The Far Traveler: 2003

Wednesday, December 31, 2003

Wired 12.01: The 100-Megabit Guitar

Monday, December 29, 2003

12 - FLOSS in Iran :: linmagau.org :: Australian Linux/OpenSource Magazine
Local Content - Local People - Australia

New Page 2

Kap KitesSlashdotted.

Sorry, this site is temporarily unavailable!

Thursday, December 25, 2003

ESA - Mars Express - Merry Christmas from Mars:Mars Express enters orbit around the Red PlanetContact awaited with Beagle 2 on the surface

ESA - Mars Express - Merry Christmas from Mars:Mars Express enters orbit around the Red PlanetContact awaited with Beagle 2 on the surface: "25 December 2003
ESA PR 84-2003. This morning, after a journey lasting 205 days and covering 400 million kilometres, the European Mars Express space probe fired its main engine at 03:47 CET for a 37-minute burn in order to enter an orbit around Mars. This firing gave the probe a boost so that it could match the higher speed of the planet on its orbit around the Sun and be captured by its gravity field, like climbing in a spinning merry-go-round. This orbit insertion manoeuvre was a complete success."

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

V-Strom Links

V-Strom FAQ

V-Strom Information Portal

Yahoo! V-Strom group

The V-Strom web forum

Stromtrooper.com Forum

The MicaPeak DL Registry

Monday, December 08, 2003

Google miserable failure phrase invokes George W. Bush

Google miserable failure phrase invokes George W. Bush: "AT THE TIME of writing, if you go to Google.com, type in the phrase miserable failure and then press 'I'm feeling lucky', it returns this page.

We know nothing about American politics. Is Google anything to do with the Democratic Party, or is it just coincidence?

The answer, apparently, can be found on this this page, which describes George W. Bush as a miserable failure every day and invites people to join in the project. Âµ"

Friday, December 05, 2003

Report : year in magazines

Report : year in magazines: "Motorcycle Memories

Original Manuals, Microfiche, Magazines and a whole lot more!"

RG500 Delta

Wednesday, December 03, 2003

MonoManiacs :: SuperMotardsForum

ADVrider Forums - The original adventure riders (and bikes!)

ADVrider Forums - The original adventure riders (and bikes!)Great photos!

Marvel Chronology Project - Main

Chronology.Net

Chronology.Net: "As promised during the last few years, I am converting my site to an actual multi-editor database (the current site is static files). The main reason that I haven't gotten there yet after all this time is that I have been setting my standards higher and higher, so I never actually arrive at the end. I have released several major previews here so far, the newest one on 2002 June 9th. The current preview represents the 'final' version fairly well, structurally, but most of the content is missing. The new site will be moved to chronology.net when it is ready, and not before. By 'ready', I mean that you can do everything with it that you can do with the current site, so we don't take steps backwards.

The database is an ongoing project with great and vast plans going for it. When this is complete I expect to have a fan-edited resource that lists fiction from a wide range of media, cross-referenced with information on creators of said works, character appearances, crossovers, timelines, publication dates, and so on. In addition, works created by fans of the above fictions will be indexed and cross-referenced where appropriate, including fan fictions, fan art, and fan websites. Initially the focus of this site will be on science fiction and it will be editable by approved site visitors using a web interface.

What you see on my site right now is a 3MB collection of source text data which I have the authors' permission to use in my database. It is meant to be a description of the Marvel x-titles and related books arranged in order of continuity, and be an index to said books at the same time with synopsis, creator credits, and characters."

Tuesday, December 02, 2003

[rec.arts.comics] rec.arts.comics.misc FAQ: Part 6: Misc. Comic Book Questions

[rec.arts.comics] rec.arts.comics.misc FAQ: Table of Contents / Acknowledgements

images central | top 50 images for december 2003

BCE Mylar | ComicBase

BCE Mylar | ComicBase: "ComicBase 8 Archive Edition. A 2 DVD-ROM in a custom laser-engraved aluminum case containing the entire ComicBase Database, as well as CGC"

Worlds of Westfield - ComicBase

WordPro

The Mail Archive

Wild West Software Engineering @ www.ezboard.com

http://prike.com/

Suzuki DL1000 / V-Strom FAQ: What other options do I have?

Honda NX650 - Extension Screen

SV650-L archives -- April 2002, week 1 (#90)

TOURATECH-USA Equipment for MotoAdventure from Germany

Monday, December 01, 2003

Video Archive

Friday, November 28, 2003

Coupons from FatWallet.Com save you money!

Coupons from FatWallet.Com save you money!Bargains Site.

Ars Technica: The PC enthusiast's resource

FatWallet sues Best Buy over DMCA misuse:

"The lawsuit was a response to 'takedown' notices received by FatWallet over the last few weeks from Best Buy, Kohl's Department Stores, and Target Corporation, each of whom demanded that FatWallet remove from its web site user postings containing Thanksgiving sales price information on the grounds that the information was protected by copyright. Best Buy took things a step further, sending FatWallet a subpoena requesting that it identify the person who posted the information. Because the subpoena was not properly served and suffered from other procedural defects, FatWallet notified Best Buy that it would not identify the poster.

'The posting on a web site of sales price information is not the proper subject of a subpoena or a takedown notice under the DMCA. Hopefully, by filing this lawsuit, FatWallet will be able to put an end to this repeated misuse of the DMCA's special subpoena and notice provisions and ensure that its First Amendment rights, and the First Amendment rights of its users, are fully protected,' said Rachel Matteo-Boehm, an attorney with Steinhart & Falconer LLP, one of the law firms representing FatWallet in the suit."

Charlie discovers good record company

Charlie discovers good record companyCan you belive it? A non-evil record company! Whoa, maybe its safe to buy a CD again.

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Zebra Girl - Friday, June 9, 2000

Zebra Girl - Friday, June 9, 2000 I left off here.

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

CIA - The World Factbook -- United Arab Emirates

Amnesty International - Working To Protect Human Rights Worldwide

SCO's legal claims skewered again

SCO's legal claims skewered again: "By Egan Orion: Tuesday 25 November 2003, 07:24
PROFESSOR at the Columbia University School of Law and General Counsel for the Free Software Foundation, Eben Moglen presented his views on The SCO Group's frivolous lawsuit against IBM to the User Advisory Council of the Open Source Development Lab last month. Now he's released that publicly under terms that allow the INQUIRER to republish it below for our readers. Âµ"

CyberPower AC Mobile Power

CyberPower AC Mobile Power: "On-The-Road Surge Protected AC Mobile Power, Converts Car Cigarette
Lighter To 90 Watts Of AC 'Plug-In' Power!"

This guy likes monkeys

Monday, November 24, 2003

Gone With The Wind

Gone With The Wind: "Wind Generators
Big and Beautiful

A colorful adaptation of the large power generators as seen in Europe and on the windy plains in America, this version won't generate electricity but it will energize your your local flying field!
A unique governor arrangement keeps them gracefully turning at a constant yet mesmerizing rpm. The impressive sizes of these sleek spinners will guarantee they are a big hit.
These are also great for marking tailgate parties or the prime spot on the beach, you will appreciate the portability of the Wind Generator and its compact carrying case.
Includes WInd Generator, pole and ground stake. 6 1/2 - foot and 9 1/2 - foot sizes are in stock, 12 1/2 - foot available by special order (allow two weeks for delivery).

Based on designs by Mike Delfar of Gravity Works in Franklin, Wisconsin."

Install Infocube 1.0 for Symbian 6 devices: "To Install Infocube 1.0 for Symbian 6 devices (nokia 7650, nokia 3650) see the full list of symbian phones.

Download the file ICE60.SIS and copy it to a laptop computer that has an infrared port. Turn infrared to the 'On' position on your phone. (can be located in the 'connections' folder from the main menu of your phone) and point it at the laptop computer. wait a short period of time until your laptop detects that the infrared port is being used. it will tell you that it has found the phone.

Next double click on the infrared icon on the system task tray on your laptop. a dialog will open prompting you to specify the file you want to upload to the phone. choose ICE60.SIS and wait for the file to be beamed to your phone.

Your phone will beep, indicating that a new message has been received. Open this message and choose to install 'infocube 1.0' choosing to overwrite any previous versions if prompted. if a message appears that mentions 'this software may be incompatible with your type of phone, do you want to quit', choose 'No' and let the installer finish.

A new icon labeled 'ICE' will now appear at the bottom of the main menu of your phone which you can now launch.

For Symbian 7.0 Phones (Sony Ericson p800) repeat the same steps above but use the ICE70.SIS file instead."

Seasonal Light Emitting Diodes <

Friday, November 21, 2003

InetBench - Internet Benchmark - Download

InetBench - Internet Benchmark - Download Need to find out if this is spyware before downloading!

