...more recent posts
I keep wanting to link to this new (to me) site that I have really been enjoying, except that it's really not about anything, and no post in particular ever seems to call for a link (sound familiar?) Still, it's a great site, and often very funny (much like another fav rasterweb.) Anyway, here's one about banannas.
Brilliant dinner last night at chez Wheel. He keeps turnin' and he can't slow down... Making me feel good today even with the grey skies and rain. Anyway, lots happening, so let's get to those links.
Zvezda docking complete. The Russian "brain" module of the space station (see picture below) was successfully docked with the rest of the station (see picture to left.) Good work. <robotvoice>must get off planet</robotvoice>
Salon has an article on Eazel a new GUI being developed for linux by some incredibly heavyweight (ex-Apple) interface people. Set for release this Fall, I guarantee you'll be hearing a lot about this one. Could make linux possible for mere mortals (like me.) It is going to be really fun watching this race: linux morphs toward the Mac as the Mac morphs toward unix (OS X.) Sounds like they are zeroing in on the promised land, but who's going to win? Anyway, read the article, or just enjoy this little pull quote
Last week, I met with Mike Boich, CEO of Eazel, who gave me a look at Nautilus, Eazel's souped-up file manager for Linux-based systems. And unlike most software product demos, which usually consist of equal parts stupefaction and irrelevance, the Nautilus run-through actually delivered. Nautilus looks like a lot of fun. More to the point, it looks like it will work.
Apparently, the MPAA v. 2600 trial has ended although no ruling has been issued yet. This is the case about that pesky piece of software called DeCSS which allowed people with linux machines to actually play the DVD's the have bought (or not bought, as the MPAA likes to point out.) Anyway, this is a really big one in terms of setting precedent for whether you actually own the entertainment content you buy, or whether you are just sort of leasing it, under incredibly tight controls. And it sounds like the judge is impressed by the good side. Still, this will almost definitely go to the supreme court, so lots more fun to come.
And in the techno-lust department, SGI has seriously cut the price on its seriously beautiful, almost-as-good-as-the-Cinema-Display, 18 inch flat panel display (bundled with Formacs ProFormance 3 PCI video card) down to $1795! Still too much of course, but this is a $1000 reduction, and with the video card, really a pretty good deal. I'm saving all pennies for next years Powerbook g4, which I'm still boldly stating has the chance to be the best selling computer of all time. This thing is going to smoke. Now get back to work, or none of us will be buying anything.
From a request on another page, I've put up some rather boring pictures I took Monday at the Union Square Green Market. If you're not familiar, this is what makes it possible to live in NYC (assuming you can't afford to eat out for every possible meal :-)
According to the latest Nielsen/NetRatings, more women than men now use the internet in the USA. That must be good somehow.
Somebody I haven't seen before in the small group over at HackthePlanet has posted a very reasonable sounding way to set up MP3's to allow people to easily send money (voluntarily) to the tracks artist. Very convining scenario. I doubt we'll see this adopted any time soon, but I do think it would work. (Slightly technical, as usual for HTP, assumes you know what public key encryption is, ect...)