Naval War College pulls its web site after hacking

Now this is bad. If the Navy can’t protect their War College web site, the government is in serious need of some security experts.

The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog: Naval War College Pulls Its Web Site After Hacking

Another wonderful BitTorrent download. Makes a great Christmas gift

Download the Wikipedia CD distribution and put on a USB drive. Then give to a child. Distribution comprises “over 2500 hand-picked educational articles aimed at helping schools enhance their curriculum.”

Much better than the Encyclopedia Brittanica at a much better price.

Wikipedia CD Distributed over BitTorrent at Torrentfreak

Technorati Tags: Wikipedia

Can’t afford a PicooZ minature helicopter?

Build your own following the directions in this Make article.

MAKE: Blog: Rubber band powered helicopter made from a business card

A Christmas gift for my MAC friends

Enjoy!

jschilling.net: X-MasTree

This is too cool and could be a very useful tool

If you have a mac, give this a try. Open up Safari, load a web page and hold down the key combination while moving your mouse over links. Your MAC will attempt to give you definitions of the words you move over.

digg – Mac OS X: Hold ctrl-cmd-d While Mousing for Live Definitions – Very Cool

The $100 laptop for every child gets its game on

Great, we develop a laptop for every child in third world countries and what is the first app to be developed? Doom! Great, let’s give these kids laptops and let them learn how to frag at an early age. Heavens knows they don’t see enough violence in many of the countries this laptop is headed toward.

Technorati Tags: doom, OLPC XO, $100 laptop

For all you Beatles fans…

It seems that we may finally get our Beatles tunes on iTunes Store.  About time, huh? Rumor also has it that a special edition Beatles iPOD, ala U2, may also be on tap.

| ZDNet Education IT | Beatles to Sign with Apple’s iTunes

Technorati Tags: Beatles, iTunes, Apple

Free film online via BitTorrent

Looking for a free film online that is LEGAL? Want to know what all the hub-bub is about BitTorrent? Check out this link and learn how to download the movie, The Last Man on Earth free and legally. From the site, the movie is described:

“The Last Man on Earth” is a true movie classic based on the famous
novel “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson. The movie was released back in
1964, and has fallen in the public domain, so you’re free to download
and share it.

To learn more about BitTorrent, visit the BitTorrent web site. Learn how you can add to your media collection using this excellent file sharing system.

The Last Man on Earth: Free and Legal on BitTorrent at Torrentfreak

Technorati Tags: bittorrent, free film, scifi, public domain

Digital Marionette

Some folks may not know, but the Apple MacBook Pro computers contain sensors in them that detect whether a the laptop has been dropped and when this detection occurs, it locks the hard drive into a safe position to better protect the data.  While the laptop itself might not survive the drop, the intention is that at least the data would be protected. A great feature that has been exploited to provide some entertainment value.  Here’s one example that I thought was very creative.

Technorati Tags: macbook, marionette

Just in time for Turkey Day

The Instructables website has posted this wonderful tutorial on how to deep fry a turkey. From the Combsing Through the Minutia blog, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

instructables : How to fry a turkey

Technorati Tags: Turkey, Deep Fry

PSP 3.0 firmware update available

Lot’s of new features but my favorite has to be the ability to download some older PS1 titles.  My first download will have to be Medal of Honor.  Loved the original and taking it with me on the go would be great.  Guess now I have a reason to find my PSP and purchase a larger memory upgrade. Now if I can only locate a PS3 so I can download these games to the PSP. Why, oh why wouldn’t Sony just let us download using the built-in PSP’s built-in WiFi?

Firmware 3.00 now available via Network Update – PSP Fanboy

Technorati Tags: PSP, Firmware

Battlestar Galactica making a move to Sunday

It’s been extremely popular on Fridays and I never miss an episode thanks to my TiVo so this won’t effect my viewing. If you haven’t given this extremely popular sci fi show a shot and can’t watch on Fridays give it a shot. You are missing one of the best shows on television. Not the Battlestar from my youth, but in this case, that’s a good thing. More gritty and intelligent. Not for the kiddos though. At times it can be quite violent given the theme.

Slice of Scifi – Science Fiction TV & Movie News, Interviews & more » “Battlestar Galactica” Making Surprise Move

Technorati Tags: BSG, Battlestar Galactica

I’ll give you $12,500 in Taco Bell Bucks for a brand new PS3 says the Taco Bell folks!

Surely one of the strangest articles and offers on the net.  Read the Engadget article and enjoy.

