2005 July

We have lots of carseats in our household, the inevitable result of having three little kids who have overlapped carseat needs at different times. I look at the ones we don’t need any more, and they’re basically in perfect condition. A bit dirty, but structurally they’re perfect.
So why can’t we buy or sell them legally?

This will get smacked down faster than you can say Booble, but here’s another Google-style search engine for cocktail making.
For those yearning to bring back Absinthe, here’s your chance.
More About Droogle (and Booble and Gizoogle)

We don’t usually cover weaponry here at RTN, but most (if not all) of our greatest technical inventions have come from warfare. So today, we thought we’d get truly medieval on you and take a look at the trebuchet. Billed as the the most destructive medieval weapons ever made, I have to say, that as […]

The big news this week has been that Hewlett-Packard has announced that it will no longer rebrand and sell the market leader Apple Computer’s iPod. After all these years, and after a long history of strategic blunders, it’s shocking and depressing to see HP’s at it again, even after chief blunderer Carly Fiorina was booted […]

Dave, I had thought that Sarbanes-Oxley only applied to publicly traded corporations, but your previous writing and personal communication seems to imply that it also applies to closely-held ones. Is that right? Can you point me to a URL or other easy to find reference that explains just what SOx requires of small companies?

Here’s a tidbit I don’t usually share, but remember when people say “what are you, some kind of rocket scientist?” I actually get a tad confused because my father is actually a rocket scientist. And at age 4 he taught me how to make a kick-ass paper airplane with fold down wing flaps that would […]

Yo Dave, I want to download the new PSP 2.0 software so I can try out the kewl Web browser, but don’t know where to start. Do I need a USB wire or is it a wireless download? My connection always says there is a DNS error cause my access point has a WEP […]

We’ve all been there. Miles from home, trapped in an endless cell phone conversation with no way out. Luckily there’s a handy little gadget called the “Get Off the Phone Excuse Machine” that with the press of a button will send an array of interruptions to your call. Six sample sounds include: doorbell chime, crying […]

Anyone shocked by item Number 1? Now, if you’ll just register and log in, download this tiny 87K application, and then fill out a brief survey form, we’ll be right with you.
See the Most Annoying Web Site Traits Survey Results Here

Someone always has to spoil the digital party, so I guess it’s no surprise that podcasting will be the next target for virus attacks. To be fair, I’m a little skeptical since there have been no known attacks, but it never hurts to ponder this especially if you’re the one developing podcasting software. Here’s a […]

A recent request for online teachers landed in my University of Phoenix Online mailbox and offers some fascinating insight into how The Apollo Group, parent company of the for-profit University of Phoenix, is growing beyond its own ability to deliver college-level courses:

I want to set up a new America Online (AOL) screen name for myself, but the system’s telling me that I already have the maximum number of screen names. How do I delete one so I can create a new one?

I don’t really mind spending the extra money just so long as I am getting something that reflects my wants and needs. To be honest, I would be interested to see what Microsoft has in mind.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see how owning a Pringles can could ever be illegal. (She says shaking head in total disbelief.) But here’s a bit about a Sacramento California crime task force that thinks differently:
“A Sacramento area teenager got busted last month for hacking into his school’s computer system and changing his […]

By William Chee, Contributing Writer, RealTechNews
Leaping ahead of the competition once again, Fujifilm unveiled the FinePix S9000 and FinePix E900 digital cameras - the world’s first consumer level cameras with nine MegaPixel sensors.
S9500The FinePix S9000 offers traditional SLR-like styling for serious photo enthusiasts and Fujifilm’s proprietary Super CCD HR (High Resolution) sensor to capture nine […]

Screen Innovations Mirage Screen is a new front projection screen that allows users to view high-contrast projections in high-brightness environments, enabling viewers to enjoy a realistic home theater experience in environments other than darkened rooms.
The screen features a patented high-contrast filter that covers 60% of the screen surface which allows the projected image to […]

I love a good countdown with hard-to-find pics and Mobile Magazine has done a great job compiling handheld gaming/education devices from 1976 onwards. From the Speak & Spell to Mattel Football there’s a ton of great stuff awaiting you. Some highlights:
30. Tiger Sub Wars (1980)
While several companies came out with LED-based submarine games, only Tiger’s […]

Towers are registered with the FCC. We’ve taken the information and compiled it into a searchable database, and displayed it with Google Maps to give you a graphical interface to see towers in your area.
Another web mashup that uses Google Maps…

Freedom from what? Freedom from the Information Service category it’s currently stuck in. Earlier this year, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin got the rest of the commission to put cable Internet access into a less-restrictive category and he’s trying to get DSL broadband moved into the same slot.

I have been a fan of NetFlix since it launched, but lately have grown tired of all the mailing back and forth. When my company planned a trip last month to the Galapagos that essentially left me on a boat with no phone or Internet, and a very strict luggage weight limit, I thought about […]