains a list of the last few tracks you've played and what is playing right now. This file can then be tacked onto your page via a server side include or ASP or whatever.

[props to goatee style for the link]

11:42 AM CST     0 comments

Woo: Library Cats Map

An invaluable resource for travellers. I mean, would you want to go to a town that doesn't have a library cat? I think not.

11:24 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: Ex-Microsoft employees report Unix is all around

It seems Remond isn't eating their fair share of their own dog food. Not terribly surprising really.

9:02 AM CST     0 comments

False Alarm: Sony backtracks from anti-Napster spiel

Whew! I guess Sony wasn't planned to block file sharing technology after all. It was just the personal opinion of a "confused" employee. What a relief!

Riiiiight...

8:58 AM CST     0 comments

Good idea: Complicated computers

Gateway apparently feels that their customers are a bunch of dumbasses. But fear not, they can help.

Give me a break.

8:53 AM CST     0 comments

Sniglets anyone? Watch Out Jay Leno

The funniest thing about this piece is that they call Rich Hall "up and coming". He's been around for, what, twenty years? Heh.

8:41 AM CST     0 comments

Snapster? Kodak takes on free file swapping--for photos

While it may be just another song and dance, Kodak seems to be taking a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to digital sharing. Let's see if they put their product where their mouth is.

8:37 AM CST     0 comments

More RAM Talk: Intel, Rambus mull overhaul for RDRAM

Frankly, I'm somewhat skeptical that the cost reduction will outweigh the performance hit. It seems to me that Rambus wants its cake (the high end) and to eat it too (the low end).

Of course, there's always the possibility that someone else will eat their cake for them. Here's hoping.

8:31 AM CST     0 comments

Little, Purple, Different: Gamecube Photos

The Daily Radar has one of the better photo collections of the Gamecube I've seen anywhere. Unlike most folks I really like look of the new controller. If it feels half as good as they say, I'll be hooked.

I think that's one of the biggest reasons I don't have a Dreamcast... their controllers suck.

8:28 AM CST     0 comments

Doh! Glitch prompts Intel to recall 1.13-GHz Pentiums

That's gotta hurt. Considering AMD seems to be on track with it's 1.1GHz offering, Intel has a lot too lose.

These chips must be really bad for them to issue a public recall at such a critical juncture.

[thanks to Ars Technica for the heads up]

8:45 AM CST     0 comments

Uh-oh: Transmeta chips not up to scratch

Trouble in paradise for TransMeta.

8:36 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: MS snows on AT&T's TV plans

Microsoft slip on a deadline? Surely you jest. You don't think they overpromised just to lock other vendors out of the market so you? Nah... they'd never do something like that.

8:25 AM CST     0 comments

Bravo: Google Senses That It's Time to Grow Up

I'm glad to see that "growing up" doesn't include a couple hundred ad banners and hideous interface bloat.

"Search is a very core function,'' Brin said. "It deserves 100 percent focus.''

Amen.

8:13 AM CST     0 comments

Strange: Tech giants slam Napster injunction

It's pretty amazing these briefs were filed at all. Pitting left hand against right can result in some pretty ugly politics sometimes.

I applaud these organizations for taking a stand. Regardless of which side of the argument they come down on, far too many companies have been doing some championship fence sitting.

7:59 AM CST     0 comments

Woo: Ars Technica T-Shirt

"You don't need to know everything, you only need to know what's important!"

12:14 PM CST     0 comments

Heh: Introducing The Computer of 2010

It's always entertaining to read articles and/or books which try and predict what sorts of technology will be commonplace in the future. It's even more entertaining to read old ones and laugh at how little the "experts" get right.

Regardless, Frog Design is involved so it's worth reading.

10:59 AM CST     0 comments

Virus Resource: McAfee Virus Listing

Despite its lengthy and nearly impossible to remember url, this page offers very good descriptions and tracking information for new viruses. They also include a severity rating.

10:34 AM CST     0 comments

Interesting: MindPixel

How can you make a computer think like a human? That has been the question since the first computer was devised and MindPixel thinks they may have an answer.

