45 - What is Tobogganing?
Good morning, this is Alex Landefeld with episode 45 of the Minute Tech podcast -
coming to you for Thursday, December 6th, 2007
On this tech podcast about the broader meanings of technology, we'll mention:
- Intel's Penryn and ESA's Columbus make debuts;
- What is Tobogganing?
- Listening to my earlier shows...for enjoyment.
---------------
Minute Tech podcast is brought to you in part by:
Larry Tolbert's Sunday Morning Taiji - learning tai chi and qi gong 9:30 am every Sunday morning at the Dunamis Baptist Church, in Wilkinsburg, PA. "Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji" - e-mail leonardtolbert-[at]-hotmail-[dot]-com for more info.
And:
Ravelings, by Carol. Pittsburgh-region classes in needle-craft - encompassing crochet, embroidery, knitting, & tatting, as well as an associated lace collection. For more information, contact Carol at carolb207-[at]-alltel-[dot]-net.
Tech News:
Intel's Penryn Chip, which has entered production at Intel's Chandler, Arizona fab facility, may make it's debut at the Consumer Electronics Show and/or MacWorld in upcoming January 2008. Writers and bloggers have been speculating for months that the next device to make it out of Santa Job's Cupertino workshop will be a subnotebook with solid-state Flash RAM drive, meaning no spinning disk, allowing for immediate boot up of the notebook computer. That could be cool...though my notebook is immediate bootup now: Apple has the sleep mode which works extremely well - I seldom actually shut the machine down. The subnotebook rumors, by the way, include thoughts about a potential iTouch device, which, similar to the iTouch iPod and iPhone, but larger, would be a true Star Trek-like handheld computing device.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Steve Jobs was inducted into the California Hall of Fame last night by Gov Schwarzenegger last night, along with 12 other "visionaries and trailblazers". There's a web cast of the induction event in Sacramento, at a link here in the show notes: http://www.gov.ca.gov/multimedia . Interestingly, Jobs shares the spotlight with such luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor, Tiger Woods, Milton Berle and Dr. Jonas Salk. Hmmm, I though that Pittsburgh claimed Jonas Salk? I guess ya gotta glom onto famous names wherever and whenever you can.
Finally, as reported in an earlier show, Space Shuttle Atlantis is lifting off later today to deliver a science experiments module from the European Space Agency. The 11-day mission will allow astronauts to attach the module & deliver French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who will inaugurate experiments on the Christopher Columbus module. The ESA's module was originally slated for a 2003 launch, which was long delayed by the re-entry disintegration of the Columbia space shuttle. In 2008, an ESA robotic spacecraft is set to dock with the ISS, as well as two Japanese modules, which will be delivered by space shuttle flights.
Tech Question:
What is toboganning? Interestingly, wikipedia's entry focuses on sled & sleigh variants which my mental image does not show as toboggan's. In my childhood memories, a toboggan was 100% the wooden or plastic sled which curls up in front, allowing for multiple people to sit together for a nearly uncontrollable ride down a snow hillside. In fact, as wikipedia does describe, the toboggan would be wooden slats fastened together, perhaps 10 or 12 2-inch slats, with a steam-bent front, curled in a J-shape, with a rope fastened to the front to allow both for basic steering, but primarily for pulling the Toboggan back up the hill. In Cleveland, where I grew up, we'd go to Shaker Height's Thornton Park, which had the highest sledding hill in the immediate vicinity. Very awesome, very icy, very steep, very cold, very fun.
I suppose this type of device for developing break-neck speed down a snowy slope might fall into the sledda-non-grata category for safety-conscious parents...but it sure is a vastly fun experience for all involved.
