If you read enough (or even a little) about gadgets, technology and computers, sooner or later, you’ll find some journalists using the phrase “sex appeal” to describe a small, metal electrical gizmo. This is misguided, and lazy: firstly, if PCs genuinely did have to exude sex appeal to propagate as a species, the vast majorityContinue reading “Computers, sex and glamour”
Category Archives: Tech
USB Powered Christmas
It’s that time of year again. Or rather, it isn’t for another couple of weeks, but the shops have already had their decorations out so long they need to dust them… However this – a plug-n-play USB Mince Pie – surely outdoes them all in terms of appropriate Yuletide cheer. After all, if 128MB ofContinue reading “USB Powered Christmas”
The world through someone else’s eyes
Just a quick post today – life contains to be busy, and I’ve still not got a new camera, as the Optio S4i has been phased out, while its successor, the 5 megapixel S5i, has yet to show up as available. However, a couple of photo related links, both from excellent gadget weblog Engadget. ClickContinue reading “The world through someone else’s eyes”
On The Move
Now that the blog’s been getting lots of hits, I’ve not done anything on it in a while…<ahem>. Partly this is because I had to give Pentax the Optio S4i camera back, so not been taking any pictures this week. I have shelled out for my own one though, so I should have that nextContinue reading “On The Move”
How could they make the Optio S4i better?
…By adding an X! The coolest letter of them all. Although that’s not all they’ve done – Pentax’s Optio X is tiny and is probably the first digi-cam I’ve seen that makes a decent go of the twisting body design concept. It’s 3x optical zoom / 5x mega pixels. Given it’s tiny dimensions (11cm byContinue reading “How could they make the Optio S4i better?”
If you click a tree in the forest…
…and no-one’s around, does it still grow? Give it a go with NEC’s art-cum-sponsorship-cum-corporate-responsibility project Ecotonoha. Adding leaves to the virtual tree makes them plant more real trees. Lovely graphics, and since the leaves are little messages, the whole tree is actually a patchwork of words, wishes and SMS shouts: Link. [via Josh Rubin] Pic:Continue reading “If you click a tree in the forest…”
Here, There and Everywhere
“FALLOW: The German cartographer, Mercator, originally designed this map in 1569 as a navigational tool for European sailors.HUKE: The map enlarges areas at the poles to create straight lines of constant bearing or geographic direction.CYNTHIA SAYLES: So, it makes it easier to cross an ocean.FALLOW: But… C.J.: Yes? FALLOW: It distorts the relative size ofContinue reading “Here, There and Everywhere”
Creative Commons: Copyright evolves
Not sure whether to stick this in ‘Tech’, ‘Cool’, or create a ‘Just Listen To This!’ category. Anyway. This site, including the photos, is now licensed not under completely out-dated copyright, but by a Creative Commons license. There’s a great explanation in the form of a comic here or you can check out their excellentContinue reading “Creative Commons: Copyright evolves”
Pointing North
While the developed world has been less than successful (a slight understatement, perhaps?) at exporting democracy to the Middle East in a reasonable manner, that doesn’t mean they can’t have its flip-side, the free market! There was a news piece a couple of months back on how Africa was the first continent to achieve theContinue reading “Pointing North”
Pentax Optio S4i – If Pandora had a camera, rather than a box
Since I work for a high-end computer magazine, Custom PC (btw, our website isn’t great, don’t blame me, it’s not really controlled by the people on the magazine’s editorial side…), I get the chance to play with some very neat gadgets. At the moment, I’ve got a Pentax Optio S4i camera, which is, as with all good gadgets, a) tiny and b)Continue reading “Pentax Optio S4i – If Pandora had a camera, rather than a box”
The Wired Jester 