In simple terms, a MindPixel is a single piece of the human experience. Sugar tastes sweet. Pepper makes you sneeze. Anything that defines our existence can be expressed as a MindPixel. Give the machine enough of these concepts, say a billion or so, and it will be able to think and act human. That's the theory anyway.

The really cool thing about MindPixel.com is that you can earn shares in their company simply by offering MindPixels to their program. Pretty cool stuff.

[thanks to I, Cringely for the link]

10:02 AM CST     0 comments

Resource: AnswerMed.com - Knowledge for Better Health

Ever go to the doctor to get answers to a health problem and leave feeling more confused than when you went in? Well, you're not alone. AnswerMed allows keyword searches of their database.

Simply type in diagnosis terms or other descriptions and AnswerMed provides a clear cut, plain english description.

9:24 AM CST     0 comments

Privacy Alert: Privacy group accused of breaking own rules

The big news in this article is not whether or not TRUSTe has done anything shady. The thing that alarmed me is that the service in question is TheCounter.com.

Long story short, if you use a counter from TheCounter.com on your site they may be tracking your visitors and selling private information to the highest bidder. If push comes to shove guess who would be liable for any damages? Uh-huh.

9:18 AM CST     0 comments

For shame: Nike admits it: Tiger Woods doesn't use the balls he endorses

Big deal. Very few celebrities use the products they endorse. If Tiger needs a better ball than Nike can produce, then I say more power to him.

9:08 AM CST     0 comments

P4mance News: Pentium 4: Worth the price?

Intel is disputing claims that the 1.4GHz P4 is slower than the 1GHz P3. As I've mentioned earlier, Tom's Hardware disagrees and has prepared a brief statement to that effect. The Register has a few juicy technical details as well.

This one has the potential to get interesting.

8:22 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: Custom Photo Pillowcases

Just what you always wanted. A pillowcase with your dog's picture on it.

11:20 AM CST     0 comments

Cool: Cranky Critic Movie Posters

An archive of movie posters. I've seen this sort of thing before, but this is the first one I've found where the scans are clear and of a usable size.

9:39 AM CST     0 comments

NASCAR News: NASCAR ON TV: Questions are prevalent heading into 2001 season

What does 2001 hold in store for NASCAR fans? Well, according to this article there are a lot of changes on the way.

9:08 AM CST     0 comments

Inevitable: Real DOS-Mode Patch for Windows Millennium

This patch will "unhide" DOS on your Windows ME machine. I didn't figure it would take long for someone to correct Microsoft's "oversight" on this issue.

9:05 AM CST     0 comments

Pretty: Dolphin Gamecube News

The Reg scooped a rendering of the new Nintendo Gamecube. It looks a lot like a chubby, purple Playstation.

8:43 AM CST     0 comments

Silly: Microsoft glitch leaves IM contact lists vulnerable

How tough could it possibly be to fix such a simple problem? There's more to this story than is being reported.

8:41 AM CST     0 comments

Bravo: Why Transmeta Matters

Finally a reporter who sees the forest instead of the trees. We need more like him.

8:37 AM CST     0 comments

Choke: Judge's ruling would limit MP3.com's damages

Yeah. It would limit the damages to $2.4 billion.

Chump change.

8:33 AM CST     0 comments

BBC News: Chinese spammers warned

What was that about a spoon full of sugar?

8:29 AM CST     0 comments

Huh? K-Meleon browser part Mozilla, part IE

What I really don't understand here is why this is necessary. I mean, people who like IE should use IE. People who want to use Netscape don't want it to look and act like IE.

Maybe I'm just missing something here.

2:28 PM CST     0 comments

Whoa: Bad Hair Days - August 23, 2000

"That's what I need on the rest of my life: a new face. A new shine, a new facade, something that tickles when I least expect it."

It's kinda neat to hear someone else vocalize your thoughts.

Thank you, Beth.

12:55 PM CST     0 comments

Yes, but why do we *need* faster camels? That's the question.

11:06 AM CST     0 comments

Oooh: UncommonGoods: black and white

A whole catalog section devoted to black and white items. I'm hooked.

9:06 AM CST     0 comments

Shocker: Some e-tailers still missing customer service boat

More worthless studies. All anyone has to do is attempt to purchase something online to know there are problems.

