Geek Miscellany

Black holes, LHC, Star Wars, quantum uncertainty… if it is of general geek interest, but doesn’t fit into one of the other categories, it lands here.

Replace my computer with an iPod? I don’t think so…

Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal penned an article the other day about how the Personal Computer era may be ending, to be replaced by … I’m not really sure, I guess he’s saying purpose built devices for particular purposes. Actually, the way I read his article, I think he’s saying that the “component build” model appears to be a poor one to use for things like iPods, but the technology media seems to have picked up on this being someone yet again predicting the end of the personal computer.

I’m pretty sure that Mr. Mossberg didn’t actually intend to predict the end of the personal computer. That’s been done so many times before its almost laughable. Network Computers were hyped and died in the mid ’90s. We’ve had several generations of game consoles that were supposed to kill the personal computer. And now ubiquitous devices like iPods and web browser/camera/music player/pda/cell phones are going will be the death nell that removes that machine from under your desk.

Bill Gates has responded to this kind of thing before, and apparently he’s written a letter to the WSJ for this one (although I’m not a WSJ subscriber, so I can’t read it). To be honest, Bill, you are wasting your time.

(more…)

Continue ReadingReplace my computer with an iPod? I don’t think so…

Google upset about IE7 search default…are they blind?

Apparently Google is taking Microsoft to task over the new search bar built in to Internet Explorer 7. The Googleheads are upset over the fact that this search bar defaults to using Microsoft’s own MSN search.

First let’s set aside the obvious fact that Firefox “defaults” to using Google, and no one complains about that. And then we can ignore the fact that Microsoft is the manufacturer of IE 7 and therefore somewhat entitled to give precedence to their own products. That leaves us with one slim thread holding up any credibility to Google’s concerns: that somehow, Microsoft is taking away a user’s “freedom of choice”.

(more…)

Continue ReadingGoogle upset about IE7 search default…are they blind?

Strange computer behavior: IE7 and Firefox don’t get along?

I installed the IE7 beta on my computer earlier this week, and it *seemed* (on first glance) to be working fine alongside Firefox. But then I started noticing strangeness. My computer auto-rebooted several times due to failure of \WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe, in one case involving the wdigest.dll module: this might be an indicator of several varieties of virus, but my machine scanned clean with the latest version of Avast, which is usually pretty reliable.

(more…)

Continue ReadingStrange computer behavior: IE7 and Firefox don’t get along?

iToilet: when iPod accessories go too far…

I own an iPod. Not because I’m an Apple fan, but because the iPod works very well (the UI is good) and their music service fits the way I like to buy and manage my music. One thing that I thought was kind of neat about the iPod was the huge variety of third party accessories available- car kits, chargers, external speakers, you name it.

(more…)

Continue ReadingiToilet: when iPod accessories go too far…

The man with exploding arms…

I was lying half-unconscious on the couch tonight and ended up watching some programs on Discovery channel. One was about strange things removed from humans (E.G.: the cop who had a 6′ long section of a mobile home stuck in his chest), then there was a show with the provocative title “The Man With Exploding Arms“.

(more…)

Continue ReadingThe man with exploding arms…

Microsoft wants *you* to try IE 7 Beta…

Microsoft is on its second beta of Internet Explorer 7, and they really want people to download and use it. I’ve been telling people who are having problems seeing my website “correctly” to use Firefox since IE 6 is full of CSS and DOM rendering bugs. IE7 will fix most of those problems, and the Beta actually looks reasonably good.

(more…)

Continue ReadingMicrosoft wants *you* to try IE 7 Beta…

End of content

No more pages to load

Newer Posts
Older Posts