No, not for me (you guys should know when my birthday is ;-).
In a few days (September 2nd) the Internet will be 35 years old and CNN has a story about its past and future.
Who would have believed that our beloved Internet would grow so old, so fast?
I remember when it was just 5 years old (and that was about 5 years ago!).
[Via Slashdot.org]
31 August 2004
30 August 2004
Bite Of Apple
Apple is famous for having a loyal fan club who consume anything Apple.
That includes Apple ads.
That site has a collection of clips of some of the Apple ads over the years (including, of course, the classic 1984 Mac ad).
It also includes two Saturday Night Live Apple ad parodies.
Enjoy all you Apple fans...
That includes Apple ads.
That site has a collection of clips of some of the Apple ads over the years (including, of course, the classic 1984 Mac ad).
It also includes two Saturday Night Live Apple ad parodies.
Enjoy all you Apple fans...
29 August 2004
Punishing Speeders
Get this: in Pleasanton (a city in the Bay Area) the city's traffic engineers have created a traffic signal that senses when a speeder is approaching and immediately turns from green to yellow to red!
This is supposed to stop people from speeding but it sounds quite dangerous (suddenly switching the traffic light ??).
I hope this turns out to work successfully and spreads around the world...
This is supposed to stop people from speeding but it sounds quite dangerous (suddenly switching the traffic light ??).
I hope this turns out to work successfully and spreads around the world...
28 August 2004
Interiew Questions
Here's an interesting article about the popular brainteasers in job interviews.
You may find it interesting if you are either looking for a job or interviewing people for a job (or just like brain teasers).
I've actually encountered quite a few brainteasers in job interviews and I enjoy these types of questions. The only problem with these kind of brainteasers is that sometimes interviewers ask questions that have a trick answer.
These trick questions kinda beat the point since either the person has heard the question before and comes out looking like a genius (lucky bastard) or doesn't have enough time to come up with the trick answer and comes out looking stupid.
The trick is to ask questions that show how the candidate thinks, not necessarily the result they come up with.
For a great collection of interview questions (and answers) check out techinterview.org.
You may find it interesting if you are either looking for a job or interviewing people for a job (or just like brain teasers).
I've actually encountered quite a few brainteasers in job interviews and I enjoy these types of questions. The only problem with these kind of brainteasers is that sometimes interviewers ask questions that have a trick answer.
These trick questions kinda beat the point since either the person has heard the question before and comes out looking like a genius (lucky bastard) or doesn't have enough time to come up with the trick answer and comes out looking stupid.
The trick is to ask questions that show how the candidate thinks, not necessarily the result they come up with.
For a great collection of interview questions (and answers) check out techinterview.org.
27 August 2004
Connect 4
One of my alltime favorite board games is Connect 4.
In this online version of the game you can play either a 1, 2, or 3 player game (the real version of Connect 4 only comes with two chip colors so you can only play two players).
If you play a one player game then the computer will play against you (there are three difficultly levels).
I was able to beat the computer a few times and it also beat me some of the times (but let's keep that between us ;-).
BTW: I just bought a new version of Connect 4 called Connect 4 Flip where you can flip over the board.
I haven't had a chance to play it yet but it looks like a cool twist on the game.
I wonder how long it will take for somebody to come up with an online version of Connect 4 Flip...
In this online version of the game you can play either a 1, 2, or 3 player game (the real version of Connect 4 only comes with two chip colors so you can only play two players).
If you play a one player game then the computer will play against you (there are three difficultly levels).
I was able to beat the computer a few times and it also beat me some of the times (but let's keep that between us ;-).
BTW: I just bought a new version of Connect 4 called Connect 4 Flip where you can flip over the board.
I haven't had a chance to play it yet but it looks like a cool twist on the game.
I wonder how long it will take for somebody to come up with an online version of Connect 4 Flip...
26 August 2004
Umbilical Brothers
The Umbilical Brothers are a strange act from Australia.
This video clip shows their performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on the David Letterman show.
These bros (are they really brothers?) are quite talented.
This video clip shows their performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on the David Letterman show.
These bros (are they really brothers?) are quite talented.
25 August 2004
mv2player
If we're already on the topic of some of my favorite applications then here's my favorite video player.
mv2player is a freeware multimedia player that supports subtitles and just works well.
It also has skins and some other goodies but I don't really care about that stuff, I just want it to play my video files, no matter what format they are in and not matter what format the subtitles are in.
mv2player does just that.
Couldn't ask for anything more...
mv2player is a freeware multimedia player that supports subtitles and just works well.
It also has skins and some other goodies but I don't really care about that stuff, I just want it to play my video files, no matter what format they are in and not matter what format the subtitles are in.
mv2player does just that.
Couldn't ask for anything more...
24 August 2004
TrayList
TrayList is one of my favorite plug-ins for WinAmp.
According to the site, TrayList "gives you the power of hotkeys, hothits, a media organizer, on screen display (OSD) and statistics features" but the main reason that I like it so much is the hotkeys feature.
It lets you control WinAmp via hotkeys from whatever application you are currently using without having to focus on WinAmp.
