Tanker Truck Explodes
September 27, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Let me pre-empt this by saying I hope no one was hurt in the events surrounding this incident. Now that I’m through with that…
Above is an amazing video of a tanker truck that starts out on fire. A group of firefighters attacks the fire for a while. It ends in a shockingly huge explosion. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if one of those trucks caught fire, now you can see.
Tags: explode, explosion, fire, firefighter, tanker truck, truck, video
RFID: Speedpass Hacked
September 26, 2006 | 3 Comments
Johns Hopkins professor Avi Ruben and his graduate students were able to quickly find a way to reproduce an existing Speedpass token. They built a small device that attaches to a laptop, which can then swipe Mobil Speedpass codes just by casually walking by someone who has one in their pocket.
I think these types of things will be increasingly common. My favorite part of this video is when they say that when interviewing companies responsible for creating Speedpass, they say it is a non-issue. Crooks are apparently no sophisticated enough to walk around with laptops and use software to transfer codes between devices…
Thanks to David Skrabal for sending along this YouTube video to me.
Tags: david skrabal, mobil, mobil speedpass, RFID, speedpass
Audio/Video Cables - STSI
September 25, 2006 | 3 Comments
Recently I decided it was time to hook my Power Mac up to my 42″ DLP projection TV and receiver. I decided I would use the second DVI output on the video card and the fiber optic out for audio. I needed about 25′ of wire, both DVI and fiber optic. (I wish Apple would add an HDMI out so one wire would suffice).
After much searching for the most affordable solution, I found STSI. Their prices are fairly cheap and they had everything I needed in the appropriate lengths. Since the TV has HDMI inputs, I got a 25′ DVI/HDMI cable ($29.99) that allows me to run the video signal loss-less without the need for an adapter. The fiber optic cable I got was a 25′ pro-series optical cable ($17.99). To round out the order I also picked up a 6′ HDMI cable ($14.99) for my DVD player, a 6′ gold plated component video cable ($7.99) for my cable box, a 3′ optical cable ($4.99), and a 6′ optical cable ($5.99). I had no intended purpose for those, but at the price they seemed good to have on hand.
Due to the low prices, I was not expecting to get the best quality cables, but rather just good enough. When the cables arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The quality of these cables rivals Monster cables for 1/10th the price in some cases. As a quick comparison, Best Buy sells 8′ HDMI cables for $119.99, 35′ for $249.99, and 6′ optical for $29.99.
I highly recommend STSI for all your A/V cable needs.
Tags: audio, cables, component, dvd, dvi, fiber optic, hdmi, mac, monster cables, optic, optical, power mac, stsi, video, wires
Mary Jane A Casualty of Civil War?
September 18, 2006 | 2 Comments
We knew that there were going to be greater risks for the important people in Peter Parker’s life when he revealed himself has Spider-Man. This risks are suddenly very real and potentially fatal for Aunt May, Robbie Robertson, Flash Thompson, but especially Mary Jane. It was this in mind that I’ve been freaked out ever since seeing the cover on the left.
Weeks ago Joe Quesada seemed to confirm without a reasonable doubt that there was no way they could ever kill off Mary Jane, or have them get divorced, or have them be separated in any way. He stated that she is far too important and anything done to mess with the relationship would only age Spider-Man and Peter Parker even further. Here’s hoping Quesada can stick to this…
Tags: joe quesada, mary jane, mary jane death, mary jane watson parker, parker, peter parker, quessada, spider-man spider man, spiderman
Professor Sells Lectures Online
September 14, 2006 | 8 Comments
North Carolina State University professor Robert Schrag is charging $2.50 for audio copies of his lectures.
From Kelley Brackett of the Technician Online:
The professor in the Department of Communication sent his students an e-mail Sept. 7 notifying them that lectures from their 75-minute communication and technology class were available online for $2.50 each. The Web site allows students to “buy now” and hear the lecture, in an MP3 format, as often as they like.
[…]
According to Schrag, he wants to serve three “markets.” The first is comprised of students who question their ability to take quality notes in the classroom. Students that are interested in doing well in the class can, therefore, use the online lectures as a study tool in preparation for tests.
Schrag said he is also concerned about the increasing number of international students on campus. The second market is for these students who may have difficulty understanding lectures from an English-speaking professor and would prefer to review lectures at a slower pace.
The third market, he said, is for students who prefer not to attend class.
[…]
“Your tuition buys you access to the lectures in the classroom. If you want to hear one again, you can buy it.”
[…]
“Obviously all the students can get the lectures for free by coming to class,” Schrag said. “I guess you could see the service as a safety net designed to help the students get the content when life gets in the way of their getting to class.”
A fourth market he could be serving is people who do not even attend the university or students who are interested in his lectures, but do not have time or opportunity to take the class. Consider this the “long tail” of potential students. I think this is a fantastic use of media and the price seems appropriate and right.
Tags: college, communications, Kelley Brackett, lecture, long tail, ncsu, North Carolina State University, professor, technician, technician online
Wii Launch Details
September 14, 2006 | 3 Comments
The Nintendo Wii is coming to the US on November 19 the price will be $250. This is higher than anticipated, but it will be sold packaged with Wii Sports. Wii Sports is a compilation of sports games including: tennis, baseball, golf, and (previously unannounced) bowling and boxing. Also included with the console will be one Wii remote and nunchuck attachment. A surprise feature is that Opera will be included by default.
The Virtual Console will launch with 30 titles. These games will cost $5, $8, and $10 for NES, SNES, and N64 respectively.
They also confirmed that first party games will be at the conventional $50 per game. Third party developers may set higher prices. Controllers will be a bit steep though. The Wii remote will be about $40, the nunchuck about $20, and the classic controller about $20.
Nintendo plans to ship 4 million units by the end of the year. Now waiting for a game list and November 19th!!!
Tags: games, n64, nes, Nintendo, opera, snes, videogames, virtual console, wii, wii launch, wii price, wii sports
Wii Steeering Wheel Attachment
September 13, 2006 | Leave a Comment
I saw this steering wheel initially on Engadget and later on IGN. It is merely a chunk of foam that the Wii-mote clicks into. The buttons all remain accessible, but the wheel around it adds an amount of realism and additional immersion.
Ubisoft had Thrustmaster design this attachment to include with GT Pro Series and 4×4: World Circuit racing games. Of course the peripheral will work with any driving type game. This simple idea could easily extend to swords, baseball bats, golf clubs, chain saws and more! The manufacturing should be cheap enough to include with games just for the promotional value. The only drawback is where do you store all these hunks of foam you are likely to accumulate?
Tags: 4x4 world circuit racing, GT pro series, peripheral, steering wheel, thrustmaster, ubisoft, wii, wii-mote