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Cold Weather Riding

Canadian Motorcycle Guide Online - TechknowBag

Canadian Motorcycle Guide Online - TechknowBag: "Triumph Sprint ST"

Kawasaki KLR650 - The 2001 Version

Yamaha Vision Classic Bike Review--August 1999

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

"Meet the Press" by Nicholas Confessore

"Meet the Press" by Nicholas Confessore: "In the fall of 1999, journalist James K. Glassman and economist Kevin A. Hassett published a book provocatively titled Dow 36,000: The New Strategy for Profiting From the Coming Rise in the Stock Market. The New Economy was not a high-tech version of tulipmania, they argued, and the stock market was not overvalued. Properly understood, wrote Glassman and Hassett, the Dow--then upwards of 10,000--was actually undervalued: 'Stock prices could double, triple, or even quadruple tomorrow and still not be too high.' It was a bold thesis, and more than a few skeptics disputed it in op-eds and book reviews. But this was the height of the boom, the authors were telling Wall Street exactly what it wanted to hear, and Dow 36,000 was a sensation. It rapidly became a New York Times bestseller, sparking incessant water-cooler conversation and wide coverage on the nation's business pages. Glassman, having already been a chat-show host and nationally syndicated financial columnist for The Washington Post, became a bona fide celebrity, widely profiled in the press and invited on television shows across the country to predict that the party, far from being over, was just getting started."

Fired online election engineer comes to an arrangement

Fired online election engineer comes to an arrangement: "Lawyers in huddle, so we'll never know

By INQUIRER staff: Wednesday 19 November 2003, 15:17
A STORY IN THE Seattle Times said that a man who was fired after he complained about VoteHereâ€™s software has come to an arrangement with the firm.

Daniel Spillane, the man in question, was fired by VoteHere after he said that its software had security holes like Emmenthal cheese, the Times said.

But now it appears the two have settled their differences, with a weird statement saying both Spillane and VoteHere were in pursuit of the same goals for electoral reform.

Spillane was fired without warning after heâ€™d reported there were a considerable number of bugs in the software. He took the firm to court, but now the lawyers have been in a huddle everything seems fine and dandy.

You can find this story here."

Motorcycle Online: 2002 Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom

Box

Motorcycle stands for "Dummies"

Monday, November 17, 2003

Suzuki V

Suzuki V DL 650 info.

PACE YOURSELF

PACE YOURSELF Good Advice

Jim Gallant's Home Page

Hexaflexagons

Sunday, November 16, 2003

Microsoft's money machine revealed

Finally the unit responsible for Windows made a profit of $2264 million on costs of just $545 million, resulting in a percentage profit of a massive 415.4%. In other words, every $100 spent on developing and supporting Windows returns $415.

Let's put this in context. Dell's recent quarterly statement shows its margin at about 9%, which is a lower margin than even the least productive of Microsoft's profit-making groups. IBM's margin is similar to Dell's but HP's is about 6% in total, thanks mainly to printers, and Sun Microsystems is even lower.

Microsoft's near-monopoly in PC operating systems has basically given it a licence to print money.

Thursday, November 13, 2003

ABCNEWS.com : How Earthquakes Make Spacewaves

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Electronic vote counting system invents 140,000 extra votes

Electronic vote counting system invents 140,000 extra votes: "Electronic vote counting system invents 140,000 extra votes

Oops

By Paul Hales: Tuesday 11 November 2003, 15:28
MAYBE IT WAS THE GHOST of Guy Fawkes that slipped into the software counting votes in the Lebanon, Boone County elections held on November 4, 2003. Whatever happened, as the results of the vote were being projected on to the local courthouse wall, the software registered some 144,000 votes cast.

Since there were fewer than 19,000 registered voters in the area, something was evidently amiss, resulting in a brief conflab between the county's information technology director and advisers from MicroVote, the software company that made the vote-counting software, the Indianapolis Star reports.

'I about had a heart attack,' said County Clerk Lisa Garofolo. 'It was like 144,000 votes cast,' she added, when the revised figure showed just 5,352 ballots had actually been filled in. 'Believe me,' she said, 'there was nobody more shook up than I was.' Âµ"

Sunday, November 09, 2003

Space Empires IV

Wolfpack Empire - Players

Swain Technology, Inc. Coatings - Exhaust System Headers

Friday, November 07, 2003

Canadian Motorcycle Guide Online - Bike News

Canadian Motorcycle Guide Online - Bike News: "Is just a rumour, but with the recent announcement that Suzuki is rebadging Kawasaki"

Thursday, November 06, 2003

LDComfort Riding Undergarments

Yahoo! Autos : VStrom2 Messages : 29651-29680 of 29723

Yahoo! Autos : VStrom2 Messages : 29651-29680 of 29723:

"From: Randy Hough
Date: Wed Nov 5, 2003 9:36pm
Subject: RE: Interesting Accident Stats (complete BS report)

This has been hashed over here in the last 3 months.

[RANT]
The writer has an agenda, and pulled only the numbers that support the
conclusion he wanted to reach before starting the report. It will be used to
justify rate increases for certain motorcycles and riders. It is full of
distorted truth, not exactly lies, but the data provided leads to false
conclusions.

The ONLY valid number that can be used is the death rate per Vehicle Mile
Traveled. Death count is not relevant, deaths per registered vehicle is not
valid. He tries to shock with a seemingly alarming statement 'The total
increase in fatalities between 1997 and 2001 is 1,065 or 50.3 percent.' He
compare the lowest year on record to 2001, so the number was as big as he
could make it. He does not state the fact that the death RATE is still lower
than it was in 1975.

If you take the time to learn how to use the FARS that is on the web, you
will find that the only kernel of truth is that over 40 riders are getting
killed at a rate that is far greater than the normal aging of the driving
population can account for. Now compare the 1000-1500cc bike sales since
1997 and look at the demographics of the people that buy them. You will find
that there has been a HUGE increase in over 40 riders buying big bikes. How
may RUB's do you know that bought a H-D as a new bike or first bike since
1997? If you look only at the death rate of over 40 riders and compare it to
all other age groups, you will find that over 40 riders die more often than
even the normal teenage and early 20's males that are the highest risk in
the normal driving population.

Crap reports like this on are a pet peeve of mine so I've done the research
and know how bad a picture this guy paints. The report is aimed at big bikes
and completely ignores the real cause of the high death rate. These riders
have no experience or training. They die just like the kids that have the
same lack of experience, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure
it out. Check your state/province,, how easy is it to get a MC cert for a 40
year old that has a clean record? What skill tests do they have to pass? Is
a rider training course required to get a MC tag on your license?

If they did require rider training before you could buy your $20,000 H-D how
would it effect H-D sales? What age group writes the laws? If you can afford
a $20,000 H-D do you care what your insurance costs are? If you had to ride
a 250cc bike in a rider course before you could don you beanie helmet and
'look cool' on your way to the bar, would you still think about buying a
H-D?

Since H-D is the only American made MC, do you think there will ever be a
law that might hurt their sales?
[\RANT]

Sorry ...

Can we talk about clutches and oil now?

Randy"

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap and Cherohala Skyway, Graham Co, NC

AudioREVIEW.com - Home Audio and Home Theater resource

Saturday, November 01, 2003

TAM Homepage

TAM Homepage Model airplane crosses the Atlantic.

Model Rockets from Apogee Components

Model Rockets from Apogee Components: " * Computer software to help you design model rockets
* 'How-To' and educational books
* Engineered rocketry kits
* High performance engines
* Technical reports, posters, & construction videos
* Building materials and construction supplies"

Friday, October 31, 2003

Street sensation! - The liveliest streets in London

Street sensation! - The liveliest streets in London: "London's favourite streets. Entire streetscapes showing over 2,750 shops, bars and restaurants in the liveliest areas of London - Oxford Street and Regent Street; Portobello Road and Notting Hill; the King's Road in Chelsea; Carnaby Street; Covent Garden, Bond Street; Knightsbridge; Soho and Chinatown; Islington and Camden"

CADALYST - Speed x 2: Xi MTower 2P64

CADALYST - Speed x 2: Xi MTower 2P64:

"Anyone with lingering doubts about using AMD microprocessors in the engineering workplace need look no further than the AutoCAD 2004 performance scores of the Xi MTower 2P64, which is based on dual AMD Opteron 64-bit 246 processors. The Cadalyst C2001 AutoCAD scores are not only the highest we’ve ever obtained, they’re 11.63 points (about 10%) ahead of the nearest competitor, the Polywell PolyStation 940X4. It is this kind of performance that gives the Xi MTower 2P64 a Highly Recommended rating—all to itself this time. However, the Maxbench 4 benchmarks were only marginally faster than other scores. The ViewPerf proe-01 test results were marginally, though not significantly, slower than those of other systems in this roundup.