You can start and stop playing, change the volume, go to the next and previous songs...all by using keyboard shortcuts no matter what you are currently doing on the PC.
Very useful!
According to the site, TrayList "gives you the power of hotkeys, hothits, a media organizer, on screen display (OSD) and statistics features" but the main reason that I like it so much is the hotkeys feature.
It lets you control WinAmp via hotkeys from whatever application you are currently using without having to focus on WinAmp.
You can start and stop playing, change the volume, go to the next and previous songs...all by using keyboard shortcuts no matter what you are currently doing on the PC.
Very useful!
23 August 2004
Blow One Up For Me
Have you ever gotten mad at some appliance and wanted to smash it to pieces (that includes your computer :)?
If so then WeBlowItUp.com is the site for you.
All you need to do is send them the appliance that you are mad at and $100 and they'll send you back a digital video of your appliance being "obliterated using the latest in Concussive Computer Catastrophe Technology"!
The site also has videos of some of their previous work.
BTW: this site is for real!
If so then WeBlowItUp.com is the site for you.
All you need to do is send them the appliance that you are mad at and $100 and they'll send you back a digital video of your appliance being "obliterated using the latest in Concussive Computer Catastrophe Technology"!
The site also has videos of some of their previous work.
BTW: this site is for real!
22 August 2004
$14 Steady-Cam
This site has instructions how to build a Steady-cam for just $14.
For those who don't know what a steadycam is I'll quote from the site:
For those who don't know what a steadycam is I'll quote from the site:
Steadycams are attachments used to capture smooth looking video even when the camera and camera operator are in motion. The camera operator may walk (or even jog), move through tight hallways and doorways, and even climb up and down stairs without shaking the camera. Unfortunately, professional steadycams cost around $1500. Even the cheap 3rd party ones cost $600+.
21 August 2004
The Wilhelm
The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect of a scream that was recorded 1951 and has since then been featured in tons of movies.
The list of movies that use the Wilhelm is quite staggering and includes:
and I thought that software programmers are lazy!
The list of movies that use the Wilhelm is quite staggering and includes:
- The Star Wars films
- The Indiana Jones movies
- The Lord of the Rings movies
- The Die Hard movies
- Lethal Weapon 4
- Spaceballs
- Reservoir Dogs
- Aladdin
- Toy Story
- Spider-Man
- Kill Bill
- ...
and I thought that software programmers are lazy!
20 August 2004
Cycle Freak
Ok, now I'm guessing that this dude has some kind of obsession with motorcycles.
I also guess that he doesn't have a wife ;-)
Good thing that he doesn't have an obsession for Ferraris cuz that could really cramp his style.
Dude, get yourself a parking garage!
I also guess that he doesn't have a wife ;-)
Good thing that he doesn't have an obsession for Ferraris cuz that could really cramp his style.
Dude, get yourself a parking garage!
19 August 2004
Connected Kitchen
Or may they should call it Konnected Kitchen.
Beyond Connected Home has come out with a microwave oven, a coffee maker, and a bread maker that are powered by Windows CE and can all be remotely controlled over the net (the appliances are licensed from Westinghouse).
The microwave and bread maker have barcode readers that can know how to prepare your food by scanning the food package and they can also download food updates from the Internet.
The coffee maker can be programmed to make coffee different types of coffee at different times of the day and the brewing schedule can be configured from any web browser.
This sounds totally Jetsons :)
Beyond Connected Home has come out with a microwave oven, a coffee maker, and a bread maker that are powered by Windows CE and can all be remotely controlled over the net (the appliances are licensed from Westinghouse).
The microwave and bread maker have barcode readers that can know how to prepare your food by scanning the food package and they can also download food updates from the Internet.
The coffee maker can be programmed to make coffee different types of coffee at different times of the day and the brewing schedule can be configured from any web browser.
This sounds totally Jetsons :)
18 August 2004
17 August 2004
GMail Tools
It's been a while since I wrote about GMail so here's something for the lucky people who have managed to get their hands on a GMail account: a collection of GMail tools that will help you make your GMail account more useful.
It ranges from a Perl module for accessing GMail (for the uber geek) to tools to convert your Outlook emails to GMails, address book converters, GMail notifiers, accessing your GMail account with a POP3 mail client...
I wonder if Google will endorse these kind of tools (which will make GMail a lot more useful therefore more successful) or will try to stop these innovations.
It ranges from a Perl module for accessing GMail (for the uber geek) to tools to convert your Outlook emails to GMails, address book converters, GMail notifiers, accessing your GMail account with a POP3 mail client...
I wonder if Google will endorse these kind of tools (which will make GMail a lot more useful therefore more successful) or will try to stop these innovations.
16 August 2004
Updated Label Code
I updated the radio button/checkbox label code to make the labels look clickable like links.
Now there's a stylesheet there that you can add to the code and it will make all radio button and checkbox labels look like links.
It's some very simple CSS code but it makes that little tip a bit more useful.
Enjoy...
Now there's a stylesheet there that you can add to the code and it will make all radio button and checkbox labels look like links.
It's some very simple CSS code but it makes that little tip a bit more useful.
Enjoy...
It Took 2 Years?