8:51 AM CST     0 comments

Sheesh: Bush Hacks His Way Into a Linguistic Thicket

This is further proof that even when his trainers are putting words in his mouth, Dubyuh lacks the intelligence to even get that right. It's frightening.

8:48 AM CST     0 comments

Sigh: Sony will block Napster at source

Or so said Steve Heckler, senior VP of Sony, as he addressed attendees of the ACIS2000 convention. Apparently Sony intends to block Napster "at your cable company, we will block it at your phone company, we will block it at your [ISP and] at your PC."

A scary thought indeed.

8:31 AM CST     0 comments

Interesting: Power Mac Cube Revealed

This site has photos (and what I'm assuming is Japanese text) showing the inner components of a Power Mac Cube. It's interesting to see how it all fits together. Apple should be commended for their industrial design prowess.

[link courtesy of Ars Technica]

8:08 AM CST     0 comments

Ugh: Girl's Breasts Removed After Botched Surgery

This was certainly a harsh lesson, but really... breast augmentation at 17? There are some sick parents out there.

4:55 PM CST     0 comments

Creepy: TerraServer Homepage

It really creeps me out that Microsoft is involved in this:

That's a picture of my house taken from space. What's really scary is the picture above doesn't even scratch the surface of what is possible with our current spy satellites.

2:02 PM CST     0 comments

Dolphin news: So you want to know the real name of Nintendo's next-generation console?

Wow. What a boring name.

12:45 PM CST     0 comments

I've just about cracked the secret fast food code:

• No Tomato = 1 cubic buttload of Mayo


• No Onion = 3 gallons of heavily salted catsup


• No Pickle = 1 tragically misaligned bun which can't be straightened because the melted cheese has rehardened so you just have to eat half a sandwich without bun and half a bun without a sandwich

12:25 PM CST     0 comments

7up tastes like sweetened battery acid.

[ask a silly question...]

11:39 AM CST     0 comments

Yeah, baby: FRONTX Computer Port Extension

I need me one of these. It's certainly worth a few bucks not to have to cram myself under my desk to switch gamepads.

8:53 AM CST     0 comments

Thppt: Intel widens Rambus gap

Intel just will not give up on RDRAM. Such a pity.

2:51 PM CST     0 comments

Shocker: Majority of Iranian Girls Wish They Were Boys

In a tandem poll, people were asked while being beaten on the head with a bamboo reed whether they would prefer that the interviewer stop beating them. 57% said Yes, 34% said they prefered Pepsi over Coke, 7% failed to notice the interviewer or the beating because they were talking on their cellphone, and finally 2% confessed that, while they have tried marijuana, they never inhaled.

That last 2% were, of course, arrested immediately and stripped of all their possessions. We gotta protect the kids you know.

1:41 PM CST     0 comments

Heh: PawSense

PawSense helps you catproof your computer by detecting "cat-like typing" and issuing a cat annoying sound. They even offer samples of sounds that annoy cats.

[link courtesy of Penny]

1:16 PM CST     0 comments

More Mozilla Gripes

Okay. I can live with link underlining. Fine. But how about these:

1) Arrow keys don't scroll the page. Very rarely they work, but for the most part, uh-uh.

2) The Esc key doesn't stop page loading.

3) The Alt-Left isn't tied to the Back button anymore. Neither is Alt-Right tied to the Forward button.

4) A second press of the Stop button still kills animated gifs, but the button appears disabled on the toolbar. Disabled buttons which still work are UI suicide.

5) The Download Progress dialog cannot be minimized.

6) The mail client is so cluttered as to be unusable.

Man. I *really* want to use this browser, but they are making it very hard for me.

10:47 AM CST     0 comments

CoolTech: Tellaseek

Tellaseek is a web-based Gnutella client written entirely in PHP3. Considering most Gnutella clients are so notoriously buggy, this is certainly a step in the right direction.

9:26 AM CST     0 comments

Woo: Skewer sharpened on Mystery Science Theater pokes fun at bad blockbusters

Mike Nelson returns with a book full of MSTesque goodness.

