As if there’s not enough biting going on at the World Cup, we now learn that the Shark Attack Capital of Brazil is Recife, where the US team lost/won yesterday. Apparently, the sharks in that area are feisty enough that the beach lifeguards do their training in a swimming pool, a practice that no doubt… Continue reading Coming soon to a beach near you: OK, you don’t really want to know
Category: Technology
Ode to a Bulb
I subscribe to a small number of retail email lists that notify me of “special deals” on items that are of general interest to me…primarily electronics and some sporting goods. I rarely end up ordering anything via those e-flyers, but the one exception is Best Buy’s “Deal of the Day” email. I’ve gotten some really… Continue reading Ode to a Bulb
A Tale of Two LCDs
Think there’s no real difference between one brand of LCD computer monitor vs. another? Think again, after viewing the following images: These are screenshots of the same image as it appears on the two monitors currently residing on my desk at home. The one on the left was taken from a 10 year old 19″… Continue reading A Tale of Two LCDs
This ain’t yer grandfather’s pedometer
Your grandfather probably doesn’t have a pedometer, but if he does, I’ll bet it’s not a Fitbit. Debbie and I both acquired a Fitbit Zip via our participation in a wellness program sponsored by BP, in which the company is challenging employees and retirees (we, of course, fall into the latter group) to rack up a… Continue reading This ain’t yer grandfather’s pedometer
Praising Parrot
I crashed my drone and it was traumatic, but good service does a lot to ease the pain.
Ask and Ye Shall Receiver, or Not
Have I mentioned that we got a new A/V receiver a couple of months ago? Astute Gazette readers may recall this tragic post in which I documented our tragic inability to watch 3D movies at home because of our tragically old-and-busted equipment (which was really neither, but technology is a harsh mistress). It’s a Pioneer… Continue reading Ask and Ye Shall Receiver, or Not
Pebble: The future of watches?
Meet the next millionaire-making personal-electronics phenomenon: the Pebble smartwatch. This unassuming wristwatch is designed to interact with – control and/or be controlled by – your iPhone, iPod touch or Android smartphone, via Bluetooth. The face is so-called ePaper, a display that’s visible in bright sunlight, like a Kindle, and is also backlit for viewing in… Continue reading Pebble: The future of watches?
Elliptigo Bike: First Report
We took delivery of our Elliptgo bike last Wednesday and we finally had some time today to play with it a bit. Here’s a video of our trial runs up and down the cul-de-sac in front of our house. I found the bike very easy to master; after about ten minutes, I felt completely in… Continue reading Elliptigo Bike: First Report
Bicycle Built for Few
One of the things I’ve always loved about bicycles is their functional simplicity. There’s not much fluff on a bike; every component is present for a reason, and – generally speaking – that reason is to direct and amplify the human body’s effort to move forward. Feet connect to pedals, pedals to chain, chain to… Continue reading Bicycle Built for Few
LPG Fracs: Technology for the times?
Update (1/21/12): Ran across this blog post about LPG fracing. I don’t have a great ear for subtlety, but the writer seems to be entering the discussion with a distinct bias, and some of the claims are simply wrong (or misleading – an outcry over putting hydrocarbons into a rock strata where hydrocarbons already exist… Continue reading LPG Fracs: Technology for the times?