Monday, November 2, 2009

Heroin, latino Catholics, Android, and solar cells

Heroin is apparently an effective treatment for heroin addicts.

Latinos might be the future of the U.S. Catholic Church? They were part of the Catholic Church already. The story should be about latinos moving to the United States, and being the largest ethnic minority in the United States.

Android is now a battlefield tool.

Sharp sets a new record for solar cells. 35.8% conversion efficiency.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Hyperdrive, Anglicans, the black Wii, and the D&D Surface

A physicist wants to test hyperdrive. You thought it was science fiction?

The Vatican is making conversion of Anglicans a bit easier. They've been working on this for some time, though.

Nintendo is releasing a black Wii! ... In Europe. That's a pretty good bundle.

Some people are using the Microsoft Surface to play D&D. Looks pretty cool.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Lee Kuan Yew

On Charlie Rose, Lee Kuan Yew seems like a good, intelligent man with a multi-polar view of the future, a grasp of how globalization can help the world, and recognition of the importance of technological and social progress.

He was the first prime minister of Singapore, and currently the 'Minister Mentor'.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Google

Use iGoogle to help you find a job.

Will more people be able to use Google PowerMeter soon?

In Google's continuing effort to help everyone out, they release flu trends for more countries.

Search in Google Groups doesn't work. Ironic for a search company. Problem is that it's a huge Usenet archive, basically detailing the history of the internet.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Houston, wireless power, salsa, and abortion

The Boston Globe highlights Houston parks.

Sony is working on wireless power. Two-foot transmission isn't too shabby.

Enjoy some real Texas salsa at Whole Foods.

Support for abortion rights are apparently waning.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

AIDS, doodles, GPSs, and e-readers.

Wow, modest success for an AIDS vaccine! That's pretty neat.

What do you get when you combine Google Maps and doodles? This neat site, Big Doodles.

Neat, a mini-GPS. Put it on your keychain to remember where you parked your car, and a few other places.

I admit, I'm pretty excited at the possiblity of cheaper e-readers. $100?

Monday, October 5, 2009

10^100

Google started a project last year, called 10^100 to try to come up with an idea to help as many people as possible. 150,000 ideas were submitted, and now Google needs your help choosing one idea from the 16 finalists.

While there are good ideas for the project, some of these 16 aren't actually that great. Many of them would benefit with a more expanded, specific mission statement, not a broad idea. Here are my thoughts on the ideas.

Build real-time, user-reported news service
It's... well, unoriginal. Not that it's a bad idea, but it's been done, with varying degrees of success. A problem with user-reported news is that it varies greatly in quality. Rating systems don't work very well with real-time reporting, though you could rate reporters, I suppose. What would be better would be to aggregate news sources (a la Google News) and rate news sources.

Help social entrepreneurs drive change
This sounds a bit recursive to me. It's kind of what Project 10^100 is already. How do we decide what social projects get funded? Besides which, it's already being done. There are lots of organizations that are attempting social change. What would Google add? How about supporting them with some other idea?

Besides, there's a lot of silly politics about who gets funding for stuff. I don't think it's in Google's best interest to go down that route.

Make government more transparent
Also being done already.

Provide quality education to African students
People have been trying to accomplish this for a very long time. I'd like to see details on how Google could tackle this differently and decisively. I honestly don't think the resources exist to do this decisively.

Create real-time natural crisis tracking system
I imagine Twitter data will be instrumenal in this.

Promote health monitoring and data analysis
I think this is an interesting idea, actually. And, it builds on Google's Flu Trends.

Enhance science and engineering education
Interesting idea. I'm not convinced there's a lack of scientists and engineers.

Create real-world issue reporting system
Isn't this the internet?

Create genocide monitoring and alert system
Another interesting idea, possibly supported by Twitter. I'm concerned that this only helps a very small portion of the world, though it's a portion that needs a lot of help.

Work toward socially conscious tax policies
Wow, this would be very controvertial. This is something best handled by economists, I think. People have a lot of opinions on what would constitute good tax policy, but there are people who devote their lives to this sort of research and they're still looking for answers. And, "socially conscious"? Wow, that's vague. Are we trying to maximize GDP or using a concept of fairness? Are we going to consider metrics like the Gini Coefficient? That'd be interesting, but I don't think it'd be very popular.

