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::: Friday, August 29 ::: |
Booyah: Jesse's Bookmarklets Site
A wonderful collection of bookmarklets for use in Mozilla, IE, and other browsers. I partcularly like the plugin zapper which can kill Flash and other plug-in based annoyances.
3:37 PM CST ::
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Ahem: Pepsi Vanilla
Just in case you weren't satisfied having a single ass-flavored cola, now there are two to choose from. Ain't capitalism grand?
10:33 AM CST ::
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::: Thursday, August 28 ::: |
Sigh: Symantec adds product activation
Great timing, guys. Everyone and their brother is rushing out to buy new anti-virus software and Symantec decides now is the time to start clamping down on sharing.
What's even sillier is that Symantec doesn't need product activation. All they need to do is verify the serial number against a hardware signature when an update is requested. Then it wouldn't matter if someone gave a copy to everyone in their neighborhood. If no one but the original owner could get updates, they'd wise up quick.
2:09 PM CST ::
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Staggering: The Ever-Growing Virus Crisis
Security experts estimate 5% or less of home users are running firewalls.
There's a statistic that'll wake you up. It's particularly stunning when you consider the number of WinXP licenses (with it's built-in firewall software) Microsoft claims to have shipped.
1:52 PM CST ::
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Hmm: RIAA Reveals Method to Madness
I wonder if decoding an MP3 to WAV and then re-encoding it would change its "fingerprint"? If so, it would be trivial to embed a decode/recode option in the download function of a P2P application. The host wouldn't be overly impacted because MP3 is a decode-focused algorithm and the "client" would only be impacted if the user were grabbing an excessive number of tracks simultaneously.
Not that I would condone such a feature. I'm just saying.
1:48 PM CST ::
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::: Wednesday, August 27 ::: |
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::: Thursday, August 21 ::: |
w00t: OldVersion.com
Their collection is somewhat small, but since they accept donations it's likely to grow exponentially once the word gets out. I'm gonna send them a big stack of Netscape installs.
[thanks to Ryan for the link]
3:55 PM CST ::
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Whoa: Random Personal Picture Finder
This thing is mesmerizing. I'm continually amazed by how many people don't bother to rename their pictures. My Dad has several cd's full of photos he has taken which all bear meaningless filenames.
I suppose that is why WinXP tries to preview every stinking file you touch.
[thanks to jwz for the link]
3:00 PM CST ::
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Thppt: Virus may be terrorism
Yeah, I'm sure that's it. If there's one thing we know about terrorists it is that they are rarely anonymous. What's the point in disrupting something if no one knows it was intentional?
This is probably just the first of many such articles. I'm sure Microsoft is jumping at every chance they can get to shift some of the increasingly onerous blame for their failings in the security realm.
11:38 AM CST ::
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Odd: The Gender Genie
I'm not sure if this says more about me or about the algorithm. I fed the Gender Genie five or six of my journal entries from 1998 and, with the exception of one jargon heavy entry, it is convinced I'm female. Next I tried a few business letters I had written with similar results.
I guess I write too purty.
11:20 AM CST ::
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::: Wednesday, August 20 ::: |
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Yep: Penny Arcade! [8/20/03]
My thoughts exactly. There are basically two types of hard core gamers. There are those that prefer the depth and flexibility of PC gaming and have the mental wherewithal to handling installing and tweaking them to achieve an optimal gaming experience. The second group are folks who appreciate the simplicity and instant gratification of console gaming and don't mind losing some flexibility.
The Phantom is aiming at the "middle ground" between these market segments. Assuming for the moment that said group actually exists, it would have to be so small as to be nearly non-existent. It's an exercise in futility of the highest order.
And besides that, it's ugly.
1:37 PM CST ::
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Ouch: Rockin' on without Microsoft
If only this were the norm instead of the exception. The BSA lives on its trumped up fees and fines. If everyone switches to open source software then they wouldn't have much to do anymore. Wouldn't that be sad?