According to wikipedia, the Olympic bobsled is a type of Toboggan...but I'd think that it is more akin to a dog sled or horse-drawn sleigh, in that it has four rails under the body, allowing for traction on snowy or icy terrain...which in the case of the bobsled is an artificial course set up for the purpose of producing a harrowing race against the clock. My palms sweat at the mere thought of hurtling down such a course....though it is in essence a very controlled experience. :-)
Podcasting - Blogging News:
Do you remember the admonitions to Killashandra Ree, in Anne McCaffrey's Crystalsinger to record memories, as the very long life of a crystalsinger causes memories of past life to fade quickly? My podcasts are seeming to be a great way to record not only past tech news, but also how I thought about those things, interpretted them and put them into words. I've been enjoying going back and listening to my past Minute Tech podcast shows, which I've burned to CD for easy listening anywhere, partially to see what I didn't talk about in great enough depth and partially to see how I may not have had the right information, so that I can elaborate in another show. For instance, I mentioned Asberger's (sp?) syndrome, as referenced on the Infinite Mind radio show...I need to elaborate on that, since I gave absolutely no information on that particular podcast.
This is a great reason to blog, podcast or vidcast. Current generations complain that previous generations did not document their lives, giving the younger ones a sense of history, of where they came from, of what their forebears thought about the world. Now with these forms of expression they'll be inundated, for good or ill, with these vast amounts of artistic output. How will they catalog it all...how will it all be assimilated by future generations?
Thats all for today on Minute Tech podcast.
you can reach me at minutetech@gmail.com -
and my blog is at minutetech.blogspot.com
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- Intel's Penryn and ESA's Columbus make debuts;
- What is Tobogganing?
- Listening to my earlier shows...for enjoyment.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Showing posts with label Columbus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Columbus. Show all posts
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Sunday, December 02, 2007
phyllostachys 57: Minute Tech 42 show notes
42 - Why Do I Like This Book?
Good Morning, this is Alex Landefeld with episode 42 of the Minute Tech podcast -
coming to you for Saturday and Sunday, December 1st and 2nd , 2007
On this tech podcast about the broader meanings of technology, we'll mention:
- iClone meets iPhone, and Columbus bumps the AMS;
- Why Do I Like This Book?
- 37Roses.com leads to a web journey.
---------------
Minute Tech podcast is brought to you in part by:
Larry Tolbert's Sunday Morning Taiji - learning tai chi and qi gong 9:30 am every Sunday morning at the Dunamis Baptist Church, in Wilkinsburg, PA. "Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji" - e-mail leonardtolbert-[at]-hotmail-[dot]-com for more info.
Happy Birthday, Larry! Enjoy the book "Light on Yoga" by B.K.S. Iyengar. :-)
And:
Ravelings, by Carol. Pittsburgh-region classes in needle-craft - encompassing crochet, embroidery, knitting, & tatting, as well as an associated lace collection. For more information, contact Carol at carolb207-[at]-alltel-[dot]-net.
Tech News:
Now that's an interesting name for a weekend column: Scotland on Sunday, from Scotsman.com. Murdo MacLeod from Scotland on Sunday reports that a Chinese electronics firm has developed an iPhone clone, complete with touchscreen. The expectation from the article, titled "All-in-one 'iClone' from China defies Apple to call its lawyers", is that Apple will find some way to sue the Chinese company, and the article quotes US technology writer Ed Finegold as writing "Forget the iPhone - give me an iClone."
But remember folks, this is the issue that most are forgetting when they think a competitor has a chance at becoming the new king of the iPod or iPhone castle: it's not the device, it's the service. In a word, iTunes. Media delivery. That's Apple's not-so-secret ingredient.
In space news, the European Space Agency's Columbus module for the International Space Station is set to be launched later this week on STS-122, Space Shuttle Atlantis. The Columbus module will be attached to the new Harmony module, which was delivered to the ISS during the previous shuttle mission. Relatedly, an article by Marc Kaufman of the Washington Post describes how NASA has decided to deliver this module rather than another module called the AMS, or Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. The Columbus module is set up to "allow scientists to conduct long-term biological, fluid and materials science research in weightless conditions, " while the AMS is an automated device which would detect cosmic rays outside of earth's atmosphere, aiding scientists in the study of dark matter and antimatter. The ESA has built both modules and would like to see both sent aboard the Space Shuttle on separate missions, but NASA has decided to stop Shuttle flights as of 2010, and the AMS is not schedule to be on any of the 10 remaining flights.
Tech Question:
Why do I like this book? I'm holding here in my hand a book. Okay, I'm really typing, and the book sits next to me. This book is Light on Yoga, by B.K.S. Iyengar. I have not yet read this book, even though I bought it probably 10 years ago. It along with thousands of other books are helping hold my house down. Why? Because I like books.