Build better banking tools for everyone
Bill Gates started an initiative to do something along the same lines of this. It seems like he's focusing on savings accounts. While potentially giving people a return on money rather than hiding money, this also potentially increases the velocity of money, which potentially has a number of benefits in the economy.

Collect and organize the world's urban data
I love this, as well as Google's first attempts to do this. I thought they were going to continue working on this regardless.

Encourage positive media depictions of engineers and scientists
This seems to have a similar goal as another idea, and I'm still not convinced that we need more scientists and engineers.

Drive innovation in public transport
I remember hearing about research concerning analyzing the traffic patterns of ants to enhance our own traffic. I wonder how that went. Being from a transport-needy city, I understand the desire for this, though I'd want to know how much this is projected to actually help people.

Make educational content available online for free
There are many attempts to do this already. The more the merrier, I suppose.

Create more efficient landmine removal programs
My understanding was that this actually affects a very small part of the world.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Venezuela, Twitter, and a couple of cool gadgets.

Here's a NYT blog post about the murder rate in Venezuela. Seems worse every time I see it...

On a lighter note, here's a cool Twitter map. See what the world is talking about!

And, a couple of cool tech stuff. Intel has a four screen laptop. It looks cool, but when you watch a video, the video controls should stay on a mini-screen. For any media, the media controls should stay on the mini-screen.

Microsoft has a concept they're playing with--the dual-screen "courier" booklet. This seems almost like what netbooks should be. There could also be on on-screen full-size keyboard, with half of the keyboard on each screen. This gadget almost looks like a PDA-like device.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Best of Houston, Houston Press

Houston connoisseurs rejoice! Houston Press's Best of Houston list is out! While I don't agree with all of the winners (Cheap Seats, Coach, Coffee, Empanadas, Greek Restaurant), it's a good starting place for discussion.

Best Cheap Seats
Winner: Astros
Should be: Dynamo or Aeros

Are you kidding me? While there are sometimes deals on Astros tickets, it isn't usually very cheap. For much less, you can see a Dynamo game or an Aeros game. The Dynamo are at the top of their league and feature a number of national team players, and the Aeros... well, hockey means you can watch fights. How's that for testosterone? They each also sometimes have deals.

Best Coach
Winner: Some Katy football coach
Should be: Dom Kinnear, Dynamo

I don't think there's even a comparison between a high school coach and a pro anything coach. Kinnear also has helped develop younger players to stars (Stu Holden, who got robbed for best Dynamo, but the guy who won is also a good player). Another acceptable option might be UH football coach Kevin Sumlin, but I think it's too early to tell.

Best Coffee
Winner: CoffeeGroundz
Should be: Catalina

All right, this isn't as much of a tragedy, but the CoffeeGroundz is just a popular choice, not necessarily a good choice. If you want good coffee, though, there are a number of better choices. Catalina, Taft Street Coffee, Minuti, Salento, and so on.

Best Empanadas
Winner: The Original Marini's
Should be: Tuttopane or Shell (in Katy)

Marini's was another popular choice. It's in a part of Houston that gets a lot of traffic. If you're willing to drive farther out, though, you can find some empanada treasures. And, yes, there is a Shell gas station in Katy where you can get great empanadas. Plus, you can get them either fried or baked.

Best Greek Restaurant
Winner: Yia Yia's Greek Restaurant
Should be: Alexander the Great.

Truth is, there are a bunch of great Greek restaurants in Houston, and Yia Yia's isn't a bad choice. However, it's also in the great-location category. Yia Yia's is good but overpriced, and Niko Niko's is a much better deal and is more homey. Droubi's is good, Phoenicia is good... truth is, if you want great Greek food that is well worth the price, go to Alexander (though, this also happens to be in a great location).

Also, benjy's should have won something.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Fast Flip, Product Ideas, Calendar, and Zune HD

Google announces the new service Fast Flip, an attempt to make reading the news more like reading a newspaper. Try it out!

Weight in on Product Ideas for Google Docs. I'd like analysis tools in spreadsheets, personally. Seems like Google is coming out with a Google Moderator-powered Product Ideas page for each of their products.

Staying organized with Google Calendar. Is it obvious I like Google?

The Zune HD actually looks cool. I wonder how the apps will be once they come out (email would be nice).

Thursday, September 17, 2009

GoogleOS, your power usage, Wii price, and 43 marathons

On Google's quest for an operating system.

