Links for this week on Computers, Culture, Cycling, Photography and Telecommunications.
Computers
- An interview with the chief of design at Apple. He as some interesting observations about machine age design and it is very reminiscent of what Peter Jackson thinks about movie sets.
Culture
- Mischief Night. It sounds like the American holiday Halloween is actually based on what sounds like a Celtic festival called Mischief Night which itself seems to want to occur on May eve (30 April) though there are many dates. It includes some fun actions like: Knocking and tapping on doors and windows, Daubing objects with whitewash, Smearing of doorknobs with treacle or Vaseline Tying together adjacent door handles to prevent either from opening, Removing gates from their hinges and depositing them elsewhere, Throwing toilet paper at people’s homes, Throwing eggs at windows
Cycling
- Wow, a company that is selling continuously variable hub gears. They call it the NuVinci CVT. Though it sounds like they are still under development and not yet up to serious use. It says, only cruisers should use the gears. Still it is something to watch. They are very heavy. But may be worth the effort.
- The Cycling Resource Centre has an interesting page on Cycling Innovations.
- An inventor in the Czech Republic, we bring you the HEPAV — the Human Powered Electric Amphibious Vehicle!
- This is an old link, but it has been hiding in my in-box. It shows what you can do to mount cameras on a trike, courtesy of google maps mapping service.
amphibian velomobile from Jan Jan on Vimeo.
Photos
- Some excellent recent photos from the Conflict in Pakistan.
Science
- I have always marvelled at how the Chinese have been developing tea pots for thousands of years and have mastered the art of building tea pots the dribble. Here is a report on some science on the subject. It could be a candidate for an ignoble prize!
- An interesting article on the very undeveloped science of what is the difference between sleep and waking.
Telecommunications
- Singtel is looking at selling their cash cow, Optus. I wonder what it is like to be a customer of a company that is a cash cow? Do you get milked?
Woman: we can’t believe that they stuffed up again. We don’t think like this
Man: …and the bastards thought he stole that!
Man: they said he made two attempts, the first time with the chicks.
Man: you know what? They licked each other.
Women: they thought he wrote this!
Man: …and the bastards thought he stole that!
Man: they said he made two attempts, the first time with the chicks.
Man: you know what? They licked each other.
Women: they thought he wrote this!
2009-10-26
Woman: wants them to explain the 7 year old part
Man: we didn’t mean that they did
Man: Elton can’t
Woman: they are expensive sluts and you are parasites
Furious woman: it’s fucking what the liberals think we think!
Man: so who said he was a bigamist?
2009-10-27
Woman: you know what he thinks a melon is? A fruit! This is true. Go the bitter melons.
Man: and after all of that, they don’t know what goes on…
Man: they are going to explain whybthey said you can get sacked for that
Woman: you are going to explain what you sid to cause him to pull out the drama card and turn nasty
Man: fuck, Victorians don’t think like this!
Woman: the cops thought that because he smiled he was on drugs
Woman: the cops are going to explain why they thought that was him
2009-10-28
Woman1: you are going to explain why you thought he meant that! W2: and you are racists Man: we said sorry
Man: Elliot gobblet
Man: oh shit, the bastards did think like this!
Man1: we fucking don’t think like that M2: then who does? M1: they think we do
Man1: the police won’t! M2: they said, then fuck it up properly
Man: … They said, they are not finished yet, so they had to fine him…
Man: you know what they siad? We can look after our selves
2009-10-29
Man: we don’t think like that you dickheads!
Woman: that’s what they thought, they must be secret.
Woman: then you are going to explain why the cops said he does
Man: well explain why he said that you smartarse!
Woman; that’s how he knew, you told him this.
Man: he knows they won’t admit to anything.
Man: holy shit, now they know who wrote that
2009-10-30
Woman: they should have said, the taking photos kid
Man: you know why he thinks it’s cold. Because of the wind chill! (this is correct)
Woman: when he says the professor he mean the proffesor from gilligans island. (this is true, what did you think?)
Woman: they still can’t believe the radio part
Man: so what if he’s crazy, he didn’t know that
Man: they said, we don’t care gay he said that