[thanks to Ars Technica for the link]

9:20 AM CST     0 comments

Per4mance: Intel to spill Pentium 4 details at forum

One thing this article fails to mention are the performance results that independent testers are getting on the 1.4Ghz P4. Long story short, the 1GHz P3 is roughly equivalent in performance to the 1.4GHz P4.

The price, however, isn't likely to be as equally matched.

9:13 AM CST     0 comments

Bah: When magazines lose their charm

I say kill'em all. There hasn't been a computer magazine worth reading since they canned Byte.

9:09 AM CST     0 comments

Surprise: Erratic Windows Me contest site irks Web surfers

Imagine that. I wonder what they're running?

Hmm...

8:50 AM CST     0 comments

Hmpf: Dotcom backlash hitting the 'burbs

These landlords are going get a big surprise when all the dot-com startups go belly up and nobody else moves in.

8:48 AM CST     0 comments

Strange: Court Bans Drunk Wheelchair Driver

This seems a bit cruel to me... I mean, yeah the guy was drunk, but how else is he supposed to get around? I can't imagine any court forbidding an able bodied person to walk while drunk. Why is this any different?

2:01 PM CST     0 comments

Update:

I just added a little comment system for the blog. Click on the little megaphone next to the time to view the comments about an item or to post your own comment.

Try to treat it gently until the all bugs are worked out. If you run across any bugs, please report them to me.

8:56 AM CST     0 comments

Bleh: DSL Users Sue Over Slowness

Then again, DSL doesn't look that great either.

8:54 AM CST     0 comments

Cable Schmable: Cable Net Users Feel Squeezed

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand I can certainly see how ComCast et al should be reimbursed for the bandwidth consumed. Then again, I don't think restricting the usage of bandwidth which has already been paid for is right either.

When it comes down to it we're likely to see providers put QoS and ToS equipment in place to govern the use of their facilities. If you're surfing or chatting or whatever you'll sail right through. Try and grab MP3's or watch live video and your connection will slow to a crawl.

8:46 AM CST     0 comments

Heh: Are the best Web domains being hoarded?

If anyone really believed NSI would just roll over and give their brass ring to anyone who wanted it, then they were being tremendously naive.

8:41 AM CST     0 comments

Bloat: Eudora gets chatty with voice, text

Talk about hangin a bag on the side of a product. Outlook must really be eroding their market share for Eudora to attempt something this silly.

8:30 AM CST     0 comments

Rash's Judgment: Movie Industry Could Undermine Your Business--And Free Speech

I used to read Rash's Judgement back in the days before the internet was even a blip on anyone's radar. He has always had a very logical method of approaching his subject matter which I really enjoy. This is the first article I've seen which didn't get emotion confused with the facts.

8:16 AM CST     0 comments

CoolTech: CoolEmail

Even need to access your e-mail from a hotel that barely has phones, much less laptop ports? This could be the ticket. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I'd be interested to see it in operation.

4:53 PM CST     0 comments

Well... it looks like the "BlogThis" bookmarklet works fine. The main edit mode from blogger.com doesn't work at all though. *sigh*

4:49 PM CST     0 comments

Testing: Mozilla

I'm posting this from Mozilla to test its form handling. The last version I downloaded had little to no support for forms. This one not only seems to work, in some cases it works better than Navigator 4.

I'm still debating on using it as my primary browser. I doubt I will though because 1) it's slow, and 2) you still can't turn off link underlining. I mean, the check box has been in the preferences dialog since the pre-alpha days, but it just doesn't work. Actually, most of the bugs I've encountered are in the preferences dialog. Odd that.

Anyway, I'm gonna hit the publish button and see what happens! Wish me luck!

8:55 AM CST     0 comments

Whatever: New character from Chuck Jones gets Web premiere

I don't know about you, but I don't *want* any new Chuck Jones characters. I'm quite happy with the classics.

8:49 AM CST     0 comments

CyberEd: Costs Do Not Compute

Should schools be "saturated" with technology? Do kids develop better with experience in the real world rather than virtual ones? It's a growing area of concern for many educators.

Personally, I think kids are better off with equal exposure to each side of the equation. Too much of anything is generally a bad influence.

