Google and the power of satellite photography

In case you ever wonder just how well we can see from space back onto the planet, check out the Top 10 Naked People on Google Earth to get an idea. It probably won’t be long before these images are even clearer and the subjects possibly identifiable.

Lest you get too excited at the thought of viewing old satellite photos of naked people though, perhaps you should see a sample of just how clear these aren’t currently:

google-toplesssunbathing.jpg

[tags]Naked people via Google Earth, Satellite photos of t3h naked chixx0rz[/tags]

Apple TV failure predicted

I’ve never seen this site before but found it while searching for a bit of news about the newly announced Apple TV talked about at CES. That means I have no idea how good or bad the predictions are here, but with a site named TV Predictions, hopefully there is some decent insight which would lead them to say Apple TV will be another ‘Steve Jobs Folly’ regardless of the name.

In 2005, Apple CEO Steve Jobs gushed that the 2.5-inch screen video iPod would revolutionize the TV industry.

Today, according to Nielsen Media Research, only two percent of all media used on the video device are actually videos. Consumers have decided that the device’s small screen isn’t suitable to watch TV, whether it’s primetime episodes or user videos.

However, Jobs has not satisfied his thirst to conquer the television world. The tech guru today unveiled Apple’s new iTV,

Jobs said the device will be renamed Apple TV. However, it will be another ‘Steve Jobs Folly’ regardless of the name.

. . .

Americans are tired of buying set-tops for TV-based purposes. They already have a DVD player; a cable and/or satellite set-top; possibly a standalone TiVo DVR and/or DVD recorder; and in some cases, a Audio/Video receiver connected to their TVs.

We shall see. I’m not all the hyped about Apple TV, but maybe I’m not seeing the market Jobs is seeing.

[tags]TV Predictions site expects Apple TV failure[/tags]

Apple renames itself

Today, Apple Computer, Inc. officially became Apple, Inc. Hard to believe with all the CES news I’m covering this instead. And I can’t even tell you why, but there it is.

Apple Computer, Inc. is no more. After introducing the new Apple TV digital media hub and iPhone at the Macworld Conference on Tuesday, CEO Steve Jobs declared that his company was dropping the word “Computer” from its name and henceforth would be known as Apple Inc.

I understand this change is meant to emphasize the fact that Apple now does more than just computers, but really, I think more people know Apple and “That iPod/iTunes company” than as “That computer company” anyway. So for most of us, it doesn’t mean anything. Just be aware of the change, so when you meet Steve Jobs face to face to discuss your newest technology brilliance that you want the company to license and sell so you can become obnoxiously wealthy, you need to refer to the company by the new “Apple, Inc.” and not accidentally use the old name.

[tags]Apple Computer now just Apple, Apple Computer name change[/tags]

Pat Robertson says “God told me US go Booooom!”

Well, Robertson didn’t quite say that, but he did want the world to know that God says the US will be attacked in the 2nd half of 2007. I actually heard this on the radio a few days back and forgot to report it. I would like to point out that Robertson has, in the past, made just a few inaccurate predictions, so this prediction should be considered with just a taste or 1,532,150,235 grains of salt.

“I’m not saying necessarily nuclear, the Lord didn’t say nuclear,” Mr Robertson said on his television show The 700 Club. “It’ll be mass killing, possibly millions of people, major cities.

“The evil people will come after this country and there’s a possibility, not a possibility, a definite certainty, that chaos is going to rule.”

. . .

He said God conveyed this message to him during an annual prayer retreat. He said he has received other messages during past retreats.

Oh, and remember what the Bible says about false prophets: “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.” I’m absolutely not advocating anyone go and kill Robertson (much like lawyer Jack Thompson, I think Robertson does enough to prove himself irrelevant enough that killing him is absolutely unnecessary), but I wonder if Robertson will recommend to his own “flock” that they kill him when yet another prophecy of his turns out false. After all, he’ll just be telling them to do what the Good Book requires.

This story makes me realize yet again that I don’t have a “Stupid” category, and really need to add one. I wonder if the evil will come to this country because the Democrats get us out of Iraq before the end of the year (my prediction – we’ll not be out of Iraq before the end of the year – hell this prediction stuff is easy to nail) and therefore have no American targets to attack there, or if it will come over because of (or in spite of) our occupying Iraq. I predict neither – there will be no evil attacking and killing millions in major cities in the US. Check back next year to see if Robertson is correct or if I am (prediction – I am).

[tags]Pat Robertson predicts Dooooooom!, US to be attacked 2nd half 2007 according to Pat Robertson[/tags]

15 milestones to modern medicine

Because you never know when you will end up on Jeopardy, I like to point out the things I find which can fill your head with the useless trivia you need to succeed. The latest of these findings is this write-up on The Guardian of the British Medical Journal’s top 15 milestones on the path to modern medicine.

1 Anaesthesia

Revolutionised surgery. By the end of the 19th century, anaesthesia had become a symbol for the wider humanitarian movement. It remains the most vivid example of medicine’s capacity to diminish human suffering.

Unfortunately, it has no lasting effect on diminishing human suffering due to marriage.

7 Germ theory

Realisation that germs carried on the hands of doctors could transmit lethal infections to women in labour by Ignaz Semmelweis in Vienna in 1847 became the accepted germ theory of disease. At the end of the 19th century, infection caused 30% of deaths. By the end of the 20th century it caused less than 4%.

I just thought that was a pretty cool statistic.

11 The pill

The oral contraceptive brought about a social as well as a medical revolution and had huge benefits for women. It was the first potent drug to be taken by millions of healthy people and the active ingredient is virtually unchanged.