Some neat energy-saving gadgets. A power clock! It doesn't tell you what time it is, but it tells you when you use your power. Also, there are solar-powered blinds that absorb light during the day and emit light at night. I hope you can turn them off when you want to sleep.

Might the Wii be getting a price cut? Everyone else is cutting prices.

43 marathons in 51 days. Wow, Eddie Izzard is amazing.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Console wars, the internet, Velazquez, and DSL speeds

If you can trust the data, it looks like the XBox 360 and the PS3 may have finally caught up with the Wii. For a week. Yay for price cuts. Then again, the Wii has dominated so long, they probably can't catch up in total sales. Still, the top selling console is the DS.

An article on the history and future of the internet. September 1 marked its birthday, as well as for Google Chrome and Gmail.

Here's an article on a painting by the old Spanish master Velazquez. Makes me think of Alatriste.

Some guys in South Africa, complaining about their slow internet connection, claimed that a carrier pigeon would carry data faster than their DSL line. They set up a race.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Cool sites, cultural cities, OLED laptops, and a Walkman.

Companies that people should be aware of, use, and potentially spread to Houston: Mint, Red Fin, White Fence, Zipcar, and Kiva.

Houston ranked #8 in the Forbes list of America's Cultural Tourism Capitals. Houston probably should have ranked a bit higher--especially considering we have more visitors than most of the cities ranked higher and we also have a more broad definition of "cultural" than most cities. Still, it's nice to be recognized.

Samsung says that they'll have an OLED laptop in around Q3 of next year. It's already been pushed back, and I think it'll get pushed back again. OLEDs are super low power consumption and super high quality, so I'm pretty excited about it. And, it's a neat prototype. There's no touchpad on there, but I'm thinking it'd be neat if there were a toggle key that turned the alpha keys into one big touchpad. Ah, to dream...

Sony's coming out with a new Walkman. I like the long battery life, and recording the FM radio is neat. FM-DVR anyone? I wonder when we'll have digital radio on these things.

Enjoy the holiday weekend, everyone!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Cameras and phones.

Canon how has an image stabilizing lens. No more blurry pictures?

Nokia has a mini smart phone. Looks nice, but I'm not sure if people want the smaller screen.

Speaking of phones, the LG BL40 Chocolate Touch looks pretty nice. I just wish more phones would take advantage of the (free) Android OS and its apps. They can use their own interface, but using a shared OS means easier access to apps. Why recreate the wheel?

But, speaking of phones and apps, the iPhone's apps seems to be what slows down AT&T's network, leading to endless frustration. When you can't make a call, the phone is no good.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Tetris, North Korea, health care, and PS3s.

Tetris makes you smrtr! It increases brain efficiency, but I think the point of the research is brain stimulation, not Tetris versus other forms of stimulation.

North Korea being relatively conciliatory? Another try at a peace treaty, but I don't think they can backpedal fast enough.

A neat video on the need for universal health insurance.

Almost three-quarters of PS3 owners have seen at least one blu-ray. That seems low to me, actually.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Ashby, OLEDS, flavor tripping, and the projector camera

Although it's been scaled back, the Ashby high-rise project has finally been approved! High housing prices in that area signal high demand, and more such projects need to get started in that area. Hopefully future projects will be larger. Hopefully, these projects will also alleviate the traffic into and out of that part of town during the rush hours.

OLEDs are getting cheaper! ... Supposedly. I keep wanting to put off buying stuff so I can get cooler stuff later.

Flavor tripping tomorrow!

The projector camera I mentioned before is delayed until October. Still, it's pretty cool.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Maps, 360s, a Dynamo stadium, and Nokia

A list of neat map mashups. It's really worth a look, I think.

XBox 360s fail over 56% of the time. Whoa!

Dynamo stadium news! Might an announcement come soon? Though the concept picture I've seen is an open air stadium, I think an indoor stadium would draw more fans. Particularly during the summer, the heat can be oppressive and drive fans away.

The Nokia N900 looks nice. I've been following more tech news recently, apparently.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

World Cup, web albums, and desk phones

The US is trying to get the World Cup here! I hope Houston and Dallas get games.

Picasa now has collaborative web albums! Multiple people can add and edit photos in an album! Nice! I hope this means I'll have to worry about my storage limit less.

