08.18.06
The Truth
The criterion of truth is that it works even if nobody is prepared to acknowledge it.
-Ludwig von Mises
08.16.06
The Power of a Name
I remember way back in High School, one of my slightly batty English teachers liked to say, “when we name things, we have power over them.” Like I said, slightly batty.
But the statement actually has a lot of truth, if you think about it the right way. First up, what do we mean when we use the word “power”? Put simply, power is the ability to act. A full definition might yield “the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively.” Same thing. (more…)
Parkour!
Parkour – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parkour (IPA: /pa?.’ku?/, often abbreviated PK) is a physical discipline of French origin in which participants attempt to pass obstacles in the fastest and most direct manner possible, using skills such as jumping, vaulting and climbing, or the more specific parkour moves. The obstacles can be anything in one’s environment, so parkour is often practiced in urban areas because of many suitable public structures, such as buildings, rails, and walls.
As seen in YouTube favorites Crazy Russian Climbers and similar.
08.15.06
In Praise of Sloth
Had I been more on top of things, I might have found this sooner:
For TiVos purchased before January 21, 2000, you get a one-time exception to the rules, allowing you to move your lifetime subscription to a new machine you purchase as a replacement (such as a bigger unit). This was done because there was so much confusion, and the wording before that date was more vague.
But as it is now, I have my very old TiVo that is suddenly worth an awful lot becuase I can transfer the lifetime service… Hellow Series3 TiVo!
08.14.06
Children of Men
I like what I’m seeing in the return of science fiction to big movies this year. I particularly liked the trailer for Children of Men. Clive Owen is the man. Like all good SF, the technology or dystopia is just the setting for a compelling story about people.
Solar-Powered Wi-Fi (Gizmodo)
I’m not sure if this is best for the $100 Laptop project or just my back yard… regardless, let’s string together a few hundred of these and build a mesh network of WiFi across the whole darn neighborhood, eh?
08.12.06
Work Friendly
Disguise your web surfing via Work Friendly‘s new service that makes any webpage look like it’s an MS Word document.
Now, if you want a challenge, do the reverse. Make work look like fun by making it look like CNN or eBay or ESPN…
08.11.06
Lack of Security Everywhere…
Lovely. Apparently there’s a security hole in the MacBook laptops that allows malicious users to take control of the laptop… just by being within WiFi range.
You’re 0wn3d! Wi-Fi driver hack attack demoed | The Register
The lesson? When you’re not using wifi, turn it off. Also, don’t assume your Mac is more secure… any Centrino chip could be at risk.