1:19 PM CST ::
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::: Monday, August 18 ::: |
Hmm: Where's Your Backup System?
This is the first article I've seen that suggests a possilbe tie between the MSBlaster worm and the blackout. I know that was the first thing that popped into my mind as soon as the media started discussing a "systematic failure". There's no way that we'll ever know if that was actually the case, but doesn't the timing seem a little suspicious?
4:36 PM CST ::
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::: Friday, August 15 ::: |
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::: Thursday, August 14 ::: |
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Whoa: SIPphone Inc.
This Michael Robertson guy is going to mess around and get himself "deleted" if he doesn't watch it. Between MP3.com, Lindows, and now this he is farting in the general direction of some very powerful people.
[Thanks to Gizmodo for the link]
1:49 PM CST ::
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::: Tuesday, August 12 ::: |
Sheesh: Is Zip coming undone?
This is so dumb. Two companies get in a pissing match because they each want to "own the market" for compression software. As a result, they may have torpedoed the file format altogether and doomed both their companies.
Mark my words, before this thing is over WinZip and PKWare will end up merging in an attempt to regain legitimacy. By that time, however, everyone will already have moved on to a standard that is actually consistent and compatible. If I were Aladdin Systems (maker of StuffIt), I would be taking full advantage of this bobble by my competition.
10:51 AM CST ::
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Oh boy: E-Vote Machines Face Audit
I can't begin to comprehend a device that runs a Visual Basic application against an Access database on WindowsCE costing $3400 each. Putting that aside I take extreme umbrage to this statement:
"I don't think anybody has the capability to develop a whole new system from scratch in a year"
Really, Mr. Rubin? Unless I'm misunderstanding the type of system we're talking about here I think a team of two or three people could knock out a better solution in a couple of months. Admittedly, there are fairly high requirements for encryption and transaction logging, but I see no reason that such a project should take a year or more. If that is truly the case, then Diebold needs to seriously evaluate the internal friction in their IT infrastructure.
It also troubles me that if the audit prompts Diebold to modify (or indeed redesign) their software, that those changes will not be added to the machines purchased by other states. That is simply outrageous. It is becoming obvious that Diebold is amazingly good at selling their products to state governments, but equally bad at understanding the responsibility that goes along with such a contract.
10:42 AM CST ::
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Heh: AOL Time Warner must drop AOL name
This is quite amusing. AOL seems convinced that Time-Warner is dragging it down, when it's much more likely that AOL will end up destroying the TW empire. Not that it will happen overnight or anything, but the trickle of folks leaving AOL for greener (and less controlling) patures is widening every quarter.
9:27 AM CST ::
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Hmm: Cypress ships low-cost wireless USB system
Yet another nail in the coffin for Bluetooth. It's a shame, too. When Bluetooth was first announced everyone assumed it would be ubiquitous within a year. Unfortunately, the market wasn't ready and there were numerous costly mistakes by those promoting the technology.
Maybe WirelessUSB will deliver on the promise of cross-platform, personal area networks.
9:24 AM CST ::
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::: Friday, August 8 ::: |
Yep: Costikyan Blog [8/7/03]
Greg Costikyan more or less reiterates my point from earlier today. He does so, however, from the vantage point of an actual game designer rather than that of a game enthusiast. I hadn't considered the implications of Mr. Iwata's comments as applied to traditional games, but Greg certainly has a very valid point in that regard.
4:18 PM CST ::
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Hmm: CD decks challenge vinyl
Digital killed the analog star. They didn't say as much in the article, but this new deck could eliminate the live DJ altogether. If a technically proficient DJ can put their scratches, loops, and blends onto a keycard for their own use, then that same keycard could be mass produced and shipped to clubs world-wide. Fatboy slim could play a thousand clubs in a thousand different cities without ever leaving home.
Local club owners will always go for a big names over local talent which means that the local talent pool will dry up. Eventually, there won't be anybody left who can do a live show. In short, it will be human sacrifice, dogs and cats, living together... mass hysteria.