Some people are trying to bring back the desk phone, with some style. Gotta say, it looks nice. With enough bells and whistles, I might consider getting one.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Real beer

I met Rory Guinness. That's Mr. Guinness of the Irish beer company. And, what a nice guy! He signed a poster for me, and let me take a picture with him. And, he always had that smile on his face! I've seen authors at other book signings where they just want to get in and get out. Not Rory! What a sport.

His mother is currently undergoing treatment at MD Anderson, so keep her in your prayers.
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Friday, August 21, 2009

I think it'd be neat to speed read.

25 thing to watch for in the (now past) Texan's pre-season opener.

Vote for the best of Houston! As much of a foodie as I am (though, admittedly, not as much as some), I had trouble coming up with bests. Also, it just occurred to me that they have a best gelato but not best ice cream.

And, a Google thing: Google Calendars are no longer searchable, though you can still add them if you have the right ID. So, some people started up their own Google Calendar search. They need calendar submissions, though.

Things coming up in Houston. Mark your calendars!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Cool stuff: camera, e-reader, and design

Neat! A camera with a projector! I wonder when phones will have this (since they're already supporting video).

And, Sony is coming out with two new e-readers. $200 doesn't sound too high, does it? This says that it even supports Google books, pdf, and doc files. Interesting! Also, as more books are avaiable on Google books, more books are also available for the Sony and Amazon readers.

Continuing on the trend of cool stuff, here's a pretty cool website: Yanko Design. You may never see the products they showcase, but you'll be glad some people are coming up with those ideas. Oh, and also WebUrbanist.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Houston electricity stuff

TXU is lowering their rates--but they might still not be the lowest for you. How's that for energy prices?

You may want to check what rates you're paying, though, since the past June and July have been the warmest in history for the city of Houston.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Venezuelan mess

What kind of statement is this? Venezuela's Chavez says that Venezuelan air force bases are at the service of Russia if they need a stopover for their long-range bombers. Uh, thanks? Was there an event that sparked the comment, or is it a non-sequitor?

Chavez is also nationalizing 60 oil-service firms, possibly leaving 22,000 jobless. Not to mention, now, coffee plants.

They're also considering a law to imprison journalists who publish materials "harmful" to state stability, saying it's necessary to "regulate the freedom of expression." This comes at a time when Venezuela has shut down 34 media outlets.

And in case you were still wondering, despite what Chavez says, Venezuelan officials (which are all of Chavez's party until very recently) are still helping Colombian rebels.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Soccer in the US

Glenn Davis, at the Chronicle, talks about style in the MLS.

He says that fans should have a say in a team's style, essentially saying that teams should have flashier plays and tactics, eventhough they're not necessarily conducive to winning more games, in order to bring in more fans. He's right to say that winning alone doesn't bring in more fans, but I think he's missing the crux of the problem. After all, looking like "lower-table English soccer" doesn't explain the problem when lower-table English soccer is more popular in England than the MLS is here.

The problem, essentially, is marketing. Davis points out that the MLS competes with football, baseball, and basketball. Very true, but think about those sports for a second. When you think of football, what do you think of? Maybe you think of big guys pounding into each other off the line of scrimmage, or a running back weaving between linesmen, or a really cool catch in the endzone. When you think of baseball, you may think of the pitcher looking down from the mound, or a batter hitting a homerun, or a double play from the infielders. When you think of basketball, you may think of a variety of shots or slam dunks, or a hook shot, or a block. Indeed, even hockey brings to mind a variety of scenes, and even golf gets more air time than soccer.

So, what does soccer bring to mind? Not much. Maybe Brandi Chastain. Soccer needs a marketing gimmick. Basketball had the Harlem Globetrotters in the early days, and now rely on a huge fan base to support amazing players showing off amazing skill. Baseball's All-Star game might be the most famous, because it shows off some pretty impressive skill--the home run spectacle always brings in a big crowd to see their favorite players hit baseballs really far.

The MLS just needs to a better job with marketing. We have some very talented players, but has any non-soccer fan really heard of Stuart Holden? Landon Donovan's great, but he's really only known on the west coast. How about getting some retired and amateur players (or, wait until Donovan's retired) and putting together some kind of Globetrotter-type team, that goes around doing tricks? We need something cool to get people excited about. There's been some commercial success at that. Soccer commercials overseas show some pretty neat abilities from top players. Why can't we have more commercials like that? Everyone remembers the Michael Jordan versus Larry Bird trick shot commercials. For the most part, these aren't tricks you see players displaying during games, but they get people excited without having them watch an actual game. That, I think, is key to improving the product both on and off the field.