Opteron delivers workstation performance leadership: "It should be pointed out that the winning Opteron system was somewhat hobbled. It currently isn't the best Opteron workstation system available. The victorious system was configured with an Arima HDAMB motherboard (4 DIMM slots), which only had one of its two processors directly connected to memory. The other processor connects to memory via its twin sibling. This is called a 4 0 setup, as the second processor doesn't have its own dedicated memory. So that not only cuts the memory bandwidth in half, it also adds undesired memory latency that the second processor has to live with. But even with those handicaps, which many have criticized on message boards, it was still the best performing workstation."

CADALYST - Speed x 2: Dual Processors Deliver Design Power

CADALYST - Speed x 2: Dual Processors Deliver Design Power:

This is not only the largest workstation roundup that Cadalyst has done in some time, it’s also one of the most varied. We evaluate one system based on an AMD Athlon 28001, several systems based on variants of the Intel Xeon chips—one even has a 3.2GHz microprocessor—and several systems based on dual AMD Opteron microprocessors, including the new Opteron 246 microprocessor. The graphics cards included in the systems were also more varied than expected, although only NVIDIA was represented.

Thursday, October 30, 2003

Danny Dunn and the Heartbreak Machine

Boys'/children's series books--Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, Harry Potter, Boxcar Children, Three Investigators

Search page

Search page: "Mary Crosson's 'No Frills' Series Book Search Page"

Friday, October 24, 2003

'Civil disobedience' campaign targets Diebold

'Civil disobedience' campaign targets Diebold:

"By Paul Hales: Wednesday 22 October 2003, 01:25

STUDENTS at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania have got the right raving hump with Diebold, a maker of electronic voting systems.

So much so that they have initiated what they call a 'campaign of civil disobedience' to maintain the right to link to memos leaked from Diebold that seem to highlight weaknesses in their electoral counting systems.

The students formed the Swarthmore Coalition for the Digital Commons (SCDC), which vents its spleen on the why-war.com website, and today announced that they are 'rejecting Diebold Elections Systems' cease and desist orders and are initiating an electronic civil disobedience campaign that will ensure permanent public access to the controversial leaked memos.'

The memos they refer to originate from Diebold and seem to indicate certain irregularities with their vote-counting equipment. Why War? member Micah explains: 'These memos indicate that Diebold, which counts the votes in 37 states, knowingly created an electronic system which allows anyone with access to the machines to add and delete votes without detection.'

Diebold had earlier initiated its own campaign in which it attempted to stop anyone linking to the memos, by threatening their ISP. Earlier this week, the Electronic Frontier Foundation declared it would defend the right of Online Privacy Group, the Internet service provider for San Francisco Indymedia, to host links to the controversial memos.

Why War? and SCDC members say they 'are the first to publicly refuse to comply with Diebold's cease and desist order by continually providing access to the documents, which you can find here, by the way.

In a statement issued moments ago, the two groups maintain that 'the public availability of these documents must be protected at any cost"

Monday, October 20, 2003

The Lair of Thastygliax

Rare

Rare: "Way, way back in the olden days, several tape chains of rare and unavaliable 4AD material circulated amongst the members of the 4ad-l mailing list. This web page documents the contents of those tapes, one track a week.

No repository of these rare tracks will be made available from this site. The tracks will be available from this page for one week only. Each Friday night at 22:00 CET, a new track will become available.

The sound quality of these mp3 files varies wildly. Some of these tracks come from fourth-generation tapes, some come straight from cd, and most fall somewhere in-between."

Dungeons & Dragons - history, versions, and revisions

Why War? All the President's Votes?

Why War? All the President's Votes?: "Something very odd happened in the mid-term elections in Georgia last November. On the eve of the vote, opinion polls showed Roy Barnes, the incumbent Democratic governor, leading by between nine and 11 points. In a somewhat closer, keenly watched Senate race, polls indicated that Max Cleland, the popular Democrat up for re-election, was ahead by two to five points against his Republican challenger, Saxby Chambliss.

Those figures were more or less what political experts would have expected in state with a long tradition of electing Democrats to statewide office. But then the results came in, and all of Georgia appeared to have been turned upside down. Barnes lost the governorship to the Republican, Sonny Perdue, 46 per cent to 51 per cent, a swing of as much as 16 percentage points from the last opinion polls. Cleland lost to Chambliss 46 per cent to 53, a last-minute swing of 9 to 12 points.

Red-faced opinion pollsters suddenly had a lot of explaining to do and launched internal investigations. Political analysts credited the upset - part of a pattern of Republican successes around the country - to a huge campaigning push by President Bush in the final days of the race. They also said that Roy Barnes had lost because of a surge of 'angry white men' punishing him for eradicating all but a vestige of the old confederate symbol from the state flag.

But something about these explanations did not make sense, and they have made even less sense over time. When the Georgia secretary of state's office published its demographic breakdown of the election earlier this year, it turned out there was no surge of angry white men; in fact, the only subgroup showing even a modest increase in turnout was black women.

There were also big, puzzling swings in partisan loyalties in different parts of the state. In 58 counties, the vote was broadly in line with the primary election. In 27 counties in Republican-dominated north Georgia, however, Max Cleland unaccountably scored 14 percentage points higher than he had in the primaries. And in 74 counties in the Democrat south, Saxby Chambliss garnered a whopping 22 points more for the Republicans than the party as a whole had won less than three months earlier."

Diebold Internal Memos

Diebold Internal Memos: "Because Diebold is stealing our democracy.

Diebold Internal Memos

Because Diebold is stealing our democracy.

"A quiet revolution is taking place in US politics. By the time it's over,
the integrity of elections will be in the unchallenged, unscrutinised control of a few large - and pro-Republican - corporations." (source)

Why War? will continue to mirror the entire collection of Diebold memos as an act of civil disobedience.

View the Memos here

You can download all the memos here.

Here are excerpts from the memos.

Gore got negative 16022 votes from a Diebold machine and Diebold employee refers to the "boogie man" reading their email.

[html]

Diebold's
internal discussion of how that error could occur

[html]

Read
the book by the reporter who discovered this all.

Chapter 1: A Call to Engage

Chapter 2: Documentation of Miscounted Elections

Chapter 3: Solutions

Chapter 4: Can These Things Be Rigged?

Chapter 5: Certification system is broken

Chapter 6: Chuck Hagel: Poster boy for conflict of interest

Chapter 7: The first - ever - look inside a secret voting system

Chapter 8: Who's minding the store?

Chapter 9: Who - or What - is "rob-georgia?" ROB
steps forward

Please
learn more about this issue by visiting one of these excellent websites below:

http://www.blackboxvoting.com

http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/09/23/bev_harris/index.html

http://www.equalccw.com/voteprar.html

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=usacoup

http://www.tomflocco.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9

Support Why War?

Boston.com / Business / In open source gain, Bay State locks horns with Microsoft

Boston.com / Business / In open source gain, Bay State locks horns with Microsoft:

By Justin Pope, Associated Press, 10/19/2003

"In a memo sent last month, Massachusetts Administration and Finance Secretary Eric Kriss instructed the state's chief technology officer to adopt a policy of 'open standards, open source' for all future spending on information technology.

The directive likely wouldn't completely cut out Microsoft from the state's $80 million technology budget.

But it may have been the clearest example yet of a state government taking sides -- against Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft -- in the most important struggle in the software industry.

Microsoft's software generally uses 'proprietary' code that the company closely guards. Its biggest threat is from 'open source' operating systems led by Linux, whose core components are public, and which users are free to pass around and customize as they like.

Governments are a huge market, accounting for about 10 percent of global information technology spending, according to research firm IDC. Federal, state and local governments in the United States spent $34 billion last year on huge systems to track everything from tax collection to fishing licenses."

Scientific American: Candle in the Dark -- Instead of cursing the darkness of pseudoscience on television, light a candle with Cable Science Network

Scientific American: Candle in the Dark -- Instead of cursing the darkness of pseudoscience on television, light a candle with Cable Science Network:
By Michael Shermer

Cable Science Network would be science 24/7--all science, all the time--freeing us from "the tyranny of the sound bite."

"Ever since Galileo began the tradition of communicating science in the vernacular so that all might share in its fruits, a tension has existed between those--call them 'excluders'--who think science is for professionals only and regard its dissemination to wider audiences as infra dig and those--call them 'includers'--who understand that all levels of science require clear composition and public understanding of process and product.

Throughout much of the 20th century the excluders have ruled the roost, punishing those in their flock who dared to write for those paying the bills. Cornell University astronomer Carl Sagan, for example, whose PBS television series Cosmos was viewed by more than half a billion people, was denied membership in the National Academy of Sciences primarily (his biographers have demonstrated through interviews with insiders) because he invested too much time in science popularization."

Chase Harper B-Bags

Friday, October 17, 2003

Is IBM set to dump Windows, inside?

Is IBM set to dump Windows, inside?: "RUMOURS AND FEVERED SPECULATION AMONGST delegates here at the Etre conference in Berlin is that IBM is seriously considering dumping Windows as a standard within its organization."

Thursday, October 16, 2003

Web Blog Directory - Root Blog - Aggregating the PoweR of Blogs!