Get this: an official tribute sign on the fence surrounding Ground Zero actually had the wrong date of the terror attacks and noted that the attacks were on September 11, 2002!
The really odd thing is that the mistake was only noticed two years after the sign was put up.
You'd think that somebody proof reads these things!
The really odd thing is that the mistake was only noticed two years after the sign was put up.
You'd think that somebody proof reads these things!
15 August 2004
Monkey Teasing
This monkey doesn't really know that tigers are his enemy and insists on teasing the tiger cubs over and over (warning: that link is to a 7MB movie).
Now we know that nature has a sense of humor (and we also have proof that humans came from the monkeys)...
Now we know that nature has a sense of humor (and we also have proof that humans came from the monkeys)...
14 August 2004
Back (again)
As you've probably noticed already, I'm back and Guy's World has a new look.
Movabletype was giving me serious problems so I switched over to Blogger for managing Guy's World.
Since guymal.com has a new look I created the new Blogger template to go along with the new guymal.com design.
I've had some problems with Blogger in the past and then switched over to Movabletype but I hope that now that Google has bought them that the service will become more reliable.
Let's hope that Blogger won't give me any trouble and that I'll be able to post regularly...
Movabletype was giving me serious problems so I switched over to Blogger for managing Guy's World.
Since guymal.com has a new look I created the new Blogger template to go along with the new guymal.com design.
I've had some problems with Blogger in the past and then switched over to Movabletype but I hope that now that Google has bought them that the service will become more reliable.
Let's hope that Blogger won't give me any trouble and that I'll be able to post regularly...
08 August 2004
05 August 2004
04 August 2004
SoftwareCEO On Spolsky
There's an article over at SoftwareCEO about Joel Spolsky, CEO of Fog Creek but more importantly author of Joel On Software.
To quote a bit from the article: "Spolsky takes a skeptical view of almost every bit of received wisdom he's ever heard about running a software company. His views are refreshing and thought-provoking, and they certainly work in his niche"
The article includes 17 software contrarian insights into how to build a software company, every one of which Joel has put into practice in his own firm.
Very interesting (like just about anything that Joel writes about).
BTW: Read the article this week since the SoftwareCEO archives are available only to paid subscribers.
To quote a bit from the article: "Spolsky takes a skeptical view of almost every bit of received wisdom he's ever heard about running a software company. His views are refreshing and thought-provoking, and they certainly work in his niche"
The article includes 17 software contrarian insights into how to build a software company, every one of which Joel has put into practice in his own firm.
Very interesting (like just about anything that Joel writes about).
BTW: Read the article this week since the SoftwareCEO archives are available only to paid subscribers.
03 August 2004
Great Paul
Paul Graham has an excellent article (like most of the things he writes) about great hackers.
In this article Paul discusses the characteristics of great hackers and why they are so important for creating successful companies.
Paul talks about (among other things) how to identify great hackers (which can be quite difficult since even the hackers themselves don't know how great they are), what types of environments great hackers need in order to work, and what motivates great hackers.
An excellent read especially for managers in the software industry.
In this article Paul discusses the characteristics of great hackers and why they are so important for creating successful companies.
Paul talks about (among other things) how to identify great hackers (which can be quite difficult since even the hackers themselves don't know how great they are), what types of environments great hackers need in order to work, and what motivates great hackers.
An excellent read especially for managers in the software industry.
02 August 2004
4's Not Enough?
How many sides does a hexagon have?
Everybody: "6"
How many fingers do you have on one hand?
Everybody: "5"
How many wheels does a sport car have?
Um, 6?
That's right folks the small Italian car maker, Covini's, latest design is a six wheel sports car!
"The six wheeled design offers many advantages over a conventional design as it offers more traction for cornering and braking and minimizes the risks associated with tire punctures."
But if you think that this is the first time there's a car with six wheel you're in for another surprise: it turns out that in 1977 there was a 6 wheel sports car called the Panther 6.
Check out the pictures of both cars.
Everybody: "6"
How many fingers do you have on one hand?
Everybody: "5"
How many wheels does a sport car have?
Um, 6?
That's right folks the small Italian car maker, Covini's, latest design is a six wheel sports car!
"The six wheeled design offers many advantages over a conventional design as it offers more traction for cornering and braking and minimizes the risks associated with tire punctures."
But if you think that this is the first time there's a car with six wheel you're in for another surprise: it turns out that in 1977 there was a 6 wheel sports car called the Panther 6.
Check out the pictures of both cars.
01 August 2004
Closing Microsoft
John C. Dvorak has written an interesting article over at PCmag.com called "Closing Microsoft".
The article discusses the concept of Microsoft possibly shutting down and distributing its assets to the shareholders (by converting all assets to cash).
Although this sounds crazy and far fetched, John does raise some interesting points on why this could actually be possible.
If you thought getting tech support for Windows was hard now, think what will happen without Micro$oft backing it up...
The article discusses the concept of Microsoft possibly shutting down and distributing its assets to the shareholders (by converting all assets to cash).
Although this sounds crazy and far fetched, John does raise some interesting points on why this could actually be possible.
If you thought getting tech support for Windows was hard now, think what will happen without Micro$oft backing it up...