Devices & services like the Amazon Kindle, the Sony eReader before it, and Audible's audio books, have begun to cast a pall over the longevity of the bound book. What is the likely span that we'll still have bound books? Will they merely be a legacy product that we provide to those without access to digitized information?
While I have not fully read this book about yoga, I have read sections of it, and it's 544 pages comprise a vast overview of yoga...which I've thus far failed to introduce into my life. Therefore I'm giving the book to my Tai Chi teacher in the hopes that he'll review the contents and incorporate some of this into our lessons - he has an intense ability to review martial arts, philosophy and various related books and incorporate bits and pieces into his lessons and lectures.
That is the value of a bound book. I can buy it. I can peruse it. I can give it to someone more inclined to use it as it was intended to be used. Can you do that with a Kindle book? Can you do that with an Audible recording? Can you do that with an iTunes song or video? No, you cannot. And that is the continuing value of bound, paper books, at least for those of us fool enough to pick them up whenever, wherever we see them. :-)
Podcasting - Blogging News:
Blog reading is interesting in part because the ideas can lead to informational journeys across the web. Yesterday, I was reading a post by Jennie Roth, on her 37roses.com blog, which I mentioned as part of episode 41's review of the TechBurgh video podcast. This post was about the man who, along with co-host Kaylynn, is the producer of the TechBurgh podcast, Andy Quayle. Andy is from the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish sea, between Scotland and Northern Ireland. He is therefore "manx", which is the description for people from Man...and the blog post is therefore titled "andythemanx"...perhaps a playful play on "andy the man"?
Anyways, the blog links to a YouTube video that Andy suggests, that's a longish video about the Isle of Man, targeted toward tourists, businesses and potential emigres. Having watched the lions share of the video, my interest was merely piqued, so I trudged on over to wikipedia dot org and read first the article on "manx", and second the article on "Isle of Man". Fascinating information about a subject that I had absolutely no previous knowledge. Did you know that the northern portion of Man is primarily flat...north of the 621 meter mountain Snaefell...having been covered by glaciers that spread out from Scotland during the last ice age? And Interestingly, the Church of England diocese is called the "Diocese of Sodor and Man". Sodor....where have I heard that name? Thomas the Tank Engine? :-)
Go to a blog today and begin your own journey...it will be the first of many.
Thats all for today on Minute Tech podcast.
you can reach me at minutetech@gmail.com -
and my blog is at minutetech.blogspot.com
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- iClone meets iPhone, and Columbus bumps the AMS;
- Why Do I Like This Book?
- 37Roses.com leads to a web journey.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Good Morning, this is Alex Landefeld with episode 42 of the Minute Tech podcast -
coming to you for Saturday and Sunday, December 1st and 2nd , 2007
On this tech podcast about the broader meanings of technology, we'll mention:
- iClone meets iPhone, and Columbus bumps the AMS;
- Why Do I Like This Book?
- 37Roses.com leads to a web journey.
---------------
Minute Tech podcast is brought to you in part by:
Larry Tolbert's Sunday Morning Taiji - learning tai chi and qi gong 9:30 am every Sunday morning at the Dunamis Baptist Church, in Wilkinsburg, PA. "Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji" - e-mail leonardtolbert-[at]-hotmail-[dot]-com for more info.
Happy Birthday, Larry! Enjoy the book "Light on Yoga" by B.K.S. Iyengar. :-)
And:
Ravelings, by Carol. Pittsburgh-region classes in needle-craft - encompassing crochet, embroidery, knitting, & tatting, as well as an associated lace collection. For more information, contact Carol at carolb207-[at]-alltel-[dot]-net.
Tech News:
Now that's an interesting name for a weekend column: Scotland on Sunday, from Scotsman.com. Murdo MacLeod from Scotland on Sunday reports that a Chinese electronics firm has developed an iPhone clone, complete with touchscreen. The expectation from the article, titled "All-in-one 'iClone' from China defies Apple to call its lawyers", is that Apple will find some way to sue the Chinese company, and the article quotes US technology writer Ed Finegold as writing "Forget the iPhone - give me an iClone."
But remember folks, this is the issue that most are forgetting when they think a competitor has a chance at becoming the new king of the iPod or iPhone castle: it's not the device, it's the service. In a word, iTunes. Media delivery. That's Apple's not-so-secret ingredient.
In space news, the European Space Agency's Columbus module for the International Space Station is set to be launched later this week on STS-122, Space Shuttle Atlantis. The Columbus module will be attached to the new Harmony module, which was delivered to the ISS during the previous shuttle mission. Relatedly, an article by Marc Kaufman of the Washington Post describes how NASA has decided to deliver this module rather than another module called the AMS, or Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. The Columbus module is set up to "allow scientists to conduct long-term biological, fluid and materials science research in weightless conditions, " while the AMS is an automated device which would detect cosmic rays outside of earth's atmosphere, aiding scientists in the study of dark matter and antimatter. The ESA has built both modules and would like to see both sent aboard the Space Shuttle on separate missions, but NASA has decided to stop Shuttle flights as of 2010, and the AMS is not schedule to be on any of the 10 remaining flights.
Tech Question:
Why do I like this book? I'm holding here in my hand a book. Okay, I'm really typing, and the book sits next to me. This book is Light on Yoga, by B.K.S. Iyengar. I have not yet read this book, even though I bought it probably 10 years ago. It along with thousands of other books are helping hold my house down. Why? Because I like books.
Devices & services like the Amazon Kindle, the Sony eReader before it, and Audible's audio books, have begun to cast a pall over the longevity of the bound book. What is the likely span that we'll still have bound books? Will they merely be a legacy product that we provide to those without access to digitized information?
While I have not fully read this book about yoga, I have read sections of it, and it's 544 pages comprise a vast overview of yoga...which I've thus far failed to introduce into my life. Therefore I'm giving the book to my Tai Chi teacher in the hopes that he'll review the contents and incorporate some of this into our lessons - he has an intense ability to review martial arts, philosophy and various related books and incorporate bits and pieces into his lessons and lectures.
That is the value of a bound book. I can buy it. I can peruse it. I can give it to someone more inclined to use it as it was intended to be used. Can you do that with a Kindle book? Can you do that with an Audible recording? Can you do that with an iTunes song or video? No, you cannot. And that is the continuing value of bound, paper books, at least for those of us fool enough to pick them up whenever, wherever we see them. :-)
Podcasting - Blogging News:
Blog reading is interesting in part because the ideas can lead to informational journeys across the web. Yesterday, I was reading a post by Jennie Roth, on her 37roses.com blog, which I mentioned as part of episode 41's review of the TechBurgh video podcast. This post was about the man who, along with co-host Kaylynn, is the producer of the TechBurgh podcast, Andy Quayle. Andy is from the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish sea, between Scotland and Northern Ireland. He is therefore "manx", which is the description for people from Man...and the blog post is therefore titled "andythemanx"...perhaps a playful play on "andy the man"?
Anyways, the blog links to a YouTube video that Andy suggests, that's a longish video about the Isle of Man, targeted toward tourists, businesses and potential emigres. Having watched the lions share of the video, my interest was merely piqued, so I trudged on over to wikipedia dot org and read first the article on "manx", and second the article on "Isle of Man". Fascinating information about a subject that I had absolutely no previous knowledge. Did you know that the northern portion of Man is primarily flat...north of the 621 meter mountain Snaefell...having been covered by glaciers that spread out from Scotland during the last ice age? And Interestingly, the Church of England diocese is called the "Diocese of Sodor and Man". Sodor....where have I heard that name? Thomas the Tank Engine? :-)
Go to a blog today and begin your own journey...it will be the first of many.
Thats all for today on Minute Tech podcast.
you can reach me at minutetech@gmail.com -
and my blog is at minutetech.blogspot.com
"Move with the motion of the planet - move with Taiji"
- iClone meets iPhone, and Columbus bumps the AMS;
- Why Do I Like This Book?
- 37Roses.com leads to a web journey.
Go to the Minute Tech iWeb page to subscribe or listen to this podcast: Minute Tech.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)