KCRW's A Sounds Eclectic Evening, Los Angeles

Yahoo! LAUNCH - Concert Review: KCRW's A Sounds Eclectic Evening, Los Angeles: "By Lyndsey Parker

In an era far removed from the days of tastemaking, trendsetting disc jockeys like Alan Freed, when radio DJs are nothing more than babbling puppets and official station playlists are limited to about 10 overplayed hit songs, Los Angeles's KCRW 89.9FM, the biggest public radio station in the U.S., is a true godsend for diehard music fans. Playing a dizzyingly diverse mix of everything from trip-hop to hot jazz and introducing artists like Coldplay and David Gray to national audiences (via streaming Internet broadcasts) months or even years before bigger stations and MTV jumped on board, KCRW is one of the few stations left in America that seems driven by artistic rather than commercial concerns. Hence, the need for a fundraiser, of course. So, on November 9, KCRW took over L.A.'s posh art deco Wiltern Theatre with 'A Sounds Eclectic Evening,' its first benefit concert. And local music lovers (including a few celebrities, like Meg Ryan, Tracey Ullman, Fiona Apple, Keri Russell, and Minnie Driver) showed up in droves to support this worthy cause--after all, God forbid KCRW go off the air and they be forced to start listening to Howard Stern in the morning again."

AMD Loss Narrows, Beats Expectations

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage: "Thu October 16, 2003 04:42 PM ET
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. AMD.N on Thursday surpassed analyst expectations in posting a sharply narrower third-quarter net loss on increased demand for microprocessors and for flash-memory used in cell phones and other consumer devices.

The company posted a net loss of $31 million, or 9 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $254.2 million, or 74 cents a share a year earlier.

Sales were $954 million, compared with $508.2 million a year ago, the Sunnyvale, California-based company said.

Analysts, on average, expected the company to post sales of $866.9 million and a net loss of 36 cents a share, according to Reuters Research, a unit of Reuters Group Plc.

AMD had said it expected sales to rise from the $645 million in the second quarter.

Shares of AMD closed at $13.96, up 2 percent on the New York Stock Exchange."

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Public Library of Science

Public Library of Science: "The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource."

Friday, October 10, 2003

What's wrong with the electric grid? - The Industrial Physicist

What's wrong with the electric grid? - The Industrial Physicist: "Eric J. Lerner
What's wrong with the electric grid?

The warnings were certainly there. In 1998, former utility executive John Casazza predicted that "

So it could not have been a great surprise to the electric-power industry when, on August 14, a blackout that covered much of the Northeast United States dramatically confirmed these warnings. Experts widely agree that such failures of the power-transmission system are a nearly unavoidable product of a collision between the physics of the system and the economic rules that now regulate it. To avoid future incidents, the nation must either physically transform the system to accommodate the new rules, or change the rules to better mesh with the power grid’s physical behavior.

GROKLAW

GROKLAW: "There has been quite a lot of activity in the Red Hat case.

SCO filed a Motion to Dismiss the action in its entirety, as you know, and Red Hat filed its answering brief. But since we last reported on this case, Red Hat initiated discovery. They asked SCO for documents and for answers to some pointed questions. IBM is forcing SCO into a corner in Utah, and Red Hat is forcefully and aggressively trying to do the same in Delaware. You'll see, I think, that we haven't been wasting our time telling the world the details of this story. The big picture is that Red Hat is telling SCO to prove their allegations with specificity. They also want all their source code, and I'm sure you can figure out what they want to do with it, when I tell you that they asked for the complete Linux Kernel Personality source code, among the other products for which they have requested source code.

They also want to hear some details about the relationship between Canopy and SCO, including any stock or intellectual property transfers. They want SCO to 'identify by title, version, module(s) and line(s)' what they think is misappropriated in any way or in violation of any of its rights. They ask for the details of Microsoft and Sun's licensing arrangement with SCO. They want to know who those 1500 companies were that got the letter, and what happened next. They want to know exactly what SCO has filed a copyright on. They want all the details of SCOsource, including all the folks who have seen the code SCO has been showing under the NDA and what they saw, and any other contact with any Linux users about supposed liability. They want to know how they compared the UNIX and Linux code to determine infringement. They want to know if they've done any comparisons of the two and what the results were. They want to know all the stock or industry analysts SCO has met with or talked to and what was said. In short, it's like the kind of fantasy a guy might have about a bully getting his at last, because they asked them everything we wanted somebody to finally ask SCO and make them answer.

SCO responded to Red Hat's discovery requests by filing a new motion, and it has told the judge, in a Motion to Stay Discovery Pending Resolution of Motion to Dismiss, it would like a delay until after the first motion, the Motion to Dismiss, is ruled on. They surely don't seem in any hurry to get this matter resolved. They argue that because they are simultaneously providing discovery to IBM (of course IBM says they aren't seeing anything, as I recall), they can't possibly do both, and anyway, if they win their motion, it'd be moot. In short, they would very much like not to have to do this, presumably so that if they win the Motion to Dismiss they can continue to refuse to give any particulars about their case. If the judge doesn't grant their Motion to Dismiss, they'd like the judge to give them 30 days to provide all the discovery items."

NASA Successfully Flies First Laser-powered Aircraft | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference

NASA Successfully Flies First Laser-powered Aircraft | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference: "But a team of researchers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, Calif., and the University of Alabama in Huntsville is trying to change that.

They have now chalked up a major accomplishment... and a 'first.' The team has developed and demonstrated a small-scale aircraft that flies solely by means of propulsive power delivered by an invisible, ground-based laser. The laser tracks the aircraft in flight, directing its energy beam at specially designed photovoltaic cells carried onboard to power the plane's propeller."

PhysicsWeb - Darmstadt gets credit for new elements

PhysicsWeb - Darmstadt gets credit for new elements: "The discovery of element 111 has been officially credited to the GSI laboratory in Darmstadt, Germany, by a joint working party set up by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the sister union for physics (IUPAP). IUPAC has also officially approved a proposal from GSI that element 110 - which was also discovered at the German lab - should be known as darmstadtium (Ds).

Sigurd Hofmann and co-workers first created element 111 in December 1994 by colliding a beam of nickel-64 nuclei with a target made of bismuth-209. The GSI team observed three chains of events that signalled the production and decay of nuclei that contained 111 protons and 161 neutrons."

Ars Technica: The PC enthusiast's resource

Ars Technica: The PC enthusiast's resource: "Posted 10/10/2003 @ 3:07 PM, by Fred 'zAmboni' Locklear
Just a day after SunnComm Technologies announced it would file DMCA lawsuit against John Halderman for revealing weaknesses in their CD copy protection scheme, they have done an about face and now will not sue. In an interview with The Daily Princetonian, SunnComm president and CEO Peter Jacobs is surprisingly somber while explaining why the company will forego litigation. "

Software company to sue student over using shift key

Software company to sue student over using shift key: "A STORY on forbes that we read with some disbelief makes us think that maybe someone has slipped mescalin into our morning coffee.

A student that pointed out copy protection software could be blocked if people used the SHIFT key when they inserted a CD, will be sued by SunnComm, company motto 'Light years beyond encryption'.

After piling your way through lots of light and noise, further reinforcing the mescalin poisoning theory, you can find the statement here.

The firm made a 'statement' claiming that Alex Halderman 'came to false conclusions' about the robustness of the firm's Media Max software.

It claims it has lost over $10 million in market value after the student published his report.

SunnComm is alleging that Halderman has breached criminal provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by revealing that a particular driver could be disabled.

But Halderman says he's unfazed by the legal threat, and doesn't think pressing the SHIFT key violates the act."

Thursday, October 09, 2003

Alien Dice - It's JUST a game,.. really.

Small Times: News about MEMS, Nanotechnology and Microsystems: "May 23, 2003 - Evident Technologies, Inc., Troy, N.Y., has launched production in its new nanotechnology manufacturing site in Watervliet, N.Y, a facility capable of producing semiconductor nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots, in kilogram quantities per week"

Quantum Dots may be an energy efficient alternative to incandescent and fluorescent lights.

Small Times: News about MEMS, Nanotechnology and Microsystems: "By Candace Stuart Small Times Features Editor "

Oct. 9, 2003 - Quantum dots have been shining light on cell biology for years. Now scientists at Sandia National Laboratories want them to shine on us as an energy-efficient alternative to incandescent and fluorescent lights.

Lauren Rohwer and her colleagues in Albuquerque, N.M., developed encapsulated nanocrystals that can be integrated onto commercially available light-emitting diode (LED) chips to produce white light. Dubbed quantum dots, the nanocrystals absorb invisible light from the LED and emit it as white light.

“It’s the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of a real solid-state source that uses quantum dots,” said Rohwer, the lead investigator. “White is the biggest accomplishment.”

