This post only contains 2 illusions, but they are so neat that I didn’t want to wait and put them up.
Enjoy and be sure to check out the rest of the series:
Filed under: Art, Optical Illusions | 1 Comment »
I’m a happy owner of Logitech’s latest cordless desktop product! The Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution.
On Monday Amazon delivered the keyboard & mouse combo I’ve been ‘craving’ for quite some time. Its a long story, but in a nutshell I was stuck using a stock Dell keyboard, which wasn’t meeting my needs, after my old MX set started acting up - duplicate keystrokes, random characters inserted to what I was typing and just random “bugginess”.
Originally the Amazon order status was showing an expected delivery in the first week in April, so I was thrilled to get an e-mail last week telling me it had shipped (I’m guessing its because the item wasn’t available yet, and they didn’t know how to estimate the stock they would get vs. order volume).
I’m not going into a full review, but wanted to highlight what I think was most notable.
I really like what Logitech has done with the keyboard. The keys are firm, and quiet, the texture on the wrist-pad is comfortable and well finished off (unlike the plasticky and awkward predecessors I would always rip off- this one is actually integrated and does not come off).
What doesn’t convince me about the keyboard is that they opted for no back-lit keys. I also own a Logitech G-15 gaming keyboard, and while that’s a corded keyboard, battery life is not an issue for keeping the keys lit, however its a feature I really like and would have enjoyed having it on the 5500.
The media controls on the keyboard are logical - I didn’t see value in past wheel type, or touch sensitive buttons. I think they are over rated. Instead this keyboard hosts a vertical row of these controls on the left hand side.
The LCD screen on the keyboard is pretty handy. My G-15 displays more information, and I’m yet to explore if there are plug ins for the 5500, but one thing’s lacking in this case as well is the back-light. You can compensate by reversing the white-on-black display for more contrast, but it just doesn’t quite do it like a light. One thing I find funny is that the e-mail count caps off at 99 - seems like a poorly planned feature, as I’m starring at my 707 unread e-mails in my Outlook Inbox. I understand that this is probably thought for the home, and not for large corporate company users, but still, why would they not be able to use smaller characters and allow at least 3 digits for the e-mail count?
The rest of the LCD apps are pretty simple and ‘cute’. I like the temperature display and keystroke counter. I specially think the built it calculator, which allow to perform operations on the LCD screen directly - using the numberpad -and exports results to clipboard on command, is very clever! I’m not entirely sure how useful this is, but they added a tiny speaker to the keyboard which beeps at you when you get new mail and when caps lock in engaged and released. For now its on, we’ll see how long before I shut it off.
The mouse is quite a step up from my previous one! This anatomically and ergonomically correct pointing device is very nice. Its a laser mouse which glides on my mousepad almost as smoothly as my gaming mouse at home. It features a really neat scroll wheel which switches into “free scroll” (no clicking) for super fast scrolling and then re-engages automatically when scrolling slows down. It also has a secondary wheel for document flip, and like the 3D flip on the keyboard they are meant for Windows Vista, but work just as good switching applications on Win XP. Another neat key is a search button on the top of the mouse, which opens your default search engine and performs a query on whatever text you have selected. Still working on learning to incorporate that into my routine, but once I do I will be a true fan of this feature! Finally, the mouse’s thumbgrip is made of the same material as the keyboard’s wrist-pad, and I’m pleased with how it feels.
The whole combo is connected via Bluetooth, the mouse’s charging station has a single cord for power to charge the batteries, and the USB dongle connects both seamlessly (no more messy cords from the charging cradle to PS2 and USB like my previous set had). All in all I’m very pleased with it and think it rivals the rest of the wireless keyboard mouse combos I’ve seen out there.
Hope this review is useful in determining this product’s suitability.
Filed under: products, review, technology | 4 Comments »
Here’s another top selection of optical illusions by Akiyoshi Kitaoka, Professor, Department of Psychology, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan.
The disclaimer: these images may cause dizziness, or in extreme cases even make people sick. If you don’t feel great after looking at a couple, its a good idea to stop!
The line appears to be on a slope
The central circle on the right appears to be smaller than the one on the left, but they are both of identical size
The image appears to pulse and move, much like a jellyfish would
These concentric circles appear to spiral and move in a counterclockwise direction
When you don’t focus on a circle they seem to rotate. Two clockwise, two counterclockwise - can you see which is which?
In addition to the rotation effect, these circles appear to be polygons, while they are perfectly circular
The first and third row are going left, while the second and fourth are going to the right, right?
The entire image appears to move and wobble
Enjoy and be sure to check out the rest of the series:
Link: Akiyoshi’s illusion pages
Filed under: Art, Optical Illusions | 2 Comments »
This is the second year my wife and I host a Super Bowl Party. The menu was an easy choice - we served the same chili I had made the previous year and it was a great success!
This is very easy recipe - the chili is great. It holds very well in the fridge and can be frozen with no problem. If you are entertaining a large crowd (7 guests and up) double the quantities of everything. For smaller gatherings, this recipe will yield more than enough and then some!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 lbs. ground beef (or venison)
1 lb. of cubed beef (or venison)
1 hot Italian sausage link, crumbled
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 can diced green chilies (4 1/2 ounces)
3-4 chipotle chiles in adobo, diced
12 ounces dark beer
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
4 ounces tomato paste
4 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon parsley
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
2 cans kidney beans (14 ounces x2)
2 cups turkey broth or water
These ingredients will give you a ‘medium heat’ dish. I always add more chili powder, some ground cayenne pepper and some of the adobo sauce from the chipotle chilies for an extra kick!