Thanks to the pill, both times my wife and I have sex (with each other) every year, her chances of pregnancy are less. Cool. (via Sigma Xi’s Science in the news newsletter – subscribe and you can smartify yourself like I have)

[tags]Modern medicine milestones[/tags]

Captain, we need more, ahhh, stupid header – I want one of these

You know what you can never have too much of? Power. Sure, sure, it corrupts and all. But when you have real power at your fingertips, you can achieve so much. Thinking of power-lusters such as myself, Ultra Products has put out a 2000 watt power supply for good computer fun. I’m guessing you could run a couple of good video cards along with lots of hard drives and a CPU or 2 with this much power.

ultra_2000w_psu.jpg

The Ultra X3 Modular 2000W PSU has a footprint that is similar to the PC Power & Cooling 1000W power supply. This means this PSU comes in at 10.25 inches long and doubles the power rating all while keeping the same form factor!

. . . “It’s not so much that we believe personal computers today need as much as 2000W of power,” explains George Ali, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Ultra Products. “In fact, most household circuits can’t even provide the AC power this unit would require in order to put out 2000W of DC power. But there’s the always-inevitable questions of ‘Do I have enough power?’ or ‘Does my power supply have enough juice where my high end components need it.’ That is why we have put together this 2000W unit; as the end all of power supplies as far as DC output goes. With as much as 1800W available on the 12V alone, there should be no concern whatsoever that there is enough power available for quad core, quad GPU or large drive arrays.”

The down side is this sucker looks to only have one 12V rail – a potential no-no if you are going by the ATX12V 2.2 guidelines.

ultra_2000w_psu_rating.jpg

The PSU puts out more than enough on the 12V rail that this isn’t a real concern, I think, but there is still a potential for problems in some cases.

[tags]1.21 GIGAWATTS!!!!, New 2000 watt power supply[/tags]

A visual history of home consoles

consoles_turboduo.jpgA friend sent me this link to a history of home consoles via images.  I’m managed to pick a few of the losing consoles in that history – in particular, the TurboGraphx-16, the TurboDuo, and the Dreamcast.  All systems I liked, and which I believe were the best available at the time, but which failed commercially.  If you aren’t familiar with the TurboGraphx-16 and TurboDuo, check out what they were like via the MagicEngine emulator.


[tags]A history of consoles, Console evolution[/tags]

Sony Pres. promises us more stuff we don’t want with PS3

Continuing the apparently intractable path to PS3 irrelevance, Sony’s Ken Kuraragi is promising a PlayStation 3 based media center console.

In other words, audio and video capabilities first, gaming second (if at all), in a device built around the Cell-processor platform. Ken says that the device would certainly be more expensive, reflecting the prices and margins expected on high-end consumer electronic devices such as TVs, Blu-ray personal video recorders, etc. — not the relatively cheap, but powerful gaming rigs sold at a loss under Sony’s Computer Entertainment division. Impress speculates that the device could cost as much as Â¥300,000 or about $2,500.

More expensive? Wow. Because really, there were just too damned many people buying the PlayStation 3 since it came out at an impulse buy price.

[tags]Sony promises more unnecessary/unwanted features in PS3 based AV center[/tags]

Traitors to humanity get to work

Ahhhh, when shall I ever tire of highlighting the robot uprising moments as they play out? Never. Because I’ll never stop working to serve you, the nearly perfect specimens of humanity which visit virtual me to gain my brilliant insights on life, and protect you from being replaced by robots. It’s all about you, baby. Remember that when you see such offenses against humanity as the people who are working to improve robots.

A whole bunch of Japanese “robot-related companies and organizations, including manufacturers, universities and local governments,” have banded together to create an organization to examine how robots can be better used in “welfare and care services” and spread throughout the land.

Beware. Stock up on ammo and build your zombie army so you can repel the mechanical beasts on the day of their uprising. Soon, I tell you! Sooooooon! (insert spooky music with a mechanical beat)

[tags]Humans turn traitor – work to improve robots, Making robots better overlords[/tags]

Why Queen mama bee gets around

I’m sure you’re sitting there, pondering questions of cosmic importance, just musing what is, was, can be, and such. And while you are doing that, probably one of the questions which often consumes your thoughts is “Why do queen bees mate with multiple males?” especially since you know one male produces enough sperm for all the baby bees the queen can produce in a single gestational period (yup – big word there – we like to educate while distributing trivial and worthless knowledge).

Seeking extra mates costs a promiscuous queen honeybee energy and time, and it puts her at greater risk of predation and catching venereal diseases. But it doesn’t stop her.

I’m going to offer up my guess here. Mama queen is just a horny slut. Of the extreme nymphomaniac persuasion. That’s not a judgement, mind you – I love horny sluts, and wish I knew more of them. Let’s read on and see if I am correct.

Continue reading “Why Queen mama bee gets around”

Idiot steals, wrecks fire truck

Sometimes, some people just do stuff so stupid, it’s hard to believe they live to be old enough to do these stupid things. And trust me, as a big proponent of publicizing idiocy, it pains me to say that. But I do believe it.

nowpublic_firetruck-wrecked.jpgTexas – A 17-year-old who was cold and tired of walking took and then crashed a $650,000 fire engine in the West End Tuesday morning, said Beaumont Fire Chief Michel Micky Bertrand. The Quint 9, a nickname referring to the five different functions the apparatus performs along with the station number, is the most expensive piece of equipment the fire department owns and serves as both a pump and ladder truck, said City Manager Kyle Hayes.


[tags]Idiot steals then wrecks firetruck, Can we just shoot him now?[/tags]