Tantalising evidence hints Universe is finite

19:00 08 October 03

"Whether space is finite is something people have been asking since ancient times, and probably before that," says mathematician Jeffrey Weeks from Canton, New York. "If we resolved this and confirmed that space is finite, this would be an enormous step forward in our understanding of nature."

At the centre of the debate are observations by NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), which was launched in 2001. The probe measures temperature ripples in the "cosmic microwave background", the afterglow radiation from the big bang fireball...."

Knowledge@Wharton -

Knowledge@Wharton -: "The recording industry has a pricing problem. People do not want to pay $15-20 for a compact disc when they can download the same music for free over the Internet. The industry"

Wednesday, October 08, 2003

Index CLS200 - deutsch

we8there: Restaurant Reviews

RPA

Tuesday, October 07, 2003

The Devils Panties - Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Stylish Vittles Dot Com

iTrike: The World's First Solar-Powered Internet Rickshaw!

ADVrider Forums - Annual Transalps in the Blue Ridge Rally

Windshield Mods

Memphis Shades Hell Cat and Demon: "WINDSHIELD
Memphis Shades Hell Cat and Demon"

Monday, October 06, 2003

Sequitur 2.1

Sequitur 2.1: "Sequitur is a BeOS-native MIDI sequencer. It allows you to record, compose, store, and play back music from your computer. It does this by providing you with tools to manipulate MIDI, a protocol that defines standard musical events, such as playing a note or selecting an instrument.

Careful attention has been paid to the interface. It has been designed to be both comfortable for experienced electronic musicians and easy for beginners. Sequitur provides extensive features for manipulating performance data --it allows destructive, non-destructive and even interactive processing. Extreme flexibility is provided through a series of layers. At the top layer, a Sequitur user makes use of tools and MIDI processing facilities provided by the system. As users become more experienced, they can dig deeper into the capabilities, writing their own tools, constructing their own MIDI processing filters, or even writing their own C add-ons."

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage: "Japan's top auto maker as it aims to offer the hybrid option on most of its models in the not-too-distant future. Toyota is hoping to sell 300,000 of the fuel-efficient vehicles a year starting mid-decade.

Hybrids use electric motors and battery packs to improve fuel efficiency, adding power during acceleration and reclaiming energy when braking and coasting. Toyota says the Prius gets 35.5 km per liter of gasoline, which is over 80 miles per gallon."

Eddie Izzard is to be the new Dr Who

BBC NEWS Thursday, 2 October, 2003, 12:54 GMT 13:54 UK Comic Izzard tipped as new Dr Who

Home - Entropy 0.5.6 Build 339

Home - Entropy 0.5.6 Build 339: "ENTROPY stands for Emerging Network To Reduce Orwellian Potency Yield and as such describes the main goal of the project.

* ENTROPY is developed as a response to increasing censorship and surveillance in the internet. The program connects your computer to a network of machines which all run this software. The ENTROPY network is running parallel to the WWW and also other internet services like FTP, email, ICQ. etc.
* For the user the ENTROPY network looks like a collection of WWW pages. The difference to the WWW however is that there are no accesses to central servers. And this is why there is no site operator who could log who downloaded what and when. Every computer taking part in the ENTROPY network (every node) is at the same time server, router for other nodes, caching proxy and client for the user: that is You.
* After you gained some experience with the ENTROPY network, there are command line tools for you to insert whole directory trees into the network as a ENTROPY site. So ENTROPY does for you what a webspace provider does for you in the WWW - but without the storage and bandwidth costs and without any regulation or policy as to what kind of content you are allowed to publish. Everyone can contribute his own ENTROPY site for everybody else to browse through. The contents is stored in a distributed manner across all available and reachable nodes and no one can find out about who put up what contents into the network [1]. Even if your node is not actively running, your contents can be retrieved by others -- without knowing that it was actually you who published the files. Of course this is only true if you do not publish your name (or leave your name or other personal data in the files you publish)

Have fun,
Juergen"

GNUnet

GNUnet: "GNUnet is a framework for secure peer-to-peer networking that does not use any centralized or otherwise trusted services. A first service implemented on top of the networking layer allows anonymous censorship-resistant file-sharing. GNUnet uses a simple, excess-based economic model to allocate resources. Peers in GNUnet monitor each others behavior with respect to resource usage; peers that contribute to the network are rewarded with better service."

Saturday, October 04, 2003

Speed101 - Explore Concepts of Speed

Friday, October 03, 2003

BESERVED - SOMETHING I'D LOVE TO LOVE :: Le BUZZ :: BeOS audio site, with daily BeOS audio news for BeOS pro audio, broadcast, MIDI, and hobbyists.

Ð¡Ð¾Ð¾Ð±Ñ‰ÐµÑ?Ñ‚Ð²Ð¾ Ð¿Ð¾Ð»ÑŒÐ·Ð¾Ð²Ð°Ñ‚ÐµÐ»ÐµÐ¹ BeOS / qube.ruThis is a Russian Zeta Site.

ZetaNews - The Power of the community

"For system 2, we decide to use a more modern machine. The system contains an Athlon XP2600 cpu, ATI Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card, AC97 sound chipset, a 80Gb 7200 rpm HD and 512Mb DDR RAM. The installation setup we chose was the default set, approximately 500Mb of software. We booted the CD and started the installation.

In less than 10 minutes, all was installed and the system rebooted. And as we were recovering from the amazing fast speed of installation for a fully workable OS, we were overwhelmed with a boot time of 6 seconds on this machine! "

Globetechnology

: "SAN CARLOS, Calif. "

Call it Ted's excellent adventure, with a high-tech twist:

A cat with an ID microchip implanted under his skin was returned to his owner 10 years after he jumped out a window and vanished.

Chris Inglis' sleek, black feline, Ted, was fitted with the chip back when the technology was still new in the early 1990s. But he was gone without a trace for a full decade before someone found him this week.

Ted — named for Keanu Reeves' character in the film Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure — was brought to the Peninsula Humane Society's animal shelter, which tracked down Mr. Inglis despite outdated information on the chip. The cat was found about 13 miles south of where Mr. Inglis used to live in Burlingame.

When the pair reunited Wednesday, the cat "rubbed his face on my hand, climbed right up and started purring," Mr. Inglis said. "It's pretty monumental. It's almost surreal."

Where Ted spent all those years remains a mystery, but it appeared someone had been taking care of him.

Mr. Inglis remembers that one of the things he and Ted liked to do was cruise around in his car. On their way home from the shelter, Mr. Inglis said Ted "put his front paws on the dashboard," just like in the old days.

Wavefront LASIK advances refractive surgery

Wavefront LASIK advances refractive surgery
SAN FRANCISCO – Millions of people have reduced their dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses over the past several years with the refractive surgery procedure known as LASIK. LASIK can correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Now an enhanced version of LASIK, known as wavefront LASIK, is available. This improved system allows eye surgeons to customize the procedure for each eye, providing the possibility of even better vision.

Adapted from technology used to fix the distorted images from the Hubble Space Telescope, wavefront LASIK consists of a sensor and a laser. A wave of light from a laser beam is sent through the eye to the retina. This light is reflected back through the vitreous, the lens and the pupil. The sensor measures the irregularities at the front of the wave of light as it emerges from the eye. This produces a precise three-dimensional map of the eye's visual system, including the cornea's imperfections or aberrations.

The wavefront data is translated into a mathematical formula that the surgeon uses to program corrections into the laser, which vaporizes tissue to reshape the cornea to correct refractive errors. This new technology also corrects the higher-order aberrations that cause glare, haloes and blurry images. Higher-order aberrations are distortions in the visual system that can only be detected with wavefront analysis and corrected with wavefront LASIK. This is the assessment of refractive surgeons who have begun to use wavefront LASIK systems approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"This is a major advance in LASIK technology," said Roy Rubinfeld, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and an Eye M.D. at Washington Eye Physicians and Surgeons in Chevy Chase, Md. "With wavefront LASIK the visual results are more predictable than with traditional LASIK."

So far, three different wavefront LASIK systems have been approved by the FDA. Alcon's LADARWave Customized Ablation system was approved in October 2002, the VISX Custom Vue system was approved in May of this year and Bausch & Lomb's Zyoptix system recently received preliminary approval by the FDA's Advisory Panel.

Studies comparing results of wavefront LASIK with conventional LASIK found that 90 to 94 percent of patients receiving wavefront LASIK achieved visual acuity of 20/20 or better, whereas up to 80 percent of those receiving conventional LASIK achieved 20/20 or better.

However, wavefront LASIK may not be for everyone. Because wavefront LASIK removes more corneal tissue than conventional LASIK, patients with thin corneas may not be good candidates. Patients with high degrees of aberration, severely dry eyes, or conditions that affect the lens or vitreous fluid inside the eye also may not be good candidates. However, these patients may still be good candidates for conventional LASIK.

Academy spokesperson Daniel Durrie, MD, of Durrie Vision in Overland Park, Kan., said, "It is important that patients get a thorough eye examination by a reputable eye surgeon before undergoing any surgery. They need to understand the potential risks as well as benefits of the procedure."