8:42 AM CST     0 comments

Security Talk: Do security holes demand full disclosure?

This is a fairly comprehensive article about how "security experts" should handle the reporting of security flaws. It's certainly worth a quick scan if you are new to the world of bugs and patches.

That being said, the authors name is Weld Pond. What's up with that?

8:22 AM CST     0 comments

Woo: European start-up banking on the need for weed

Now *this* is what I call a grass roots industry.

9:01 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: PeoplePC sells shares after slashing expectations

I wonder what happens when they go belly up? I mean, do their customers have to return the PC's? Can you imagine the cost involved with repoing a couple hundred-thousand machines?

8:56 AM CST     0 comments

More bugs: Experts corroborate Windows, IE security hole

This is a pretty boring article overall, but there's one section I simply love:

"It seems that at least in Windows 2000, Microsoft attempted to do the right thing," Levy wrote in a posting to Bugtraq today. "The user browsing the malicious folder is asked whether they wish to execute the script within the Folder.htt file, but regardless of the answer the script is executed."

Isn't that great?

8:50 AM CST     0 comments

Ick: Firm Tracking Consumers on Web for Drug Companies

As I've said before, tracking is unethical and should be illegal. In this particular instance since drug companies are involved privacy becomes even more important. Health care professionals are often given access to our most private details. Detail which could literally ruin a person's life if spread outside of the caregiving context.

This practice of ever-increasing levels of surveillance must be stopped and stopped quickly.

8:45 AM CST     0 comments

Inklings: Artists use Net for low-cost creativity

The tide is turning. Artists are starting to make up to the possbilities of the new distribution model. The early adopters are subject to the worst of the risk, but they are important to establish the medium as a viable alternative to the current greed machine.

8:41 AM CST     0 comments

Bubba Watch: Clinton Lunches at McDonalds

Man, I miss Phil Hartman.

8:39 AM CST     0 comments

Silly: Couple name baby after music Web site

It's amazing what some people will do for money.

3:10 PM CST     0 comments

W2k IIS Users: Patch Available for Specialized Header Vulnerability

If your site runs IIS5 on W2k, you'll want to check this out.

1:04 PM CST     0 comments

Gimme: Werkshop

Despite the title, this isn't a zannah site. I don't think...

Either way they've got a fairly wide selection of schwag for some really cool, but eclectic bands. For instance, where else would you find a Moist T-Shirt?

12:52 PM CST     0 comments

Whoo! BareNaked Ladies

BNL has a new album coming out! On my wedding anniversary!

New music! Barenaked Ladies!

Exclamation points!!!

[link courtesy of Michael]

8:56 AM CST     0 comments

Think green: Hopping into hybrids

I love the idea of a hybrid gas/electric vehicle. What I don't love are the designs. Is there some esoteric law of physics that demands these vehicles be ugly?

I mean, the Prius is certainly more attractive than the Insight, but that's a lesser of two evils thing.

8:33 AM CST     0 comments

Interesting: New credit-card technology uses sound waves to enforce security

A new solution to an old problem. My biggest concern is that if the card gets lost or stolen then we're back to square one with only a password to protect the data.

8:17 AM CST     0 comments

Taps: Microsoft takes direct control of WebTV businesses

Looks like Ceej got out just in the nick of time. Alas, poor WebTV, we knew thee well.

9:35 AM CST     0 comments

Behold the power of blog: Fake 'Star Wars' trailer surpasses 1 million downloads

What I really thought was cool was this Lucasfilm statement:

"People keep asking us about the controversy," said Lucasfilm spokeswoman Jeanne Cole. "There is no controversy. We look at it as an homage from our fans of Star Wars. We're fine with it."

Fox, Mattel, and others could learn a lot from Lucas.

9:01 AM CST     0 comments

Dumb: MS dumping Win95 support in next version of Office?

Don't even get me started on how silly such a move, if factual, would be for MS.

8:46 AM CST     0 comments

Whoa: 124 Cars a Day Stolen in Mexico

This sounds like a lot, but then again Mexico is a big place. Really though 124 a day is only one every 20 minutes. I'd wager there are quite a few countries that could beat that statistic handily. Like Australia for instance.