Of course, this takes money, and the MLS is a relatively new league. But, signs are that the MLS is doing well, is growing, and will be able to afford better/more marketing in the future. They've already made deals for more coverage with ESPN, so hopefully they're well on their way.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Restaurant Weeks and food

Yelp Eats! A new Houston restaurant week, July 20-26. Three course meals for $25. Of course, the normal Houston Restaurant Week is August 10-23 (actually two weeks) and is $35.

More on food: A Dallas newspaper showcases 10 restaurants that reflect the diversity of Houston food. Who wants to tell them that Houston restaurants are more diverse than that? You might have to expand that list a bit. Only one asian restaurant?

For a Harry Potter feast, considering going to the Alamo Drafthouse at West Oaks Mall on July 22nd.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Some Google News

A new version of Android is coming out!

And, Google is partnering with some energy companies to use smart power meters to help people monitor their own energy usage and save money. TXU Energy is one of the energy companies! Yay!

Google is developing Google Wave, an application that combines document editing, email, social networking, and much more. If you have an hour to watch the video, it's really neat. I've been waiting for something like this for quite a long time.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

IMAX, solar power, wind power, and Living Library

The Business Pundit tells us that IMAX is killing their image by not distinguishing between their larger, classic IMAX screens and the newer smaller ones. It's interesting, I think. When I saw Star Trek this past weekend at an Edward's IMAX, the manager spoke to us briefly before the movie started to explain to us that this was a real IMAX screen, unlike the ones at AMC. Differentiation is important.

IKEA has a program to give a solar lamp to a child via UNICEF for every one bought. I think they have needs greater than solar lamps, but there you go.

"Smart wind turbines" are being designed, to maximize power generation and minimize damage. While it's neat technology, I think there are some better designs out there.

Living Library is a new organization that lets you "loan" out a person for half an hour, and you get to learn from that person. They'll talk to you about a predetermined subject, hopefully quelling stereotypes.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Houston news: best cities, diversity, crime, soccer

Hey, there's a women's soccer league! Houston has to get in on this. Maybe when the Dynamo move out of UH, the women's pro team can move in.

Houston is one of the top ten best cities to live. Considering the number one city, I don't know if it's a reliable list, though.

Houston's diversity is apparently a model of future outlooks for US cities. That's right, we're demographic trend setters.

Houstonians are more happy about living here than in the past--Rice University has released their annual Houston area survey.

Although a lot of people don't believe it, Houston's violent crime rate has decreased. For some reason the article reports that the periods in question are July 2007-March 2008 and July 2008-March 2009, nine month periods. Why would you do that? It seems like Jan-Dec would make more sense. Also, I wonder what the impact of hurricanes in the area on crime are.

Scientists have found a way to strengthen spider silk using steel. That's pretty cool, no?

A handheld ultrasound smartphone? That's pretty cool. I wonder what uses people can come up with for ultrasound devices.

Plans for the Dynamo stadium are still moving forward, albeit slowly.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Helping you do your civic duty

On the same vein as one of links last time...
Sunlight Labs recently held a contest, Apps for America, in an attempt to make "Congress more accountable, interactive and transparent." The winner was Filibusted, which keeps track of senators who filibuster. It aggregates some data from GovTrack.

I'm reminded of Show Us a Better Way, a UK competition site which tries to make public information more accessible. Google also announced that they're going to make public data more searchable and accessible, but that isn't a surprise. They've been doing that for quite some time, but the US government should try out these contests.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Venezuela, April Fools, Street View, and LegiStorm

Drug trafficking is up in Venezuela. I guess this shouldn't be a surprise.

Top 10 April Fool's pranks by companies.

Google Street View reportedly catches people doing underhanded things. Is lack of privacy a good thing if it holds people responsible for their actions?

LegiStorm looks like a really interesting website. You can look up a lot of public information about your legislators.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Video games, smart power, Adu, Dynamo, populations

Video games improve your brain's performance. Gaming white-collar professionals are more confident and social, and gaming surgeons make fewer mistakes. Also, video games sharpen eyesight.