In addition to refractive surgery, wavefront technology is also being used in the design of contact and intraocular lenses and to diagnose retinal conditions.

###

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons--Eye M.D.s--with more than 27,000 members worldwide. For more information about eye health care, visit the Academy's partner Web site, the Medem Network, at www.medem.com/eyemd. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's news release at www.aao.org.

EFF: Trusted Computing: Promise and Risk

EFF: Trusted Computing: Promise and Risk: "Computer security is undeniably important, and as new vulnerabilities are discovered and exploited, the perceived need for new security solutions grows. 'Trusted computing' initiatives propose to solve some of today's security problems through hardware changes to the personal computer. Changing hardware design isn't inherently suspicious, but the leading trusted computing proposals have a high cost: they provide security to users while giving third parties the power to enforce policies on users' computers against the users' wishes -- they let others pressure you to hand some control over your PC to someone else. This is a 'feature' ready-made for abuse by software authors who want to anticompetitively choke off rival software.

It needn't be this way: a straightforward change to the plans of trusted computing vendors could leave the security benefits intact while ensuring that a PC owner's will always trumps the wishes of those who've loaded software or data onto the PC."

Thursday, October 02, 2003

RoboteQ: Motor Controllers for remote controled and autonomous robots

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

Security Expert Geer Sounds Off on Dismissal

Security Expert Geer Sounds Off on Dismissal: "A security researcher and scientist with more than 30 years of experience, including work on some groundbreaking projects, Geer was let go just a day after the publication of a paper he co-authored that was sharply critical of Microsoft Corp."

David Dvorkin and George W. Bush

David Dvorkin and George W. Bush: "Both men know that the Clinton presidency was the country's longest and most profound sustained era of growing optimism, wealth, opportunity, and hope! Even the poor were getting a bit richer! Various previously excluded groups were entering the political process! The sinister hold of religion over the minds of Americans was diminishing! Fat cats were growing uneasy!
(One of the two men felt that all of that had to be stopped.)"

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

CycleTrader.com - Motorcycle PWC and Snowmobile Classifieds

LATEST NEWS

Bikersweb LATEST NEWS

World Travel Journal

David Stafford's World Travel Journal

linmagau.org :: Australian Linux/OpenSource Magazine -- Local Content - Local People - Australia

linmagau.org :: Australian Linux/OpenSource Magazine -- Local Content - Local People - Australia: "When you absolutely positively need to connect to the Internet, why not carry your own broadband connection with you? As a web-developer I'm currently traveling around Australia. With my wife, we've been on the road since February 2003 and we hope to be able to continue to travel for at least two years. "

Monday, September 29, 2003

News

News:
By Terri Judd

30 September 2003
"A strict Muslim who slit his daughter's throat because he believed she had become too Westernised pleaded with a judge yesterday to sentence him to death.

When Abdalla Yones learnt that his 16-year-old child, Heshu, had begun seeing a Christian teenager he stabbed her 11 times. After breaking down the door of the bathroom where she had barricaded herself in, he slit her throat leaving her to bleed to death.

Yesterday, as the 48-year-old Kurd was sentenced to life after becoming the first person in Britain to admit an 'honour killing', the policeman at the head of the investigation, Commander Andy Baker, warned anyone who carried out a similar murder - whatever religion they were - would suffer the severest penalties."

Who plans to steal the 2004 US elections?

Who plans to steal the 2004 US elections?: "It's how America, the 'world's greatest democracy,' casts its votes. And it's why George W. Bush will almost certainly be the next president of the United States--no matter what the people of the United States might want.

The American vote-count is controlled by three major corporate players--Diebold, ES&S, and Sequoia--with a fourth, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), coming on strong. These companies--all of them hardwired into the Bushist Party power grid--have been given billions of dollars by the Bush Regime to complete a sweeping computerization of voting machines nation-wide by the 2004 election. These glitch-riddled systems--many using 'touch-screen' technology that leaves no paper trail at all--are almost laughably open to manipulation, according to corporate whistleblowers and computer scientists at Stanford, John Hopkins and other universities.

The technology had a trial run in the 2002 mid-term elections. In Georgia, serviced by new Diebold systems, a popular Democratic governor and senator were both unseated in what the media called 'amazing' upsets, with results showing vote swings of up to 16 percent from the last pre-ballot polls. In computerized Minnesota, former vice president Walter Mondale--a replacement for popular incumbent Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash days before the vote--was also defeated in a large last-second vote swing. Convenient 'glitches' in Florida saw an untold number of votes intended for the Democratic candidate registering instead for Governor Jeb 'L'il Brother' Bush. A Florida Democrat who lost a similarly 'glitched' local election went to court to have the computers examined--but the case was thrown out by a judge who ruled that the innards of America's voting machines are the 'trade secrets' of the private companies who make them."

Linux-Kernel Archive: Linksys WRT54G: Part 2

Linux-Kernel Archive: Linksys WRT54G: Part 2:

From: Andrew Miklas (public@mikl.as)

Date: Sun Sep 28 2003 - 18:16:29 EST

"A few months ago, I wrote to the kernel list describing the
relationship between Linksys (now business unit of Cisco Systems),
their WRT54G 802.11g wireless home gateway, and Linux. At the time,
we had recently discovered that the WRT54G was using a great deal of
software made available under the GPL, but was not giving credit to
the authors, or providing the source as required by the GPL.

After a bit of public pressure, Linksys posted their 'GPL Code Center'
[1], where they claim that 'the GPL source code contained in this
product is available for free download' [2]. Shortly after the code
center was made available, a group of developers pointed out to
Linksys that their source code, particularly their Linux kernel code,
was incomplete.

Previously, it was thought that the WRT54G source releases had only
neglected to include the source code for the various kernel modules
used to run the ethernet and wireless interfaces. However, at this
time, it is clear that the kernel proper of the WRT54G itself has had
functionality added to it. This functionality is not present in the
kernel code that Linksys has provided at their 'GPL Code Center'.

That is to say, there is code STATICALLY LINKED with the Linux kernel
running this device that is not present in the source download. This
code seems to be shared between the Broadcom ethernet and wireless
chips. It appears to be primarily responsible for configuring the
Sonics' SiliconBackplane and handling DMA transactions for both
devices."

O'Reilly Network: Can computers help reverse falling employment? [Sep. 29, 2003]

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Yahoo! News - Power Failure Brings Italy to Standstill

Yahoo! News - Power Failure Brings Italy to Standstill: "Sun Sep 28, 6:11 AM ET

By James Crawford

ROME (Reuters) - A nationwide power cut plunged Italy into darkness early Sunday in one of the country's worst blackouts, which authorities blamed on the breakdown of electricity lines from France and Switzerland hit by storms."

CSA: Successful Aerospike Engine Static Fire Test by CSU Long Beach and Garvey Spacecraft

Boeing: Rocketdyne: XRS-2200 Linear Aerospike Engine

Boeing: Rocketdyne: XRS-2200 Linear Aerospike Engine: "The XRS-2200 Linear Aerospike Engine is being produced for use on the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works' X-33 Vehicle. The Aerospike allows development of the most traceable X-33. Flight operation, flight control, and installed engine performance are fully representative of the Reusable Launch Vehicle. The engine structure is integral to the vehicle, demonstrating installed weight benefits. Over $500 million have been invested to date in aerospike engines, and previous full-size versions of the engines have accumulated 73 tests and over 4,000 seconds of operation."

Duplidisk 3 gives RAID 1, and no drivers

Duplidisk 3 gives RAID 1, and no drivers: "All ARCO Duplidisk RAID solutions are software independent by design, and in my experience all do their job nicely, 'faking' a single IDE hard disk to the system board, or hard disk controller, while duplicating data on a pair of identical, or similarly sized, IDE disks. You can use different drives, but then the board switches speed to PIO4 (no UDMA), and you will be limited to the capacity of the smaller drive, which always must be the primary."

Saturday, September 27, 2003

ABCNEWS.com : Mandmade Diamonds Look the Same, Cost Less

ABCNEWS.com : Mandmade Diamonds Look the Same, Cost Less: "In an industrial warehouse outside Boston, scientists at one company have perfected a complex process for making diamonds in a lab. The stones are so perfect they can fool the experts.

'They simply cannot tell cannot tell the difference,' says Robert Linares, founder and chairman of Apollo Diamond. 'And that's because they are diamond.'"

Did a gamma-ray burst devastate life on Earth?

Did a gamma-ray burst devastate life on Earth?: "A DEVASTATING burst of gamma-rays may have caused one of Earth's worst mass extinctions, 443 million years ago. A team of astrophysicists and palaeontologists says the pattern of trilobite extinctions at that time resembles the expected effects of a nearby gamma-ray burst (GRB). Although other experts have greeted the idea with some scepticism, most agree that it deserves further investigation.