8:39 AM CST     0 comments

Say that again: Will the real Linux users please stand?

This is a fairly boring article until you get to this statement:

DC's Kusnetzky noted that not every CIO is up-to-speed as to which operating systems his or her company is deploying at all times.

Who are these clueless dweebs? I don't know about you guys, but if I were running a company and my CIO wasn't aware which operating systems we were deploying I would be more than a little nervous.

8:34 AM CST     0 comments

Update: Get 'Blue Book' value for your old PC

More details on the new Gateway trade-in program.

8:31 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: Microsoft changes support policies for Windows, Office

Not to be overly dramatic, but this sort of announcement hints that Microsoft may be starting to consider the profitability of each of their divisions. This is most likely a preemptive strike for MS to staunch the flow of red ink from their support division.

3:29 PM CST     0 comments

Well, I finally had to bite the bullet and trash my Netscape.hst file. *thppt*

8:54 AM CST     0 comments

AMD: What can you run on a 'Hammer'?

Like Reverend Run always said, it's tricky. AMD has certainly captured the public's attention by announcing that it's 64-bit processor will continue to support 32-bit software, but Microsoft and other OS makers are decidedly cool to the prospect.

Really though that should come as no surprise. Microsoft loves Intel's 64-bit roadmap because it requires everyone to throw away all of their current software. Every single user from the playroom to the Pentagon will be forced to buy new copies of all their applications. AMD's announcement throws a big ol' monkey wrench in those plans.

And I, for one, applaud AMD for it.

8:44 AM CST     0 comments

Hell Yeah: X-Games

The 2000 X-Games kicks off next Thursday. Gentlemen start your TiVos.

Speaking of which... I forgot to show you guys my new 'blades:

8:35 AM CST     0 comments

Whoa: Amazon registers car-related Web names

Jeff Bezos is one incredibly smart guy. Even if Amazon isn't going into the used car business, I can't imagine a more inexpensive way to generate hype than this. Registering five domains costs anywhere from $40 to $175, depending on the registrar, and Amazon will likely reap tremendous benefits in free advertising and stock speculation.

That's how you make money folks... you pay pennies for dollars.

8:26 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: Adobe sues Macromedia over display technology

You mean like the "tabbed palette" on Amazon? Or KBKids? Or CDNow?

Let's get real. Adobe is just ticked off because Director and Flash have taken off while their own web apps haven't quite captured the public eye yet. Just another case of a company using the courts to fight battles it can't seem to win in the marketplace.

8:22 AM CST     0 comments

BusinessWeek: 3-D That Could Transform the Web

I know, I know... we've heard the siren call of the 3D web experience before and the reality (no pun intended) never quite lived up to the hype. Well these guys seem to think they have it beat. I suppose the true test will be in converting their theories into a marketable application.

2:04 PM CST     0 comments

Surreal: FLASH DARE! Sportswear

Further proof that life imitates fiction.

[link courtesy of /usr/bin/robot/]

1:08 PM CST     0 comments

Schweet: Moloko : Do You Like My Tight Sweater

I just bought this CD after sampling a few track courtesy of the lovely and talented penny. As I was opening the jewel case I noticed a little message on the back of the booklet...

"try smelling Moloko CDs before and after use for a fuller sensual experience"

...so I figured what the hell and smelled it. It smells like chocolate. That is *so* cool.

Perhaps I'm too easily amused?

11:45 AM CST     0 comments

Like the new "summer" look?

9:28 AM CST     0 comments

AMD-licious: AMD releasing details on 64-bit Sledgehammer

AMD seems to have a slight edge against Intel's 64-bit Itanium (more often referred to as the Itanic). On top of the Sledgehammer announcements AMD is also slashing prices on most of their current crop of silicony goodness. Between AMD and TransMeta Intel had better start getting their act together and quick.

9:23 AM CST     0 comments

Science: Genius of genes

Scientists have identified the portions of the human genome which govern the development of intelligence. Call me a cynic, but I don't consider this a 'good thing'. It opens the door for any number of abuses.

