We’re always told, by the publishers of trendy dictionaries, for example, that language is a fluid and fast-changing thing. But yesterday I found myself using a phrase which, for millions of people, would have had exactly the opposite meaning only a few months ago:
“…as elusive as a weapon of mass destruction.”
Well, I’ve now received my Apple iSight, and the design of the packaging it came in is almost as good as that of the camera itself.
Here’s a handy article by Derrick Story on making the most of it.
[Original Link] The EU is going the way of the US, and the whole patent world is in danger of becoming a farce. It’s good that, in the midst of this, people can write such well-thought-out articles as Kieren McCarthy.
[Original Link] Iraqis weren’t the only ones looting and vandalising, according to this Time report.
[Thanks to Denny for the link]
[Original Link] Well, I don’t generally promote products here (other than Apple’s!), but on my brother’s recommendation I’ve just tried Somersets Shaving Oil, and it’s remarkably good. Replaces foam/gel/soap and you just use three drops per shave, which means it comes in a very small bottle. Ideal for travelling, and amazingly good results. I have no connection with the company except for being a satisfied and surprised customer!
…as the Monkees would say.
Today I had a high-quality video conversation with a friend in California. Here’s how I did it:
I plugged a camera into my Mac. (A camcorder, in my case, but almost any Firewire camera will work and quite a few USB ones.) A camera icon appeared in my instant message window. I noticed that my friend also had one, so I double-clicked on it. And there we were, smiling at each other.
Now get this – I had done NO previous configuration. I hadn’t told my Mac I was about to connect a camera. I hadn’t installed any drivers. I had only just bought the camera and hadn’t plugged it in before. I hadn’t configured any bandwidth options or considered the fact that I was behind a firewall. It just worked. This is why I love Apple.
A Mac with an iSight camera costs less than an ISDN video conferencing solution did a few years ago, and it’s a darnSight easier to use.
[Original Link] John’s ponderings on a recent trip to Berlin.
Update, 2012: link changed – article now here.
[Original Link] I love the BBC.
[Original Link] Bruce Eckel on why Python programs, even fairly substantial systems, can work so well despite it being such a weakly-typed language. Python has been my favourite language for about six or seven years now, though when I want a GUI I usually use the web, and hence usually write PHP code because it’s so tightly integrated with Apache. PHP, though, is just PERL with some of the more horrific parts taken out. Neither can ever achieve the elegance and readability of Python.
A friend sent me this image entitled “Frodo failed” – I think it’s brilliant.
All men are mortal. Socrates was mortal. Therefore, all men are Socrates.
(Woody Allen)
It’s only as I start setting up a new machine with a hosting company that I realise how much I liked my old Cobalt RaQ. This new machine comes with Ensim’s WEBppliance software, which is pretty good, but not as good as Cobalt’s. I’m writing some notes which might help anyone else just starting with Ensim after being used to more regular Linux machines.
© Copyright Quentin Stafford-Fraser
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