Category Archives: Tech

Oh my iGod!

iPhone, Tech

I wake at 5am to pee. When I come back SharkBoy wishes me a happy birthday (as I am sure you do too, thank you) and he asks if I want my present now.

Now? 5am?

I lazily open the paper to find…
iphone
A friggin’ iPhone!! I am utterly blown away! I said a choice expletive. Yay to having friends travelling to America! (Thanks M!)

It’s smaller than I thought. Lighter. Sexy.

Christ, even the USB is sleeker than other USB jacks. Like Apple is thumbing it’s nose at clunky design.

I’ve spent the last hour looking for Canadian resources that will tell me if I can use it without activating it. So far I’ve found a hack that gets right inside the phone’s code but I don’t want to be that drastic. One suggests all I need to do is replace the SIM card with a pay-as-you-go card. I inserted my own phone’s card but it didn’t work. I’m off to the Rogers/Apple store after work. At best, I have an iBrick until the winter (estimated Rogers getting off their ass time). I swear, it’s like holding crack rock up to a druggie.

Remember how I said I had the best husband in the world? You may touch my sleeve.

Joost

Celebs and Media, Tech

…which is Internetese (like it? My new word meaning “I speak…”) for “I have a very good graphics card”.

I have been playing with this for a couple days now and I am suitably impressed. The channels are growing, slowly, but are diverse enough to keep me interested and coming back. The ads are unobtrusive and for the most part, are able to be hidden or skipped. I am sure if I had some kind of streaming appliance to my TV, this would make the whole experience much more enjoyable. I’m still not sold that people would watch their 2-3 hours of daily TV intake on their computer monitors.

Technically, it’s impressive. In full screen mode, my P4 processor, 700++ of RAM and 256 vid card chugs a bit. I’d hate to see it on Sharkboy’s 1G iMac. Choose video. Pause it when it opens. Watch it in a few moments. The quality is Internety (like it? My other new word meaning “pixelated, but acceptable”) and the sound is good.

The service is invite only right now. I have a couple slots. Interested people should put their names in the comments.

Google Shrugs Its Image

Tech

google desktopHey! Those of us who use the Personalized home page of Google… check out the new little tab that just showed up: Themes!

Not much there right now but at least you’re not looking at the old “text only” screen. And, as the app tells me, it will change as time goes by. I choose “Cityscape”!

UPDATE: My header is now showing an overcast sky as it’s dull outside! Coool!!!

Akismet Hits 10K

Tech, Toronto

Akismet (and Spam Karma) have collectively caught over 15,000 comment and trackback spams since I’ve installed it last year. I missed the exact milestone due to an attack from Abu Dhabi on Monday morning where someone from that part of the world thought it brilliant to announce to the world that his new blog about hacking was available. On a Google Blogger account, no less.

That’s pretty l33t, buddy!

Regardless, we here at Dead Robot dot Com would like to assure you that your reading of trivial fluff pieces will continue to be uninterrupted on this, the day that the city of York in Upper Canada was incorporated as Toronto.

Anna Nicole to Upgrade to Vista

Tech

I know. Cheap headline grab.

Last night I was woken up at 3am by my computer rebooting itself. Like a cat hoarking up a hairball, my box was trying to purge a trojan virus it had caught. I’m usually careful, especially after being on the web for so long. But no one is 100% safe, right? Anyway, my machine is sick.

Originally, I was a good boy and purchased XP Home (full price!) when it came out and suffered through it’s first year of updates and upgrades. Then SP2 happened. You remember, don’t you? Can’t get updates if you don’t install SP2! So I download the patch, like a good drone, and experience a 30% drop in operating speed, much like everyone else.  I suffered through it as long as I could but had a glimmer of hope when it was said that XPsp2 on disk mysteriously doesn’t have the speed problems. But as fast as the glimmer came, it was snuffed out: I was told I was uneligible for the SP2 on disk upgrade because I had it already installed on my machine (or some such Catch 22 nonsense) and I would have to re-purchase XPsp2. Wha? A techy friend came to my rescue and installed a multi-license XPsp2 on my machine. Glory! However, now, I can’t install any new updates like Windows Media 11 or Defender as that I am in violation of someone’s rules somewhere. Save me, Cory Doctorow!

Now I have a trojan bug in my machine and I am thinking that the fastes route to get rid of it would be re-installing. What about upgrading to Vista? I’m not feeling the WOW with Vista, to be honest and at best, I would only be able to use the paired down, unfun version. What’s the point, anyway? Vista is a Mac-in-the-Box cute pony show much like XP’s new interface and logos were when it came out on the heels of OS X.

I’m in total agreement with John Thompson when he says (emphasis mine)

Consumers should not be confused. Vista is not a security solution. Vista is an operating system, and Vista provides some very important advances from Microsoft’s perspective

In short, if it’s not broke, don’t upgrade to fix it. It’s sort of in line with Gizmodo’s editor emeritus, Joel Johnson’s rant about jumping on the bleeding edge bandwagon. (very funny read!) Was the announcement of the iPhone the shark jumping moment in the gadget world? Are we tired of dumping money into hastily produced product? I know I laughed at the PS3 line up joke: “Hey guys! The line up for PS4 is starting on the other side of the building!”

So this weekend I’m off to buy XPsp2 on disk somewhere to remedy this viral problem and in the fall, I will be installing it on my WintelMac dual core dual boot. Wish me luck.

PS: Anna Nicole is still dead. (via Deadthingsonsticks) 

Mac’s Next Insanely Great Thing?

Tech

MacObserver.com uncovers a patent application by Apple for a new tablet “Electronic device”. According to the drawings, there aint much to it. Think “Laptop” without keyboard. It would be on the touch screen, right? Note: they actually applied for this patent a year back. The article also “covers its ass” by saying Apple has pushed through many patents that never see development. Scared of Jobs, much?

And speaking of the turtlenecked guru, if you follow the links and open the US Patent site in Safari, the page doesnt display correctly. I think he’d be pleased of that.

Please Help.

Robots, Tech

I am channeling a weepy pleading Sally Struthers when I say Please send me to Japan.

iFoot

I guess Apple is going to sue since it’s called “iFoot”.

(Photo via getty images via news.com via right clicking.)

So Tired…

Tech

…of trying to keep up with the spam. I just removed over 1000 referring searches from some disgusting porno site and discovered that it had eaten up all my bandwidth for the month of April. Also, my anti-spam page is taking some time to load, even on high speed, because of all the banned words/urls.

I will now resort to swearing to burn off some frustrations:

MOther Puss BuckET Ass GrottY Slag of a Bitch!!

I may be shut down for a couple weeks seeing how I dont want to pay extra for bandwidth nobody used (while it’s kind of ironic it was a robot that used it up, I am not pleased). I guess I have to shut down the referrals somehow. Furface, Bondcliff? Anyone? Any ideas?

iSilence Day 3

Tech, Toronto

If you’re just joinging me in my rant, here’s the original post.

Audio/Opinion:
Nothing. Nada. A few cleared throats and papers rustling. Everyone in my field of vision were reading books or papers. Made me wonder if there was a backlash towards technology when movable type was created. I think there was some incident with the church. Too lazy to google it. I find I am resenting this challenge by Mr Sullivan. I was bored to tears this morning with no voices to listen to. Not even a distant mumbling that would make EVP followers yawn.

Visual:
Bald guy with a nice light brown suede jacket. I thought him brave for wearing it on a possibly rainy day.