GRBs are the most powerful explosions known. As giant stars collapse into black holes at the end of their lives, they fire incredibly intense pulses of gamma rays from their poles that can be detected even from across the universe for 10 seconds or so. All the bursts astronomers have recorded so far have come from distant galaxies and been harmless on the ground, but if one occurred within our galaxy and was aimed straight at us, the effects could be devastating, according to astrophysicist Adrian Melott of the University of Kansas in Lawrence."

ABCNEWS.com : Scientists Decode Dog Genome

Help Net Security

Microsoft Agrees to Settle Suit by Former Rival Be - Computerworld

Microsoft Agrees to Settle Suit by Former Rival Be - Computerworld: "Shier continues to rely on BeOS and Web development tools that were written for the operating system. 'I like the responsiveness, speed, lack of crashing and lack of viruses,' he said."

Thursday, September 25, 2003

The Razor Motorcycle Trailer

Spiegler Brake Systems USA

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Front and rear signal lights for V-Strom.

Lockhart Phillips USA - The Sportbike Connection:

"122-3015 DL1000 2002 REAR $16.95

122-3016 DL1001 Lens kit - Clear $19.95

122-3017 DL1002 Lens kit - Iridm $19.95"

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Ace's Hardware

Ace's Hardware: "The first 64-bit x86 CPU for the Windows desktop is here: the Athlon 64 FX and Athlon 64 have been launched and are available today. AMD's newest CPU has been improved where it matters the most: a much faster memory controller, a more intelligent branch predictor and a faster and larger L2-cache.

AMD's ambitions for the Athlon 64 FX are very high, it is 'simply the fastest desktop CPU, period!'"

Norton Motorsports - 1993 Norton Rotary Commander

Monday, September 22, 2003

Caltech Quantum Optics

Caltech Quantum Optics: "Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics

Cavity quantum electrodynamics is one of the few experimentally viable systems in which the intrinsic quantum mechanical coupling dominates losses due to dissipation. As a result, the interesting quantum mechanics is not obscured by interactions with the external environment but instead reveals itself for study. We investigate the use of strong coupling to control the simple quantum system of one atom interacting with a single photon in an optical cavity.

A recent application of this strongly coupled atom-cavity system has been the experimental realization of a one-atom laser. Here the macroscopic amplification medium of a conventional laser is replaced by a single cesium atom confined within a high-finesse cavity. While everyday lasers generate classical (coherent) light, the one-atom laser produces light with interesting quantum mechanical characteristics."

Artworks for State Buildings

Artworks for State Buildings:

"Location
Ida and William Friday Building and E.K. Fretwell Building

Artist
Jim Sanborn"

Suzuki DL1000 / V-Strom FAQ: What spark plugs (sparkplugs) does this thing take?

Suzuki DL1000 / V-Strom FAQ: What spark plugs (sparkplugs) does this thing take?: "The NGK iridium spark no. plug for the V-Strom is NGK CR8EIX. This is the latest version with ultra thin electrode, which provides the advantages described above.
Peter Kroll 19-Jul-2003 "

Chip Architect: Detailed Architecture of AMD's Opteron

Digging for Truth

Digging for Truth: "Research in support of an Open Source/Free Software Community's Reply to Darl Mcbride

By Pamela Jones and the Groklaw Team: Friday 19 September 2003, 13:11
Introduction

The following research is the result of efforts to compile a truthful record of the SCO controversy and in the hope that it will be helpful to anyone interested in understanding and proving the truthfulness of statements made in an open source / free software community's open letter to SCO's Darl McBride by Groklaw's readership on September 18, 2003.

We note that a number of web pages appear to have disappeared from SCO's web site recently, as well as from the Wayback Archive and from Google, particularly in the past few weeks. All the links on this page worked at the time of preparing this document, but we cannot guarantee their continued availability. And if nothing else, this record shows what once was available, even if it all should suddenly disappear from the internet. Many of us, in any case, have saved copies of the materials locally."

Groklaw sends a Dear Darl letter

Groklaw sends a Dear Darl letter: "With regard to the invoices you have said you will mail out by October 15, we caution you that we believe that any such action will expose you to civil lawsuits under both federal and state consumer protection laws, as well as to possible criminal prosecution and penalties should state and federal agencies, attorneys general, and district attorneys decide to get involved, which we fully intend to ask them to do upon receipt of any invoice from you."

Sunday, September 21, 2003

CounterPunch: edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair

RIAA collects fines, doesn't pay artists

Yahoo! Autos : VStrom2 Messages : 25518-25548 of 25572

"Headlight modulators are worth every penny. Any of you that have looked at the accident studies, such as the Hurt Report (Named after Prof. Harry Hurt that did the study) you already know that the highest percentage of accidents is with another vehicle at intersections with 'Left Turn Larry' violating our right of way by turning left in front of the motorcyclist, with 'Right Turn Mary' pulling out in front of us from the right the next highest percentage. Overall, over 70-80 percent of the accidents are directly in front of you within 45 degrees directly ahead while less than 4 percent coming from the rear. These folks are looking for cars, trucks and police. Not motorcyclist, bicyclist and pedestrians. They operate on what is called the Bartlett Effect, in which it was found that in humans that a flicker rate of light of around 3-4 times per second is simply impossible to ignore.

Suzuki DL1000 / V-Strom FAQ: What are some tire options for my DL?

MYCARR AUTO ACCESSORIES CO., LTD. - HID Headlamp (SH1/SH3/SH4/SH4-HL/SH7/S9005/S9006/S9004/S9007)

How to mount a CLS200µ

How to mount a CLS200µ: "on a BMW F650GS"

Yahoo! Autos : VStrom2 Messages : 25398-25427 of 25565

Yahoo! Autos : VStrom2 Messages : 25398-25427 of 25565: "US Motorcycle sales 2003

Honda.......... 241491...28,2%
Harley-Davidson..216120...25,2%
Yamaha...........163612...19,2%
Suzuki...........102354...11,9%
Kawasaki..........75701....8,8%
BMW...............18364....2,1%
KTM...............17501....2,0%
Buell..............5358....0,7%
Triumph............5329....0,6%
Ducati.............4574....0,5%
Indian.............3282....0,4%
Polaris/Victory....2088....0,2%
Aprilia............1893....0,2%
MZ..................258...0,02%"

City of Austin - Green Building Program | Factsheet: Insulated Concrete Forms

City of Austin - Green Building Program | Factsheet: Insulated Concrete Forms: "Things to think about when planning an ICF house or building:

1. Use non ozone-depleting foam ? all expanded polystyrene foams are now produced without ozone-depleting chemicals, the same cannot be said of all extruded polystyrene foams.
2. Plan for future expansions/additions?because they are filled with concrete, making a doorway out of an existing window or wall for an addition or expansion requires the use of a jackhammer. Planning ahead and creating knock-outs in the walls can save time and money and add long-lived versatility to a building.
3. The cost of concrete?all of these products must be filled with concrete, check the price of concrete before settling on ICF's as your building system. Though most are efficient with their concrete requirements, systems vary, and recent increases in the price of concrete have added substantially to the cost of an ICF house.
4. Roof connections?how your roof connects to the hurricane and tornado resistant walls is important. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and ensuring your roof is properly tied to these walls is part of the process of creating a wind resistant building.
5. Excellent product support--is the manufacturer willing to come out to your site and help train you or your contractor?
6. Properly size your air-conditioning system?because many ICF's help reduce the cooling load, a smaller air conditioner may be appropriate. The Portland Cement Association has several technical guides for right-sizing the A/C system in ICF houses."

ICFweb.com

Universal Design Kitchen Cabinet

"Incorporating Universal Design features in kitchens, for example, can give homes a competitive edge in the market by addressing the increasing demand for accessible living environments by today's homeowners. Features such as adjustable countertops and cabinets, undercounter kneespace, and pullout shelves provide accessible work surfaces and storage that can be used by all of the members of the household, including those with physical disabilities. An investment in Universal Design can make your homes stand out from the rest by adding value that today's homebuyers appreciate."

Insulating Concrete Form Systems (ICFs)--In-Depth Analysis

Insulating Concrete Form Systems (ICFs)--In-Depth Analysis: "Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are rigid plastic foam forms that are filled with reinforced concrete to create structural walls. They hold concrete in place during curing and remain in place afterwards to provide thermal insulation. ICFs are used to make structural concrete walls, and can be used to make either foundation or above-grade walls. The forms are typically made from pure foam-plastic insulation but may also be made from a composite of cement and foam insulation or a composite of cement and processed wood. The foam is typically either expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS) and occasionally polyurethane. Forms come in three basic form-types: blocks, planks, and panels. Blocks are molded, hollow foam blocks that are stacked, much like Legos®. Plank and panel types use flat sheets (typically) of foam held together with plastic or metal ties, with panels using larger sheets of foam, similar to metal or plywood formwork. The resulting shape of the concrete, explained in more detail later, will be one of several shapes: flat, waffle- or screen-grid, or post-and-beam.

