B-List Archive: September 2001

B-List Archive

September 2001

Postings to the B-List.

Subject: B-List: Wasting Time at P45.net
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 09:14:51 +0930

P45.net is an amusing site from Ireland, for "wasting time @ work".

Some picks:
* How To Speak Australian
   < http://www.p45.net/ejitsguides/australian/index.html >
Brush up your 'Strine in three easy lessons.

* Useless facts
   < http://www.p45.net/useless_facts/ >
Stuff you don't need to know.

* Handy Tips
   < http://www.p45.net/handy_tips/ >
Stuff you don't want to try.  The one about scaring your neighbours
could be fun.

* Random Recipe Generator
   < http://www.p45.net/funomatics/recipe.html >
Want to try cooking something new and unusual?  Try this page for
inspiration.
Example: "Coulis de tofu, spinach and apricots in very cheap plonk".

* Big Brother-omatic
   < http://www.p45.net/funomatics/bigbrother.html >
Generates "Big Brother" scenarios, with an Irish flavour.

Subject: B-List: DVD Recording Standards
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 09:38:53 +0930

Recordable DVD Standards Go Head-to-Head
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991208 >

Three rival standards: DVD+RW vs DVD-RW vs DVD-RAM.  And throw in the new
DVD-Audio format, it adds up to a lot of confusion.

Almost on cue, my video recorder decided to chew up a tape and spit it out
on Monday, ruining my plans to record all the episodes in the current series
of Pizza :(  The VCR had served me well for over 10 years, and I was hoping
it would last until the winning DVD recording standard had been decided.
Remember ...

Beta vs VHS
   < http://www.urbanlegends.com/products/beta_vs_vhs.html >
One view of the epic battle between competing video tape standards.
Of course back in 1983 we got a Beta.

Subject: B-List: Mobile Phone Manners site
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2001 06:50:44 +0930

CellManners.com
   < http://www.cellmanners.com/ >

"A site devoted to promoting civility between cell phone users and
  the people around them."

Subject: B-List: CYBIKO
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 12:14:33 +0930

CYBIKO
   < http://www.cybiko.com/ >
The "wireless inter-tainment computer".  Apparently all the rage with
the kids in America.

Product description
   < http://www.cybiko.com/what.asp >
"CYBIKO is a wireless handheld computer for teens".  Games system, personal
organizer, communication device etc.  All applications are free.

Product Specs
   < http://www.cybiko.com/layout.asp >

Overall a nice site for owners to get news, tips, downloads and to
chat with each other.

There's also a "Photo of the day" section
   < http://www.cybiko.com/photogallery/foto.asp?f_id=1555&sort=4&cat=0&from_i=1 >
   < http://www.cybiko.com/photogallery/foto.asp?f_id=1559&sort=4&cat=0&from_i=1 >
A couple of kute kats.

Subject: B-List: Of AI, Humanoids and Robots
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 08:02:02 +0930

1. "Like human, like machine"
    < http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/ai/likehuman.jsp >
A discussion of artificial intelligence and the Steven Spielberg movie
"AI", by Brian Aldiss, author of the story on which the movie is based.
The story was written in the 1960s, when there were high hopes that
artificial intelligence was just around the corner.  Nowadays Aldiss
is less optimistic.

2. Fujitsu Releases Humanoid Robot
    < http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article/0,,10693_881111,00.html >
A miniature programmable humanoid robot, "HOAP-1" (Humanoid for Open
Architecture Platform).

3. RoboCup: "Where Bots Kick Butt"
    < http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,45705,00.html >
    < http://www.robocup.org/ >
A more modest objective: building robots that play soccer.

4. Cool Robot of the Week
    < http://ranier.hq.nasa.gov/telerobotics_page/coolrobots.html >
The current state of the art.

