Randomblings from Rich - Random talk about technology, science, chess, news, hobbies, stupidity and myself.
April 23, 2006
$2 Yo-Yo and your childhood
Who didn't have a Yo-yo when they were growing up in the 70's? Yo-yo's were quite the rage in the schoolyard back then. So, when I was browsing in Walmart with my son, and we say the Hasbro Fast 201 Yo-Yo's (released in Feb 2005!?) for only $1.98 each, we picked up two, one for each of us. Back in the 70's, the Duncan Butterfly was the yo-yo to have, but this thing takes the butterfly and gives it strong wings. The yo-yo has a set of 'fangs' inside it that increase side friction to the string, but it's settable by the user twisting the yo-yo to an open or closed position. I was never that good as a kid, but with this sucker, I was quickly doing sleepers and walk-the-dog. If you want to get in touch with the inner child, sometimes you just can't beat a $2 toy.
Cute Joke
A friend of mine, Matthew Martin, just told me a funny joke, and I had to share it.
Descartes walks into a bar, buys a beer and drinks it. The bartender hands him the tab for the beer, a whopping $50. Descartes, in a huff, exclaims loudly, "$50 for a beer? I think not!". *Poof* No more Descarte.
Well, I enjoyed it.....
April 22, 2006
Chinese $150 Linux mini-PC races OLPC to market
I don't know about you, but I'm sitting here on my computer with only two open applications: An Internet browser and my IM client. 90% of the time when I am at home, this is all that I'm using. Sure, my laptop does a lot more. I use it for web development, and a variety of other tasks. But it cost me $1500. There's a lot of work afoot in industry to put out a cheap computer for the masses that can't afford a nice PC, and I just got hooked up by The Raw Feed to this article: Chinese $150 Linux mini-PC races OLPC to market. There's video available (linked in the article) and it's a very intriguing little box. It does more that just IM and Internet, much more. It has Office-like applications, USB 2.0 ports, Linux, video player software, and a cute little OS front-end. It also has a hard drive and SVIDEO-out, things you wouldn't expect in a $150 computer. I could have sworn on the video the man said it had wireless too (although it doesn't have a built-in screen, so you won't be using it at Starbucks).
Intel and Microsoft don't have a lot to worry about, as the device is certainly lacking in a few departments that would make it silly to depend on such a device for 'gotta-work' applications like the office, but this kind of device is going to be able to reach a strata of people that can't afford a PC right now. (Although shipping a non-SVIDEO output mechanism would help hook up to cheaper TV's on the market).
As long as companies that put out machines like this include functionality on the web such as Flash Player and Shockwave player in the base install, I think that they could sell quite a few of these. I think I might even buy one purely as a curiosity, so their market isn't limited to those who can't afford a full-blown computer with all the fixin's.
Intel and Microsoft don't have a lot to worry about, as the device is certainly lacking in a few departments that would make it silly to depend on such a device for 'gotta-work' applications like the office, but this kind of device is going to be able to reach a strata of people that can't afford a PC right now. (Although shipping a non-SVIDEO output mechanism would help hook up to cheaper TV's on the market).
As long as companies that put out machines like this include functionality on the web such as Flash Player and Shockwave player in the base install, I think that they could sell quite a few of these. I think I might even buy one purely as a curiosity, so their market isn't limited to those who can't afford a full-blown computer with all the fixin's.
April 17, 2006
Easter Weekend
Happy non-denominational Easter! I'm not religious at all, but in case you are, Happy Holiday. Honestly, even though I'm not religious, I still enjoy all the holidays you folks have given us. Christmas is one of my faves, but Easter is good too, what with all the chocolate and candy. Coconut-creme eggs are a favorite sin of mine.
Of course, now that Easter is over and summer is around the corner, I need to drop into diet-mode again. I've fallen back on some of my bad old ways, and these 36-inch pants are getting mighty tight again. I was on Atkin's Diet for a few months back a while ago, and had dropped from 230 to 190 or so...and I've picked up 30 of those 40 again...seriously time to watch my food intake. It's been horrendous of late.
Easter weekend was good for me, though. I finished my taxes the night before they were due (amazing for me!!), and we went to play mini-golf on Sunday when we went out to dinner (see, I had salad, cheese-fries AND a rack of ribs - this is my problem....I like food too much). I shot a 62 on a par 60 course, so I'm feeling good about my putting game this year....
Of course, now that Easter is over and summer is around the corner, I need to drop into diet-mode again. I've fallen back on some of my bad old ways, and these 36-inch pants are getting mighty tight again. I was on Atkin's Diet for a few months back a while ago, and had dropped from 230 to 190 or so...and I've picked up 30 of those 40 again...seriously time to watch my food intake. It's been horrendous of late.
Easter weekend was good for me, though. I finished my taxes the night before they were due (amazing for me!!), and we went to play mini-golf on Sunday when we went out to dinner (see, I had salad, cheese-fries AND a rack of ribs - this is my problem....I like food too much). I shot a 62 on a par 60 course, so I'm feeling good about my putting game this year....
April 06, 2006
What the fuck is wrong with people?
I'm sorry - I just can't think of anything more witty to say. The title says exactly what I thought when I read this news report about teachers disciplining a five-year old child for hugging another five-year old child after helping her up off the ground. I'm speechless. Words fail me. I am just too shocked to formulate an intelligent response to such an idiotic, evil-minded, twisted, dumb-ass, intolerant stupid, hare-brained, dumb-ass (did I say that?) action. Are we so short of teachers that we can not fire this one? Please? Pretty please?
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