GalacticMu

The want for a society free from violence, free from want, free from meatiness, it is still here.  Because we haven’t yet created our soon-to-be plastic and alloy caretakers.  In the meantime, keep an eye on the folks at MIT.  Which is good advice on any occasion, really.

M.D.S. Personal Robots at The MIT Media Lab.  Be sure to watch to video – this robot’s movement and control are fantastic.  Note to MIT: please stop using plunky jazz bass soundtracks for your robot videos.  This is neither an episode of Seinfeld nor a corporate training video.  One word: Vangelis.  

(Found by BattleGate)

April Fools’ Day has been a major internet holiday for many, many decades now. This particular one was no exception, though it was exceptionally lame. Google’s Gmail offered a false new feature allowing you to set your email’s time of delivery. Uh. April Fools? I thought it was a great feature not because of their intended punchline (closer reading showed that it was powered by an “eflux capacitor” and intended to only insert an email into the past) – postdating blog posts has been a staple for years now, why not email? Blerg, I’m cranky.

Another large entertainment website had the headline of “Paris Hilton and Benji Madden Get Married!” Again? Wait, which celebrity got hitched and then got it annulled? Double-wait, didn’t Nicky Hilton also do that? Oh my god, I wasted precious finger skin on this. Oh yeah, my point: that’s your April Fools’ joke?

The “big” one was that Google and Virgin (with a big hardy-har tip off of naming themselves “Virgle”) are teaming up to send people to Mars. And that, friends, is just fucking mean. “Hey, we’re gonna cure cancer! JUST KIDDING!”

But! Just in time Quagmire spotted this gem, which might still be available here: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=610771

If it isn’t, I nabbed some images (click on thumbnails to view large):

This thing looks fantastic. Mobile Digital Scribe from IOGear is a digital pen that acts like a regular ink pen but stores up to 50 pages of notes and doodles that can be uploaded to your computer later. If you have the transmitter attached to a computer your input will appear on you screen real time.

I wonder how accurate this thing is. I suspect the results when you upload the day’s notes might be pretty hilarious. But still, the thought of leaving the 5 pound laptop at home on the next away mission without winding up with a pocket full of shit scribbled on scaps of paper makes me seriously want to buy one of these… I’m still trying to find out if this thing will work on a Mac.

via Link

Due to a glitch with Verizon Leila Sales gets a text message when anyone texts to “Leila”, which happens daily. She blogs the unintentional eavesdropping at The Leila Texts.

Quagmire points us toward an article about new satellite-delivered internet in Japan.  At 155Mbit/sec., the service allows rural users to get high-speed internet just by hooking up a small satellite dish.  In the event that you require 1.2Gbit/sec. (!), a 5 meter antenna is required (!!!).  The other benefit is that internet service will not be subject to earthquakes, Gojira, and other natural disasters, allowing for more reliable contact with services and news.

Japan launches high-speed Internet satellite, via Computerworld  

Microsoft announces a June 30th sales moratorium on its Windows XP operating system; Quagmire is shocked to learn that people actually purchase copies of a Microsoft OS rather than “borrow it” from “some friendly Dutch kids.”

Thanks to Quagmire for the photo.

My current apocalyptic desktop is courtesy of Social Wallpapering They’ve got some terrific spacey ones too.