I found this nifty system today online – “Carbonite Online Backup.” It attracted my attention because it offers a complete online backup system that runs automatically.
I figure, since I’ll be toting my laptop away to college next year with some extremely important files on it, it will definitely be a good idea to back things up often. Right now, I’m using the 15 day trial and we’ll see how things work from there.
“Low-cost, home-built 3-D printer could launch a revolution, say Cornell engineers” says the Cornell Daily Chronicle online.
The Altair 8800, introduced in the early 1970s, was the first computer you could build at home from a kit. It was crude, didn’t do much, but many historians would say that it launched the desktop computer revolution.
Hod Lipson, a Cornell assistant professor, seems to think that a machine called “Fab@Home” might have the same impact. He believes that someday every home will have a “fabber” or small machine that creates objects directed by “downloadable” computer instructions. He suggests: “Instead of buying an iPod, you would download the plans over the Internet and the fabber would make one for you.”
Pretty nifty eh? Such machines do already exist in the commercial world. They’re used to create “rapid prototyping” – such as building models and sample machine parts. It’s basically a 3D Printer. “How does this work?” you say? Well, I’ll tell you:
A 3-D printer has a small nozzle that scans back and forth across a surface, depositing tiny droplets of quick-hardening plastic. After each scan, the nozzle moves up a notch and scans again until it has built up the complete object, layer by layer. With multiple nozzles or a means of swapping supply cartridges, the machine can create objects made of many different materials.
Many useful things can currently be “fabbed” including lego wheels and chocolate bars. Who knows what they’ll come up with next!
Procrastinate Much? Well David Seah has just the fix for you. It’s the Procrastinator’s Clock!
Now, the problem is that you know that I know you know you’ve already set your clock ahead, so you cleverly take this into account and end up being even later. It’s a vicious circle. What we need is a way to channel fear and anxiety positively, while keeping you from getting too comfortable with your clock.
Enter the Procrastinator’s Clock. It’s guaranteed to be up to 15 minutes fast. However, it also speeds up and slows down in an unpredictable manner so you can’t be sure how fast it really is. Furthermore, the clock is guaranteed to not be slow, assuming your computer clock is sync’d with NTP; many computers running Windows and Mac OS X with persistent Internet connections already are.
This clock keeps you on your toes because you’ll never truly know if the clock is 15 minutes ahead or not. Of course, you could cheat and peak at your regular computer clock – but that doesn’t help you wanting to fix your procrastination much does it? I know I’ll be giving this clock a try.
The new Windows Vista has finally been released. For all you Mac”ers” out there… you best keep your eyes open while you sleep.
Why do I have so much faith in the new Windows? Traditionally, the interface and overall presentation of Apple computers and products have always beat out Windows. Granted, Window’s doesn’t produce computers like Apple does, but it won’t take you long to find someone that will tell you the Mac OSX just “looks” cooler.
But now, we can put that aspect of the Mac to shame. Behold leather bound laptops and shiny buttons: Windows has finally fully stepped out of the box and have realized exactly what people are looking for: Snazziness. Sleek looking text. Windows that scroll and appear in 3D. A little widget that pops up telling me the weather (when and where I want it… with no ads). I give you: Vista.
The new Windows is easier, safer, more entertaining, and more connected. Sure I pulled that right off their promotional website… but it’s time that Mac steps off their monopoly on all things shiny.
So I pose this question to the AVERAGE computer user: If you had to choose between the Windows XP and Mac OSX, which would you choose?
Then compare the snazziness factor of each.Windows Vista or MacOSX?
And please don’t forget their beautiful blog.
So… my official opinion? I’ll let you know when I’ve actually tried it out; I’m sending my desktop out next week for a new hard drive and upgrade.
A recent study conducted by Kelton Research (commissioned by support.com) has found that 65% of consumers are spending more time with their computer than with a significant other. In fact 8 in 10 Americans are more dependent on their computers now than they were 3 years ago.
The study confirmed that computers are becoming an integral part of of American’s everyday lives.
Like any relationship, the test comes not when things are going well but when times are tough. And unfortunately in the case of their computers, things aren’t going so well for Americans.
— The average consumer has experienced computer troubles eight times -
about every four months – over the last three years.
— The average American is wasting 12 hours per month – the equivalent of
half a weekend – due to problems with their home computer.
— A majority of Americans (52%) describe their most recent experience
with a computer problem as one of anger, sadness or alienation.
“We empathize with consumers about the emotional nature of dealing with computer problems. As the leader in computer problem resolution for nearly 10 years, we have a distinct advantage in helping consumers quickly and conveniently solve their frustrating computer problems,” said Josh Pickus, CEO of SupportSoft. “For these reasons, we will be launching support.com, a service that speaks to consumers without talking down to them and uses proven, patented technology to resolve their frustrating computer problems – guaranteed.”
