Disaster Area

Facebook Swan Dive

I read an editorial in PC Magazine today by Lance Ulanoff that echoed pretty much what I've been thinking about Facebook - namely that it's in that long downward slide to oblivion, but not many people realize it yet.

And it's a shame, because the reason I signed up was that it was a great way to keep in touch with  hundreds of youth who have grown up through my church and diocesan youth programs. Sadly, the plethora of add-ons and plug-ins has steadily drowned out the original purpose, and the quest to get big enough to sell for billions will do to it what it has done to many a fast-growing community before - kill it dead.

Ulanoff points to AOL as probably the first of the internet generation companies or "communities" that died that way. Strangely enough, MySpace seems to have enough user-generated, organic content to survive, even though the software and interface still look like they were designed by a monkey on crack. Well, maybe that's part of it too - better a monkey on crack than some soulless business suits...

OLPC

I just signed up for the Give 1 Get 1 program with the One Laptop Per Child initiative. It's been a while coming, but the concept is fascinating: create a laptop rugged enough and cheap enough to be able to put one in the hands of any and every child in the world. There's a pretty good review of the resulting product at PC World.

Quick Summary:

The XO-1 laptop by the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative is a game-changer for disadvantaged children in developing countries. For a limited time you can benefit as well.

Uses very little energy to run. Preloaded with educational software. Wireless, with mesh networking. Flash-compatible browser preinstalled. Long-cycle LiFePO4 battery. Rugged construction. Easy to service.

Not compatible with store-bought Windows or Mac OS programs. Sluggish flash performance. Much less compelling for adults. Business model isn't consumer-oriented (shipping, customer support). You can't specify where your donated computer goes, unless you donate a lot. For experienced computer users, requires learning a new way of doing things. You must act before December 31, 2007 if you want one for yourself.

Very cool. It will be interesting to see what the laptop is actually like...

New Keyboard

I've been having trouble with my old wireless keyboard, so I was shopping around and  happened on this little gem:

Cool, huh?

It's not quite as bright as the  photo might imply, but it makes  it a little easier to hunt and peck without having to turn on the main lights. it can also glow in red or blue...

One More Reason to Love Google

Have you ever watched a TV ad and been struck by the music used, but you have no clue what it is? Happens to me all the time. One current ad that intrigues me is the Cingular (oops, now back to AT&T again) ad for the Samsung Blackjack phone. It took a bit of digging around on Google, but I found a terrific website for just the occasion - "Music from TV commercials". Lots of vintage TV ads in there, too, with links to them on Youtube, no less.

Turns out the music in question is Stinging Sitars x9 by Anjali, available on iTunes. There, that was easy.

Another Reliable Mac...

Heh, and thus is born another new verb - to "Mel Gibson"...

Here's the Mel Gibsoned Mac.

There's a prize for the best use of the verb "Mel Gibson" in a comment.

Macs Are So.... Reliable

Yeah, really.

Google Pack, Jack

So Google now jumps into the bundled software biz. Well, it's really just packaging up a few things already available. The usual Google stuff (Google Desktop Search, Google Earth, Google Toolbar for IE, Picasa) and then packaging up a few other free bits and pieces (AdAware spyware killer, Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Reader) and one item that would otherwise cost money (Norton AntiVirus). Still, nice idea, and gets a foot in the door for future expansion.

After the onslaught of new glitzy hardware at CES (Consumer Electronics Show, ends on Sunday) this seems like a nice, sane item that could have much more far reaching implications.

In the Christmas Mood

For the three people in the world who haven't seen it yet, here's your chance to see the amazing Christmas light show from last year put up by a guy in Ohio using the Light-O-Rama controller.

Of course, it's now so mainstream that Miller Lite (Lite, geddit?) is using it in their Christmas ads.

Why I Love The Internet...

How else could such a wacky business idea ever have got off the ground?

You get people to pay you advertising ($500 to sponsor one day), they give you the product (prizes) to give away (and presumably the mailing costs) and everyone gets to have fun answering stupid questions to get one of the free prizes.

Steve Jobs: Evil Genius

Just what I needed to cheer me up - this extremely well written and plausible analysis of the Apple/Motorola/Cingular iTunes cell phone situation...

Mwuhahahahahaha...