Would you trade your PS3 for a lifetime of Tacos? – Engadget

technorati tags:PS3, TacoBell

More SketchUp fun

I’ve been at it again with SketchUp preparing a project for my students. Here’s a sneak peek:

See the remaining pics in my Flickr SketchUp C-Clamp set.

technorati tags:SketchUp, C-Clamp

Teach yourself C++ in 21 days

This site linked below purports to teach you how to program in C++ in 21 days. Now, I’ve programmed a little bit in my time and have to admit, every time I see these types of site, I know that I am not going to be a programmer in 21 days. It takes time, more time, some more time and some patience to be a good programmer. I tried a similar site with Python and while I learned the basics, the old axiom is true, “if is sounds to good to be true…it is.” Still, if you need a good primer and don’t want to buy an expensive text from your local bookseller, this site should get you started into the world of C++ programming. Good luck to ya programmer wannabes!

Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days:

Technorati Tags: C

The ultimate Periodic Table of the Elements

Wish this had been available when I was in high school.  I might have gotten a much better grade in chemistry.  Heck, it might have helped me get a grade period in high school.  Not my best subject.

Dow/Popsci Periodic Table

Technorati Tags: Period Table of the Elements

Technorati Tags: Period Table of the Elements

Google keeps on innovating with Click-to-call feature

According to Google, here’s how it works:

Search for a business, like a hardware store, on Google Maps, and click the ‘call’ link next to its phone number. Then, enter your phone number and click ‘Connect For free.’ Google calls your phone number and automatically connects you to the hardware store.

Now that sounds like a very useful feature.  Be sure to check it out the next time you are looking for a local business and need to make a call.

Technorati Tags: Google, Click-to-call

Technorati Tags: Click-to-call, Google

Humanity goes out the door along with PS3s

Let’s face it, any self-repecting geek wants a brand new shiny PS3 under their Christmas tree this year. The reality is very few are going to see this box since there are so few of them being released. However, some folks will stop at nothing snag one. Engadget scoured the web and found these very depressing article:

Read – CT man shot outside Wal-Mart, suspects still on the loose.
Read – Armed robbers steal 5 PS3s from Ohio EB Games store.
Read – Riot breaks out at Circuit City.
Read – Police use pepper balls to control crowd in Tyson, VA.
Read – Escaped rapist apprehended in Best Buy PS3 line.

Update: While not actually criminal, last night’s award for cruel and unusual went to PC Gamer, who were on hand in SF to try to convince a card-carrying line-waiting PS3 fanboy to swear off Sony forever. In exchange for a $7,500 Falcon Northwest PC rig, dude had to sign a legally binding contract to not purchase or ever own a PS3, under pain of death paying back $7,500. Some guy named Neil, who’d been waiting for 40 hours, signed his life away.

So if this doesn’t make you question the future of humanity, nothing will. I guess the Jack Ass watching generation is here to stay. Sad…truly sad.

Technorati Tags: PS3, IDIOTS, Gaming

Easy multiplication without a calculator

This video shows you how by drawing a few lines underneath the problem. Pretty kewl stuff!

Easy Mental Multiplication Trick – video powered by Metacafe

Wish I had this known how to do this during middle school. Maybe my math grades would have been better!

iPhone from Apple coming soon?

UPDATE (17 November 2006): Apple Insider is reporting the following:

The China Times said Thursday the device, which will merge traditional cellular capabilities with Apple’s legendary iPod digital music player technology, has been finalized and released to manufacturing.

According to the report, Foxconn will begin delivering the phones to Apple out of its Fushikang manufacturing facility at run rate of 500,000 to 600,000 per month beginning in February.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based iPod maker is said to have enlisted the help of several component suppliers to provide various aspects of the phone, including Foxconn subsidiary AlusTech, which will fabricate the digital camera module; Largan, which will supply the actual camera lens; and Micron, which will provide the CMOS image sensor.

The link below article explains that a manufacturing deal has been made and that the iPhone could be unlocked, meaning it could be used it with any mobile phone provider. 

I am VERY anxious to learn more about this phone and would be VERY eager to purchase if the features are robust. Namely, I want some PDA functionality and the ability to sync with my Powerbook. While my RAZR does sync pretty effortlessly via bluetooth, an iPhone would most certainly add better synchronization with my iLife apps (iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, & iCal).  If they include VoIP (iChat anyone?), a portable version of Safari, and a high resolution screen I might just have to get rid of my Nokia 770.

[Photoshopped mockups of iPod phones, courtesy of a user at www.ipodlounge.com]

Blackfriars’ Marketing: Apple thinks different about marketing iPhones

Technorati Tags: iPhone, Apple

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone