+ 0 - 0 | § ¶Google Gears

"Google Gears (BETA) is an open source browser extension that enables web applications to provide offline functionality" This has the potential to change the way we all use web-based apps like webmail. You can already use Google Gears on Google's very own (Feed) Reader app. Awesome!

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+ 0 - 0 | § ¶THIS is why I use Facebook

Facebook is giving an unprecedented amount of access to developers. The API would allow, for example, a third party to recreate Facebook Photos, the most used photo application on the web. Users could then remove the default Facebook Photos and install the third party version instead.

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+ 0 - 0 | § ¶28 Weeks Later

Last week I had a chance to see 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to the similarly titled 28 Days Later. Weeks was a continuation of the survival horror story started by the original and took place after the original plague (rabies-like zombie-creating infection) in England had subsided. A US-led NATO force comes back to the island and tries to start repopulating the land with refugees, who had somehow managed to avoid the original plague. Of course something goes wrong, and things get much, much worse.

I thought that the sequel was a lot more intense than the original, with the result of it being not as meaningful. I liked the action and special effects, and after it was all over - I had to take a few moments to re-adjust to a world where zombies won't be cropping up from everywhere. However the director did manage to get across a couple of thought provoking elements into the film - for example, it was interesting to see the steps that the army took to prevent a wide scale infection, and how easy it was for everything to fall apart.

A couple things did bug me however: There was a scene where one of the characters gets access to his infected spouse (that was in army custody) without any trouble. With all of the precautions that the army put in place, I found it odd that there wouldn't be anyone watching a potentially infected person. Also, after the infection had started, why did the army pack everyone into a big room that wasn't secured from all sides? It seemed ridiculously easy for the infected to make it into that room... after which everything fell apart.

Worst of all, why didn't the NATO force wait a little more time to come back with civilians? It would seem terribly risky to bring people back to a land that was devastated by the worst plague that the world had ever known within months of it occurring. I'm sure the 15,000 or so refugees that they tried to bring back could have been integrated into another country without any big effort. On second thought, I guess it's believable that the leaders in the movie world of 28 Weeks Later are just as clueless as the ones in the real world...

+ 1 - 0 | § ¶The IT Crowd is coming to the US!

NBC has ordered a pilot episode of the comedy series The IT Crowd. The show, which focuses on a pair of socially inept IT technicians, was an internet hit, despite poor viewing figures in the UK. Let's hope they don't screw it up in the transition (like Coupling), but instead create their own, unique style (like The Office).

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+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Star Trek Adventure

Several years ago, a young me went to Universal Studios in Orlando with my father. While I was there, I had the opportunity to insert myself (and convince my father to do the same) into a Star Trek episode. At the time I as a HUGE trekkie so I was (understandably) very excited, and took the task VERY seriously. We were given starfleet uniforms to wear, and accessories (like Vulcan ears) to adorn. I would like to think that I was the star of the show, but I think that my dad stole the thunder with his distinctly Vulcan logic!

Either way, it was a great experience and we got to take a copy of the results home on a VHS tape. During the following years, I would occasionally take out the tape to show people how dorky I was... and now I have decided to digitize the tape to permanently capture this experience.

If you're interested, you can check out the results on youtube!

+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Ubuntu Mobile Edition Announced

Canonical has just announced that they will be working with Intel to create a version of their OS that will work on Intel's UMPC platform starting with Ubuntu 7.10. Hopefully this will result in better power management and wifi driver support in the main release.

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+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Airplane caught on Google Maps

I was doing a quick search of the area around my house and noticed a strange shape... upon zooming in I found out that the satellite image of the area includes an image of an airplane in flight. What a nice landmark to use when giving directions (go left at the airplane...)

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+ 0 - 1 | § ¶In the UK...

I'm off travelling again, and this time it's to the UK for business. I got in on Tuesday, and my meetings start on Wednesday, so I had a little time to poke around London. My hotel is by Paddington station which is one of the central train stations in London. There's a direct train right from Heathrow airport, so it was pretty easy to get there. After settling in at the Hotel, I started walking around the area. There was a canal that I followed from the station right up to a point called "Little Venice", which was a nice scenic area with a lot of plants, benches and small boats docked along the side of the canal. It felt very peaceful walking through this area, it's too bad I only really had one day to walk around, otherwise I would have grabbed a book and relaxed by the water!

After I spent some time almost getting totally lost, I walked back south towards the station and on to the famous Hyde Park. The park was one of the nicest (and largest) parks that I've seen. It had many avenues lined with trees, fountains, random sculptures and monuments and relaxing spots. The only other place that even compares to it is Lazienki park in Warsaw. However Hyde had a different feel to it, almost a more "popular" feel with people just laying down in the grass, spending time with each other, painting, reading, kissing... not that all of that doesn't happen in Lazienki.. but that park felt more like a tourist destination with all of its statues and buildings. I felt a similar regret (as in Little Venice) at not being able to stay there longer to relax.. but by the time I walked around the park, I was dead tired and ready to head back. Ah the joys of jet lag... Now I get to go back and get ready for doing what I was sent here to do (work!).

Check out my pictures from the London walk on flickr.