Smart power grids might be vulnerable to hackers. I think that's probably a relatively minor concern, since security vulnerabilities are something that can be dealt with.

Freddy Adu's in the US for a little while, and he spoke to reporters. He says he's doing well. Apparently, it's pretty normal for 19 year-olds to not play in "serious European clubs," so he's just working hard to get a chance. I suppose he's in a great place to train, though.

Speaking of soccer, the Houston Dynamo try to secure funding to get their stadium built. Is it getting closer?

Houston added the second most number of people to its population , a recent survey says. Second, behind Dallas. Percentage-wise, Austin is the second fastest growing city.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Facebook, Catholicism, Sears Tower, batteries, the internet

Apparently, Batman couldn't get a Facebook account.

Catholics are asked to abstain from tech-stuff on Fridays. I hope my blogs count as an exception.

Hey, Chicagoians: The Sears Tower is changing names to Willis Tower.

There's a new type of lithium battery which charges really, really fast. Battery technology really interests me, because better, smaller batteries mean better, smaller devices.

Reporters Without Borders has put out a list of countries that are enemies of the internet--that heavily censor the internet. Cuba's on this list; I worry that Venezuela will follow suit and pursue actions to get them on the list, too.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Texas history, light rail, fat ban, beer, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Monday was Texan Independence Day, and what better way to celebrate it than with a piece of history.

The light rail is going to cost $1.46 billion. I wonder how much longer until it'll be useful for me. It needs to be pretty expansive to cater to a sprawling city like Houston. I think it'll get there eventually, though.

A state lawmaker wants to ban trans-fat. He says it'll lower health care costs. Interesting. Maybe a ban on fast food will come next?

And the rodeo's in town! I hope you get a chance to enjoy it.

Saint Arnold's has a limited run special beer you can try.

An article arguing against Huge Chavez's accomplishments. Speaking of which, Venezuela has a 30% inflation rate? And that's down? Ouch! PDVSA is late on payments. Tear gas is thrown at the Vatican diplomatic office in Venezuela.

Zimbabwe's inflation rate is, of course, much worse. The Cato Institute says it's the second worst ever.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Wow. I knew dolphin were smart, but they even prepare their food?

Hey, a free cooking class every Saturday in Houston.

A law proposed to allow alcohol sales on Sundays. As an added bonus, it could bring in more revenue.

Hey, Google Transit now covers Houston!

A walk through Glenwood Cemetery sounds interesting, to see historic Texans.

NASA is getting $1 billion from the stimulus bill.

A big honor for some Houston chefs: James Beard Awards.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Acer Aspire One

So I recently got one of those Acer Aspire Ones. It's a handy little netbook, and very portable. I really enjoy using it to surf the internet and read stuff while I'm out. I'm still learning, bit by bit, how to use Linux, so here are the sites that have come in handy for me thus far:
Aspire One
Aspire One Tips and Tricks
Linux-Watch
Learning the Shell
Linux Keyboard Shortcuts
Google-Watch
Google Blogoscoped
(the last two to hopefully find out when Google Chrome comes out for Linux)

I'm also on the lookout for a good sleeve for the thing, or a small case. I bought a bible book cover, which fits the thing perfectly, but it's a bit on the bulky side. Mostly, I don't know what to do with the power cord. On the other hand, I'm considering buying one of the 9-cell batteries so maybe I won't have to carry my power cord with me so much.

I'm also back to tutoring Economics this semester, so my website and my other blog should see periodic updates (each have been updated in the last week).

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Astroids and Netbooks

An asteroid narrowly missed the earth yesterday. I didn't know an asteroid hit the earth in 1908! I wonder what would have happened if that asteroid had hit the moon, a much smaller ball of mass. Though, I guess, the craters on the moon indicate it's been hit a lot before...

Speaking of which, China did hit the moon. On purpose. They apparently want to send people to the moon in around two years. Go China! Talk about shooting for the moon.

I want one of these. A four-in-one netbook, handheld gaming device, e-book reader, and touch-based tablet. Currently retailing at $399 isn't too bad!

And, as reported on my other blog, Intel is trying to get its Atom into other devices. I really like a lot of products in the past year or so, despite the slump you'd expect from the economy. Although, I'd guess a lot of the low cost stuff--netbooks being a cheap substitute for laptops, for example--are a response to the economy.