I stop short of condemning gene research in general simply because they may discover cures for AIDS, cancer, etc. I just wish scientists were more interested in curing disease than they are in securing grant money for studies such as this one.

9:17 AM CST     0 comments

Shocker: Prince Really Digs His Napster

Prince tossing barbs at Time-Warner? Who would have guessed? You can apparently read his views on NPG Online (assuming you can actually *find* his views in that mess of an interface).

What I find sad is that Prince is so far out of the mainstream these days that reporters find it necessary to mention a few of his hit songs.

9:12 AM CST     0 comments

Bug Report: Netscape flaw displays hard drive

MSNBC thinks 'Brown Orifice' (aren't these guys clever with their names?) is a threat. ZDNet disagrees. I'm not sure I agree with either side.

Regardless, it would be a good idea to disable java unless you're behind a firewall.

9:05 AM CST     0 comments

Mmmm: Housewife in Brazil finds human finger in bag of popcorn

[insert your own KFC joke here]

9:00 AM CST     0 comments

A word to the wise:

Don't ever let your Netscape.hst file grow beyond 20MB. I've had my "Pages will expire in History" preference set to 999 days for several years now and it never gave me a lick of trouble. Until it hit 20MB that is.

After that point I would get these five to ten second pauses when using Netscape. It didn't seem to matter what I was doing, Navigator and Messenger both suffered equally.

After setting my prefs back to a more sane 180 days, things are back to normal. The only negative side effect I can see is that the History function no longer works. Apparently the .hst database is corrupted or something. Such is life.

8:45 AM CST     0 comments

CAUS.ORG: Citizens Against UFO Secrecy

It's nice to know that there will always be good people like Peter A. Gersten to go to bat for us. Even though he does appear to be floating in a highly suspicious manner on their splash page.

8:36 AM CST     0 comments

SETI Slickers: Screensavers could save lives

Ok. I buy the fact that all these spare cycles are out there doing nothing most of the time. I also agree that SETI@Home has done a decent job of harnessing this power. What I don't get is where the money to pay that many people will come from.

8:31 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: No such thing as a free PC

Are free PC's possible? Well, yes and no. Strictly speaking *someone* has to pay for the base components. The free part comes in when a company can hook use of the pc to a monthly or annual service fee.

So far most of the "free pc" programs have failed. Personally, I think most people understand that $20 a month for the rest of your life works out to more than a one time cost of $400.

8:23 AM CST     0 comments

Whoop: Bjork Remix Web

A great resource for Bjork fans and a kickin' design too.

[thanks to Chairman Kai for the link]

8:54 AM CST     0 comments

NDA Buster: Official Xbox XDK details

XBOX365.com busts out with a fairly comprehensive spec list for the XBox. Microsoft is apparently going to follow through with their threat to make the game system Win2k based. Considering how shady the implementation of Direct3D is for Win2k right now, it will be interesting to see if they can meet their late 2001 release date.

[thanks to TheRegister for the link]

8:37 AM CST     0 comments

ZDNet: The greening of the IT work force

This concept is sound from a business standpoint, but these companies need to remember that inexperienced workers require a much higher level of management staff. If your managers can't communicate ideas well or learn to apply the unique skills of each intern then your IT department could devolve rather quickly.

8:30 AM CST     0 comments

Bad News for Gamers: PlayStation 2: Worth the Wait?

Hmm... I may wait for the Dolphin after all. This sounds tremendously bad for Sony. If PS2 games look and play worse than the Dreamcast (which has been available for nearly a year) then how bad will they look when compared to Dolphin or the XBox?

8:24 AM CST     0 comments

New Scientist: Signal boost

I saw a piece on CNN this weekend about these satellite radio systems. Basically it boils down to commercial-free radio for a flat monthly fee. Most companies are suggesting $10/month, but that could slide as the subscription rates rise.

The biggest hurdle is, a usual, hardware. The satellite radio receivers are currently $250 and up.

8:14 AM CST     0 comments

Not bad: Gateway handles PC trades--no matter the maker

This is a rather simple idea that should allow Gateway to pick up even more market share. I mean, it's not like they ever tried to actually resell the PC's people traded in anyway. What difference does it make whether it's a Dell or a Packard Bell if you are just going to trash it?

