[Original Link] Is this the SUV of the mobile phone world? Hey, wait! – they left out the printer!
Modern Swiss Army Knives
July 19th, 2003
Three Sins of Authors in Computer Science and Math
July 19th, 2003
[Original Link] Jonathan Shewchuk wrote this 6 years ago – I’ve just come across it. Very valuable advice for science research students.
Netscape is dead
July 16th, 2003
Hedge Rage
July 15th, 2003
I’m back in Seattle again, and enjoying the New York Times, as always. Let’s see, what’s in the international news? Thousands in pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong, atom bomb developments in Korea, and new laws in Norway requiring 40% female board membership in public companies.
What about the UK? Well, apparently, some people in Elstree are upset about the height of their neighbour’s hedge…
…Stalemates like these are common in Britain today, said Clare Hinchcliffe, a spokeswoman for Hedgeline, a group that lobbies on behalf of people with grievances about hedges…
Grievances about hedges? Can you imagine admitting at parties that you were a spokeswoman for Hedgeline?. What must the Yanks think of us?!
Plus ça change…
July 12th, 2003
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.”
Making Movies
July 11th, 2003
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.
Worrying news about EU patents
July 8th, 2003
[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.
Grounding planes the wrong way
July 7th, 2003
[Original Link] Iraqis weren’t the only ones looting and vandalising, according to this Time report.
[Thanks to Denny for the link]
A close shave
July 6th, 2003
[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!
Then I saw her face… now I’m a believer..
July 6th, 2003
…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.
Random thoughts from Old Europe
July 2nd, 2003
[Original Link] John’s ponderings on a recent trip to Berlin.
Update, 2012: link changed – article now here.
A big boost for RSS
June 24th, 2003
[Original Link] I love the BBC.
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