5. Robocode
    < http://robocode.alphaworks.ibm.com/home/home.html >
An interesting way to learn Java.

Subject: B-List: Bizarre Tails - Daughter of Bizarre
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 09:18:54 +0930

Bizarre Tails - Daughter of Bizarre
   < http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/bizarre/ >

From the archives of New Scientist magazine.  The web site is a teaser
for a booklet.  Read about ...
   "exploding rabbits and dogs with humming heads, haircuts created
    by a Van de Graaff generator, a musical bra Mozart would have
    loved, and huskies with no sense of the ludicrous".

Sections include:
* Animals Behaving Badly
   < http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/bizarre/animals.jsp >

* Read This First
   < http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/bizarre/readthis.jsp >

* Impersonal Grooming
   < http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/bizarre/impersonal.jsp >

* Really, Really Bizarre
   < http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/bizarre/really.jsp >

* But What's The Question?
   < http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/bizarre/butwhats.jsp >
An example:
   Ashtray may soon be turning against smokers. Wan Chung of Taiwan
   has filed a British patent application (2 251 542) for an ashtray
   which has a slot at the side for a box of matches. When a smoker
   picks up the matches, the ashtray makes a coughing sound and warns
   against smoking. Underneath the box of matches there is a photo-
   sensitive chip. When the smoker lifts the matches, light reaching
   the chip changes its resistance. This triggers a circuit which
   sends sound stored in a microchip to a small loudspeaker.

Subject: B-List: StrangeReports.com
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 09:16:02 +0930

StrangeReports.com
   < http://strangereports.com/ >

An amusing little site which helps you make up news reports and email
them to friends.

Report types include
* Overdue Book Notice
   < http://www.strangereports.com/overduebooks.htm >
* Missed Lotto Win
   < http://www.strangereports.com/lottodeadline.htm >
* Meeting with Rock Band/Star
   < http://www.strangereports.com/musicnews.htm >
* Nose Pickers Society - New Members
   < http://www.strangereports.com/nosepickers.htm >
* Toilet Paper Thief
   < http://www.strangereports.com/tpthief.htm >
* Fake Search Site
   < http://www.strangereports.com/fakesearch.htm >
* Hacker News
   < http://www.strangereports.com/hacker.htm >
* Look like a Redneck
   < http://www.strangereports.com/redneck.htm >

Examples
* B!? The Hacker News Story
   < http://strangereports.com/hackerv.php?fname=B%21%3F >
* Web Search Results
   < http://www.strangereports.com/fakesearchv.php?fname=Bill&lname=Gates&city=Seattle >
* Toilet Paper Thief
   < http://www.strangereports.com/tpthiefv.php?fname=Elaine&lname=Bennis&city=Manhattan&sex=woman >

Subject: B-List: Who You Callin' Ugly?
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 08:22:28 +0930

1. Being Ugly Is Attractive Too
   < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991239 >

"Ugly individuals can sometimes do better than good-looking ones".

2. Facial Attractiveness Paper
   < http://psy.st-and.ac.uk/research/perception_lab/Attractiveness/attract.htm >

Briefly looks at and compares "average" and "highly attractive" face shapes,
with pictures.

3. Perception Laboratory's Face Transformer
   < http://monty.st-and.ac.uk/Transformer/ >

This site lets you upload a facial image and play around with it.  You can
also blend two faces using "Blend with a Friend".  There are some demos
using the faces of well-known people.  Requires a Java-enabled browser.

Subject: B-List: E-Paper and SmartPad2
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 09:50:12 +0930

1. Electronic Paper

* "E-paper Moving Closer"
   < http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1530000/1530678.stm >
An article that looks at recent developments in "electronic paper".

A couple of E-paper pioneers ...
* E Ink Corporation
   < http://www.eink.com/ >

* Gyricon Media - SmartPaper
   < http://www.gyriconmedia.com/smartpaper/index.asp >

2. Seiko SmartPad 2
   < http://www.seikosmart.com/products/sp582.html >

"Instantly capture everything you write or draw using the SmartPad pen
 on ordinary paper".
Works with PalmOS-based organisers.

B!?

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