Tech

477 posts

Mourn With Me, Generation X

Technology is nifty — don’t get me wrong. Without technology, I wouldn’t be able to play Bubble Burst on my Droid while pretending to listen to my boss babble on about news that happened last week. Pursing one’s lips and furrowing one’s brow once in a while is a great help in this.

Every once in a while, though, I pause and think about all those things that are gone — distinct experiences that used to be shared by waves of teenagers, that just won’t anymore. Generation Xers, we are both the last — and the first.

Remember this shit? Continue reading →

Can Social Media Plus Celebrity Make a Real Difference?

Way back in May of this year, Conan O’Brien featured a sketch on his TBS show highlighting a small alley in an industrial part of Van Nuys, California. The purpose of the sketch was to jokingly ask the city of Los Angeles and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to change the name of West Raymer Street to Conan O’Brien Blvd.

In the initial sketch, he showcases the surrounding area of the dead-end alley, which is located next to some railroad tracks. What we see is familiar to anyone with experience in industrial or less wealthy neighborhoods in many cities. There is abandoned furniture, graffiti and what looks like an abandoned vehicle. It’s neighborhood blight. Continue reading →

What is Spotify?

Free. Legal. On Demand.

Remember a long, long time ago when if you wanted a song from a band or singer you had to buy the whole album? Then Napster came along and you didn’t have to. Well, legally anyways. (Even though I know you’re all upstanding citizens and would never consider illegally downloading music.) Then iTunes came out and you didn’t have to buy the whole album if you didn’t want to, but you had to buy the single before being able to listen to the whole thing. And then Pandora came out and you could tell it what you liked and it would play similar music, but you couldn’t tell it what song you wanted to listen to, you just had to hope that it got played while you were listening to a station? Continue reading →

Nerd News Roundup: Everybody Loses


Howdy readers! Some of you will go see Cowboys & Aliens while an unfortunate few will get dragged off to see the Smurfs by your children or a nostalgic and soon-to-be ex. Some of you might be at home sorting your Whale’s Vagina Comic Con swag into the “Keeper” and “eBay” piles. Some of you might even be deciding whether it’s classier to drink Scotch or Wine while playing Team Fortress 2 (the answer is Scotch, btw). Whatever you do this weekend, one thing is for certain: You need nerdy news.

Guess what? I have nerdy news. This week, Madden 12 gives you a 2nd chance, Martin Luther rears his ugly head, Dinosaurs are everywhere and another boardgame gets a movie in this week’s Nerd News Roundup!
Continue reading →

Happy Systems Administrator Day

It’s often a thankless job and I can tell you that honestly since I am an Systems Administrator myself. I often tell people that “If all goes well people never know I was even here.” This is very true. The thing is that most complex systems have a way of breaking down. Call it job security, or call it poor planning, or blame the shitty architecture decisions but the reality is that most computer systems will always require gentle care and feeding. Enter the world of the Systems Administrator. Continue reading →

Will Your ISP Be Forced to Spy On You?

While we’ve all been watching the Tea Party squeeze the government by the balls, a measure was passed by the House Judiciary Committee that could have a profound impact on our privacy should it be passed into law. Internet providers would be required to maintain records of customer activity for 12 months in the event it’s needed for legal investigations.

Data retention has been high on the Republican wish-list for a decade. It’s ostensibly intended to help law enforcement build cases against child pornography and internet predators. If that’s the case, they are throwing an awfully wide net: Continue reading →

Giant Sized Nerd News Roundup

Friends, we have made it to the big dance. The convention of conventions. Comic Con International, AKA the San Diego Comicon AKA, “Hover Hands Central” is upon us. If you’re lucky enough to be in San Diego may I be the first to say, “I envy you” and suggest you read N*E*R*D’s stellar series: How Not to Be A Jerk At Comic-Con, a three part series on good behavior in the nerdiest place on earth. After you’ve completed that and counted at least 5 Dark Knight Jokers, 3 Power Girls and at least one Cardboard Gundam, come back here and catch up on the news you missed on the floor before you head out and try to hit on She-Hulk.

For the rest of you, welcome to the Pity Party. You’re probably already glue to every website, blog, and begrudgingly to G4 (and maybe one episode of Cheaters) but I’m here to pick out the juiciest bits from Day 1. This week we learned that Universal hates books and puppies, the IT Department is up to something and you really really need to do a barrel roll in this week’s GIANT SIZED Nerd News Roundup! Continue reading →

The e-Reader Killed the Bookstore Star

I’m a murderer. Yup. I participated in killing off something that I love deeply by owning an e-reader. As Borders, the second largest book seller in the nation, prepares for the liquidation process of selling off its remaining assets this Friday, I can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. If it wasn’t for my need for convenience, my desire to carry not just one book in my handbag but at least three, and the ease with which I can read said book on the subway…Borders might not be going out of business. Yes, I’ve sold my book soul for reading with one hand. Oh, the humanity. Continue reading →

If the Economy Sucks, Look Between Your Legs

This is may be the greatest economic breakthrough of our time: researchers at the University of Helsinki have published a paper called “The Male Organ and Economic Growth: Does Size Matter?” Basically they successfully found a correlation between GDP and average penis size.

So you probably think the paper will find that men in wealthier countries have bigger dongs. But you’re wrong! You can have a thriving economy or large trouser snakes, but not both.

The size of male organ is found to have an inverse U-shaped relationship with the level of GDP in 1985. It can alone explain over 15% of the variation in GDP. The GDP maximizing size is around 13.5 centimetres, and a collapse in economic development is identified as the size of male organ exceeds 16 centimetres.

The absolute worst is the countries at the small penis AND weak economy end of the U-curve. Those countries get no respect in the gym locker room!