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About me

My posting summary

1 to 10 of 24

My comments

• Why worry about the "why did he do it?"
  (if you REALLY care, the conference name is there - "Hands-On RFID for Makers" - a big clue, I'd say)
  
  The takeaway for most of US though is really what he expressed so well in this article, by example: It's possible to build and program a pretty sophisticated RFID reader even with no electronics experience, and no programming experience.
  
  "But why does that matter to me, the reader?" That seems to be an undertone in these comments too:
  There's a lot of RFID out there, including in our wallets. It's good to be aware of the risks. And on a positive front, good to know that RFID technology is potentially easy to implement and administrate, if you had an opportunity for it in your business - or maybe even home? Lots of possibilities.
  
  I commend the author for providing info for people to engage their brains and imaginations with, without artificially limiting the context of the article. The conference wasn't context-limited, and this article wasn't either. Well done, IMO, and it was an interesting read! In reply to: "How I built an RFID device without hurting myself"

  March 15, 2009

  0 replies

• They aren't "old bugaboos" - they are legitimate concerns that would have to be talking points in projects regardless of storage paradigm.
  
  There *are* more opportunities for failure modes, for security breaches, even if they *have* all been handled. You might consider security has been handled under some sort of paradigm as well, which means a hacker who understands that paradigm could breach it - publish it if he's a good guy, exploit it if he's a bad guy.
  
  And as appealilng as having redundant storage on the web is (I like having my backups done to Mozy, with their redundant servers spread out over North America), there's still a risk - the possibility of something more central/fundamental breaking, or the third-party company going out of business.
  
  It's something worth discussing the pros and cons on - I hope the intent of the article wasn't to imply that this is always a superior solution. There's pros, and there's cons. In reply to: "Suddenly, infrastructure is cool again"

  February 22, 2009

  0 replies

• I wonder if opening multiple IE windows counts as a "simultaneous application"? In reply to: "Windows Starter gets new market: Netbooks"

  February 4, 2009

  0 replies

• I'd undoubtedly argue the use of the word "undoubtedly" when talking about using something like Hulu to serve movies for classroom study. I don't think classes would "jump at the chance" to use a streaming service... nor do I think they should!
  
  Not only can a class justify the purchase of a $15 DVD, a teacher would be irresponsible to introduce all the potential risks and failure points of not having the movie on hand to play... a failed or slow internet connection (or jack, or cable, or NIC, or configuration, or login) would not only cause a technical difficulty, but the new technology would do so in a way that an organization's AV techs might not even be familiar with or able to support - and even if they were, might have to resign to a simple "well... internet is acting up today!".
  
  A site like this is great for home use, for entertainment - when you don't need to DEPEND on the content. When you do - what is that adage - a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush? In reply to: "Five movies I want added to Hulu"

  January 21, 2009

  0 replies

• Pop-up blocker is something that Google has been doing in efforts that predate Chrome...
  I consider my Google toolbar to be an essential when I'm running IE.
  Chrome has the same (or similar, likely enhanced) pop-up blocker.
  
  If you are looking for a blocker that tries to eliminate ads embedded in website content - you'll never find one that works perfectly, not even in Firefox, and certainly not in IE. In reply to: "Google tunes up Chrome development"

  January 9, 2009

  0 replies

• I bet it still follows in the VIAO tradition... Wildly expensive computers that break.. Just like that expensive crystal stemware given as a wedding gift- it's pretty to look at but not practical for everyday use.
  
  In this case, more like a crystal shot glass, lol. In reply to: "Getting hands-on with the Sony Vaio Lifestyle PC"

  January 9, 2009

  0 replies

• Amazing - just DAYS after that article proclaiming the death of Blu Ray, ultimately "Why would anyone buy Blu Ray now for a premium when DVD is still king, and tomorrow streaming HD will be available?"
  
  This product is the PERFECT answer. It does both. Brilliant.
  And in fact it trumps that concept by also accessing web-based lo-fi video content (which, admit it, is just as fun, if not more so than HD from Hollywood and TV professionals).
  
  I want one. That simple. In reply to: "LG Blu-ray box to offer CinemaNow, YouTube videos"

  December 30, 2008

  0 replies

• Typo - Honda did not begin "selling" the FCX clarity. It only leases the vehicles, and in this case even "leasing" is not the same as most people understand leasing to be:
  
  From what I've gleaned, Honda it is doing so in the same way GM did the EV1 - Honda maintains sole ownership of all the vehicles, and will only permit anyone people to drive them within the terms of a lease contract - at the termination of the lease, there is no ownership option, Honda retains full rights to collect them back.
  
  GM did this with the EV1, and when the leases were up, they took every one of them back - and destroyed them. I mention this, because leasing a vehicle under terms of contract similar to this is far different than my lease on my Hyunday Sonata, which has an attractive purchase offer at the end, or should I choose not to, the dealer essentially puts it on a lot for sale to someone else. These leases are not intended to end in sales as far as we currently know, even extrapolating time out past the lease period. In reply to: "Made in China: A plug-in hybrid for the masses"

  December 19, 2008

  0 replies

• I wouldn't say econtony is a clown so much as you are a sucker.
  GM is sadly sending a message that cars like the Volt are "secondary" in priority to their current production of the same old cars that got them in the boat they are in.
  And secondly, they are simply trying to manipulate Congress with this move.
  
  If GM goes bankrupt - you would blame Congress over GM's long, storied, and well-documented history of failing to be competitive? That's spoken like a true (and sadly typical - perhaps GM's only advantage) GM owner who hasn't comparison shopped since his Dad or big Bro voiced his loyalty to the brand.... In reply to: "Factory for Chevy Volt engine on hold"

  December 18, 2008

  0 replies

• The problem is - GM is in the trouble it is in because it already was exceptionally deficient in looking to the future - and as a result of yesterday's lack of foresight, it isn't competitive today.
  
  If I were in congress, I'd consider this move to be very much like GM's renigging on everything that Saturn represented (which is now, very sadly, just another GM brand).
  
  The message GM is sending to Congress is doubly damning:
  1) Hey, Congress... here's proof that we'll never really reform. This project is "unnecessary spending".
  2) Hey, Congress... if you don't give us what we want, we'll try to manipulate you into it.
  
  Shame on GM.
  In other words, they both don't need, and don't deserve the money.
  Liquidate the executive team's assets and corporate-owned extraneous assets (like multi-million dollar private/corporate jets), and make a commitment to developing GM first.
  
  If I was in Congress, I'd demand that first, and demand proof that GM is committed to Volt, that it isn't just a means of manipulating for a hand out. In reply to: "Factory for Chevy Volt engine on hold"

  December 18, 2008

  2 replies