How cool is this? So as you walk away from your PC it will “lock” and then as you come back…boom - it is ready to use. A post on Lifehacker - This is a hack for Ubuntu systems.
An intrepid user at the Ubuntu Forums has detailed the installation and setup of BlueProximity, a free Linux app that turns a Bluetooth phone into a proximity-based security device for your computer. Yes, that’s exactly how it sounds: Your laptop locks itself down when you step a certain distance away, and opens again once you’re in range. Certainly useful in coffee shop and book store situations, but not a bad idea in a house with curious little fingers around, either. This kind of measure is more utility than security device, and the instructions require serious attention (forgetting to undo one step could hose your system), but it’s a nice privacy feature and seriously cool tweak at the same time.
Could you believe that the car above made the 1975 Guiness World Record book? Its claim to fame is getting an amazing 376.59 miles per gallon of gasoline, and that in a 1973 contest sponsored by Shell Oil (now Royal Dutch Shell).
Check it out. Granted - it was drastically changed…but the body shape was VERY 1959!
I am associated with another blog…it’s called wediabuzz. It’s a group of people from GFOC (the Gazette Family of Companies) whom I used to work with and now work for. (I am a consultant doing work for them now.)
We had a mission to help them out and build a framework for podcasting - it was fun. It is not as easy as some people make it out to be - I really enjoyed it and had a good time. It really reminded me of my “days back in radio” where we do all sorts of crazy things. I remember using the studio equipment to make and record prank phone calls to our friends…what a great time.
Anyway - I volunteered to edit the podcast. Man is digital so much easier than analog. We recorded the podcast using a super basic Logitech microphone and my laptop running Audacity. It worked OK - but the levels were all messed up and we need to look at abetter microphone for next week. It would be idea to have a separate mic for each person - but then you would really need a mixer board and then a 4/8 track recording and pretty soon you’ve got a couple grand wrapped up. I’m kind of more like the minimalist with this stuff…or maybe a better term would be cheapskate
It wasn;t my first time editting audio - but the last time I did; I was using a razor blade, a reel to reel and some skinny blue tape to put it all back together with. Now that was some work - now it’s all about the drag and drop, and man do I like me some drag and drop. “I tell ya - these kids don’t know how easy they have it!”
The university is making the change in the wake of published reports last month that its endowment had grown almost 22 percent last year, to $17.1 billion. That sum had begun to attract attention from lawmakers who want wealthy institutions to do more to reduce tuition costs.
Wow - this is huge…it will be very interesting to see how other colleges respond. All I ever hear from the state regents in Iowa is how much more they are increasing tuition.
A post from the Register (note - strong language) is touting Facebooks slowdown.
Facebook has suffered its first drop in monthly users, according to numbers from web analytics outfit Nielsen Online.
Five per cent fewer people in the UK visited the site in January compared to the previous month. A total of 400,000 seem to have become bored with the social network and didn’t bother to return.
Hmmmmm…if this is accurate and continues, it will be interesting and see what is next.
Ditching your cable company has never been more viable than it is today. The rise of online, streaming TV shows allows you to save on one of the most expensive household bills if you are willing to sacrifice a bit of the convenience of having either a cable box or DVR. The main question you will need to ask yourself is what shows you actually enjoy watching. Several name brand shows are now available online in free, ad supported formats; if your particular shows are not available then you may be stuck with your cable company, at least for now. More and more shows are always coming online, so keep checking back to see if your favorite show is available.
I think it is possible to get rid of cable in 2008 - IF you are not a live sports person. That is the biggest thing missing from the internet offerings.
In a series of moves announced today aimed at making its products more interoperable with other software and the Web in general, Microsoft is releasing 30,000 pages of documentation for Windows (both desktop and server products) that were previously available to partners only through a trade secret license. It is making available new licenses to a large number of its software patents “on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, at low royalty rates.”
This is pretty cool. I’ve been getting more and more interested in open source lately. And with my past experience in programming web apps with Microsoft tools - it sure sounds good. I’m interested to see how this all plays out.
Super post at Social Media Today yesterday called “The Paradox of Self-Promotion with Social Media”:
Social media is a beautiful thing. The internet is finally living up to its potential as the first truly democratic medium. The traditional gatekeepers (to use a Seth Godin term) of mass-media no longer control the flow of information. In fact, I would argue that the term “flow” of information will quickly fade into our linguistic past. Web 2.0 has introduced us all to the “currents” of information. Things are far less linear than they used to be.
