If you are not a member of the Apple faithful yet there is new incentive.
It’s the iPod nano.
Available in 2GB and 4GB and starts at $199
It’s a non-random shuffle with a display.
Google Chell Speck!
Are you tired of those who comment in your blog/journal only to point out your glaring spelling errors? You know, those comments that only serve to derail a perfectly good post? What could be more irritating?
Well dear blogger, fret no more!
I just stumbled on the latest Google Toolbar which spell checks Web forms and larger composition windows, such as in Web e-mail and yes, WordPress and Movable Type.
It’s a lifesaver!
Blogging for Dollars
It’s official! I am now a PAID blogger.
Introducing Help Line 2.0!
The column I write for Houston’s largest daily newspaper has now added a blog component and the Houston Chronicle had hired yours truly (the only logical choice) to manage this online resource.
The web address is blogs.chron.com/helpline
I won’t be quitting my day job yet, but I AM a media monster.
Spy Another Day
My co-host, Barrett, has always been a fan of compact, mobile computing. On of the things he has evangelized is Knoppix.
From their website:
KNOPPIX is a bootable Live system on CD or DVD, consisting of a representative collection of GNU/Linux software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices and other peripherals. KNOPPIX can be used as a productive Linux system for the desktop, educational CD, rescue system, or adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demos. It is not necessary to install anything on a hard disk. Due to on-the-fly decompression, the CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed on it (over 8GB on the DVD “Maxi” edition).
Very cool.
Now Barrett has found something else quite interesting. I saw that he had posted to the forums at geekradio.com a blurb about Realm Systems new device, the Realm Mobile Personal Server.
From their web site:
The Realm MPS is the worlds first and only easy-to-use, secure, USB powered computing device that can be used any place, any time, on any operating system.
Basically, you can carry a Linux server in your pocket that can be connected to the USB port of any PC.
The cheesy promos they have done with Jon Lovitz not withstanding, this device looks to be quite interesting.
Space Shuttle connection
We have returned to space with STS-114 and America is beaming with pride. A few distressing images caught by the launch cameras have us a bit pensive as we await more information about what fell off of
Discovery when she took off Tuesday and if it will have any negative impact on her mission. It seems that we, as a nation, are united in our desire for this mission to be a success.
A while back I was doing some searching on Google and came across this on the www.jsc.nasa.gov site:
Houston Chronicle’s JSC News From Home
This appears to be a PDF file of the Houston Chronicle sent to STS 107 (The Columbia) on Wednesday Jan 29th, 2003. It contains a collection of articles from that day’s publication including my Help Line column. It’s humbling to me to know that they might have read my work as they orbited the earth. I know some bands who have had their CD’s carried into space and I was somewhat envious of that prestigious honor. Of course my pride is overshadowed by the tragedy that befell that mission.
Still, as a self proclaimed “geek” and Houston raised space nerd I treasure all of my experiences with the space program. From my childhood when my dad would give me mission photos of the various Apollo flights to the times he used to take me and my brother to Ellington Field to watch the jet trainers come and go. And of course my fondest memory, the time my parents let me stay up late to watch the moon landing when I was 8 years old.
Like so many others, I am caught up in the excitement of our return to space and I wish for nothing but success for the crew of STS 114 and everyone associated with the mission of Discovery.
God speed!
Hi-tech cop: cantennas are illegal to possess
In this scare-mongering article from the Sacramento Bee about people who use open WiFi networks, a cop from the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force makes a remarkable statement about homemade WiFi antennas:
Last month in Elk Grove, a high-school student faced eight felony computer-theft charges for allegedly hacking into his school’s computer system and changing his grades. When police searched his home, they found aluminum-lined, cylindrical potato-chip containers that some hackers use as crude antennas to help them intercept wireless signals.
Known as “cantennas,” they consist of a Pringles can and some hardware worth $5 to $10 but can be used to amplify a wireless signal several miles away.
“They’re unsophisticated but reliable, and it’s illegal to possess them,” said Lozito of the Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force.
Then the reporter goes on to note:
It’s also illegal to access wireless networks that aren’t public. In other words, if you’ve ever been pleasantly surprised to open your laptop, pull up your browser and have Internet access, that likely means you’ve just intruded into someone else’s unsecured network “” and really aren’t allowed to be there.
Original story is here
Showcase success!
The showcase was a lot of fun. The turn out was quite respectable (considering how early our show was) and the sound man did a great job of mixing us for the room.
Kimberly of Neurotic Fishbowl fame was there and even audio blogged part of our first song. Isn’t technology wonderful?
If anyone got pictures from the performance they need send them my way.
Converging of blogs
As it stands now, when I post to my blog the feed is picked up at Livejournal as Lj user baldheretic. This allows Lj users to add my feed to their friends list.
I am now experimenting with a plug-in for Word Press that will post my blog entries to my MySpace account.
It seems to be working! Woo-hoo!
The plug in is called MyPress and can be found here
The MySPace account is www.myspace.com/baldheretic. Feel free to add me if you have a MySpace account.