8:11 AM CST     0 comments

Damn: Actor Sir Alec Guinness dies at 86

May the Force be with him.

3:00 PM CST     0 comments

Peep this: Dolphin FAQ

One of the better Nintendo Dolphin FAQ's I've found.

[link courtesy of PlanetN2000]

11:23 AM CST     0 comments

Unbelievable: Beware of geeks bearing gifts

A technology journalism with a memory? How could this be?

Bravo to you, Mr. Simson Garfinkle, even if your name does resemble a 60's folk duo.

11:11 AM CST     0 comments

Dumb Criminals: Pungent Garlic Masks Miami Marijuana Shipment

Didn't those guys see Beverly Hills Cop? Everybody knows you use *coffee* to smuggle drugs, not garlic. Garlic is for smuggling vampires... or something.

9:55 AM CST     0 comments

Salon.com: Trick of the light

Apparently those scientists didn't actually break the speed of light after all, the media just blew it all out of proportion. Imagine that.

9:51 AM CST     0 comments

Damn: S3 closes Diamond graphics board biz

I suppose it was only a matter of time. The graphics board business is certainly a tough row to hoe, particularly with all the console gaming deals going on right now.

It's still a shame though because Diamond made some well-engineered boards. They were one of the first companies to realize that high-end GPUs needed heatsinks and/or fans. They will be missed.

8:42 AM CST     0 comments

Whoa: Bear kills shepherd, leaves flock untouched

You have to wonder what this guy did to provoke such a karmic rebalancing.

8:32 AM CST     0 comments

Redherring.com: Bill Gates Unplugged

An interesting article if only to gauge Bill's level of commitment to the whole .NET concept. Since they've been showing those "Microsoft is good" commercials I can't read interviews like this without hearing his calm, reassuring voice in my head. Gives me the willies it does.

[thanks to El Bretto for the link]

8:27 AM CST     0 comments

Heh: Tim's Home Page - The Sock Monkey With Attitude!

Now this is an internet rock star. *ahem*

3:03 PM CST     0 comments

SQL Users: SQLTeam

Basically Slashdot for SQL geeks. It's just getting off the ground so there are relatively few posts at the moment. Seems like a cool idea though.

[thanks to 4guys for the link]

2:56 PM CST     0 comments

Woo: MAC Cosmetics

Ru Paul's cosmetics company. You just *know* you want to click, girlfriend!

1:52 PM CST     0 comments

True: If Architects Had to Work Like Web Programmers

Personally, I wouldn't restrict this attitude to web programmers though. I was forced to deal with RFP's like that years before the web took off.

[thanks to Kim for the link]

9:46 AM CST     0 comments

Ick: A quaint, old relic from the past

Is the W3C a relic of a bygone era? The author doesn't seem to think so. Personally I'm not so sure.

9:43 AM CST     0 comments

Damn: New Napster-like service enables game swapping

I wondered how long it would take before the buzz over Napster filtered down to console emulators. I wish I could say I'm surprised.

9:39 AM CST     0 comments

Whoa: Judge orders FBI to release email scanner records

Bravo to this judge. We need more like him.

9:37 AM CST     0 comments

Dodge this: Beating Down Your Biggest Fan

This sort of thing really ticks me off. Mattel, Fox Network, and Dodge are attacking the very people who line their ever increasing pockets.

9:01 AM CST     0 comments

Bleh: Web hosting firm upgrades service, threatens eviction

It's always good to hear the some internet companies are doing so well that they can afford to alienate their customers. If this were an isolated case it wouldn't bother me, but you just know it isn't.

8:30 AM CST     0 comments

Dumb: Did "Deep-Linking" Really Get a Green Light?

Ok... this bugged me when I first heard about it a year or so ago and it still bugs me now. If Ticketmaster wanted to stop deep linking they could do it with a simple token scheme. Just assign a token to a user when they hit the home page, if a browser hits a deeper page without an active token then, boom, redirect the browser back to the home page. This could also be used to allow "deep bookmarking" by consumers because the token would still be assigned to their browser upon return visits.

But, no. They sue instead. Pthppt.