Archive for June, 2007

Need A Fake Social Security Number? Use This One

Friday, June 29th, 2007

GovernmentThis is the story of a heavily misused Social Security number. I’d read about this in a fiction book, but wasn’t sure if it was actually true or not.

Link: http://www.ssa.gov/…
(via digg)

Contrails Up Close

Friday, June 29th, 2007

AirplaneWe’ve all seen airplane contrails, but here’s what they look like up close. Wow.

Link: http://www.airliners.net/…
(via digg)

Non-English Expressions

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

TipsThe linked article has meanings for six non-English expressions, such as ‘ad hoc’, ‘vis-à-vis’, etc. While all of them are familiar to me, several did not mean what I thought they meant.

Link: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/…
(via digg)

Real-time Flight Tracking

Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

AirplaneThis site has some nifty flight tracking tools. I like how it combines weather radar with flight tracking, so you can see how the flights are diverted to miss storms. Try an airport code of “KDEN” for the Denver, CO area.

Thanks to Josh for this topic.

Link: http://flightaware.com/

Are Those Inkjet Cartridges Really Empty?

Monday, June 25th, 2007

PrinterDon’t believe your inkjet printer when it tells you the ink cartridges are almost empty. This study determined that the average cartridge is half full when it’s thrown away. Admittedly the study was biased, but still…

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…

Blockbuster To Use Blu-ray Exclusively

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

DiscBlockbuster has taken a side in the high-definition DVD format war, opting to go exclusively with Blu-ray. This could be a big factor in deciding which format makes it in the long run.

Link: http://www.foxnews.com/…
(via Kim Komando)

How Ethanol Can Affect The Price Of Milk

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

Gas PumpNo matter what you do, there always seems to be side effects.

Link: http://www.consumerist.com/…

RFID Chips Get Even Smaller

Wednesday, June 20th, 2007

RFIDRFID chips keep getting tinier and tinier. These latest ones from Hitachi are thinner than a strand of hair, yet are able to transmit a 38-digit identification number. I believe RFID tracking technology will become ubiquitous in the next few decades, to the point where future generations take it for granted.

Thanks to Josh for this topic.

Link: http://www.popsci.com/…

Paying For Guaranteed Email Delivery

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

InternetAre you a legitimate mass emailer who has problems getting your messages past spam filters? Well there is a solution. Five major ISPs will guarantee delivery for a fee of $0.0025 per message.

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…

Test That HDTV Before You Buy

Sunday, June 17th, 2007

HDTVFor the discerning consumer, here’s a benchmark DVD that will show any weaknesses in that high-priced HDTV you’re thinking of purchasing.

Link: http://www.hqv.com/
(via Consumerist)

Will We Ever See “a la carte” Cable Television?

Saturday, June 16th, 2007

TelevisionI’m all for à la carte cable television, where consumers get to choose (and pay for) only those channels they want to receive. I can understand why the cable companies are reluctant to provide this service, but I don’t see why the FCC has been dragging its heels. It really seems like a no-brainer.

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…

An Air-Powered Automobile

Saturday, June 16th, 2007

CarThe perfect city car, powered by compressed air, with a range of 125 miles and a top speed of 68 MPH. Looks like they won’t be sold in the US, but let’s hope the technology makes it here eventually.

Thanks to Josh for this topic.

Link: http://www.popularmechanics.com/…