From the AP, via the NYTimes: A guy got on a JetBlue red-eye from San Juan to Newark with a couple of undeclared lovebirds in his carry-on. (I mean, he didn’t fill out the right form; I don’t know what declarations the lovebirds made.) Sure enough, one of them got out and made a break […]
Continue reading... May 15, 2006
“Exhibits Grace Under Pressure”
Some poor production assistant at the BBC put the wrong guy on the air. Rather than Guy Kewney, tech pundit, they grabbed an IT interviewee who was waiting at the Reception desk and put him on a live program instead. After something of a rocky start, he apparently did quite well — which kind of […]
Continue reading... May 15, 2006
A Lot of Beer Has Much the Same Effect
The New Scientist has this story: Sound Neutralzing Technology ‘Confuses’ Abusive/Racist Chants at Stadiums During tests of the prototype system, volunteers were surrounded by loudspeakers simulating the sound of a chanting crowd and were asked join in. But one speaker replayed the crowds chant with a short delay. When the delay was greater than 200 […]
Continue reading... April 26, 2006
…and Now for the Daring Escape
So the magician David Copperfield and his two lovely assistants were robbed at gunpoint in West Palm Beach. The local newspaper reports that while he has a gun on him, Copperfield pulled out all of his pockets for Riley to see he had nothing, even though he had a cellphone, passport and wallet stuffed in […]
Continue reading... April 26, 2006
The New Old Hands-On Generation
One of my oldest friends grew up a gearhead/theater tech, then became a computer magazine editor, then evolved into a stay-at-home mom. I remember visiting her and being astounded at her heretofor unsuspected talent for making things like adorable frogs out of edible fondant. Where do you learn things like that? I wondered. I knew […]
Continue reading... April 26, 2006
Needle and the O-Gauge Done
He somehow doesn’t seem to be the type, but Neil Young is apparently a big model train fan. In fact, according to Reuters by way of the New York Post, he owns about 20 percent of Lionel, which is currently going through a bankruptcy reorg. The story says Young and Lionel have a joint venture […]
Continue reading... April 26, 2006
First Look: Samsung Helix
I’m pretty sure that mine is the first hands-on review of the Samsung Helix, a combination MP3 player and portable XM Radio receiver. The thing’s not on sale until the end of May, but Samsung made an early production unit available for testing. Look at the full review, but the short version is that it […]
Continue reading... April 24, 2006
Clearly, Technology Would Be To Blame
From the Beeb: There are some new GPS-based products — in the $50 range — that are designed to let parents know where their kids are at all times. Or, at least, at all times when they have a clear view of the sky. Which they wouldn’t have if they were, say, in a club […]
Continue reading... April 18, 2006
Another Nail
It’s increasingly difficult for me to describe what I do for a living. When I was a wire service reporter, that was easy. When I was a free lance writer and a newsletter publisher, that was pretty easy, too. When I became a magazine top editor, it got harder because the job was more complex […]
Continue reading... April 14, 2006
Time to Think About Getting a Mac?
Got a PC that’s running Windows 98? Starting in July, you may have a problem. Andy Patrizio, at internetnews.com, reports that Microsoft will stop supporting Win98 in early July. They’ve threatened that before but this time, with Windows Vista on the horizon after the New Year (honest!), the threat sounds credible. No patches, no security […]
Continue reading...