On the other hand, it's still kind of cool.
11:50 AM CST ::
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Thppt: Supporters Claim RFID Will Stop Terrorists
Good grief. People will soon be supporting kitten drowning because you just never know how many of those kittens might actually be terrorists. Or what about pie? Pie has got to be a terrorist plot.
The government obviously thinks we're sheep. As long as stuff like this gets by us, then I guess we'd better get used to eating plenty of grass.
11:30 AM CST ::
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Hmm: Iwata says GameCube games are too complex
This topic is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is quite true in the short-term that Nintendo would move more product if the games were easier to play and consumed less time. In the long run, however, I doubt the core gaming audience would continue to buy games which espoused shallow gameplay in a bid for simplicity regardless of how visually stunning they might be.
There probably aren't many games easier to learn than Mario 64, but they certainly didn't artificially shorten the gameplay in order to appeal to the masses in that case. In fact, the variety of situations and side quests was astonishingly deep considering it was the first release on the platform. I know you can't really hold up Mario 64 as a standard, because, let's face it, there aren't going to be many watershed titles in the foreseeable future on any platform. That said, Nintendo would do well to look to their successes for inspiration as they plan their next move.
11:18 AM CST ::
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::: Thursday, August 7 ::: |
Interesting: TVShowsOnDVD.com
While I doubt very seriously that any of the "voting" that happens on this site will ever convince anyone in a position of power over such things, TVShowsOnDVD is worth bookmarking as a resource for news about upcoming releases.
2:49 PM CST ::
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Hmm: Lindows continues its PC push
That's a pretty astounding price for a complete system including an (albeit small) LCD monitor. I can't see how MicroTron2000 is going to make much more than around $150 per box. That's a pretty tight margin when you factor in the overhead.
Best of luck to them though. Such pricing promotes competition and fosters innovation. It is also the only way Microsoft will ever back down from its "we own your computer" position.
1:37 PM CST ::
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::: Wednesday, August 6 ::: |
Whoa: Amy Tan is Ticked Off About Lyme Disease
The mailman who served my wife's business was eventually diagnosed with Lyme Disease after months of the doctors telling him it was other things. The best one was arsenic poisoning. How exactly does a person who is never exposed to arsenic get poisoned by it?
I suppose the best one can do is do a lot of research and be prepared to educate your doctor. It's obvious that both the number and severity of diseases is increasing faster than medical professionals are able (or willing) to learn. Combine that with a insurance/HMO environment where everything, but organ replacement is outpatient and you have a grave situation indeed.
4:58 PM CST ::
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Sweet: AccuRadio.com
Finally an internet radio station that doesn't want to know the color of your underwear before they let you listen. There's a pretty wide selection of styles, too.
A simple recipe:- Go to AccuRadio.com
- Select Modern Rock Classics
- Click on Select a Subchannel
- Click on Retro 80's
- B l i s s
[thanks to Lynda for the link]
4:29 PM CST ::
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::: Monday, August 4 ::: |
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Schweet: Four new MP3 players from Rio
Finally... an mp3 player dock with an ethernet port. I was wondering how long it would take these guys to figure out how much faster and cheaper ethernet is than USB2. Let's see how long it takes them to think about adding a WiFi port to go along with the Cat5 option.
9:52 AM CST ::
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Thppt: Bill Maher Weblog
Ok. I accept that blogging is inevitably going to become mainstream. What I cannot accept is the "blog as monologue". Take your weak ass one-liners elsewhere Shecky.
9:44 AM CST ::
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::: Friday, August 1 ::: |
Hmm: Search for web's favourite colour
This site is attempting to determine the web's favorite color by averaging the colors present in pictures received by email. It will be even more interesting when monthly or yearly averages are available. Mostly it's another geek with too much time on his hands.
1:03 PM CST ::
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dinoneil[at]newdream[dot]net
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