Technology
Just in case there’s anyone who hasn’t seen this information on
extending the win7 trial period.
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/08/how-to-use-windows-7-for-free-for-120-days-legally.ars
There’s a new laptop in my future. I just wish it could be this one. A
built in graphic tablet would mean one less piece of hardware to try
to find a space for when I’m on the road.
http://www.whitezine.com/en/design/laptop-concept-for-designers-and-illustrators.html
———————–
Transportation
Ilmor is working on a 5 stroke, 3 cylinder engine. Sort of. I need
time to hunt up videos before I“ll claim to understand how this works.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/08/five-stroke-engine/
——————-
Science
Why having a couple of drinks with the planning session won’t help you
meet your goals. I think we all intuitively know that the things you
say you’re going to do during the Saturday night bull session don’t
amount to much on Monday morning but now science is setting out to
prove it.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/vodkagoals/
Tossing a coin is subtly not as fair as your older brother told you it was.
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/08/non-randomness.html
An mysterious cloud formation in Queensland Australia. Look like rolls
of cotton batting.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/morninggloryclouds/
A TV station in Cleveland manages to top our own King5 for heinously
fear mongering reporting. That is until it becomes clear that someone
is pulling off a brilliant farce. Do you think the news director
caught on to it before the segment hit the air?
http://www.misscellania.com/miss-cellania/2009/8/22/backyard-bear-report.html
——————
Intellectual Property and Copyright
Nominee for the best worst use of copyright. How doctors (or rather
their reputation management lackeys) are using the DMCA take down
provisions to remove bad reviews from ratings sites.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090328/1445494290.shtml
A nice summary of the State of Union with respect to the Google Books
settlement and the many challenges to it. Microsoft and Amazon have
clear motives for their objections but that doesn’t invalidate their
point that Google seems to have made a land grab for the rights to
books that are out of print.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/08/microsoft-amazon-join-opposition-to-google-books-settlement.ars
————————-
Visual Arts
Not the same as the Google land grab but a collection of old map based
games and puzzles. By old I mean the first was published in 1680.
http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2009/08/puzzle-and-game-maps.html
A recent discussion of lower prices wines on this list yielded several
recommendations for the “the label is pretty” school of wine shopping.
Here’s a selection of wine labels and packages that would qualify.
http://www.thecoolist.com/amazing-wine-labels-30-creative-and-unique-wine-label-designs
A lovely goldfish painting. Click on the fishy for bigness.
http://thejasminedragon.deviantart.com/art/a‑fish-a-fish-a-fishy-oo-98009668
I don’t really dig the picture but the fact that it was created on an
iPhone kind of makes the iPhone look like less of a silly idea.
http://insomnio.org/post/170004968/a‑walk-in-the-park-created-on-an-iphone-using
I love the soft old school look of these illustrations by the Russian
Dmitry Ligay.
http://www.evasion.cc/blog/comments/illustration-dmitry-ligay/
Last night Elvis Costello made a Sean Connery joke. Almost too easy, I
admit. As an antidote here’s a classic Connery pic.
http://theimpossiblecool.tumblr.com/post/168151304/connery
Until tomorrow campers,