Right now surpluscomputers.com is running a deal – they are selling thin clients for $20 a pop. For that deal, click here.
It runs Windows CE and I’m not sure what exactly I am going to do with two of them. I have to round up a PS/2 mouse and keyboard to use with this thing. I’m thinking a dumb internet terminal.
Check back in a couple of days and I’ll let you know what usage I find for it.
Recently, a couple of faked screenshots of Mac OS 10.5, Leopard, were making the rounds on the Internet. Included in the fake shots was a new tabbed Finder interface.
When I switched from Windows to Mac, Finder was one of the things I hated most about OS X. It was too simple and underpowered. You have to open two Finder windows to do anything. There are few ways to customize Finder (besides putting a ton of items in your toolbar and your sidebar). There is no “Advanced” view that gives you more functionality. (As an aside, I find it quite irritating that you can only save items to locations listed in your sidebar using a drop down menu instead of a sheet).
One of the better Finder replacements is Path Finder. Unfortunately, it does not completely replace the Finder because OS X does not truly give you an option to use a replacement program for Finder. You would have two programs running. A few months ago, there was news that Apple was looking for a new Finder team. I e-mailed them and the guys at CocoaTech (makers of Path Finder) and implored them to bring the Path Finder people to Apple to replace the Finder. More likely than not, Apple will just copy Path Finder without payment just as they copied Konfabulator (later Yahoo Widgets Engine). Apple apologists will say what a great innovation, while others (like me) will say Apple stole a great idea.
Tabbed file browsing is not a complete answer. Split view panes, as can be found in Windows with Explorer, are necessary for moving files. Additionally, Apple has the awful folder replace function. Instead of integrating the contents of two folders who share the same name, Mac OS X replaces the folder with the newer one (after warning you that it will do this). There is not even an option to integrate the folder contents.
I am not asking for Finder to become Path Finder. I just want a program that can act like Windows Explorer or Finder that gives you advanced options. Hide it from the newbies and give some power to the users.
Several weeks ago, a piece of software was on the front page of digg.com. It was the Secondary Click installer – it would allow a MacBook Pro users to “right-click” or “control-click” using two fingers on the trackpad. I installed it on my MBP and it kind of works. It had an installer, it asked for my password and I had no problem installing it on my laptop.
That got me thinking about how digg or sites like digg could be used to spread viruses very easily. Digg allows the users to act as editors and the most popular stories get promoted to the front page. One of the great features of digg is how quickly a story can move from obscurity to the front page. The more interesting the story, the quicker it gets dugg. Since the users are the ones promoting the stories, there isn’t anyone really doing long-term checks and experiments on the software that gets promoted to the front page.
If someone wanted, they could put together a piece of malware that acted as a ticking time bomb. The Secondary Click installer could have easily installed the first real Mac virus by adding some terminal commands to format your hard drive a couple of days later using the password you typed in when you agreed to install Secondary Click. Now, I’m not a virus-writer so I don’t even know if this is possible, but it seems plausible to me.
People would be quite happy with the piece of software for a couple of days and it would have been promoted to the front page of digg. No one would know that anything malicious was involved until days later when the virus gets full blown. By the time anyone felt the effect of the malware it would be too late. A couple of thousand would be infected and the thing that makes sites like digg so great, pushing stories with an immediacy not found in traditional news sites, could cause plenty of problems.
As an aside: I am a big fan of digg and I check the site out several times a day. I am eagerly awaiting Digg version 3 with its new features.
The new DS Lite was officially released on June 11th in the U.S. It was available early in some stores, like Target. The other day, I was in Target with my wife and I got to play “New Super Mario Brothers” on the DS Lite.
The Nintendo DS Lite is a slick piece of hardware. I’m not sure I fully appreciate the touchscreen. I own a PSP. I bought it with the hopes that this elegant gaming system would be one of the most hackable and powerful portable computers for a decent price. I have seen Windows 95 run on the PSP and Sony has a web browser that is works with its wi-fi capabilities. The most interesting hack has been the emulators available for the PSP. The idea of playing Nintendo’s Pro Wrestling or Punch Out on a portable machine was a great draw.
When the best games on a PSP are Nintendo’s old 8-bit games or Sega Genesis games – there’s something wrong. If I wanted to play Nintendo games – why not just get a Nintendo system?
When I was playing New Super Mario Brothers it was very fun. I hadn’t played a Mario game in years. It was a new experience with Mario having new moves. My wife was trying to talk to me while I was playing the game, but I was mesmerized by the game. She was trying to ask me if she could get some XBOX 360 game. I was in my own world playing the DS.
I don’t know about how hackable the DS is. I’ve never looked into it. I have seen some of its media player options, but they are very clunky. The new design of the DS Lite makes it look as stylish as an iPod. Plus, the screens are protected by the clamshell design. No need for a special case – although I’m sure some will try to protect that snazzy white case.
$129. Maybe I’ll scrounge that up and also pick up New Super Mario Brothers if I get the DS.
Back in my bachelor days, I lived on my own for a while. I hated doing dishes; however, I enjoyed eating off of plates. At some point, I realized that plates were merely platforms to hold food. I got the idea to place plastic wrap over plates or any other hard surface to recreate a clean plate. So, if you don’t want to do the dishes any more, get some microwaveable plastic wrap and place it over you plate. When you’re done eating, throw out or recycle your plastic wrap.