July 2009
31 posts
Firefox 3.5 Released →
The world’s best web browser just got better with the release of a free upgrade to Firefox, now at version 3.5.
Check out this Webmonkey overview of what you’ll be getting, and enjoy better browsing.
June 2009
30 posts
The Coolest Convention Finder on the Planet →
Put in your zip code (US and Canada) and find every upcoming science fiction, anime, manga, comic, and geek convention within 120 miles of your location.
Way cool!
[via ThinkGeek]
Gödel, Escher, Bach: A Mental Space Odyssey →
Here’s a video lecture series about Douglas Hofstadter’s extremely cool but very difficult book.
It’s provided free by MIT as part of their OpenCourseware High School program, and I’m looking very forward to checking it out. I just wish it didn’t require RealPlayer.
[via MeFi]
Video: The Festo AirPenguin →
Bummer, they disabled embedding on this one. Please consider having a look, nonetheless.
It’s extremely futuristic and surreal to see robotic flying penguins.
More videos at FestoHQ.
[via MeFi]
Vegetarianism as a Sometimes Thing →
Ian Ayers features a suggestion by Matt Johnson on the Freakonomics blog for those of us interested in the many benefits of part-time vegeterianism.
I like the approach, and might have tried it if I hadn’t already pretty much gone all the way.
10 Myths About Canadian Health Care, Busted →
Sara Robinson talks about the Canadian medical system in a way that deflates a lot of the hype we’ve been hearing as we gear up for the debate on universal coverage for United States citizens.
If we’re going to be moving over to a national system, I personally haven’t found a better way than the single payer model, preferably administered by a body smaller than the behemoth that...
Cheap Generic Drugs →
Every day I take blood pressure medication, and a few years ago I found my insurance-handled prescription costs escalating drastically.
$20 a month inexplicably leapt to $38, so I called to ask why. I was impolitely told that the price was “re-negotiated” with my insurance company.
Not that the generic drug I’m taking had become more expensive, mind you. Rather, it was...
Square Foot Gardening →
I like the idea of this initiative to get people gardening — easy, cheap, pest-free, and simple design.
Perhaps my condo association would allow me to give this a try…
[via Small House Style]
Text messaging is overpriced, say CU advocates →
Consumers Union points their finger of shame at cellular companies for jacking up texting fees that cost them next to nothing to process.
This is right up there with $8,000 per gallon inkjet ink, “convenience charges” on event tickets, and exorbitant ATM fees.
Disgusting.
[image by Stephen Geyer]
Postbox →
I’ve recently switched my email from the venerable Thunderbird to Postbox, and am (mostly) thrilled with it.
I can now instantly search through all of my mail (across multiple accounts), use tabs to organize my stuff, and even search for content to add right within a compose window, among other things.
What do I miss? Things like color-coding and the ability to sort messages in my...
The "Bomb Iran" contingent's newfound concern for... →
Glenn Greenwald takes on the hawks in today’s Salon.com article.
I think it’s the ability to dehumanize and paint an entire people with one brush that makes it easy for many to want to destroy the United States — this goes both ways.
14-year-old hit by 30,000 mph space meteorite →
I like the way Gizmodo characterizes this remarkable accident — it is, indeed, the quinessential superhero origin story.
I wonder if they’ll let him keep the rock, like a kidney stone from space.
Ryan Adams Live at Das Haus →
I can’t stop listening to this live Ryan Adams performance. No, this is not the “Cuts with a Knife” guy.
Recorded in Ludwigshafen, Germany on October 17, 2006, the sound quality is superb enough to be a commercial release, but it’s 100% free on Archive.org.
In top form, Mr. Adams re-works many of his best songs in a fluid, dynamic, and strikingly beautiful way. If...
Game: Gravity Hook →
Quite fun, and a very different sort of retro-arcade game. It was pretty difficult at first, but I’ve quickly become addicted.
I’m particularly interested in the fact that this game was written with the flixel framework, a free collection of Actionscript 3 files that allows rapid development of sophisticated games without needing Flash.
For more flixel action, check out Fathom and...
WatchSomebody must be playing Big Audio Dynamite in the background.
[via Japan Probe]
Coldplay's Free Live Album →
If you’re a Coldplay fan, for the price of a mere email address you can get a full downloadable live album that has a bunch of their hits.
A quick listen revealed excellent sound quality and solid performances. I’ll be giving it the full sit-down treatment soon.
Thanks for the head’s up, Dave!
WatchCelebrated the end of the school year with a day in NYC. It was beautiful, even though a bird pooped on my head.
What to do with Bing →
Lifehacker has a great roundup of things you can do with Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing.
Between this and Wolfram|Alpha, it’s nice to see some genuinely useful new search tools entering the fray.
I’m not giving up Google quite yet, though. I think each tool has its place.
U.S. National Park Service Fee-Free Weekends →
Here’s an excellent reason to get out and see our great National Parks this summer: free weekends.
That’s right, more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees are waiving them on June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16.
Please keep in mind that camping, tours, and concessions aren’t included in this promotion, but it’s still a great deal to check out...
Is Wolfram|Alpha Skynet? →
Go ahead. Click the link above to ask it.
Or, you can ask it for the speed of an unladen swallow, among other things.
Love it when the geeks show a sense of humor.
[via Gizmodo and Mashable]
Hubble's Final Servicing Mission →
Continuing on the space theme, a few weeks ago the Space Shuttle blasted off on a mission to repair the Hubble Telescope for the last time. The Big Picture’s Alan Taylor got to go, and collected a great group of pictures detailing the mission.
I will certainly be a shame when the Hubble finally goes dark, it’s given us such a unique window into our beautiful and strange universe.
...