Dr. Robi Ludwig, renowned psychotherapist and host of TLC’s “One Week to Save a Marriage” stated “On my show, I teach couples that they don’t have to be an expert in resolving tough marital problems, they simply have to know whom to turn to for support. With the introduction of support.com, consumers can have a trusted advisor to turn to for technology relief when they experience frustrating technology problems.”
Considering the large role computers play in people’s lives today, experts agree that computer problems can sometimes cause significant emotional distress, similar to what happens when a problem occurs between spouses.
Reporting by PR Newswire
Pretty soon the computer will exercise for us:
Windows/Linux only: Prevent RSI from setting in after long, uninterrupted hours on your PC with the free WorkRave timed break application.
WorkRave pops up and prompts you for a “micro break” or a longer exercise break at time intervals you determine. The app will even suggest anti-RSI exercises for your eyes, back and shoulders to help prevent backaches, headaches and carpal tunnel. WorkRave is a free download, Windows and Linux only. (Mac users, check out previously-posted AntiRSI for a similar app.) Thanks, gatorparade! — Gina Trapani
Thank you to the wonderful people at LifeHacker.
Here’s something pretty cool (and very confusing). Click the Discover Magazine link for the larger version.
It’s a map of the internet! Here’s what it means,
From Discover Magazine:
1 FLAT EARTH SOCIETY
CAIDA’s map represents a flattened Earth, with cities positioned around the circle. Tracing the circumference clockwise corresponds to moving from east to west. Each square represents a data hub, which lines up on a spoke with the city in which it is registered. The closer to the center it lies, the more data it traffics.
2 SINOSNUB
The United States owns 74 percent of the 4 billion available Internet protocol (IP) addresses. China’s stake amounts to little more than that of an American university. Not surprisingly, China is championing the next wave of the Internet, which would accommodate 340 trillion trillion trillion IP addresses.
3 YOU STILL WON’T GET TO HAWAII
Hubs in Honolulu—and all over the Pacific—connect to only a few other hubs, which means your data are highly unlikely to pass through the Aloha State.
4 RING AROUND THE NET
The concentric rings of squares near the perimeter result from CAIDA’s mapping mechanism, which plots a hub’s distance from the center according to how many connections it has.
5 BRING IT ON HOME
The farther from the center, the lonelier the hub. The squares closest to the circumference of the circle represent the Internet service providers, or ISPs, that connect home PCs to the Internet. When one of these goes down, customers have no other way to get online.
6 WELCOME TO SPAMALOT!
UUNet is one of the oldest and largest ISPs; it connects to more than 2,000 other hubs. It is also the most vulnerable to junk mail and hosts more spam-generating gangs than any other ISP.
7 CAN THE CENTER HOLD?
If a high-traffic hub goes down, the data will usually find another path. “There are shortcuts everywhere,” says CAIDA’s Brad Heffaker. If a packet can’t find its way, it returns a discouraging message to the sender.
So the super duper, supposed to be fantastic, fix-it-all Internet Explorer 7 was released yesterday (granted it does fix A LOT). Within the last 24 hours there have been reports of crashes and information disclosure vulnerability. Granted this IS a beta release, however… it’s MS IE… what did you expect?
Chuckle, chuckle. Laugh, laugh. Haha.
All things aside, this means a lot of work for me. “Why?” you say? Well let me tell you a little story: The wonderful people at Microsoft decided they wanted to be different… to be special… to NOT follow the W3C (logical) standards of CSS. It was that day that Internet Explorer was born. For every version up until now, massive amounts of display issues would surface once one coded the style (or display) information for a design. So because IE decided they wanted to be “cool” and stand from the crowd, I’ve had to insert a special little “hack” everytime I created a website.
Well now that’s gone – since the people over there finally decided to actually listen to anyone – now I need to go back to EVERY website I’ve created and “fix” that little hack… along with the plethora of other new display problems.
So what does this all mean? Go Firefox. It’s free and doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out. *thumbs up*
A new device, The Mosquito Box currently in used only in Britain, sends out 80 decible bursts of sounds that can only be heard by teenagers.
The ultra high-pitched noise can only be heard by those under 20, and is so discomforting that it forces young people around it to quicky disperse after a few minutes. The new gadget has been installed in hopes of deterring loiters and gangs around restaurants and other commonly frequented store-front areas.
The box can be mounted on the outside walls of any building, and it’s piercing 16khz pulsing sounds will not penetrate walls. To teenagers, the sound resembles a “demented insect” or “a very badly played violin.” Additionally, shop owners can control the strength of the signal as loiterers come and go.
Because the body’s natural ability to detect some frequency wave bands diminishes almost entirely after 20, adults are completely immune to the sounds.
From “Edheads” comes VIRTUAL KNEE SURGERY: Take on the role of the Surgeon throughout a total knee replacement surgery.
The game starts out with a reception woman and the desk, and hospital reception noises.