As with any product, ICFs have their advantages and disadvantages. Although they can be more expensive than other residential wall types, and there is much debate over their use below grade because of termites, ICFs appeal to builders and homeowners due to the many possible advantages of ICFs. Advantages over conventional construction include a reduction in the number of trade contractors required, strength, thermal efficiency, reduction in through-the-wall sound transmission, and the ease of construction. This report presents these issues and more in further detail, including comments from builders and homeowners familiar with ICFs."

Nudura, Insulated Concrete Form, Concrete home, ICF, polystyrene foam, steel reinforced, durable building, Fire resistant, Flexible building, basement

Nudura, Insulated Concrete Form, Concrete home, ICF, polystyrene foam, steel reinforced, durable building, Fire resistant, Flexible building, basements, round walls, fast setup. ISOMatrixx Building Products Ltd. Petersburg Ontario Canada: "The main features of the NUDURA ICF system revolve around

1. The forms acting as the stay in place concrete forming system.
2. The plastic webbing in the wall system has a second role as the studding for drywall and siding. No need for extra studding or insulation.
3. The Expanded Poly Styrene acts as the insulation for the building, which reduces energy requirements for heating and cooling systems.
4. The total system acts as the vapor barrier for the building."

Permanent Buildings and Foundations - A Short Course in Concrete Home Building

Concrete Homes Magazine

An overview of the different concrete home building methods

An overview of the different concrete home building methods: "In the last eight years, home buyers and builders have increasingly chosen concrete for their home. Even in this area, they have a choice of materials. Concrete masonry block, ICFs (insulating concrete forms) and removable forming systems (cast-in-place) are the top three choices. Precast/prestressed, tilt-up and autoclaved/aerated concrete systems are some other options, but less popular for residential building.

'About 1994,' said Jim Niehoff, residential promotion manager for Portland Cement Association, 'things started to pick up in a significant way nationally. PCA estimates that for 2001, the market share for all concrete building methods run about 14.6 percent. Of course, concrete masonry block has always been around. With the strongest showing, it's market share is hovering right around the 9.5 percent mark. The ICFs market is also very good. Estimates for 2001 for ICFs alone are approximately 2.5 percent.

'Cast-in-place systems are pulling in about 1.7 percent of the market, but are expected to capture a more significant share in the next couple of years, based on the work of the Concrete Homes Council, which is part of the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA). There is a network of concrete contractors who are familiar with the concrete forms building methods below grade; they just have to be convinced to take it above ground. The skill is in place.

'What would make a difference? First, the council needs to help contractors see that they could sell these houses "

ECO-Block Insulating Concrete Forms - ICF For Concrete Home Builders and Contractors

ECO-Block Insulating Concrete Forms - ICF For Concrete Home Builders and Contractors: "Energy Efficiencies - ECO-Block buildings consistently save 25- 50% in monthly utility costs over the life span of the structure, translating into fewer resources consumed for the creation of energy. Beyond the insulating qualities of the foam block (R-22), the thermal mass of the concrete acts as an energy reservoir, which helps maintain an even indoor temperature. Consequently, the HVAC system can be scaled down by up to 35%, offering another added cost savings.

Environmental Benefits - An average 2,000 square foot home built with ECO-Block can save up to 47 trees. which would have been cut for creating lumber."

Wicked Good Guide to Boston's public restooms

"Other cities (Paris and New York leap to mind) put their restrooms right on the street and in the subway, where visitors and residents can actually see and use them. Not Boston. We hide our bathrooms away, taunting you, daring you to see if you've got real bladder control. Town Meeting in Concord, one of the most popular tourist sites in America, once rejected plans for a new visitor center because it would have had restrooms - residents were afraid people from the neighboring town of Maynard would drive into Concord just to use the facilities."

Motorcycle Replacement Airshields

Motorcycle Replacement Airshields: "no matter if your bike was built in 1964 or today, we can make them !"

Their email is: fairingscreens@wmconnect.com

Hammer IT! -- by Silverline --

Saturday, September 20, 2003

Vision considerations for motorcyclists

Bug & Wind Deflector

Bug & Wind Deflector WINDSHIELD-MOUNT BUG AND WIND DEFLECTOR Clear formed Lexan"

ST1100 Custom Motorcycle Windshields

ST1100 Custom Motorcycle Windshields They don't make a shield for the V-Strom; yet.

demidesign- balaclavas links

Motorcycle Long Distance Pieces & Parts

Motorcycle Long Distance Pieces & Parts Nice site, I need to remember to check it out.

Motorcycles and ATVs

National Cycle | On-Line Catalog | Replacement Screens

Memphis Shades

Memphis Shades: "Fully adjustable; measures 21'W x 18'H above headlight
Fits most rount headlights; see application guide for specific bikes
Made of ICI Lucite® for excellent clarity and weather-resistance
Available in gradient black, clear and solor
2-point handlebar mount

Mounting hardware kit included cotains:
billet aluminum handlebar clamps that fit 1' and 7/8' handlebars (w/ sizing band),
aluminum mounting plates and rake pivots,
stainless steel support rods and socket head screws

View pictures >"

Memphis Universal Mounted Windshields

bluepoof bikes - suzuki sv650s frame sliders

installing intuitive frame sliders - suzuki sv650s

Yoyodyne - Home Page

Friday, September 19, 2003

Software Aimed at Blocking VeriSign's Search Program (TechNews.com)

Software Aimed at Blocking VeriSign's Search Program (TechNews.com): "VeriSign's service, which affects only '.com' and '.net' names, also overrode similar services offered by several Internet service providers, including America Online, and through Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser.

The BIND patch allows AOL and others to restore control by identifying and then ignoring data from Site Finder, said Paul Vixie, president of the Internet Software Consortium.

When the patched software receives such data, it will instead pass along an 'address not found' message."

LawMeme

Ars Technica: The PC enthusiast's resource

"He said the BBC was developing a 'super EPG' that would work on any platform and let users record programmes as with a PVR. The Internet Media Player (IMP) will allow programmes to be downloaded or streamed to PC desktops and handheld devices. [...] 'A fully flexible, platform-neutral, super EPG is in development that will allow TV content to be recorded TiVo-style,' said Highfield. 'It'll enable shows being broadcast now to be downloaded or streamed, and most significantly [let] TV shows that went out recently to be recalled from our archive and downloaded. 'To save on the huge bandwidth load this will place on us, we're exploring legitimate P2P models to get users to share our content on our behalf transparently"

Gadgets small enough to carry around in cargo pants | csmonitor.com

Cybiko Inter-tainment system in Electric Shock Yellow Toy Toy Cybiko

Cybiko Inter-tainment system in Electric Shock Yellow Toy Toy Cybiko: "Cybiko: The Un-Game Boy
This is a great toy for someone that can't afford all of those expensive game boy games. What's great about the Cybiko is that it offers so much more than game boy at an unbelievable price. You pay for it... once. That's right. You buy the Cybiko and that's the only time you pay for it. The games are free-you download them off the internet using an application called 'Cyberload.' For the wireless chat and gaming features, there is no fee for air time like there is on a cell phone. And get this-it even has RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES! My favorite APPS are the text editor and English-German translator (both available from the website) and my favorite game is Rotoball. Now, the bad news. Cybiko only has a 300 ft range. This is great if you would like to sneak your Cybiko into school and chat with people during class, which I don't recommend."

Cybiko Review - Tiscali.co.uk

Thursday, September 18, 2003

Cybiko Extreme - Ferrago

"Fitting strangely somewhere between a mobile phone, a PDA, and a kiddies â€˜Firstâ€™-style PC (the acidic colour scheme and â€˜easy gripâ€™ style design make it a bit too reminiscent of Fisher Price), the Cybiko Extreme is a hard product to place, let alone review. Designed to appeal to the early-teens market, itâ€™s with social-cool features such as chat rooms, messaging, simple Snake-esque games and address book features that the manufacturers aim to entice purchasers. Have Cybiko got it right, however? Well, this is something of a hard one to call, after all the market is a notoriously tricky one to capture, and some may find the Cybiko just a bit too PDA-like to appeal to an audience that demands something a bit more â€˜streetâ€™. On the other hand, its place in mobile phone culture seems to assure of its worthiness, despite the â€˜averageâ€™ aesthetics and slightly-awkward menu system. My take on the Extreme would therefore be that itâ€™s best suited as an older kids toy (my ten year-old Niece for example was quite taken with it), with some fun features that just arenâ€™t quite as easy to use as they should be, sadly."

Pages

Wednesday, December 31, 2003

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Thursday, December 25, 2003

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

V-Strom Links

Monday, December 08, 2003

Friday, December 05, 2003

Wednesday, December 03, 2003

Tuesday, December 02, 2003

Monday, December 01, 2003

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Friday, October 03, 2003