Preparation:
- Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the meats. (you may want to brown them in smaller batches and set aside - you’ll need to add a little oil with each batch.)
- Combine with onioins, peppers, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
- Continue to cook until meat is browned stirring often.
- Gradually add rest of the ingredients (I start with the dry ingredients, stir them in, and then add the wet)
- Once you have combined all of the ingredients, bring the chili up to a boil.
- Lower the temperature to medium/low simmer.
- Cook for 2-3 hours to allow all the flavors to meld. Make sure you stir often and check for seasoning.
Serving:
I cooked 2 cups of rice to serve with the chili, but it can be enjoyed straight or even on baked potatoes.
Serve with sour cream & shredded cheddar cheese
Give it a try. Enjoy!
Filed under: cooking, recipe | 1 Comment »
This year the ads were better than the game.
Below is a selection of my favorite commercials that aired during, New England Patriots vs. New York Giants, 2008 Super Bowl game.
I’m starting with the one I liked best, of course:
What were your favorite Ads?
Filed under: TV, funny, humor | No Comments »
I recently answered a question on Yedda, and thought my response may be valuable to others wondering about e-commerce, so I’m sharing it here as well:
Check out this interesting answer on Yedda
How can your company benefit from e-commerce?
Lames,
Its hard to answer your question accurately without more information about what kind of company (size), what line of business (segment), and that the end product is.
Furthermore its hard to quantify without understanding the present state and operation of a company that will be “enabling” e-commerce (and in essence e-business - I see you asked about this in other questions).
Lets just say for the sake of this exercise that we’re speaking of a small business that started as a small shop selling baked goods. They decide to create a website and do e-commerce. One of the biggest bets for e-commerce is a favorable ROI. Generally speaking, its expected that the investment to create the ‘electronic commerce’ channel will return at a multiple over time.
Here are the high level benefits:
1. Expanding the reach of you product/brand - By creating an online identity you can expand beyond your traditional marketing channels and be exposed to people, far and near, by ways of paid (Search Engine Marketing [SEM], Online Advertising [Banners, Sponsored Links, etc.]), and natural ‘organic growth’ (Word of Mouth, Search Engine Optimization [SEO - ranking of your page as it relates to amounts of links to it out in the internet], Bloggers, etc.).
2. Expanding the reach of your business - So all these new people who are now aware, exposed to, and interested in your products will now want to buy your products. With e-Commerce, you can have an online catalog, and shopping cart which will enable online orders. While this may prove a bit challenging at times (depending on how you ship your goods, if they are perishable, what’s the best logistical and cost effective way to ship, etc.) once you establish a system, with the right providers (UPS, FedEx, any big carrier has flexible options for small businesses) you are no longer limited to those people who see or know of your store locally.
3. Improving processes - If your operation is a relatively new, but hard working business, chances are the introduction of e-commerce will also allow for increased efficiency in your order taking and fulfillment processes as well as managing your client and partner contacts. Orders can be inputted, managed, viewed, modified and tracked on your computer, and can be made available to your customers online as well.
Ordering of ingredients, packaging, and anything else that you require to run a smoothly operating business can be inputted into your system, and you can monitor inventory as well as easily place orders using templates and view your past activity and adjust where necessary.
4. GROW YOUR BUSINESS - In summary all of the above should aid in the growth of the operation by increasing sales, customer satisfaction, leading to more production, increased margins and growth. If implemented correctly (meaning building an e-commerce platform of the right size - not too small, but also not too big and full of unnecessary components) the return on investment of going electronic should be very high.
I hope you find this information useful. Of course there are many more variables and elements to consider, but this should provide a pretty good base.
Best, Itay.
Topics: e-commerce, international trade, global sourcing, import/export
Answered by Itay. on February 01, 2008
View the entire discussion on Yedda
Filed under: business, products, technology | No Comments »
Prank or art? Maybe both!
If you have a ton of Post It notes (14,000 in this case!), a lot of time and a few friends who can lend a helping hand you can transform your car (or someone elses) into a work of art!
This Jaguar was belongs to Walt, and what started out as an April Fool’s Day office prank last year, turned into a massive viral Internet phenomenon. This prank and got over 275,000 views and links from hundreds of blogs and even TV coverage.
I wonder who paid for all the Post Its!
The full gallery can be viewed on Flickr: The Post-It Note Jaguar
Filed under: Art, funny, humor, joke | No Comments »
I usually hate the tacky e-mail forwards we all get with all sorts of ‘true friends’, ‘you know you’re a geek when’, ‘you’re a child of the 70s, 80s, 90s if…’ etc, but today I got one with a very funny ending. Made me laugh.
Filed under: funny, humor, joke | No Comments »
I laugh thinking what NASA scitentists might think, and the reaction this may cause, if they suddenly picked up a transmission like this on some obscure distant frequency - all joking aside, this technology is quite amazing.
Reactable is “a collaborative electronic music[al] instrument with a tabletop tangible multi-touch interface”, in other words its an interactive surface, just like the the much raved multi-touch displays and systems which are beginning to redefine the way we interact with computers and devices. In the case of Reactable, its not so much about controlling a computer, but rather creating an ensamble of sounds and that interacts and reacts to what everyone else is doing to the system.
Simultaneous performers can share, interact, and build sounds based on the objects the place on the table. The system uses a camera to monitor the users’ finger position, as well as all the objects on the table. Variables such as rotation and orientation, distance and position in relation to other objects, and motion vary the sounds creating a “complex and dynamic sonic topology”
This is best explained by watching it.
The instrument was developed by a team of digital luthiers under the direction of Dr. Sergi Jordà.
Link: Reactable
