the adventures of teapot the cat

USB is smokin’

Is it me, or does the idea of physically connecting a cigarette with a computer peripheral seem kinda whack? Well, with the USB Ashtray you are invited to get your computer addicted to nicotine. Though this other design is much cuter and apparently calculates how soon the cancer sticks will do you in. Great.

1 comment October 21st, 2005

Yellow Dot Pattern

Seems that some smart people have cracked the mystery of the Secret Yellow Dots that were discovered in Xerox Docucolor printouts. It turns out to be a handy tracking system built into the printing software of these printers (and more) that supposedly could help our sneaky government find out who’s doing funny stuff with copiers / printers. Seems to be a seriously crafty way - especially without telling owners of this gear. So what else is embedding tracking information or tags or recording our actions - our cars? Our cell phones? Our keyboards?

Add comment October 21st, 2005

Wheely Annoying

Since my Ipod’s wheel is fubared, I was looking up Apple resources. Their address turns out to be quite cool : 1 Infinite Loop; Cupertino, CA 95014, U.S.A.

An interesting fact is that when the hold button is switched to OFF, the wheel’s touch capacitance is calibrated to the air (which is why if you turn off hold with your finger on the wheel, you might think your wheel is busted - but it is really just calibrated wrong). This works temporarily on my pod, but then stops working a short while later. Update, Reset, Restore - nuttin works. Which is why I’m investigating warranty options///

Add comment October 21st, 2005

Last Life in the Universe

Thanks to the wonder of On Demand TV, I happened upon Last Life in the Universe, a Thai movie that is really quite good. It is basically about a guy (obsessive compulsive, semi-suicidal) who ends of in situations beyond his control. Very moody, not quite happy, not quite sad, not quite scary, not quite boring, and all very … still. Nice cinematography. Neat characters. I wonder what else the director has done.

Add comment October 5th, 2005

IPod 2001

Space is a huge and lonely place, with only the vacuum of the cosmos to tug at your fears and instabilities. Sweating in my spacesuit, in the deep shadow cast by the sun from the mammoth spaceship, my IPod click wheel began to malfunction again. A bead of sweat rolled onto my eye, adding to the sting.

At first it all seemed innocent enough. Mysterious short circuits, faulty radar, and corrupted data. Reasonable explanations were found. But then when crew members started getting attacked, I had begun to get suspicious. However, my forcefulness at seeking the truth behind the Captain’s death only served to direct the strange occurences towards myself. Before I knew it, I was here alone, floating, outside the white bulkhead of the ship. My IPod had turned on me. All control had been lost, and the sound poured, uninhibited, into the helmet of my suit like water filling up a fish bowl. I felt myself growling in fear, rapidly morphing into a scream. With my clumsy oven mitt gloves I frantically thumbed at the Pod, but it was too late.

“I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” were the words that echoed from the white earbuds.

Add comment October 4th, 2005

The Nose and that Pesky Grindstone

Work Resumes. It’s going to take a little getting used to, and a lot of coffee, to get up early again. Though once the Daring Duo move into their fabulous new Geek Pad, the trek into town will cease to be an issue. And work is a good way to pay for all the awesome Geek Toys that must be bought for said Geek Pad. As the sinister Duo like to say “It is all going according to plan…” *rub hands together in evil, plotting fashion* — Now hand over that debit card!

Add comment October 4th, 2005

The Fellowship of IKEA

The fellowship journeyed far, beneath vast seas and across barren tracts of wilderness, to the land of IKEA, where the Swedish Meatballs and Modular Furniture flow like honey through a linearly proscribed path of design goodness. A spell of fatigue was cast over us as we wove our way through the undergrowth of low cost products, which, compounded by a lack of sustainance made us lose hope in reaching our final destination. Yet somehow we fought our way past the horde that had amassed at the registers, and saw the light of day once more.

Add comment October 2nd, 2005